Oakhurst Elementary
April 16, 2020
News from Oakhurst
From the Principal
Greetings Owl Families,
I hope this has been a good week of Virtual Learning for your family. The Oakhurst crew is missing you very much. We hope you enjoy the "Miss You" video we have created. I hope it brings smiles to your faces to see our smiling faces.
Our teachers are continuing to adjust based on feedback we have received. One of the adjustments you might have noticed is the opportunity to sign up for some live meetings with your teacher and classmates. We feel this is a great way to keep students connected over the next several weeks. If you haven't seen that offering yet, you should soon. Many of you have asked some questions regarding virtual learning and we have created a "Frequently Asked Questions" document to provide some answers. We are attaching it here and will upload it to our Virtual Learning site. Please feel free to contact me directly if you still have lingering questions we have not yet answered. Our hope is to update it with additional questions and answers as we continue this journey.
Yesterday our SLT met to brainstorm ideas for Kindergarten 101 and 2nd grade Moving On. If you have any ideas or suggestions of how we could continue these traditions in our new virtual reality, please let us know.
Until next time, stay safe and well.
Principal Sanders
Oakhurst Misses You!
Media Center and Counseling Google Classrooms
1. Login to your Google Classroom
2. Press the plus sign in the top right-hand corner of your screen
3. Choose "Join Class"
4. Enter one of the following codes:
Media Center: kc3s4fm
Counseling: ll4w242
Nurse Notes
Hello Oakhurst Families-
I sure do miss seeing all of our Oakhurst owls at school. I hope everyone is doing well and adjusting to the new routines at home. The continuous news coverage regarding COVID-19 can be challenging and overwhelming for younger children to process. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents and others who work closely with children to filter information and talk about it in a way that their child can understand. They have included these tips to help:
Simple reassurance. Remind children that researchers and doctors are learning as much as they can, as quickly as they can, about the virus and are taking steps to keep everyone safe.
Give them control. It's also a great time to remind your children of what they can do to help – washing their hands often, coughing into a tissue or their sleeves, and getting enough sleep.
Watch for signs of anxiety. Children may not have the words to express their worry, but you may see signs of it. They may get cranky, be more clingy, have trouble sleeping, or seem distracted. Keep the reassurance going and try to stick to your normal routines.
Monitor their media. Keep young children away from frightening images they may see on TV, social media, computers, etc. For older children, talk together about what they are hearing on the news and correct any misinformation or rumors you may hear.
Be a good role model. COVID-19 doesn't discriminate and neither should we. While COVID-19 started in Wuhan, China, it doesn't mean that having Asian ancestry – or any other ancestry – makes someone more susceptible to the virus or more contagious. Stigma and discrimination hurt everyone by creating fear or anger towards others.
Please see the Georgia Department of Public Health's 4/15/20 news release regarding expanded testing eligibility for all symptomatic individuals.
From the Yearbook Team
We have gotten some questions about whether we will be able to produce a yearbook this year in light of the school closures. The answer is YES! Despite the unsettling times we are currently going through, we have a lot of wonderful things to remember about this school year, and we look forward to producing a book with those memories for our students.
Here are some things for you to know:
· We would LOVE to get pictures from you! Please email them to oakhurstyearbook@gmail.com. Maybe you can even send some photos showing your students adapting to our new situation – home-schooling, hand-washing, KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE from others, etc.
· Yearbook payments, 2nd-grade dedications, and donations may be made online at https://oakhurstelementarypta.org/
Go to “Store” then click the “Yearbook” link.
· Please know that we will provide books for every student regardless of your ability to pay. If your family is experiencing financial hardship because of the current school/business closures or for any other reason, please do not feel pressure to contribute. If you are in this situation but would like to submit a dedication for your second-grader, we are happy to include your dedication free of charge. Just email your text (250 characters or fewer) and a photo to oakhurstyearbook@gmail.com.
Thank you all for your support. We hope that you all stay safe and healthy!
News from City Schools of Decatur
CSD COVID- 19 Webpage
News from Decatur Education Foundation
Since we didn’t get a chance to run the Tour deCatur in March, we’re taking it VIRTUAL! If you already registered, you will receive an email with instructions. If you hadn’t registered for the 5K or one-mile Fun Run but want to participate, just go to www.tourdecatur.com anytime during the month of April. We’ll post the race results in early May, and the winners in each age group will receive their prizes in the mail. Your participation in the Tour helps support all of DEF’s initiatives, so you are doing so much more than running a race. Make it a family event: lace up those running shoes, make your own race bibs (fun art project, please send us photos), and get outside (while practicing safe social distancing, of course!)
Our Step Up for Teachers campaign has begun! Do you want to honor a special teacher or CSD staff person with a written or video tribute? Just go to www.stepupforteachers.com. Your tribute contribution also includes a choice of a “We Step Up for Teachers” yard sign OR a “Congratulations Class of 2020” yard sign that will be delivered to your Decatur address. This campaign is more important than ever – not only are our teachers working under extraordinary circumstances, but many of our PTA’s fundraising events were cancelled, so raising funds for our schools and our teachers is more important than ever. Proceeds from the Step Up Campaign go right back into the classroom.
About us
Email: suhawkins@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.oakhurst.csdecatur.net
Location: 175 Mead Road, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404 -370-4470
Twitter: @OakhurstOwls