Tiger Tracks

The photo below was taken after our Turkey Trot, with all the donations boxed up for our WCS Food Pantry. Our winners, and turkeys, were able to take some of the donations and deliver them in person to the pantry. They also received a tour of the food pantry and clothing closet from one of our district social workers. They had great questions and learned several things.

I have commented several times that this is one of my favorite events at Oakdale because it is not about Oakdale. It is an event that instills service to others, helping our fellow humans, and a sense of giving. Even though it is a fun race with a turkey mascot getting students hyped up, it is all about helping our Westside Community. This is a great lesson during this time of year, and one that I hope all students and families take a little time talking about. It's one of those events that take the learning beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic. Thank you to all the families who gave so generously to support our cause and help the community. I hope you all have a great holiday season!

~ Mr. Jagels

Due to ongoing concerns with overdue lunch accounts, we are making a change when ordering "Extra" options. This change will be more in line with other elementary schools within Westside. Currently, any student in grades three through six can order an extra item on the menu (ie. extra slice of pizza, extra hot dog, extra hamburger, etc.). They are also able to order a bottle of water, extra milk, fruit, or vegetable. These extra items get charged to each student's individual lunch account. Many times, parents are unaware that their child is charging these items. For example, if your child orders an extra slice of pizza ($2.00) and a bottle of water ($.75), their whole lunch just cost you $5.50. Those two items just doubled the cost of the lunch. If a student qualifies for free or reduced lunches, these extra items cost the same. Many of our students are ordering extra items when their lunch account balance is below zero. We have allowed this, but are realizing it is getting out of hand as we have a large outstanding balance of overdue lunch accounts.

Starting after the winter break, students will no longer be able to order extra items if they do not have sufficient funds in their lunch accounts. Every morning, students select if they want anything extra. That list will be sent to the front office to check account balances of these students. If they are below zero, the student will not be able to order anything extra. To be clear, no student will ever be denied a hot lunch. They will just not be able to order extra items. Our hope is to clear as many of the outstanding negative account balances as we can.

An easy way to ensure your child has money in their lunch account is to set up an account with MyLunchMoney.com. Westside uses this program to manage their lunch accounts. If you need help setting up an account, please contact the front office.

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of fun and games at our annual Family Game Night! Bring along your favorite games and challenge friends and family to exciting matches. And guess what? We'll be serving up delicious pizza to keep everyone fueled and ready for action!

For those interested in the classic game of strategy, we'll be hosting special chess sessions in the library. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the ropes or an experienced player eager to face off against others, there's something for everyone!

Date: Friday, December 6th
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Oakdale Cafeteria

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity for some quality family time with your Oakdale community! Let's make this an evening to remember! We look forward to seeing you there!

Participating in the Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week, December 9th-15th, is a great way to introduce your family to computer science. Computer science is a part of nearly every industry including healthcare, ecology, engineering, and the arts. Plus, children love learning it! By starting with just one Hour of Code, you could spark a new interest in your child that leads to a lifelong passion. Get started today!

You don’t need experience in CS or teaching to get your children learning and laughing. You can try the Hour of Code with a computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or completely unplugged! Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code!

1. Start by downloading a printable Hour of Code Informational Sheet that covers all the basics, including the purpose, benefits, and how anyone can get involved.

2. Then, watch this video to get kids excited!

3. Finally, let your child start exploring activities on code.org!

4. Work with your child to build problem solving skills and computational thinking as they work through their activities.

5. Have fun!

Join us on Tuesday, December 10th, at the Westside Middle School Performing Arts Center to see our 5th and 6th grade music program. The performance starts at 7:00 pm and all are welcome to attend.

For the 5th & 6th grade performers:

• Please dress nicely
• Arrive between 6:45-6:50 (another performance is taking place before ours)
• Students are asked to remain seated with their families in the auditorium seats until invited to come up on stage

For your child’s safety and for the safety of others, all medication, including cough drops/throat lozenges, must be kept locked in the health office and must be in the original package. All medication needs to be accompanied by a medication form signed by the parent or guardian. All prescription medication forms must be signed by the doctor (or the doctor's office can fax it to us at 402.390.2164). Whenever possible, the medication should be administered at home.

Congratulations to Madison H. in Ms. Houston's 2nd grade class and Badir A. in Mrs. Clark's 4th grade class. They were randomly chosen from the November High 5 Drawing and pre-recorded the first snow day announcement for this school year. Be on the lookout for a special message from them on the first snow day!

For December's High 5 Drawing, students enter for a chance to sit in Mr. Jagels' luxurious office chair for the day! How exciting!

Linked you will find our year long Oakdale Calendar. This is not an all-inclusive calendar and is subject to change throughout the year. However, it will provide a general outline of events to pencil in on your calendar.

In addition, we encourage you to access our Oakdale Calendar through our Website, the Westside Community Schools App, or to subscribe so that this information shows right up on your own calendar for iPhone, iPad, Mac, or any other Google Calendar subscribable platform.

December

6 Family Game Night, 6:00

9 Grades 5 & 6 Band Concert, 6:00 WMS

9 Grades 5 & 6 Strings Concert, 7:30 WHS

10 Grades 5 & 6 Music Program, 7:00 WMS

12 Don & Millie's Night

13 District Spelling Bee

18 La Casa Pizza Night, 82 & Grover

20 Early Dismissal, 1:00

23 - Jan 5 NO SCHOOL, Winter Break

January

6 School Resumes, 8:30 am

9 Don & Millie's Night

14 Community Club Meeting, 6:30

20 NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr Day

21 NO SCHOOL for students - Teacher Professional Learning Day

24 Talent Show Auditions, 3:30 Oakdale Gym

We know it is important to consider both the physical and social-emotional wellbeing of our students, families, and staff. We continue to be committed to providing regular instruction and support for studying in managing thoughts and feelings.

If your child is experiencing particular difficulties and you would like to explore options for additional support we encourage you to contact our School Counselor, Mrs. Mary McPadden (mcpadden.mary@westside66.net) or our School Psychologist, Mrs. Olivia Rosol (rosol.olivia@westside66.net), who can help in coordinating additional support and resources.

Dine at Don & Millie's on Thursday December 12th! Take a night off from cooking to raise money for Community Club. Be sure to let them know you are with Oakdale. Complete the form below and turn in to enter your student for a prize.

Congratulations to several of our students on being randomly drawn from their entry at last month's Don & Millie's Family Restaurant Nights! Those winners (pictured below) include: Finnegan I. - 2nd grade Mrs. Pontious, Rhett H. - 1st grade Mrs. Bintz, and Anthony P. - 3rd grade Mrs. Bruning. Each of these students received a Don & Millie's cinch sack and a free kids meal! Don't forget to drop your name in this month's drawing on December's Don & Millie's Family Restaurant Night on the 12th!

RAISE FUNDS + GET REWARDS IN A SNAP!

How It Works

1. Make a purchase at any TAGG business
2. Visit TAGG.today to upload your receipt and choose to support Oakdale (Have receipts you forgot to TAGG? Don't worry, you have 30 days to upload them.)
3. The business will donate, at no extra cost to you!

Join us at our next Community Club meeting on Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 pm. Come learn about what we have planned for the next couple of months and maybe make some new connections. If you can’t make it, no worries, we distribute the minutes following the event.

The Oakdale School Community Club offers a FREE online family directory each fall containing the names of students by class, as well as names of parents, with their home addresses, phone numbers, and email information. Only families who submit information to the Community Club or give permission through the Returning Student Registration Process will be included in the directory. If you have not already logged in to the website, please log in and update your information OR new parents can create a new login.

Oakdale Night Live!

Calling for all talents to be shared. Here's what you need to know for the tryouts:

Tryouts: Friday, January 24th - Immediately after school in Oakdale Gym

Acts should be fully conceptualized at tryouts. We don’t expect perfection!

Sign up HERE (under the Information Forms section).

Performance Requirements:

• Length must not exceed 1 minute and 30 seconds
• Follow the Three Be's (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe)
• Participation is limited to Oakdale students, one act per student (with the exception of 6th graders who participate in the group number)

Participation Requirements:

• Tryout on Friday, January 24th at 3:30 PM at Oakdale Elementary School (gym)
• Rehearsal date: February 19th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Westside Middle School (auditorium)
• Performance on February 21st at 7:00 PM at Westside Middle School (auditorium)

Warrior Theatre presents Peter Pan like you've never seen it before! In this whimsical reimagining of the classic play, the Darling children create Neverland out of their imaginations. The characters, trials, and triumphs of this beloved story are updated for a modern audience, and have all of the hallmarks of kids joyfully playing pretend.

Don't miss Peter Pan December 5th, 6th, 7th @ 7pm & December 8th @ 2pm. Purchase your tickets here.

Westside Community Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, marital/parental status, military/veteran status or any other category protected by law in its programs and activities or in admission or access to, or treatment in, hiring and employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The following District personnel have been designated to coordinate compliance and can address inquiries about the District’s nondiscrimination policies and procedures:

For questions or concerns by students, parents or others:

• Coordinator of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator – ABC Bldg. 909 So. 76th St. Omaha (402) 390-2100 E-mail: titleixcoordinator@westside66.net
• Director of Special Services/ADA & 504 Coordinator (disability/accommodation) ABC Bldg. 909 So. 76th St. E-mail: ADAcoordinator@westside66.net

For questions by District employees or applicants:

• Ass’t Supt. for Human Resources/Lead Title IX Coordinator - 909 So. 76th St. Omaha, NE (402) 390-2100 E-mail: titleixcoordinatorHR@westside66.net

For further information about anti-discrimination laws or to file a complaint of discrimination you may also contact the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Dept. of Education, One Petticoat Lane, 1010 Walnut Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 320, Kansas City, MO 64106,
Tele. (816) 268-0550, Fax (816) 268-0599, (TDD) (800) 877-8339, or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov.

Oakdale Elementary's mission is to ensure academic excellence and to serve the unique needs of all learners.

Oakdale's Expectations:

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• (Be Kind)

Email: jagels.glen@westside66.net
Website: westside66.org/domain/13
Location: 9801 W Center Rd, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Phone: 402-390-6460
Facebook: facebook.com/OakdaleTigers66
Twitter: @oakdaletigers66