Friday FYI
12/15/2023
DECEMBER CALENDAR
December Calendar:
12/22 - Holiday Day Spirit Day
12/25-01/05 - Winter Holiday Break
Upcoming Dates:
01/08 - First day back from Break
01/15 - No School - MLK Day
01/19 - 1/2 Day Students
01/19 - PTA Skate Night
01/25 - Google Meet Day - Spirit Day
01/30 - 02/05 - OCHD Hearing Screening
COE HAPPENINGS
That's a Holiday Shop Wrap
Thank you to the PTA and all of the parent volunteers that make the Holiday Shop happen every year. This year was magical and the students loved shopping for their friends and family.
CANNED FOOD DRIVE
Canned Food Drive:
5th grade leadership team will be collecting food again this year for community sharing. They have requested items such as Hearty Soups, SpaghettiOs, Ravioli, Beefaroni, and easy to heat up items. The food drive will run from Nov. 27th-Dec. 20th. Students can put donated items under the holiday tree in the media center.
Holiday Help
Any families interested in purchasing a gift for one of our students (and younger/older siblings), please click on the link below to sign up for an item:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054CACAF2FA2FF2-45870971-holiday
COE SKI CLUB
COUNTRY OAKS SKI CLUB LETTER/INSTRUCTIONS
Club Cards must be purchased by 01/15/24. For more information be sure to join the Oak Valley and Country Oaks Ski Club on Facebook. Any questions can be directed to Melissa Kurth - Melissa.Kurth@hvs.org
DECEMBER STAFF LOUNGE TAKEOVER
The theme for December's staff lounge takeover is COOKIES!! If you would like to donate cookies for this event, please see the signup below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044FACAC2CA5FB6-46456739-staff?useFullSite=true#/
PICTURE DAY
Please contact HR Imaging directly for picture related questions/ordering. You can reach their customer service at (815) 433-1766 and/or email custserv@hrimaging.com.
CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK
If you have already completed the digital CRC for another building in HVS, please just let the office know and we will pull your info from the district master list. The request can take 2-3 weeks to process.
A new CRC needs to be completed every school year if you plan to volunteer in the building. Only one CRC is needed per person for the whole district. You do not need to fill one out for each building and/or each student. PLEASE ONLY FILL OUT THE DROPLET LINK ONCE and allow time for the one request to process. Every submission takes time to process, if parents are submitting multiple times, it slows the process down.
DISTRICT CALENDAR CHANGE
Please see important message from the district with Calendar changes to this year's calendar.
Good afternoon,
With the primary election being moved to February 27th, there are changes in the Huron Valley Schools calendar.
Tuesday, February 27th – No School in Session - Teacher Inservice
Tuesday, March 12th – will now be an Early Release day, instead of no school
Tuesday, April 16th – will now be a full day, no early release day
Thank you,
HVS Communications
Facebook: @huronvalleyschools
Instagram: huronvalleyschooldistrict
Twitter: @HuronValleyNews
MUSICAL THEATER WITH MR. MARQUIS
Message from Mr. Marquis:
Parents, please check out the Country Oaks Music Program Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041194161724'
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- Please pull all the way forward before stopping your vehicle.
- Please do not let students exit your vehicle until 9:05AM
- Students should only be picked up/dropped off in the parent drop off/pick up loop. Parents should remain in the vehicle and students should be entering/exiting cars on the passenger side only.
VEHICLES should NOT enter the bus loop between the following times:
8:30-9:15AM and 3:45-4:15PM
VESTIBULE HOURS
OFFICE NEEDS
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK
“Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students with enough food for three meals per day during the weekends. This is a community based program sponsored by the Huron Valley Optimist Club. Our Huron Valley Blessings in a Backpack program has begun!
If you'd like to participate in this free program, please be sure to fill out this FORM that was sent home and return it to the school.
HVS APP
You can get set up to receive notifications - from both the district and your child's school - through our HVS app. These notifications will be sent to inform our HVS families about school closings, schedule reminders and any other important information.
HVS IS HIRING!
HVS has so many wonderful educators and staff members as part of our team, but we do have positions open in a few areas that could be the perfect fit for many in our school community.
Scan this code to see all of our openings and to apply.
Country Oaks is in need of Special Ed Paras and Lunch/Recess Supervisors!
CAR DROP-OFF & PICK-UP REMINDERS!
- Please have your passenger visor down with the ORANGE/GREEN name card visible.
- For safety reasons, we ask that drivers and other adults remain in the car during pick up and drop-off.
- STUDENTS CAN BEGIN EXITING CARS AT 9:05 am; staff will be there to supervise this process.
- STUDENTS MAY ONLY BE DROPPED OFF VIA THE PARENT DROP OFF LANE. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BUS LOOP BETWEEN 8:45-9:15AM OR 3:45-4:15PM.
- When possible, please move your child seat to the passenger side of the vehicle.
- Drivers will need to remain in their lane until all students have been unloaded; you are not allowed to
pass other cars if your student unloaded first. - The school day ends at 4:08 pm. Please DO NOT PARK AND EXIT your car to meet students. You may only pick up from the car pick up lane. Classroom teachers will walk students out of the building.
Bus Concerns, Changes, and Questions!
Transportation:
2366 S Milford Rd
Highland, MI 48357
Phone: (248) 684-8200
Fax: (248) 684-8038
Office Hours:
5:30am - 5:30pm school days
Email us at:parentlink@hvs.org
IMPORTANT! End Of Day Changes!
Please let your student's teacher and the office know of any permanent end of day changes to their regular bus or pick up schedule.
For any day to day change to your student's route home schedule please call the office before 3:30pm to ensure your child gets home safely. Teachers do not always have access to email throughout the day or may have a guest teacher, so it is imperative that you communicate all same day changes to the office.
EARLY DISMISSAL PROTOCOL
When a student is called out of class at the end of the day, it interferes with student instruction time and disrupts the entire class. Please try to schedule appointments or events around vacation time or after school is over. If you must sign your child out, please do so in the office. Early dismissal ends by 3:45PM, so please be sure to pick up prior to then if you need to sign your child out early.
Protocol for picking your student(s) up early:
You do not need to notify or call the office in advance. It is our policy that students cannot be sent down to the office in advance. We can only call students down once someone is here to pick them up and sign them out. You may give your student's teacher advance notice you will be picking them up early so that they are prepared, however, they cannot be sent to the office to wait. Upon arrival, please press the call button with your ID facing the camera. While waiting for your child to be called down, please sign them out on the clipboard with green paper.
ATTENDANCE INFORMATION
PLEASE CALL OUR 24-HOUR ATTENDANCE LINE AT 248-684-8076 FOR ALL ATTENDANCE RELATED CALLS. PLEASE ONLY CALL THE MAIN LINE IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO THE OFFICE.
Attendance is an important component in a student’s education. If the office does not hear from you, it is our policy to call to verify your student’s absence. You must contact the attendance line to excuse an absence. Teachers are not always able to check emails or may have a guest teacher. They also do not have the ability to communicate every absence to the office.
ILLNESS
Please do not send your child back to school until they have been vomit-free, diarrhea-free, and fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
EXTENDED ABSENCES AND VACATIONS
If your child(ren) will be absent for an extended period of time, please make sure to complete a pre-arranged absence form available on the Country Oaks website under "Parent Information" and then "Forms" or click HERE.
MEDICATION
HVS Plan of Care Forms can be found HERE . If medication at school is required you MUST fill out an Administering Plan of Care in addition to any other required forms.
Lunch
2023-2024 Meal Price Information:
Breakfasts will continue to be free for all HVS students!
Lunch is free this year for all HVS students!
The only fees will be for Ala Carte Items
Free & Reduced Information 2023-24
Remember - The Free & Reduced application is more than just meals! Additional benefits may include reduced registration fee for AP tests, eligibility for discounted internet access services, discounted rates on fees associated with applying for college, free or discounted pay-to-participate fees and helps to maintain funding for additional HVS student programs and services.
LOST & FOUND
PEDICULOSIS (HEAD LICE) INFORMATION
As we know, lice are considered a nuisance rather than a communicable disease and where many children are together, the chances of sharing lice increases. While we recommend all parents regularly check their children for head lice, studies show that it is most common in the winter months among girls 5-12 years of age with fine hair. As we enter the winter season we'd like to remind families to encourage students to not share hats/coats, brushes, combs or hair accessories.
The following information is to increase head lice awareness so that you may take steps at home to help prevent your child from becoming infested with head lice. Any time children come together, particularly during the school year or following any social grouping like athletics, dance groups, or sleepovers, detected head lice cases commonly increase.
Direct, physical, head-to-head contact is the usual method of transmission. Lice do not jump or fly. They survive only for a short time away from the human head and have difficulty crawling or clinging to smooth surfaces. Check your child's head weekly for lice and/or nits (eggs). Mature lice, which are no bigger than a sesame seed, avoid light and are hard to see. Lice eggs or "nits" are usually found close to the scalp - usually within one quarter inch. They appear as tiny whitish ovals that are "glued" to the hair shaft. They cannot easily be flicked away as dandruff can. Head lice do not transmit disease and are not a serious medical condition. They cannot survive on your pets.
If you find head lice on your child, please notify the school and treat him/her with lice shampoo following package instructions. A second treatment may be required in seven to ten days. Continue to examine the child and all family members for three weeks and treat only if live lice or if nits are found one quarter inch or less from the scalp. Please contact the office should you need assistance obtaining lice shampoo.
For more detailed information from the Oakland County Health Department please visit their website here: https://www.oakgov.com/community/health/health-a-z/information-a-z/head-lice
FEDERAL MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT INFO
PTA NEWS
Please join the PTA! It's an easy way to help support the school. All you need to do is visit the PTA site: www.countryoakspta.org. Also be sure to join our private Facebook group (Country Oaks Elementary PTA Community). We post a lot of helpful reminders and information about upcoming events.
YOU'RE INVITED!!!!! Be a part of the PTA TODAY!!!
Join today, we are excited to have you! https://www.countryoakspta.org/getinvolved
PARTICIPATING PARTNERS
2022 Huron Valley Rec Summer Activity Guide
Winter/Spring Program Registration opens at
12 a.m. on Dec 1!
Click HERE for the current activity guide
Youth Recreation Programs:
Winter and Spring 2024 Programs - registration begins Dec 1!
Strength and Conditioning (Row/BikeSki) @ Bell's Gym - begins Nov 28
4v4 Tweener Volleyball Tournament on Nov 28 for Grades 6-8; only room for 4 more teams!
Winter Leagues - registration is now open and fees won't be collected until Nov 15. New formats this year! Registration closes December 15!
LHS Pre-Season Boys & Girls Basketball Clinic - Dec 9; FREE
MHS Girls Basketball Clinics - Dec 9 and Jan 20; FREE
JD7: Winter Basketball Academy - Dec 27-29
Select 7 Instructional Boys Basketball League - begins Jan 10
Coaches Education:
Positive Coaching Alliance: Double Goal Coach - webinar now available and next live class is Jan 7.
CPR/First Aid for Youth Coaches - new dates just added
Martial Arts with Sanchin Ryu Karate - you can still join late!
Wrestling
Youth Program - you can still sign up!
Swim Lessons/Private Lessons - Please contact the Penguins Swim Club directly about possible options - hvpcoachjanette@gmail.com or visit their registration site HERE
BECOME A REFEREE
Looking for a part time job that works around your busy school/sport/life schedule? We are looking for people ages 12+ to get trained as an official. We have opportunities for basketball, soccer and volleyball reffing jobs but once you complete this training program, you will also be eligible to ref MHSAA games! We also need line judges for volleyball and scorekeepers for basketball!
Intro to Sports Officiating - The Michigan High School Athletic Association has partnered with an online education system called RefReps. HV Rec and Community Ed is offering this officiating training for anyone ages 14 and older to get trained and certified to become an MHSAA official. Competitive wages and flexible schedules welcome! CPR & First Aid in Youth Sports Training - The American Heart Association wants youth sports coaches, parents, and athletes to know how to help in an emergency – both on and off the field. Positive Coaching Alliance: Double-Goal Coach - Coaching for Winning and Life Lessons - required training now for all of our youth coaches. Excellent opportunity!
Empower Hour and Youth/Young Adult Enrichment Programs:
Empower Hours and Youth Enrichment
November/December Sessions getting ready to start!
Just Create art program with Jennifer Young - Dec 8!
Adult/Family Programs
Adult/Family Programs
Basketball Open Gyms are BACK! Starting in October, pre-registration is required. If we don't have at least 10 the class will be canceled.
Computer Classes
Computer Literacy for those who struggle with computers
Crime Prevention - Dec 17, virtual
Eating Healthy During the Holidays - Dec 2
First Aid/CPR for Adults - Dec 14
The Truth About Long Term Care
Social Media Classes for Adults - Tik Tok, Snapchat, You Tube and more!
CPR & First Aid in Youth Sports Training - The American Heart Association wants youth sports coaches, parents, and athletes to know how to help in an emergency – both on and off the field.
Intro to Sports Officiating - The Michigan High School Athletic Association has partnered with an online education system called RefReps. HV Rec and Community Ed is offering this officiating training for anyone ages 14 and older to get trained and certified to become an MHSAA official. Competitive wages and flexible schedules welcome!
SUPPORT HV REC & ED
Are you or your organization interested in becoming a sponsor for HV Rec and Ed Events? We have a variety of ways you can help keep our events running at little to no cost or you can sponsor students who are not able to afford our programs through the year.
Upcoming Events:
Dec 1 - Candy Cane Hunt & Cookie Decorating in your PJs
Feb 24 - Winter Ball - Family Dance
March - Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt
If interested, please contact us at Paige.Spencer@hvs.org to get more details.
POOLS AND FITNESS
Facility availability changes July 2, 2022!
For Pools and Fitness Schedules and latest updates, please visit our FB page at https://www.facebook.com/HuronValleyPoolsFitness
Reminder - the fitness centers and indoor tracks were permanently closed to the public in July of 2022 for student safety/security. We do still offer open swim at Lakeland only and land/water fitness classes.
About Us!
Email: Gina.Ciancio@hvs.org
Website: http://www.hvs.org/schools/elementaryschools/countryoaks/
Location: 5070 South Duck Lake Road, Commerce Charter Township, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 684-8075
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/countryoaks/
Twitter: @CO_Elementary