Oakhurst Weekly
September 15, 2022
From the Principal
Hello Oakhurst Families,
Our clocks have turned back but we are still moving forward with great things here at Oak! Many reminders of what makes our school so wonderful have been present this week and a quote came to me that sums up where we are as we enter into a season of thankfulness and giving. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate action of its members.” Coretta Scott King Oak is a place where we care for one another in a genuine way and I want to say thank you to each of you for that.
We are looking forward to welcoming families tomorrow for our Thanksgiving luncheon. With our weather report predicting rain on Friday it will be important that you all remember that each child can only have up to 2 guests join them for lunch as space in our cafeteria will be limited.
I want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to our Media Specialist, Ms. Erin Guerrieri and our Game Day teacher, Ms. Shannon Staton for being awarded a DEF grant! CONGRATULATIONS also goes out to Ms. Michelle Knapton for receiving an award from Imagine Learning for her class’s consistent use of MyPath. Classes across the nation that averaged 240+ minutes of MyPath were entered into a drawing and our very own Ms. Knapton was selected! Way to go Ms. Knapton.
Last, but certainly not least, Oakhurst staff celebrated Ms. Yolanda Carmichael-Kemp as the CSD School Board honored the CSD Teachers of the Year. We are so proud of Ms. Kemp and seeing her publicly recognized for all of the ways she makes Oakhurst a better place truly warmed our hearts. Go Ms. Kemp!!
From the AP
Winter 2022 MAP Testing
The Winter MAP administration will take place in early to mid-December. Specific testing dates will be detailed in the next Oakhurst Weekly.
Coach's Corner
Report Cards are available online.
Your child’s report card is now available for viewing online. CSD’s Teaching and Learning Department shared this letter with families to provide an overview of the goals of a standards based grading & reporting process, along with information on how to access your child’s report card.
In addition to standards-based grades, you will also see report card comments included in the final section of the document. Some of the comments reference common assessments administered throughout the term/year. Below you’ll find definitions of two of the terms/abbreviations that may have been used by your child’s teacher, as well as access to additional information about the assessments, curricula, and links pacing guides, etc.
GNP = Georgia Numeracy Project (The Georgia Numeracy Project is focused on developing students' understanding of numbers, and their ability to use numbers to solve problems. Students may solve number problems by counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, or any combinations of these operations. Students should develop strategies that support their use of these operations in computation problems. There are 2 separate assessments [GLoSS - Global Strategy Stage Assessment and IKAN - Individual Knowledge Assessment of Numbers] that can serve as universal screeners, diagnostic assessments, as well as benchmark assessments of numeracy development and strategy acquisition.) Visit our district’s Math website here.
IRLA = Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA is an assessment tool that enables teachers to use the Common Core to establish a baseline reading level and outline a course of remediation, acceleration, or maintenance for each child and his/her family.) Learn more about CSD’s English Language Arts programming here
School Notes/Announcements
DEF Teacher Innovation Grant Project
We are super excited to be recipients of a Decatur Education Foundation Teacher Innovation Grant that will fund an Oakhurst game center that supports math, reading, and language enrichment through game play with family.
It's no secret that children learn best through play (you can read just one of the studies on the topic here), and the CSD Board of Education has recently built a Theory of Action based on several shared beliefs, one of them being that family and community engagement and involvement are critical to student success. Our shared vision is for a game center space in the media center that houses lots of fun games that families can checkout - just like library books! We're also hoping that school staff can use the space during the day to play games with students, which is great for building language and social skills.
What better way to support math, reading, and language skills than with games?! We will keep you posted with our progress along the way, but for now we'd love to know about games your family loves to play! Send your suggestions along on this form.
Erin Guerrieri, eguerrieri@csdecatur.net
Shannon Staton, sstaton@csdecatur.net
November Design Principle
The Expeditionary Learning Design Principle we are highlighting this month is Solitude and Reflection. Click the Choice Board below for videos, readings, and activities your family may use to broaden your conversations and practice around solitude and reflection.
Family Library Checkouts
Just in time for Family Literacy Month, I'm excited to offer library access and checkouts to Oakhurst families!
Watch this video for information on how to register for library access, how to log into and use Destiny Discover, and how/where to pick up and drop off your books.
Families will be able to check out four books at a time for a loan period of seven days.
PTA
WALK AND ROLL - WED., NOV. 16th!
On Wed., Nov. 16th, we encourage families to walk or roll (bike/scooter) to start your morning off great and reduce car traffic/pollution during Oakhurst's Walk & Roll morning! Join us for music and coffee at the school's front entrance. If you live too far to walk, please consider using the commercial lot on the corner of College and Mead (The Imperial), or Oakhurst Park parking lot as offsite parking or a meetup point!
MOVIE NIGHT: PARENT’S NIGHT OUT FUNDRAISER ON FRI., DEC. 9th!
Drop your Oakhurst students off at school for movie night with friends, while you get a chance to wrap gifts, do some shopping or have a fun night out! Our winter parents’ night out fundraiser is on Friday, December 9th from 5-8pm. All children must be current Oakhurst students - the cost is $40 per child or $55 per family with more than one child attending. In addition to watching a movie and activities, kids will enjoy pizza and popcorn!
Pre-pay to register and reserve your spot now! Space is limited. All attendees must be currently enrolled Oakhurst students. All proceeds to support the PTA. Interested in attending but unable to pay? Scholarships available - please let us know. MORE INFO AND REGISTER NOW - REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS DEC. 2nd
MINTED HOLIDAY CARDS DISCOUNT CODE & MORE PASSIVE FUNDRAISING SUPPORT
Help the Oakhurst PTA while doing your holiday shopping and entertaining! Our partners will give a percentage of sales back to our school through charitable giving. Thank you for your support this season and all year long! Click here for more info: https://oakhurstelementarypta.org/passive-fundraising/
Minted: Holiday Cards & Gifts
Order holiday cards & gifts from Minted using our promo code "FUNDRAISEOAKHURST” - You’ll get 20% OFF your order and 15% of every purchase made using our code will be donated back to our school at the end of the year!
AmazonSmile: Shopping
Select Oakhurst Elementary School as your preferred charity, shop using the AmazonSmile URL or turn on AmazonSmile on the phone app, and Amazon donates .5% of the value of your purchases to the PTA.
Kroger, Publix & BoxTops: Groceries & Entertaining
Connect your grocery shopping loyalty cards at Kroger and Publix to earn for the PTA; And download the BoxTops app to redeem anywhere, anytime within 14 days of purchase to earn cash for our school with products you already buy!
AUCTION DONATIONS & BUSINESS SPONSORS NEEDED
The Give a Hoot! Auction Committee is looking for donations and sponsors for the 2023 Give a Hoot! Auction. The Give a HOOT! Auction is the PTA's biggest fundraising event and all the proceeds go back into our school. The auction will be held Spring 2023 and is sure to be a heck of a lotta fun! We need your help in sourcing donated auction items for our live and silent auction as well as sponsorships in order to make our auction the best and most successful one yet.
Oakhurst Families showed up and showed out last year with their generosity. If you have a family vacation home, if you own your own business, restaurant or have a side hustle please consider a donation. Sponsorship is another great way to support this amazing event and with your sponsorship comes recognition and display of your business/logo/name at the event, on event swag such as tee shirts, in the yearbook as well as PTA newsletter and website and on the auction website. If you are interested in donating or becoming a sponsor please email: giveahootdonations@gmail.com.
PTA MEETING ON NOV. 15th
Join us for our November PTA meeting on Tuesday, November 15th from 6:30pm-7:30pm in the Media Center (enter via the media center doors on the right side of the building)!
PTA DEI CORNER
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
November is Native American Heritage Month! The DEI committee has put together great resources to learn more, including a book list. Please see the attached flyer with links!
Dates to Note
November 11: Thanksgiving luncheon (RSVP + payment deadline has passed)
November 15: PTA meeting @ 6:30pm
November 16: Walk & Roll
November 18: Community Circle @ 8:30
November 18: DEI Friday Book Cart: 8:00 - 8:20
November 18: Kindergarten Celebration of Learning (details to come from teacher)
December 2: DEI Friday Book Cart: 8:00 - 8:20
December 9: PTA Parent's Night Out Movie Night *Sign up by 12/2
December 16: Coffee Chat - Enrichment Over a School Break (8:30am - 9:15am)
December 16: Community Circle @ 2:00
City Schools of Decatur
Nutrition Department
The Nutrition Department is in the process of reaching out to parents about student negative meal balances. These efforts to send the low-balance communications will continue weekly through the automated infinite campus messenger or a personal phone call. Some accounts may have had outstanding balances prior to being approved for free or reduced meal benefits. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Nekee Mathis at nmathis@csdecatur.net. or (470) 237- 0368 ext 7607.
Note: A free and reduced lunch application can be completed anytime during the school year. Currently, the district policy allows students to receive meals, not extra items, for example, i.e. bag of chips. However, a child's negative meal balance will continue to incur debt as they receive meals. Click on the links below if you need help adding a reminder to your school email account, adding a low balance alert on your nutrition meal account, and/or adding funds to your school nutrition account.
K-5 ARC Parent Literacy Meeting
There will be an American Reading Company (ARC) Literacy Curriculum In-Person Parent Meeting with Amelia Larson, Executive Vice President of Innovations and Academic Partnerships, on Wednesday, November 15, 2022, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm in the Wilson Center Boardroom, 125 Electric Ave. Decatur, GA 30030. Please join us to find out more about what your child is doing during their literacy block.
Report Cards in the Parent Portal
K-8 report cards will be posted to the Infinite Campus Portal Thursday evening. You’ll be able to find them under the Documents section. Information on accessing the portal is available at https://www.csdecatur.net/portal, and information on CSD’s broader work around grading is available at https://grading.csdecatur.net.
CSD Partners
Decatur Prevention Initiative
The Decatur Parents Network is collaborating with DHS staff and the Student Center to offer an evening for parents and caregivers on November 17 @ 6:30 at the Student Center. For more information and to register, go to https://bit.ly/DecaturParentsNetworkNov17.
GaDOE Posts New ELA Standards for Public Comment
Based on the recommendation of State School Superintendent Richard Woods, the Georgia Department of Education has posted new K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) standards for a 30-day public comment period. If approved, the standards will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year, following teacher training.
Report Cards in the Parent Portal
K-8 report cards will be posted to the Infinite Campus Portal Thursday evening. You’ll be able to find them under the Documents section. Information on accessing the portal is available at https://www.csdecatur.net/portal, and information on CSD’s broader work around grading is available at https://grading.csdecatur.net.
GaDOE Posts New ELA Standards for Public Comment
Based on the recommendation of State School Superintendent Richard Woods, the Georgia Department of Education has posted new K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) standards for a 30-day public comment period. If approved, the standards will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year, following teacher training.
Click here to review the draft standards and provide feedback.
The draft standards leverage the insight and expertise of thousands of Georgians to support ELA instruction that is Georgia-developed, age and developmentally appropriate, and provides a strong foundation beginning in the early grades. Drafted by Georgia ELA teachers with input from educational leaders, parents, students, business and industry leaders, and community members, the standards are designed to be clear, understandable, and present a balanced amount of content to cover in each year – so that students can truly master concepts rather than simply being quickly exposed to them.
The survey will close at 5:00 PM EDT on 12/5/2022.
Register TODAY for Run With the Dogs (RWTD) 2023!
Join us on Saturday, January 28, 2023 for Run With the Dogs, a Decatur tradition now in its 19th year.
We’re back at Beacon Hill Middle School for the 5K and Pup Trot, and we are pleased to announce that this year’s race is an official qualifying event for the Peachtree Road Race!
The nomination period for the Face of the Race has closed, and the race committee will narrow down the adorable candidates to four finalists. Make sure to check our website (rwtd5K.com) beginning on November 11 to cast your vote for this year's winner. One vote per email address will be accepted during the voting window, which ends at 11:59 pm on November 16. The 2023 Face of the Race winner will be announced on the race website and social media on November 18.
Run With the Dogs is an annual fundraiser of the Decatur Bulldog Boosters and supports the athletic programs at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. All race participants will receive the coveted long-sleeved T-shirt designed by local artist Adam Pinsley.
Click here to register. For more information, visit rwtd5K.com.
Decatur Education Foundation
Meaningful volunteer opportunities available!
Are you great at math, science or languages? Your skills could help a Decatur student in just one hour per week as a Virtual Pal Tutor! We pair 2nd-8th grade students with upper high school or adult tutors to help with homework, organization and motivation. It’s an easy way to give back to your community in a meaningful way (and for high school students to earn volunteer hours). Click here to apply: https://forms.gle/VJuyncb7qce6R7Jq5
Can’t volunteer but want to help out? You can donate to our Lighten the Load program which keeps the snack pantry stocked at Beacon Hill Middle School. For those families in our community experiencing food insecurity, we also have a weekend backpack program. Both have unique Amazon wish lists that are updated monthly. You can donate directly to them using these links:
Beacon Hill Middle Snack Program: /a.co/d0HJHTr
Weekend Backpack Program: https://a.co/6Etc74W
Oakhurst Family Help Box: Who Do I Contact?
22-23 Oakhurst Weekly Newsletters
22-23 Monthly Specials Newsletters
Counselor's Cabinet (Ms. McGhee's Counseling Services website)