Dear OHES Families,

Happy New Year! We hope this newsletter finds you and your families enjoying the beginning of 2023, and that your new years are off to a safe and healthy start. Here at OHES, 2022 closed smoothly, as Mrs. Caudill and I were so proud with how our Cubs have adopted our new Cub Core Values initiative to start the year. Each and every day we see students beaming with pride and excitement as they walk the halls with a “Caught Being Kind” sticker. In fact, this month we would like to spotlight the second graders seen below.

These five students took it upon themselves to do a daily cleanup of the second-grade playground, making sure the area was clean of garbage or debris for the next day. Way to go, Cubs! You can access more information about the program directly from our website if you choose.

This month we also dedicated a week of service to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After a schoolwide launch activity focused on creating "Chains of Hope," students were provided with daily opportunities to "serve" their community and focus on the true message of MLK's "dream." Thank you to those of you who made contributions or donations throughout the week.

We are looking forward to many school-wide events coming up that are connected to our district initiatives tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion and social-emotional learning. We have “Global Day of Play” coming up at the beginning of February, lessons and activities planned for Black History month, and will head into March anticipating spring and Read Across America week (Feb 27-March 3).

Please stay up to date with our MES PTA and MSEPTA websites. These associations are so supportive and sponsor assemblies, field trips, and author visits for the students of OHES. More info on these special events to come!

All the best in 2023!

Dan Van Hise

OHES Principal

Our conversations continue to grow in math this year. Some would even say they are GIANT! Our 2nd graders are doing mighty measurements around our school using giant feet and inch worms, prioritizing consistency to build more accurate measurements. To learn more about what your child is currently learning in math, check out Math at Home, select your child's grade level, and then Set 4 in the drop-down menu.

OHES readers and writers are taking off after returning from winter break. Kindergarten students are learning to use their reading Super Powers to decode tricky words, such as Slider Power to slide across all of the letters in the word as they decode. Kindergarteners are also sharing their knowledge on a variety of topics to write How-To books. Need to know how to make a pizza or draw a puppy? Stop by our Kindergarten classrooms! Second graders are using all of their non-fiction knowledge to read and write non-fiction books, focusing on using text features in their writing, identifying the main topics of their books in reading and adding details and facts to their all-about books. There are many ways to practice writing information pieces at home, including asking your child to help with writing to-do lists, creating a diagram to plan out how to rearrange a room or writing down the steps of how to play a favorite game. You can also visit your local library to check out some nonfiction books on topics of interest!

I hope everyone is enjoying winter!

A couple of quick reminders:

• This year, we saw an early increase of students with RSV, flu, and COVID. Please make sure to keep your child home if they have symptoms that are concerning and to consult your child’s healthcare provider if it seems to be anything other than a common cold. For COVID isolation guidelines please refer to the district COVID site by clicking THIS LINK.

• We also have recently seen an uptick in gastrointestinal illness. Please make sure and keep your child home for 48 hours after vomiting or diarrhea. We have increased cleaning for affected classrooms.

• The biggest thing we can do to help prevent the spread in addition to staying home when sick is to practice good hand hygiene. Please remind your child to wash their hands with soap and water frequently, especially before and after eating, after using the bathroom, and after contact with high touch surfaces like doorknobs or phones.

Another great way to stay healthy is to stay active! Weekends are great to bundle up together as a family and walk and explore the parks around Montgomery. Make it a fun event together and take pictures the kids can show their friends of them running around and enjoying the outdoors. It’s a great way to get outside and be active and at the same time, decrease the time spent in front of screens!

Please feel free to contact me at 609-466-7605 ext 1600 or via email at rhanna@mtsd.us if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you!

Enjoy good health,

Rachelle Hanna, BSN, RN, CSN

Did you know that all menus for food service are available on our school website? Simply click the MENUS icon at the top right to be redirected to monthly menus for school lunch.

Please note that you can access Daily Swap Out selections by clicking on the caret symbol below each day’s entree choices.

A la carte items are available daily for purchase. For a complete list of available items, along with prices, please click HERE. At OHES, students are allowed to purchase snacks after they have eaten their lunches. Please join us in encouraging healthy habits by discussing these choices with your children. While Maschio’s does not have guidelines for student snack purchases, if you would like to limit the items your child can purchase, please contact our food services director, Valerie Chernish, who can modify your child’s account.

Montgomery Township School District uses a computerized point of sale system in the school cafeteria. Click HERE to set up and/or manage your child’s account, as well as to access directions for managing your account using PayForIt mobile app.

Maschio’s works closely with families to support students with food allergies in the cafeteria. Please click HERE to learn more about how to ensure your child’s medical needs are being met in the cafeteria.

February 1: Global School Play Day @ OHES

February 3: Report Cards available online @ 4:00

February 8: MES PTA Meeting (Evening)

February 17: School closed for staff development

February 20: School closed in observance of Presidents’ Day

Feb 27-March 3rd:: Read Across America week