Oak Grove News

Superintendent Update
Dear Families,
Please save the date for my next Supt Talk on February 16, at 8:30 am. Bring any topics you would like to discuss and RSVP with your interest in attending to Jennifer McBride. Coffee and donuts will be served! And as always, if you have any more immediate questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly. I am happy to have a conversation via phone or through email, and also in-person. 

A Message From Mr. Murray
Congratulations to all of the Spelling Bee participants for their efforts. Well done!  

New Clubs - Looking for participants
BeWell Co-Ed Fitness Opportunity for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Students is located in the virtual backpack. The series started last Friday, January 13, 2023, 3:30-4:30pm in the Pat Patt Gym. Click HERE to sign up, and for any questions please email ben@bewellfitness.com.

Code Ninjas - 2nd through 8th grade
If you are interested in coding then please click HERE and go to slide 21 and sign up! Please note that there will be a cap for the club so sign up early!

Summer Offering
Information for Camp Galileo: Innovation, Friendship and Fun is also located in the virtual backpack. Enroll during Early Bird registration and save $50 per week! www.galileo-camps.com

Mental Health Minute
Throughout the month of January, we’ve been working on ways to manage our emotions. In a school or household with children, it is not uncommon to hear that “someone made me mad” or that something is the “end of the world”. What are some particular questions you could ask? If you’re interested in more information, please click HERE.  

Important Dates
JANUARY
1/24: Wrestling vs. West Oak
1/25: 8th grade musical rehearsals 3:30 - 5:30pm
1/26: Boys Volleyball @ Highland
1/27: 8th grade musical rehearsals 3:30 - 5:30pm
1/28: Wrestling Tournament @ Johnsburg
1/30: 8th grade musical rehearsals 3:30 - 5:30pm
1/31: Boys Volleyball vs Lake Bluff
1/31: Junior High Book Fair; OGSEF hosts Simply Bee - Building Resilient Kids from 6:30-7:30pm (register here)
2/4: Girl and Guest Dance 6:30pm
2/7: Talk Tuesday with Biz Lindsay-Ryan 6:00pm

Curriculum Corner

Talk Tuesday

Talk Tuesday will be on Tuesday, February 7th from 6:00-8:00pm in the Junior High Cafeteria. Please join us in working with Biz Lindsay-Ryan, an expert consultant on diversity, equity and inclusion. Biz has presented to our staff earlier this year and will again in March. This session will ground parents’ experiences in research and begin a productive dialogue giving tools to parents that will benefit the entire family. We look forward to sharing this opportunity with our families.

A Message From OGSEF:
Dear Parents and Teachers,
The Oak Grove School Education Foundation (OGSEF) is thrilled to invite OGS parents and staff to a free presentation on 1/31 entitled "Building Resilient Kids” from 6:30-7:30pm, in the Jr. High cafeteria. This is the first of three mental health seminars over the remaining school year. The event is paid for by OGSEF and presented by Simply Bee, a respected local and licensed counseling group. 

This presentation, for adults only, will cover important topics for parenting including stress management, coping skills, and building the self-esteem of children. Our goal is to provide children with the tools and resources they need to navigate the challenges of growing up and to build resilience that will serve them well throughout their lives.

We understand that mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being and we want to ensure that our children are equipped with the skills they need to thrive.

Please RSVP here 

We look forward to seeing you soon! Childcare will be provided by OGS honor students at no cost. If you can’t attend in person, please know we will record and make the presentation available online at a later date. 

Sincerely,
Jeff Barry
President, OGSEF

PTO News
The Variety Show Needs Volunteers
The Variety Show committee needs you!!! Our committee cannot run on just a few people; plus, our current co-chairs will need to pass the baton next year. If you love the variety show and want to see it continue, please consider volunteering to help run the show this year. If you are interested in volunteering, email the Variety Show Chairs, Christine Merrild or Ashley Wilson.

Frontier Soups Fundraiser - only 3 days left to order!
This has been a very popular fundraiser! If you haven't ordered yet, make sure you don’t miss out. The deadline is Wednesday; place orders HERE. Unpaid orders will not be submitted. Orders will be delivered to your doorstep the weekend of February 4th by a PTO volunteer. Contact Erin Liebgott, if you have questions.

Final Week to buy Girl & Guest Dance Tickets
The OGS Girl & Guest Dance is just around the corner on Saturday, February 4th! Make sure you get your tickets tickets on the PTO website before ticket sales close on Friday! (The PTO website doesn’t email receipts, but you will see the transaction complete in your PayPal account.) We can't wait to see you all there!

Save the Date: Son + One Night on March 11th
The Son + One event is back! On March 11th from 6pm - 8pm, the PTO will host a private Glow and Bowl night at Bowlero in Vernon Hills. Local business owners: the PTO is looking for lane sponsorships. Please contact Kate Robinson, Amy Peterson, Beth Koopman, or Joni Kane, if you are interested in helping sponsor the event and ensuring our Oak Grovers have a blast!

Attention All 5th-8th Graders
On January 31st through February 2nd, 5th through 8th graders will attend Anderson’s book fair with their ELA classes. Click here for the schedule, and ask your student when they have ELA. Please consider volunteering for this fun event! Click HERE to volunteer. Cash, credit, & ApplePay will be accepted.  Any questions? Please contact Melissa Sallmann or Lynsey Wolfe.

Spelling Bee
The school spelling bee went late into the evening on Thursday, January 19.  There were 25 spellers representing fourth through eighth grade.  They spelled 290 words! Our runner up is sixth grader Minh Nguyen and our school spelling bee champion for the year is eighth grader Hamza Alsawaf.  Hamza will move on and represent Oak Grove at the regional bee in February.  Thank you and a big congratulations to all of our spellers!

 Lost and Found (LAST CHANCE)
This is your last week to claim any items in the lost and found.  All items will be donated on at the end of the day on Friday, January 27th. We will be placing the Elem. & J.H. Lost & Found out front (Weather Permitting) by the main office for you to look through before we donate it. 

Let the Battles Begin!
The Battle of the Books teams will compete the week of February 6 during lunch/recess. Students should memorize the titles and authors of their books. Good luck to all of the competitors! Email Mrs. Osterman with any questions. 

Band News
Jazz Band: Congratulations to the Jazz Band for a great performance at Libertyville High School’s Jazz Festival. There was some great solos played by Grovers within all the wonderful music they played! We are starting new music this week for our February concert. 

Symphonic/Concert Bands: We have our normal rehearsal times and places this week- Tuesday-Thursday. Coming up soon is our February concert. That music should be getting worked on at home. 

Beginning Band: Students should be working on pages 8-9. Across those pages are two new notes to review. We will continue working on them in class and in lessons. If it sounds like students are struggling, a gentle

Eighth Grade 2023 Graduation Dance Meeting.
Tuesday, Feb 7, 2023 @ 9:00am
Please join us in the JH Cafeteria to discuss the planning process.
RSVP Kathy Azzato azzato@ogschool.org 

Board Games Club Grades 5-8  
Board Games Club for grades 5-8 starts tomorrow!  Don't miss out on this great club!  We will meet on Tuesdays from January 24- March 14 from 3:25- 4:15.  Any interested student needs to complete a registration form.  If you would like to join, please complete this Google Form for your student (one for each sibling if more than one student will be participating).  Once registered, you will receive an email with details ahead of our initial meeting on January 24.  Feel free to email Ms. Douglass with any questions at douglass@ogschool.org. Register here using this link:  https://forms.gle/F85EzkhkL4RMGrRY7

Student Recognition
At this month's Board of Education meeting the Board recognized former Eagle Wrestler, Jack Treutelaar, the 2022 the 185lb Illinois State Champion (Class A).  Jack presented the school with his IESA plaque to show in the sports display