End of School Day Visitors
As you know, the end of the day dismissal time is very busy. The staff works hard to make sure the students are taken to their busses and/or cars safely. We would ask that if you need to come into the school, please check in at either of the two offices. Please do not enter the building at Door #18, which is located in the upper parking lot and is the “staging area” for our car pick ups. Thank you!
From the Librarian's Desk
Author, Jordan Sonnenblick visited with 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students on Thursday, December 6. He talked about finding something you enjoy, and are good at, and practicing until you get even better. Then take it farther and use that skill to help others! Fifteen students had lunch with Mr. Sonnenblick and 50 students were selected to participate in a writing workshop. Thank you to the PTO for sponsoring this event!
Parents, if you are looking for great gifts for the holidays, there is nothing better than books! School Library Journal just released its Best Books of 2018:
https://www.slj.com/?page=best-books-2018. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books also released a Guide Book to Gift Books http://bccb.ischool.illinois.edu/files/2018/11/GBGB2018.pdf
If you have questions or are just looking for recommendations, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Rappaport at rappaport@ogschool.org. Happy Holidays!
Oak Grove PTO K-1st Grade Social
Libertyville Sports Complex on Wednesday, January 16
Please join us at this FREE event!
Wednesday, January 16th is an early dismissal day from school at 1 p.m. Kindergarteners and 1st graders are invited to join us at 1:30 pm at the Libertyville Sports Complex for an afternoon of activities including a challenge course, gaga ball, the climbing wall, relay races and much more. A snack and water will also be provided.
This is a FREE event sponsored by the Oak Grove PTO! To sign up, please complete these 2 easy steps:
1. RSVP by Monday, January 14, 2019 at https://www.smore.com/a0exh
AND
2. Please fill out the Sports Complex waiver electronically here:
https://goo.gl/forms/z7Fz1BRQlui9WBLm1
There will be Sports Complex and Oak Grove parental supervision present. Parents are welcome to stay if they wish, however siblings are not able to participate. Thank you for your understanding.
We are looking for parent volunteers to help with the various game stations as well as the snack station and check-in/pick-up. Please use SignUp Genius to volunteer:
If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Sallmann: melissagroner@hotmail.com
PTO News
Yee haw! Get your fancy dresses and cowboy boots ready! This year, the Oak Grove School Daddy Daughter Dance will be taking on a western theme. The dance will be held Saturday February 2nd 6:30-9:00 in the junior high gym/cafeteria. This special event is open to all students in Kindergarten-8th grade and their dads or special guy. There will be a DJ, dancing, formal photos, photo booth, desserts and raffle prizes. Follow this link to purchase tickets and to sign up to help with the dance. Contact Liz Howard if you have any questions: howard_liz@hotmail.com
Student Council
A big thanks to all of the junior high students who stayed after school on Friday for our Toys for Tots toy drive. We collected two big boxes full of gifts for donation. What a wonderful gift to give to our community! We do have some leftover concession stand treats that we will sell at 5th and 6th grade lunch on Tuesday.
After School Study Hall
Mr. Rendon, Oak Grove’s Extended Day coordinator, is seeking input regarding whether there is interest in a “quiet study hall” after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We would need a minimum of 5 students participating EACH DAY in order to pay for the additional staff member required to coordinate the study hall. It would run from 3:30-6:00 p.m. each day. Cost would be $16/day, which is the same as our current Extended Day program. This is not a replacement program for students currently in Oak Grove Extended Day.
The purpose of this program would be to provide a quiet atmosphere for students to complete homework or study.
If you are interested, please e-mail Dr. Lemon at lemon@ogschool.org. Please state if your child/children would like to participate, and on which days. We would need to have 5 students participate Tuesday through Thursday to consider offering the study hall.
Curriculum Corner
Hello Oak Grove Community,
So often I hear about a student who tries a task once, experiences frustration and skips that task for something they can accomplish with ease. I am constantly searching for new and creative ways to encourage students to continue to try when the task is less than pleasant. You can call it grit, a growth mindset, perseverance, or just plain stubbornness but as adults we know the value of these characteristics and trying to explain that to young learners can be challenging. Another way we can help support young learners in building their endurance during challenging tasks is by encouraging independent learning. In summary, the three tips to help students become more self-motivating and willing to take charge of their own learning are:
Inspire student motivation: use your relationship to encourage positive thinking and a passion for learning. Guide them to think about how wonderful it will feel when they accomplish something new. Here’s a clip for inspiration.
Coach students to set goals and develop a plan for learning: focus on the student’s individual strengths and build off of those successes. Maybe one goal would be to take stretch breaks every 20 minutes, another child might have a goal to draw a picture that connects to each journal entry. Having them share their goal with a friend might help with self-accountability and they can encourage each other.
Teach students to self-assess: have them reflect on how far they’ve come. As my daughter told me this morning, “Mom, I brushed my teeth three days in a row without you having to ask me. Isn’t that great?”
For a more expanded view of these three tips, continue reading the article in Edutopia by Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers.
Virtual Backpack
Oak Grove School Board of Education
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
