August

14: Popsicle Playdate for Kindergarten and Students New to the School; 4:30 p.m.

14: Back to School Night; 5:00p.m.-6:30p.m.

16: First day of school

22-Sept. 8: NWEA Fall Testing Grades K-5

September

Hispanic Heritage Month

1: Picture day

4: No School Labor Day

18: eLearning/Staff Development

18: IT Professionals Day

23: First day of autumn

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! We have been preparing and are so excited to have our returning and new cardinals join us for another amazing year! Our focus this year will continue to be increasing student achievement in ELA and mathematics along with improvement in student attendance. It takes a partnership between home and school to be successful and we are looking forward to working with all of our families to ensure our students are receiving the best education possible.

We would like to announce the following changes in staff this year:

• Mrs. Michele Heaviland is moving from second grade to fourth grade (high ability cluster teacher).
• Mrs. Rebecca Antczak is moving from fifth grade to second grade.
• Mrs. Robin Lomalie is moving to our Title I team as an assistant from an instructional assistant.
• Congratulations to Marie Ingebretsen on her marriage! She is now Mrs. Marie Sullivan!

We would like to welcome our new staff:

• Mrs. Elyssa Degand (Jankowski) is moving from the special education department to fifth grade. We would also like to congratulate her on her marriage at the end of last school year.
• Mrs. Cynthia Tendeck is joining our fifth grade team from Three Creeks fifth grade!
• Mrs. Morgan McDonald is joining us as our educational diagnostician for Tri-Creek.
• Mrs. Hannah Gull is joining us as a NISEC para in Miss Marie's room.
• Mrs. Jessica Tippy is joining us as a NISEC para.
• Mrs. Kristine Keeker is the new Visual Impairment teacher from NISEC.
• NISEC is looking to hire two special education teachers and a para for Oak Hill. If you know of any candidates, please have them contact NISEC.

This is a year beginning with some challenges. With the failed referendum, we did not replace a teaching position and an instructional assistant position. We will spend the school year working with the district to see where other monetary cuts will need to be made moving forward. We also have the added expense of incurring student textbook fees due to changes made at the state level. Regardless, we will always give our best each and every day to our students.

This is also the year we will say goodbye to TWO grade levels at the end of the school year. Next school year (24-25) the current fourth graders will be moving to the new intermediate school along with our fifth graders. Our fifth grade teaching team will be moving to the intermediate school as well. The new intermediate school will be housed at the current middle school and will be grades five and six. Lowell middle school will house grades 7 & 8. Mrs. Gina Mielcarek has been announced as the inaugural principal! Although we will be sad to see our fifth grade staff and our students leave, we are excited about the opportunities they will have ahead!

As I state each year, relationships are the heart of the school community. We encourage you to reach out to your child's teach to see if there are ways of becoming involved in your child's classroom. I also encourage you to to volunteer to assist at PTO events. This is a great way to get to know the staff and other parents in our school community.

Your child's teacher, our office staff, cafeteria staff, instructional assistants, custodial staff, support staff, and I are all here to provide a learning environment that is full of warmth, laughter, and learning.

I wish everyone a healthy and happy school year.

Warmly,

Mrs. Brandie Muha

Principal

Using the GPS Dashboard link below, you are able to find data about our school and schools throughout the state of Indiana. I would like you to take notice on our attendance trends. For 2022, only 55.9% of our students met the states attendance criteria. This was down 23.6% from 2021 and is lower than the state average of 60.1%. Attendance by the state is calculated from the number of students with at least a 94% attendance rate divided by the total number of students enrolled in the school. That is ten absences per child (excused or unexcused).

Last year, we tried an incentive for the students to attend school. Each time an entire class was present, they would earn a letter towards spelling "attendance". Once attendance was spelled, the class received free time in the gym. We realize that attendance in an elementary school directly correlates to a partnership with the parents. Therefore, we want to ensure that parents understand the importance of school attendance for their children.

School attendance directly correlates to our school's state and federal rankings. These rankings can lead to awards or to becoming improvement schools (which we would never want). Attendance also directly correlates to student success. According to Learning Policy Institute, "Research shows that chronically absent students are less likely to read on grade level by 3rd grade, and are more likely to score lower on standardized tests...and are at least four times more likely to not complete high school". This begins in kindergarten. Attendance early on may impact success later. Please join us in ensuring your child attends school. There are 180 days of school out of a 365 day year. Be mindful of scheduling vacations and trips. These impact our testing schedules and learning experiences. Be mindful of "mental health" days. Children are resilient and are not likely to need a day like this like adults would. Each time you remove your child for their birthday, it is taking away a day of learning. We value your child's school experiences and need them here with us to gain the benefits and rewards of being in school.

This year, the bookstore will sell only the required items listed on the grade level supply lists. You may send cash or a check made out to Oak Hill Elementary School for the purchase of the required items. You may place your money or check in an envelope with your child's name, teacher name, and "bookstore" written on the envelope.

On Back to School Night, August 14, there will be an opportunity to purchase the items from the supply lists. The bookstore will be open in the cafeteria during Back to School Night from 5:00-6:30 p.m. You will need to bring cash or a check to pay for bookstore items that night.

For an updated list of needed supplies as well as the cost, please click here.

Student Day

• Our student start time is 8:00 a.m.
• At 8:00 a.m. the tardy bell will ring. If you are dropping your child off, please arrive in plenty of time for them to get to class.
• If you arrive after 8:00 a.m., please walk your child into the main doors, Door 1, to sign them in.
• For a two-hour delay, the start time is 10:00 a.m.
• Student dismissal for buses is at 2:25 p.m.
• Student dismissal for car pick-up is 2:30 p.m.
• Walkers are dismissed after the buses leave.

School Office Hours

• Monday-Friday, 7:00-3:30 p.m.
• Phone number: 219-696-9285
• Fax: 219-690-2621

Please bookmark the following link for the Elementary Lunch Menu.

You may also download the NutriSlice app for on the go menus and dietary information!

Breakfast $1.40

Reduced-Priced Breakfast $. 30

Lunch $2.00

Reduced-Priced Lunch $ .40

You will go to My MealTime to add money to your child's lunch account. You will need to set up a new account on this website if you have not done so before. You will need your child's STN number to create an account. Please call the school office to receive that number prior to create an account.

IMPORTANT! My MealTime is also where you can apply for FREE or REDUCED breakfasts and lunches. You may also stop into the school office for a paper application at any time.

Picture Day for Oak Hill Elementary School is scheduled for Friday, Sep 1.

This event's Order Code is 79158TF.

Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/79158TF

Online ordering is available before and after Picture Day. Shipping and handling charges may apply to orders placed after Picture Day. ONLINE ORDERS ONLY ARE ACCEPTED.

There are times when you need to drop items off at school for your child. When this happens, you will enter the security foyer and leave the item on the table located in the entrance of the building. You will use a post-it note to add your child's name and teacher's name. We will ensure they get their needed items.

If you are picking up your child's absence homework, it will also be located in the security foyer on the table. Your child's name will be on the homework.

• Call the main office at 696-9285 by 8:30 a.m. to let us know if your child will be absent for the day.
• When your child returns to school, if you have a doctor's note please send with your child.
• Please read more about absences in our Student Handbook located on the district website.

• Send a note to your child's teacher informing him/her of the departure time.
• An adult with a valid picture ID must come into the office to sign the child out and back in.
• Please allow for sufficient time for your student to come to the office.

We have many parents making last-minute daily changes to transportation at the end of the day. We have an obligation to ensure all students are getting home safely. Please help us do our part by being mindful of the following:

• Send a note to your child's teacher informing him/her of the change. Calls into the office for last-minute changes increase the risk of error.
• If changes need to be made, please call the office prior to 1:30 p.m. Our early transfer buses leave at 2:10 p.m. We need ample time to communicate changes to necessary staff and the student(s).
  
• We will only accept transportation changes from an adult. Communicating changes to your child will not be accepted.
• Please do not email or Dojo message transportation changes. We cannot guarantee the adults will have an opportunity to check those messages during the day. Please call the office at 696-9285 if changes need to be made.

Student car drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. at Door 7. Students should stay in their cars until the adults on duty open Door 7. Access to the driveway is located on Oakley Avenue. The gates will open at 7:20 a.m.

All parents should remain in their cars while in line. Please do not make double lines or cut into the line. People who go around others to move to the front of the line create an unsafe situation. It can also create ill-will among parents who stay in line as requested. Adults on duty will be available until all cars are gone.

The main entry door to the school is NOT to be used for student drop-off unless your child is tardy or your student needs help carrying a large object.

All students are to be picked up at Door 7. Access to the driveway is located on Oakley Avenue.

The gate will open for pick-up at 2:15 p.m. Adult supervisors will open Door 7 at 2:30 p.m. to start the pick-up procedure. Please follow the lane to the building.

• All drivers are asked to remain in their cars.
• Students are loaded 3 cars at a time.
• Please do not make double lines or cut into the line.
• Each family will receive a Car Line Visor sign at Back to School Night. Please ensure that whoever is picking up your child has the sign hanging from their passenger side visor DAILY.
• If another adult is picking up your child, please make sure the office has them flagged as an approved adult to pick up in Skyward. You may add them under emergency contacts during registration. If you need assistance, please call the office.
  

Many Oak Hill parents pick up their children on a daily basis. If everyone follows the procedures, dismissal will go quickly.

We want to ensure our families have information regarding our gates to ensure safety:

• The gate is activated through a pressure plate. It doesn't work by a sensor.
  
• The gate is timed to go down after 3 seconds of being raised. There is no sensor that stops the gate from going down.
• To ensure all cars are in queue so we have no tardies, the gate shuts down at 7:58 a.m. Students are counted tardy at 8:00 a.m. We need to ensure there is time for cars in the queue to get to the door by 8:00 a.m.
• To ensure safety, if there is a car in front of you, please wait for the gate to come down and reset prior to driving through.

All prescription medications need to be brought to the school office by a parent/guardian and a permission form will need to be completed. We will not give any student medication without this signed form. All medications must be in the original prescription bottle.

A Permission for Administraton of Medications Form may be picked up in the foyer of the school office.

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 indoor recess supplies! Please save your Stracks receipts and send them to school with your child. We appreciate your support! Thank you!

We have many students that are texting parents and other students during the school day. This is a learning distraction. These devices are required to be put away during the school day. If there is a need for your child to communicate with you, they can come to the office to make a phone call. In elementary school, there is not a need during the school day for texting to occur whether on a cell phone or Apple watch.

If your child is found to be using their cell phone or Apple watch during the school day, we bring it to the office and ask you to come to pick it up.

In the event you come to the school for a meeting or other need you must present a valid picture ID. Your ID will be scanned and you will obtain a visitor badge.

Anytime a child is picked up at the school, we will ask to see your ID each and every time. Even though we may know you, we need to follow our safety procedures to ensure the safety of our children.

In order to volunteer for the school, you will need to have a background check completed. This includes being a chaperone for study trips or volunteering to help in the classroom. Forms may be picked up in the office or you may call and request one to be sent home. During Back to School Night on August 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. a table will be available for you to fill out the background check form.

Due to limited space in the cafeteria, we are unable to allow parents in to eat lunch with their child(ren).

In order to ensure we are keeping our students with food allergies safe, you must send in food for birthdays and parties that are purchased from the store and prepackaged. Ingredient lists must be visible on the packaging. If ingredients are not listed on the package, the food items will not be shared and will be sent home with your child.

Birthday treats can be ordered from the cafeteria by filling out this form. You may also call the office to order the treats.

We utilize the Adventure Club as a third-party business for before and after school care. Before school hours begin at 6:30 a.m. until school starts. After-school hours go from dismissal until 6:00 p.m.

You may visit www.TheAdventureClub.com for pricing and more information.

Class Dojo

We use Class Dojo to communicate classroom and school events. You are also able to message us directly through Class Dojo.

To access our Dojo, click here.

When you open the link, you are prompted to log in to your existing parent account or sign up for a parent account. You are then asked to select the name of your child's teacher from a list of verified teachers at our school. Once you select the child's teacher, you are able to enter your child's name and submit the request. The teacher will need to approve the connection request before you will be connected to the student. The teacher can also decline the request.

Other Communication

We also send emails, so be sure to check your email regularly. If you are not receiving emails from the school, please check your spam folders.

We use Facebook to also post events and other happenings in our school community! Check out Oak Hill Elementary School on Facebook.

You may find the Tri-Creek Student Handbook by clicking here. For information found here in our newsletter as well as additional information, visit our school website and read through the Parent FAQ, which is found under the Parent Resources tab.

Please click here for a parent letter regarding NWEA testing.

Your 2023-24 PTO Board

President: Kathy Hannon

Vice-president: Melinda Geyer

Treasurer: Bri Hamm

Volunteer Coordinator: Beth Hanson

Public Relations: Samantha Zitek

Secretary: Erinie Kharchaf

Fundrasiing/event coordinators: Kandise Spurgeon/Ashley Small

BOX TOPS
Box Tops has a new way for us to earn money – Download their app today!
https://www.boxtops4education.com/
If you still have the old box tops you can still turn those in as well, but the new feature is all electronic and right from your phone!!

If you ever have questions related to PTO events or volunteering, please email us at oakhillpto@tricreek.k12.in.us

Principal

Brandie Muha

Dean

Teresa Patrevito

Secretary

Dee Munjas

Bookkeeper

Sabrina Luttrell

Student Support Advisor

Alyson Bird

Nurse

Meredith Bickell

Teachers

Karen Deal

Kindergarten, Room 9

Melissa Konradi

Kindergarten, Room 6

Elizabeth Sexton

Kindergarten, Room 4

Kellie Tully

Kindergarten, Room 8

Rebecca Blackman

Grade 1, Room 19

Melissa Campbell

Grade 1, Room 15

Hannah Connell

Grade 1, Room 17

Dana Wierzba

Grade 1, Room 13

Amanda Haskins

Grade 2, Room 18

Amie Patterson

Grade 2, Room 16

Rebecca Antczak

Grade 2, Room 22

Sue Wirtz

Grade 2, Room 14

Lindsey Blink

Grade 3, Room 26

Christina McDermott

Grade 3, Room 24

Erinie Kharchaf

Grade 3, Room 23

Allison Zwiers

Grade 3, Room 25

Kassie Ludlow

Grade 4, Room 31

Brandie Burns

Grade 4, Room 30

Michele Heaviland

Grade 4, Room 29

Rachid Kharchaf

Grade 4, Room 32

Cynthia Tendeck

Grade 5, Room 35

Nicole Nigh

Grade 5, Room 34

Elyssa Degand

Grade 5, Room 33

Robyn Plonczynski

Grade 5, Room 36

Specials

Kim Quasney-Bober

PE, Gym

Rebecca Harms

Music, Room 27

Lauren Schutz

Art, Room 21

Tammy Hedrick

Media/Library, Room 10

Emily Schaefer

STEM, Room 28

Specialized Programming

Jen Roberts, English Learner Teacher

Michelle Wietbrock, English Learner Assistant

Room 7

Julie Alessia

NISEC Teacher, Room 2

Marie Sullivan

NISEC Teacher, Room 1

Hannah Gull

NISEC Para

Duana Green

NISEC Para

Stephanie Kalizae

NISEC Para

Renee Huseman

NISEC Para

Jessica Tippy

NISEC Para

Carol Swart

NISEC Para

Morgan McDonald

Educational Diagnostician

Sue Kramer

Speech, Room 5

Samantha Gill

Title I Teacher, Room 12

Gianna Giorgi-Collins

Title I Interventionist, Room 12

Robin Lomalie

Title I Assistant, Room 12

Instructional Assistants

Rebekka Anderson

Amy Borsilli

Kim DenHartog

Tami Godbolt

Dana Hollingsworth

Heather Lee

Jackie Suggs

John Cipkar

Alisha Blood

Wendy Anderson

Nichole Giesler

Paige Krizan

Brittany Gifford

Adventure Club, Cafeteria

Dawn Borrelli Site Coordinator Cafeteria

Caleb Wolfe Team Member

Maddie Suggs Team Member

Cafeteria

Gloria Thomas

Diane Hudak

Sherri Kuiper

Carrie Gerlach

Custodial Staff

Louie Meltzer

Nesh Djordjevic

Ruby Pinto

Technology

Joe Starcevich

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