January 2022 Newsletter

A Message from Principal Thompson

Hello, Oak Creek East Middle School Families,

It is hard to believe we are near the close of the second quarter and beginning conversations with students regarding course selection for the 2022-2023 school year.

During the first week of January, East Middle School staff will be reviewing programming and course selection with all students during advisory.

Please take a moment to review the materials your student will use to inform their course selections.

Programming presentations to current 6th grade: Beginning January 4th in Advisory classes
Future 7th Grade Programming Resources:
7th Grade Programming Guide
7th Grade Student Presentation
7th Grade Course Selection Sheet
Infinite Campus Course Registration step by step guide (due January 14)

Programming presentations to current 7th grade: Beginning January 3rd in Advisory classes
Future 8th Grade Programming Resources:
8th Grade Programming Guide
8th Grade Student Presentation
8th Grade Course Selection Sheet
Infinite Campus Course Registration step by step guide (due January 14)

Programming presentations to current 8th grade: Beginning January 3rd in Advisory classes
Future 9th Grade Programming Resources:
Future 9th Grade Student Welcome Slide Show
Future 9th Grade Student Welcome Video
OCHS Academic & Career Planning Guide
9th Grade Programming Menu
9th Grade Visual Scheduler
Infinite Campus Course Registration guide (due January 14)

Your help throughout this process is essential in ensuring students select courses that make sense for them and help them explore new ways to grow and learn. All students will input their course selections through Infinite Campus which must be completed by January 14, 2022.

Parents & guardians, please set time aside during the upcoming week to review the programming information and assist your student in placing their course selections in Infinite Campus.

If you have questions regarding course selection and/or programming, please contact our school counselors Emily Splan, serving families with last names A-L at 768.6203 ext 1 and Nicole Kollmorgen, serving families with last names M-Z at 768.6203 ext 2.

We are very grateful for your unwavering support and partnership in supporting our students in their learning this school year. Your hard work and support are appreciated by the entire EMS staff. Thank you EMS families!

With gratitude,

Sue Thompson, Principal

Jodi Newell Associate Principal (A-L)

Casey Milroy, Associate Principal (M-Z)

Upcoming Events

Click HERE to see a full list of upcoming events!

January

Jan 03 (Monday) - Return from Winter Break

Jan 17 (Monday) - No School

Jan 24 (Monday) - No School (Possible Snow Make-Up Day)

Jan 25 (Tuesday) 3rd Quarter Begins

February

Feb 11 (Friday) - Student Council Snow Ball (Dance) 4:00 - 6:00PM

Feb 25 (Friday) - No School (Possible Snow Make-Up Day)

Sports/Extra Curricular Activities Photos

On Monday, January 10th, photos for Sports/Extra curricular activities will be taking place during the school day. The following groups will be taking photos: GSA, Vocal Ensemble, German Club, Ambassadors, Jazz Band, Forensics, LEGO League, Ski Club, Boys Basketball, Cheerleading, Poms, & Wrestling.

Please bring uniforms or t-shirts for photos.

Festival of Bands 2022

Dear OC Band Families,

In the interest of the health and safety of our students, staff, and families, we will be making some alterations to the format of Festival of Bands for 2022. These alterations will allow us to maintain the integrity of the performance, achieve our instructional goals, shorten the amount of time and number of people gathered, and provide an opportunity for others to watch the performance in a safer environment. While many details still need to be ironed out, we have established these modifications in cooperation with the band department and district administration:

There will be ONE CONCERT AT 5:00 pm
The rehearsal will take place right before the concert in a much shorter time frame
There will not be a live audience. However, the concert will be livestreamed to view at home or the OCPAEC (first come, first serve)
There will be a video available for purchase after the concert
The students will sit in the bleachers when they are not performing during the concert, so they can still support each other and learn how to be a good audience member.

You should expect a detailed schedule and updated instructions for the day to come from your student’s band director early next week. We appreciate your continued support of music education in our district!

The OCFSD Band Department

Social-Emotional Learning Lessons

Due to scheduling presentations for the '22 - '23 school year, this month will feature small but vital lessons in social/emotional growth. In January, students will be continuing Unit 3 in learning about Thoughts, Emotions & Decisions. During Lesson 15, students will be able to describe what takes place in their brains when they feel a strong emotion. Lesson 16 explores how emotions can influence our decisions. Students will be able to describe particularly how strong emotions can influence the decisions they make. The last week of January focuses on Managing Your Emotions.

By the conclusion of Lesson 17, students will be able demonstrate and evaluate strategies for managing their emotions.

EMS Yearbook Sale

Haven't ordered a yearbook for this school year? Don't sweat it, we have you covered! Online sales can be made by visiting the Jostens website. We would love for each student to purchase a yearbook to see all the amazing memories that have been made this year.

Click HERE to order your yearbook today!

Coffee with the Principal

Save the date and join Ms. Thompson on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 for Coffee with the Principal from 8:45 am to 9:45 am in the East Middle School Office Conference Room. See you there!

EMS Giving Tree

Lego League Team Advances to State

Congratulations to the following students who competed in the First Lego League Sectional Tournament in Waukesha in December:

Gavin Demski
Liyana Peckham
Prince Rodrick Albert
Sam Wolbach
Tobi Olapo
Fernando Sanchez
Lincoln Ganiere
Sam Ward
James Coghlan

Their team, Lego My Eggo, won the Robot Design Award, tied for 7th place out of 24 teams in the robot competition, and will be advancing to the FLL WI State Championship in Madison in February.

Winter Band and Choir Concerts

Congratulations to our Band and Choir students who performed in their first concerts this year! Thank you to these students and their teachers for sharing such beautiful music. We look forward to hearing more!

Jerseys for Jackson Day

On Friday, December 3, 2021, our students and faculty participated in Jerseys for Jackson -- a campaign to honor the life of 8-year-old Jackson Sparks who passed away as a result of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy in November. Jackson was a member of the Waukesha Blazers baseball team and truly had a passion and love for the sport.

Gold Slips (Parent Permission Consent Form)

Students who will be staying before or after school for clubs, extracurricular activities, tutoring sessions, etc... will need to have a signed Gold Slip until the activity coach or club advisor has the student fill out a code of conduct that is signed by both the student and parent/guardian (if applicable).

Gold Slips can be found in the office or on the Forms section of the EMS website under the Parents tab.

Click HERE to print and fill out a slip to return to the front office.

Reminder - Masks Required for the Bus

This is a reminder for students who take the bus to and from school. Remember, masks are mandated on the school bus and MUST be worn. Please be prepared and have your mask out before arriving to the bus at dismissal. You may not get on your bus without a mask. It is also expected that you wear your mask the entire time you are on the bus. This includes to and from school and any athletic or extracurricular event. This is required by a January 2021 federal order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. Thank you!

Artist of the Month

Artist: Mya Burdette

Grade: 7

Mya created this beautiful watercolor landscape. Students had choice in deciding what type of landscape they wanted to create, and the materials that they used. Mya completed this piece with watercolor, pencil, and ink. Mya’s work represents the elements required for the landscape to help portray a sense of depth. Her landscape includes a foreground, middle, and background. Wonderful job Mya!

Aurora Student & Family Assistance Program

The Aurora Student and Family Assistance Program offers a variety of free supportive resources for the families of students in our district. SFAP provides up to 6 sessions of short-term counseling at no charge along with legal, financial, child care and elder care consultation and resources. Services are available to individual adults, couples, and families.

To learn more about these services, visit www.aurora.org/eap or call 1-800-236-3231.

Please mention that you are a parent of a student that attends Oak Creek East Middle School to gain access to the free services.

Cell Phone Free School

Click HERE to view our cell phone and headphones procedure

If you allow your student to bring a phone to school, it will need to be locked in the locker from 8:30 am until 3:45 pm.

As in the “olden days,” you can contact the office if you need to speak to or get a message to your child.

Absence Reporting

Please call the attendance line at (414) 768-6260 option “1” to report student absences and tardies. When leaving a message, please include the date, first and last name of your student, the spelling and grade.

Additionally you may email attendance information to our general office email address at [email protected].

Virtual Backpack

Don’t forget to check your student’s Virtual Backpack! The Virtual Backpack is our "eco-friendly" approach to distributing information supporting our district's educational goals and mission.

Virtual Backpack Link: ocfsd.org/parents/virtual-backpack

Background Checks

The District Volunteer Background Check Application is now online! We will no longer be accepting paper applications. Every volunteer must complete an online volunteer application form even if you were previously approved and are on the Volunteer Database. You will still need to submit an online volunteer application every five years after the initial online application. This new process will have results within 1-2 days!

The link can be found under the Parents tab on the district website.