Oakhurst Elementary
March 26, 2020
News from Oakhurst
From the Principal
Greetings Owl Families,
This week has been quite different for all of us. The Oakhurst staff has spent the week in virtual collaborative planning meetings to solidify our final plans for launching Google Classrooms tomorrow. This Friday's assignments will serve as "training" and students will get acquainted with learning in an online environment. If you are curious about what Oakie has been up to, I've attached a few pictures of him at home. He's been pretty busy.
This week you should have received an email from your child's teacher regarding online learning for the days ahead. To simplify this process we have created a landing page for all our online resources and updates. Oakhurst's Virtual Learning site contains the information teachers sent out regarding Google Classroom access and links to all Google Classrooms. There is also an abundance of information including additional learning resources, help guides, and other resources to help you during this journey. Our news show "Oakie's News" will also be uploaded daily to the site. Be sure to check it out daily. As usual our staff is here to help. Don't hesitate to reach out to me or any of the Oakhurst crew if you have questions or concerns moving forward. We are here to help.
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 Families. I am really missing all of you, thinking about each of you,and sending you my love and encouragement. This is a very different and difficult time for all of us, but I’m grateful that we can still stay connected and be helpful to one another.
I will be setting up regular times each week when I will get in touch with parents who request support and arrange to talk to individual kids who might want to check in. My focus will be on connecting with students, reminding them of ways to cope with difficult or unsettling feelings, and exploring with families some activities and ideas for supporting ourselves and others. I’ve already gotten two great ideas directly from students, that I will share with everyone in my first Google Classroom lessons. I plan to do one lesson per week per grade level, so keep an eye out for those.
For the next couple of days, my “office” hours are as follows: Thursday, 3/26, noon to 2 pm; Friday, 3/27, 3 pm to 5 pm; and Monday, 3/30, 9 am to 11 am. You can email me at ldeming@csdecatur.net any time and I will respond within 24 hours or sooner, but these will be the specific days/times coming up when I’d be happy to arrange a call with a student and/or their family member(s). In the upcoming weeks, I will be setting up two “office” hours for each weekday, so please stay tuned for that information.
Parents, here is another helpful resource you may want to explore: From samhsa.gov, “Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks.” I hope you are all finding comfort in your families, by staying physically active as much as possible while staying safe, and just by spending time doing things you enjoy with the people in your homes. The natural world and my hobbies (especially gardening and reading) are helping me stay more calm as I adjust to the big changes going on right now. You are all in my thoughts and I am looking forward to staying in touch with you!
Please email me at ldeming@csdecatur.net if you have questions, ideas or anything else whatsoever that you think I may be of help with. Stay safe, Oakhurst Owls!
Wonderful Resource: Books, Books, Books
Get Georgia Reading is an AMAZING website for readers of all ages with access to literally thousands of books. Oakhurst usually has free access in the summer, but they have now opened access to all due to COVID-19 school closures.
You may go to the this link and follow the steps below to access this program or simply go to Oakhurst's Media Center Digital Resources page to access it.
School Name - Get Georgia Reading
Username - decaturcity
Password - read
HAPPY READING!
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