Oakview South Newsletter

What a great start of the school year! Students have been working hard and adjusting to new expectations in their classrooms. It's amazing walking around the building and hearing all the great conversations on what it looks like to SOAR at Oakview. SOAR is our positive behavior acronym.

S - Stay safe

O - Offer help

A - Act responsibly

R - Respect everyone

We talk about how we can SOAR in multiple areas like the cafeteria, hallways, recess, etc. Students have done an exceptional job so far and we are excited to watch them continue to SOAR this entire school year.

9/19 PTO Fundraiser Kickoff

9/22 Homecoming Parade - Spirit Day

10/4 Picture Day

10/11 Conferences

10/12 Conferences

10/13 No School

10/16 No School

You may not realize this, but Oakview gets federal funds for being a Title 1 building. This allows us to have extra adults in the building to help service and support more students. For example, last year we created a teacher interventionist position to help give extra support to struggling students. To remain a Title 1 building, we need your help. We know that lunch is free this year, but our Title status is dependent on everyone filling out a free and reduced lunch form. If you haven't already, please fill out this form.

If you get a chance, check out the resources we have for families on our Title page.

If you have any feedback or suggestions for Oakview, scan the QR code and it will take you to a Google Form. Thank you!

We’re off to a great start in third grade! We’ve been getting to know each other, as well as getting to know the staff, routines and SOARing expectations at Oakview. Each morning we greet one another in the hallways and classrooms to build strong relationships.

We’ve learned to SOAR in all locations, from the playground to the cafeteria to each classroom. We work to stay safe, offer help, act responsibly and respect each other. When we SOAR we can get the most out of our days together. We build community in our classrooms by writing a social contract: a student-teacher behavior agreement that is the centerpiece of a strong classroom environment. We agree on how we’ll work together and treat one another on a daily basis.

This month, we’ll take the i-Ready assessments in math and reading in order to identify each learner’s strengths and areas for growth, as well as make plans to support their growth. Also, children will read individually with their teachers.

Soon we’ll begin our daily routine of switching classrooms for math and for content (science, social studies) and word study. Mrs. Dean and Ms. Schrauben will teach content and word study and Mrs. Smiley and Mrs. Kiel will teach math.

We’ll also be starting our first math unit, Understanding Equal Groups. We’ll practice combining equal groups to develop the concept of multiplication and we’ll divide a quantity into equal groups. Multiplication and division will be developed further later in the school year. By the end of third grade it is expected that students will be fluent with the multiplication combinations up to 10 X 10.

In social studies we’ll touch on Michigan’s geography and symbols. What is a state? Why is our state shaped like a mitten? Why do we have two peninsulas? The first unit will help us learn about Michigan’s government.

We’re looking forward to a great year in partnership with you!

Fourth grade is off to a great start! So far we’ve been practicing our daily procedures. We have seen a lot of growth in the way students walk in the hallways and transition to a new subject in class. Fourth graders are not the youngest in the school anymore so we really put emphasis on how they can lead by setting a good example for those younger than them.

We have also spent time getting to know each other and learning how to work together as a team to solve a problem.

It is a good idea to set up a nightly routine for reading at home. This can be done independently, if your child is an independent reader, or with a parent or older sibling. This routine has a huge impact on reading success.

Please have your students empty their backpacks every Friday and make sure their red folder is sent back to school on Mondays. Students will empty their mailboxes each Friday and bring home important paperwork and graded assignments.. Thank you for your help with a smooth transition into the beginning of the school year! We’re going to have a great year!

SCIENCE

The 1st week of science was exciting. We went over expectations and rules of our classroom. We begin the unit by understanding the importance of observations. Observations are strong because they are the building blocks to help us begin the process of understanding. Observations in science can’t have value or judgment that could lead to bias opinions. We began by watching the video “Upside down and Inside out” by OKGO. The video is very creative and it allows the students to observe controlled chaos inside of a plane that experiences zero gravity. Don’t worry it was not crashing, there is a ton of science behind the concept. We discuss the process of how observations lead to questions and questions lead to research and possible solutions. The students were engaged and had so many great responses from the video. It can be found on youtube if you are interested in watching it.

Social Studies

5th grade historians have been learning about how a historian studies the past. We have been exploring the questions historians ask (What happened? When did it happen? How did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? Who was involved?) and how historians use multiple primary and secondary sources to answer those questions. We are now starting to practice thinking like a historian by looking closely at informational text passages and answering questions about the text to put together stories of the past.

Math

In math, students were introduced to the new BenQ board in Mr. Ferden’s classroom. This 86-inch interactive screen will allow for students to share their thinking simply by the use of writing on the screen with their finger. Students are super excited to use the BenQ board this year. Our first unit in math this year is on multiplication and division. Students will be learning how to multiply and divide multi-digit numbers.

ELA

5th graders are underway with beginning of the year reading assessments. This valuable information will allow us to better meet the needs of all students. Looking forward to knowing your child as a reader.

Oakview champion artists are back to work and have made their sketchbook which is a tool and resource they will use all year! 5th graders are going to start working on a portrait and symbolism project; 4th graders are diving into color theory and will be making a three-dimensional color wheel and weaving; 3rd graders are learning about the art and style of cubism and collage with Pablo Picasso- trust and believe and you will achieve!

In 3rd grade music, students are expanding their solfege skills, both reading notes and listening to melodies to define high and low. We'll soon be playing ukuleles!

4th grade musicians are expanding their rhythm skills & working on rounds. We'll be playing ukuleles by the end of September, & look forward to playing recorders before Thanksgiving. (Don't worry, their instruments never come home with them!)

In 5th grade music, we are starting the year by learning some new musical concepts on xylophones. We'll soon do a quick recorder unit, and be playing ukuleles also. We look forward to exploring band and orchestra instruments extensively this year, as we work towards making decisions about our musical future next spring.

Hello Oakview families! We have started the year off by putting our best foot forward! Students have learned the gym expectations, set personal goals for the year, and learned about teamwork and cooperation. Our first month is focusing on locomotor skills as we learn new games and get our bodies moving!

Helping Your Child Read at Home

There are many different types, or genres of text out there. We encourage our students to branch out and try different genres. Here is a list of examples:

• Mystery

• Information

• Historical Fiction

• Adventure

• Science Fiction

• Graphic Novels

• Biographies

• Autobiographies

• Poetry

• Drama

• Fantasy

Allowing your child to choose from a variety of texts will help them understand that reading is not just fake stories. Many times, children believe reading is all make believe. Diving into different genres will make a more well rounded reader. Later in life this will help with interviewing, jobs, and just overall use of vocabulary.