Oak Ridge Connection

The Oak Ridge community commits to every student's academic achievement, personal development, and social responsibility.

-Oak Ridge Elementary

Dear Parents,

Thank you for another great week. We had our first Family Circles this week. It was great to see the students back in their old groups and seeing friends they haven't in awhile. We also had our first edition of Good Morning Oak Ridge. Please view it in the link below. We keep learning every day and as always we are working on improving our High Five behaviors. have a great weekend and Go Lions!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Parrott

Each week we are going to focus on a High Five Behavior of the Week. This week's behavior is:

Be Respectful on the Playground: Line up when you hear the whistle. Listen to adults

If you would like to view our High Five PBIS Matrix please look below...

Are you a PTA member? We need you to JOIN today. https://oakridge.givebacks.com/store?limit=21&live=true

It's recently come to our attention that Oak Ridge PTA membership is at an all-time low while we're doing as much as ever. We have chosen to not incentivize membership with access to the PTA facebook page because we want it to be a valuable crowd-sourcing informative tool for everyone, but this has hurt our membership numbers greatly!

As a reminder, here is what you get from being a member ($10/annual fee that is not automatically renewed):

1. Weekly emails and reminders for school and PTA events.

2. Voting how our annual funds are used! We voted on two spending issues at last night's meeting. Curious? Attend in December to see how we are trying to improve our community using fundraising dollars.

3. Access to volunteer opportunities and having a direct hand in how our community comes together. Want active involvement in your child's school? Join today.

4. Have access to the PTA online directory which includes email addresses for people at Oak Ridge (who wish to have their emails shown--if you requested privacy, this info of course will not be shared). This is great for setting up playdates and growing your social circle.

5. Donation to our school and the National PTA. The National PTA is first and foremost and advocacy group that works hard to ensure that children have equal opportunities. You'll gain access to the national PTA's resources, which are plentiful and address issues such as diversity and inclusion, as well as literacy.

6. Support of our dozen plus community events. Can you imagine an Oak Ridge without amazing events like our recent Trunk or Treat or Breakfast with a Buddy? Without our members and volunteering, we're unable to continue to provide these. We are lucky enough to have hit our financial goals. NOW we need to see our membership/volunteer goals come through to continue our programming.

Membership is only $10 a year, AND if you're unable to pay the dues, please contact Dr. Parrott for financial support. We want to have your back--especially if you're struggling. PTA is meant to be a resource for the most vulnerable in our community--not for the privileged.

The Royal Oak Performing Arts Department would like to invite you to the 44th Annual All City Vocal Festival set to take place on Monday, November 25th. The event will be performed in the Royal Oak High School Gym, beginning at 7:00pm.

This event will include performances from the Royal Oak High School ensembles, Royal Oak Middle School ensembles, and the combined Elementary Schools' 5th Grade Select Choir. There will also be performances by the All City Men and All City Women Choirs and a special performance by all students in the Combined Choirs.

The All City Vocal Festival is the only event in our amazing district where you are able to listen to both the performances of some of our youngest vocalists through to our most advanced. Throughout this event it is easy to observe the younger vocalists respect and admire those that are more advanced; anticipating the day when they too will be considered an advanced ensemble performer. I am certain, if you are able to attend, you will enjoy the great variety of repertoire and the vocal expertise of our amazing students. Please join us in this annual showcase of our students' vocal music talent.

BREAKFAST WITH A SPECIAL PERSON

This event is for everyone at Oak Ridge! Come enjoy breakfast with your Oak Ridge student before school Tuesday, November 12. From 7:40 am-8:20 am we will be serving nut-free bagels, an allergy-friendly alternative for those who need one, juice and Starbucks coffee in the Great Room.

We are still looking for a few more volunteers to help the event run smoothly! Sign up for set-up crew, clean-up crew or to help hand out bagels to attendees at Oak Ridge: Breakfast With a Special Person - Volunteers

If you absolutely cannot make it to the event, we would love to send home a goodie bag so you and your Student(s) can share some special time together when it works best for you and your Student(s)! Please email us at sarahberkley@hotmail.com before Monday, November 11, to let us know how many bagels we should send home with your student (please limit to 4).

Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Time: 7:40 am-8:20 am

Location: The Great Room at Oak Ridge

Questions? Email us at sarahberkley@hotmail.com

Hope to see you there!

Our professional learning morning for staff will take place again this Wednesday, November 13. This means that it is a late start for students. The first bell will ring at 9:20 a.m. with classes starting at 9:25 a.m

There will be a PTA Meeting on Monday, November 11, at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to participate!

Lunch Buddies is an opportunity to see your child in the wild! We are combining Green Team composting sign-ups with a sign-up for a newly identified need of parent and adult caregiver lunch volunteers.

Lunch Buddies includes opportunities assisting with our lunch composting, assisting younger children with their lunches, refereeing lunch recess sports (any adults miss those lunchtime football games?), and more! Put in half an hour for one shift or sign up for two shifts the same day and see your child both a lunch AND recess! Link to our sign-up genius below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BADAC2DA5FBC61-52780536-november?#/

Hello Families!

The Green School Committee at Oak Ridge is in need of some help!

At lunch, the volunteers and lunch monitors have been overwhelmed with the amount of recycling that is being thrown away each day. They need some assistance helping students find the correct receptacles and cleaning/organizing recyclable items.

Last year, we added food composting to Oak Ridge, and are in need of some more helpful hands as students become acclimated to this new change and are reminded of the composting process!

If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to Mrs. Mangum (molly.mangum@royaloakschools.org) or click on the link here. Please don't feel obligated to help everyday...any time is extremely helpful! Volunteers are needed from approximately 11:30 am-12:30 pm each day.

Thank you in advance!

Please do not park in the allergists and surrounding businesses parking lots!. They are our neighbors and we need to be respectful of their businesses and spaces. You will be towed if you continue to do so thank you!

With our first marking period ending on November 1, our teachers will be providing progress reports to parents through report cards. Report cards are not being sent home with students. Instead, they will be available to view through Parent Portal on the Royal Oak Schools website starting Monday, November 11. There is a Report Card tab on the left side of the screen that you need to click to access your child's Report Card. Teachers are able to see if you have viewed your child's report card, so if you haven't, they might send you a message to make sure you are able to access it. If you have any questions or need help accessing your child's report card, please contact the Oakland Schools Help Desk at 248-209-2060.

Our Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday, November 14, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. and 4:00-7:00 p.m. Parent-Teacher Conferences will also take place on Thursday, December 5, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. These are by appointment only. Please contact your child's teacher if you still need to arrange a date for conferences.

There will be a Half Day of School on November 14. Students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. There will be NO Latchkey on this date.

ROMS is bringing back their Blood Drive and making it more convenient for all to donate. They will be hosting it in their pool lobby area. Guests can enter through door #8 after parking in the main parking lot and check in there at their designated time.

Here is the link to sign up!

RoyalOakParentAdvocacyCommittee-NovemberMeeting11/19@6:30PM

The Royal Oak Parent Advocacy Committee (ROPAC) is our school district's Parent Advisory Committee - a group made up of parents/caregivers of students with IEPs or 504 Plans, those that want to learn more, and those that think their student may benefit from special education services. ROPAC sincerely welcomes any parent or caregiver with a student(s) in Royal Oak schools to join us in our mission to make this district a destination for students receiving special education services. Learn more about the ROPAC here: ROPAC Info Flyer

The PAC's November meeting will be held Tuesday, 11/19 @ 6:30 PM on Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81883355850?pwd=mlCBiLUzCpdAseU1KE6TKfzjhqHOwL.1). Our special guest is Megan McCoy from Oakland Mediation Center, and she will help us walk through the components of an IEP & 504 plan to help us understand what it all means! To join our mailing list for meeting reminders and other updates, complete this quick form: ROPAC Email List

Oak Ridge PTA is an essential part of our elementary school community. This week, PTA President, Marissa Schramski, answers why you should join the PTA, even with busy schedules and bigger priorities:

Why should I join the PTA?

The PTA works hard to build community within the school. We organize fun events like Trunk or Treat, Winter Market, Unplugged Week, Skate Night and more. We support our teachers by providing financial support for classroom enrichment activities and field trips, as well as small things that make teachers' daily lives easier, such as stocking the staff lounge with snacks once a month. Most importantly, the PTA advocates for all children to ensure students at Oak Ridge have equitable experiences. Something that might seem small, like purchasing a book at the Scholastic book fair, is incredibly important to a child who may otherwise have been unable to do so.

I don't have the time!!

PTA doesn't require any amount of time other than the two minutes it takes signing up for a membership here. While your $10 annual dues allow you to vote on important matters at PTA meetings, it doesn't require any time commitment whatsoever. You can know your dues go toward helping the PTA carry out their mission to advocate for all children and leave it at that.

Or course, we welcome anyone willing to give their time. If you would like to attend meetings, they're held on zoom and in-person on the second Monday of the month at 7pm in the Media Center. If you want to get even more involved, we definitely have a place for you volunteering in our numerous open positions. Email OakRidgeROPTA@gmail.com if you'd like to find a place and a bigger role in PTA. Our PTA can do incredible things for our children and teachers when we are fully staffed!

It's not really my vibe.

Your entire current PTA board once thought it wasn't their vibe. We've all seen Hollywood's take on PTA, and mean girl exclusion and judging is not what you'll find here. We welcome all caregivers of Oak Ridge students, period. You'll have the chance to meet other parents/caregivers who want nothing more than to help our children create core positive memories during elementary school that will stay with them for a lifetime. Most of our board members have full-time jobs, many of which are in public service, and ALL of them volunteer because they truly want to foster a supportive community where all are appreciated. Lastly, you'll have direct knowledge of everything Oak Ridge and Royal Oak Schools. Dr. Parrott and a designated School Board representative attend each PTA meeting where they present reports on very important information.

I'm still not sure...

Think of your most positive memory of elementary school socializing. Chances are, a PTO was responsible for it. $10 per year allows you to create those same positive memories for another child! It also gets you access to an incredible community of passionate caregivers and teachers, contributes to fulfilling our children's social needs, and allows you to make a difference right in your own neighborhood. We hope you'll join us today.

PTA Meetings take place on the second Monday of each month at 7pm in the Media Center. Purchase your membership here: https://oakridge.givebacks.com/store/items/15211

Oak Ridge has adopted a whole school behavior management system. We are still using our High Five Rules but we will be using Class Dojo to to keep track of High Five Behaviors instead of High Five tickets. All teachers will have access to Class Dojo and you will be able to keep track of Dojo points from home!!

Please follow up with your child should you notice any "needs work" marks as well as praise them for any positive behavior choices!

Students will be able to trade in their points for different rewards!! Stay tuned for a list of rewards and how many Dojo points they will cost. Stay tuned for more!

Hello Oak Ridge Families! Another great year at the Ridge is upon us, and we are already looking ahead to many exciting activities that will help certify our school as a Michigan "Green School" once again!

Throughout the month of October, we will be collecting used tennis shoes for recycling! Please drop any used athletic shoes off in the labeled box just inside the front doors of our school (starting Tuesday October 1st!)

We're continuing the Oak Ridge Spirit Wear Swap this year! Do you have gently used Eagle wear that your child has outgrown? Interested in *FREE* spirit gear? Check out the bin under the table just inside the front doors of our school! There will also be an opportunity for you to visit a swap booth at our Trunk or Treat event at the end of October!

Throughout the year we collect old/used pens and markers. Feel free to send in a bag from home with your student, or drop them in the smaller box on the table just outside of the inner office doors.

Thank you for your continuous support!

Please make sure you do not park before the cone in the front circle drive. That area is reserved for buses. We must be able to accommodate our students that need transportation. Thank you!

We have taken positive steps toward improving the traffic flow at Oak Ridge Elementary. Please help support us by following these guidelines:

● Front Circle Drive is for drivers of students in Room 103, 105, 107, 109, and 111 only.

● Drivers of students in rooms 104, 106, and 108 drop off in front of classrooms in the back parking lot.

● Drivers of third graders are to drop off in the back lot at the pick-up/drop-off zone (blue line in front of east doors).

● Drivers of fourth-graders are to drop off on Bloomfield (street just south of parking lot) and students enter the building at the east doors (outside of Media Center)

● Drivers of fifth-graders drop off on Alexander (street east of upper-grade playground)

● In our back lot, follow in single file to the pick-up/drop-off zone. As you pull up to the BLUE LINE, stop and drop off/pick up your child. Do NOT create a second line. All students should exit/enter the car door on the curbside ONLY.

● STAY IN SINGLE FILE IN THE BACK LOT.

● Do NOT park along the curb next to the building.

● Give yourself extra time and adhere to traffic safety.

Suggested Options

● Consider coming a few minutes early for drop off/pick up.

● Consider walking to school with your students and neighbors.

● Consider riding your bikes as a family to school.

● Carpooling reduces congestion and helps the environment.

If everyone helps support our efforts, it will be a safe place for students and families! Thank you in advance for your help!

If your child needs to take medication throughout the school day, please fill out the following form and return it to the main office. Thank you!

Please be aware that Board Policy 5330 (below) requires a doctor's prescription as well as parental authorization before we can dispense non prescribed (over the counter) medicine as well as prescribed medications.

For purposes of this policy, "medication" shall include all medicines including those prescribed by a physician and any nonprescribed (over-the-counter) drugs, preparations, and/or remedies. "Treatment" refers both to the manner in which a medication is administered and to health-care procedures which require special training, such as catheterization.

Before any medication or treatment may be administered to any student during school hours, the Board shall require the written prescription from the child's physician accompanied by the written authorization of the parent. This document shall be kept on file in the administrative offices. No student is allowed to provide or sell any type of over-the-counter medication to another student. Violations of this rule will be considered violations of Policy 5530 - Drug Prevention and of the Student Discipline Code/Code of Conduct.

Although it would seem logical that parental authorization to administer an over the counter medicine would be enough, we are required to also have authorization from a physician. For any instances where non-prescribed medicine is being administered without a physician's prescription, please ask those parents to have their pediatrician sign and return the parental consent form.

Request for Dispensing Medication

Homework Club is available for students on all Late Start Wednesdays from 8:20-9:20 a.m. Please click on the following link to register for Homework Club:

Homework Club 24-25

Stay in touch with Royal Oak Schools by downloading our new mobile app!

Download on your mobile device today and select 'yes' to receive push notifications with the latest news and updates from the District. Use this link for more download information:

https://www.royaloakschools.org/quick_links/royal_oak_schools_app

Please view the Spanish newsletter by clicking here.

Please take time to view the September PE Newsletter.

https://secure.smore.com/n/cfbj6

Please click here for Royal Oak Schools Performing Arts newsletter.

We are limiting visitors to the building especially before and after school. Please drop your students at their designated exterior door. We want to limit traffic and provide the safest environment possible. Thank you for cooperating with us in this matter!

Please make sure to view or Student/Parent Handbook by clicking here.

Please make sure you turn in all of your information for background checks two weeks prior to your event. This will allow us plenty of time to process your request. We often use parent drivers for many of our fieldtrips. Unfortunately we can not allow parents/guardians to drive their own child and drop them off. Volunteers and drivers are not permitted to bring a younger sibling along with them on the event. We want to make sure all students are accounted for and safety is a priority. If you are interested in volunteering please fill out our volunteer background form.

Please remember to join the PTA - we are working hard to keep our community strong! The PTA welcomes every student & their family from Oak Ridge. We want to make sure we are inclusive of all families and everyone has the opportunity to be a member. If there are financial limitations preventing you from joining the PTA please contact us so we can remove that barrier. It takes all of us working together to make our children reach their true potential.

Join online at: https://oakridge.memberhub.store/

Individual memberships are $10/year.

Thanks to the Michigan School Meals Program, a state-funded program that allows all students to receive meals at no cost for the 2023-2024 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free to all students. Second meals are not free and will be considered ala carte. Elementary school second lunches will be charged $2.60.

Although all students can receive meals at no cost, it is still vital that eligible families fill out a free/reduced meal application: A school’s eligibility for federal Child Nutrition Programs such as Summer Food Service Program and others is based on free and reduced-price eligibility. Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Federal and state education finding uses free and reduced-price eligibility.

Please complete the 2023-2024 online application on our website under Free and Reduced Meals Information. Paper applications will be sent out this month and available at the district office and in all schools in August.

“Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. This program, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, is active in Royal Oak Schools. If you agree to take part in this program during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with food for the weekend. A bag of food will be put in your child's locker for take home on Fridays. The simple meals may include food like macaroni and cheese, beef ravioli, canned fruit, granola bars, soups, juice and other items. Students will receive a bag every week.

If you would like to have your child participate in this program, fill out the form below.. Please be sure to indicate on the form if you child has any food allergies. If your child has a food allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home. Royal Oak Schools, as well as Blessings in a Backpack, will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen exposure.

Blessings in a Backpack Form

If you have students currently enrolled in the program you will be contacted directly by the Young Oaks Coordinator.

Any families interested in the program can use the link below for information about the program.

Young Oaks Latchkey

Oak Ridge Live is an award winning news broadcast presented by our fifth grade students. Each week they bring us news and events from Oak Ridge and the surrounding community. I am pleased to announce we are continuing our broadcast. A special thank you to our Mr. L and Mr. Todd and our student broadcasters for the professionalism and effort they have put into continuing this broadcast. I could not be more proud of them. I hope you enjoy this week's edition of Oak Ridge Live:

Good Morning Oak Ridge 11/8/24

Archived Oak Ridge Live Episodes

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

For updates on events or a better insight on you child's school day. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Facebook @ParrottJason

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

At Oak Ridge we take pride in making sure we have a kind, caring, environment. Our parents play a large role in helping us to achieve this goal. Before posting to social media or any other venue, please consider the feelings of all our community members . Before you post, remember to T.H.I.N.K...

MIssion: We commit to every students academic achievement, personal development and social responsibility.

Email: parrottj@royaloakschools.org
Website: http://www.royaloakschools.org/elementary/oakridge/
Location: 506 E 13 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI, United States
Phone: (248) 588-8353
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeElementarySchool
Twitter: @ParrottJason