TWIG 1.30.15

Twig 1.30.15

2nd and 3rd Grade Activity Night:  The 2nd and 3rd grade Activity Night is TONIGHT, January 30th! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.

Box Tops/Labels for Education: It's time again for Box Tops and Labels for Education collection. Our class challenge will run February 9th - 20th. There will be a black shoe box in each classroom for the students to drop them in. Winning class in K-2 and 3-5 will get to choose their reward. This is such an easy way to raise thousands of dollars for our PTA. Please contact Jen Greenwell with any questions. If you'd like to see a listing of products, please click here for Box Tops and click here for Labels for Education.

Everybody Counts:  The "Everybody Counts" disability awareness program is scheduled the week of February 2-6. Volunteers (3-4 per class) are needed to present the program to the students. All of the materials are super detailed and organized. You just need to present them. It's an amazing program.  Please sign up here  or contact Amy Slowinske and Christine Gilbert.  For more information click here. 

SD25 Cultural Arts Fair! March 4th, 6:00-8:30pm at Thomas Middle School. SD25 students/families/departments are invited to share their cultural arts/heritage through performance or display. We are looking for performers, presenters, & volunteers. Reflections will also be on display with a Recognition Ceremony. Country/Cultural representation can include things like: traditions, maps, clothing, pictures, videos, recipes, games, crafts, etc. All performances will be limited to 5 minutes each & presentations/displays will last throughout the event. ***The deadline has been extended to Feb 6**. Click here for the sign-up the form.

Chess Club:  Chess Club will resume at the end of January.  This club is for all levels — from beginner to experienced player (we'll teach you the rules!). It is not necessary for students to come to all meetings since each meeting has an independent lesson.  For more information please contact Kathie Cates.  Click here for more information.

 ABC/25 Parking Raffle for February:  Want a chance to win your own front row parking spot and priority seating for the First Grade concert February 12? Submit a raffle ticket by Tuesday, February 10.  Please click here for the ticket print outs. Enter more than once to increase your chances!  Winners will be notified by email. Questions? Contact Amy Woolsey or Sharon Hanssen

ABC/25 Scholarship Applications for high school seniors who attended a D25 school - The Arlington Heights Council of PTAs Scholarship Application is now available in the College Counseling Office at Buffalo Grove, Hersey, Rolling Meadows, Prospect and St. Viator high schools.  It is also available on the School District 25 website at sd25.org. The scholarship is open to all graduating Seniors who attended any District 25 schools for at least three years.  Applications are due February 28, 2015.  Please click here for more information and the applications.

Just Move It Challenge - We need an OMS representative for this amazing ABC/25 event/fundraiser. You just need to get information to OMS about the race events and submit it for the TWIG and encourage students/families to attend. If you are interested, please e-mail us at olivepta@gmail.com.

Open Committee Chairs for next year (2015-2016) -  We have several volunteer committee chair opportunities for next year with our PTA.  It's our amazing volunteers who make our programs possible!! The openings are;  Meet & Greet, Character Counts, Chess Club, Book Fair, Parent Patrol, Reflections, Volunteer Coordinator, Calendar and Plant Sale.  Please contact Rebecca Linscott or Angie Frye if you are interested or would like more information.

OMS Calendar (calendar tab also on Directory Spot App and can be exported into your electronic calendars or printed): Click here for calendar. 

Citizen Observer Program and Metra Safety Poster Contest:  Officer Veenstra, our school school resource officer, has shared information with us regarding a Citizen Observation program.  Click here to learn more.  Also, the Metra is sponsoring a safety poster design contest, click here for more information and entry form.

District 25 E-Flyer:  Here you will find information published weekly about community educational and recreational opportunities for children and families in our district.  Click here for the E-Flyer
Click on the appropriate date to view this week's events.

Twig Submissions:  If you would like to submit something for the Twig or website please use this form.  All submissions must be filled out and sent by Thursday morning in order to appear in that week's Twig.  The form also gives an option for an email blast and attaching a form.  If you have an accompanying email blast please email olivepta@gmail.com.  Email blasts must be a follow up to a post in a prior Twig.  Any questions please contact olivepta@gmail.com

10th Inning Marshmallow Challenge

5th graders put their problem solving skills to the test as they created marshmallow & spaghetti towers. We clearly have some budding engineers in the group!

4th & 5th grade activity night!

The OMS 4th and 5th grade students had a fun filled game night with WizzFun- but the parents really stole the show!!!

Twig 1.23.15

Twig 1.23.15

4th and 5th Activity Night:  The 4th and 5th grade Activity Night is tonight! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.  

Everybody Counts:  The "Everybody Counts" disability awareness program is scheduled the week of February 2-6. Volunteers (3-4 per class) are needed to present the program to the students. An "Open Bin" night is scheduled on Wednesday, January 28th from 6:30-7:30 PM in the Commons for volunteers to peruse the materials. Please sign up here  or contact Amy Slowinske and Christine Gilbert.  For more information click here. 

SD25 Cultural Arts Fair! 6:00-8:30pm at Thomas Middle School. SD25 students/families/departments are invited to share their cultural arts/heritage through performance or display. We are looking for performers, presenters, & volunteers. Reflections will also be on display with a Recognition Ceremony. Country/Cultural representation can include things like: traditions, maps, clothing, pictures, videos, recipes, games, crafts, etc. All performances will be limited to 5 minutes each & presentations/displays will last throughout the event. ***PLEASE RESPOND BY JANUARY 30TH***. Click here for the sign-up the form.

Family Roller Skating Night:  Family Roller Skating Night is coming up on Thursday, January 29th form 6:30-9:00 at Orbit Skate. Admission is free.  Please click here for more information.  

Chess Club:  Chess Club will resume at the end of January.  This club is for all levels — from beginner to experienced player (we'll teach you the rules!). It is not necessary for students to come to all meetings since each meeting has an independent lesson.  For more information please contact Kathie Cates.  Click here for more information.

2nd and 3rd Grade Activity Night:  The 2nd and 3rd grade Activity Night is coming up on Friday, January 30th! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.

ABC/25 Parking Raffle for February:  Want a chance to win your own front row parking spot and priority seating for the First Grade concert February 12? Submit a raffle ticket by Tuesday, February 10. Front row parking for the month of February is due by Thursday, January 29.  Please click here for the ticket print outs. Enter more than once to increase your chances!  Winners will be notified by email. Questions? Contact Amy Woolsey or Sharon Hanssen

ABC/25 Scholarship Applications for high school seniors who attended a D25 school - The Arlington Heights Council of PTAs Scholarship Application is now available in the College Counseling Office at Buffalo Grove, Hersey, Rolling Meadows, Prospect and St. Viator high schools.  It is also available on the School District 25 website at sd25.org. The scholarship is open to all graduating Seniors who attended any District 25 schools for at least three years.  Applications are due February 28, 2015.  Please click here for more information and the applications.

Open Committee Chairs for next year (2015-2016) -  We have several volunteer committee chair opportunities for next year with our PTA.  It's our amazing volunteers who make our programs possible!! The openings are;  Meet & Greet, Character Counts, Chess Club, Book Fair, Parent Patrol, Reflections, Volunteer Coordinator, Calendar and Plant Sale.  Please contact Rebecca Linscott or Angie Frye if you are interested or would like more information.

OMS Calendar (calendar tab also on Directory Spot App and can be exported into your electronic calendars or printed): Click here for calendar. 

Citizen Observer Program and Metra Safety Poster Contest:  Officer Veenstra, our school school resource officer, has shared information with us regarding a Citizen Observation program.  Click here to learn more.  Also, the Metra is sponsoring a safety poster design contest, click here for more information and entry form.

District 25 E-Flyer:  Here you will find information published weekly about community educational and recreational opportunities for children and families in our district.  Click here for the E-Flyer
Click on the appropriate date to view this week's events.

Twig Submissions:  If you would like to submit something for the Twig or website please use this form.  All submissions must be filled out and sent by Thursday morning in order to appear in that week's Twig.  The form also gives an option for an email blast and attaching a form.  If you have an accompanying email blast please email olivepta@gmail.com.  Email blasts must be a follow up to a post in a prior Twig.  Any questions please contact olivepta@gmail.com

RSVP Coffee & Conversation with the Principals 1/30/15

Please join us this Friday, January 30th, from 9:30 - 10:30 am in the Olive-Mary Stitt teacher's lounge for Coffee & Conversation with the Principals.   We will begin our meeting with an open forum discussion, followed by a discussion of the book,  How Children Succeed, Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, by Paul Tough  If you have already read the book, we look forward to hearing your insights and thoughts.  If you have not yet had an opportunity to read this book, we hope that you will still join us to learn more about what qualities matter most for success in life!

Click HERE to RSVP

Valentine's Day at OMS

The Olive-Mary Stitt room reps and teachers are excitedly planning the fun-filled Valentine's Day celebrations for Friday, February 13th. As the pink hearts begin to take over the aisles of our retail stores, we want to share with you a new guideline for buying those adorable Valentine's Day cards. Due to severe and life threatening allergies, we are asking that you DO NOT INCLUDE ANY FOOD OR CANDY ITEMS with your child's individual Valentines. There are many clever and creative alternatives to food items, including pencils, tattoos, stickers, & bubbles... but the nicest way to say "Happy Valentine's Day" is to write a nice note!

All food items that will be a part of the classroom party must be nut-free and store bought. These items will be shared with all parents prior to the day of the party. Any food/candy items not on the approved list will be sent back home with the child who brought them.

Room reps will be providing the office with a list of all parent party volunteers no later than the end of the school day on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015. The office will print name tag labels for these volunteers prior to the day of the parties. All party volunteers must pick up their name tags in the main office and wear them at all times. Only individuals with name tags will be allowed to be in the school during the parties. If you are volunteering to help at the party and have not filled out a volunteer form or previously had your driver's license scanned in the office, we would encourage you to do so before the day of the party.

We are always so appreciative of the time and effort that our parent volunteers put in to make this such a special day for our students!

Lunch Shift Change

Lunch Shift Change
Monday, January 26th will be our official lunch shift change day. Students that had lunch at 12:10 PM for the first half of the year will eat at 12:40 PM and go out for recess first. Students that had lunch at 12:40 PM will eat at 12:10 PM and go out for recess afterwards. We are looking forward to this change and the opportunity for our students to experience the lunch period from a new perspective.

Lost & Found

FINAL NOTICE  - The lost and found items will be donated to Goodwill on Friday, February 6th. If you are missing any items, please stop by our lost and found prior to February 6th to claim them!

Spirit Day - Next Friday!!!!

Let's brighten up a cold winter day! Friday, January 30th is Student Council Neon Day. Pull on your brightest clothes and lets make the sun shine inside our school!

5 Essentials Survey for Parents

Earlier this week you should have received a letter from Dr. Bein inviting you to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials survey. As a reminder you can visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/ to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Parent Survey. The survey must be completed by March 31, 2013, but we encourage you to complete the survey as soon as possible.  For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view sample school reports, please visit https://illinois.5-essentials.org/2012/. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact 5Essentials Customer Support at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.

Officer Veenstra - Internet Safety Presentation

We want to thank Officer Rick Veenstra for joining us at our most recent PTA meeting.  He provided us with some great insight into internet safety.  Below are some highlights from his presentation.

ONLINE SAFETY TIPS

• NEVER give out personal information on the Internet.  
• Don’t have email addresses or screen names containing personal information.
• Keep all Electronic Communication Devices in a common space, not a bedroom or private space. 
• Play online games with the whole family
• Know your video game console, smart phone, etc….. it is a computer.
• Talk about the online game and only the game, when chatting during gameplay.
• Protect your password.  Parents should always have kid’s passwords, especially for Social Networks.
• Do not download files from an unknown source;  they could be a virus, pornography or some other illegal material.
• Always tell your parents or teacher if you see or read anything that upsets you or that you know is dangerous.
• Cyber Bully emails, texts, etc.. Should be saved
• Know how to block or report bullies to Website or Server.
• Sexting is illegal and can lead to charges of Receiving or Distributing Child Porn.
• What happens to that nude photo when your boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up with you?
• Your future college, job, reputation could be effected by your online behavior.

Internet Safety Sites

commonsensemedia.org

isafe.org

netsmartz.org/Parents

Internet Monitoring

mymobilewatchdog.com

shieldgenie.com

Halt Social Monitor App

Cold Weather Make-up Days

Using the link below, please read the following letter from Jake Chung, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Planning, which contains important information about how we will make up the cold weather days we had on 1/7 & 1/8/15.

Cold Weather Make-up Days Letter 1.16.15

Twig 1.16.15

No school Monday and Tuesday January 19 and 20.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Thank you Officer Veenstra for the informative presentation on internet safety for children.  It was a great meeting, thanks to everyone who attended.  Please click here for more information.  

SD25 Cultural Arts Fair! 6:00-8:30pm at Thomas Middle School. SD25 students/families/departments are invited to share their cultural arts/heritage through performance or display. We are looking for performers, presenters, & volunteers. Reflections will also be on display with a Recognition Ceremony. Country/Cultural representation can include things like: traditions, maps, clothing, pictures, videos, recipes, games, crafts, etc. All performances will be limited to 5 minutes each & presentations/displays will last throughout the event. ***PLEASE RESPOND BY JANUARY 30TH***. Click here for the sign-up the form.

Family Roller Skating Night:  Family Roller Skating Night is coming up on Thursday, January 29th form 6:30-9:00 at Orbit Skate. Admission is free.  Please click here for more information.  

Chess Club:  Chess Club will resume at the end of January.  This club is for all levels — from beginner to experienced player (we'll teach you the rules!). It is not necessary for students to come to all meetings since each meeting has an independent lesson.  For more information please contact Kathie Cates.  Click here for more information.

4th and 5th Activity Night:  The 4th and 5th grade Activity Night is coming up on Friday, January 23rd! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.  

2nd and 3rd Grade Activity Night:  The 2nd and 3rd grade Activity Night is coming up on Friday, January 30th! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.

ABC/25 Parking Raffle for February: Want a chance to win your own front row parking spot and priority seating for the First Grade concert February 12? Submit a raffle ticket by Friday January 23. Winners will be notified by email.  Please click here for the ticket print outs. Enter more than once to increase your chances!  Winners will be notified by email. Questions? Contact Amy Woolsey or Sharon Hanssen

ABC/25 Scholarship Applications for high school seniors who attended a D25 school - The Arlington Heights Council of PTAs Scholarship Application is now available in the College Counseling Office at Buffalo Grove, Hersey, Rolling Meadows, Prospect and St. Viator high schools.  It is also available on the School District 25 website at sd25.org. The scholarship is open to all graduating Seniors who attended any District 25 schools for at least three years.  Applications are due February 28, 2015.  Please click here for more information and the applications.

Open Committee Chairs for next year (2015-2016) -  We have several volunteer committee chair opportunities for next year with our PTA.  It's our amazing volunteers who make our programs possible!! The openings are;  Meet & Greet, Character Counts, Chess Club, Book Fair, Parent Patrol, Reflections, Volunteer Coordinator, Calendar and Plant Sale.  Please contact Rebecca Linscott or Angie Frye if you are interested or would like more information.

 

OMS Calendar (calendar tab also on Directory Spot App and can be exported into your electronic calendars or printed): Click here for calendar. 

Citizen Observer Program and Metra Safety Poster Contest:  Officer Veenstra, our school school resource officer, has shared information with us regarding a Citizen Observation program.  Click here to learn more.  Also, the Metra is sponsoring a safety poster design contest, click here for more information and entry form.

District 25 E-Flyer:  Here you will find information published weekly about community educational and recreational opportunities for children and families in our district.  Click here for the E-Flyer
Click on the appropriate date to view this week's events.

Twig Submissions:  If you would like to submit something for the Twig or website please use this form.  All submissions must be filled out and sent by Thursday morning in order to appear in that week's Twig.  The form also gives an option for an email blast and attaching a form.  If you have an accompanying email blast please email olivepta@gmail.com.  Email blasts must be a follow up to a post in a prior Twig.  Any questions please contact olivepta@gmail.com

PARCC information

At the most recent PTA meeting we shared some information about the PARCC assessments.  Below are the highlights of that presentation. 

• Illinois approved new learning standards in 2010. The PARCC assessments are used to measure student progress on these standards. PARCC is replacing ISAT.
• ISAT will no longer be administered and there will be no way to compare scores between ISAT and PARCC.
• The PARCC assessments will have two components in 2014-2015. First will be a set of performance-based (PBA) tasks such as applying concepts to solve model real-world problems taking place March 2nd - March 18th. The second component will be an end-of-year assessment (EOY) administered April 27th - May 20th. The results will be combined with the performance-based assessment to produce a student’s summative assessment score.
• The PARCC assessments will will cover English/language arts and math. The tests align to the new Illinois State Learning Standards (based on the Common Core Standards).

• In English/language arts, the PARCC assessments will look much deeper at student writing abilities and critical-thinking skills, for example.
• In math, students will have to solve complex problems, show their work, and demonstrate how they solved the problem.

• With PARCC, the state is moving to more online testing however not all grades will test online. For 2014-15, grades 3 and 6 will test online in math and reading. Grades 4, 5, 7 & 8 will be using the paper version. After this year, we will evaluate adding additional grades for online testing. 
• Sample test items and questions are available here: http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes. This will give an idea of what the student testing experience will be like. Keep in mind, not all students will test online and some will have the paper version.
• Additional resources for parents can be found at: http://www.parcconline.org/for-parents

My Mealtime

Use the following link to learn about an upgrade to our food service payment system that allows parents to make a deposit that can be accessed the same day.

My Mealtime Online Food Service Payment System Upgrade Letter

Students Involved with Technology Conference

Are your children interested in learning more about technology or even in presenting on a technology topic?  If so, they might want to attend the SIT: Students Involved with Technology Conference at Aptakisic Junior High School in Buffalo Grove on Saturday, February 21.  This conference is open to students in grades 3-12. There are already many district 25 students signed up to attend.  What's exciting about this conference is that kids will be teaching and sharing technology ideas with other kids.  Some of the topics that kids can learn about at the conference are as follows:

• photo and video editing

• geocaching

• digital art

• robotics

• computer programming

• Google Earth

• game development

There is a registration fee of $25 to attend.  Registration includes hands-on activities, competitions, a keynote speaker, lunch, a t-shirt, and lots of tech sessions to attend.  The deadline for sign-up is January 23.  Please download the attached flier for more information, or check out the website:  www.sitconference.org.

Click HERE for more information on the SIT Conference

Fourth and Fifth Grade Chat and Chew in the LMC

Last Friday, our fourth and fifth graders in the optional Chat and Chew library program had an opportunity to chat with Chicago-area author, Liesl Shurtliff, through Skype.  To prepare for the discussion, participating students read Rump:  The True Story of Rumpelstilskin.  They loved how the novel remade fairytale character, Rumpelstilskin, into a 12-year-old boy instead of an older man.  In the novel, Rump is determined to learn his real full name and its meaning.  The book includes a greedy miller, trolls, pixies, and even Red (from Little Red Riding Hood).  When our students asked Ms. Shurtliff questions at the Chat and Chew, they were excited to find out that she has written another fairytale remake called Jack:  The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk that will be available April 14, 2015.  Mrs. Shurtliff told students how her life has changed since she's become a writer.  She explained that she constantly pays attention to the world around her to get ideas for characters, settings, and events for her new books.  After the Skype session, the students discussed the book and participated in a fairytale character guessing game.  All students in grades 3-5 interested in participating in Chat and Chew can sign up through the LMC.  The next Chat and Chew book for third graders will be announced soon!

Twig 1. 9.15

Stay Warm Everyone!

PTA Meeting:  Please join us for our January PTA meeting on Wednesday January 14 in the LMC (Library Media Center) at 7pm.  We will have a special presentation from Officer Veenstra on internet safety for kids. Click here for the full agenda.  See you there!

4th and 5th Activity Night:  The 4th and 5th grade Activity Night is coming up on Friday, January 23rd! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.  

2nd and 3rd Grade Activity Night:  The 2nd and 3rd grade Activity Night is coming up on Friday, January 30th! Join us in the commons at 7pm for a fun-filled evening.  Click here for more information.

ABC/25 Parking Raffle for February: Congrats to the ATTEA family for winning the ABC/25 front row parking spot for January! This parking spot will be solely for the winning family for the entire month. All others are asked to park in a different spot if this one is unoccupied. Want a chance to win your own front row parking spot? Submit a raffle ticket by the week prior to the beginning of the new month. Winners will be notified by email.  Please click here for the ticket print outs. Enter more than once to increase your chances!  Winners will be notified by email. Questions? Contact Amy Woolsey or Sharon Hanssen

ABC/25 Scholarship Applications for high school seniors who attended a D25 school - The Arlington Heights Council of PTAs Scholarship Application is now available in the College Counseling Office at Buffalo Grove, Hersey, Rolling Meadows, Prospect and St. Viator high schools.  It is also available on the School District 25 website at sd25.org. The scholarship is open to all graduating Seniors who attended any District 25 schools for at least three years.  Applications are due February 28, 2015.  Please click here for more information and the applications.

Open Committee Chairs for next year (2015-2016) -  We have several volunteer committee chair opportunities for next year with our PTA.  It's our amazing volunteers who make our programs possible!! The openings are;  Meet & Greet, Character Counts, Chess Club, Jr. Great Books, Parent Patrol, Reflections, Volunteer Coordinator, Calendar and Plant Sale.  Please contact Rebecca Linscott or Angie Frye if you are interested or would like more information.

Citizen Observer Program and Metra Safety Poster Contest:  Officer Veenstra, our school school resource officer, has shared information with us regarding a Citizen Observation program.  Click here to learn more.  Also, the Metra is sponsoring a safety poster design contest, click here for more information and entry form.

District 25 E-Flyer:  Here you will find information published weekly about community educational and recreational opportunities for children and families in our district.  Click here for the E-Flyer
Click on the appropriate date to view this week's events.

Twig Submissions:  If you would like to submit something for the Twig or website please use this form.  All submissions must be filled out and sent by Thursday morning in order to appear in that week's Twig.  The form also gives an option for an email blast and attaching a form.  If you have an accompanying email blast please email olivepta@gmail.com.  Email blasts must be a follow up to a post in a prior Twig.  Any questions please contact olivepta@gmail.com

Baby It's Cold Outside ...But Warm at OMS!

Welcome back and happy new year Olive families!

We are so glad to have our little owls back safe and warm in the nest.  Some parents anxiously asked us if we would be going outside for recess today...brrrrr. (No, we didn't go outside today.)

The district has a set guideline for us to follow when we are making decisions about going out for recess. We will NOT go out for recess if the temperature with windchill (feels like) is below 0 degrees.  We encourage you to always send your child with warm clothing, especially if we are close to hitting the balmy temperature of 1 degree!

Have a great weekend - Stay Warm!