| |
|
BOBCAT BEAT
A Monthly PTA Publication
|
|
A Message from the Principal
By Dr. April Williams
Principal of Oak Forest Elementary School
Happy fall! Yes, even though it may not feel like it, it is November! We've been in school about 12 weeks now and the students and teachers are well on their way to changing the world! October was such a great month with lots of activities. It was so nice seeing all the students participate in our Anti-Bullying month book talk with author Trudy Ludwig, promote healthy living with Red Ribbon Week activities, and who can forget our Book Character Parade! Mrs. Hunt (formerly Ficke) did an amazing job her first go-round. Mr. Roy and his students did an amazing job on their caterpillar artwork that is now displayed in the Museum of Natural Science! Be sure to check out the display; it will be up through December.
Our teachers have been hard at work ensuring that all our students are engaged in learning every day. We are so lucky to have such a fantastic staff that continues to go above and beyond daily for our children. They have a lot to cover during the month of November. Please help them by making sure that your child is here every day, on time and ready for the day's learning all the way up through the holiday. Remember that reading to or with your child every night is a great way to make them lifelong readers and an awesome way to share some bonding time with them.
Please join us for a family fun day on November 12, 2016 at our Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our Book Fair will begin that Saturday and continue through Friday of the following week. Be sure to stop by the library to purchase a book (it's a great stocking stuffer!).
I look forward to seeing you all at our Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 15 and our PTA meeting on November 17. I wish you all a very happy November and a Happy Thanksgiving.
Take Care,
Dr. Williams
*Attendance counts! Year-to-date estimated funding lost due to student absences (as of 11/9/16):
$21,978.33.
|
Important November Dates to Remember
November 12 - Fall Festival
November 12-18 - Book Fair
November 15 - Thanksgiving Luncheon (teacher will communicate any time changes)
November 17 - PTA Meeting with 2nd grade performance
November 18 - Muffin Man Mornin'
November 23-25 - Thanksgiving Holiday
 
|
|
Don't Miss the Fall Festival this Saturday!
By Jacquie Jacobs and Jade Brooker - Fall Festival Committee Chairs
Please join us this
Saturday
, November 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the annual Oak Forest Elementary Fall Festival -
voted the favorite OFE event by parents surveyed last year!
If you pre-ordered Bobby Bracelets, tickets and/or BBQ plates, you can visit the
Will Call table (situated near the front office) before or after school on November 10-11 to pick up your order, or simply stop by the table in the front lobby on your way into the Festival on Saturday.
Bobby Bracelets will be sold for
$25 at the door.
|
Book Fair Kicks Off on November 12
By Selena Crochet and Cara Ramelow - PTA Book Fair Committee Chairs
Oak Forest
Elementary Library
November 12 - November 18
Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (open during Fall Festival!)
Monday-Wednesday 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. (open late for PTA meeting!)
Friday 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (open early for Muffin Man Morning!)
** All proceeds will be used to buy new books for the OFE library! **
|
Book Character Parade Highlights
By Julie Osterman - PTA Third VP of Communications
The annual Book Character Parade was as adorable as ever, led by our amazing librarian, Mrs. Hunt. Here are a few highlights, including OFE staff members dressed up in a
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme, with Technology Clerk Matthew Badger as Willy Wonka. (Ms. Shepherd said it was a preview for our second annual OFE Spring Musical,
Willy Wonka Junior, featuring OFE third through fifth graders.) Way to go, Bobcats, on all of your creative book character costumes. Keep reading!
|
Blue Ribbon Celebration: A Surprise Day of Fun
By Julie Osterman - PTA Third VP of Communications
Dr. Williams decided that our kids needed a day of celebration for the school winning a National Blue Ribbon, and boy did they get one on October 11! Highlights included a congratulatory talk by Superintendent Richard A. Carranza, an OFE band performance and activities including bounce houses, games, a dance off with Bobby the Bobcat and Kona Ice snow cones, just to name a few. Thanks to all who helped make this celebration day possible. The students loved it!
|
A Review of Legislative Events
By Rachelle Park, Latrice Ferguson and Candice Croker - Legislative Committee Chairs
[email protected]
 |
|
|
Dr. Williams leads the first Coffee with the Principal. |
The first Coffee with the Principal on October 14 was a great success. There was strong parental involvement and good discourse in reference to Oak Forest's Disciplinary Policy.
There was a great deal of discussion in reference to what guidelines Oak Forest instructors utilize when disciplinary measures are needed and how are they implemented. Oak Forest follows the HISD Code of Conduct as well as the guidelines outlined in the Oak Forest Handbook for most occurrences. However, there was a large amount of discourse in relation to how we can enhance our current methods of discipline in hopes of empowering our children and supporting our teaching and administrative staff.
Save the date for Rally Day:
February 27, 2017.
Rally Day is a dedicated time for parents and interested community members to come together in Austin to advocate on behalf of issues that are important to our school. It is important that Oak Forest Elementary shows a strong presence on Rally Day!
There are a couple of upcoming Webinars to help educate you on current issues:
Tuesday, January 10 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. or
Thursday, January 12 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
|
Kudos to Our Awesome PTA Members
By Courtney Gaydosik and Catlin Harlow - Membership Committee Chairs
[email protected]
The PTA Membership Committee would like to thank our outstanding members for their support. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Veronica Oliveira and Stuart Fieldhouse, Gillian Smart and Andrew Kilner, Cherolyn Johnson, Miriam Soria, the Brooker family and the Lentz family.
We truly appreciate the support of our OFE families. We could not do what we do without you! If you haven't joined the PTA yet, please consider
joining the PTA now. We have just exceeded our goal of 500 members for this year, and have earned a Fall Increase Award from the Texas PTA, having recruited more than 100 percent of last year's membership.
 .
|
|
Fall Treats for Fabulous Teachers
By Jessica Kirklin and Laura Tilley - Teacher Appreciation Committee Chairs
The Teacher Appreciation Committee is making sure that our teachers feel appreciated this fall. In October, pumpkin bread accompanied by flavored coffee made its way into the pods for our dedicated teachers to enjoy. No matter
the season, the TAPS Committee and the OFE PTA want to show our teachers that we think they're the
absolute best.
Thanks for all that you do for our Bobcats!
|
|
Treasurer's Corner
By Theresa Velasquez - PTA Treasurer
This was our second year with the Boosterthon Fun Run, and what a huge success!
We collected 99.8% of what
was pledged and OFE profited $80,000. Thank you so much for
supporting this year's Fun Run! Because of you, we exceeded our goal and had a blast at the same time. This event couldn't have happened without the energetic Boosterthon team, our fabulous teachers, administrative staff and, of course, our amazing Bobcats. A
huge thank you goes out to Fall Fundraiser committee chairs Stella Stevens and Christina Amos!
|
PALS Corner
By Jennifer Brown -
OFE Counselor
|
|
|
Mr. McBreen leads the band during the Blue Ribbon Celebration.
|
Fall is in the air for OFE and many exciting things are happening!
Trudy Ludwig came to our school to read
The Invisible Boy
,
My Secret Bully
and
Trouble Talk
to the students. A Blue Ribbon celebration with games, food and a performance from the Waltrip and OFE bands surprised us all. Students exploded with excitement for the themed dress days for Red Ribbon Week. To go along with Red Ribbon Week, the OFE PALS organized a sock collection that will be donated to Direct Hope.
Other exciting events included the Book Character Parade, Fall Festival, Reflections and Genius Hour.
Stay Empowered, Bobcats!
Submission by: Campbell Ferrell
|
October Teachers of the Week
___________________________________________________________________
Congratulations to our teacher of the week, Mr. Chris Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez never hesitates to dedicate his time or talent to Team OFE. He is always eager to help whenever asked, even offering his time on the weekends. He is a great example of a team player and a remarkable Team Captain. OFE is lucky to have him. Congratulations, Mr. Rodriguez!
_____________________________________________________________________
Congratulations to our teacher of the week, Mrs. Fisher. Mrs. Fisher has received praise from her parents because of her eagerness and patience with her students. One parent said, "She continues to go above and beyond the 'call of duty.' She is a true gem!" OFE is lucky to have her. Congratulations, Mrs. Fisher!
_____________________________________________________________________
Congratulations to our teacher of the week, Mrs. Cones. She has been hard at work making the 4th grade Genius Hour and Renaissance experience one of the best for her students. One of her teammates raved, "While it's easy for us to get bogged down in the 'have-tos' of our day-to-day work, this creative outlet was exactly what the kids (and I) needed right now. She is a wonderful educator, an awesome teammate, and a true collaborator. She made me a better teacher today." Congratulations Mrs. Cones. Team OFE is lucky to have you!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Coach Locke is our teacher of the week because of the ownership she takes for all of our students to have fun while learning. She plans her lessons around student-centered activities, and always adds music to make the learning fun! Coach Locke also went above and beyond in helping plan and deliver a day full of exciting Blue Ribbon activities for our students. OFE is lucky to have her. Congratulations, Coach Locke!
|
|
Garden Signs! This Is Why We Love OFE
By Betsy Denson - President
Even though our garden sign project pales in comparison to the contributions
that our OFE staff makes in school every day, that's exactly the reason I
think it's extraordinarily special that our ancillary teachers Mr. Roy and Mr.
Rodriguez came out ON A SUNDAY to help finish up the garden signs (and give
me my garage back).
There is one for each OFE teacher (that's a lot of teachers), and they are all
handmade using recycled construction materials, hand-burned using a
traditional Japanese technique called Shou Sugi Ban (instead of stained) and
hand-stenciled with love.
We have been working on these for over a month!
That the ancillary teachers used their downtime, creative minds and willing
hands to create these markers speaks volumes about their dedication to our
school and our kids.
In addition to the ancillary staff, we've had help from at least six other Oak
Forest families, grandparents and a local business.
It's the perfect example of why we love Oak Forest and why we are an
exceptional school.
Bring on the Blue Ribbon!
|
Order Your 2016-2017 OFE Yearbook Today!
By Pam Huwar and Jennifer Scogin - Yearbook Chairs
It's the time of year for the yearbook class competition. This year, the class competition will run from
November 9 to December 7. It's a great opportunity to get your yearbook and support your class at the same time! Also, during this period, you can get your child's yearbook at the discounted rate of $25, and when you purchase a full page dedication ad, you get one yearbook FREE!
There's a chance for your student's class to win a donut party, a pizza party or even a free yearbook for the teacher! Which class will come out on top? Plus, there will be a raffle for a Kindle and a View-Master!
|
OFE PTA Member Spotlight: The Hollywood-Jonk Family
Moira Hollywood and Rene Jonk have three children, and their oldest, Mattie, 5, is a Kindergartener
at OFE this year. Little brother Owen, 2, and little sister Emily, 9 months, will join him in a few years. Moira is originally from Scotland and Rene is from Holland, but the couple is not new to Houston. They lived here from 2005 to 2010, and two of their children were born here. Upon moving back to Houston, they decided on Oak Forest because of our school's reputation, as well as the neighborhood's proximity to the city and the Exxon campus, where Rene works. Moira says that one thing she likes about OFE is "how much Mattie is enjoying it and how friendly all the staff and parents have been." What is Mattie's favorite thing about OFE? "Outside recess!" he responded enthusiastically. Moira stated that she feels lucky to have access to such a well-regarded school, and that she joined the PTA as a way to meet other parents and support the school.
If you would like to join the Hollywood-Jonks in the PTA, you can become a member and find ways to volunteer your time and talents at
www.oakforestpta.com
.
Counterclockwise from top: Mattie, Rene, Emily, Owen and Moira Hollywood-Jonk
|
Box Tops for Education
By Joan Dwyer and Beth Caldwell - Box Tops Committee Chairs
The box tops keep coming in. We had more than 2,200 submitted by 85 students in October. This brings our year-to-date total to over 5,000 boxtops. This means $500 more for classrooms and students.
After a couple months of learning the process, we (Team Boxtops) have a change to announce: We will no longer be giving away prizes to everyone who donates. While students do like the recognition, the prizes cut into our bottom line, which means less money for our school.
Instead, we have increased the number of free ice cream cone certificates per month to three. Students who donate will have their names submitted in a drawing for an ice cream cone each month. We will not repeat winners, so more kids have the opportunity to win. Also, in the spring, the classroom with the most donated box tops will win a classroom ice cream party.
This month's ice cream cone winners are: Isaac Keske, Carolyn D'Souza and Cayla Yoburn.
First grader Olivia Lowe submitted the most in October with 200 boxtops. Way to go, Olivia!
Mrs. Campbell's 3rd grade class now leads Mrs. Llamo's class for an end-of-the-year party.
*Reminder: When you submit box tops, please check the expiration date. Each month we trash hundreds of expired box tops.*
Thank you to the following students for sending in box tops in October. We appreciate your help!
|
Abigail L Huwar
|
Emma C Paschall
|
Luke C Orr
|
|
Aden I Tinoco
|
Emma G Osterman
|
Mark A Wallace
|
|
Alexander J Rathke
|
Emma J Dazey
|
Maya R Bernal
|
|
Alexis M Saha
|
Evelyn R Zamora
|
Nancy Gutierrez
|
|
Andres E Carrette
|
Everett Z Huwar
|
Noah A Hunt Cantu
|
|
Ava C Paschall
|
Faith C Branum
|
Oliver B Hem
|
|
Ava S Trevino
|
Grace C Branum
|
Penelope C Peden
|
|
Blaise L Rabo
|
Grayson G Andrew
|
Rachel C Osterman
|
|
Brianna N Gibson
|
Isaac I Keske
|
Renata X Juarez
|
|
Caden M Moore
|
Isabella C Aceves
|
Ricardo B Tristan
|
|
Caitlin M Dahlmeier
|
Isabella S Smalley
|
Robert S Kelley
|
|
Calleigh A McCracken
|
Jacob M Matula
|
Sienna M Garcia
|
|
Caroline A Leffler
|
Jacob M Matula
|
Sophia M Marcon
|
|
Caroline C Croker
|
Jacob N Cockrum
|
Travis L Tilley
|
|
Carolyn A D'Souza
|
Jaden E Grayum
|
Tyler B Horvath
|
|
Carson J Dahlmeier
|
Jaxon S Cheshire
|
Vivienne M Allen
|
|
Carter M Neil-Dobbs
|
Joseph C Jr Siarski
|
Aiden Powis-Case
|
|
Carys A McCracken
|
Judson B Quiros
|
Cayla J Yoburn
|
|
Cecilia R D'Souza
|
Julia C Mear
|
Galeairy L Stevens
|
|
Chase A Culpepper
|
Kailyn M Ragsdale
|
Isabella H Weiss
|
|
Chase A Moore
|
Kelly I Vasquez
|
John C Lyons
|
|
Chase M Roach
|
Kinley D Faulk
|
Julia A Braun
|
|
Conner J Ferrell
|
Lilliana N Ceballos
|
Julia S Lacerda Landry
|
|
Cooper J Stevens
|
Lillie E Eichenlaub
|
Mehak Mehra
|
|
Daniel A Blakley
|
Lily A Toner
|
Olivia Lowe
|
|
Daniel C Breed
|
Linda A Weiss
|
Ryan A Weiss
|
|
Daniela Bustamante
|
Louis A Comeaux
|
Rylee M Santikos
|
|
Derek D Benkowski
|
Luis A Needham
|
Skylar M Johnson
|
|
Diego A Abreu
|
|
|
Use the "10 to Win" raffle ticket below to submit your box tops. Additional copies can be found on the PTA website:
www.oakforestpta.com
. Your box tops submissions can be turned into your teacher, or you can drop them in the blue basket located by the bench in the school office foyer. It is helpful to submit your box tops in groups of 10 in a Ziplock bag or envelope for easy counting by our volunteers. And don't forget to put your full name and classroom on your bag or envelope so your student can be entered into the drawing.
|
OFE
Box Tops for
Education
"Ten to Win"
Raffle Ticket
Just attach 10 to be added to our monthly drawings Hint: Box tops can be placed in a ziplock bag or envelope and stapled to the form. |
Student's name: ___________________
Home Room Teacher Name:__________________________
Pod:____________
Grade:_____
Entry Date:__________________
|
|
Available for OFE Box Tops Raffle
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
