News from the Nest

The mission of Oak Hill Elementary is to create a safe learning environment by promoting respect, valuing differences, and building strong relationships while providing opportunities for and encouraging independent thinking, creativity, and goal-setting.

October

Bullying Prevention Month

Sept. 26-Oct. 10: PTO Fall Fundraiser

2: School Custodian Appreciation Day

2: Fourth Grade Study Trip to Grand Kankakee Marsh: Heaviland/Ludlow

3: Fourth Grade Study Trip to Grand Kankakee Marsh: Kharchaf/Burns

3: Third grade study trip to apple orchard

4: No School: Parent Teacher Conferences

9-13: Fire Prevention Week

9: PTO Meeting @ 2:45 in library

11: Start with Hello Day: Wear Green

13: Kindergarten Windmill Acres Study Trip

16: Third grade Safety Village study trip: McDermott/Blink

17: Third grade Safety Village study trip: Kharchaf/Zwiers

16-20: School bus safety week

18: Unity Day: Wear Orange

20: End of First Grading Period

23-27: Red Ribbon Week

27: Report cards sent home

27: Monster March @ 10:00 a.m.

27: Halloween parties at 1:30 p.m.

28: National First Responders Day

30-31: Fall Break, No School

November

9: School Smiles: Mobile Dentist

Below is the information about special events in October to promote kindness.

In October we will be celebrating several special events to promote kindness:

Wednesday October 11 Start With Hello Day: Wear Green

The purpose of this initiative is to promote empathy and empower students to end social isolation. You can learn more information here

Wednesday October 18 Unity Day: Wear Orange

The purpose of this day is to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying. You can learn more information here.

October 23-27 Red Ribbon Week

Wednesday October 25: Wear Red

The purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to promote a drug-free lifestyle along with kindness. You can learn more information here.

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.

We work hard to ensure our drop-off line moves quickly and efficiently in the morning. Here are some ways you can assist in ensuring the drop-off line continues to move along at an appropriate pace:

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.

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring a safe drop-off in the mornings!

Please bookmark the following link for the Elementary Lunch Menu.

You may also view this flyer to see how to download the NutriSlice app for on the go menus and dietary information!

Fall Fundraiser

Our fall fundraiser will run from September 26-October 10. The fundraiser is Be the One!

Kids will not be selling items, they will be seeking donations! We are relying on donations to fund EVERYTHING PTO supports during the school year and hopefully more!

Other Events

October 9: PTO Meeting @ 2:45 p.m. in library

On Wednesday, October 4th, FEMA and the FCC will be conducting a test of the nationwide emergency alerts system. For this test, in addition to the radio and TV messages we have all heard, an alert will also be sent to all cell phones. The cell phone alerts will include an alert tone and display the message “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” If there is widespread severe weather across the country at the scheduled time for the test, the backup date will be October 11.

https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230803/fema-and-fcc-plan-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-oct-4-2023

The School Smiles team will be at Oak Hill on November 9 and May 13 for follow-up appointments. School Smiles is a school-based portable dental program. They send state-licensed dentists and dental assistants to set up a dental office inside the school during school hours. Your child will be able to see the dentist if you register them using the link provided or filling out the paper registration form that will be sent home by October 6.

They offer full comprehensive care: both preventative and restorative services to fully treat the student. They do bill insurance and offer a self-pay option as well as a grant foundation for those who qualify. See the link below for more information!

School Smiles Information

www.schoolsmiles.com/student-signup

The fourth grade students learned about Earth Science standards while working on this cross-curricular project. Students created their own videos to explain weathering, erosion, and decomposition, and they searched the school grounds to find examples of these land changes.

STUDENT QUOTES ABOUT THE PROJECT:

"I enjoyed the weathering and erosion project because we got to learn about it in class first, but then we got to actually go outside and see it in the real world." - Val (Mrs. Burns’s Class)

“I like the weathering and erosion project because we got to be outside and take a break from being in the school! I loved using the Clips app to share my ideas in a video.” - Daisy (Mrs. Ludlow’s Class)

“It was fun to record and edit what we learned in class. I liked learning about the different types of natural disasters and how they affect our planet.” Ryan F. (Mrs. Heaviland’s Class)

“It was very fun and exciting! I loved adding the little effects and creating the start and end of the clip!" - Emily Verkler (Mr. Kharchaf’s Class)

“It was so fun that I wanted to make more of them. I loved working with other people" - Liam Hanson (Mr. Kharchaf’s Class)

To see some photos and examples of the student-created videos, CLICK HERE.

Please click here to read Mrs. Patrevito's newsletter regarding attendance.

We will again be collecting Stracks receipts from September 1, 2023-March 31, 2024 to earn points to “buy” items for our school! Last year, we added to our organization of our playground equipment and got indoor recess items. Please save your Stracks receipts and send them to school with your child. We appreciate your support! Thank you!

Students in grades 3-5 who are assigned MindPlay minutes or Ascend Math work may join Mrs. Schaefer in the library from 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m. to work on meeting their goals. Students may get a breakfast pass and eat in the library while working on their minutes. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.

Parent-teacher conferences will be in-person this year. You are able to select a virtual meeting if it is necessary. Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on October 4, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Mrs. Munjas has sent an email with more information!

This year, we are rolling out a new elementary report card. Your child's teacher will be introducing the new report card at this time. Please note, there are 15 minutes scheduled for conferences. There is a lot of information to cover in a short time. Please be mindful of time so we can ensure all families have an opportunity to meet with the teachers.

Our Halloween parties will take place on October 27, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. Your child's teacher will contact you if they are in need of treats or volunteers. If your child's teacher requests treats, please ensure they are individually wrapped and store-bought. This is for student safety and allergies. If you are asked to volunteer in a classroom, you must bring your ID to check in and ensure you have a background check on file. If you are selected to volunteer, please arrive when your teachers request. We limit volunteers for parties to three per room due to the capacity in our building.

Costumes: Students may wear their costumes over their school clothes on October 27. With costumes, please adhere to the following criteria: school-appropriate, no Halloween masks, and no weapons or supplemental items.

Monster March (Halloween Parade): We will hold a costume parade, weather permitting, at 10:00 a.m. on October 27. Students in grades K-5 will parade around the outside of the building. Parents are invited to observe. You may park in the old middle school parking lot off West Oakley Avenue. You will line up around the perimeter of the building. The parade will last about ten minutes. Our suggestion is to arrive at least ten minutes before the start of the parade since everyone's clocks may differ by a couple of minutes. Students will walk around the building and then walk back in. This is just a fun way to share the great costumes! If there is poor weather, the parade is cancelled and is unable to be rescheduled.

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.

Our N.E.S.T. (Needs Emotional and Sensory Time) room is open! Mr. John Cipkar is our behavioral assistant and works in conjunction with Mrs. Muha, Mrs. Bird, Mrs. Patrevito and the Behavior Specialists of Indiana to create a room where students go to learn how to regulate their emotions.

The room is available for all students in grades K-5. This room is a tool for students. They are taught how to work through feeling anxious, sad, mad, and more through structured trails that include movement, sensory, and breathing activities. Students go when they feel they need it and some students have scheduled times to visit. We are excited to offer another learning opportunity for our students!

Digital citizenship is important for all students as they navigate technology throughout their lives. Common Sense Education has resources for educators and parents to help all of us have powerful conversations with our children regarding how to be responsible users of technology.

Please see the articles below:

Family Tips: Children Ages 3-8 Help Your Family Use TV, Phones, and Tablets in Healthy Ways

Grades K-5 Family Tips: Help Kids Balance Their Media Lives

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

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