Oak Hill Observer

• October 1- No Hassle Fundraiser Deadline
• October 3-7- Custodian Appreciation Week
• October 5- PTA Executive Board Meeting 8am
• October 7- Early Release Day 1:30pm
• October 10- CAC Meeting 3:30pm
• October 11- Fall Pictures
• October 12- PTA Budget Meeting 8am
• October 14- NO SCHOOL for students
• October 17- Connection Coffee with Principal 8:00am Cafeteria
• October 18- Phil's Family Night
• October 25- Kindergarten Field Trip
• October 28- Vertical Team Night @ House Park (more info to come)
• November 1- Human Sexuality and Responsibility Parent Meeting (8am on Zoom)
• November 2- General PTA Meeting 8am, Executive Board Meeting 9am

Hello Amazing Oak Hill Community! Happy (almost) October to everyone!

Fall is here! We've had some mornings in the low 60's and some of the kids are "freezing"! (their words- lol). It brings up the reminder that we are heading into jacket season- with chilly mornings and hot afternoons- and pretty soon the lost and found will be overflowing with lost jackets. We already have around 20 water bottles and a handful of jackets in our lost and found. So, I'm asking you to do us and yourself a huge favor- stop reading this newsletter, go get a permanent marker, dig those jackets, sweatshirts, and/or coats out of the closet and write your child's first name and last initial on it somewhere. This will help us to be able to return it to them when it does end up in the lost and found and trust me, it probably will.

October 3rd - 7th is Custodial Appreciation Week and we want to say thank you to the four hard-working custodians who keep our school clean and sparkly all year: Josh Gomez, our head custodian, and Celerina Salazar, Raquel Castelan and Oliva Aviles! This group works tirelessly, both inside and outside of our building, to make sure Oak Hill is ready for students and staff each day. Please let them know how much you appreciate all they do!

Lately we have had some difficulties arise with Pokemon cards at school. Pokemon cards should not be brought to school. There have been issues with these in the classroom, between friends and they are distracting students during times they should be working or learning. Please talk with your child about leaving these at home to make sure they are safe and sound. If we see them, we will remind students not to bring them and if they continue to be an issue, we may take them up from the student and send them home at the end of the day with a notification that they not return. We appreciate your help with this!

The next 2 weeks include our first short cycle assessments (SCAs) for the first quarter. Our 3rd - 5th grade students will be taking their science assessment on Tuesday, October 4th. On Tuesday, October 11, they will take the Math assessment and on Wednesday, October 12, they will take the Reading assessment. The SCAs are designed to show how well our students have learned the taught curriculum during the first grading period of school. Please assure your student that they are ready for these SCAs and other than a good night's sleep and breakfast and showing up on that day ready to do their best work, there is nothing they need to do to prepare.

Also this week, we'll have the first ever district early release day on Friday, October 7th. All of our students will be released at 1:30 pm on Friday. Please mark your calendars and/or put a reminder on your phone! It's also good to know that the following Friday, October 14th is a whole day student holiday/staff development day! And, stay tuned for more information about November 8th, which the board voted to make a staff development day/student holiday last night.

We know parents are excited to support our school through volunteer opportunities - and we're excited to have you! ALL school volunteer opportunities will start with the classroom teacher, sponsoring staff member, or PTA. For example, volunteer opportunities for the Library will be coordinated through Mr. Camarillo; classroom projects, field trips chaperones, classroom guest readers will be coordinated through the classroom teacher. If you wish to be considered to volunteer during the school day at any point, you must visit the Austin Partners in Education website to complete the background check.

If you have questions about the volunteer opportunities please contact your child's teacher or PTA.

Thank you to all of you who participated in parent/teacher conferences! Your continued partnership and support means the world to all of us. Here's to a strong and positive first week of October!

With gratitude and appreciation for all you do!

Your Proud Principal,

Lori Komassa

Breakfast Menu

Lunch Menu

PTA No Hassle Fundraiser
Support OHE Today!

How can you help our teachers and children?

Step 1: Donate now to the No Hassle Fundraiser at http://www.ohepta.org/store 100% of your donation goes directly to OHE PTA and our school’s needs and no products for students to sell or deliver! We recommend $65 per child, with an option to "stretch" to $100 per child if you can.

Step 2: Become a PTA member now at www.joinpta.org

*Share your voice! * Get connected! * Get Involved! It costs just $10 per adult (parent, grand-parent, friend, neighbor, etc!)

Help us reach our $20,000 goal by Oct 1st and help OHE soar!

Have questions? Contact nohassle@ohepta.org or membership@ohepta.org.

Thank you for your generosity and support of our school and our children!

Austin ISD is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with our 2022 Virtual Talent Show “Proud to be Hispanic. Join the Fiesta!” Please encourage your teachers, staff and families to participate in this open call with prizes of $250 and $500 for Class Performance. Categories are singing, music, dancing and art (drawing or painting) that involve Hispanic Culture.

Students can submit their videos or pictures at https://bit.ly/FiestaAISD22 until October 9. Accepted entries are being posted on Facebook (pictures and drawings) and YouTube (videos of Singing, Dance and Music categories).

Voting ends on October 12. More than $4,000 in prizes will be awarded in an in-person ceremony on October 15—Save the date!

Please remember to bring your ID with you EVERY time you visit campus. It is a requirement that we scan in your ID each time you come onto the campus. We appreciate you helping us to follow the procedures and keep our students safe!

What time does school start? We start at our regular time of 7:40 am.

Will breakfast be available? Yes, breakfast will be available as usual.

When does school release? The end of the day is 1:30.

Where do I pick up my student? Pickup will be at the usual locations.

What about EAC/YMCA? EAC/YMCA programming will start at the earlier dismissal times and be open through their usual hours.

What about Side by Side Kids? Side by Side Kids will NOT operate on the early release day. They should have informed you of this. Please plan to pick your child up from school no later than 1:35.

What about lunch? All students will have a 30 minute lunch time. Students may bring their lunch or buy from the cafeteria, just like any other day.

What time should I pick up my student? No later than 1:35. Staff planning begins at 1:40 pm.

Picture Day is TUESDAY, October 11. Here is a link to the ordering form and they also went home in student folders yesterday. You can send money and order forms in up until picture day. Please reach out to the classroom teacher if you have questions.

We appreciate all of our Custodians for taking care of our class rooms, lunch rooms, bathrooms, & hallways at our school. Thank you for keeping our spaces clean! Our custodians have a hard job and they love our Eagles! Show them some love and appreciation this week!

OHE First Graders! Join us on the OHE playground Saturday, October 1 from 10:00am to 11:30am for fun with your First Grade Friends! Donuts, Coffee and Juice provided. Siblings welcome!

Note: YMCA will be using the blacktop and soccer fields, but you'll find your first grade friends at the playground! For more information, or to RSVP, email roomparentcoord@ohepta.org

Are you interested in seeing where all the PTA funds and donations are being used to help our school? All PTA members are welcome to attend our upcoming budget meeting on Wednesday, October 12 at 8am in the cafeteria. We will go over what we currently have budgeted for the year, and make any adjustments as needed. Please register for the meeting ahead of time using this link to make check in easier for the front office staff.

Yearbook prices have gone up and will increase again on Oct 22! Don't wait until then to order yours! Order here

and it off your to-do list! https://www.jostens.com/.../Oak-Hill-Elementary-School/

The Austin ISD Section 504 & Dyslexia Department is excited to launch the 2022 Central Texas Dyslexia Conference on October 28th. This year’s conference will be virtual, on demand, and as always FREE for Austin ISD staff and external participants starting on Friday, October 28, 2022. The annual dyslexia conference brings together researchers, parents, dyslexia therapists, teachers, related service providers, advocates, and other professionals to build understanding and application of improved support and services for students with dyslexia.

Registration of External Participants

External participants will register through Eventbrite. Prerecorded presentations will be made available through a private YouTube Channel from October 28th through November 6th.

I am so excited to start another session of Hip-Hop for Kidz soon! We have a lot of fun working on a hip-hop routine to a popular song for six weeks and then we get to perform it for our families and OHE students! It will begin Wednesday, October 19 and runs through November 30.

Please click here for information and details in English about the class.

Please click here information and details in Spanish about the class.

Please click here to sign up on the Google Form.

I look forward to another session!!

Thanks,

Mrs. Weber

OHE Counselor and Hip-Hop Teacher

November Art Classes
October classes are full but November After School Art classes are starting soon. If you would like to sign up they are for 4 weeks ( Nov 2, 9, 16, and 30) on Wednesday in the art room after school until 4:30pm. Pick up is by the door to the art room so you can pull up in the staff parking lot. Supply fee is $100. Check or venmo to @JoLynn-Rettig. Please review the available slots below, add students name, teacher and grade then click on the button to sign up.
Thank you!
JoLynn Rettig
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F45ABA622ABFC1-march

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our school is pleased to announce that referrals for gifted and talented students are being accepted from September 19-October 7. Interested parents and guardians should pick up a referral form from the front office or ask for one from your child’s teacher. GT screening and testing requires parent/guardian permission by the campus deadline. A variety of measures are used for screening and testing including assessments for Emerging English students.

A virtual Gifted and Talented Information Session on September 19 (from 6-7pm) and September 20 (from 12-1pm) will be presented by AISD. For more information about the Austin ISD gifted program, please visit the Austin ISD website at tinyurl.com/AISDadvanced and view the resources linked below.

GT Parent Resources:

• Austin ISD Advanced Academics website

• Advanced Academics blog

• Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented

• National Association for Gifted Children

• Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted

There are numerous characteristics of gifted children and not all children will exhibit the same characteristics; however, this list can serve as a guide to recognizing students who may be potentially gifted.

• Did your child start talking (and never stopped talking) before most other children the same age?

• Does your child have a lot of curiosity, and ask a lot of questions about all kinds of things one after another?

• Does your child give complex and detailed answers to questions (even simple questions)?

• Does your child have a wide range of interests? Does he/she enjoy trying new things?

• Does your child get lost in his/her own world and become so involved that she/he isn’t aware of anything else?

• Does your child often have unusual ideas and give logical, reasonable explanations for events and occurrences?

• Does your child pay close attention to details, is highly observant, and does not miss a thing?

• Does your child notice likenesses and differences between people, events, or things?

• Does your child come up with powerful, persuasive arguments for almost anything?

• Does your child show empathy and sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others?

• Does your child show an awareness of problems that others don’t notice?

• Does your child worry about the world, other people, and/or the environment?

Expanded and adapted from the work of Judy Galbraith, MA.

The City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) will feature student artwork in the 2023 Emergency Preparedness Calendar. Central Texas is prone to many emergencies and disasters such as floods, wildfires, and extreme weather. Student artwork has the ability to inspire individuals, families, and communities to prepare for these emergencies and disasters. HSEM welcomes creations for the contest from all 1st through 8th grade students in the Central Texas area. Please see attached flyer and guidelines/resources at www.austintexas.gov/HSEMcalendar

We look forward to seeing all the student creations!

Electronic submissions: https://cityofaustin.formstack.com/forms/preparedness_calendar

Early voting in the 2022 Bond election begins Oct. 24. Election Day is Nov. 8. Please see the flyer below to see the proposals for Oak Hill. You can find more information on the Bond package and what is proposed for each campus/facility here.

Were you a member last year? It's time to join again!

The easiest and fastest way to join the Oak Hill Elementary PTA is at https://www.joinpta.org/. Membership in our PTA is a great way to connect with the teachers, staff, and other parents and ensure a successful school year for our learners. If you have questions, reach out to membership@ohepta.org today!

Meet the CATCH challenge and keep these lunchbox ABC’s in mind. Plan healthy lunches your kids will eat.

A--- Aim for Breakfast

• Fruits and vegetables.

• Grains: Whole wheat breads, whole grain crackers, whole grain cereals, pita bread or tortillas.

• Protein: Low fat turkey, ham or roast beef, peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, refried beans, hummus, or water-packed tuna fish.

• Dairy: Low fat yogurt, cheese and milk.

B-- Be Creative

• Cut sandwiches into fun shapes such as diamonds or triangles. Try wraps, tortillas, or stuff a pita pocket.

• Add shredded carrots, jicama, peppers, or lettuce to sandwiches or wraps.

• Cut up fruit and veggies into bite-sized pieces for dipping in yogurt dips or low fat dressings.

• Include special notes or stickers to surprise your kids!

C—Communicate With Your Kids and Let Them Help Plan Healthy Lunches

• Make a grocery list together.

• Have your kids help pick out fruits and vegetables they like at the grocery store.

Masks:

With the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, students, staff and visitors are not required to wear face masks when on school properties, unless they have tested positive for COVID-19. Note: Per CDC guidance, individuals with a positive COVID-19 result will be required to wear a mask for five days after returning from quarantine/isolation.

• Masks are not required, but are encouraged at any time of the school day or in any school space.
• Masks are optional at all times.Face masks will continue to be provided for any student, staff, or visitor upon request.

• All students, staff, and visitors will be allowed to make their own choice.
  

Close Contact and Contact Tracing

• Campus administrators will notify all families of positive cases on the campus using a standard notification letter. Individual classroom letters will not be sent home.

• With masking now being optional, all students and staff at the campus may be considered close contacts when there is a positive case identified.

• Campus Administrators will not be required to track close contacts.

• Any asymptomatic individual (except those who have tested positive) may remain at school as long as they are asymptomatic.

Testing Availability

• Testing sites are located at specified district sites and can be found on the COVID-19 district webpage.

• All sites will accept insurance, medicaid, and self-pay.

• Site will be updated whenever vaccines are available.

Website: www.oakhillelementary.org
Location: 6101 Patton Ranch Road, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-2336
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakHillElementary/
Twitter: @OakHillElem