The Acorn
Oakview's Online News Flash
Principal's Report - Phillip Reavis
Support for Oakview Continues!
With school now open and things settling into a routine, I wanted to take this time to thank PTA, volunteers, community members, and business partners who do so much to support the school. From fundraising to breakfast with dads, Oakview PTA continues to set the standard for others to follow. We are fortunate to be part of a school with such an involved PTA and one that is solely focused on supporting students. Thank you PTA!
Health & Wellness
In addition to high academic standards, Oakview has committed itself to student health and wellness. Here are a few examples of the programs and services offered at the school:
- C.A.T.C.H. (Coordinated Approach To Children’s Health)
- Healthy school menus in the kitchen
- Filtered water dispensers in the cafeteria
- Daily fitness walks
- Morning exercise for all students
- Clubs and other student opportunities focused on physical activity
- Weekly Physical Education classes
- Daily recess
This year, the school’s Health and Wellness Committee is planning various fun run events for the entire family! Be on the lookout for information about our first “Glow Run” coming up in late October! Thank you for your support as we partner to promote a healthy lifestyle for the children we serve.
Parent Report Card
As a parent, how would you grade yourself on a home environment supportive of learning, setting high expectations for your children, communication with the school, and overall support for the school and its programs? Well now’s your chance to find out! Posted on Oakview’s web site is the Oakview Elementary Parent Report Card. It can be found at http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/ oakview/parents/parrcd10.pdf. The School Improvement Council (SIC) created this report card to provide parents an opportunity to reflect on their role in the education of their children. If you are feeling brave, have your child grade you! SIC hopes that all parents will feel affirmed about the great job they do and will also lean in to areas where they can improve. Have fun!
School Is Still the Safest Place to Be
Even with national headlines about tragedies occurring on school campuses, the data is clear that schools are still the safest place for children during the day. At Oakview, we take seriously our obligation to provide a safe school environment for the children and adults on campus. A few components of the school’s safety measures include:
- Daily campus patrols by law enforcement
- 16 surveillance cameras and DVR system
- Key pad door locks on all exterior doors
- Visitor and volunteer computer check-in system with background checks
- A comprehensive school safety plan
- Regular drills for fire, lock down, earthquake, tornado, etc.
- Digital radios (walkie-talkies) used daily on campus
- School phone/email message system to alert families
- Internet safety and cyber-bullying training for students and parents
This list provides a few examples of our ongoing efforts to promote school safety. Please visit the school’s web site to view a parent friendly version of the school’s Safety Plan and as always, thank you for your support in this area.
PTA President's Report - Jean Scott
Hello, Oakview families! October just may be PTA's busiest month. We have completed our Boosterthon Fun Run but are still busy collecting students' hard-earned pledges. This month our students will also pledge to remain drug-free as part of Red Ribbon Week, which we will celebrate Oct. 20-24. The next week will bring the year's first book fair, which will be held in the media center from Oct. 26-Oct. 31. And throughout October we will be preparing for our Hootenanny fall festival, which will be 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7. Please read on for important details about all of our great fall fund-raisers and events. As always, I am available at dianajeanscott@yahoo.com to answer any of your questions about our fabulous PTA.
Red Ribbon Week
Oakview will celebrate Red Ribbon Week Monday, October 20 - Friday, October 24. This year's national Red Ribbon Week theme is "Love Yourself. Be Drug Free."
Students will learn about the dangers of drugs through skits performed that week by Safety Patrol members on the school's morning-news program. Students will also sign pledges to remain drug-free.
To draw attention to the cause, students are invited to participate in spirit days each day that week. The schedule will be:
Monday, Oct. 20: Students receive red ribbons and bracelets.
Tuesday, Oct. 21: "Put a Cap on Drugs" -- wear a hat
Wednesday, Oct. 22: "Team up against Drugs" -- wear favorite team clothing
Thursday, Oct. 23: "Sock it to Drugs" -- wear crazy socks
Friday, Oct. 24: "Rally in Red" -- wear as much red as possible -- no face paint or hair dye
The Red Ribbon Campaign began after Mexico City drug traffickers murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. Red ribbons are worn as a symbol of intolerance toward the use of drugs.
Hootenanny
You don’t want to miss Oakview’s annual fall festival, the Hootenanny, on Friday, November 7, from 4:30-9:00 p.m.
Give a Hoot and bake a cake or two! In an effort to encourage families to submit cakes for our cakewalk, we will host our 4th Annual Hootenanny Cake-Decorating Contest. The following prizes will be awarded in two categories - adult and student.
- 1st Place
- 2nd Place
- 3rd Place
- Outstanding Owl Cake
- Outstanding Creativity
- Outstanding Oakview “No Limits” theme
For student entries, parents can do the baking, but please leave the decorating to the kids!
Winners will receive trophies and gift certificates generously donated by Cakes By U. The 1st place adult prize is an eight-inch-cake decorating class! The remaining category winners will receive a two-cupcake decorating class!
Cakes By U is open for drop-in decorating (bring your own cake) or purchase a cake and decorate it for Hootenanny on November 5 or 6 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Take advantage of their sprinkle bar and flavored frosting to get your cake-contest entry Hootenanny ready. Find out more about Cakes By U on their website at www.cakesbyu.com. Please note that you do not have to sign up to bring a cake for the cakewalk if you attend the drop-in decorating.
Give a Hoot and donate!
Thanks so much for the donations that have already started coming in. The due date for donations is Friday, October 10. Please see the Sign-up Genius links on the website, which are separated by grade level, for donation needs.
Give a Hoot and volunteer!
Room coordinators are sending out SignUp Genius links for booth shifts. We ask that all families consider working a booth shift. Our teachers help out tremendously during the Hoot but they cannot run everything themselves. Please consider a booth shift if you haven’t already signed up. In addition to current Oakview families, we encourage middle and high-school students to volunteer. They can earn service hours by helping out during the Hoot. There is a specific SignUp Genius for student volunteers on the website.
Questions about the Hootenanny? Want to get involved in a bigger way?
Contact Blair Vana at blairvana@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing you at the Hoot!
Book Fair
Please plan to visit Sir Readalot’s Castle and prepare to enter a kingdom of books during our Fall Book Fair. Opening day is Sunday, October 26, and the fair will continue through Friday, October 31. In addition to Sunday and afternoon hours, your student will also have the chance to visit the fair during the school day. This is a wonderful opportunity to build personal and classroom libraries. All proceeds from the Book Fair benefit our Media Center, so please consider supporting this important event!
Book Fair Hours:
Sunday, October 26 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, October 27 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 28 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 29 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 30 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Friday, October 31 7:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Reflections
Make the World a Better Place…Enter the Reflections ART Contest by October 21
Enter your art project for a chance to win! Everyone who enters gets a prize for participation, and students who place 1st, 2nd, 3rd or Honorable Mention receive an award and recognition at a special awards ceremony. There will be awards in six categories, including film production, dance choreography, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Enter as many times as you choose, in multiple categories if you wish. The theme for this year is “The world would be a better place if...” Students, this is your opportunity to fill in the blank.
The National PTA Reflections contest is America’s oldest and largest arts education program of its kind. The program was developed in 1969 by Colorado’s PTA President Mary Lou Anderson to encourage students to explore their talents and express themselves. Since then, the Reflections Program has inspired millions of students to reflect on a specific theme and create original artwork. Oakview first-place winners will be entered in the district-wide competition, and winners will go on to compete at the state level.
Deadline for entering Reflections is October 21. There will be two collection times available in the Oakview cafeteria; in the morning from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. or in the afternoon from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. If you need to drop it off before, or have any questions, feel free to contact Irena Tervo at irena.tervo@earthlink.net or Jane Stein at alexjanestein@hotmail.com. Forms and additional information can be found on the PTA Reflections page at www.scpta.org.
Box Tops
It’s Box Tops submission time! Please send in your Box Tops by October 24 in order for Oakview to meet the November 3 deadline. Our goal this school year is to earn $2500. You can help us reach that goal and make our December earnings check big by sending in your Box Tops this month.
When submitting your Box Tops, please remember to:
- Trim excess packaging and check the expiration date
- Collect them in a bag or envelope with your name, teacher's name, and grade
- Drop them into the collection box in the front lobby or hand them in to your teacher
October Restaurant Night - October 21 at Chick-fil-A, Woodruff Road
After enjoying a few new restaurants, it's time for an Oakview favorite. Join us on Tuesday, October 21, at the newly renovated Chick-fil-A on Woodruff Road from 5:30-8:30 p.m. to enjoy time with friends and support Oakview too. Looking ahead, we'll be gathering at Tropical Grille on Woodruff Road in November so look for details in an upcoming edition of the Acorn.
Chick-fil-A Restaurant Night
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2014, 05:30 PM
Chick-fil-A, Greenville, SC, United States
Hootenanny
Friday, Nov 7, 2014, 04:30 PM
Oakview Elementary, Godfrey Road, Simpsonville, SC, United States
Thank you to the following Oakview sponsors:
Ashby Park Dentistry
Berkshire
Crockett Pediatric Dentistry
Davis Orthodontics
Goddard School
Great Harvest Bread
Harrison Orthodontics
HomeTrust Bank
J. Freeman and Associates
Java Jolt
Massage Envy
Master Kim's TKD
Parkside Pediatrics
Pump It Up
Roto-Rooter
Saint Giles
Sonic
Southern First
State Farm - Eva Hurley
Steadman Hawkins
Summer Orthodontics
Twisted Cup
Upstate Podiatry
Venture Aviation
Wells Fargo