Oak Grove News

There will be no school this Friday, October 11th or next Monday, October 14th. We will be conducting an all-day Teachers' Institute on Friday and will observe the Columbus Day holiday next Monday.

Enjoy the four day weekend!

It appears fall is upon us! With that, we are seeing some very cool mornings, so please make sure your children are dressed accordingly. Students riding the bus, or being dropped off are outside each day until approximately 8:13 a.m. if the outside air temperature is above 10 degrees. We are seeing a lot of students with no coats, or wearing shorts on the past few colder mornings. We just want to make sure they are warm if they are going to be outside for any length of time. Thank you!

7th and 8th grade parents: Snowflake 2019 is on Friday, November 1st and hosted by Oak Grove and Hawthorn Schools. Both students and parents attend the program to increase productive interaction with life and keep healthy kids healthy! For more information, please see the flyer in the Virtual Backpack.

Hello Oak Grove Community,

Welcome to October! Some might refer to it as the beginning of fall while others refer to it as “Shakedown” month. What is “Shakedown” month, you ask? It could be considered the most difficult month of the school year. Students went from the relaxing pace of summer to the full intensity of the school year. By the time October arrives, the kids are cooked, stressed, frazzled, and tired of being stretched to think. The newness of September has faded and students test boundaries and rules as they solidify their new routine.

Now the important question, how can we help our students overcome “Shakedown” month?

• Start by identifying it. If you know what your child is feeling, it’s easier to help them problem solve through the situation.

• Talk about your slumps. If you can share examples of when you are feeling overwhelmed or in a rut and how you work through it, that becomes a great model for your children to learn from.

• Ask them about their zone. In SEL class, Mrs. Kiefer has worked really hard to help K-5 students identify how they are feeling and to articulate what they need to move into the green zone. This is a great tool to use at home also. A way to start the conversation would be to ask, “Have you tried any of the mindful activities you've learned in SEL?”

• Focus on a growth mindset. Working through the frustration or continuing to practice will only make your child more resilient. A great picture book to help this conversation is Rosie Revere, Engineer and you can check it out at the library.

For more tips to help with “Shakedown” month, check out the full article by Susan Kruger.

Are you interested in trying out for the Oak Grove Cheer/POMS team? Cheer/POMS is open to students in 5th-8th grade. There will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 16th in Mrs. Sobey's room (505). We hope to see you there! Please see the Virtual Backpack for more information.

Welcome back!

We are excited for our committee to begin meeting again! This year, we will have a few goals. Our first goal is to continue the wonderful progress our committee has made over the past couple of years. We want to continue welcoming new Oak Grove families, parents and staff to participate in celebrating everyone in the community we live in. Our second goal is to continue enriching our students' education through the multicultural bins/activities. These lessons and activities are prepared for Kindergarten through fifth grade. The third and VERY EXCITING goal is to bring the entire school, staff and all the families together to read ONE BOOK! The Oak Grove School Education Foundation has approved a grant for us to purchase books to make this possible. During the month of April, we will read the book as a school!

If you are interested in being part of the committee, please come to our first meeting next Wednesday, October 9th in the elementary library! If you cannot attend the meeting, there will be ways to volunteer and be part of the committee. Please email me (kiefer@ogschool.org) to let me know that you are interested and I will add you to our agenda so that you can participate virtually.

Meetings will take place in the elementary library this year at 9:00 am on the following Wednesdays.

The dates are:

Wednesday @ 9:00 am

October 9th

October 30th

November 13th

December 11th

January 15th

January 29th

February 12th

March 11th

We are excited to be moving forward and look forward to Oak Grove Reads Together in April! See you next Wednesday!

Sincerely,

Susie Kiefer

Attention all 8th grade girls!

Basketball season is right around the corner! Please mark your calendar with the following important dates:

• There will be an informational meeting to learn about tryouts and the upcoming season for all 8th grade girls on Tuesday, October 8th. The meeting will be at the beginning of study hall in Coach Kurtz’s room (Health Room, room 113).
• Mandatory tryouts are Tuesday, October 15th and Friday, October 18th from 3:30-5:00 pm. A current physical must be on file with the nurse in order to tryout.

Any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Coach Kurtz at kurtz@ogschool.org

Tuesday 10/8 - Lunch Volunteers Needed
The PTO still needs four volunteers for this Tuesday! The students look forward to their buffet style lunches, but there must be two volunteers in each lunchroom on all buffet style lunch days. Please consider signing up!

ELEMENTARY

https://signup.com/go/DjYnvCq

JR. HIGH

https://signup.com/go/MrbPdTa

Team Green - Recycling Tip
Many school lunch items are thrown away without even being opened/eaten! Please consider encouraging your child to bring home unopened items and clean, recyclable items such as foil, utensils or single use plastics so that you can recycle or reuse them at home.

Last month Kylie Hughes, an 8th grader here at Oak Grove School, that trains at Ultimate Ninjas Libertyville, competed in the first-ever UNX network's Open Qualifier event, which was held at Ultimate Ninjas in Naperville. The competition – including full results – will air today on the new UNX NOW channel.

“It’s so cool to be competing with the female ninjas I see on the show like Jessie Graff and Tiana Webberly since these are the people I look up to. I’m so excited to be a part of the next chapter of the sport of ninja.” said Hughes.

Congratulations, Kylie!

Preschool screening will be held on Wednesday, October 23rd in the afternoon for children 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 calling Julie Waehner at (847) 367-4120.

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month!

This week, students in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade are focusing on the first R ~ Recognizing Bullying. Bullying is mean or hurtful behavior that keeps happening. It is unfair and one-sided. Bullying is not safe, respectful, or kind. It is against the rules. Recognizing bullying is the first step in getting it to stop. We will also discuss the importance of the second R ~ Reporting Bullying! As we focus on these topics, we discuss how Acts of Kindness are contagious and we can give someone the courage and support they need to report or stand up for themselves by just one simple act. What kind act will you do today?

Mindfulness lessons have been fun, too! K-3 parents, ask your child about the bubble activities we are doing with Senora Loch and myself.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Kiefer

Social Emotional Learning Teacher K-5

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