Newsletter from the Principal
Mrs. Lori Smith
Student Safety in Winter Months
During winter weather we do our best to ensure students are safe, so we have impelemented the following changes:
1. Any buses arriving later (after 8:43 a.m. bell) will drop students off at front entrance.
2. Students have indoor recess before and during the school day when the temperature or wind chilld is below zero.
3. Students are given frequent reminders to bring hats, mittens, snow pants and boots.
4. All student K-5 are expected to wear snow pants and boots until the principal announces that they are no longer needed.
5. The custodian mops the hallways frequently, but students coming in from recess need to be careful on the slippery floors.
Keeping Students Safe in Winter Requires Parents Help Too.
Parents, we need your support too to make sure students are safe at Oaklawn.
1. Please do not drop off or send students to school before 8:30 a.m. NO staff are on supervisory duty until then. 8-8:30 a.m. is very valuable meeting and prep time for staff.
2. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. This includes indoor and outdoor clothing. To save on heating costs for the past several years, the district has turned down thermostats in all buildings. Because the HVAC systems heat/cool by zones, rather than individual rooms, temperatures can vary considerably from room to room depending on wind, sunlight, etc.
3. Please slow down in the parking lot. With the freezing rain over winter break the parking lot is slippery. Watch for pedestrians crossing from sidewalk to lot between cars.
4. Please be careful on sidewalks. Even with ice melt and sand, sidewalks are still ice covered and slippery.
5. Please remember that the playground stays wet and mucky long after the snow melts, so we require snow pants and boots to keep students dry and reduce the mud tracked into classrooms.
Pajama READ Day Planned for January 29th
The planning committee is busy putting the final touches on our first, and hopefully annual Pajama READ Day.
Oaklawn's Student Council has sponsorred a pajama day for several years. This year we decided to combine it with a day focused on reading and writing, and then a PTO movie night in the evening.
Local author Katie McKy will do an all school presentation about being an author. Then for students in grades 2-5, she will conduct writer's workshops.
Students in Kindergarten and first grade will be visited by Madame Lanita (aka Kris Winter). Madame Lanita will explore creative storytelling and story writing with students.
Other events being planned are book talks by local public librarians, and local "celebrities" reading to students.
A Reminder To Our Families About Videotaping in our Schools
Occasionally we videotape for in building or in district instructional purposes. If we ever allow videotaping that will be released to the public, families will be indormed in advance of the purpose, as well as the date and time it will occur.
Congratulations to Mrs. B.'s 5th Grade HP Class!
Over winter break, Mrs. Bergstrand personally delivered a Dream Rocket quilt to Huntsville, AL. The quilt, along with about 8,000 others, will drape NASA's Saturn V Moon Rocket on display there. The following students designed panels for the quilt: Justin Clark, Camryn Corning, TJ Cravey, Brenden Frion, Brooke Frion, Josh Goeltz, Jacob Goodman, Evan Husby, Gabriela Mykelbust Twohig, Kate Trimble and Lexie Weghorn. Articles about the quilt were recently in the Dunn County News and Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.
READING VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED!
We are still hoping to implement a reading intervention program that needs volunteers.
Working with Reading Specialist Cindy Arntzen and Paren Liaison Kate Jarvi, Oaklawn staff would like to establish a weekly reading fluency and comprehension program for students who are not meeting reading grade level benchmarks. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Oaklawn's office and leave your name and phone number or e-mail
There will be 1-2 hours of training offered to volunteers before implementation of the program.