The Olive Branch 10.23.20

Dear OMS families,

We are thrilled to have made it through another successful week of hybrid learning with all grade levels back at the nest. Thank you for your ongoing support of our staff as we are making this instructional model the best it can be for all of our students and families.

We wanted to take this time to mention how much we miss our parent volunteers. As we reflect on this incredible community, there is a noticeable difference in our building without our parents helping in the copy room, in the LMC, in classrooms, as well as in programs and events in collaboration with the PTA like there typically would be during a traditional school year. Your hours of service have not gone unnoticed, and from the bottom of our hearts WE MISS YOU!

In continued collaboration,

Erin, Julia, and the OMS Staff

Thank you for your patience yesterday and today! With the changing weather, we will see a large increase in the number of students that are dropped off and picked up. Today, families kept children in their vehicles until 8:50! Thank you! Even with the weather, all students were in the building and accounted for by 9:03 - that is two minutes before the tardy bell! We know that the loading zone seems to take forever but we are usually able to get all families in and out within a 15 minute period!

Loading Zone reminders -

• All drivers MUST remain in the vehicle at all times. We will help your children find you.
• Please pull forward. Stopping in the middle stops the flow of traffic that we are trying to create.
• For safety reasons (possible rear-end collision), students are not allowed to put backpacks/belongings in the trunk. All belongings should be placed in the front or back seat.
• Please do not allow students to exit vehicles until 8:50 when the building doors open.

Please send your child to school with a coat. Now that temperatures fluctuate we want to make sure they are warm when we go outside. We go outside all year, except if it is raining or below zero. Now is the time to label outdoor clothing items. Every year our lost and found is overflowing with items. With COVID, the flu, and millions of other germs, it is extremely important that we can identify who an item belongs to since many students have the exact same hats, gloves, and scarves.

As we prepare classroom activities for students next week, we are asking that students NOT wear Halloween costumes on Zoom. We want to make sure all of our students feel safe at school and on Zoom. We are not able to control what is worn through the screen, and cannot guarantee that inappropriate or other distracting items related to costumes will not be shown throughout the day. We are encouraging students to wear orange, black, and Halloween t-shirts next Thursday and Friday at school and on Zoom. Teachers, PTA Room Reps, and classroom parents have been preparing fun, safe Halloween activities to participate in at school and on Zoom to celebrate. Thank you for your support and understanding. We look forward to bringing costumes back next year!

Since we are not able to gather together for an assembly this year, we would like to honor our OMS community veterans with a special morning announcement slideshow.

If you have an immediate family member (mom, dad, brother, sister, grandpa, grandma, aunt, uncle, or cousin) that has served our country, please send us a picture of them (in uniform if possible) along with their name, branch of service, and your student's name.

We will put together a slideshow honoring our servicemen and women. It will be shown after morning announcements on Veteran's Day, Wednesday, November 11th. We will also share it in our Olive Branch on Friday, November 13th.

Please e-mail your photos to mseisser@sd25.org with the subject line: "Veterans Day". All pictures must be submitted by Wednesday, November 4th. Pictures submitted after this date will not be included in the video.

On November 10, at 7 pm, there will be a Live Virtual 5th-grade parent overview for Candor Health Education's Puberty and Life Begins programs. The program will be 90 minutes long.

The Science Behind Drugs helps students make healthy choices to lead a drug-free life. Students will learn how drugs affect the body systems, especially the brain, which can lead to addiction. Students will also learn refusal skills to arm them with tools to help them make positive decisions regarding drug use. Puberty I-Understanding Changes recognizes the significance of physical body changes that occur during puberty and encourages students to maintain a healthy body image, showing respect for others and self-esteem are also emphasized. Life Begins teaches students about the functions of the reproductive system, which is one of the body systems studied in fifth grade. The program also includes the development of a fetus from conception to birth.

Below you’ll find the link for the Live Virtual parent overview for Candor Health Education's Puberty and Life Begins programs:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97524002502?pwd=TXlvc2hFeEFZMlRmQXFWUEZWU295QT09

Meeting ID: 975 2400 2502
Passcode: 258332

Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abd9RoF9VD

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Zenisek at mzenisek@sd25.org.

We know that times are tough for many families and we are here to help and support you and your children. If your family is in need of support for your children (backpacks, school supplies, lunch boxes, etc.) please reach out to our school social worker Mr. Gasca mgasca@sd25.org , Ms. Davis edavis@sd25.org, or Mrs. Pemberton jpemberton@sd25.org.

Food distribution will continue for all Arlington Heights residents with children 18 and under! Details are below (*notes a change has been made):

• Day: Every Wednesday
• Times: *9:30 am – 10:30 am* & 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
• Where: Thomas Middle School ONLY
• Who: All Arlington Heights families with students age 18 and under
• Important Notes: *Neighbors or friends are allowed to come pick up meal bags for you from Thomas Middle School.*

Click Here for additional information.

We continue to update our FAQ document. All updated questions are dated and noted in blue. We also did our best to add in questions and answers from our OMS Town Hall. Keep your questions coming!

Questions? Please reach out to your OMS teacher or your administrative team.

OMS Staff Directory

Ms. Erin Davis, Principal edavis@sd25.org

Mrs. Julia Pemberton, Assistant Principal jpemberton@sd25.org

Website: https://www.sd25.org/Olive
Location: 303 East Olive Street, Arlington Heights, IL, USA
Phone: 847.398.4282
Twitter: @ahsd25Olive