News from the Nest
November 2023
Tri-Creek School Corporation Mission and Vision
Upcoming Events
November
6-10: Book Fair during library times (flyer sent home)
8: Spirit Sticks sold
8: Bingo for Books 5-6:30 p.m. in cafeteria (Book Fair open from 4-5)
8: Picture Retakes
9: School Smiles Mobile Dentist
10: Veterans Day program
13: World Kindness Day
13-17: Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
16: Manners Meal (see below)
16: PTO McDonald's Night (flyer sent home)
22-24: Thanksgiving Break; No School
Picture Retakes November 8
Retake Picture Day is 11/08/2023! If you're satisfied with your child's picture, no further action is required. If you purchased and were unhappy with your Picture Package, please send your Picture Package to school with your student on Retake Day. Your Retake Picture Package will be produced and shipped to the school four weeks after Retake Day. Please note, if your child is photographed on the original and Retake Picture Days, the Retake picture will replace the original picture in certain products, like the yearbook. Students who were absent for Picture Day should come to school prepared to have their picture taken. If you have not preordered, please use the Retake Order Code 79294SF to place your order at https://inter-state.com/Order. To see your Order History, check your Inter-State Account. Find answers to Retake Day questions here.
News from Mrs. Bird's Branch
School Avoidance
School avoidance, sometimes called school refusal or school phobia, is not a new phenomenon, but seems to be more prevalent the last few years. School avoidance refers to a cluster of behaviors which can include refusing to attend school, having difficulty getting to school on time, visiting the nurse frequently, or wanting to leave early. The behaviors range from mild to extreme. Sometimes this problem occurs after a disruption to a student’s typical routine, such as when they miss school for either a break, vacation, or illness. Other times it can be the result of separating from caregivers or a negative experience related to school. School avoidance can be frustrating for the parent, student, and educators tasked with addressing the issue.
So what can be done to combat school avoidance? The first step is to rule out any medical issues by talking with your pediatrician. Some students experiencing school avoidance also complain of stomach aches or headaches so it’s important to ensure that this is reviewed with a medical professional. In some cases, those physical symptoms can be attributed to anxiety so it’s wise to talk about this issue with your child’s doctor, particularly if there’s a family history of anxiety or you’ve noticed other signs. After ruling out medical issues, the next step is to identify the root cause of the avoidance and collaborate with the school team to develop a plan to overcome it. The most important step is to send students to school, even when they are refusing to go. When we avoid something that presents us with anxious feelings, all we do is reinforce those feelings. If we confront what causes us anxiety in a safe, supported way, we learn that we can get through an experience, even when it causes us anxiousness.
If medical issues are ruled out and there aren’t any major life changes affecting the child, the cause can be quite simple-being at home is easier than being at school. In general, people want to be comfortable and feel safe. For many of us, being at home represents comfort and safety so it’s only natural that anyone would prefer to be in that environment. As adults there are many times when we may not want to do what is required of us, but we know we have to do it anyway. Children feel this emotion also, but lack the ability to understand the reasoning behind why they must attend school. So, in our adult minds we might think “I don’t want to go to work today. I'd rather stay home, relax in my PJs, and do nothing. But if I don’t go to work, I won’t get paid so I have to go.” Adults have accepted that we have to do things we don’t want to do in order to get things we do want. Children are still learning that idea and it’s our job to help them.
The staff at Oak Hill have worked with many students who experience school avoidance and we use a variety of strategies to support students and families. If your student is going through this right now, please reach out to us and know that you are not alone, we are here to help.
S.O.A.R. with Mrs. Patrevito's Branch
Car Drop-Off in the Morning
School STARTS at 8:00 a.m. Students are considered tardy at 8:00 a.m. The drop-off in the back is closed at 7:58 a.m. There will not be supervision to assist your child in getting into the school after that time. You will need to drive to the front of the school to bring your child in and drop them off. Do not drive around gates to get to the drop off. This is a safety concern. The gates go down at 7:58 to ensure no one drives up because we should not have supervision in the back after this time. PLEASE UNDERSTAND, YOUR CLOCKS MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM OURS BY ONE OR TWO MINUTES. IF YOU SAY IT IS 7:57 ON YOUR CLOCK, IT MAY BE 8:00 ON OURS. I would encourage families to try to get here by 7:45 a.m. Students go into classrooms at 7:45 a.m. to prep for instruction beginning at 8:00 a.m.
1. If you have one child, you may consider placing their car/booster seat on the side of the vehicle where we open the door (right side).
2. When your child is getting close to the drop off area, encourage them to begin gathering their supplies to exit quickly.
3. There are adults to assist your child, so you do not need to exit your vehicle to help. We will make sure they get their backpacks on and enter the building safely!
4. Older students can open car doors when the car has come to a complete stop.
PTO Events
Stracks Apples for Education
Manners Meal
Our school will hold our annual Thanksgiving-themed Manners Meal on November 16.
Our students get the opportunity to learn about table manners and practice those manners!
Cooler Weather Approaching
Also, we do go outside for recess days when the wind chill is above 10 degrees. On our cooler days, I would highly recommend that students wear coats and cover their legs and feet for recess and at the bus stops.
If a student forgets his/her coat on cooler days, we will provide one for them. We do not let students go outside without a coat, which is why we provide one when it is cooler outside.
Veterans Day Program
Veterans are invited to a Veterans Day program at Oak Hill on November 10 at 9:00 a.m. Please see the attached invitation for more details and how to RSVP. There is also a Wall of Honor Star that you may send in to honor any Veterans in your life who are serving, or who have served, in the military. I am attaching the stars here too in case you need to make more copies. Thank you to all of our veterans for your sacrifices!
Seeking Food Donations
Please complete the form below if you are interested in donating breakfast baked goods for the Veterans Day Program on November 10, 2023. You may bring items to the school from November 6-9. Please have baked goods in the school office by November 9 at 3:00 p.m. Thank you for your generosity!
https://forms.gle/njq3wMbbX6Vjfr8F9
Spirit Wear
PTO is partnering with 1st Place SpiritWear to bring us spirit wear for this school year. Copy this link in your browser to order:
https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/IN/Lowell/Oak+Hill+Elementary+School
The great thing about this company is that the ordering is open ALL YEAR LONG and orders are shipped directly to your home! Happy shopping!
For those of you who are new to Oak Hill, we encourage every Friday to be a spirit wear day. We wear cardinal gear, RDP gear, or red and black.
School Monthly Staff and Teacher Appreciation
We are continuing with our Monthly Staff Appreciation! Use this Google link to nominate a staff member or teacher! We have amazing teachers and staff who work daily to ensure our students are safe, cared for, and reach academic success. In order to honor their hard work, we will be doing a monthly staff appreciation recognition! We will accept nominations from parents or other staff members. One teacher and one support staff member will be randomly drawn each month to highlight them as teacher/staff member of the month! You are welcome to nominate as many adults as you wish or you can save nominations for another month! All nominees will be recognized, but those randomly drawn will get their picture along with the reason for the nomination posted to social media and Dojo. They will also receive a certificate to hang outside of their classroom door and a small gift of appreciation.This form will be live throughout the entire school year. Nominees will be selected at the end of each month. Please reach out to Mrs. Muha with any questions! bmuha@tricreek.k12.in.us
About Us
Email: bmuha@tricreek.k12.in.us
Website: https://oh.tricreek.k12.in.us/
Location: 425 S. Nicholas St., Lowell, IN 46356
Phone: (219) 696-9285
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohecardinals