The Grove
September 2, 2022
Be Kind, Work Hard, Be Brave
Note From Principal Graham
This week we focused on the power skill of communication during our morning meeting time, to effectively give and receive feedback. I want to thank all of our families that have reached out to us to give us feedback on things that are going well and also on areas in which we can grow. We appreciate your words and suggestions and take them all to heart. It takes all of us to make OGE great!
It has been wonderful having visitors during lunch this week. We are so happy to have our Oak Grove families in the school. Take a look at our upcoming events and see other opportunities to join us in school activities.
Important Upcoming Events
SEPTEMBER:
Thursday, Sept. 1 - 16 - Fall Benchmark Assessments (Details Below)
Monday, Sept. 5 - No School (Labor Day)
Wednesday, Sept. 7 - Pastries With Patriots (Last Names A-G) 7:00-7:30 AM
Thursday, Sept. 8 - Pastries With Patriots (Last Names H-O) 7:00-7:30 AM
Friday, Sept. 9 - Pastries With Patriots (Last Names P-Z) 7:00-7:30 AM
Thursday, Sept. 15 - Virtual PTA Meeting 6 PM. Link Found Below
Tuesday, Sept. 20 - PTA Spirit Night at Chipotle 4-8 PM
Tuesday, Sept. 20 - PTA Fall Fundraiser Ends
Wednesday, Sept. 21 - Collaborative Planning Day 11:20 AM Dismissal. Lunch Served.
Wednesday, Sept. 28 - Book Fair Begins (Stay Posted)
Thursday, Sept. 29 - PTA Literacy Night / Sundaes and Storytime / Book Fair Late Night
Friday, Sept. 30 - PTA Chick-Fil-A Biscuit Sales in Morning Carpool Line 7-7:40 AM
Titan Is Up and Running
The new online meal payment system, Titan, is officially up and running. Moving forward, you can add money to your student’s meal account by visiting https://family.titank12.com/.
The Family Portal allows you to see your student’s current meal balance and purchase history. You may also set spending limits and transfer money between student accounts, if you have more than one child.
K12paymentcenter.com has been turned off and will no longer be used for online payments. All payments made prior have been transferred to Titan.
If you recently received an emailed letter regarding low balance information, please disregard this notification. We apologize for the confusion.
All low balance meal account emails will begin on Tuesday, September 6, to allow time for balances from the K12paymentcenter to transfer.
Online menus through the Titan Family Portal are coming soon.
We appreciate your patience. Please contact 803-821-1231 or 803-821-1373 if you have any questions.
Checks can also be written to Oak Grove Elementary School and can be deposited into their lunch account.
Attention Parents of Walkers
Your child's safety is our top concern. We have placards for parents to bring to the walker pick-up area to reunite you with your child at dismissal. If you forgot/lost your placard on any day, please see Mr. Casey at the mobile walker station next to the double doors to verify your license or ID. You can also get a new placard there.
Collaborative Planning Form
PTA Fundraiser Goes Through September 20
Thank you to everyone who has had a great start helping with this Fall's fundraiser. Attached to this message, you’ll find a flyer with detailed instructions about how you can register online and support our goals. We appreciate all of your support and encourage you to spread the word to your friends & family, near and far! The more people who shop, the more money we can raise!
Check out the cool prizes too!
Thank you for your help!
– Oak Grove Elementary PTA
RBH Athletes (Former OGE Students) Come To Visit
Benchmark Assessments
Dear Parent or Guardian:
The teachers and administrators at our school are committed to helping your student become a successful learner. Our school will be using a benchmark assessment tool called i-Ready Reading and Math. We will also continue to utilize the Fountas & Pinnell’s Benchmark Assessment System to determine your student’s text reading level.
i-Ready Reading and Math assessments help us examine how your student is developing critical reading and mathematics skills. We use this assessment to screen all of our students in grades 5K-5 in order to identify students who may need extra support in the areas of reading or math. We will screen students three times per year. This assessment will be administered within your student’s classroom over two to three days, and should take approximately 45 minutes in total. By breaking the assessment up across two to three days, we can better ensure that students are able to focus and engage in the assessment. The dates for the assessment windows are:
Full Diagnostic Fall Benchmark window - August 30 - September 16
Full Diagnostic Winter Benchmark window - January 3 - January 20
Full Diagnostic Spring Benchmark window - Grades 3 - 5 - April 10 - April 21
Grades K-2 - May 8 - May 27
Since the testing windows above are lengthy, you will be notified by your student’s teacher of the exact days that your student will complete the i-Ready assessments so that you can ensure they are aware and ready to do their very best on the assessments.
Additionally, classroom teachers will be using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System to screen students in reading. Teachers will complete this assessment with students in grades 5K-5 following the schedule below:
Grades K: Quarters 2, 3, 4
Grades 1-2: Quarters 1, 2, 3, 4
- Grades 3-5: Quarters 1 & 4
Teachers will use these assessments, along with other information they collect as they are teaching, to help plan their instruction to best meet the needs of each individual student. This information will also help individualize instruction for those students who need extra support with certain skills. We are excited about our ability to know where all of our students are on their path to being successful learners.
SIC Nominations
If you are interested, we ask that you please fill out the following information link:
Morning Drop-Off / Afternoon Pick-up
Doors open at 7:00 am and students will be dropped off in front of the school at the breezeway. Once busses have dropped off, students can also be dropped off in the bus loop starting at 7:15 am.
The tardy bell rings at 7:40 AM. If arrival is after 7:40, parents will need to park and walk their student(s) in to sign them in with the front office.
AFTER SCHOOL PICK-UP:
Pick-up will occur only in the front loop closest to the building. Cars will enter and exit in the same area (closest to the tennis complex) and be double stacked for dismissal. Signs are posted indicating where traffic will merge into one lane. Please see the diagram below for the traffic flow.
PLEASE REMAIN IN VEHICLE:
For safety reasons and to keep traffic flowing, we need all parents to remain in their vehicle. Staff will assist in putting your child in the car. Staff will help your child in the vehicle on the passenger side avoiding the traffic lane on the driver's side. Thank you for your assistance and understanding.
Class Lunch Times
Flag Patrol
Learning About Sharing
Flashlight Friday
Drop Everything and Read
Ridwan was caught being kind
Gabriel was caught being brave
Allison was caught being kind
When Do I Need My Driver's License?
What Is The Latest I Can Dismiss My Child?
Have You Purchased Your Spiritwear?
You can now join the PTA online and purchase spirit gear at the following link!
Log On Link
September 15 - PTA Meeting Online 6:00 PM
Dial-in: (US) +1 515-884-8185
PIN: 642 668 256#
Bus Rider Information
If you would like your student(s) to ride the bus this year, you must complete the transportation registration form found in the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
A form for each child will have to be done. It takes up to 3 days to process bus transportation requests. Parents will be able to see their child's bus number in your PowerSchool Parent Portal.
If your transportation needs changing, or if you move, please log into Parent Portal and make this change. Also, please call the school at (803) 821-0100 to make them aware of transportation changes.
Snack Pack Program
Snack Pack forms were placed in your child's backpack for you to sign and return to school. If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Daughtrey at 803-821-0174 or Holly Warren at 803-821-0016.
Clothing Donations
Girls Medium Tops
Girls Medium Pants (Elastic Waist Band)
Boys Small Pants (Elastic Waist Band)
Student Devices: Back To School Care Guide
Dear Lexington District One Families:
We want to share information on how to prepare your student’s Mobile Computing Device for school. Below are links to our device care guide which includes frequently asked questions and explains how to access technology support.
Back to School Device Care Guide (English)
Back to School Device Care Guide (Spanish)
All returning students should bring their device to school everyday. Students who are new to the district will receive a device as soon as the school’s computer technician has one ready.
Thank you and hope you have had a great start to the school year!
Dr. Thomas Rivers
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
Terrace Metrics Assessment
Dear Lexington District One Parents/Guardians:
Lexington District One is committed to supporting our students academically, physically and emotionally.
Additionally, in 2018, Governor Henry McMaster signed into law Act 213, which directed school districts to implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). MTSS addresses the needs of the whole child – academically, behaviorally, socially, and emotionally – and requires districts to conduct certain screenings with parental consent.
To support this effort, the district will offer an optional behavioral health assessment, with active parental consent, through our partner Terrace Metrics, to students in grades 3–12.
We realize you may have questions about this assessment, including the types of questions your student may be asked, how the information is used and the support we provide students if needed.
To help answer your questions, Lexington District One will host two question and answer sessions for parents, with the CEO of Terrace Metrics Dr. Rich Gilman. The first session will be held Sept. 1 at the Central Services auditorium, located at 100 Tarrar Springs Road in Lexington, at 9:30 a.m. The second session will be held at the North Lake Community Learning Center auditorium (formally Lexington Middle School) at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1.
For additional information on this behavioral health assessment, contact your student's school counselor, Ms. Daughtrey (gr. 1, 3, 5) at (803) 821-0174 or Ms. Warren (gr. K, 2, 4) at (803) 821-0116.
Kathryn McPhail
Chief Communications Officer
Reporting COVID
Dear Lexington District One Families:
Lexington District One students and staff continue to learn, work and live with COVID-19 with minimal disruptions. Our schools are operating normally, and DHEC no longer requires close contacts to quarantine.
Please remember that students who are sick with COVID-19 or test positive must continue to isolate, meaning they must stay at home from school.
We recently updated the way to report your student’s COVID-19 positive test results for the 2022–23 school year.
All student reports of a positive COVID-19 test result will be completed through the COVID-19 report form found in PowerSchool Parent Portal. The previous Google form link is no longer accepting responses.
After logging on to Parent Portal, select ‘Forms’ in the navigation bar, then fill out and submit the “COVID-19 Reporting Form.” We will then email you further information on when your student may return to school and school-sponsored events.
Good To Know
- Doors Open: 7:00 AM
- Student Instruction Begins 7:40 AM
- If Arrival is After 7:40 AM, an Adult Will Need to Sign in Their Student With the Front Office and Get a Tardy Pass.
- Early Sign Outs By 2:00 PM
- Dismissal: 2:20 PM
Office Hours
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Office Phone: (803) 821-0100
Fax: (803) 821-0103
About Us:
Website: https://schools.lexington1.net/Domain/26
Location: 479 Oak Drive, Lexington, 29073
Phone: (803) 821-0100
Facebook: facebook.com/ogelementary
Twitter: @ogelementary
Lexington County School District One’s Nondiscrimination Statement
References to trademarks and brand ownership have been removed for ease of reading but, in all cases, should be taken as read and respected.
NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
Lexington County School District One is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all students, parents/legal guardians, staff, visitors, personnel and community members who participate or seek to participate in its programs or activities. Therefore, the district does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or any related medical conditions), color, disability, age, genetic information, national origin or any other applicable status protected by local, state or federal law.
Click here for more information.