The Olive Branch

Thanks to a GENEROUS GRANT from the ABC 25 Foundation, 42 rooms at OMS now have fidget kits for student use. This week, teachers showed a video to their students about fidgets. The video explained why some people use fidgets and how they help. In the coming weeks, our rooms will also be receiving a 2lb. weighted lap pad. We will also teach children what a weighted lap pad is and why some people use them. Our goal at OMS is to make sensory tools the norm in each classroom so all students feel comfortable seeing them and using them for appropriate purposes. Please see the video below that was shared with students.

Long Story Shortz - Fidgets

Thanks to our PTA Everbody Counts committee, our students had a chance to meet an Olympian this week! Brody Roybal, a sled hockey Paralympian, spoke to our students about having a growth mindset and setting goals. At 15, he became the youngest member of the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. Brody explained how some of his experiences might be different because he is in a wheelchair but that does not mean that people need to treat him differently. He encouraged our students to get to know others that might appear different but actually have many things in common. Brody even passed around his two gold medals from the Pyeongchang and Sochi games. He has his sights on the next winter games in Beijing.

The window for participating in the Illinois 5Essentials survey has been extended to March 15th. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey is administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of our school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us better understand the complexion of our school environment, guide improvement, and celebrate successes. Please click HERE and select 'parent survey' to share your thoughts. Thank you for your input!