Oak Grove News

Message from the Principal

Welcome Back!
I hope that everyone was able to enjoy their spring break and we're excited to have you all back at Oak Grove. With that said, we know that the transition from break can be challenging. Please be sure to encourage 8 hours of sleep, a light and nutritious breakfast, and to come to school prepared for a great day.

Congratulations!
Well done, Paras Acharya (2nd Grade), who received a certificate of achievement from Congressman Brad Schneider for participating in “Brad’s Bookworms” program. Paras loves to read and loved participating in this program!  

Clubs Update
Due to low enrollment our spring offering of Code Ninjas is canceled. 

Athletics 
Track & Field and Golf begin this Tuesday, April 4, for students in grades 6-8! Please be sure to have an updated physical turned in by April 6.  If you have any questions, please contact Coach Callahan at callahan@ogschool.org for Track & Field and Coach Karolewicz at karolewicz@ogschool.org for Golf. 

Mental Health Minute
This month's topic is Reflection. Reflection helps your child consider their actions, behavior, and learning. Self reflection is also essential for goal setting. For more information, click HERE. 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) 
Welcome back and hello spring! This month’s theme is solving problems! Before you can get to the first step in solving a problem you need to calm down. We will continue to use our calming down strategies and review them this month. Once you are calm enough to think, you go through the problem solving steps; say the problem, think of a solution, explore the consequences, and pick the best solution. We will also be focusing on the size of the problem and students will learn how to identify when they need help in solving the problem. As always, if you have any questions please contact Susie Kiefer at skiefer@ogschool.org. 

Reminder
No student attendance on Friday, April 7. 

Important Dates
4/3:  3rd Grade Art Club, Film Making Club, Variety Show Rehearsals JH Gym
4/4:  Track & Field Begins, Elections JH Gym
4/4:  K-2 Yoga, Code Ninjas, 4-5 Drama Club, 6-8 Math Club, Track & Field Practice, JH Choir, Variety Show Rehearsals
4/5: PTO Mtg @ 9:30 am, Variety Show Rehearsals, Chess Club, 4-8 Spanish Club
4/6:  Variety Show Rehearsals, 4-5 Choir, Italian Club
4/7:  No School, building closed
4/10:  Filmmaking Club, Last 2nd grade Art Club
4/11:  K-2 Yoga, 4-5 Drama Club, 6-8 Math Counts, JH Choir
4/12:  Chess Club, 4-8 Spanish Club, Variety Show Practice
4/13:  Noetic Math Contest, Track @ Neal, 4- 5 Grade Choir, Italian Club 
4/14: Fine Arts Day 8:30 am-3:30 pm, Variety Show 3:30-10:00 pm

Climate and Culture Presentation

On March 21, during the Board of Education meeting, administration, and teachers presented the ongoing collaboration that is taking place to continue to build the climate and culture within Oak Grove. The presentation reviewed the data used to monitor our climate and culture, the steps currently in place, and how the School Leadership Team and Curriculum Council are using this data to help guide their work. To view the entire presentation, please click HERE.

Curriculum Corner

Talk Tuesday - April 11
Our next Talk Tuesday will be from 6:00-7:30 pm at Oak Grove. The purpose of Talk Tuesdays is to share information and get insight and feedback from families on certain topics. This month we will share an overview of our work in the Teaching and Learning department over the course of this school year and share with families our continued work for the 2023-24 school year. Please take a moment to R.S.V.P. for this event in order for us to plan accordingly. The presentation shared at the Talk Tuesday will also be available on the Oak Grove website. 

5th Grade Candor Presentation
The 5th Grade Candor presentation will be on Thursday, April 6. Please see this letter with information in regards to the presentation. If your family would like to opt your child(ren) out of the presentations, please email Leslie Weber (weber@ogschool.org).

Oak Grove School Education Foundation

The Oak Grove School Education Foundation plays an important role in supporting Oak Grove School through fundraising efforts and community outreach. We work to provide the best educational opportunities and resources for our students and teachers, and to achieve this goal, we need new passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team for next school year!

By volunteering as a board member or on our executive team, you will have the opportunity to:
1. Shape the future of our school: Your input and expertise will help guide the Foundation's initiatives and programs, directly impacting the quality of education at Oak Grove School.

2. Develop leadership skills: Serving on the board provides opportunities to grow as a leader, collaborate with others, and gain valuable experience in managing resources and making decisions.

3. Network with other parents, teachers, and professionals: Joining the OGSEF board will connect you with a diverse and dedicated group of parents and community members who share your passion for education and the future of our children.

4. Give back to your community: Volunteering your time and skills will help create a lasting impact at Oak Grove School and contribute to the success of our students.

To learn more about OGSEF and what we do, visit our website at OGSEF.org. If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, contact President Jeff Barry mrjeffbarry@gmail.com, VP Hillary Bolke hillarydover@gmail.com, Secretary Nicole Gas nicolemariegas@gmail.com, or Treasurer Kirsten Schinler kirstenschinler@gmail.com. 

We hope you will join us in our mission to support the Oak Grove School community. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our children and the future of our school.

PTO News

PTO Meeting This Week
The PTO will meet this Wednesday, April 5 at 9:30 am in the PD Room and by Zoom. Meeting documents will be posted on the PTO website soon and distributed by e-mail along with Zoom information. Membership will be voting on a number of funding requests as well as the slate of candidates to serve on the ‘23-’24 Executive Board. Due to Spring Break we are still working on proxy ballots and will have those posted to the website very soon.

“Keeping Dreams Alive!”: Variety Show 2023
Come see the amazing talent we have at Oak Grove! There are two showtimes on Friday, April 14 at 5:00 pm and at 7:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now on Rev Track for $8 through 4/13. Due to Ramadan and the breaking of the fast, we will be starting the 7:30 pm show 10 minutes later to allow families to break their fast before the show starts. Dates and water will be provided. 

Parents of students in the show, don’t forget to pay for the pizza dinner and buy program shoutouts on RevTrack. We are still looking for volunteers to help with the show. View volunteer needs and sign up here. Please contact Christine Merrild or Ashley Wilson if you have any questions.

Stepping Up to 6th Grade Event
This year we are excited to offer a new spin on a PTO tradition for 5th graders. On Monday, April 24 from 6:00-8:30 pm we will host “Stepping Up to 6th Grade” which is an evening for students and their adult guest to come together to learn about tricky middle school topics from mini-seminars presented by professionals from Inspire Counseling. The first half of the event you will choose 2 mini-seminars and the second half will consist of snacks, open gym, board games, time to socialize with OGS friends and more. Watch e-mail for more information and sign-up links.

4th & 5th Grade Social
Calling all 4th & 5th graders! Come to Ultimate Ninjas on Friday, April 28 from 7:00-8:00 pm for your grade level social. We will have exclusive use of the space during this time so it will be a great time to socialize with friends. This event is limited to 75 students and a designated adult must remain on site (this can be one adult for a group of students). Sign up here - it’s sure to be an ultimate evening! Water and a snack will be provided at the conclusion of the event. Upon completion of the sign-up sheet be sure to also submit the Ultimate Ninjas waiver. Please reach out to Donna Bachman with any questions.

Purple Up Day 2023: Honoring Our Military Students
Oak Grove is excited to honor our military students during the month of April, and especially on our Purple Up Day, April 26. Military families, please complete this form TODAY for students’ shirt sizes.

LIBERTYVILLE SNOWFLAKE :  What’s yOUR Story

Friday April 21, 2023    Open to 7th & 8th graders
Click here for explanation of program and sign up flier.

2023 Jr. Poms Summer Camp

Click HERE to register.
*Select "Libertyville High School (15)" towards the bottom of the page*
*click on Dance Team tab*
* select grade level based on Fall 2023*
The camps will work on the fundamentals of poms/dance team including pom technique, jumps, turns, and choreography. 
We hope to see you there! 
- The Libertyville Dance Team-

Questions for the BoE

Dear Families,
Please continue to use this link to ask any questions regarding Board operations. If a question you submitted did not get answered here, please contact our school or district administration. They are able to address questions that are beyond the scope of Board operations. 

Board Briefs
Board Briefs are a quick summary of each School Board Meeting. The official minutes will be posted in the Agenda section after the Board Minutes have been approved at the following month's meeting. CLICK HERE for the March 2023 Board Briefs.

Virtual Backpack

Please click HERE to view the flyers in our virtual backpack. Flyers are updated weekly, so please check back often so you won't miss any of the events going on in our community.

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