We are pleased to share the following good news with our families. Our partners at Dean Transportation have informed us that our District’s transportation services are currently fully staffed. Starting next week (March 7-11), we will be running all scheduled routes for the remainder of the school year, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

We understand the difficulties that canceled bus routes created for our families the past few months and we deeply regret the impact these measures had on our students. We appreciate the understanding and patience our families demonstrated during our transportation staff shortage.

Should there be a need to cancel routes in the future due to unforeseen circumstances, we will do everything possible to inform families as soon as possible.

If you or anyone you know would be interested in joining our transportation team, please visit the Dean Transportation careers webpage.

For more questions, please contact the Walled Lake Schools Transportation Department at 248-956-3090 or visit the transportation webpage on the District’s website.

Calling all Dads, Step-dads, Granddads, Uncles, and other father-figures/male adult role models!

Join our WATCH D.O.G.S Team!

What is WATCH D.O.G.S?

• WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative father involvement, educational initiative of the National Center for Fathering. The group was created in 1988 and today there are 6,450 active WATCH D.O.G.S. schools nationally.

Why implement Watch D.O.G.S at Oakley Park?

• To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.

• To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security and support students with conflict resolution.

• Support school community relationships.

What is expected of a WATCH D.O.G.?

• Support on the playground

• Guide conflict resolution

• Safety-reporting all injuries/concerns to playground staff

• Encourage students to be active, play games, and be involved!

• Support in the parking lot during dismissal

• Helpful guide the traffic flow

• Ensure the safety of students and families

• Confidentiality in regards to all interactions with students and staff

What is the time commitment of a WATCH D.O.G?

• We welcome our D.O.G.S based on what works best for their schedules! We use a SignUp Genius for scheduling so you can sign up for the date(s) that work best for your schedule. There is no required number of times…you could volunteer once a month, once a week or once between now and June!

Below are two documents that need to be completed (sign and return to school) to officially get started as a volunteer. Once these forms have been received, you will be set a link to the Sign-Up Genius WATCH D.O.G. site.

Thank you so much for your interest in the program and for supporting our Owls! We are excited to welcome you to the playground and/or parking lot!

Dear Families,

Our current math standards are more rigorous and demanding than ever. Students are expected to develop a deep understanding of concepts leading to fluency with facts and procedures, and the ability to clearly communicate their mathematical thinking. Further, students must pass a demanding sequence of high school math courses in order to meet graduation requirements. In response to the increased expectations for all students, we have adjusted the content focus and instructional approaches in all of our math courses.

Because of the higher standards and to ensure student success at all points of their mathematical education, we are using the procedures described in the document linked below to accelerate students. In order to skip a course in the math sequence, students must demonstrate proficiency in the content and skills of the course they are attempting to skip.

The process and procedures described in the document linked below apply to all students currently in grades 2 through 7. Students attempting to test-out of high school courses will use the existing process described on the district website. Parents of students in kindergarten or first grade who have indications their child is possibly ready to skip a year of Mathematics should contact their building principal.

If you have questions after reviewing the process, please contact your building principal or me.

Thank you for your partnership in education.

Sincerely,

Ellen McDonald

Math/Science Coordinator

ellenmcdonald@wlcsd.org

248.956.2029

The March meeting will take place in the OPE media center on Monday, March 7 at 7:00 pm. We are lucky to have a great speaker joining us with some important information we can all use, now more than ever! See below for the description of the topic covered and Nikki will be available for Q & A as well! Please plan to join us on Monday - in person, finally!

The Worry Warrior parent training program was designed by local child psychologist Nikki O’Donnell, MA, LLP, who specializes in treating anxiety in children. The program provides parents with practical and powerful tools to help their children overcome anxiety, develop coping skills, and improve stress tolerance.

During this event, parents will learn:

•Tools for identifying anxiety in children

• Creative solutions for helping children improve stress tolerance, develop coping skills and increase resilience

• Parenting strategies that can help build confidence in an anxious child

• Resources for both children and parents (books, apps, and games)

2022-23 PTA positions

We are looking for parents who want to get more involved with their child’s elementary experience to join the PTA in a leadership role. There are a variety of options open, please take a look at OakleyParkPTA.com/positions

We closely monitor the temperatures throughout the day and if the combined temperature/wind chill "feels like" is 0 (or below) we will hold indoor recess. PLEASE send your child prepared for outside play EVERY DAY!

Please Note:

● If your family needs financial assistance to purchase winter weather items, please contact Mrs. Froning or your child's teacher. We are happy to help!

● Please label all clothing with your child’s name.