Newsletter - March 2024

Oakwood School Families,

Happy Spring!!!  This weather we have been having is amazing.  Let’s hope Spring truly has sprung.  

If your child(ren) is out ill, coming late, or leaving early, you MUST contact the school office.   Mrs. Angela Hoeft is serving as our school secretary and Ms. Susan Osland is serving as our building assistant- please call (920) 424-0315, we have an answering machine that is working 24 hours.While it is thoughtful to let your child(ren)’s teacher know, they often don’t get a chance to check their email during the day.  

Spring Break is just around the corner and after that we have only two months of this school year left- also hard to believe.  As we are wrapping up this year it is also time to begin planning for next year.  Below is information about how classes are created.

Class lists are created with the belief that student needs are best met through heterogeneous/mixed groups that take into consideration such variables as student numbers, gender ratios, student behaviors, and achievement levels. The services of our special education teachers and other academic specialists also impact a student’s placement. As a result, requests for classroom placements are usually not necessary.

The talents of our teachers at Oakwood are diverse. Matching teaching and learning styles requires appropriate knowledge of both the learner and the teacher. In addition, OASD Board Policy 5120 charges us with the important task of creating balanced classes. It also includes this statement in the policy: “Parent/guardian request for assignment of students to specific teachers prior to receiving notice of placement will be carefully limited to assure an equal opportunity for all students.”

If parents still would like to submit a request, they must base the request upon a legitimate need of the student. If a parent has an educational reason to support a classroom placement, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Please submit a Request for Specific Teacher or Class Prior to Assignment form, stating the reasons why such a placement is important for your child's education. Forms are available in the office or you can fill out electronically here.

• All requests should be received in the office no later than Friday, April 19th. No requests received after this date will be honored.

Due to the need to balance classes, distribute learning abilities, place students together in workable groups, and numerous other variables that must be considered, we are unable to guarantee that requests will be honored. Thank you for your understanding as we move forward to create great learning environments for ALL students!

Wishing you well,

Susan L. Martin-Principal

 

 

 

 

Get ready for Oshkosh Summer School 2024 

Registration Opens March 6, Course Guide Now Available

Starting March 6, families may begin registering their child(ren) for Summer School 2024! Be sure to sign up early because classes do fill up and those that do not have enough students enrolled may be canceled. 

OASD Summer School offers a variety of in-person and virtual classes for students entering kindergarten through high school, including athletic camps, music camps, and eAcademy options. While remedial courses are available, the majority of courses are designed to keep students thinking and exploring during the summer. 

COURSE GUIDE: Detailed information about all course options, including special camps and registration instructions, are available on the OASD Summer School webpage in the Summer School Course Guide. 

Summer School enrollment is FREE and available for all OASD students, students who live within the district boundaries, and students who are open-enrolled in the OASD. 

LEARN MORE: OASD Update 02.22.24 - Summer School 2024 Dates, Locations, and Details

IMAGE - below, and link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1liZ49wveTB-MjIiDt4ze07P1g-dFSaaf/view?usp=drive_link

 

Is carpool bringing you down in the morning? Do you wish you had a few extra minutes to yourself in the morning? Would you like to enjoy an extra cup of coffee after getting your child ready for school? Did you know that Oakwood has a Walking School bus? If you are intrigued, keep reading! 

 

This past fall we started a Walking School Bus at Oakwood. We currently have one route that walks to school a few times a week when weather permits. The route starts at Spring Valley Road, picks up students on Sheldon Drive, and continues to Oakwood School. Our group started small but is growing with a few more students. With our warming weather coming it will be starting up again soon (unless winter returns again-which we have seen is very possible in Wisconsin). If you are interested in learning more about joining our current group or starting a new route (a stipend is offered for your efforts), please contact Mrs. Kroll at sara.kroll@oshkosh.k12.wi.us to learn more about it.  

 

Student Council News

In February, Student Council focused on Kindness to go along with Oakwood’s Kindness Challenge. We took some time out of our school day to honor our wonderful bus drivers. We made special notes to give to them during National Bus Driver Week. We are so very grateful for our drivers who make connections with our students and help get them to school safely every day. The notes were delivered to them with some special treats from our staff and students. Our PTO also gave them a donut with a special note. 

 

Recognize any of these items?? Please claim them in the Lost and Found located next to the Oakwood cafeteria. 

 

 

 

Hello Oakwood Elementary Families,

The American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge program will be kicking off on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, and we invite you to join us as we Celebrate a Legacy of Lifesavers and continue the fight against heart disease and stroke! Our program runs through Friday, March 22nd!

Get started NOW:

1. Download the AHA Schools APP and Register:

 

2. Click “Send a Message” and TEXT 10 Friends and Family asking for support.

3. Be a Heart Hero and Complete Finn’s Mission and learn TWO life-saving skills as a family TONIGHT!

or http://www2.heart.org/goto/OakwoodElementary and Click “Sign Up”

When 50% of the school registers online with a parent/guardian email (206 students) and we raise at least $1,000, our school will earn $500 in PE equipment!

Buster (Leader) Keychain = Register Online and Go in the Drawings!

Avocado Warmie = Complete Finn’s Mission Online and Go in the Drawings!

Puppy Warmie = Raise $100+ in honor of the American Heart Association’s 100th Birthday and Go in the Drawings!

Click Here to hear Damar Hamlin, in his own words, talk about why our work together matters now more than ever.

NFL Bonus: The American Heart Association is excited to extend our work with the NFL to support improving health outcomes at home and beyond through the Hands-Only CPR education. Students that complete the Finn’s Mission learning module will earn an entry for two tickets to Super Bowl LIX in 2025 and your school will be entered to receive a $10,000 fitness equipment makeover for every 18 completed Finn’s Mission.

Thank you!

Below is the prepay online ordering link for the Oakwood Elementary yearbook.  This link will close 3/11/24 and will not reopen. 

PLEASE NOTE:  If you have multiple children at Oakwood, please place separate orders for each student.  

Oakwood Elementary - 2023-2024 Yearbook

(For Requests to attend a school OUTSIDE the Oshkosh Area School District)

 

Public School Open Enrollment to Other School Districts Applications due by 4:00 p.m. on April 30, 2024

 

Wisconsin’s inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents to apply for their children to attend school districts other than the one in which they live. 

Students in 4-year-old Kindergarten to Grade 12 may apply to participate in open enrollment.   Parents should call their resident school districts to find out if their preschool-aged children qualify for open enrollment.  

The open enrollment application period for the 2024-25 school year is from February 5 - April 30, 2024.  Late applications will not be accepted for any reason.  

Parents may apply in one of two ways:

• On-line (recommended) at https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment.  (Accessible as of February 5, 2024)

• Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Student Information Services Manager at 215 South Eagle Street and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district.

2024 Youth Art Month Exhibit featuring work from the OASD K-12 Artist

Congratulations to Alice Tompkins! 

Her artwork will be on display at the ArtSpace Collect Gallery from March 2 to March 21.

 

 

 

Oshkosh Area School District

Oakwood General Music

February 2024

Dear Oakwood Parents,

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are pleased to present their Broadway themed spring concert, “Trailblazers”, on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024 at 6:00 pm in the Alberta Kimball Auditorium inside Oshkosh West High School. 

The students have worked very hard throughout this semester and they are eager to share what they have learned. I have provided a program for the spring concert should your child want to practice outside of music class as well as a link to a Youtube playlist that you can access at home.

 

3rd grade:

“Roar” by Katy Perry

“Love Song” by Sara Bareilles

“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten

 

4th grade:

“The Lost Get Found” by Britt Nicole

“A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton

“Skyfall” by Adele

“Unwritten”  by Natasha Bedingfield

 

5th grade:

“Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson

“Shallow” by Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper

“Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish

“Out of the Woods” by Taylor Swift

 

YouTube Link for practicing at home:  3/4/5 Concert Link

Dress for the concert: 

 While I am not requiring specific attire for the concert, I do request that students dress appropriately for the concert. Concert night is a special occasion. If possible, please avoid wearing athletic clothes, T-shirts, and jeans. Lastly, and as always, ALL attire, should be school appropriate.

Before the concert:

Please arrive at the Alberta Kimball Auditorium by no later than 5:45 pm. At 5:45 pm, please find your child’s classroom teacher and have your child stay with their class. ALL students can find their teacher(s) inside the auditorium. After your child is dropped off with their classroom teacher, please find a seat in the auditorium and enjoy the concert! 

After the concert:

Please wait for your child to exit the stage and return to their class before taking them home. Each class will have a section of the auditorium where you can find your child with their classroom teacher.

Parking:

For family and friends attending the concert, parking is available on the north side of Oshkosh West High School.

Concert Specifics:

1. No food or drink is allowed inside the auditorium.

2. Doors to the auditorium open at 5pm. If you would like to come and find a seat, you are welcome. However, please stay with your child until they meet their teachers at 5:45 pm in their designated spots.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (920) 424-0315 ext. 4529 or samuel.joseph@oshkosh.k12.wi.us.

Sincerely,

Mr. Samuel Joseph

General Music Teacher