Oak Hill
Elementary School PTA
Austin, Texas
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ENews 10/04/2009
ENews 10/04/2009

October 4th, 2009

 
 
 
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Did You Know?

Parent/Teacher Conferences this Month

How many times have you asked, "What did you do at school today?" And all too often the response is, "Nothing.  Well, the week of October 19 parents will get a chance to gain more insight into how their child is doing this year during Parent/Teacher conferences.  There is no school October 19 to allow teachers to meet with parents.  Please contact your child's teacher if you have not scheduled a time to meet.

Donuts With Your Dude

SAVE THE DATE for a fun new event: Donuts With Your Dude on Thursday, October 22, from 7:15 to 7:40 a.m. under the blue shade on the playground. Students and their fathers (or other male role model) can enjoy a donut and drink before school and then walk to class together. More details coming soon. Contact Casie Wenmohs, Welcoming Committee Chair, at ckw@austin.rr.com with any questions.

Read On!

News from our OHE Library...

OHE Library Birthday Club
 
Trying to find that unique birthday present? The Oak Hill Library has just the gift for you! Join the Oak Hill Birthday Club! For a $12 donation made out to the Oak Hill Library, your child can choose a book to be "donated" to the library in his/her honor. Please be sure to include the student's name, class, and some interests or authors the student enjoys in order to help with the selection of a book that he/she will like. This donation will go towards the purchase of new materials throughout the year to make our collection even better. The honoree will have a nameplate placed inside a book he/she has selected from our new purchases. A picture of your child with the chosen book will be displayed in the main hallways throughout the year! Summer birthdays can be celebrated any time of the year!

C.A.T.C.H CORNER

by Kristen Palmer, OHE P.E. Teacher

Introducing: Family Health & Fitness Bingo!!

One of the goals of CATCH is to encourage families to engage in fitness at home.  Family Health & Fitness Bingo is one way your family can achieve this!!

On the bottom of the monthly “Eat Smart” Menu from the cafeteria, there is a Family Health & Fitness Fun grid.   We are using this grid to play Bingo.  Simply choose an activity from each of the sections (example: muscular strength exercises or family physical activity).   Do that activity with your family.  
Once completed, color in the box.  

Throughout the month, continue to choose activities from the different sections.  When you have done one activity from each section, your family has completed a BINGO!  If your family wants to go for a “BLACK OUT,” keep doing the activities until all of the boxes are colored in!

Once you have a BINGO or a BLACK OUT, have the participating members of the family sign the grid and have your child return it to school.  Be sure to add your child’s name and classroom teacher’s name.  Send the completed grid to the attention of Kristen Palmer.  

I am confident that you will find that these short physical activities are a fun way to play/interact with your child(ren)!

Reflections


It's Reflections time again. Reflections is an art program sponsored by the PTA. The categories for entries are Literature, Music, Visual Arts, Photography, Film and Dance. The theme for 2009-10 is "Beauty Is..." Deadline for entries is Friday, October 23rd. Look for more information about the program in your child's folder over the upcoming weeks.

Workshop?

Workshop is a dedicated time every week that volunteers gather in the workroom in the Main building to help out with whatever needs to be done. Parents assist teachers with jobs such as copying, laminating, die cutting, etc. This gives the teachers more time to spend on teaching and planning.
Workshops are on Wednesdays starting at 9:00 A.M. in the workroom of the Main building. Any help that we can get would be appreciated. Come when you can!

Staff Spotlight – Pat Fishel

Most of you know Pat, she is the first face that many of us see at Oak Hill.  She works at the Front Desk in the main building.  She was gracious enough to be out first staff to be interviewed!

1.    What is your favorite story about your time at Oak Hill Elementary?
Once, when I was in charge of the health room, a little boy wrapped his mittens around the thermometer to ensure that he had a temperature and could go home.
 
2.     What is something that you do in your job that might surprise people?
There were no computers when I started at Oak Hill when I first started.  I had an old electric typewriter.  It was quite a challenge.  
 
3.     What is your favorite part of your job?
Meeting the parents, working with the teachers and students.  It is wonderful being part of a great school that has a great influence on children and their future.
 
4.     What is your favorite food?
My favorite meal is a steak with a baked potato and salad, Iced tea and Blue Bell ice cream.
 
5.     Tell us about your Family/Pets?
I have one very special daughter, DeAnne, and one special granddaughter, Khreptyne, who is a senior at Bandera.  I have 3 cat: Midnight, Whisper, and Speckles.  The cats adopted me.  They just kept showing up at my house.
 
6.     What are your hobbies?
Crafts, decorating and gardening.
 
7.     What is the furthest you have been from Texas?
Indiana
 
8.     Where you were born?
Bastrop county Texas, at home.
 
9.     What is your favorite book / movie?
Gone with the Wind and Maya Angelou’s books.
 
10.     If you could have a luncheon with any person (real of fictitious/ from any time period, dead or alive), who would you choose and why?
Maya Angelou – she is such a down to earth, real person.  Her outlook on life is inspiring to me.
 
11.     Where is your dream vacation?
European vacation – England, France, Italy, Germany.
 
12.     Who is your role model?
My mom.  She was such an honest, hardworking, and caring person.
 
13.     What is your favorite sport?
Football
 
14.     What one thing could you not live without (thing - not a person)?
Sunshine, although I must say that we did have an abundance of that this summer.  I love lots of windows and God’s beautiful outdoors.

Mark your calendars!

*please see our website calendar for the most up-to-date dates and more information

Attention:  All Classroom Volunteers!

Another AISD Volunteer training session is being offered Monday, Oct. 5th, at 6pm in the OHE Library in conjunction  with the OHE PTA Exec. Board Meeting. If you have any questions, please contact the school directly at 414-2336.

Fighting the Flu

It is often in hindsight that we realize our child's after school meltdown was really because they were coming down with something.  It's important to face this flu season with both vigilance and common sense.  Take a look at the latest AISD information about seasonal flu/H1N1 on the OHE website, which also includes some informative links.

PTA Ice Cream Social!!!!

You are invited to our
1st ever Purely Social
Ice Cream Social!  

Come hang out with your
OHE friends!

$1 per spoon, ice cream is free!

OHE Blacktop (outside)
October 16, 2009
6:30pm – 8:00pm

Volunteers needed for different shifts!  Please come help us make this event a success!
Sign up here!

Hope to see you there

Contact Liddy or Geeta for more info.

PTA Membership Update

The Fall PTA Membership Drive has come to an end.  Thanks to everyone who joined the PTA!!!  We hope that you take full advantage of all the benefits that come with your membership.  If you didn’t join the PTA during the Fall Drive, you still can at anytime.  Just pick up a form in the main office and return to the PTA.

And now what everyone really wants to know is, Who won the class contest??
5th Place: Mrs. Lagerquist’s 3rd grade class at 58%
4th Place: Ms. Alverdi’s 1st grade class at 59%!  Ms. Alverdi’s class was a surprise late comer to the contest.  Way to go Ms. Alverdi!!
3rd Place: Ms. Brooks’ 4th grade class at 63%.  Way to stay in the game Ms. Brooks!
2nd Place: We have a 2-way tie at 64% membership between Mrs. Roberts’ Kindergarten class and a surprise late comer to the contest, Mrs. Conaway’s Kindergarten class!!  Good job to both of these Kindergarten classes!!
1st Place: Mrs. Bentley’s 2nd grade class at 100%!!! 

Congratulations to Mrs. Bentley and her class for a job well done!!!  They are the winners of the class ice cream party and $25 check!!

Final Weekend for the...

Oak Hill PTA Sponsored Innisbrook Gift Wrap and Chocolate Sale!!! 

"It's a jungle out there--buy your wrap from us!"
Sale runs September 18-October 5th.  Envelopes will be accepted through October 7th. 
 
Sell to neighbors and friends!!  The wrap is thick and high quality and the chocolates are delicious.  Many other products too for holiday gift giving!
Innisbrook makes it easy with online ordering.  Go to www.innisbrook.com to place your order.   Use Innisbrook's customer service number at 877-525-5608 or email them at customerservice@innisbrook.com if you need help while you are ordering.
 
Use the EZorder entry to place your order and print a voucher.  Return voucher in envelope with check made out to "Oak Hill PTA".
 
Prizes for selling 5 and 10 items.  Also, prizes for top grade seller and top schoolwide seller. 
 
This is OAK HILL PTA's largest fall fundraiser!  PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL!!!
 

PARTNERS IN READING PROGRAM - GET READY TO VOLUNTEER!

Quick Summary of the Program:
Small group reading program during which volunteers work with 2nd graders using a curriculum designed to make words come alive through stories and poems. Volunteers work with the same group of students each week for 24 sessions. Teachers are in the room during the program. Program times will be EITHER Tuesday OR Wednesday mornings from 8:00 am until 8:45.  A Spanish/bilingual program is included for the Bilingual classes.
 
Two steps to complete to become a volunteer
   
1)    Register as a Volunteer
Registering will start the mandatory background checks and build the specific email database we'll use to communicate with volunteers.  Visit the APIE website: http://www.austinpartners.org/ . 
  • Select VOLUNTEER at the upper right-hand side of the page. 
  • Under SEARCH FOR OPPORTUNITIES, select OAK HILL ELEMENTARY (no need to select a program or a neighborhood) and
  • press SEARCH
  • two programs will appear as "Oak Hill Reading Rangers".  The only difference in these two options is the DAY.  These programs are 2nd grade, group 'reading rangers' (not to be confused with 1st grade, one-on-one 'reading rangers'.)
  • SELECT the DAY you are able to volunteer. (Bilingual-please select Wednesday)
  • ENTER your email information
  • Likely the system will say - you are not registered.  SCROLL down and
  • REGISTER
2)    Attend Training -
APIE provides a 2 hour training session designed to help volunteers become familiar with the curriculum and review strategies for working with 2nd graders. Training is required.  Let me know if this will be a problem.
 
Off-site training opportunities -Partners in Reading (held at APIE offices at 1601 Rio Grande, Suite 300B Email Sandy Bootz if you hope to attend one of these sessions @ sbootz@austinpartners.org
 
    Friday           10/2   7:30 am - 9:30 am
    Monday         10/5  12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
 
Oak Hill training opportunity:
 
Monday, October 12th at 8:00-10:00 in the office/conference room at Oakhill Elementary. (Includes the Parent Volunteer Training required by AISD) Email Hannah Neill to sign-up.  hannah@ae-cpa.com 
 
Thanks for volunteering!
Hannah Neill and DeeDee Eastwood

Rock Doc’s Visit

by Dylan, an OHE 4th grader
 
Rock Doc (Dr. Alan Brown) came to talk 4th grade on Sept. 25 in the Oak Hill cafeteria about his profession, geology.

It was very handy that day because just a few days earlier 4th grade had started working with Earth materials!
 
Dr. Brown was very knowledgeable on rocks and minerals and taught 4th grade many interesting things. For example, quartz, the most plentiful mineral, is also one of the hardest and some minerals (if you give them enough time) can grow as big as a wall! Dr. Brown was also passing around neat specimens of rocks while telling us about them.

I’d like Rock Doc to come back next year! 

Patriotic 4th Graders

by Dylan, an OHE 4th grader

You’ve probably heard kids say the pledges of allegiance (for Texas and U.S.) on the loud speaker and wondered when in the world it would be your turn! Well 4th graders are special in the way that they get to do the pledges. Here’s the process for anyone who would like to say them:

1.    First the teacher will ask who would like to say the pledges (it’s voluntary; you don’t have to do it).
2.    Then you get a pledge sheet and practice at home.
3.    The day before you say the pledges you shadow the person who says the pledges before you. Shadowing is where you just watch and pay attention to how everything is done.
4.    Then the big day comes, you’ll be a bit nervous, I guarantee it. That’s fine, but that’s why you practice extra slowly! You wait in the office for a while until Mr. Cumings sets up the phone/microphone then you’ll start the pledges!!!

As an experienced 4th grader, I can tell you, you slowly start to gain confidence and then… it’s over! You’ll feel proud and wonder how you did. All in all, it’s a lot of fun! Trust me. 

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