Oak Grove News

School Pictures

We are very excited to announce that we will be doing school pictures for both @School and @Home students on November 4th and 5th. @School students will have their pictures taken during the school day. @Home students will be able to come to the school between 3:45 and 5:00 PM to get their pictures taken. This will also be supply pick-up dates so we are asking that @Home students A-L come on November 4th and M-Z come on November 5th. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Heckel.

Colder Weather

Colder weather is here now and we still want students to be able to get outside during the day. Please make sure that your child is dressed for the colder weather so that they can still get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

The Mental Health team at Oak Grove, consisting of two School Social Workers, two School Psychologists, and the Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, will be providing you information on several social emotional topics throughout the 2020-21 school year. Twice a month, we will provide you with a brief overview of a topic, as well as at least one resource for additional information. Please feel free to reach out to Ryan Murray, SEL Coordinator, if you have questions or need help finding more information.

This week's topic is Mental Health in the Hispanic/Latinx Community. National Hispanic Heritage Month finished up last week on October 15th. Did you know that just under 20% of the US population identifies with the Latinx/Hispanic community? Although each individual is different, most people identifying with a cultural group have many shared experiences. Within the Latinx/Hispanic communities, there are several systemic barriers that limit access to quality mental health services. Some common concerns include increased stigma surrounding asking for help ("La ropa sucia se lava en casa”), lack of cultural competence in service providers, concerns over loss of legal status, and language barriers.

Take a look at the resources below. There is a combination of resources targeted for members of the Latinx/Hispanic community seeking mental health services, as well as general information if you do not identify as a member of this cultural group. Please remember there should be no shame in talking about mental health or seeking help regardless of your cultural background.

Additional Resources:

• National Alliance on Mental Health
• NAIM Compartiendo Esperanza
• Mental Health America
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
• National Hispanic Heritage Month

LACE UP! SOARING EAGLES 5K IS THIS WEEK!

Hey Racers – this is the week! In preparation for the big race weekend decorate your mailbox, make signs for your yard, and chalk your driveway and/or sidewalk with messages of encouragement and team spirit. Anytime Friday 10/23 to Sunday 10/25, complete a 5k on a course of your choosing. Be sure to share or post pictures of your fun! If you submit a “finish line” picture you will be entered to win 1 of 3 prizes of gift cards to 847 Running Company. Submit pictures to kateGbyers@gmail.com OR post them to Instagram and tag @oakgrovesd68 to enter.

Registered participants will receive t-shirts and race medals via door drops this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Please stay tuned for details via e-mail. If you did not register and would still like to purchase a shirt and medal, please contact Kate Byers (kategbyers@gmail.com). We have a VERY limited number of Adult Large and Youth Large shirts available and they will be available for porch pick-up on a first-come, first-served basis with paid registration of $20 per shirt/medal set.

VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN PARADE

Parents, please remember to submit a photo of your child dressed up for the Virtual Halloween Parade. See email sent last Thursday for details.

CLEAR THE LIST!

Let’s help our teachers Clear the List! Our teachers have been so amazing navigating this strange new school year. Show your support by donating supplies off their Amazon Wish List. Use this LINK and search for your student’s teacher’s Amazon Wish List. Items found on these lists will help the teachers and students in the classroom and have been approved by Administration.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CARAMEL APPLES

Our thanks go out to Jill Procop and Rachel Margelos for setting up this fabulous fundraiser for the PTO! We hope everyone enjoys their apples!

On September 25th, twenty-one 8th grade students were accepted into the Oak Grove Honor Society. Oak Grove Honor Society is an organization that recognizes leadership, service, character attributes, and exceptional academic achievement. Congratulations to this year’s 2020-2021 Oak Grove Honor Society members: Saira Abraham, Prem Acharya, Max Butler, Lena Dogadalski, Daniela Gomez Anez, Charlie Gretz, Madison Hughes, Elise Jahnke, Caitlyn Jones, Campbell Kuypers, Molly Lyon, Vitoria Martins Da Costa, Madeline Merrild, Dakota Olson, Aayushee Patil, Evelyn Potsic, Natalie Schlitt, Mirabella Shridharani, Shreyas Srirama Chandra Moorthy, Mary Tunney, and Tyler Wilson.

Each year the Oak Grove Honor Society elects three members to its Executive Board. This year, the three members that will serve on the board are Molly Lyon (President), Natalie Schlitt (Vice President), and Prem Acharya (Secretary). Overall, the main goal of the Oak Grove Honor Society is to give back to our community while upholding great personal character. We look forward to a successful year!

Written by: Prem Acharya, 8th grader

Hello Oak Grove Community,

I just came across a great acronym that works nicely with our school mascot. As Oak Grove Eagles, we SOAR to great heights all the time but now when we think of S.O.A.R., there are some other ideas that may come to mind. Keep up the great work Grovers!

S- Self Control

• Following instructions

• Wait your turn to speak or contribute

• Raise your hand, in person or remotely

• Use the chat feature in Meets appropriately

O- On Task

• Be on time, in person or remotely

• Be present and actively engaged

• Make yourself visible

• Set daily goals

A- Achievement

• Complete tasks on time & stay on top of assignments

• Reach out to the teacher if you need help

• Write in complete sentences

• Share an collaborate

R- Respect

• Respect others’ perspectives

• Use kind words

• Use proper text etiquette (ALL CAPS, bold, italics, jokes, etc.) can be misinterpreted in a digital space

• Resolve conflict peacefully

These tips were shared by Jessica and John Hannigan from Equity in School Discipline.

• Just a reminder that this Friday, October 23rd will be the last day of first quarter specials classes. Second quarter begins on Monday, October 26th.

• Next Friday, October 30th is Black and Orange Day!

• Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held virtually this November. More information to come in the next couple of weeks!

As our Eagles @Home continue to grow in their understanding of best practices in virtual instruction, we continue to collaborate with our Eagles @School teachers to support their students' learning and integration of virtual instructional practices.

There are four overarching reasons that necessitate the integration of these virtual practices:

1. Eagles @School needing to stay home - If students need to be at home for a couple of days or to quarantine, this allows us to continue providing learning opportunities and instruction virtually.
2. Teachers @School needing to stay home - If teachers need to be at home for a couple of days or to quarantine, our @School teachers do have the option to continue teaching remotely to their in-person class with adult supervision in the classroom.
3. Emergency closure - Should a snow day or other type of emergency day occur, this will allow us to conduct the school day remotely rather than adding a day to the end of the year.
4. A school-wide transition to the remote environment

Attention students, parents, and teachers: Next week, Oct 26th - 30th is Red Ribbon Week! There will be special themed days all next week. Join in the fun and dress up to celebrate a healthy lifestyle. Please submit pictures of your student(s) or staff members participating each day directly to Principal Nick Heckel at heckel@ogschool.org.

Please click HERE to view the flyers in our virtual backpack. Flyers are updated weekly, so please check back often so you won't miss any of the events going on in our community.

Click HERE to view Board Agenda and Minutes

Email: boe@ogschool.org
Website: www.ogschool.org
Location: 1700 S. O'Plaine Rd. Green Oaks, IL 60048
Phone: 847.367.4120