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Otter Splash for the Weeks of May 11-24

Hello, Oak Grove Family, Versión en español aquí, النسخة باللغة العربية هنا, Toleo la Kiswahili hapa, Версия на русском зд, Versiunea in Romana

Wow—what an exciting and busy few weeks we’ve had! Field trips are beginning to wind down, and the end of the 2024-2025 school year is quickly approaching. Track 1 is preparing for their final 13 days of school, while Tracks 2, 3, and 4 head into their last four weeks. Please note that there is NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 26th, in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday. We have a packed schedule ahead as we wrap up the year, and we’re so grateful for your continued support and involvement.

A big thank you to our Track 1 and 2 families for showering our teachers with appreciation this week! Your generosity and kind gestures truly mean so much. Tracks 3 and 4 will have their Teacher Appreciation celebrations next week, Wednesday through Friday—we look forward to honoring our incredible educators across all tracks. We’d also like to thank everyone who showed appreciation for Nurse Bates during National School Nurse Day. Her care and compassion are such a gift to our school community.

Last Friday, our Track 1 and 2 students had a blast participating in Ottercise! We’re looking forward to Tracks 3 and 4 enjoying their Ottercise event this Friday, May 16th. Thank you to Ms. Sammons for planning and executing such a fun, active, and well-organized day for all of our students.

Finally, we’re thrilled to share that we have reached our goal for the You Otter Be Reading Donors Choose Book Project. Thank you to all who have generously contributed! Our students absolutely love Book Talk Fridays, and your support helps us continue building a love for reading across all grade levels.

If your child(ren) will attend a different school next year or leave Wake County, please answer these brief survey questions so we can plan accordingly. For questions regarding enrollment or school changes, please email our data manager, Alisa Dahlhoff, at adahlhoff@wcpss.net.

If you have a child joining us for kindergarten in July or know of families that has school age children, please make sure to go ahead and register and turn in enrollment paperwork as soon as possible! We are working hard to prepare for the start of the next school year, and having accurate enrollment information is critical. Thank you for your help in this matter!

A huge thank you to those who have submitted Staff Shout-Outs! 🎉 We are dedicated to recognizing the outstanding educators who positively impact our students. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to use this Google Form to submit your Otter Staff Shoutouts. Let’s continue to celebrate the great work happening at Oak Grove! You can also check our website regularly for updates and to see our staff members being recognized. 🦦🎉

Below is information about National Test Coordinators Day, National School Language Pathologist Day, Arrival and Dismissal Procedures, Track 3 & 4 Volunteer Appreciation Day, Mark Your Calendars - 2025-2026 Meet the Teacher, Panorama Parent Survey, EOG Remediation and Retesting Days, EOG Testing Dates, Save the Date - 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremonies, SUNbucks Summer Food Assistance Program, and PTA Updates.

As we finish the last quarter of the school year, we remain committed to maintaining open lines of communication and working closely with you to provide the best possible education for every child at Oak Grove. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to a fantastic school year filled with learning, growth, and success for all our students!

24-25 Year Round Calendar

Staff Shout-Outs

Staff, School, and Club Wishlists

Staff’s Favorite Things

Warm Regards,

Ms. Benton

Otter Happenings (English Calendar) - Updated 3/30/25

Acontecimientos de nutria (Spanish Calendar) -Updated 3/30/25

Updated 3/30/25 حداث قضاعة Arabic Calendar

Matukio ya Otter (Swahili Calendar) - Updated 3/30/25

Выдровые события (Russian Calendar) - Updated 3/30/25

Calendarul Romanesc (Romanian Calendar - Updated 3/30/25

National Test Coordinator Appreciation Day - May 14th

Wednesday, May 14th, is National Test Coordinators Day, and we are excited to celebrate Ms. Adcock, our Otterly Amazing Literacy Coach, Instructional Facilitator, and Testing Coordinator at Oak Grove! Ms. Adcock wears many hats—she provides exceptional literacy coaching and instructional support while overseeing all aspects of curriculum and instruction. In addition to these responsibilities, she works tirelessly to manage and coordinate all of our school’s testing requirements, including Beginning-of-Grade, End-of-Grade, NC Check-Ins, mCLASS, CogAT, IOWA, and ACCESS assessments. Her dedication, organization, and unwavering commitment ensure our students and staff are always well-prepared. We are incredibly grateful for all she does to support the Oak Grove community! We encourage students to show their appreciation by writing her a thank you note, drawing a picture, giving her a hug, or even picking flowers from their yards to help brighten her day. Let’s ensure Ms. Adcock feels all the love and gratitude she truly deserves!

National Speech Pathologist Appreciation Day

Friday, May 16th, is National Speech Pathologist Appreciation Day, and we are excited to celebrate our otterly amazing speech-language pathologist, Ms. Goins, whose expertise and dedication play a vital role in the success of our students at Oak Grove! Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are essential in schools as they support students in developing effective communication skills—skills that are foundational for learning, social interaction, and overall academic achievement. From helping students improve their speech sounds, language development, and fluency to supporting communication devices and social language, our SLP provides individualized, compassionate, and impactful services each day. We are so thankful for her critical support to our students, staff, and families! We encourage students to show their appreciation by writing her a thank you note, drawing a picture, giving her a hug, or even picking flowers from their yards to help brighten her day. Let’s ensure Ms. Adcock feels all the love and gratitude she truly deserves!

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

To ensure the safety of all students, staff, and families during arrival and dismissal, it is critical that everyone follows our established procedures. Please review the important reminders below and help us maintain a safe and respectful environment:

Carpool:

Do not bypass the cones at the entrance of the parking lot. All vehicles must drive through the designated carpool lane, even if no line is visible.
Bypassing the cones has led to several near-miss accidents and creates dangerous conditions for other drivers and pedestrians. Cars backing up on Penny Road to skip the carpool line create unnecessary safety hazards—this is not permitted.
We offer assisted drop-off at the side of the multipurpose room; only vehicles assigned to this location with designated carpool tags may use this option.
Students must enter and exit the vehicle from the right-hand side to ensure their safety and prevent accidents.

Walkers:

Please use the sidewalks at all times when walking your child to and from school.
Do not walk through neighboring yards or properties marked “No Trespassing.” We have received multiple complaints from neighbors, and ask for your help respecting their property.

We appreciate your attention to these procedures. Your cooperation is essential in keeping all members of our Oak Grove community safe.

Volunteer Appreciation Days

Calling all Volunteers! It's time for teachers and staff to say thank you for all you do at Oak Grove. We will be hosting the Volunteer Tea during Ottercise on May 16 (Tracks 3 & 4) from 11:00-1:00 in the media center. If you have helped out, chaperoned, been a room parent, sent in supplies, or have been an extra set of hands, you are invited to join us for light refreshments as a small token of our appreciation. We couldn't do it without you! If you would like to help out on field day, click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A4EAEAD2-55928704-letthe#/

Mark Your Calendars - 2025-2026 Meet the Teacher

You're invited to Pop in for Popsicles! 🍦

Join us on June 27 from 10–11 AM in the Multipurpose Room to meet your teacher, cool off with a treat, and get excited for a great year!

🎒 Please bring school supplies on the first day of school. We can’t wait to see you there!

Panorama Family Survey - Closes May 16th

Please help us make your child’s school experience as positive and beneficial as possible by giving honest, thoughtful responses to the questions in our family survey from April 7 to May 16. Your feedback is important to us, as you are a valued member of our school community.

http://surveys.panoramaed.com/wakecounty/family

EOG Remediation with Readministration

Students in Grades 3-5 will take the EOG State Test at the end of this school year. Should your child meet the criteria for our EOG Remediation and Readministration program, you will receive an invitation for your child to attend the program after the EOG testing window closes on May 29th for Track 1, and June 26th for Tracks 2, 3, and 4. Transportation will be provided, and breakfast and lunch will be available. For your planning purposes, the program dates for the end of the school year are:

Track 1

Reading - Friday, May 30th
Math - Monday, June 2nd

Tracks 2, 3, & 4

Reading - Friday, June 27th
Math - Monday, June 30th

EOG Testing Dates

As we approach the end of the school year, we want to inform you of our upcoming End-of-Grade (EOG) testing dates. Please mark these dates on your calendars and ensure that no vacations or appointments are scheduled during this time, as it is important for students to be present and prepared. We will be sharing additional helpful tips and strategies as we get closer to testing to support your child’s success.

Track 1

May 15th - Reading All Grades
May 16th - Make Up Reading
May 19th - Math All Grades
May 20th - Make Ups
May 21st - Science and RTA
May 30th - Retest Reading
June 2nd - Retest Math

Tracks 2, 3, and 4

June 12th - Reading All Grades
June 13th - Make Up Reading
June 16th - Math All grades
June 27th - Make Ups
June 18th - Science and RTA
June 27th - Retest Reading
June 30th - Retest Math

5th Grade Families - Save the Date - 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremonies

Attention 5th Grade Parents! Mark your calendars for our Moving Up Ceremonies as we celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of our 5th-grade Otters. This special event will honor their hard work and growth as they prepare for the next chapter of their journey. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

SUN Bucks summer food assistance program available for eligible students

This U.S. Department of Agriculture program provides a debit card worth $120 per eligible child that can be used to buy nutritious food during the summer months when schools are out. Most eligible students will be automatically enrolled in the program, but some will need to apply. Families can visit ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks to determine if they need to apply.

⭐ PTA UPDATES⭐

🌸 This week is Teacher Appreciation Week for Tracks 3 and 4! 🌸

🍦 SAVE THE DATE! MAY 29th, 2-9pm! 🍦

Enjoy ice cream and outdoor play at Waverly Place and SUPPORT OAK GROVE! 20% of all purchases will be returned to our school! Spread the word!

🚨 Calling all OGES Parents & Caregivers! 🚨

Want to make a difference at our school without signing your life away? 😄

We’ve got a spot just for you on one of our PTA TEAMS—whether you love planning events, organizing behind the scenes, or just want to stay in the loop!

🎉 You don’t have to commit to anything today—just fill out our quick Interest Form to see what sparks your curiosity. Whether you’re all-in or just curious, we’d love to connect!

📋👉 PTA Interest Form

SPREAD THE WORD!

Graduating High School Seniors who attended Oak Grove are invited to walk the halls one last time on June 3rd at 2pm!!