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Welcome Back to Oak Grove!
Read below for everything you need to know to be ready and excited to start another year at Oak Grove Elementary.
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Last Minute Open House Reminders:
Bring current proof of residence
Bring cash, check or
(new!) credit card
Obey all parking signs!
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Fifth Grade Homerooms
As you may have noticed, there are now 4 fifth grade homerooms instead of 3. We needed to add a fifth grade teacher because our class sizes were too large (32+), yet we still did not "earn" a new teacher. In order to provide the best possible learning environment for children, I decided to place Missy Doss in fifth grade. She is a seasoned fifth grade teacher and is looking forward to working with the fifth grade team again. The departmentalization in fifth grade will work with each homeroom teacher teaching writing and grammar. Val Kennedy will teach math, Shaun McCarthy will teach social studies, Joye Hopkins will teach science, and Missy Doss will teach reading and vocabulary.
This does mean that we will not be offering technology as a class in the specials rotation. However, we will be getting 30 computers put back out in classrooms which improves technology mobility and student access to computers. You may not have known that our computer lab was made up of 20 laptops from a mobile cart as well as 10 student workstations that were removed from classrooms. The student workstations will go back to classrooms and the laptops will be available for checkout in groups of 10. Teachers can use the laptops with students to further develop and enrich content through centers, student projects, and for research. In addition, they can be combined with the 10 additional laptops in the library to create a lab-like setting for an entire classroom. Finally, there are 18 student workstations in the library for student and class use.
With Ms. Doss teaching fifth grade, we will begin to move towards a technology centered fifth grade environment. We are looking at funding options to purchase more laptops, iPads, and other hardware/software options in order to create a "21st century classroom model" in fifth grade. Ms. Doss and Mr. McCarthy will lead the team in those efforts.
We look forward to the benefits of smaller class sizes, more mobile and available technology for all students, and innovative instructional technology growth among all of our teachers at Oak Grove. |
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Club Days
Oak Grove is excited to announce that we will begin implementing "Club Days" throughout the school year. On Club Day, all OG students will have the opportunity to take three or four classes according to their interest and choice. The focus of the classes offered by OG teachers will be to expose students to information, skills, ideas, and activities that they wouldn't normally experience as part of the regular curriculum. Examples of classes that might be offered are knitting, movie making club, chess, cooking, foreign language, culture exploration, yoga and many others. The possibilities are endless and provide yet another opportunity for parental involvement.
Each Club Day will take up an entire instructional day. The clubs portion of the day will take three to four hours. The rest of the day will include lunch, one traditional instructional period, and a cultural arts assembly.
Keep an eye out in September for more specific information on club days.
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Birthday Celebrations
With the support of the building administration, each staff member, the PTA Board and the Oak Grove School Council, we have decided to revamp the way that we celebrate birthdays at school. In previous years, parents brought snacks such as cake, cookies, cupcakes or other treats into the cafeteria. This was extremely messy, seemed unfair to those not participating, and considered unhealthy by many. The last few years celebrated birthdays with a monthly party coordinated by the room parents. This has created time-off-task by taking away from instructional time, and with the addition of club days, we cannot afford to lose more time in class. In addition, we have found it difficult to serve celebratory snacks that meet the expectations of individual family's nutritional needs and guidelines while balancing that with traditional birthday party food expectations.
We are going to stop celebrating birthdays with food and parties. We feel as though that sort of celebration is best left up to the parents where personal decisions can be made about cost, nutrition, time and location. Oak Grove is going to celebrate the day of your child's birth by doing the following:
1) Announcing his/her birthday on the morning announcements.
2) Singing happy birthday in the classroom to him/her by fellow class members on the day their name is announced.
3) Offering a special non-food treat or privilege on the student's birthday. These offerings will be specific to grade levels and will be communicated by the homeroom teacher. Each grade level has decided on a team plan so that each child experiences the same thing in each classroom within a grade level.
We believe that this plan will allow us to celebrate your child on his/her birthday while honoring individual family celebratory decisions and expectations, limiting time-off-task, and avoiding extra messes in the pavilion and cafeteria. We appreciate your support in this endeavor.
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First Week of School
We are excited to welcome students back to Oak Grove. During the first week of school, feel free to walk your child to his/her classroom. Some things to keep in mind:
>Allow the teacher to direct your child upon entering the classroom
>See that your child "gets set", then give a hug, kiss and "love you." Your child will have a better start if you stay for a shorter period rather than a longer period.
>Tears upon goodbye are normal. By the time we start announcements, no children at Oak Grove are crying. I guarantee it.
>Starting the second week of school, students will proceed to the cafeteria and to classrooms on their own.
We look forward to great start!
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Arrival & Dismissal
As you plan for arrival and dismissal, you may want to avoid the dreaded carpool line. Think about walking, riding bikes, carpooling with one or more families or ride the bus. OG has outstanding bus drivers!
The school opens at 7:00am. Students are marked tardy at 7:45am. We ask that you avoid early checkout from 2:00pm until dismissal. Walkers/bike riders are dismissed at 2:25pm. Buses are dismissed and gone by 2:35pm. Carpool begins as soon as the last bus leaves. All students must be picked up by 2:50pm. Students who are not picked up on time will be sent to our ASEDP (after-care) where you will be charged a $25 registration fee + $15 drop in fee.
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I look forward to starting my second year as your principal at Oak Grove Elementary. We have much to celebrate as we reflect on the amazing accomplishments of our students during 2010-2011. We made important gains in test scores, had students who were recognized for individual accomplishments in math and science, saw many teams win and place in academic competitions, and every student had the opportunity to grow and shine in visual art, choral music and physical fitness. We raised fish and grew gardens. We lived through a driveway replacement and the redistricting process. We accomplished much and we did it together!
What this year will bring, I do not know, but I have no doubt it will be productive and exciting! Here we come 2011-2012!
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Laura S. Neely, Ph.D.
Principal, Oak Grove Elementary
1857 Oak Grove Road, N.E | Atlanta, Georgia 30345 | 678-874-7402
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