Oakhurst Elementary
April 2, 2020
News from Oakhurst
From the Principal
Greetings Owl Families,
The news we received regarding the closure of school for the remainder of the year has been devastating for the Oakhurst staff but we understand the need to do so. We miss the students, you and each other so very much! Aside from yesterday's big news, this week has been a huge week of learning for all of us. Our teachers have spent countless hours preparing quality instructional content for this week. We've tried to make our lessons engaging and suitable for all as we learned to navigate new instructional tools such as Google Classroom, NearPod, Zoom and others. We know you have been quite busy at home this week also. Thank you for sharing photos of students learning from home. The pictures have brought many smiles to our faces. Please keep sending them to us. I will share a few in our newsletter each week. As you might have seen in the communication from CSD yesterday, we have already learned a lot in this virtual learning journey and we understand the varying needs of students and realize we need to make some adjustments. Until we determine what changes will be made, we are asking that you look at each week's work and determine what is best for your child. This could be adjusting the pacing or amounts. We are working to figure out how to satisfy the academic needs of all learners and attend to the social/emotional needs of our students.
In building partnerships between home and school it is important that we communicate with each other. If you have questions and or concerns, we'd really like to hear those. We ask that you lean on the resources we've created to help you. The Oakhurst Virtual Site contains answers to many of the questions such as "How to log in to Google Classroom." In addition, we ask that you are in direct contact with your child's teacher to share your concerns. Though social media is an open forum to express concerns, we don't frequent these sites as a means to know the issues and problem solve. We rely on the communication structures we have and hearing from you directly to address concerns that you may have. We appreciate your partnership in this way and look forward to maintaining open and responsive communication. We will continue to do our best to support you in this journey of doing school from home.
Principal Sanders
From the Yearbook Team
We have gotten some questions about whether we will be able to produce a yearbook this year in light of the school closures. The answer is YES! Despite the unsettling times we are currently going through, we have a lot of wonderful things to remember about this school year, and we look forward to producing a book with those memories for our students.
Here are some things for you to know:
· We would LOVE to get pictures from you! Please email them to oakhurstyearbook@gmail.com. Maybe you can even send some photos showing your students adapting to our new situation – home-schooling, hand-washing, KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE from others, etc.
· Yearbook payments, 2nd-grade dedications, and donations may be made online at https://oakhurstelementarypta.org/
Go to “Store” then click the “Yearbook” link.
· Please know that we will provide books for every student regardless of your ability to pay. If your family is experiencing financial hardship because of the current school/business closures or for any other reason, please do not feel pressure to contribute. If you are in this situation but would like to submit a dedication for your second-grader, we are happy to include your dedication free of charge. Just email your text (250 characters or fewer) and a photo to oakhurstyearbook@gmail.com.
Thank you all for your support. We hope that you all stay safe and healthy!
A Message to Oakhurst Families from Ms. Deming
Hello, Oakhurst students and families. I hope everyone is doing ok and finding new ways to be together with family, and new ways to learn, during this unusual time. I truly miss each and every one of you and I am working on being calm and reminding myself that we are apart but still connected.
Parents, I wanted to remind you of my daily office hours for the remainder of this week. These are the times that I will definitely be available to call parents or talk with students. However, I can make other arrangements if these times don’t work out…..just send me an email at ldeming@csdecatur.net if you’d like to set up a time to check in. Office hours: Thursday, 4/2 from 3 to 5 pm; Friday, 4/3 from 9 to 11 am. I don’t have regular hours set up for next week since it is spring break, but I will still be checking my emails and responding promptly.
I wanted to make you aware of this terrific resource from the Anti-Defamation League.
It’s called “Draw Me Safe: Coloring and Conversation about a Pandemic.” Please feel free to follow the link, download and print the pdf and let me know how you and your kids like it.
My 88-year-old mom and I are enjoying coloring and talking about these helpful reminders….you’re never too old to color, I guess!
I really appreciate hearing from the students in Google Classroom. Please stay in touch, everyone, and let me know how you are coping with the changes and what new things you are learning.
Best Wishes Always, Ms. Deming
News from City Schools of Decatur
CSD COVID- 19 Webpage
About us
Email: suhawkins@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.oakhurst.csdecatur.net
Location: 175 Mead Road, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404 -370-4470
Twitter: @OakhurstOwls