Principal’s Otter Splash 10/1/2021 Versión en español aquí

Hello, Oak Grove family! We hope you had a wonderful 3-day weekend! Our Oak Grove teachers worked hard on Friday to learn strategies to help support our students. We are thankful to the PTA for providing the delicious breakfast on Friday morning!

Friday, October 8, is Mr. Mack’s last day as our Interim Assistant Principal. We are grateful for all his hard work and dedication to the Grove! Ms. Tysor officially begins as our new Assistant Principal on Monday, October 11.

 

Apex Leadership Fundraiser is Coming Soon (Tracks 2 & 3):

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆! Our Apex FUN RUN fundraiser and leadership program begins this week for Tracks 2 & 3! (Tracks 1 & 4 kickoff Monday, October 25th!) Read more here:

Oak Grove As One Flyer

We love the amazing leadership and character-building portion of the Apex program as it focuses on developing student self-control and interpersonal skills that are vital for school and life success. With this year’s #ApexAsOne theme, students will embark on an incredible two-week quest in search of the key to becoming great leaders, learning to dream big, and making a positive impact on the world. These quick, engaging lessons tie in with our school’s vision and mission, encourages students to create a positive environment, and inspires them to lead by example.

✅ 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: The Apex FUN RUN will be held on Thursday, October 14th for Tracks 2 & 3. (November 4th for Tracks 1 & 4) More info on how to make a pledge to support our school will go home this week! #ApexLeadershipCo #ApexAsOne #BuildingLeaders

 

Volunteer Opportunity: Partners Read:

This year Oak Grove is participating in a WakeEd Partnership program called Partners Read, and we are looking for volunteers! Volunteers will be partnered with a first-grade student to read books each week. The program takes place Friday mornings 8:45-9:30am. There are 8 Fridays in the fall and 10 Fridays in the spring. WakeEd Partnership requires volunteers to show proof of COVID vaccination to be eligible. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Kimberly Bocciardi at kbocciardi@wcpss.net 

 

Outdoor Seating Update (Volunteer Lunch Monitors):

The Outdoor Seating Committee is still looking for Volunteer Lunch Monitors. We do not yet have enough volunteers to fully realize our goal of outdoor eating. We must have 2 indoor and 2 outdoor volunteers. The Outdoor Seating Committee has created a sign up if you would like to volunteer for lunch shifts starting 10/11/21.  (Due to forecasted weather this week and not enough volunteers, we are pushing the kick-off for one more week.)

In order to sign up, all volunteers must register on a school computer for security clearance. Computers will be set up in the breezeway by the front doors on:

Tuesday 9/28: 7:15-8:30 AM, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM, and 4:15-5:00 PM

 

Here is the sign-up link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090945a8ac2ea3fb6-volunteer

 

We hope to have an A/B rotation schedule beginning in October when students will be able to eat outside.

 

Picture Day is Coming (Tracks 1 & 3):

A photographer from Strawbridge Studios will be at Oak Grove on 10/12/2021 to photograph our fall pictures for Tracks 1 & 3. They have included a link to share with our parents/guardians: https://strawbridge.fotomerchanthv.com/clients/oak-grove-elementary-school/fall-pictures-10-12-2021-79/optIn This link will allow parents to sign up to receive updates via email regarding their child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school. As you look ahead, Picture Day for Tracks 2 & 4 is November 3.

 

PTA Landscape Committee Schedules Beautification Day:

We will be working with the PTA to spruce up our Oak Grove campus on Saturday, October 16. We need lots of volunteers. Please save the date. More information will be coming soon.

 

PTA Partners with Local Camp and Local Artist:

Over The Moon Play Space is offering play-based STEM and Art track-out camps this fall and winter, with both half-day and full-day available.  They are going to donate 10% of all camp revenue booked with code OGES between now and the end of September to the OGES PTA!  Go to https://www.overthemoonplay.com/track-out-camps to learn about the camps and book a spot.

 

The PTA has an exciting opportunity for you to remember your child’s time at Oak Grove. The local artist, Lew Wilson, has created a print of our beautiful school. You can even order an ornament! You can find the information here: https://bit.ly/3BjWXc7

 

COVID cases at school:

Please help us continue to keep our Otters safe by carefully monitoring any symptoms at home. Please do not send your Otter to school unless they are free of symptoms. Also, please encourage your Otter to appropriately wear a face covering as much as possible while indoors. The exception of exposure statement from the COVID team reads: Exceptions:  If face coverings were worn appropriately (over nose, mouth, and under chin) and consistently by both the person with COVID-19 and the potentially exposed person.

If we have a presumptive positive case at school, the school’s first step is to notify the COVID nurse/health department. We work with that agency to conduct contact tracing. Individuals that are determined to have been in contact with the presumptive positive case are notified.

CDC considers someone exposed to COVID-19 if they were within 6 feet of an infected person, without a face covering, for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset or, for infected people without symptoms, 2 days before they had a sample collected to submit for COVID-19 testing.

WCPSS no longer sends out an email to the entire school when there is a presumptive positive case. Instead, the School District will update the WCPSS COVID Metrics website daily to list schools where someone reported to have COVID-19 was in the school. Information for employees is shared via WakeConnect.

All reporting and notifications must maintain confidentiality in accordance with FERPA, NCGS 130A-143, and all other state and federal laws.

 

Yearbook Cover Contest:

Hello Otter Families!

I am excited to announce the beginning of our annual Yearbook Cover Contest! Our theme this year is based on a quote from Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Entries are due by October 8.  Finalists will be announced by October 21. There will be more than one opportunity for students work to be featured. We will select six pictures for the inside pages, nine for the back cover, and one for the front. Artwork is chosen from all grade levels.

Additional details are included on the entry form. 

Over the next two months, I will be working with all classes on the role of an artist as illustrator. We will begin our pictures in art class, but students may also take their entries home to work on. All students will create work based on the yearbook theme as an assignment. However, they are not required to enter the contest. 

I can’t wait to see the ideas our students come up with this year!

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.  

Mrs. Huovinen

ahuovinen@wcpss.net

 

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have. We are happy to help.

 

All my best,

 

Stephanie Bias, Principal

 

Reminders:

• Join the PTA: https://oakgrove.memberhub.store/
• Purchase Spirit Wear: https://oakgrove.memberhub.com/store 

• October 4: Track 1 Returns
• October 4-15: Apex Leadership Fun Run (Track 2&3)
• October 5-7: CogAt testing for Tracks 1, 2, & 3
• October 8: Quarter 1 Report Cards go home (Track 1, 2, 3)
• October 12: Picture Day (Track 1 & 3)