Oak Grove News

8th Grade Play -- It takes a village!

This last weekend, our OGS community came out in large numbers (almost four sold out shows!) to view Frozen JR., our 8th grade play. It was a fantastic family event and I want to acknowledge the efforts of our staff, students, and community in making this event a success. A special thank you to Mel Ludington, Logan Farris, Erin Vance, and Julia Simmons for their visionary leadership in bringing the storyline, characters, and music of Frozen alive at OGS! The play is the culmination of months of planning, rehearsals, and community coordination -- and no detail was left out. In addition, our parent community played a key role behind the scenes to ensure each performance was flawless and our audience would comfortably enjoy evening and daytime performances. We are already looking forward to introducing next year's play shortly and holding spring tryouts -- keep an eye out for dates!

Please join me in expressing our gratitude to the individuals below for their efforts.
Lighting Designer
Chris Hibbard

Sewing Crew
Holly Morgan (Head Seamstress)
Nancy Erisman, Elena Baykina, Cheryl Turner, Sharonda Brown-Kern,
Jennifer Stone, Keli Likosar, Melissa Thompson, Kari Fitzpatrick, Tabitha Rubash

Laundry Crew
Rhiannon Schmidt, Magda Fraczkowska, Sylvia Siwinski,
Osasu Osayimwen, Melissa Thompson

Costume Organizers
Kelli Likosar & Jennifer Stone

Parent Volunteer Coordinator
Kim Schambow

Rehearsal Supervision
Tabitha Rubash, Saritha Jirivol, Melissa Thoune, Anuradha Mylswamy,
Debbie Greer, Tiffani Baffico, Cathie DeMoon, Kirupa Santhos,
Rhiannon Schmidt, Kari Fitzpatrick, Jenny Mayer, Zena Berrada
Regina Agee, Kelli Kuypers, Payal Shah

Program Proofreaders
Jennifer Stone & Jenny Mayer

Ticket Sales
Debbie Greer & Elizabeth Cobb (Coordinators)
Zineb Berrada, Francine Klotz, Kari Fitzpatrick,
Melissa Thompson, Karen McConnell

Concessions
Iqra Haroon (Coordinator)
Jennifer Stone, Diana Servatius, Conor Waddell

Chair Labels and Setup
Carlene Lichter, Susan Kurland, Kim Schambow, Jen Sahagian,
Nikita Qualls, Dminty Noeaew, Steve Golumbeck, Pawan Kulkarni

Cast & Crew Party Coordinators
Shellie Fahy & Julie Kovach

A Message From Mrs. Ludington
Congratulations to the class of 2023 for creating a fantastic performance of Frozen JR.  They sang, acted, and danced like pros.  It was wondeful to see so many past, present, and future Oak Grovers in the audience.  Thank you to all the 8th Grade parents who helped make our dream a reality.  

Please click here to view pictures from all of the performances.

Oak Grove School Introduces the New Director of Student Services.

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Angela Phillips was unanimously approved by the Board of Education on Tuesday, February 21, to serve as the next OGS Director of Student Services. Angela was supported as the candidate of choice by both the administration and staff among 3 final candidates. She comes to us from Park Ridge-Niles District 64 where she is currently the Assistant Director of Student Services. Angela received her Bachelors from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and her Masters in Special Education through the University of Phoenix. Angela also received her Administrative certificate through Northeastern Illinois University and her Director of Special Education certificate from the University of St. Francis. In addition to her current role, Angela has served in an administrative capacity over the past ten years as Associate Principal, Division Chair for Special Education, and Assistant Director of Special Education. She has a wide range of experience and expertise in special education, early childhood education, professional development and prides herself on building strong stakeholder relationships. “I am incredibly excited to join the OGS family. I cannot wait to meet the students, families, and amazing staff. I feel honored to join the team.”

A Message From Mr. Murray
Safety - How would OGS contact you if an emergency took place on campus?
If an emergency were to arise at Oak Grove, our main priority is the safety of our students. Each year we have state requirements regarding fire, severe weather, and active intruder drills, as well as bus evacuations. Each of these mandated drills provide an opportunity to practice our response and ensure our response is effective and efficient. We inform staff and students of each of the drills to help minimize any stress or fear that may occur with the scenario or sound of the alarm. In addition, the safety practices are reviewed, adjusted, and implemented with guidance from the Fire Department, Local Law Enforcement, collaboration with local schools (i.e. Libertyville High School), and feedback from the Oak Grove Safety Team. The safety team is comprised of administrators, mental health providers, school nurses, teachers, and front office staff. 
If a real emergency occurred, we would follow the particular scenario protocol to ensure student safety and we would utilize several communication methods to inform families. In an emergency, Oak Grove would communicate with families first via email and/or a phone call. Also, our website and social media posts would be used to maximize communication.It is important to remember, it is not recommended to come to school because we want to ensure the Fire Department and/or Law Enforcement has an unobstructed path to provide support.  
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ryan Murray at murray@ogschool.org

Congratulations Wrestlers!
Well done Sectional Qualifiers! Fifteen wrestlers placed at regionals, advancing them to the sectional championships this Saturday. As a team, Oak Grove took second place.

5 Essentials Survey - Reminder
The 5 Essentials survey is open now and closes on March 31. For more information, click HERE, and for direct access to the link please click HERE. Thank you all for your input and support. 

Spring Conferences - March 2 
Conferences will take place from 1 - 8 pm (virtual 1-4 pm and in-person 5-8 pm) on March 2. Please be sure to check your email inbox with particular details and information to sign up through the “Meet the Teacher” platform. If you have any questions please contact Dave Huber at huber@ogschool.org.

Author Jason Chin
The 4th and 5th graders had an amazing visit from author/illustrator Jason Chin. He shared his writing process, a sample of his newest book, and some drawing advice! Autographed copies of his book The Universe in You are still available for purchase through the JH library.
 

Variety Show - Reminder 
Variety Show sign up during lunch periods Monday, February 27 and Tuesday, February  28.  8th Grade emcee tryouts are on February 28.  Wednesday, March 1, 8th grade emcee will be announced.

Important Dates
2/27:  Variety Show Sign Up - during lunch periods, Film Club, French Club, 7th Boys VB Lakeside Conference Tournament TBA
2/28:  Report Cards go home
2/28: Variety Show sign up - during lunch and 8th grade emcee tryouts, K-2 Yoga, Code Ninjas,  5-8 Game Board Club, JH  Choir, 8th Boys VB Lakeside Conference Tournament TBA
3/1:  8th grade emcees announced,  4th Grade Art Club, 4th - 8th Spanish Club Room 102, 7th & 8th Boys VB Finals Lakeside Conference Tournament TBA
3/1: PTO Mtg @ 6:30
3/2:  Parent Teacher Conferences 1-8
3/3:  Teacher Institute -No School
3/4:  IESA Wrestling State Sectionals @ Johnsburg Junior High 
3/6:  Filmmaking Club, 3rd Grade Art Club
3/7:  K-2 Yoga, 5-8 Board Games Club, Code Ninjas, JH Choir
3/8:  5th Grade  Art Club, 4th - 8th Spanish Club Rm 102
3/9:  4th & 5th Grade Choir, Italian Club
3/10:  Be Well Fitness
3/11:  Son and 1 Glow Bowl 6-8 @Bowlero Vernon Hills
Please click here to view more upcoming events.

Curriculum Corner

Read Across America Week
March 2 recognizes national Read Across America Day, which falls annually on beloved author Dr. Seuss's birthday. Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. Read Across America’s mission is to help motivate kids to read, bring the joys of reading to students of all ages, and to make all children feel valued and welcome. This annual reading motivation and awareness program calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading with the theme: Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers. Read Across America however and whenever you choose! Check out this book list from diverse authors and read a good book with your child during the week of March 2- March 6. We would love to feature your family engaging in this event at home. Please send photos to socialmedia@ogschool.org. 

Illinois Science Assessment
Students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment on March 6, 7, and 8. The ISA will be administered in an online format and is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which were adopted in 2014. Students will need working headphones for this assessment. 

TAG Identification Webinar 
There will be a live webinar to share information on the TAG identification process on March 9th at 6:30pm. This webinar is open to all families, but will be focused on the identification process for current 3rd and 5th grade students for placement in the 2023-24 school year. If you would like to attend the webinar, please register here. You will be sent a link to the live webinar the morning of the presentation. 

IAR Spring Testing Window
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), a state mandated assessment, will take place this year from March 13-17, with makeup testing March 20-22. Students in grades 3 through 8 will be assessed in both mathematics and language arts. More information will be shared closer to the testing window. 

PTO News

PTO Meeting This Week
The PTO will meet this Wednesday, March 1 at 6:30pm in the Elementary Library and by Zoom. Zoom information will be shared by email. Prior to the meeting, please review the meeting agenda and minutes from February 1, 2023. Membership will be voting on one special funding request at this meeting for up to $310 for a coil binding machine. Information about this request and the proxy voting form are available here.

Last Days for St. Joseph’s Food Pantry Drive
Tuesday is the last day that items for St. Joe’s will be collected at school. Check your pantry or add a few items to your grocery list and send them with your students Tuesday. If you’d like to make a financial donation to St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, click HERE. Thank you to Brooke Schamber and Callie Johnson for coordinating this opportunity and special thanks to MaryAnne Korkut for loading up the items and delivering them to St. Joe’s.

Sign Up for Variety Show This Week
If your student in 5-8th Grade is interested in trying out for the Variety Show they must sign up during lunch in the cafeteria on 2/27 or 2/28. Tryouts will be 3/15 and 3/16 so students have time to practice their acts, but they need to indicate the names of people in their act and the name of the act on the sign-up form. Please contact Christine Merrild or Ashley Wilson if you have any questions.

Volunteers Needed: IAR Testing Treat Bags
IAR testing begins for 3rd-8th graders the week of March 13. The PTO will once again be providing a small treat bag to all students in 3rd-8th grades. Please sign up to help pack the treat bags on Friday, March 10 from noon-2pm location TBD. 

Meet the School Board Candidates Night
Mark your calendar to save March 15th from 6:30 - 7:30pm to learn more about the candidates running for OGS School Board. The event will be held in the JH Cafeteria. Details to come!

PTO Exec Board Nominees Needed
At the April PTO meeting we will vote to confirm the PTO Exec Board for ‘23-’24. If you have any interest in taking a more active leadership role with the PTO, please reach out to Lynsey Wolfe to learn more about available opportunities. The Executive Board positions and approximate weekly time commitment are the following: Co-President (10+ hours each), Vice President (10+ hours), Treasurer (5+ hours), Secretary (1-2+ hours), Registrar (1-2+ hours). Starting next year, each of the positions can be split between two individuals so you could share any Exec Board role and lighten the workload.

Our student-run snack shop will be open for Parent Teacher Conferences
Grab something for yourself, or bring a treat to your favorite teacher!
Be sure to visit the OGS Express!
Located up the stairs outside the Pat Patt gym
Open March 2 
Hours 5:00 p.m. to  8:00 p.m. 
Menu items include soda, popcorn and a variety of sweet treats
All items are $1 and proceeds will be donated to charity

Attention all 5th - 8th graders.  Oak Grove School is hosting the Noetic Math Contest mid-April. It is open to all 5th- 8th graders and is free.  The contest will be taken during the school day on laptops and information can be found at:  https://www.noetic-learning.com/mathcontest/index.jsp
**Please let your MATH teacher know if you are interested and want to sign up.  All students must be registered by March 16th.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Phillips (phillips@ogschool.org)

8th Grade Parents/Guardians
The third trimester is our final opportunity to prepare students to transition to high school. Our goal is to help our students become self advocates by increasing engagement and accountability.  Below is a list of important events; we look forward to a great end of the year! 

Sincerely,
The Eighth Grade Team

• Career Day: March 1
• Holocaust Museum Field Trip: April 20
• Chicago Trip: May 24
• Great America: May TBD
• 8th Grade Dance: May 26
• Graduation: May 30

Spanish Club - Reminder
4th-8th grade Spanish club begins this week on March 1st in room 102 (Ms. Mann's room). We will meet every Wednesday from 3:20-4:20. Señora Mann and Señora Loch are excited to get this started. Please contact us at loch@ogschool.org or mann@ogschool.org with any questions.