 Help Needed!Ms. Deery needs some volunteer help to finish the Silent Auction Classroom Art Projects. These are a huge undertaking on her part and are much anticipated additions to the Silent Auction. Any time that you can volunteer would be greatly appreciated! |
Oak Grove Spring Book Fair
March 19th - 23rd
Hours:
7:15am - 3:30pm Mon.-Thurs. 7:15am - 8:30am Friday Family Nights: Tues/Thurs. 5pm - 7:30pm  25% of all Sales go to School!!No Sales Tax! Get your Spring Break Reading at the Book Fair
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Board of Education Redistricting Update
DeKalb's Board of Education districts will stay as they are until the 2014 elections.
The Senate passed a bill postponing the implementation of the Board reduction for another two years. Legislation will be in place allowing board members elected in 2012 to stay in place for two years. Then, all seats (with new maps) will be elected in 2014, with a new board in place in 2015. |
Register for the Fun Run
For more information and online registration, go to the Fun Run page on the PTA website!
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Spirit Night at Moe's Southwest Grill This Wednesday,
March 7thLoehmann's Plaza location (2484 Briarcliff Rd.) Feed the MOEment and support Oak Grove Elementary at Moe's Spirit Night this coming Wednesday, March 7th. Present the Moe's spirit night flyer (inside your child's Communicator) to Moe's and Moe's will donate 10% of your sales to Oak Grove Elementary! Questions? Contact michelhudson@hotmail.com. |
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Advertising Opportunities
Advertise your small business in our newsletter!
E-mail Amy Busch by clicking here
for more information. |
Car Safety Reminder
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Avoid a ticket. Obey all parking signs and traffic laws when visiting Oak Grove Elementary.
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Oak Grove Updates
- Board Scholars Sabat S., Jerod S., Patrick S., Jenna G., Joseph S., and Evelyn L. were recognized on Thursday afternoon in a system-wide ceremony at Miller Grove High School. We weren't able to get a picture of all the honorees. Board Scholars should bring their medals to school on Monday for a picture.
- Katy Miller (the OGE p/t Instructional Technology Coach funded by the Oak Grove Foundation) has been working with all teachers to increase the level of technology integration into weekly instruction. Her February update is near the end of this PTA newsletter. She has made a big impact on our staff and on your children!
- Make plans now to attend a short PTA meeting and Breakfast with Dr. Neely in the school cafeteria. On March 20th at 8:30am, we welcome all parents to attend this gathering to hear instructional updates and participate in Q & A with the principal.
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Join a Walking School Bus
Georgia Walk to School Day is THIS WEDNESDAY and we're celebrating it with the Walking School Buses! A walking school bus is several students walking to school with adult leaders while being safe and being seen! We now have 8 buses (see list below). How do you join? Just show up -it's that easy!
PLEASE NOTE: You should arrive 5 minutes prior to the departure times listed, and parents should accompany students in 2nd grade and under. All parents are welcome to walk with the buses to help ensure safety!
The LaVista Traffic Dodgers- departs from corner of Woodleaf and Oak Grove Drive at 7:10 (the bus for Leafmore Neighborhood) - led by Maggie Adams and Reed Richardson
The Galloping Grovers- departs from lower church parking lot at the corner of Fairoaks and Oak Grove Rd. at 7:25 (the bus for "park and walk" participants) - led by Betsy Driskell and Laura Hall
The Angelique Express- departs from Angelique Drive at 7:15 - led by Liliana Finch
The Cruisin' Kids- departs from intersection of Grand Prix Dr. and Mercedes Dr. at 7:20 - led by Lisa Turney
The Back Door Bus- departs from N. Akin entrance to back path at 7:20 - led by Norma Klanderman
The Greenglade Brigade- departs from 2321 Greenglade Rd. at 7:20 - led by Erica Brownfield
The Footloose Flashers- departs from Heritage Park at 7:05 - led by Walker Scott
The Meadowcliff Movers- departs from the corner of Abby Lane and Briarcliff at 7:10 - led by Stacy Keadey
  
Please contact Laura Boyden at lauraboyden@bellsouth.net with any questions. Remember, a Walking School Bus is the WAY TO GO!
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Do You Have Your Tickets Yet?
Kiss The Blarney Stone - Party With a Purpose
Dinner and Auction to Support the Oak Grove Foundation
Saturday, Match 17th, 6:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Miller Ward Alumni House
Grab your lucky four-leaf clover and join us for our annual live and silent auction - this year with an Irish twist! The evening will feature dinner, contests, live music and the chance to bid on amazing items like... original classroom art
fun get-a-ways
a wall of wine
the chance to be a fighter pilot
and much, much more!
to purchase your tickets today!
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Superintendent Gives State of the System Address DCSS Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson gave her State of the System Address to the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. During her speech, Dr. Atkinson outlined the County's new strategic plan (see the strategic plan & goals at the bottom of the Excellence in Education Plan web page). Our own Dr. Laura Neely helped develop the plan. The goals focus on student achievement and success, excellence in leadership and personnel, operational effectiveness, safe and orderly schools, and engaging stakeholders. Dr. Atkinson also discussed the use of a new business plan for budgeting, the need for students to have access to current technology, and her desire for the system to move to a balanced calendar with early-release days. |
Leafmore Pasta Night for Jason Tyler, HMS Student
Join us for delicious food and fun as we raise money to help Jason Tyler and his family as he recovers from his traumatic brain injury. He is currently an 8th grader at Henderson Middle School and has experienced a traumatic and mysterious brain injury this fall.
When: Friday, March 16
Where: Leafmore Creek Clubhouse
1373 Altmont Drive, Decatur, GA 30033
Adult ($10 donation) and Child (10 and under; $5 donation) dinners include a choice of marinara or meat sauce, pasta (gluten-free available), roll, salad, dessert, and tea or water. Volunteers, including Jason's classmates, will be doing the serving.
If you can't attend but would still like to help, donations are always welcome. Here's a video of Jason's story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7_EE9pE8oo
You may bring your own wine/beverage (remember to bring glasses) and if you think you'd like to take any leftovers home, bring some tupperware, too!
Whether dining in or picking up up a take-out order, please click here to sign up.
Thanks to OAK GROVE MARKET and NAPOLEON'S and CAROLYN'S CUPCAKES who have donated almost all of the food, we are able to have a pasta night in Jason's honor and all proceeds will go towards his new needs. Beth Wieder (Oak Grove parent) is making Gluten Free pasta for those with special dietary concerns!
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DeKalb County to Sponsor a Household Hazardous Waste Round-up On Saturday, March 31st, 8 a.m. to 12 Noon at the DeKalb County Central Transfer Station, 3720 Leroy Scott Drive near the intersection of Memorial Drive and Kensington Road, residents can safely dispose free of charge:
· Aerosols
· Batteries
· Adhesives
· Flammables
· Fertilizers
· Pesticides
· Automotive oils and other solvents
· Fluorescent bulbs
· Photo Chemicals
· Hobby and artists supplies
· Paints and paint-related products
· Cleaners and swimming pool chemicals
Household hazardous waste is classified as products that contain potentially dangerous chemicals and are no longer used. These products should not be mixed with regular trash and can be potentially harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly.
DeKalb County encourages residents to take advantage of this opportunity to clear their homes of unneeded or unused household hazardous waste and to help keep county landfills and the environment safe for everyone. Please make sure to bring only items on the items accepted list or they will be turned away.
Click here to see the flyer. If you have questions about the event or would like to volunteer, contact Keep DeKalb Beautiful at (404) 371-2654 or kdb@dekalbcountyga.gov. - Oak Grove PTA Recycling Committee
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Taylor Organics and CSA Program
Taylor Organics has been Oak Grove Elementary's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program since last May. Members really enjoy Neil Taylor's superior produce. We even get some homemade organic jellies, jams, and ciders. Our kids experience new foods! Every week is an exciting adventure with what you are going to cook for your family. Neil also provides recipes on his blog and members share recipes too. We invite you to join this wonderful community program.
When: Tuesday evenings (year round).
Where: SPRIG Restaurant in the Oak Grove Village, 2860 LaVista Road, Decatur, GA 30033
Who: Any families living in our general neighborhood who want to enjoy fresh organic veggies, fruits, and more from a local farm. All local schools and communities are welcome to participate.
How: Go to http://taylororganic.blogspot.com to sign up.
Questions: Call Taylor Organics at 770-981-0827
Don't forget to mention that you are joining the OAK GROVE CSA.
---The Nutrition & Wellness Committee |
Instructional Technology Coach Update by Katy Miller
I have been focusing my efforts with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. Istarted the month organizing three of the sets of Activexpression voters to make them easier to use for the teachers. Many have expressed an interest in using them especially now that they work with BrainPop/BrainPopJr. Many teachers use this program in their classrooms and thought it would be more interesting for the students to answer the quiz questions using the voters. They are able to see and print the voting results following the quiz. I have been trying to focus on maximizing the equipment we have in the building so teachers can get more comfortable using the tools. So far the voters and the laptops have increased in demand.
The second grade teachers were interested in getting their students to use Storybird.com. It started with Ms. Kaufman and once she talked with the other grade level teachers, they wanted their students to use Storybird as well. I set up accounts for 4 second grade classrooms. The teachers are using Storybird in the classroom as well as for homework. A couple students stopped me in the hallway to eagerly tell me they published their Storybird story. Ms. Kaufman's students were especially excited to share their stories. It was great to see them connecting their digital stories with the six writing traits they have learned. Many of the teachers have continued to use Storybird and are ready to try something new.
The third grade teachers had different needs and interests. Mr. Kuefler and I are working on a virtual learning project. I provided some potential platforms and he will work to create the content. Ms. McClintock and Ms. Plucker used the voters to review for a Social Studies test and a Science test. I created the first quiz for them and then showed them how to create a quiz using the ActivInspire program. It was a great way to keep the class engaged with the review material. Ms. McClintock told me students did very well on their test after our review. I also used the voters with Ms. McClintock's class after they watched a BrainPopJr video. Ms. Clausen and Ms. Lee asked me to give a mini PowerPoint to their students. Using the laptop carts, the students were able to learn some new PowerPoint skills and explore more than what I showed them. They are planning to use PowerPoint for upcoming projects.
The fourth and fifth grade teachers wanted resources they could use to enhance their teaching and activities for their students. I spent time researching for individual teachers based on the subjects they teach. Mr. McCarthy's students will be creating political cartoons using a few different options I researched. They might create an online poster using Glogster, use Blabberize to make a photo come to life, or Toondoo to create a cartoon. I spent a day and a half with the fifth grade students in Ms. Kennedy's classes to demonstrate the basics of Excel. Only a handful of students were familiar with Excel prior to the lesson. I used the library ActivBoard and computers to demonstrate Excel language, like cells and rows, to merging cells, changing font and color on a graph, auto sum, formatting data into money, and creating graphs. They are using Excel for their Virtual Trip Project. It was a very busy month working in the classrooms. It has been exciting to see teachers using more technology. In addition to working with the teachers, I created a better resource list. Our original wiki was blocked for editing so I used Google sites to make a wiki-like resource site for teachers. The idea is to encourage collaboration and have a master list of useful websites that have been used by a teacher or researched by me. I showed the teachers how to edit the site in mini grade level meetings last week. I plan to work with Pre K, K, and 1 over the next couple weeks. Some of them have lessons set up with me already. I am working on keeping the lines of communication open with the teachers and checking in regularly.
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Sincerely,
Amy Busch
Oak Grove Elementary PTA |
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