Oak Grove News

Hello Oak Grove Community,

You may have heard that our K-5 students have the opportunity to bring their iPads home this year. For those of you new to Oak Grove, we have been on this technology journey for many years now. Last year was a big year for us, each student in grades K-8 were given a device to use all day during the school year and we called it “All Day Access”. It was a huge success for our students and our teachers. The integration of technology skills and academic skills were evident in all of the classrooms. We then decided to take the technology one step further...we had a pilot group of students in grades 3 and 4 take them home! And after a successful experience with the iPads at home, Oak Grove has decided that all K-5 students should have this opportunity. We want our students to learn safe and productive ways to work with technology within our society.

“Why does the iPad need to go home?” You may be wondering what the educational advantages are. So this week, I asked one of our technology coaches Allison to provide us with a brief response:

Teaching our students as early as kindergarten how to manage their device is an important skill, from caring and charging it, to learning to regulate usage time. These are some of those 21st-century skills that we didn't have to learn while being students, ‘back in the 1900’s’ as my own children say.

We know as parents and teachers, there needs to be a balance between screen time and facetime, digital resources, and sitting down with a book. It is important to teach students that technology can work for them and not consume them. By allowing the devices to go home, we are teaching the students how to have the tool work for them. They can use it for organization, reminders, and in creation. Consistently, teachers are asking their students to "show us" they understand not just "tell us.” The iPad allows students to be the creators of their learning and demonstrate their knowledge.

We hope the iPad arriving home filled with photos and projects will be a conversation starter as much as a great picture that arrives in their folder or a classroom newsletter emailed describing the week’s activities. Adding the iPad as an additional learning tool among the books, pencils, and crayons will create another connection between the classroom and home and allow students another avenue to share their learning.

Dear Kindergarten through 5th grade parents,

We have had a wonderful couple of weeks in SEL class! I am beyond impressed with the Social Emotional Skills you have taught your children and I’m excited to practice more of these skills with them!

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

In Kindergarten-3rd Grade we worked on FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION! A simple way to practice this is by playing Simon Says.

You say: “Simon says touch your ears.” Child: Touches ears.

You say: “Simon says touch your ears & head. ” Child: Touches ears & head.

You say: "Touch your toes!" Child: DON’T DO IT, SIMON DIDN’T SAY!

We want the children realizing they need to focus their attention by using their EYES, EARS & BRAIN!

4th and 5th grade made great music videos for our K-3 classes. The K-3 students get to watch and sing along as we practicing these great listening and focusing skills. 4th and 5th grade have also been studying Empathy: Feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling. They also made posters to decorate our bathrooms K-3 with positive sayings and encouraging words!

Ask your child about SEL!

Keep smiling!

Mrs. Kiefer

Social Emotional Learning Teacher K-5th Grade

On Friday, September 18 the Student Council will open the school store. It is open in the Junior High Cafeteria during lunch periods for fifth through eighth grade. We sell school supplies and fun treats. At this point in the year, students have new school supplies, so we will begin with fun treats only. Everything costs $1.

Thursday, October 1st

1:00 - 3:00 pm

Preschool screening will be held for students who are three or four years of age. The screening will examine a child's proficiency in speech/language and motor development, as well as assess pre-academic skills. Parents with questions or concerns about their child's development may schedule an appointment by contacting Julie Waehner at (847) 996-1426.

September 14, 2015

A Message from PTO Co-Presidents Lisa Perrone and Mia Hughes:

Hot Lunches:

Monday - Jersey Mikes

NO LUNCHES will be served Tuesday - Friday. PLEASE make sure to send a lunch with your child. The next hot lunch will be next Monday, the 21st.

Registration:

Just a reminder that the PTO registration closes today at 3pm. If you would like to make changes your child(ren)s lunches or if you missed the June deadline, now is the time to register. Just go to the OGS website and click on the link "view/modify your lunch order." Once the system closes at 3pm no new orders or changes will be accepted. Also, please note, if you missed the June deadline and are just registering for the first time, now you will be charged a $25 late fee. We STRONGLY encourage parents to check with individual restaurants if you have any concerns about allergens. Also, the sugar cookies served during the Culver's lunch DO contain trace amounts of nuts. We also CANNOT guarantee the cookies served at the other lunches were not baked in a nut free facility.

SpiritWear Orders

Spiritwear sale extended through today at 11:59pm!

Use the website www.headsupapparel.com. Enter Oak Grove 2015 to bring up the Oak Grove spirit wear collection.

Thank you Corner - Giving Thanks to PTO Volunteers!

Hot Lunches - Our hot lunches have gone off to a smooth start due to our Hot Lunch Chair, Maria Roberts. Thank you Maria for helping server EVERY hot lunch. Our kids are fed because of your hard work. Thank you! Thank you to all the hot lunch coordinators and volunteers who help serve the lunches. The program wouldn't survive without you.

Registrar - Thank you to Susan Pinsel for all her hard work and time with the registration and hot lunch process. She's worked tirelessly at this job and deserves a great deal of gratitude. Thank you to her assistant, Sarah Roe, for helping with this job. We are all so greatful.

PrePacks - Thank you to Jennifer Liu for once again making our lives so much easier by having our children's school supplies show up at our door!

WE NEED YOU! The Oak Grove Gala Committee is seeking individuals to lend a hand. We need volunteers for small shifts on the night of the event (February 27, 2016) or wherever we can leverage your unique talents and connections!

The Committee is seeking volunteers for areas such as:

• Photography
  
• Graphic Arts/Design
  
• On-site volunteers to monitor silent auction bid sheets in short shifts
  
• Volunteers to support fundraising and auction donations
  
• Donations for the silent auction – No donation is too big or small & all your creative ideas are welcome! ex. Do you have a summer home you would be willing to donate for a week or weekend? Do you know a chef for a private dinner? Do you have tickets to a Cubs/Sox/Bears/Hawks game?
  

If you would like to volunteer or make an auction donation to make The Oak Grove Gala the best one yet, please email Leigh Foltz at leighfoltz@gmail.com

Thank you for your support!

The Oak Grove School Education Foundation & The Oak Grove Gala Committee

All: Morning rehearsals are under way! If you are carpooling, please try to drop off students at school by 7:15 a.m.

Weekly Lessons for Concert and Symphonic band will begin this week. Click the link to see the schedule. http://ogschoolband.weebly.com/lesson-schedule.html

Parents, not sure which band book to buy this year? Follow this link. http://ogschoolband.weebly.com/which-book-will-my-child-need.html

Beginning Band:

Recruitment night is tonight, Monday September 14th. We will meet in the band room for about 45 minutes. I’ll stay and answer questions afterwards. If you plan on using an instrument you already have, please bring it with you so we can evaluate it’s playing condition.

Concert Band: We had a great first two rehearsals last week. Please remember to bring both books (yellow and red) to the rehearsals this week. Band starts at 7:30 so please allow yourself time to set up your instrument and warm-up before the downbeat. Also please remember that your student should be bringing home their instrument and practicing daily.

Symphonic Band:

Parents, we have a cool opportunity for some of our woodwind students to try a new instrument.

The school has one more a bassoon and Baritone sax, and has purchased a brand new bass clarinet, and Tenor sax for our students to use. Now we currently have twelve flute players in the symphonic band, which is more than twice as many flutes as a balanced group our size should have. I am looking for some adventurous flute players to volunteer to try these instruments out. The fingerings are almost identical, and would greatly improve our bands sound. Please contact me for further inquiry.

Calling All First – Fifth Grade Boys!
Attend Pack 194’s Sept. 17th Cub Scout Rally

All boys who are in grades 1 – 5 are invited to attend Oak Grove Pack 194's Cub Scout Rally.

In Cub Scouts, your son will have fun, learn and make new friends.

To sign up or learn more, come to our new scout rally:

• Who: Boys in grades 1 – 5

• Where: Oak Grove Jr. High Cafeteria

• When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, 6:30pm

For information about the Pack, visit: www.pack194.com. Or contact Cubmaster Dale Thomas at dalethomas@ymail.com or Committee Chair Tim Roe at troe@pinetreecommercial.com

Fifth grade Girl Scout Troop 40501 is conducting a Winter Clothing Drive starting September 14 until October 2 to benefit families of the Mobile Food Pantry. New or gently used winter clothing of all sizes from children to adult is needed. Can you help by donating? Coats, jackets, snow pants, hats, mittens, warm scarves, gloves and boots will be collected. Look for collections by the elementary and junior high entrances. Please make sure items are clean and in good condition. Thank you in advance for your generosity! Please contact Cristina Buelow (cristinabuelow@yahoo.com) or Carlene Lichter (carlenelichter@gmail.com) with questions.

Please click HERE to view the flyers in our Virtual Backpack.

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