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BOBCAT BEAT
A PTA Publication
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A Message from OFE Principal
By Dr. April Williams
Hi, OFE Family -
We have had some great weeks here at Oak Forest! The teachers are teaching like their hair is on fire and the students are eager to learn something new every day. We had a wonderful turn-out during our Grandparents' Day luncheon. It is always nice to see all the loved ones who play a part in our students' lives. It definitely takes a village! The month of October not only brings us beaut
iful weather (hopefully) but also some great activities at our campus. Our first-ever Fun Run took place last Friday! The preliminary numbers are fantastic (> $54,000 profit!) and well-exceeded our expectations; PTA will use the money raised for some great things around school throughout the year (editor's note: more on that at upcoming PTA meetings and subsequent Bobcat Beat issues). Thank you to all the parents who worked hard at making this fundraiser a success. We will also have Coffee with the Principal, Red Ribbon Week, Parent-Teacher Conferences, the Book Character Parade and finally, Report Cards will go out this month.
Have a fantastic October and thank you for all you do!
- October 1 - Magnet Season kicks off
- October 9 - Coffee with the Principal
- October 15 - Picture Day (Group & Individual - Please be in uniform)
- October 19 - 28 -Parent Teacher Conferences
- October 28 - Early Dismissal
- October 26 - 30 Red Ribbon Week
- October 30 - Book Character Parade
- October 30 - Report Cards
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Teachers of the Week for September 2015
Dr. Williams will be naming a Teacher of the Week each week this year, and we will feature them here in the OFE PTA newsletter. What a great way to get to know your dedicated OFE teachers!
Mr. Rodriguez, our Computer Lab teacher, was the first teacher of the week. He said that what he most loves about OFE is "the great culture of reading OFE instills into the students. I'll never forget one year when a student transferred midway through the year and told me, 'Wow! Everyone here is always reading. I guess reading is cool here.' My response, 'Reading is cool everywhere.'"
Mr. Rodriguez is a native Houstonian, and credits his parents with his success. "Everything I am today is because of their hard work and sacrifice." Other than his parents, Mr. Rodriguez's favorite superhero is Bruce Wayne/Batman. "The man is trying to change the world on two fronts," he explained. "Wayne Enterprises has several projects to help the everyday citizens, while Batman is trying to make Gotham safer by fighting crime."
Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez, for all of your years of projects helping the citizens of Oak Forest Elementary. You are a superhero to us!
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Teacher of the week number two,
Mrs. Randle, said "What I love most about OFE is that both students and teachers at OFE strive to be to be the best they can. Teaching is such a joy when I see students showing effort and persevering to reach their potential. Also, the teachers at OFE are the best in HISD, and are always growing to become better educators."
Mrs. Randle, who grew up in Memphis, TN, was formerly known as Ms. Robertson; she got married over the summer. Congratulations, Mrs. Randle, and thank you for all you do for OFE!
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Teacher of the week number three,
Mrs. Bagby, said "I love the family feel of OFE. It is wonderful to come to school each day because I know that all of us-teachers, staff, parents and students are going to work together to make the day the best it can be."
Mrs. Bagby, who grew up in Scottsbluff, NE, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and loves her Nebraska
Cornhuskers.
Mr
s
. Bagby's husband, John, is an art teacher in Aldine I.S.D.; and her daughter, Lexie, is a 7th grader at Frank Black Middle School.
Mrs. Bagby's favorite superhero is her mother, because "she always has it together and makes it seem so easy"....well, Mrs. Bagby, as an educator for 23 years as you have been you are definitely a superhero to us here at OFE! Thank you for all you do!
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Teacher of the week number four,
Coach Locke, was featured in the last edition of the Bobcat Beat as a new faculty member. In addition to sharing her philosophy of PE, and telling us how excited she is to be at OFE, she shared a little about her life outside
of school. "
I like to stay active," she explained. "I enjoy running, playing soccer, and anything outside. I also enjoy spending time with my family, particularly my husband and my 2.5 year old son. "
Congratulations, Coach Locke, welcome to our family, and thank you for all you do for OFE!
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2015 Fun Run - A HUGE Thank You
By Stella Stevens and Kara D'Agostino - PTA Fall Fundraiser Chairs
Thank you to the teachers, the staff, Ms. Folse, Ms. Shepherd and Dr. Williams, for embracing change. For giving up class time. For getting kids excited about the run with all the crazy sock days and hat days. A special thank you to the ancillary teachers for doing the lion's share. You take care of our children, you teach them, you nourish them, you clean up their vomit. In many ways, you are their home.
Thank you to Boosterthon, for coming out every day (ask them about Mighty Mykala!), f
or getting the kids so excited with your positive motivation and life lessons. Thank you for creating an environment where teaching and making money for the school were not mutually exclusive.
Thank you to the parents, for hassling co-workers, grandparents, neighbors, friends from Kazakhstan. For alienating people on Facebook. For showing up, for taking off work, for cheering on. For believing that we could do something that wasn't the way we always do it.
Thank you to the people who pledged, the grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, friends from other schools, etc. We know it will be your turn soon, and we promise to pay it forward. Thank you for loving our students, for helping out public education, without questioning or grumbling.
And lastly, on behalf of all the parents, thank you to our amazing children. You inspire us, you challenge us, you motivate us, you frustrate us. Your enthusiasm is joyful and we are privileged to share our lives with you, and we love you.....
To the moon and back.
 
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Treasurer's Corner
By Theresa Velasquez - PTA Treasurer
Did you know that the PTA allocates approximately $5,000 per year for Teacher Appreciation? Our spectacular teachers and support staff received a tasty breakfast on their second day back at OFE, and then a delicious dinner prior to Open House, all compliments of the PTA's Teacher Appreciation Committee led by volunteers Kathleen Orr and Renee Dahlmeier.
Please note a correction in the Title I letter sent home in early September: OFE PTA fully funds our Accelerated Reader (AR) program including software licensing fees and student prizes ($5,100 for 2015-2016 school year). The program is administered by our school librarian, Ms. Campbell.
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Do you know Angela Pennington?
We have a new School Secretary, but there is nothing new about her presence at Oak Forest! Ms. Pennington attended OFE from Kindergarten through fifth grade, and when her daughter started attending in 2004, Ms. Pennington's Kindergarten teacher was the principal! Ms. Pennington's twin girls started in 2006, and now she has a first grade Bobcat. This is Ms. Pennington's tenth year working at OFE; eight and a half of those were spent working in the library. When asked what she appreciates most about OFE, Ms. Pennington said, "You know how awesome it is to watch your own children grow and bloom? I get that, times 800 here." She also explained, "I love the sense of community the school encourages, and that we are all one student body, sharing talents, resources, and respect for one another."
One talent Ms. Pennington shares with her friends is cooking. She has a business making freezable crockpot meals. She explained that she wanted to help a family friend whose daughter had been ill, and the idea grew into a business that helps her family and others through busy seasons.
She was generous enough to share one of her yummy recipes with us:
"Tortilla soup is a favorite, and can be made vegan, vegetarian, or with chicken like we eat it. Fill your gallon storage bag about 2/3 full of chopped chicken (cooked or not), beans, corn, zucchini, carrots, cilantro, celery-whatever you enjoy. We even like throwing in chopped sweet potatoes for a heartier meal. Add a can of enchilada sauce, a cup of stock and a can of chopped tomatoes. Cook all day in the crock pot!"
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Lunch Visitors
Did you know you can have a lunch date with your child at OFE? Parents, grandparents, and family friends who love your OFE student can eat lunch with them any time, and younger siblings are welcome as well. There are separate tables in the back of the cafeteria designated for lunch visitors to eat with students. When you come to visit, arrive a few minutes ahead of your child's lunch time and provide your ID at the front office in order to receive a visitor's sticker/badge. You may either bring lunch or purchase lunch with them in the cafeteria (please follow allergy guidelines defined by your child's teacher).
Guzman 10:30-11:00 Remigio 10:35-11:05
Paule 10:40-11:10 Fisher 10:45-11:15
Janish 10:50-11:20 McWilliams 10:55-11:25
Robinson 11:00-11:30 Rodriguez 11:05-11:35
Lacefield 11:15-11:45 Valdez 11:15-11:45
Llamo 11:20-11:50 Meaux 11:20-11:50
Brantford 11:25-11:55 Libby 11:25-11:55
Church 11:30-12:00 Herold 11:30-12:00
Sorensen 11:35-12:05 Soria 11:40-12:10
Cones 11:45-12:15 Colville 11:45-12:15
Austin 12:00-12:30 Lemoine 12:00-12:30
McLaughlin 12:05-12:35 Ware 12:05-12:35
Campbell 12:10-12:40 Randle 12:10-12:40
Chadick 12:15-12:45 Graeve 12:15-12:45
Bagby 12:25-12:55 Ficke 12:25-12:55
Gildersleeve 12:30-1:00 Wilkerson 12:35-1:05
Warren 12:35-1:05 Noble 12:40-1:10
Rogers 12:40-1:10 Malkowsky 12:45-1:15
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OFE Students Honor HPD Deputy Goforth
Oak Forest students joined many others in the nation honoring slain Deputy Darren Goforth on Friday, September 11. Principal Williams spoke to local media, saying,
"Goforth has small children and a wife in the community. Any type of small support we can give them, we will." OFE students wore Captain America shirts, knowing that Deputy Goforth and his son both loved the super-hero, and had bought matching shirts before Deputy Goforth's tragic death.
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Reflections Art Competition
By Hien Reynoso, Christina Rapazzo and Allison Marshall - PTA Reflections Committee
Reflections, an art showcase and contest, is a great way for students to show their creativity. It is open to and free for all students who have at least one current PTA member in their household.
Entry submissions for Reflections are due October 16. Students can submit as many entries as they want in any of SIX different categories, including dance choreography, musical composition, photography, visual arts, film production, and literature. All entrants are invited along with their families to the Award Ceremony and Exhibit where everyone's works of art will be on display, and we will celebrate with
pizza and ice cream!
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Coffee with The Principal - October 9, 2015
By Mandie Eichenlaub, Melissa Santiago and Rachelle Park - Legislative / Parent Engagement Committee
Please join us on October 9 at 7:45AM for our first Coffee with the Principal for the 2015-16 school year. We are very excited to have this opportunity to meet with Dr. Williams. Our children's education is our #1 priority, but fig
uring out how to give them the best education isn't easy, and surely is not one size fits all. At this coffee,we will be discussing the transition to middle school. Parents have a lot to consider when choosing the next step for their not-so-little one. Dr. Williams will help us sift through the plethora of choices so that we can make sense of it all and make the best decision possible.
The Coffee and Chat will be held in the Oak Forest Elementary Library at 7:45AM. We would love to see everyone there! If you have any questions for Dr. Williams that you would like to hear her address at the coffee, please e-mail them to
[email protected]
before October 2 so she has plenty of time
to prepare her response.
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PTA Membership
By Gaby Rodrigues and Courtney Gaydosik - PTA Membership Chairs
Use your PTA Membership to:
*
Get Connected.
PTA provides opportunities to meet and network in person, and through social media, with other parents, teachers, and school administrators. You will be invited to join the OFE PTA Living Tree group.
*
Speak Up.
PTA can be a way for you to more effectively be a voice for change at your child's school.
*
Watch Yourself Grow
.
As a PTA volunteer, you can use your skills and hobbies to create the learning environment you want for your child.
*
Give Back.
By becoming part of PTA, you can help decide how funds are spent to better our school.
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PTA Member Spotlight:
The Buckholtz family
The Buckholtz family is brand new to Oak Forest Elementary, and dad Bernard has dived right into the PTA. "I joined PTA during Kindergarten registration," he said. "I mentioned that I knew a little about IT, and suddenly I became co-chair of the IT committee!" In addition to his IT contributions, Bernhard plans to "get my hand dirty with manual work (festival/auction set up and breakdown)."
Kindergartner Malachi has quite an imagination. "He makes paper airplanes, puts bugs in them, and lets them 'travel'," his dad explained. "He is a very social kid, so making new friends has been his favorite part of school."
When asked to share something special about the family, Bernard said, "Believe it or not, Malachi and I are superheroes. True story." Given that this year's theme at OFE is super-heroes, the Buckholtzes should fit right in!
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2015 OFE Fall Festival
By
Jacquelyn Jacobs and Christina Amos - Fall Festival Chairs
Here ye, Here ye! All ye Kings and Queens, Knights and Nobles! A festival celebration is planned to honor Oak Forest Elementary.
'Once Upon a Time' Fall Festival is almost here.
Join us
Saturday, November 7
from
11am - 3pm
OFE playground and blacktop
Check out our Fall Festival T-Shirt design; The order forms went home in the Wednesday folders on
9/30/15. You can also order online through the PTA's website (
www.oakforestpta.com). The shirts can be worn
on Fridays throughout the year.
Turn in your order by October 9! We are unable take orders after this date.
Look for Ticket Pre-Sales to start
October 21! You will see a form in your
Wednesday folder or you can chose to order online. Make sure to order by
October 30 so you get the pre-sale discount.
Will-call ticket pickup will be held on
November 5-6 before school
7:30 - 8:15am and after school
2:45 - 3:30pm.
Please sign up to volunteer to work a booth the day of the event. Sign-ups will come through your classroom's Room Parent.
We hope to see your there!
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Thank You Corner
2015 Grandparents Day
A Big THANK YOU goes out to our OFE Faculty/Staff and our amazing PTA volunteers for a great Grandparents' Day hosted at the school. We are also very grateful for the many students' family members and friends who came out to our school for lunch together. Your support is cherished and your Bobcats loved showing off their school to you!
Fourth Grader Audra Pratt (Mr. Church - Homeroom) dines on culinary delicacies with her grandmother, Ms. Gayla Sonderegger, retired Teacher from Galena Park I.S.D.
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2015-2016 OFE Yearbook
By Pam Huwar and Jennifer Scogin - Yearbook Chairs
[email protected]
WE WANT YOUR PICS FOR THE YEARBOOK!
TWO EASY WAYS TO SHARE:
- Download the Balfour ImageShare app (for iOS or Android) to send images to the yearbook staff from your smartphone
- Oak Forest Elementary School Project #618950
- No smartphone or you have pics from a separate camera? No problem!
* All images will be considered, but not all can be used
** Do you have a DSLR camera and would you be willing to be called on to take photos of various events should a yearbook staff member not be available? Contact Us!
[email protected]
UPCOMING YEARBOOK ITEMS:
- Yearbooks ON SALE NOW! Go to www.oakforestpta.com and click on the "got yearbook?" icon TODAY!
- Order your dedication pages NOW! Full page ad gets a FREE yearbook during the early bird special!
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FaceBook and Twitter at OFE
By Carolina Chavez and Cathy Turner - Social Media Committee
Parents,
This is a reminder that you can get periodic updates via the OFE PTA Facebook Page. Search "Oak Forest Elementary PTA" - once confirmed as a parent at OFE, you will be added to this private/secure group.
AND
OFE now has a Twitter handle managed by the school administration (Twitter handle is @OakForestES - feed can be found on school website's front page:
http://www.houstonisd.org/oakforestes
)
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Box Tops for Education
By Cara Ramelow and Maureen Marcon - Box Tops Committee Chairs
There are two easy ways that everyone can help raise money for Oak Forest Elementary. You can register your Kroger Plus card with Kroger's Community Rewards Program and you can collect Box Tops for Education. Last year, we earned almost $6,600 between these two programs, so let's start earning again and strive to beat last year's total! We need everyone to participate!!
So far this year we've collected 3,500 box tops!! For every 10 unexpired box tops that you submit, you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a free ice cream cone. There will be two winners each month. And the best part is that the class that collects the most box tops by the end of April will win a class party. 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 front atrium. It is helpful to submit your box tops in groups of ten in a zip lock 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 you can be entered in the drawing.
As of the end of September, Mrs. Graeve's third grade class is in the lead for the ice cream party but her class better keep collecting because Mrs. Austin's and Mrs. Paule's classes are right behind them!!!! Congratulations to Presley Crabbe, Kelly Cassin-Skulte, Sophia Marcon and Jackson Martini, the winners of the monthly drawing for a free ice cream for August and September. The following Bobcats collected Box Tops during these months. The highlighted/red ones submitted over 100 for the month.
Thanks Bobcats!!
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Isabella Aceves
Cooper Allen
Carson Amos
Conner Amos
Mya Anzaldua
Michah Atkins
Jackson Autry
Shaun Benesch
Sophia Braun
Valentina Briones
Daniela Bustamante
William Caldwell
Nikolas Cardenas
Kelley Cassin-Skulte
Hannah Channell
Jaxon Cheshire
Aidan Clark
Angelo Coleman
Presley Crabbe
Caroline Croker
Kole D'Agostino
Carolyn D'Souza
Cecilia D'Souza
Mark Diaz
Kennedy Doakes
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James Ekelmans
Julia Ekelmans
Wyatt Ford
Mariela Garcia
Christopher Guthrie
Savannah Horvath
Tyler Horvath
Abigail Huwar
Everett Huwar
Elijah Kruppa
Taylor Jacobs
Ella Madi
Elijah Malveaux
Sophia Marcon
Jackson Martini
Matthew McWilliams
Lauren Miranda-Abghary
Jeremy Ortiz
Emma Osterman
Rachel Osterman
Campbell Otto
Frankie Persyn
Dylan Powis-Case
Judson Quiros
Blaise Rabo
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Adam Ramirez
Kaelyn Ramirez
Mrs. Randle
Alexandria Robledo
Sienna Rodrigues
Alexis Saha
Lucas Schoene
Joseph Siarski
Kailyn Siarski
Katelyn Smith
Zaundra Sosa
Kyle Spiller
Stephen
Cooper Stevens
Lillian Stuart
Travis Tilley
Ava Trevino
Isabella Trevino
Mrs. Valdez
Kelly Vasquez
Gia Velasquez
Alice Waters
Megan Waters
Daniel Wheeler
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OFE
Box Tops for
Education
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:__________________
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Available for OFE Box Tops Raffle
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Support OFE: Link your Kroger Plus card
Every time you use your Kroger Plus card, Kroger will donate money to Oak Forest Elementary. All you need to do is go to the following website and enroll in their Community Rewards Program:
Choose Oak Forest Elementary PTA / Organization No. 90142 as your reward choice!
Either create an account or enroll (or Re-Enroll if you have already participated in previous years!) in the rewards program if you already have an account set up.
You must re-enroll every year so sign-up now. Oak Forest Elementary is depending on you! You must sign up online; you can't sign up in the store. if you need assistance with signing up, instructions on how to enroll can be found on the Oak forest Elementary PTA website.
Sign-up grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends, etc. Let's start earning money for our kids and our school.
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