We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe spring break! Classes resume on Monday, March 28. As a reminder, you can find the District calendar HERE on our website.

Room 138 isn't your typical classroom at Oak Creek High School. There are tiny chairs and tiny tables beside the typical seating you would expect to find in a high school classroom. That's because room 138 is home to the new Little Knights Play School, a child care learning lab that provides the opportunity for high school students to work closely with preschool-aged children.

Under the direction of Mrs. Riha, high school students facilitate learning experiences for the preschoolers, which encourage school readiness and social skills. Each week students engage in different themes that focus on incorporating stories, songs, art projects, games, group activities, and individual exploration. “I really like interacting with the kids and teaching them new things,” shares Junior Ayat Qattoum.

Little Knights Play School embodies the school district’s mission of Building Successful Futures TOGETHER. “It’s the best of both worlds,” says Mrs. Riha, the Director of Little Knights Play School and OCHS Family & Consumer Science Teacher. “Our high schoolers get real experience working with preschool age students. They can actually implement the lesson plans they create and earn certifications upon completion of this course. At the same time we are able to provide learning and social opportunities for our preschoolers and share the talents of our high school students with our community” Mrs. Riha explains.

Little Knights Play School is just one example of the work-based learning opportunities available at Oak Creek High School. In addition to the various off-campus Youth Apprenticeships available for students, OCHS also offers four different WBL opportunities on campus: Little Knights Play School, Knights' Café, The Armory School-Based Enterprise, and Knights Construction.

Work-based learning opportunities allow students the opportunity to take the knowledge and skills they have accumulated throughout their high school career and apply it to real-world situations. Work-based learning provides students with real work experience while earning credits towards high school graduation. 

Throughout the month of March, schools across our nation celebrate Youth Art Month (YAM). The Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District will be celebrating YAM by hosting the Youth Art Month Open House Exhibit and Celebration on Thursday, March 31st from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Oak Creek High School. Twenty-five pieces of student artwork from each OCFSD school will be on display. 

In addition, Ram on the Road, Racine Art Museum’s community art outreach, will be in the Oak Creek High School cafeteria to make artwork with you that you can take home! Thank you Racine Art Museum! Join us in celebration and view artwork created by OCFSD’s talented art students!  

Cedar Hills fourth graders participated in a group paint along to prepare their artworks for their Spring Art Show at Cedar Hills on April 8th! Their theme this year is flowers and all things Spring! Students had a wonderful time and can’t wait to share their works with family and friends!

Two students from Meadowview placed 1st in the WisDOT Aviation Art Contest. Tiffany (top row) won in the Intermediate Age category and Vivienne (bottom row) won first place in the Junior Age category. The theme for the contest was "Design Your Perfect Aircraft." Both pieces of their artwork are being sent to Washington D.C. for the National competition taking place soon. They will also be added to a summer exhibit at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Art students at West Middle School are challenged to use their choice and voice to guide their personal improvement. All 6th graders base their first projects on growth goals with the art materials of their choice.

OCFSD recently celebrated our youngest artists at our 4K Art shows at the OC Library! 4K students were so excited to share their creations with friends and family.

Students at Forest Ridge Elementary created a special mural for SC Johnson's Alliance of Black Professionals. The mural was created in February during Black History Month and features Black Americans who made significant contributions to their chosen scientific field. Forest Ridge Art Teacher Andrew Novak met with the representatives from SC Johnson and selected the scientists:

• Dr. Charles Drew, Surgeon - Blood Transfusion/storage innovation
• Katherine Johnson, Mathematician - NASA Orbital Mechanics
• Dr. Alexa Canady, Pediatric Neurosurgeon - First Black Woman to become a Neurosurgeon
• Dr. Gladys West, Mathematician - Satellite geodesy tech used in GPS
• Annie Easley, Computer Scientist - NASA lead for Centaur rocket stage
• Dr. Betty Harris, Chemist - Patented explosive spot testing still used by Homeland Security today

Mr. Novak designed the process and students worked on implementing the design. At the end of February, the mural was revealed at an SC Johnson Alliance of Black Professionals event in Racine. The mural will travel among the various departments of SC Johnson throughout the remainder of the year. 

Family Fun! Join us for Family Open Swim - Saturdays, 11-1pm April 2 - May 21 at Oak Creek High School Pool. Enter Door #18. $2/visit/person.



Your “What To Do?” recreation guide will be mailed to each household the week of April 25.

Summer OCR program registration opens May 9 at 8 am. Most programs begin in early June and continue through August. This is a great way to support many of our high school teams with fundraising. Programming is offered for all ages with aquatic lessons, open swim, cooking classes, fitness programs, league play, adult trips, and so much more. 

Register online at www.ocfsd.org/ocr or in person at the School District Office - 7630 S. 10th Street. Registration forms are on the last page of the “What To Do?” activity guide and may be dropped off in the drop box just outside the main entrance at any time.

Six Appeal, featuring special guests: OCHS A Cappella Choir 

Sat., Apr. 9, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Awarded the prestigious a cappella title as National Harmony Sweepstakes Champions in 2012, followed by winning the world’s largest a cappella competition in Moscow, Russia in 2018, Six Appeal is an incredible collection of talented performers singing a diverse songbook of today’s hits and yesterday’s classics. This event is sponsored in part by Tracy Ryba in honor of Alexis. $10 Student tickets are NOW available! These tickets are only for the upper center section till supplies last. Reserve your seat today!