From the Principal’s Desk

With the end of October and the beginning of November upon us, we are offered the opportunity to take time to express our gratitude. Mr. Murray and I would like to start the new month by thanking our staff and parents for their devoted efforts focused on strengthening the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills of our students. Our first three SEL themes of the school year - Communication, Relationships, and Decision-Making - found us getting to know each other better by using these themes in our real lives each day: as we ran with our friends in cross-country, bumped balls over the net in volleyball, and auditioned for roles in our upcoming musical, Frozen; volunteering at Lambs Farm, learning about potential career opportunities at Future Quest; writing and sharing spooky stories in 6th grade and “Ouch!” stories in 1st grade; gaining strength as an upstander, rather than standing by when unfairness or harm presents itself. In the next few weeks, we have Parent Teacher Conferences, another chance to give thanks for the incredible OGS support between staff and parents that keeps student learning and growth at the forefront of our focus. Mr. Murray and I could not be more grateful to serve in a community - Where Children Come First!

Volunteers Needed
The OGS Volunteer Form will be open throughout the school year.
 

Welcoming New Staff
Please help us continue to welcome new staff members to the Oak Grove family!
 
Mrs. Jennifer McBride, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
Originally born in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Jennifer moved to the Atlanta area after getting married, and taught Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and reading intervention. She stopped teaching once she had her second child. Six years ago Jennifer and her family moved to Libertyville. After moving to Illinois, her kids old and independent enough, Jennifer felt ready to go back to work. However, she wasn't ready to be back in the classroom. Instead, she applied for a position at the District 70 office, and after a month, she realized she was where she was meant to be. She loved that she could use her experience as a teacher and mom to anticipate the teachers' needs and assist the teachers and staff at the district level. Jennifer's favorite part about being at Oak Grove is being in the same building with the teachers and students. She enjoys looking up from her desk and seeing the smiles on the student's faces. She said, "The staff has been so kind and welcoming! I feel like I've hit the jackpot as far as jobs go." Jennifer is an avid college football fan and has been known to listen to games during weddings and parties. She also loves to read, but her favorite thing is being a mom and an aunt!  She has two sons and three nephews that are her world (see picture)!

Mrs. Alexa Dunn, Coordinator for Teaching & Innovative Learning
Before starting her new role this year, Mrs. Dunn served OGS for nine years as an 8th-grade English Language Arts teacher. Mrs. Dunn started her career in Lake Villa, Illinois, teaching 8th-grade reading and writing after completing her undergraduate degree at Illinois State University. She received a Master’s degree from Columbia College of Missouri in 2012 and has achieved endorsements in science, social studies, gifted education, and special education. Currently, Mrs. Dunn is working toward an educational specialist endorsement in Educational Leadership from National Louis University. Mrs. Dunn is a wife and mother of two, and enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, golfing, and decorating her new home. She is thrilled to begin this next adventure and shares, “Every day I come to work, I want to make Oak Grove a better place for children to learn and grow.”

Mental Health Minute
The theme for November is Empathy. Empathy is an important interpersonal skill that is defined as understanding how other people feel even when they don't feel the same way as themselves. Studies have shown that genuine empathy begins to develop in children as young as two years Old. If you’re interested in learning more then please click HERE.

SEL at OGS
Empathy~ Means feeling what others feel! Let’s talk about those Zones! This month we are moving from recognizing our own feelings to looking around and noticing how we all have different feelings at different times. To find out more, please visit the Oak Grove SEL website.

Important Dates
• 11/1: OGSEF Meeting 7 p.m.
• 11/1: LHS Band Pre-festival 7-8:30 p.m, Highland Middle School
• 11/2: PTO Mtg, 6:30 p.m. in Elem Library
• 11/2: Picture Retakes
• 11/8: Election Day - No School
• 11/10: Early Release - 1 p.m. Dismissal
• 11/11: Veteran’s Day
• 11/14: 11/17- Elementary Book Fair
• 11/14: Conference Sign Up begins at 8:00 a.m.
• 11/18: Conference Sign Up ends at Noon

Curriculum Corner

Veterans Day Celebration
Veterans and current service members in our Oak Grove community are invited to attend our annual Veterans Day celebration with their families the morning of Friday, November 11th. The ceremony will begin at 9:00 AM in the Junior High Gym. Please park in the upper parking lot and have an ID available for check-in. The ceremony will be followed by refreshments and an opportunity to explore the Historical Artifact Museum organized by the eighth grade students. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP using this link.

This event is open to veterans, service members, and their families. However, we will be live streaming the event for all Oak Grove families to enjoy in the comfort of their homes. The link to the live stream will be posted on the front page of the Oak Grove website the morning of the event.

If you would like to honor a veteran and have their picture displayed, please use the Honoring a Veteran form and submit it to the office (ogsofficestaff@ogschool.org) or your child’s classroom teacher.

Talk Tuesday
On Tuesday, October 25, we hosted our second Talk Tuesday event. Thank you to those who were able to attend; we had 12 people participate in the discussion. The conversation focused on defining restorative practices, what it looks like at Oak Grove including professional learning for the staff, student expectations and the process for discipline and embedding restorative practices.  If you were unable to attend, you can view the presentation here. Our next Talk Tuesday will be on February 7th from 6:00-7:30pm.

PTO

PTO Meeting This Week
Please join us at our next regular monthly meeting at 6:30 pm this Wednesday either in-person in the elementary library or on Zoom. Meeting documents and Zoom info will be sent via e-mail.

PTO Website - Tip of the Week
We hope you’ve had a chance to explore the new PTO website. If you haven’t logged in yet, follow the instructions in the email from OGS last Thursday. The new website is mobile friendly so you will have the directory at your fingertips whenever you leave the house with your phone! If you’d like to create a widget on your home screen (like an app button) follow these instructions. Remember, as an incentive to log in and complete your “How I Volunteer” information, the PTO will randomly select 3 individuals on Friday (11/4) to receive a $10 Starbucks or Dunkin gift card! If you are unable to login, email Kate Byers for assistance.

Fall In Love With Reading
The K-5 Scholastic Book Fair is coming up November 14-17. The Book Fair website has tons of information to help you prepare for the fair including how to set up an eWallet to avoid sending cash to school and a preview of books available. You can also check out the class schedule to see when your student(s) will be shopping at the fair. Save the date for Family Night on Wednesday, November 16 from 5-8 pm. All purchases from the Book Fair support the PTO and benefit our school so thank you in advance for your support. Happy reading!

We Need YOU at FMSC!
We only have three weeks left and there are still 170 spots to be filled, so please join us! During this season where we all spend time reflecting on what we are thankful for, let’s come together to help the hungry across the globe. Last year, OGS volunteers packed a total of 23,628 meals which fed 64 children for a year! To join us go to www.fmsc.org and select one of the two Oak Grove Community Gives Back options on that date. The first is from 4:30-6:15 which requires code EE63V5 to join, the second is from 7:00-8:45 with M8BN2D as the code to join. If you have questions not listed on the website please contact Brooke Schamber to inquire about this event at (847) 772-3055.

Picture Retakes
Smile!  Picture retakes are this Wednesday, November 2.  Class pictures for grades 6-8 will also be held on this day before each grade level’s PE class.  

Children’s Book Drive for Bernie’s Book Bank!
Clean out those bookshelves and donate any new or gently used children’s books!
Oak Grove School is having a book drive for Bernie’s Book Bank. The collection will take place from November 7-November 18. Collection bins will be placed by both offices. Fun Fact: This year’s 8th grade ran a book drive when they were in 4th grade and collected over 4200 books!  See the flier for more details.  Please email Alyssa Osterman with any questions.  osterman@ogschool.org

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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