VO News You Can Use
Dr. O's Weekly Parent Newsletter
NCSD Mission Statement
Developing each student's potential with a world class education.
November 18, 2019
Dear Village Oaks Families,
I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend. As a staff we are still very excited to see you at our upcoming conferences which have been rescheduled for this week because of our snow day last week. Conferences will occur this Tuesday, November 19 from 1pm-4pm and 5pm-8pm. We will have a half day of school on Tuesday and students will be dismissed at 12:30pm. Conferences are the perfect opportunity to hear from your child’s teacher about ways to reinforce the learning that is occurring at VO. We look forward to sharing all of the progress that your child has made so far this school year!
Our Village Oaks' Arctic Adventure Book Fair will continue this week on Monday and Tuesday from 8:45-9:30 each morning, during media specials times, and during conferences. For more information, as well as buying online and setting up a Scholastic eWallet, check out our book fair website! All proceeds go toward buying more books for our library and school improvements. To volunteer, sign up here. Thank you for supporting your school library!
Sincerely,
Alex
Fall 2019 Box Top Collection Winners...
Thank you to everybody who collected and turned in Box Tops this Fall, as VOICE raised nearly $400! The next opportunity to turn them in will be in March 2020, so please continue to collect Box Tops at home for the next competition!
America's Best Eyeglasses Voucher
Please contact the main office at 248.449.1300 or stop by the main office during conferences on Tuesday if you would like an America's Best Eyeglasses voucher for a pair of glasses ($59.95 frame value) and eye exam. We have a limited supply of vouchers--first come, first serve!
Veteran's Day Assembly
Last week we paid tribute to our veterans during a special ceremony and breakfast to honor them for their service to our country. A huge thank you to Ms Stashonsky, Mrs. Lecher, Ms. Patonis, Mrs. Davis, and all of our parent volunteers who made this event possible. Check out some of the pictures below...
Diversity Day 11/26/2019
As we look around at all the students we have at VO, we are so fortunate to see so many cultures, religions, and languages spoken. In the next few weeks, we are asking students and their families to explore their own cultures as a special school project. As a culminating activity, students will participate in Diversity Day on Tuesday, November 26nd. Students will get to share with their classmates what they feel makes them special, which might include: family celebrations, vacations, traditions, special dances, cultural dresses/outfits, etc. Please see attachment for more information regarding this special day.
Please dress your child for the weather
NCSD Lice Information
As school is now in session, it is important to remember the guidelines for avoiding head lice. It has been found in classrooms already this year so please be vigilant in looking for it and treating it effectively. The website below has very helpful information.
Sensory Friendly Visit with Santa Sign-up
Workout for HEART
VO School Day Conversations
What are you most grateful for at VO?
What are you most proud about learning this school year?
What is your favorite recess game and what are the rules for the game?
At VO, we have HEART!
In Novi Community School District we believe in promoting high expectations for academics, meeting the emotional well being of our students and celebrating positive behavior for all of our learners.
At Village Oaks Elementary, we are building a culture of collaboration, leadership, and citizenship. As a school community, we strive to:
- Have a growth mindset
- Empathize and show kindness
- Act responsibly
- Respect everyone
- Team up and collaborate with others
VO Students Teaming up and Collaborating
VO 3rd/4th grade team of Shivani Thurman, Katherine Morse, Samantha Crawford, Max Foracon, Max Machesney, Tyler Parks, and Jack Kalousek moved up a level this year to the First Lego League (FLL). The rookie team (at this level) competed last weekend (November 9th) in Brooklyn, Michigan in a regional qualifier tournament and received an award for their robot design. The team earned the Strategy & Innovation Award.
This year for the FLL, the Challenge was called City Shaper, and the students were tasked with an Innovative Project that included improving a building or public space in their community. Their team defined their community as the United States. The team designed and built a working model of the “Up-Down House”, which is a home that could rise up to 15 feet in the air or lower itself below ground in natural disasters to protect people and property.
In preparation for their competition this year, the team worked very hard this year and met at least 4 hours per week starting in early September and closer to 15 hours per week in the days leading up to the competition.
As part of the competition, the team was judged on presentations on the Core Values of FLL, their Innovative Project idea, Robot Design, and finally competed in the robot competition field. The team built a working robot and mission specific attachments to accomplish up to 13 different challenges on the robot field. The team also created two presentation posters and two presentation binders to show the judges their work product.
The Feisty Foxes received the trophy for the Strategy & Innovation Award, which is awarded to, “a team that uses solid engineering practices and a well-developed strategy to design and build an innovative high-performing robot. This team showed an exemplary strategy for this year’s game making for a fierce and feisty competition.”
The team did not advance to the State of Michigan FLL tournament (3 of 16 teams advanced), but they had a great time learning about natural disasters, hydraulics, robot building, and coding.
Way to go VO leaders!
Bonaventure Family Fun Night
Volunteer and Donation Opportunities
VOICE 2019-2020
Hello Parents,
Our VOICE (PTO Organization) is seeking volunteers for chairpersons for several of our committees. If you have interest in volunteering with VOICE during this school year, please check out the Sign Up Genius link below. If you'd like more information, please contact Debbie Luke at debbielukehomes@gmail.com
Yearbook Committee Seeking Photos
Do you have some great photos you would love to see in the yearbook?
Please submit them to the Yearbook Committee e-mail: VOYearbookPTO@gmail.com
Be sure to include a description of the event/activity in the photo, as well as the class if appropriate.
Save the date for Spring Fling! April, 24, 2020
We need many volunteers for this event to be successful. If you have any questions about a committee position please email debbielukehomes@gmail.com
Please consider volunteering by using the link below to sign up.
VO Flags
One of the things that makes our building so special is our diverse student population--we have families in our community who come from all over the world! To celebrate our global diversity we have hung flags in our cafeteria that represent many of the countries of our VO families. As a gift from VO retirees we were given flags of the following countries: Israel, India, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, South Korea, China, and USA. Thank you to our parents who have also donated the following flags: Poland, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Nepal, Greece, Pakistan, Uruguay, Ecuador, Portugal, Spain, Central African Republic, South Africa, Wales, Iceland, Australia, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Russia, Scotland and Yemen. If you would like to purchase a flag of your country of origin or to represent one of the many nationalities of our school please visit Amazon and search for an ANLEY 3x5 flag: VO Flags
Before purchasing and donating the flag to our school’s collection please contact me or one of our secretaries with the flag information so we can make sure that another family has not already ordered the same flag.
Mary Poppins Jr.
STEM Night
Hello parents,
Novi Meadows is hosting the 2nd annual Novi Meadows STEM Night in Nov. 20 from 6:00pm-8:00pm. This event has STEM organizations attending from the University of Michigan, local science centers, engineering businesses, and Michigan State University.
Students will get to learn about STEM careers, watch live demos, and participate in STEM challenges.
There are no costs for attending the event, and everyone is welcome! There will be food and music too!
See flyer below...
Playworks
This year NCSD elementary schools will partner with Playworks to enhance the learning experiences for students throughout the district. Playworks is the leading nonprofit in Michigan and nationally using play to transform schools. A Playworks recess creates a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. Please click on the link below and read the attached Playworks article to learn more about our partnership and Patrice our Playworks Coach!
Looking Ahead
11/19/19--Half Day-12:30pm Dismissal
--Conferences (Rescheduled) 1:00pm-4:00pm and 5:00pm-8:00pm
11/21/19--Bonaventure Skate Night 6:00pm-8:30pm
11/27/19--End of First Trimester No School
11/28/19-11/29/19--Thanksgiving Break No School
12/2/19--School resumes
12/2/19--Beginning of of second trimester
12/3/19--First Grade Concert 6:30pm
12/5/19--Title One Family Math Night 5:30pm
12/6/19-- Records Day No School
12/23/19--Winter Break No School
1/6/20--School Resumes
1/13/20--VOICE Mtg 7:00pm
1/20/20--MLK Day No School
Parent Pick-up/Parking & Bus Stop Expectations
As you pick-up and drop off your children please be mindful of the following:
- Do not park in front of our neighbors' driveways or mailboxes.
- Park in our parking lot and keep your pet in your car.
- For the safety of our students do not walk your children through our bus loop as students are loading/exiting our busses.
- Stay in your car as you drive through our car loop.
- Please do not drop off children before 8:55am. We do not have any supervision outside prior to this time.
- If you arrive late, please walk your child into the office and sign them in.
We ask that you remind your children that VO expectations/rules apply at our bus stops. We expect all of our students to be on their best behavior as they wait for their bus and we appreciate your help.
Thank you for your support!
CARE
Please remember if there is a change in your child's CARE schedule you need to notify Holly Bengle no later than 3:15. She will then contact the teachers. Holly Bengle can be reached at
holly.bengle@novik12.org or (248) 449-1307.
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VILLAGE OAKS MISSION
The mission of Village Oaks Elementary is to create and maintain an educational environment that supports academic achievement, consistent with district, state and national standards to meet all students' learning needs.
VO 2018 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary School
Village Oaks Elementary
VO school hours: 9:08 am-4:00 pm
Office hours: 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Attendance line: 248.449.1301
Office phone number: 248.449.1300
Email: Alexander.ofili@novik12.org
Website: www.novi.k12.mi.us/vo/
Location: Village Oaks Elementary School, Willowbrook Drive, Novi, MI, United States
Phone: 248.449.1300
Twitter: @NoviVillageOaks