Oak Grove Elementary
October 2018
Message from Principal Landon
Happy Fall!
As always, the beginning of a school year unfolds so quickly, and as fall approaches, my daughter’s words speak to me, “Take time to watch the leaves turn color.” With the hustle and bustle of school days and daily life, I open this letter by encouraging everyone to keep calm and enjoy autumn.
As I write this letter, we are kicking off ATI (Additional Targeted Instruction) where we embed classes and activities into our master schedule to ensure various levels of learning in identified areas. At Oak Grove, the ATI time supports our effective Response to Intervention Model where we implement math and reading activities to fill gaps or challenge learning in every student's education.
As the school's instructional leader, I have worked with staff to increase the academic growth of our students. This year we will explore how we can work as collaborative teams to implement specific professional development on Curriculum Mapping, Lesson Planning, and Best Practices. I am also incredibly proud of our kids for reaching deep down, persevering and taking on the rigor of our academics. Additionally, I am very pleased by the staff for implementing the initiatives that ensure our kids learn at high levels which result in outstanding gains for our students. We love a Growth Mindset at Oak Grove!
I want to make you eagerly aware of our school’s slogan, Every Student is a Champion. This slogan encapsulates everything I know about our staff as people, as teachers, as professionals and how they all believe in our students. With that idea in mind, we're always mindful about how to connect with each child here and purposefully build relationships with each and every one of them. Through THE 7 HABITS OF HAPPY KIDS by Sean Covey, this book is serving as an influential guide for engaging students with the most effective tool: their own self-worth. These habits will empower our students to become a living difference, both in their own lives and within the world. For 7 months of the school year, we will highlight one habit per month.
For September we explored Habit 1 — be Proactive. With this, students learned:
You're in Charge I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.
For October: Habit 2 — Begin with the End in Mind. Have a Plan
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
Now in terms of physical wellness, we are encouraging students to use our new track. To that end, we value bodily activity and a healthy lifestyle and our schedule also reflects that. Every child receives PE, Great Body Shop/Health, and brain breaks along with their core subjects and other electives.
With fall in the air, I am always so excited to walk this journey in which we form new relationships and I’m grateful for the opportunity we have to educate your children together. WE all believe we can foster the critical character traits students need to reach their potential and achieve the American dream. I close with these happy thoughts: colorful fall leaves, cozy hoodies, cool breezes, and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING!!!
Best to all of you this school year,
Liz Landon
October Artwork
Ms. Shelander's Class - Mighty Oaks in the Making!
Ms. Fisher's Class - Pete the Cat!
Ms. McNeely's Class - Newsworthy!
Pumpkin Fun Facts!
Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the middle of June. They take between 90 and 120 days to grow and are picked in October when they are bright orange in color. Their seeds can be saved to grow new pumpkins the next year.
The world's heaviest pumpkin weighed over 2,600 pounds. It was grown in Germany and presented in October 2016.
The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 3,699 pounds. Pumpkin pie originated in the colonies, just not as we know it today. Colonists would cut the tops of pumpkins off, remove the seeds, fill the pumpkins with milk, spices, and honey, then bake them in hot ashes.
Over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year in the United States.
Upcoming Events
October 5th:
Assembly Day
New Jog-a-Thon Date
October 10th:
PTO Meeting 5:30pm
October 12th:
No School
(Teacher In Service Day)
October 16th & 18th:
5th Grades to Crater Lake
October 18th:
6th Grade Salmon Wtch
October 19th:
3rd Grade to Science Works
October 25th:
School Picture Day!
October 26th:
No School
(End of Quarter Grading Day)
October 31st:
Harvest Festival
(in house, during school)
October 31st - Nov 6th:
Book Fair
Jog-a-Thon - Postponed until Oct 5th!
We were so looking forward to our first Jog-a-Thon last Friday with our new track. Unfortunately due to the air quality we've had to postpone it to next Friday, Oct 5th!
That gives you another week to get sponsors and help raise money for Oak Grove Elementary. Profits are used for class parties, excursions, and other student activities.
Please support your students!
Halloween Costumes at School on October 31st
Dear Oak Grove Families:
We are well into fall and that means Halloween is just around the corner. We want to share what our plans are for Wednesday, October 31 stand provide some information about how we will make the day fun and enjoyable for all. We know this day is an important event for many students and we want to give families the opportunity to plan and prepare.
Because October 31st falls on a Wednesday, and dismissal is at 1:00, we have agreed to allow students to wear costumes to school. All of our students will have an opportunity to parade their costumes/fall spirit colors around the track towards the end of the day on Wednesday. We also want to make sure our Halloween activities foster inclusion and school spirit and the spirit of inclusion also means respect for the decision of those who choose not to participate in Halloween activities. As a school, we will make sure that all students—should they choose to dress for the day or not – will feel equally included and respected as part of our OAK GROVE COMMUNITY.
If your child chooses/volunteers to wear fall colors or costumes to school, we have some guidelines to follow:
· Costumes should not include masks, as these can impair vision, muffle speech and impact student safety.
· Costumes should not include accessories, or any type of weapon (i.e. replica guns, knives, etc.) that can impact safety or mobility.
· Hair paint and make-up must be applied at home prior to arriving at school in the morning. Do not bring spray, gel, make-up, paint, glitter, etc. to school to be applied. It is subject to confiscation by a staff member.
· Masks and full face paint are not allowed. We are encouraging only subtle face paint like cat whiskers, mustache, or freckles.
· Long costumes may pose trip hazards.
· For any children who wish to show their fall spirit on October 31st, but do not wish to wear a Halloween costume, they can wear fall colors, i.e., orange, black, red, yellow, brown, purple, or school colors on that day.
· Costumes should be appropriate and follow rules similar to our dress code.
· We are not responsible for any damage made to a costume, or lost items.
· Adults who come to Oak Grove in costume, need to follow the same guidelines above.
Regardless of whether students choose to participate in Halloween events or not, all members of the school community are expected to honor our values and demonstrate that they care, are cooperative, honest, inclusive, respectful and responsible. We would also ask you to keep those values in mind—particularly being respectful and inclusive—in choosing a Halloween costume for your son or daughter. I know we can count on our students and staff to model those values on Halloween, as they do each day.
If you have any questions about our planned activities for October 31st, do not hesitate to call us.
Our Harvest Carnival will also take place on Wednesday, during the day October 31st, stay tuned for further details.
Happy fall,
Liz Landon
Principal
Candy Donations Needed!
We would like to ask for your help with candy donations for this years Harvest Festival (held in house, during the day 10/31).
Please bring store bought individually wrapped candy to the office by Friday, October 26th. Please, nut free candy only.
Halloween Safety Tips
Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe on Halloween.
Walk Safely
- Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
- Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
- Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
- Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
Trick or Treat With an Adult
- Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, remind them to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.
Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe
- Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
- Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.
- Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
- When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.
Drive Extra Safely on Halloween
- Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
- Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
- Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
- Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
- Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
- Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.
https://www.safekids.org/sites/default/files/documents/halloween_safety_tips.pdf
Key to Success?
From infants and toddlers to school-aged kids and teens, parents want to know how many hours of sleep are recommended. While it's true that sleep needs vary from one person to another, there are some very reasonable, science-based guidelines to help you determine whether your child is getting the sleep he or she needs to grow, learn, and play.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) provides some helpful guidelines regarding just how much sleep children need at different stages in their development. Keep in mind that these numbers reflect total sleep hours in a 24-hour period. So if your son or daughter still naps, you'll need to take that into account when you add up his or her typical sleep hours.
Kindness Corner
Kindness can start with a simple "please" and "thank you". It can be easy to take things granted, so why not try to acknowledge the things people do for you. Can you use "please" or "thank you" 5 times every day? Give it a try, it might make you feel just a bit more grateful for the people and kindnesses in your life!
Hold the Door:
Want to make someone's day? Just hold the door the for them. Be sure to look behind you and hold the door for the next person until they can take it from you ~ it's a small gesture, but it show's respect and kindness.
Give a Compliment:
Try to recognize the good in someone: their actions, they're effort to look nice, their kindness. Observing and acknowledging someone's effort is a great way to encourage more kindness the future!
Scholastic Book Fair: Oct 31 - Nov 6th
Yes, our Scholastic Book Fair will be Oct 31st to Nov 6th. Please help support our library. All proceeds from the Book Fair go to our library for new books for our students!
Power Words!
Compare and Contrast are words that are often used to talk about the similarities and differences between two things or objects. These two words are very commonly used.
Compare means to see the similarity and
Contrast means to see the difference.
Child Find Notification
Are you concerned about your child’s development? Do you feel your child has significant learning, speech/language, physical or behavioral problems that interfere with their classroom performance? Medford School District 549C wants to find and evaluate the skills of children under the age of 21 years living within its district boundaries who have serious physical, vision, hearing, speech/language, learning, or emotional problems so that appropriate educational services may be provided for them. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please contact the school office or the Student Services Office at 541-842-3628.
How Sick is TOO SICK for School?
In general, children are too sick for school if they are:
-Contagious
-Symptoms are serious enough to keep them from focusing on school work.
Use this checklist to determine whether to keep your child home from school:
Does your child have a fever of 100.5 degrees or higher?
Has your child vomited in the last 24 hours?
Has your child had diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
Are your child’s eyes crusty and/or discharging yellow or green fluid?
If your child complains of a sore throat, do they also have a fever, or other symptoms that would prevent them from participating in usual school activities?
If your child complains about a stomachache, is it accompanied by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or other symptoms that would prevent them from participating in usual school activities?
Does your child have a persistent phlegmy cough?
How to decide: If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, PLEASE keep your child home from school and consider seeking medical attention. Your child could have a serious or contagious illness. Keep your child home until they have been symptom free for at least 24 hours or until a doctor indicates they can return to school.
Probably Okay: If your child has a cold, headache, or stomachache that is not accompanied by fever, vomiting or diarrhea, then they can probably come to school.
Rash If your child has a rash, it could be contagious. Please seek medical advice, and send note from physician of release back to school, before allowing your child to return.
Earache Earaches alone are not contagious, but generally require medical attention. Children can come to school as long as they are fever-free, and can concentrate on their work.
Lice Once your child is treated for lice, he or she can return to school.
Questions? Contact the office.
Get Involved in the PTO!
Want to participate in all the fun and exciting activities at school? Join the Oak Grove PTO (parent teacher organization). Co-Presidents Amanda Overbeck and Ann Geiger would be happy to have you join the team!
Learn about all the exciting activities at the next PTO meeting on Wednesday, October 10th at 5:30pm. Can't come to the meeting? Email: amanda.overbeck@medford.k12.or.us for more information.
About Us
If your child is absent today, please call before 8:30am.
Call in advance if: you need to pick up your student from school for an appointment or if they need to leave early for the day.
Call BEFORE 2pm if you are changing after school pickup plans.
Email: oakgrove@medford.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.medford.k12.or.us/oakgrove
Location: 2328 West Main Street, Medford, OR, USA
Phone: 541-842-3830
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/OakGroveMedford/posts/
Newsletter Archives
September 2018 Spanish: https://www.smore.com/ys9tx