Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary School is a collaborative school community with responsible students who are passionate, global learners.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Holiday Story Time with the Principals

The risers are ready, the fireplace roars, waiting for students to walk through the doors.


Cozy and warm in pajamas was the plan, as children listened to stories about Yeti's and the GingerBread Man.


 The children were focused their attention was held and when it came to coloring their glyphs they all excelled.


The principals enjoyed each grade level as one,
and wish each student and family a happy holiday vacation.



Students Involved With Technology Conference: Level Up



Attention all students who love to use technology:  The SIT conference will be held at South Middle School in Arlington Heights on Saturday, February 11.  This is a conference for students and all sessions are presented by students.  Anyone in grades 3-12 may register to attend.  At the conference, students may attend sessions presented by other students on topics such as: animation, Minecraft, Spheros, 3-D printing, Scratch, coding, Lego robotics, photo editing, drones, makey makey, web tools, and more. The attendance fee includes a t-shirt, snack, lunch, hands on activities, a keynote speaker, and the opportunity to attend many technology sessions and to possibly win prizes. Interested students may sign up online by January 20, 2017.  Also, if students are interested in presenting on a technology topic, they should sign up on the SIT conference website. Presentations will last 30 minutes.  Students may present as individuals or as part of a team. Please follow this link to the SIT conference website to learn more. 




Students Love the New Floor Chairs in the LMC!

Students at OMS are excited to sit on the floor in comfort as they use the new floor chairs purchased for the school by the PTA.  These stackable chairs have cushioned seats and back support. Students feel like they are sitting in a theater as they receive instruction from Mrs. Brown or Mrs. Dufern in the library media center.  Because the chairs are lightweight, they can be carried around the room and set up in various spots as students sit together to work in small groups.  Thank you PTA!



TWIG 12.16.16

Olive-Mary Stitt PTA - Every child. One voice.
Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser.
The Olive Twig

December 16, 2016

Happy Winter Break!

Have a safe and wonderful break! Classes resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.


Character Counts - Look What's Been Happening

The results are in for our Warm the Nest event....356 coats & winter wear items for kids and 34 adult items! Our 5th Grade Service Learning Club worked like a well oiled machine over lunch Wednesday to count, sort & bag these items - give these owls a pat on the back for a job well done!

Our friends in District 59 (south Arlington Heights) were thrilled to stock their closet with the kids items due to very real & unmet needs within their district.  Interventionists within the District will be getting these items in the hands of children in our community who need them immediately. Journeys was grateful for the adult wear they received today too! This month perfectly illustrates how many hands working together can show OMS cares in a big way & we can make a real difference in Arlington Heights. Thanks for your support!

Rachael Hooker & Christine Gilbert
Character Counts Co-Chairs

Click Here for a quick recap of the Character Counts work to date this year.


Mark Your Calendars - Orbit Family Roller Skating Night - Jan 19th

Family Roller Skating Night is Thursday, January 19th.

The fun begins at 6:30pm and ends at 9:00pm at Orbit Skate Center. Admission is free, Skate rental is $4.00.

Please bring a non-perishable item for donation to help our communities in need. Any questions please call Amy Barnard 312-543-8463 or Kris Persons 312-961-0943.


Character Counts in December - Send in Your Pop Tops!

Send in your pop tops through January 6th. Our Student Council leaders are working hard to collect Pop-Tops to benefit the Ronald McDonald House all month long. Our 5th Grade Service Learning Club is wrapping up the Winter Wear Warm the Nest drive & is excited to report back soon! OMS students are working hard each month to show how much they care about our community!
 

ABC/25 Foundation News

The ABC/25 Foundation has committed to funding over $70,000 in Grants for the 2016-17 School Year!

$22,500 --> ALL 9 D25 schools will receive a $2,500 Membership Incentive Grant

$25,000 --> 48 Teachers will receive Karen Wessel Barr Teacher Grants

$23,902 --> 9 Teachers will receive Marian Elliott Teacher Grants

Thank YOU for your continued support. For more information on the teacher grant programs and projects funded, visit ABC/25 Foundation.

Yankee Candle Fundraiser will run until January 10, 2017. Visit the www.abc25.org and click the Yankee Candle icon for details.

Coming Soon--> Just Move it! Challenge on April 22, 2017


Winter 2017 Activity Nights - Mark your Calendar!

Each year, the PTA hosts grade-specific Activity Nights. These are fun, free evenings where the PTA brings in performers to put on a show for our students. This winter, we will be bringing back some favorite acts from the past few years. Here are the dates:
  • Kindergarten and First Grade: Thursday, March 2 at 7pm in the Commons
  • Second and Third Grade: Friday, February 17 at 7pm in the Commons
  • Fourth and Fifth Grade: Thursday, January 12 at 7pm in the Commons
Each child must be accompanied by a parent and only students in the specific grades can attend due to size limitations. An email with more details will come out as each Activity Night approaches. Please contact Jen HascheKris Persons or Christina Perez with any questions.


Amazon Smile for Holiday Shopping

Please consider supporting the PTA and start shopping at www.Smile.Amazon.com and .5% of your purchases will be contributed to the Olive-Mary Stitt PTA. Smile.Amazon.com offers the same selection and same prices as Amazon.com, so there is no cost to you, and a charitable donation to the PTA is made! AmazonPrime benefits apply. Click here to learn more:  "About AmazonSmile".  To sign up, it is simple! Log on to Smile.Amazon.com, select "Illinois Congress of Parents and Teachers Olive-Mary Stitt PTA Inc" under charitable organization, and you are set. Thank you for your support!

Upcoming Events..


12/19 - 1/2 - No School, Winter Break
1/3 - Classes resume
 


Important Links


OMS CALENDAR

DISTRICT 25 E-FLYERS

TWIG SUBMISSION FORM

OMS BLOGSPOT


CONTACT THE PTA

JOIN THE PTA



 

CONNECT WITH US


Copyright © 2016 Olive-Mary Stitt School PTA, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a member of Olive-Mary Stitt PTA.
Our mailing address is:
Olive-Mary Stitt PTA
303 E. Olive Street
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp

Friday, December 9, 2016

Service Learning Club Raises $$

A BIG congratulations to the Service Learning Club for managing a successful fundraiser for The Buddy Foundation.  With the help of OMS students who brought in $1.00 to purchase hand-crafted items the Service Learning Club raised and will donate $309.00 to help take care of animals in need.


Thursday, December 8, 2016

How are we doing? 5Essentials Survey


How are we doing? How does OMS rank according to the 5Essentials Survey? This is your chance to provide feedback!

Winter Recess


It is our practice to have the children go outside as much as possible during lunchtime, even in winter. The students do not go outside if ithere is heavy precipitation or if the wind chill is below zero. Parents are asked to dress children in appropriate outerwear for the weather conditions so students may comfortably take advantage of outside recreational play. Please put names on all outdoor clothing, including boots. Bring on the snow! ⛄


TWIG 12.9.16

Olive-Mary Stitt PTA - Every child. One voice.
Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser.
The Olive Twig

December 9, 2016

OMS Chipotle Night was a Success

Thanks for braving the cold and supporting the PTA on Wednesday night. Chipotle said it was their biggest fundraiser night to date.  Way to go OMS families!


Congratulations to PTA Reflections Contest Participants

Congratulations to those who advanced from Olive to Council.
  • Vivienne DeRosa
  • Charlotte DeRosa
  • Owen Fischer
  • Etta Fischer
  • Gwennie Gilbert
  • Carson Phillips
  • Ryder Schuch
Council has just informed us that the following are advancing another level to REGION!
  • Carson Phillips “Shooting Star” Song
  • Vivienne DeRosa’s “Story of My Life” Dance
  • Ryder Schuch’s “My Story of Appreciation: Veteran’s Day” Story
  • Charlotte DeRosa’s “My Story” Painting
Congratulations and thank you for representing our school. Great job kids! Special thanks to our Committee Chairs, Kim Hemminger and Katie Fischer, for all their hard work promoting this great program.


Character Counts in December - Send in Your Pop Tops!

Send in your pop tops through January 6th. Our Student Council leaders are working hard to collect Pop-Tops to benefit the Ronald McDonald House all month long. Our 5th Grade Service Learning Club is wrapping up the Winter Wear Warm the Nest drive & is excited to report back soon! OMS students are working hard each month to show how much they care about our community!

Ecology Club "Spruces" Up the Front Entrance

Check out the beautiful planters in front of the school. A special thank to the Ecology Club for continuing to keep or school beautiful.


Just Move It! Challenge - Last Day to Vote for Your Favorite T-Shirt

Thank you for all of the great T-shirt design submissions for the Just Move It! Challenge. About 70 designs were submitted. They have narrowed it down to the top 4. Vote on your favorite by going to the Just Move It! Challenge website:  jmichallenge.org.  Voting opens on Friday, December 2nd and closes on Friday, December 9th.


Attention Parents of 5th Grade Boys:

Tuesday, December 13th: The fifth grade boys will have the opportunity to attend the "Michael" program presented by the Robert Crown Health Education Center. This program is being offered by the PTA so that parents have the opportunity to hear the presentation with their child before it is presented in school.

It has been developed to acquaint the boys with the physical development and personal hygiene associated with growing up. The program will be presented in the Commons at Olive-Mary Stitt School at 7:00pm. It will end by 8:30pm.Every boy attending must be accompanied by a parent or an adult chaperone. A permission slip was sent home November 29th and must be returned to the office by December 9th. Please click here for a copy of the permission slip and details. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Klancnik.


Winter 2017 Activity Nights - Corrected Dates - Mark your Calendar!

Each year, the PTA hosts grade-specific Activity Nights. These are fun, free evenings where the PTA brings in performers to put on a show for our students. This winter, we will be bringing back some favorite acts from the past few years. Here are the corrected dates:
  • Kindergarten and First Grade: Thursday, March 2 at 7pm in the Commons
  • Second and Third Grade: Friday, February 17 at 7pm in the Commons
  • Fourth and Fifth Grade: Thursday, January 12 at 7pm in the Commons
Each child must be accompanied by a parent and only students in the specific grades can attend due to size limitations. An email with more details will come out as each Activity Night approaches. Please contact Jen HascheKris Persons or Christina Perez with any questions.


Amazon Smile for Holiday Shopping

Please consider supporting the PTA and start shopping at www.Smile.Amazon.com and .5% of your purchases will be contributed to the Olive-Mary Stitt PTA. Smile.Amazon.com offers the same selection and same prices as Amazon.com, so there is no cost to you, and a charitable donation to the PTA is made! AmazonPrime benefits apply. Click here to learn more:  "About AmazonSmile".  To sign up, it is simple! Log on to Smile.Amazon.com, select "Illinois Congress of Parents and Teachers Olive-Mary Stitt PTA Inc" under charitable organization, and you are set. Thank you for your support!

ABC/25 Yankee Candle Fundraiser



You can still order holiday gifts from Yankee Candle. All online orders need to be completed by November 18th for December delivery. Reminder free shipping on all orders over $100 and orders are sent directly to your address. Yankee Candle fundraiser will run until January 11, 2017. Visit the www.abc25.org and click the Yankee Candle icon and follow the prompts to signup as a seller. Proceeds benefit ABC/25 Foundation Teacher Grants. Membership Drive is also still going on! Help your school Earn $2,500 - Make a donation and become a member of ABC/25 Foundation today! If you have questions, contact Megan Puzen.

Upcoming Events..


12/13 - Michael Talk (G5 Boys), 7pm
12/14 - 5th Grade Science Behind Drugs presentation, 9:15am
12/16 - Holiday Storytime with the Principals
12/19 - 1/2 - No School, Winter Break


Important Links


OMS CALENDAR

DISTRICT 25 E-FLYERS

TWIG SUBMISSION FORM

OMS BLOGSPOT


CONTACT THE PTA

JOIN THE PTA




CONNECT WITH US



Copyright © 2016 Olive-Mary Stitt School PTA, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a member of Olive-Mary Stitt PTA.
Our mailing address is:
Olive-Mary Stitt PTA
303 E. Olive Street
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp

Friday, December 2, 2016

ABC/25 Grants

Congratulations to the following OMS staff that were awarded grants this year! In total, OMS received $8,601.12 in funding! We are so excited about the new materials and opportunities these grants will afford our students.

The foundation received a total of 84 grant applications. The foundation awarded 48 Karen Wessel Barr Grants in the amount of $25,000 and 9 Marian Elliot Grants in the amount of $23,902. That's a total of $48,902 that will be used to enhance District 25 learning. Thanks, ABC/25!

Apps for Education - One $100 Apple VPP Voucher for Every School - $900.00With the purchase of additional iPads, our need for funds to purchase iPad apps continues. Students utilize mobile apps to listen, record, create, publish, communicate and collaborate! Apps cover a wide variety of subjects (math, art, music, literacy, social studies, science, spelling) for use by our students and our staff members. All District25 students will benefit from this grant.Marsha Magnino
Microscopes for Science ClubI wish to obtain wooden microscopes which replace the eyepiece with a smartphone or small tablet.Cynthia B. House
Fun and Games and Learning,too!This collection of forty, skillfully selected, award-winning educational games would nurture strategy and challenge in our classrooms! With plans for use building wide, these challenging games have been selected to extend curricular topics, provide written communication opportunities and allow for continued development of Personalized Learning elements. Plus, they are fun!Shannon Watanuki
The Domino EffectI am requesting a classroom set of professional dominoes as innovative ,low-tech, opportunities for students experience the engineering design process first hand and to learn to use failure as fuel to move forward. There are numerous ways to design with dominoes. These dominoes will be used in S.T.E.M., math and science units of studies as an engaging hands-on learning opportunity.Shannon Watanuki
Let's CreateLet's create a learning environment where students have the opportunity to build upon technology used in previous grades. This grant is requesting vouchers to purchase an iPad app called Pixie for intermediate students to use.Brenda Stevens
Large Screen Display Monitors for the LMC LabWhether students are working collaboratively or visualizing data, these large screen display monitors will make examining information on computer screens easier. These monitors will be placed at various workstations throughout the LMC lab. Students working in groups will be able to connect individual laptops to the monitor screens to project their work onto a larger display area.Nancy Brown
Bee a Learner in Our HiveBee-Bot Learning Stations provide hands-on learning for students in K-2. These award winning robots enable students to program a journey on their square grid. Bee-Bots enrich and enhance lessons while building skills a variety of skillsMaribeth Seisser
Ozobots- Colorful Coding Bots for All LearnersWe are seeking an Ozobot Classroom Starter Kit. An Ozobot is a miniature smart robot that follows lines or roams around freely, detects colors, and can also be programmed. Students will learn hands-on about robotics and programming while working on STEM skills. Ozobot teaches skills in an innovative and creative way so children learn while being engaged and playing.Shannon Watanuki
Enhancing Student Learning with an Active Learning SpaceOur building has recently recaptured some space, giving us a terrific opportunity to create an active learning environment for students! This new learning space is a wide, tiled hallway filled with natural light in a low-traffic area with wall space for instruction and display. We hope to furnish this area with moveable furniture designed to facilitate student learning.Alinda Wilhelm, Rebecca FitzPatrick
Individual Engineering ToolboxesD25 educators find providing students with engineering opportunities engaging and meaningful. However, gathering and paying for the needed supplies can be daunting. I have found a solution! I am requesting supplies to assemble individual engineering kits made of inexpensive, non-consumable items that can be used in countless engineering challenges. A complete classroom set will be made for two elementary schools. Shannon Watanuki,Julie Nelson

5 Essentials Survey Now Available

This is a reminder that the 2017 Illinois Parent Survey is now available.  

This is your chance to provide feedback about your child's school in five areas, which research indicates are critical for school success:  Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environment, Ambitious Instruction.  Five Essentials survey results are collected by the Illinois State Board of Education and will be sent to D25 in late spring of 2017.  These results will be publicly posted on our school report card in fall of 2017.

Your input is valuable to us. We would like to thank you for taking the time to share with us your views on District 25 and our school.  The survey has 17 questions and takes approximately 20 minutes.  

Link to survey:  http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Link to FAQ:  Frequently Asked Questions


Vote for your favorite T-shirt design!

Thank-you for all of the great t-shirt design submissions for the Just Move It! Challenge. About 70 designs were submitted district wide. The top 4 designs were selected and now you can VOTE for your favorite!
Voting Starts Friday 12/2/16

Vote on your favorite by going to the Just Move It! Challenge website below.  
Voting closes on Friday, December 9th

Erin's Law Schedule

This year Erin’s Law presentations will take place during January and February. Like last year, Mrs. Moore, the OMS social worker will be presenting in classrooms by grade level, with some classes combined.  Presentations will be one time for about 30 minutes. Classroom teachers and the social worker met to determine the best times for the presentations to occur.

The OMS PTA has graciously donated a set of books, that are read during the presentation, for parents to preview if they would like. These will be available in the office beginning on Monday, December 5. Please ask Brenda or Judi to see them.  

Following is the presentation schedule:

K (morning): K-1 (Mrs. Tumpane), K-2( Mrs. Klimas) January 18: 9:15-9:45
K (afternoon): K-3 (Mrs. Naughten), K-4 (Mrs. Martens) January 18: 1:15-1:45

First grade: 1-1 (Mrs. Brinati), 1-2 (Mrs. Vittore), January 24: 9:15-9:45
1-4, (Miss Alberti), January 25: 9:15-9:45
1-3 (Mrs. Nordman), 1-5 (Mrs. Orlando), January 30: 11:30-12:00

Second Grade: 2-5 (Mrs. Mueller), 2-4, (Mrs. Netzel) January 9: 2-2:30
2-3 (Miss Musich), 2-2, (Mrs. Wilhelm), January 13: 2-2:30
2-1 (Mrs. Christoforou), January 20: 2-2:30

Third Grade: 3-1(Mrs. Helmann, 3-2(Mrs. Molnar) January 10: 1:15-1:45
3-3 (Miss Pietrzaik) January 11: 1:15-1:45
3-4 (Miss Brown), 3-5 (Mrs. Yarbrough), January 13: 11:10-11:40

Fourth Grade: 4-2 (Miss Doranski), 4-5 (Mrs. Stevens), February 15: 11:15-11:45
4-4 (Mrs. Grimm), February 17: 11:15-11:45
4-3 (Mrs. Beck), 4-1 (Mrs. Range), February 21: 11:15-11:45

Fifth Grade: 5-1 (Mrs. Muhr), 5-3 (Mrs. Tranter), February 21: 2:30-3:00

5-2 (Mrs. Fowler), 5-4 (Mr. Edstrom), February 22: 2:30-3:00

Please click here to access the District website where you can find additional information regarding Erin's Law.