Oak Hill Observer

Hello OHE Families,

This will be the final newsletter of this semester and of 2022! Next week is a short week and we are looking forward to ending our semester with some fun classroom celebrations.

This morning at assembly, we had the honor of announcing our Oak Hill Elementary Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year is selected by the staff at Oak Hill and will represent our school in the AISD Elementary Teacher of the Year process. Please help us celebrate and congratulate Mr. Paul Cumings as our 2022-2023 Oak Hill Elementary Teacher of the Year!

Please check the calendar sections and Latest News for current updates about our school. I wish all our Eagle Families a Wonderful Winter Break with plenty of time for fun and family. Thank you, as always, for all of your support and for being a part of this community.

Happy Holidays!

Your Proud Principal,

Lori Komassa

• December 22 - January 9: Winter Holiday
• January 9: Staff Development Day
• January 10: First Day of 2nd Semester
• January 16: MLK Jr. Holiday- NO SCHOOL
• January 22: Family Fun Event @ Madrone's 11am-2pm
• January 23: CAC Meeting 3:30pm

• February 15-16: Parent Teacher Conference Evenings

• February 17: Early Release Day
• February 20: School Holiday

Due to the predicted cold temps and to increased parent traffic for Winter parties, we are asking that parents not come for lunch this coming Wednesday, December 21. This will help us greatly to not be overwhelmed in the front office and allow us to accomplish the tasks we need to complete to be ready for the winter break. We appreciate your understanding!

With many Austin ISD students living in food-insecure households, access to healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed. Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while Austin ISD offices and schools are closed for the winter break:

• Central Texas Food Bank

• United Way for Greater Austin - ConnectATX

• Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.

El acceso a los alimentos puede resultar difícil para muchas familias cuando el distrito cierra. Las familias pueden usar los recursos de la comunidad para encontrar comidas gratis en su área, mientras que las escuelas de Austin ISD están cerradas por las vacaciones de invierno:

• Banco de Alimentos del Centro de Texas

• United Way for Greater Austin

• Salud y Servicios Humanos de Texas - Llame al 2-1-1 o al (877) 541-7905 para hablar con un operador

The online registration for the 22-23 school year and the 23-24 school year will be open concurrently starting January 9th (new this year). Families enrolling in the current school year will not have to complete paper registration packets. In addition, out of district families will be able to register online.

Here are the important links for these two activities:

1. Enrollment landing page: https://www.austinisd.org/enroll

2. Important dates and deadlines: https://www.austinisd.org/transfer/dates-deadlines

3. For questions, please use the districts Let’s Talk https://www.austinisd.org/letstalk and click on “Student Services: Enrollment, Records, & Transfers”

Looking for a new activity to do with family and friends over winter break? Want to extend learning at home? The Creative Learning Initiative has adapted two arts-based Creative Teaching strategies used in classrooms — Model Making and Soundtrack — for our community members to use for fun, engaging conversations. Click this link for these activities in Arabic, Burmese, English, Kinyarwanda, Mandarin, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese.

Please join and share with your community regarding the 2023-2024 Austin ISD upcoming budget discussion. Please see below for scheduled sessions:

Virtual

Monday, December 19, 2022.

English from 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Spanish from 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Budget Community Conversation

Virtual

Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Spanish from 12:00pm-1:00pm

English from 6:00pm-7:00pm

Budget Community Conversation

We will host several in-person meetings throughout January, February and March to further talk about the 2023-2024 budget. Stay tuned for more information.

ESPANOL

Únase y comparta con su comunidad sobre la próxima discusión del presupuesto 2023-2024 de Austin ISD. Consulte a continuación las sesiones programadas:

Virtual

Lunes, 19 de diciembre de 2022

Inglés de 12:00 a 13:00

Español de 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Budget Community Conversation

Virtual

Miércoles, 11 de enero de 2023.

Español de 12:00pm-1:00pm

Inglés de 6:00pm a 7:00pm

Budget Community Conversation

Organizaremos varias reuniones en persona durante enero, febrero y marzo para hablar más sobre el presupuesto 2023-2024. Estén atentos para más información.

February Art Classes are getting closer. Students will be creating with Fabric dyes, tissue paper, and many other fun art supplies. If you have Thursdays free and would like your child to sign up, classes are February 1, 8, 15, and 22. Classes will be held in the artroom after school until 430. Pick up on the side by the teacher parking lot. Sign up now before spots fill up. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up.

Supply fee $100(check or venmo @JoLynn-Rettig)

Thank you!

JoLynn Rettig

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F45ABA622ABFC1-february

A couple reminders:

• Due to space, participation is limited to the first 50 parents to sign up.
• Parents need to sign up HERE by noon the Thursday before.
• Once the form reaches 50 people, it will no longer accept responses.
• The next 3 Fridays are listed for now and we will add additional dates for the spring semester.
• Parents must enter the building through the front door only AT ALL TIMES.
• We ask that each parent that is attending sign up and assembly is limited to PARENTS only at this time.
• Please make sure you are able to attend if you sign up so as not to take that spot from someone else.
• Parents can only stand in the back of the assembly due to space concerns. Please do not sit in the line with your child.

If you are able to sign up, the office will pre-print a badge for you and you can pick it up on the front porch beginning at 7:20. If you have not been on campus this year, you will need to check in at the main office with your ID before assembly to get your badge.

We will continue to add dates to this form, so you can use the same link (above) to sign up for future dates. Thank you for following the rules of the campus to make sure things run smoothly and everyone stays safe. We appreciate you!

If your child needs to leave early for an appointment, please notify your child's teacher and the front office. When you arrive at the school, you can come to the front door or call from your car and then we will call for your student. We will not call for students until you are here. With our new schedules (and a new phone number system) please leave PLENTY of time (at least 10 minutes) from the time you call us to the time your child is ready to leave. If you have an appointment right after school, it is best to pick up your student no later than 2:45 to avoid the dismissal crunch. **If you have not had your driver's license scanned into our Raptor System in the last year, we will ask you to bring in your driver's license to the office***

The mornings are getting cooler and I wanted to send out the AISD weather guidelines. We do have morning recess outside, unless it is not raining and we adhere to the guidelines. Please make sure your child dresses accordingly.

December Cafeteria Menu

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!

Hi 5th grade families!

This will be a one stop shop for all middle school information. We will update it as we receive new information from middle schools, so keep checking back periodically. Middle School Information 2022-2023

-Mrs. Weber & Mrs. Rosales

Don't miss out on recognizing your special 5th Grader - Ads must be submitted by DECEMBER 31st!

Do not let the holidays keep you from being physically active. Try these holiday ideas from the CATCH Program to keep you and your family active:

• Use the stairs at the mall, not the escalator.

• Enjoy active holiday chores. Decorate your house. Make holiday yeast bread and have your kids help you knead the dough.

• Decorate outdoors. Help your kids make and hang cranberry and popcorn chains on trees to feed the birds. Roll pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed for outside tree ornaments.

• Get active at family gatherings. Move away from the dinner table and get everyone to take a walk

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