Reach Newsletter December 2013

3
DEC 201
VOL IV -
ISSUE I
TTER
Y NEWSLE
OMMUNIT
ISTRICT C
D
WELCOME FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT - DAVEDA J. COLBERT, PH.D.
Oak Park School District Family:
Start programs. We offer the best care for children,
full day options to better meet the needs of our
The 2013-2014 school year continues to add points parents, meals, and latchkey if needed. Please read
of pride to the Oak Park School District. Are you the insert on our early learning options.
aware of all of the happenings throughout the
school district this year? Have you visited the Kindergarten Programs. As we continue to provide
district website lately? By logging on to www. the best educational options for our community,
oakparkschools.org and clicking the calendars link we are open to all kindergarten inquiries about
to the left, you will find a calendar for each school offerings and enrollment daily. On January 23,
for the entire year. The REACH Newsletter helps February 11, March 20, and April 17, 2014, we
to keep the community connected to the schools, will host our Kindergarten Roundup Meet and
so please take the time to peruse this edition. Greet Sessions from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at each
Inside, you will find a wealth of information elementary school. There you will hear more about
about happenings at each school, as well kindergarten readiness and our curriculum. You
as, a few reminders/invites about upcoming don’t have to wait until then to enroll. Enroll now,
deadlines, meetings, programs, and more.
even if it is for next school year. Our kindergarten
programs are age appropriate and highly engaging.
Pre-School Programs. There is an enormous Our pre-school and kindergarten teachers share a
amount of research that supports education common understanding of the abilities, attributes,
in the years before kindergarten, recognizing and attitudes children need to be successful once
that quality pre-school offerings play a they leave the early learner programs. Please feel
pivotal role in better preparing our children free to contact the schools or the administration
academically. Did you hear that we are office for more information about our pre-school
expanding our pre-school offerings to and/or kindergarten offerings.
each of our elementary buildings next
school year? If you haven’t heard, we
offer first class pre-school options for
children ages 3 – 5. Currently, all of
our pre-school programs are offered at
Key Elementary School. Our goal is to
expand the offerings to both Einstein
and Pepper Elementary Schools in the
fall. Please call or stop by today to
find out more about our GSRP (Great
Start Readiness Program) and Head
Inside this Issue:
. Welcome from the Superintendent .........................1-2
. Greetings from the Board of Education ................... 3
. District Directory ...................................................... 3
. Student Services/Registration/Enrollment ................ 4
. Specialized Student Services .................................... 4
. K-12 Student Grading Policy Letter ......................5-6
. Title I Dollars at Work............................................6-9
. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award .......................... 10
. Open Enrollment ..................................................... 10
. Oak Park Educ. Found./Kroger Comm. Awards ..... 11
. Oak Park School District
. Einstein Elementary ...........................................12-13
. Key Elementary .................................................13-14
. Pepper Elementary .............................................15-16
. Oak Park Preparatory Academy .........................16-17
. HOSA...................................................................... 18
. Seeking Employment .............................................. 18
. Oak Park High School Freshman Institute.............. 19
. Oak Park High School/buildOn .............................. 20
. GATH Program & YOU Program ........................... 21
. Oak Park High School Athletics ........................22-23
. 13900 Granzon
. Oak Park, MI 48237
. NOVA Discipline Academy .................................... 23
. Oak Park Alternative Education Center .................. 24
. College Palooza/Office of Student Data ................. 25
. Oak Park High School National Honor Society ..... 26
. Thanksgiving Feast ................................................. 26
. Oak Park Education Foundation Golf Outing ......... 27
. Video Production Club ............................................ 28
. After School Achievement/OPHS Alumni .............. 29
. Technology Depart./Student vs. Staff Game ........... 30
. Michigan Works/Chartwells.................................... 31
. Calendar of Events .................................................. 32
. Telephone: (248) 336-7700
. Facsimile. (248) 336-7738
WELCOME FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT (CONT.)
Recognizing Student Achievement. Are you aware
of our National Elementary Honor Society (for
elementary students), National Junior Honor
Society (for middle school students), and our
National Honor Society (for high school students)
programs? We offer all of these programs and
much more. We recognize all of our students
that have demonstrated excellence in the areas of
scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Is
your child taking advantage of being a part of this
opportunity? If not, please contact your school
today. We want all students recognized for their
accomplishments.
Are you aware of our Gifted and Talented Honors
Academy (GATH) in grades 7 –12? GATH
returned to the Oak Park School District in 20132014 and it is better than ever. Please read the
article about GATH and be sure to encourage
your child to be a part of GATH today. For more
information call any of our secondary schools.
We are pushing all of our students to strive for
excellence. There’s excellence inside all of us, so
let’s continue to motivate all students to achieve
their highest potential.
Calling All Alumni. Did you attend any of the
Oak Park Schools at one time or another? We
are building our database of alumni of the Oak
Park School District. There’s an article inside
that speaks to how to stay connected with the
district. Why not share your story? Be a part of
our Career Day events, March Reading Month
activities, and/or arts and athletic homecoming/
snow coming gatherings that recognize alumni,
etc. Many have attended schools in the Oak Park
School District and have gone on to become
productive citizens after getting their start in
the Oak Park School District and we want to be
able to recognize those individuals and share
their stories. Children need to know that others
have walked in their shoes. We may not all have
the same story, but we all have a story. Please
take the time to be a part of the alumni network
that pledges to give back to the school district,
even if that means taking the time to speak of
your success at one of our Career Day activities,
signing up at Kroger’s to have your rewards
points donated back to the school district, or being
a part of annual golf outing fundraiser. There’s
so much to do and we would love to have your English teachers, Mr. Peter Haun, was cited
support. Please take the time to give back to and recognized in an article in the November
2013 edition of the NCTE Council Chronicle.
your school. We welcome you!
The new high school principal, Mr. Kwame
Stephens was one of several authors of
Education 2.0 – Preparing kids and schools for
an ever-changing world which was published
in October 2013 and featured in the MASA
Leader Fall 2013 Edition. These are just a few
of the highlights of our teaching and learning
transformation.
Partnering with Oak Park School District.
We want to take the time to thank all of
our supporters throughout the community.
There are a number of residents, block clubs,
businesses, etc. that continue to step up and
partner with the Oak Park School District in
their own way. We appreciate your kindness
and support. We are all aware of the school
funding difficulties in the State of Michigan,
and we’re definitely feeling our share of the
funding woes. Our families are also feeling
the economic challenges at home daily.
Thanks to the support of alumni, residents,
businesses, and others, we continue to provide
exceptional opportunities and wraparound
services and supports to our students. Just to
highlight how important these partnerships
are, at our local school board meetings, we
take the time to recognize our volunteers
and partners monthly. During the month of
October, we recognized Mrs. Elnora Ramsey
and the Sussex Block Club for their continuous
efforts to donate coats, hats, and gloves to
students in need. We would love to have all
residents and community partners support
our efforts to provide quality educational
learning experiences and wraparound services.
Sometimes, people ask how they can help us
and/or partner with us. One of the easiest
ways is by signing up to have your Kroger
Community Rewards points credited to the
Oak Park Education Foundation. Please find
the flyer about how to sign up for the Kroger
Community Rewards Partnership inside this
communication and sign up today at www.
krogercommunityrewards.com to support the
Oak Park School District.
Celebrating Success. Oak Park High School
continues to transform into an exceptional
learning center. We congratulate them on
their latest accomplishments. They were
recommended for accreditation by the North
Central Accreditation External Review Team in
November 2013. Also, one of their phenomenal
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Program. Please
mark your calendars for our annual Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. program, Monday, January,
20, 2014, 9:00 a.m., Oak Park High School,
auditorium. Every year, the program provides
an opportunity to witness the talents of all of
our students as they recognize the life and
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please
join us for this amazing program.
Closing. As always, my door is open. Your
input and feedback continues to make us
shine. There’s always room for growth and
improvement and we are doing this daily. We
appreciate you being a part of our success and
welcome you to share with us at all times.
Please know that you will not find a more
dedicated and hard working staff. When
you get a moment, please take the time to
acknowledge every individual in the Oak
Park School District. The progress that the
district is making is because of the committed
individuals who continue to move beyond
status quo. The progress that the district is
making is because of the residents who support
and believe that Oak Park is the place to be.
Oak Park School District
BOARD OF EDUCATION (248) 336-7715
FROM THE DESK OF
BOARD PRESIDENT MARIE REYNOLDS
Marie Reynolds
President
Maxine Gutfreund
Vice President
Menachem Hojda
Treasurer
I must also congratulate the new members of the City Council
of Oak Park and the new members of the board of trustees in
the township.
Seasons Greetings to all Oak Park School District Family
and Friends.
Special congratulations to Councilwoman Keisha Speech as
she leaves her seat with the Board of Education to assume the
This is the time of year that we usually take time to reflect very demanding duties at the city council.
over our many accomplishments throughout the year. We will
continue working on goals we’ve set and prepare for new With Trustee Speech leaving the school board, we will have the
goals in the coming year.
task of appointing someone to complete her term.
Between the walls of every school building in the district,
from the administrators,teachers and staff, there’s one
continuous theme and that is to “Provide a Quality Education
for Every Student Everyday.”
For any resident living within the boundaries of the Oak Park
School District and are registered to vote this is the procedure
the Board must follow in order to make an appointment to the
vacant seat.
We have already defied the odds and are on target with our
deficit elimination plan with the State. We could not have
accomplished this without making some very hard and
unpopular decisions supported by dedicated staff who love
being educators of children, and a community of stakeholders
who are equally supportive.
1. A Notice of Vacancy will be published in the Macomb
Daily Newspaper as well as on the District website
requesting a Letter of Interest be submitted to the District
The Board of Education under the leadership of Dr. Daveda
Colbert will continue working hard to provide a safe and
healthy environment for all students and staff. We will
continue to improve test scores of all students and work
toward improving parental involvement and professional
development for all teachers.
You have only to walk throughout the district to see how
the great efforts of all stakeholders are paying off. We are
proud of our dynamic marching band and choirs, with student
involvement at all levels which includes athletics, the arts
and recognition of staff, volunteers and alumni of the district.
2. A deadline will be set for submitting a letter of interest.
3. The Board of Education will hold interviews with
applicants.
4. The Board will make an appointment for the vacant seat
at our Regular Meeting.
5. The time line to fill the vacancy is 30 days from the date
of the posting.
We welcome all interested persons to submit a letter of interest
to the Board by the deadline date, once it has been posted.
On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to wish
everyone a “Safe, Happy and Prosperous Holiday Season!”
Kiesha Speech
Secretary
DISTRICT DIRECTORY
Schools and Administrative Offices
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ................(248) 336 -7700
Fax (248) 336-7738
OFFICE
OF
THE
Misty Patterson
SUPERINTENDENT ....................................(248) 336 -7705
Trustee
Fax (248) 336-7778
OFFICE OF CURRICULUM ..................... (248) 336 -7710
Fax (248) 336-7738
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES ..........(248) 336 -7703
Fax (248) 336-7738
OFFICE OF BUSINESS
AND FINANCE ...........................................(248) 336 -7715
Fax (248) 336-7738
OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES/
Terrence R. West, Sr. REGISTRATION .........................................(248) 336 -7708
Trustee
..................................................................Fax (248) 336-7738
OFFICE OF SPECIALIZED
STUDENT SERVICES .................................(248) 336 -7673
Fax (248) 336-7781
OFFICE OF TITLE ONE ............................(248) 336 -7726
Fax (248) 336-7781
OFFICE OF PROJECT 21 ...........................(248) 336 -7711
Fax (248) 336-7738
OFFICE OF ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ..........(248) 336 -7725
Fax (248) 336-7738
Claudette Lunkins
OFFICE
OF
PAYROLL
................................(248)
336 -7720
Trustee
Fax (248) 336-7738
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TECHNOLOGY SERVICES ........................(248) 336 -7668
Fax (248) 336-7781
EINSTEIN ELEMENTARY .........................(248) 336 -7640
Fax (248) 967-1209
KEY ELEMENTARY ...................................(248) 336 -7610
Fax (248) 336-7618
PEPPER ELEMENTARY .............................(248) 336 -7680
Fax (248) 967-0340
OAK PARK PREP. ACADEMY ...................(248) 336 -7620
Fax (248) 336-7638
MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELING ............(248) 336 -7630
Fax (248) 336-7638
OAK PARK HIGH FRESHMAN INST. .......(248) 336 -7780
Fax (248) 336-7781
OAK PARK HIGH SCHOOL .......................(248) 336 -7740
Fax (248) 336-7658
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING .................(248) 336 -7748
NOVA DISCIPLINE ACADEMY .................(248) 336-7650
Fax (248) 336-7655
OAK PARK ALTER. EDUC. CENTER ........(248) 291-6722
Fax (248) 291-6724
Fax (248) 336-7758
FIRST STUDENT TRANSPOR. ...................(248) 336 -7601
Fax (248) 336-7781
GCA - MAINTENANCE...............................(248) 336 -7603
Fax (248) 336-7781
OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES/REGISTRATION
Angela Smith, Student Services Coordinator, (248) 336-7708
Registration/
Enrollment
You may find all documentation needed to
enroll in advance by visiting our district
website at www.oakparkschools.org. Please
feel free to contact the enrollment office at
(248) 336-7708 if you have any questions.
If you are in need of your pin and password
for Parent Connect, please send an email
to [email protected] to setup
your account today. You will receive your
information in a timely manner and can begin
utilizing the system right away. You may also
PARENT CONNECT
contact the main office at every school for
You may monitor your child’s progress the same information.
as often as needed by taking advantage of
“Parent Connect.” Parent Connect is an To log into Parent Connect you simply go to
innovative tool that allows you to view your our district website (www.oakparkschools.
child’s academic progress, attendance history, org) and click the link at the top that is
behavior, lunch status, email your child’s entitled “Zangle Parent Connect.” When you
teacher and more via the internet. Utilizing click the link it will prompt you to enter your
Parent Connect is a simple and convenient pin and password. If you have any trouble
way to monitor your child’s success in school with this process, you may contact (248)
336-7708 for assistance.
at your own convenience.
The Oak
Park School
d i s t r i c t
w e l c o m e s
residents to enroll at
any time! If you interested in enrolling your
child, please visit our office located at 13900
Granzon between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. We
are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide
a quality education for your child(ren), and
will be more than happy to assist you with
the enrollment process.
OFFICE OF SPECIALIZED STUDENT SERVICES
Sherrie L. Johnson, Director, (248) 336-7673
We continue our
commitment to
individualizing
curriculum,
instruction and
accommodations. We
continue to work diligently to ensure the
The Oak Park Office of Specialized Student success of our students, by creating and
Services is committed to serving students with maintaining a learning environment that
disabilities by:
nurtures the students and the learning process.
learning experience while here in the Oak
Park School District. I can be reached at the
number listed above or via email at sjohnso@
oakparkschools.org. I look forward to getting
to know the children and families of the Oak
Park Community.
• Providing access.
Igniting in Every Child
a Passion for Learning
Greetings! I would like to take a moment
to formally introduce myself. My name is
Sherrie L. Johnson, and I am thrilled to have
recently joined the Oak Park Community as
the new Director of the Office of Specialized
Student Services. Although I have worked
in the Education arena for 30 years, I am
still enthusiastic about igniting “a passion for
learning” in every child I encounter.
• Recognizing differences.
• Identifying abilities.
• Celebrating successes.
• Encouraging independence, and
• Providing challenging curricula.
As the Director, my first priority is to advocate
for the students of the Oak Park School District.
I am dedicated to collaborating with building
administrators, classroom teachers, ancillary
staff and parents to provide an opportunity for
every student to achieve.
This year, I am excited to announce that our
students will continue to Explore the Arts.
Beginning January 2014, Key and Pepper
Elementary Schools will participate in the
Arts in Education Residency Program. This
program, funded by the Michigan Council for
Arts & Cultural Affairs, provides special needs
youth an opportunity to experience the arts
and build vocational and life skills. Students
will work closely with a professional teaching
artist/mentor to create works of art, talking
about the process with one another, assessing
the product, and presenting their work to one
another and occasionally to their families, and
the community.
The Artist in Residency Program can be
a creative catalyst to inspire students to
dream, encourage teachers to create or help a
community understand the roles of artists in
our society and recognizes the arts as a vital
part of everyone’s education and daily lives.
We welcome this opportunity and more as we
continue to connect our students to hands-on
and real world learning experiences.
Please feel free to contact me if you have
concerns or questions related to your child’s
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K-12 Student Grading Policy
Stan Trompeter, Executive Director, Curriculum & Title Programs, (248) 336-7710
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K-12 Student Grading Policy (Cont.)
Stan Trompeter, Executive Director, Curriculum & Title Programs, (248) 336-7710
TITLE I DOLLARS AT WORK!
Stan Trompeter, Executive Director, Curriculum & Title Programs, (248) 336-7710
TITLE I NEWS
FROM AROUND
THE OAK
PARK SCHOOL
DISTRICT
The following are the main services afforded
to your children with Title I dollars across
the district:
Parent Education:
Your Title I Dollars at Work!
Oak Park High School Monthly Parent
Meetings. Do you know exactly what it takes
to get into college? Do you know the high
school’s curriculum? Do you know what it
takes for a student to be proficient in math?
These are just a few of the topics on which
we’ve informed and empowered our parents
at our Monthly Parent-to-Parent Education
Network Meetings (PPEN) . We know that
parents are a child’s first and best teacher
and that it is critical that parents have an active role in Oak Park High School’s educational program. That’s why we strive to give
our parents the tools to support their children
on their path of lifelong learning.
We invite all parents and school stakeholders to attend our monthly PPEN Meetings
at 6:00PM in the Oak Park High School
Cafeteria. Each session centers on a unique
topic that helps parents and students achieve
their educational dreams. We served dinner
to all those in attendance. Bring the whole
family to see the great services Oak Park
High School has to offer, while also learning
skills that are guaranteed to help your child
be successful!
-6-
Future Meeting Dates: January 27th, February
24th, March 31st, April 28th.
After School Tutoring:
Your Title I Dollars at Work!
Oak Park High School Tutoring Support. Some
private school tutors can charge as much at $30
per hour, but students at Oak Park High School
can take advantage of after school tutoring free
of charge! Our after school tutoring program is
funded by Title I and staffed by Oak Park High
School teachers who are all highly qualified
in Math, Science, English, Social Studies, or
Foreign Language. The tutoring program also
provides students with access to our computer
labs, so that they have additional time and support in completing a variety of learning activities. To date, our tutoring program has had over
2,000 visits from students!
TITLE I DOLLARS AT WORK!
Stan Trompeter, Executive Director, Curriculum & Title Programs, (248) 336-7710
by desktop computer, laptop computer,
tablet PC or mobile device. Make sure to
log in at least once a week to see the progress your child is making in school!
Club 21+ Helps Identify & Recognize
Students on the Right Track
If your student is struggling with an academic concept, we encourage you to take
advantage of our free after school tutoring
program, run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays after school until 5:00PM.
Know your Child’s progress in just a few
clicks -- Use Parent Connect
Did you know that knowing your child’s
GPA, Credits & Assignments are just a few
clicks away? Oak Park School District’s Parent Connect give parents and students the
information they need to chart their progress in school. To access Parent Connect,
visit www.oakparkschools.org, then click
on ‘Parent Connect’ at the top of the screen.
Next, enter your log-in information provided
by the school. Once you’ve logged in, you
can see everything about your child’s academic record, including grades on projects,
tests, and quizzes. You can also review your
child’s schedule and e-mail each of his/her
teachers. Grades are constantly updating, so
our recommendation is that parents log in to
parent connect at least once a week.
Decades of scientific research show that
adolescent teenagers need positive motivation and encouragement to progress
in school. That’s why we’re dedicated
to identifying and recognizing those students who are on the right track towards
college & career readiness. Any student
in the 11th grade who received a 21+ or
higher on the ACT this year is being recognized with their name & portrait on one
of the school’s display boards near the
main entrance. We want all school stakeholders to see that we have students who
are achieving great things academically.
We continue to add new names to our display, and our goal is to create many displays throughout the school to show that
we truly value academic excellence.
Mastering the ACT-MME
Don’t have account access or access to an
internet connected computer? No problem!
We are happy to assist all parents in getting logged on to Parent Connect. Contact
Data Specialist/Title I teacher Steven Snead
at 248-336-7737 or by e-mail at ssnead@
oakparkschools.org to get your log-in information. Or, please feel free to stop by any
time during regular school hours to access a
computer and review your child’s academic
progress.
The Parent Connect system is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. It can be accessed
Preparation + Practice = Proficiency.
All 11th grade students will take the ACTMME in the March of 2014. This important test will show each student’s academic proficiency and will also give them
test scores to make them competitive for
college admissions and scholarships. Our
goal is to increase the percentage of students who are demonstrating proficiency,
so to that end, we have required that all
of our Juniors take the ACT or a Practice
ACT multiple times, prior to the March
MME Assessment.
Over 100 students voluntarily chose to
take the ACT on a Saturday in the months
of September or October at an ACT National Testing Site. Students who completed these exams have already received
scores back from ACT and have worked
with staff to put plans in place to improve
-7-
their scores in March. One student summed up
what she and her friends felt about the experience saying, “I like that they’re making us take
it multiple times, because that gives us more
opportunity to improve our scores.” Most students report that knowing their scores in early
2013 will help & motivate them to work hard
to get the score they want in the spring of 2014.
All remaining 11th grade students will take a
practice version of the ACT at Oak Park High
School in December and February, so they
can chart their progress towards achieving a
competitive ACT score. All learning activities
in Math, English, Science, and Social Studies
have been revamped to prepare students for the
ACT. We’ve also added an ACT-MME Preparation class for Juniors, in partnership with
Kaplan Test Prep, Inc., to give our students the
maximum edge in getting ready for the ACTMME. We also have free after school tutoring
to provide students with one-on-one and small
group instruction to improve their academic
skills.
At Oak Park High School we are truly giving
our students the Oak Park Advantage and we
are working hard with all school stakeholders
to support our students’ academic success!
231 Oak Park High School students on
Honor Roll for 1st Marking Period
Oak Park High school is making great strides
towards academic excellence in a variety of
ways. We have more than quadrupled our ranking in the state’s annual Top-to-Bottom scoring
system and we continue to improve our graduation rate. And, during our 1st marking period
this year, we were thrilled to see 231 students
TITLE I DOLLARS AT WORK! (Cont.)
Stan Trompeter, Executive Director, Curriculum & Title Programs (248) 336-7710
achieve a 3.0 or higher, and thus being officially recognized on our Honor Roll.
All 231 students and their parents were invited to a breakfast reception on Thursday,
November 7th, in the school cafeteria,
which featured Oak Park School District Superintendent Dr. Daveda Colbert as the guest
speaker. During this reception, students were
thanked for their hard work and reminded to
continue pushing towards academic excellence. Oak Park High School will continue
to recognize Honor Roll students throughout each marking period, so that students
are continually honored recognized for their
hard work towards academic excellence.
TITLE I OPPA
iPad learning lab is up and running!
Every OPPA teacher has been given an iPad
to assist in providing engaging technology
enhanced lessons for our students. Teachers
have begun integrating lessons involving
the use of iPads in their daily instruction to
enhance lessons and promote student learning. OPPA currently has one iPad portable
learning lab of 30 iPads for student use and
we look forward to expanding this program.
Monthly meetings
Oak Park Preparatory hosts Title I parent
informational meetings on the 1st Tuesday
of every month prior to the monthly Parent
Teacher Student Association meeting. The
focus of our recent informational meeting
was “online support, learning and enrichment.” Our Title I teacher, Ms. Yvonne Taylor, demonstrated the many online resources
available to support children grow academi-
cally at school as well as at home. The online
resources demonstrated and discussed were
purchased with Title I funds in an effort to
provide our students with engaging material
and additional support in mastering Michigan
objectives and standards of learning. Some
additional websites which are free for general
internet users, were also shared. Other topics scheduled for this school year are: “Math
Makes the World Go Around” - Math focused
curriculum night; “Get Ready, Set, Go”- Setting goals and talking with your teen and preteen student; and “High School and College
Readiness” - Preparing for higher learning.
OPPA Title I Offers at Home Support
IXL offers Fun Online Math Practice that will
strengthen the understanding of math concepts currently covered in your child’ class as
well as build bridges or fill gaps of previously
covered concepts. In addition to making math
practice exciting, IXL is designed to help your
child learn at his or her own pace. The website is adaptive and will adjust to your child’s
demonstrated ability level, then build the skills
they need to progress. IXL program offers access to lessons from Kindergarten to High
school Algebra and Geometry.
www.ixl.com
STUDY ISLAND offers online support designed to help your child master the Michigan
standards specific to his or her grade level.
This program has a built in monitor to adjust
difficulty level of the lessons as it builds the
basis needed for progress. This program covers standards from elementary through high
school in Math, Science, English, and Social
Studies. It also includes ACT practice!
www.studyisland.com
BRAINPOP, BRAINPOP Jr., and
BRAINPOP ESL Educational website which
creates animated curricular content that engages students, supports educators, and
bolsters achievement. This website shares
animated videos, information, activities and
assessments across the curriculum from health
and the arts to the core academic areas.
www.brainpop.com
Please contact Ms. Taylor, OPPA’s Title I
teacher at [email protected] or
248-336-7620 ext. 2505 for information on
how to access the websites, or stop by the
school office for assistance.
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Parent Involvement
OPPA is interested in continued growth in
our efforts to achieve success. A large part
of our success is our persistence in gathering input regarding the needs of our students, parents, teachers and community. One
method of gaining input for improvement is
through conducting surveys. We ask all of
our stakeholders to complete surveys twice a
year. Collecting this data allows us to gather
information on what is working, as well as
what needs improvement. Please look for
our spring survey this March/April.
An additional yearly goal for OPPA is to
have 100% of our parents and students sign
and return our parent compact. This compact
creates a bond with the parents, teachers and
students to effectively communicate often in
an effort to increase student achievement.
TITLE I EINSTEIN
As we find ourselves in the second marking
period, it’s a good time to reflect on our fall
start-up. Thankfully, we were able to start
off with our Title I Interventions the very
first day of school. The fully-certified interventionists have been ‘pushing in’ and ‘pulling out’ with academic services in all grades.
We’ve also been providing data from these
sessions that help to further measure and redefine student goals.
Einstein began their Saturday Academy
classes in October. The first 6-week session
was designed for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade
learners and presented small group lessons
in ELA (across content areas) and math. The
focus on this group of learners came out of
our data from the fall of 2012 which indicated these students presented the earliest
challenges, especially in reading and writing: the younger learners are still focused
on building those very basic reading blocks
and the older students are focused more on
test preparation skills. We completed the
first session just before Thanksgiving and
are in the process of working through our
first quarter data to identify the next target
audience for our Winter Academy sessions
in January.
TITLE I DOLLARS AT WORK! (Cont.)
Stan Trompeter, Executive Director, Curriculum & Title Programs (248) 336-7710
PARENT WORKSHOPS
Parent Workshops began in October with
a teacher-led presentation on accessing
student data online and correlating it with
evolving student expectations (Common
Core). Look for information on the next
workshop in December.
Don’t Forget - Reading is Fundamental
The approaching colder months allow for
more time to be reading with your kids- let
them choose the materials and be sure to ask
plenty of ‘how,’ ‘why’ & ‘what’s next’ questions that dig deeper than ‘who’ & ‘what’.
2.
Research emphasizes the importance
of regular bedtimes in establishing successful work habits in school.
3.
Make daily attendance and timeliness a
top priority- research shows what a direct link this can have to drop-out rates
in later years.
4.
Contact your classroom teacher or me if
you’re interested in Title I intervention
services for your student.
TITLE I KEY ELEMENTARY
Looking ahead - Technology Driven Lessons
We’re very excited to have begun our Nooks
pilot program with grades K-6. It took us a
bit longer to develop our teacher schedule
but with that in place, now, every grade
level should have access to the two sets we
currently have on hand for several hours per
week. We spent a considerable amount of
time, last winter and spring, researching the
tools, themselves, and comparing against
similar models (Kindle, I-pad). With staff
and parent input, we selected the Nooks because they offered us greater flexibility in
use and otherwise offered equal capabilities
at a far more cost effective price. We then
spent as much time researching apps that
would provide varying levels of instructional differentiation for both upper and upper elementary students as well as practice
in general technology skills. By Thanksgiving, each grade will have had a couple days
time to get acquainted with this innovative
approach to instruction.
Important Reminders
1.
Maintain positive connections with
your child’s teachers. The tighter we
work together, the easier it is to address
concerns and celebrate successes!
The Title I program at Francis Scott Key Elementary provides many instructional materials and tools for our students.
There are 2 interventionists to help assist our
students as well as many new technological
programs. We have purchased the Crosswalk
Coach guides and student materials to better prepare our students for the state wide
MEAP assessment. The Crosswalk Coaches
has proven to be a great asset to our staff.
allowed our students to interface with technology in school and at home; which gives
them an opportunity to maximize their learning. We have also purchased (30) iPads with
Title I funds and a mobile charging cart. They
have been integrated into our regular instructional classrooms and students are working
with this new technology on a regular basis.
Our Title I program has also begun to assist
our teachers in the transition from Michigan
State GLEC’s to the Common Core Curriculum. We have sent teachers to Common Core
training and have purchased the Common
Core Assessment Book for each grade level.
In addition, our Title teacher has also been instrumental in making sure all teachers have
up-to-date county wide materials.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school
year Title I purchased Science and Social
Studies resource book sets, classroom library organization bins, and various online computer programs like, Study Island,
Raz-Kids, Reading A-Z, Vocabulary A-Z,
Science A-Z and ESGI one-on-one assessment tool. These computer programs have
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In the upcoming months Key Elementary
looks forward to the Daddy/Daughter Event
in February and reading month in March
sponsored by Title One. Here at Key we believe in our children and we are confident that
our students will flourish in these programs.
We encourage and invite parents to be a part
of these initiatives. We are excited and will
continue to provide an extraordinary experience at Key in order to provide our students
with the “Keys” to success.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. - KEEPER OF THE PROMISE AWARD
Daveda J. Colbert, Ph.D., Superintendent (248) 336-7705
2013-2014 OPEN ENROLLMENT
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OAK PARK EDUCATION FOUNDATION & KROGER COMMUNITY AWARDS
Daveda J. Colbert, Ph.D., Superintendent (248) 336-7705
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Einstein Elementary
Joann Wright, Ed.D., Principal, (248) 336-7640
WRIGHT
WRITES
(from the desk
of Dr. Wright,
Principal)
We at Einstein
Elementary are
proud to announce the great things happening in our school.
• 429 students made 1st card marking
honor roll as follows: Principal’s List
– 33 students with all A’s.
• Scholarship – 109 students with all A’s
and B’s.
• Outstanding Behavior/Citizenship – 199
students
• Perfect Attendance – 88 students
• WAY TO GO EINSTEIN STUDENTS!!
• Over 469 parents attended our Fall
Parent/Teacher Conferences.
• Please give a great big shout out to
our itty bitty soccer and flag football
players!! It was a good season, despite
the few wins…better job next year!!
• Coats, hats, mittens and scarves were
donated by the DCC (Dearborn County
Club). Parent, Ms. Marge Chuney,
spearheaded the drive. Over 20 coats
were donated to our students. Many,
Many Thanks!!
were given to Einstein to distribute
to students in need. Along with this,
two large thanksgiving baskets were
donated by Mrs. Ramsey’s daughter,
via Allstate. Again, KUDOS to the
Sussex Block Club and their ongoing
support for our students!!
• Say hello Robotics!! Our robotics team
meets every Friday, from 3:45 to 4:45
under the supervision of Mr. Michael
Daniels, our technology teacher. The
initial meeting was an introduction to
underwater robotics and the guidelines
for the design and building of a ROV.
The second meeting consisted of
creating an actual drawing of the ROV
design. The building process will begin
very soon. Our team consists of grades
5 and 6.
• As a part of out PeNut (physical
education and nutrition grant),
every student will receive a Healthy
Celebration Cookbook. These
cookbooks, via the National Kidney
Foundation and our PeNut grant, offer
healthy cooking tips that even students
can prepare. Our PeNut training
involves a variety of opportunities
offered to students that include healthy
living tips, physical activities and
healthy cooking. Grades K through 2
are involved.
• We again give many thanks to the
support of the Sussex Block Club,
under the direction of Mrs. Ramsey, for
the many, many coats, hats and gloves
donated. Over 25 coats and other items
• Our BHC Assemblies on Monday,
December 09, 2013, were great!!
Building Healthy Communities is
another grant we have at Einstein that
involves our 5 and 6 grades. The grant
provides recess equipment and weekly
classroom discussions about healthy
eating.
• Twenty Three new students (grades 4-6)
have been inducted into our National
Elementary Honor Society. The total
number of student members is 33.
• 235 items were collected for our canned
food drive. All items were donated to
Forgotten Harvest.
• Thus far, our PBIS (Positive Behavior
Support Initiatives) has provided
over 250 students with rewards for
demonstrating positive behavior.
CALLING ALL KINDERGARTENERS!!!
Joann Wright, Ed.D., Principal, (248) 336-7640
Dear Kindergarten Parents and Guardians:
At the Oak Park School District, we provide an atmosphere where academic success, social growth and positive behaviors
are provided to every child. Our all day
kindergarteners receive many opportunities
to explore, learn, create and become successful with fine motor skill activities.
Additionally, students work on other skill
development such as: eye-hand coordination, large and small muscle development,
self-confidence, independence, decisionmaking, problem solving and self-reliance,
to name a few. We take great pride in making sure our kindergartens are first grade
ready before leaving kindergarten.
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Typical Kindergarten Day
• Calendar awareness – days of the
week, months of the year, season,
days of school.
• Oral language development
• Literacy activities (Reading and
Writing Workshop, word work,
shared literature, explicit instruction
CALLING ALL KINDERGARTENERS!!! (Cont.)
Joann Wright, Ed.D., Principal, (248) 336-7640
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in phonemic awareness
Hands-on math instruction
Science and social studies instruction
with hands-on learning centers
Developmental centers
Interactive play and exploration that focuses on social development
Interactive play and exploration that focuses on technology skills
Additional Kindergarten Offerings
Music
Gym
Art
Foreign language
Media center
Computer technology
Recess time (if weather permits)
Technology integrated into all curriculum
areas
Extracurricular Activities
Karate
Soccer
Flag football
Pee wee basketball
Pee wee cheerleading and dance
Monthly school-wide community service
projects
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Monthly school-wide assemblies
Educational Excellence
All day kindergarten
Experienced and caring kindergarten
teachers
Before and after latchkey
Free breakfast and lunch daily
Technology integrated curriculum
Differentiated instruction
Positive Behavior Support program
On-line computer tutorial programs
Uniform dress code
Leveled libraries in all classrooms
Monthly Title 1/PTSA workshops
Curriculum aligned to Common Core
Tutorial assistance as needed
We look forward to discussing any concerns
or questions you may have. Our Kindergarten Round Up Schedule is as follows:
January 23, 2014
February 11, 2014
March 20, 2014
April 17, 2014
2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Key Elementary
Brenda Snow, Principal, (248) 336-7610
More importantly, they were greeted with
friendly faces. The students are still talking
about it!
This is a yearly activity that the new pre-school
students really enjoy. Dr. Colbert also assisted
in the treats being given to the students!
PRE-SCHOOLERS MAKE A VISIT TO
THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
On October 31, the Great Start Readiness
Program students of Key School went trick
or treating at the Administration Building.
Special thanks to Dr. Colbert and the staff at
the Administration Building.
Additionally, we now have 2 full day programs
for 4 year old students at Key! They enjoy
the hands on Curriculum where they learn
The GSRP students dressed as their favorite
characters or occupations. The students then
rode on a school bus for the first time! Once
they arrived at the Administration Building
they were greeted with many treats. They
marched throughout the administrative
building receiving candy and other treats.
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t h r o u g h p l a y.
The schedule
i n c l u d e s :
phonics, number
recognition,
colors, shapes,
introducing writing
skills and dramatic play.
The students receive breakfast and a hot lunch.
We also provide rest time during the day.
Currently, we have a waiting list for the full
day programs but invite parents and friends
to come in and check out our Great Start
Program!
Key Elementary (Cont.)
Brenda Snow, Principal, (248) 336-7610
PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL GIVES
GIFTS TO KEY STUDENTS
For the second year in a row Providence
hospital has provided holiday gifts to 50
families at Key School! Saturday, December 7, families gathered at Providence hospital from Key School to take part in the
holiday give-a-way. Each student received
an outfit, books, a toy, and a gift card to
Kroger for food. The parents shopped for
the students while the students played in a
supervised area and took a picture with Santa. The team at Providence also wrapped
each gift.
We were honored to be chosen to take part in
this great event. Our special thanks to Ms.
Robyn Hamilton, who put us on the list to be
a part of this program and all the Providence
hospital staff members for their support.
KINDERGARTENERS AT
KEY USING TECHNOLOGY
The kindergarten team at Key does many
hands on activities to increase knowledge
of the content areas for our students. We
use the iPads to teach lessons on the elmo
to the whole group and then they are put
into small groups to practice the lesson
where the teacher can supervise them easily. We feel very lucky to have 30 iPads at
Key to use with them on letter and number
practice, sight word recognition, and making words. Using this teaching technique
the kindergarteners stay very engaged
for longer periods of time. We were able
to showcase this skill during the walk
through with the NABSE visitors and they
seemed to really enjoy the students.
Free Preschool Programs offered at
ALL Oak Park Elementary Schools
Where: The Oak Park School District
offers preschool programs starting in the
fall of 2014 at:
• Key Elementary School located at
23400 Jerome, Oak Park, MI 48237
• Einstein Elementary School located at
14001 Northend, Oak Park, MI 48237
• Pepper Elementary School located at
24301 Church, Oak Park, MI 48237
Age Groups: The Oak Park School District serves children who will be 3, 4, or 5
years of age by December 1 of the current
school year.
How do I decide which Program is best for
me?
Head Start - This program is for children
whose families live below the federal poverty guidelines. These children are between
the ages of 3 – 5 by Dec. 1 of the current
school year. The curriculum is based on
the Early Childhood Standards of Quality
for preschoolers. Preschool helps a child
develop physically, academically and socially. If you think your child qualifies for
Head Start, please call: 248-409-1656.
Great Start - This program is for children
who will be 4 years old on or before Dec.1
of the current school year. These families
are low income based & have risk factors
that may include: single parents, teen-age
parents, unemployed parents, or a child
may have developmental challenges. If
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you would like more information on GSRP,
please call: 248-336-7610.
To register, you will need: A birth certificate, current immunization record, income
statement and proof of residence for the ½
day Head start or Great Start Programs.
Please call for an appointment to register @
248-336-7610.
Pepper Elementary
Emanuel Haley, Principal, (248) 336-7680
From the
Principal’s
Desk
Greetings
Oak Park Family,
As we end this year and enter into a new year,
I would like to take this opportunity to express
my appreciation to the Pepper school family and
wish everyone a happy new year.
Greeting our students every morning is the
best thing ever because I welcome each child
with smiles, hugs, greetings and love. I am
thankful everyday for the dedicated staff
who teach our students, who grade papers
and prepare projects, stay late and arrive
early the following day with passion and
commitment to encourage the best in each child.
Our staff will continue to focus on providing
engaging learning experiences for our students.
It is heartwarming for me as the principal to
witness the students of our school participate
and take ownership of their learning. I am
requesting that together we focus on ensuring
that all of our students attend school and arrive
on time every day. School attendance is essential
for success in school. If you have to schedule a
medical appointment for your child please do so
outside of school time whenever possible. For
each minute out of class, your child is missing
a valuable learning experience. If your child is
going to be absent please contact the school to
report your child’s absence in a timely manner.
In January your children will start their mid
year benchmark assessments which will
include DIBELS testing. Their teachers will
then meet by grade levels to review the data
and make instructional decisions for our Title
I interventions, as well as core instruction
in reading and math. Please encourage your
child to read every night for at least twenty
minutes and thank you for choosing Dr. James
N. Pepper Elementary School for your child’s
education.
The Flu: A Guide for Parents
What is the Flu? Research states that influenza
(the flu) is an infection of the nose, throat and
lungs caused by viruses that are constantly
changing. Flu causes illness, hospital stays
and death in the United States each year. Flu
can be very dangerous for children. Each year
about 20,000 children younger than 5 years
old are hospitalized from flu complications,
like pneumonia.
How serious is the flu? Flu illness can vary
from mild to severe. Flu can be especially
dangerous for children who have certain long
term health conditions, including asthma (even
mild or controlled), neurological conditions,
chronic lung disease, heart disease, blood
disorders, endocrine disorders (such as
diabetes), and weakened immune systems
due to disease or medication. Children with
these conditions, and those receiving long-term
aspirin therapy, can have more severe illness
from the flu.
fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
Some people with flu will not have a fever.
How long can a sick person spread the flu?
People with the flu may infect others from 1
- 7 days. Children and people with weakened
immune systems can shed the virus for longer,
and might still be contagious past 7 days,
especially if they still have symptoms.
Should my child go to school, if he or she is
sick? No. Your child should stay home to rest
and to avoid giving the flu to other children
or to caregivers.
When can my child go back to school after
having the flu? Keep your child home until
at least 24 hours after their fever is gone,
without using fever reducing medications,
like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen
(Motrin or Advil). A fever is defined as
100.4°F (38°C) or higher.
Coffee with the Principal
In the month of September we had our annual
Title I Coffee with the Principal. During the
meeting, Title I teacher Mrs. Dalloo presented
information on the following topics:
• What is Title I? How are schools
selected?
• Programs & Materials provided by Title
Funds at Pepper
How does the flu spread? Most experts believe
that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made
when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses
of people who are nearby. Less often, a person
might get the flu by touching something that
has flu virus on it and then touching their own
mouth, eyes or nose.
What are the symptoms of flu? Symptoms of
flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny
or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills,
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• Title I Intervention & Classrooms
Intervention Groups
• Title I Site licenses at Pepper for home
and school use
• Pepper Parental Involvement Policy
• Parent/Student Teacher/Teacher
Compact
• Communication between home and
school
• School Improvement Parent Survey
Pepper Elementary (Cont.)
Emanuel Haley, Principal, (248) 336-7680
Also during this meeting Principal Haley
presented content related to:
• Student Achievement Information
• 2012 MEAP performance , Annual
Yearly Report & School Accountability
Scorecard
Cleney’ Matlock our Behavior Interventionist
lead the parent Workshop and discussed how
all students are treated as individuals and
challenged to reach their maximum potential.
We practice PBIS for the following reasons:
• To improve school climate, and safety.
• To increase instructional time and help
students stay on task.
• School Improvement Goals for 2013
• Parental Volunteer Opportunities
• To enhance the overall academic
performance.
• After School Enrichment Opportunities
• To effectively partner with parents and
the community
PBIS Parent Informational Meeting
In October, we held our first ever PBIS
(Positive Behavior Intervention Support)
meeting. As a staff we are dedicated,
compassionate and determined to inspire
each of our students to reach their full
potential through the use of technology
researched based current best practices. Ms.
Career Day
Also during the month of October our school
celebrated Career day on the 31st. Students
were encouraged to dress in a manner that
indicated their future career pathways. The
highlight of this event were two special
assemblies for our all students who wanted to
go into Firefighting or Law Enforcement which
featured speakers from the Oak Park Public
Safety Department.
Raising a Lifelong Reader
During the month of November we held our first
Title I sponsored workshop “Raising a Lifelong
Reader” the information highlighted by Mrs.
Dalloo included:
• How students can select a book just right
for them.
• Strategies to increase reading fluency
• Strategies to increase reading accuracy
• Strategies to improve reading comprehension
Oak Park Preparatory Academy
Angela Thomas, Ed.S., Principal, (248) 336-7620
HOME OF THE
BLUE KNIGHTS
Season’s
Greetings from
Principal A.
Thomas
Help OPPA win $5,000 by shopping at
Oakland Mall.
OPPA is excited to announce that our school
has been selected to participate in Oakland
M a l l ’s “ Wi l l Yo u r
School Rule Contest?”
This is a contest where
11 other schools in
the tri-county area
compete to win up to
$5,000 for their school
simply by shopping and
encouraging others to
shop at Oakland Mall.
Receipts from mall
purchases are turned in for accumulation of
points for OPPA. The school with the most
points by April 2014 wins! Here’s how you
can help us win:
2.
3.
1.
Shop at and
encourage your students,
family, friends, and
community members
to shop at any Oakland
Mall store or restaurant
between October 1,
2013 and March 31, 2014.
After completing your purchase(s),
take your receipt(s) to the mall
information booth located on the
lower level in Oakland Mall.
Let the representative know that you
are submitting receipts on behalf of
the Oak Park Preparatory Academy
for the “Will Your School Rule
Contest?”
OPPA HELPS FAMILIES IN NEED
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!
We are proud to announce that due to the
generosity of OPPA administration, staff,
students, and parents, we were able to
support the St. Christine Pantry (located
on 5 Mile and Telegraph) as they support
those in need of food this holiday season.
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OPPA Math teacher, Bruce Ferguson
took the numerous boxes of canned food
items to the Pantry over the Thanksgiving
Break. I would like to thank those parents
and students who went the “extra mile” to
help others by donating canned food items.
We look forward to participating in more
community service related projects this
school year.
OPPA PARTICIPATES IN
2013 MICHIGAN YOUTH IN
GOVERNMENT
Twelve OPPA 8th grade students had an
opportunity to get first-hand knowledge of
the state legislative (law-making) process
Oak Park Preparatory Academy (Cont.)
Angela Thomas, Ed.S., Principal, (248) 336-7620
by participating in the YMCA’s Michigan
Youth In Government event. This two-day
student event takes place in Lansing each
year as middle school students write, submit
and debate Bills (topics) they would like to
see become “law” in the state of Michigan.
Social Studies teachers Ronda Ellis and
Doug Eiland organized this educational
experience for our students and were excited
to accompany students to this event.
WHO SAYS MATH CAN’T BE FUN?
OPPA Students Enjoy Learning About
Pythagorean Theorem
Seventh grade science students at OPPA
are making lots of noise while learning!
Science teachers Ann Venier and Jill
Mukavec are helping students to learn about
key science concepts. Students explored
how energy travels through matter. In doing
so, students made a “clucking chicken”
project with string, a paperclip, a solo cup
and a small sponge. This hands-on project
demonstrated how energy travels through
the string while the air vibrates inside the
cup to make sound!
We are looking forward to more great
activities from our science department as
Eighth graders at OPPA have fun learning the year progresses.
about “Pythagorean Theorem” while in their
math class. Math teachers Bruce Ferguson, CHANNEL 95.5’s MOJO AND SLIM
Cyrisse Allen, and Dorothy Freedland worked
MAKES A VISIT TO OPPA
with students over the past few weeks to
understand this concept.
OPPA student Bills ranged from topics
covering bullying, driver responsibility
and animal care to school accountability…
among others. We are proud to report that
four of our student Bills passed in the
“House,” while two of our student Bills
passed in both the “House and the Senate”!
Students had an opportunity to work
independently and while in groups, in addition
to using technology and participating in fun
games in an effort to maximize their learning.
While observing math classes, students were
enthusiastic and eager to demonstrate their
learning. Way to go Math Team!
Student delegate Leniseya Johnson, who’s
Bill passed in both the House and Senate,
spoke to me about her experience and stated,
“Participating in this event gives you an
opportunity to do something you’ve never
done before and something that could lead
to a possible career.”
STUDENTS ARE MAKING A LOT OF
NOISE IN SCIENCE CLASS!
Christine Johnson, another student delegate
said, “It was fun and I got to learn a lot of
new things.” We are truly excited to have
offered our students this great opportunity.
OPPA students were very excited to get a
surprise visit from Channel 95.5FM radio
personalities “Mojo and Slim”. English
teacher Deb Kallabat was responsible for
bringing these very popular DJs to OPPA
this year. Both gentlemen encouraged our
7th grade students to do their best in school
and discussed the importance of preparing
for the future right now as middle school
students. Mojo and Slim also gave OPPA
a big “shout out” while on the air the day
of their visit and in the following days! We
look forward to a return visit from the crew!
Quality Learning for Every Student Every Day
Our Students are Engaged
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HOSA PROGRAM
Lisa Harris, Health Occupation Teacher, (248) 336-7740
INFORMATION FOR HOSA
This program has special qualities and characteristics. The students are dedicated, caring, motivated, professional, and demonstrate attributes facilitated in the health care
profession. HOSA disseminates information
concerning health care related issues such as
hypertension, sponsors and participates with
American Diabetes Association walks, provides information on STD’s, tuberculosis,
benefits of smoking cessation, alcoholism,
Breast Cancer Awareness, Asthma Anemia,
Seizures, and other conditions explaining
etiology, signs and symptoms and treatment.
HOSA also participated in Suicide Prevention, assisted in female and male mentoring
workshops, volunteered and donated to shelters. HOSA’s provided non-invasive assessments to the community utilizing objective
and subjective data to provide guidelines, ,
planning and evaluative measures as a basis for stability. HOSA participates at the
board meetings because they are interested
in the community and want to assist, share
and participate in positive communal development. They also sponsor Healthy
Start With HOSA to provide healthy nutritional breakfasts to ensure productivity
and progression for students to start their
day with adequate nutrition.
They participate in HOSA competitive
Events and take pride in their positions.
Due to the geographical area and its decrease in blood availability, the Southeastern region is in a crisis pertaining to the
availability of blood. HOSA sponsors 2-3
blood drives/yr. with American Red Cross.
99% of the students graduate and continue
to pursue and obtain their goals by attending college to become a medical professional.
They also receive college credit for the
program with varying colleges with articulation agreements. The students receive
7-30 college credits depending on the
college. HOSA does not receive financial
compensation for these activities. They put
150% in everything they participate in for
the benefit of others.
• Students graduate from the program,
are employed at Beaumont full time,
attend college full time, and are able
to maintain their own living status
• We have productive alumni from
HOSA that offers their expertise,
speak to and encourage new students
• Co-op with Beaumont Hospital (Students working part of the day and receiving credit and a paycheck)
• We had a blood drive on November
14, 2013 at the High School in the
gym and it was very successful! We
saved lives!
• HOSA volunteers at Oasis Homeless
Shelter on Woodward on our own
and donates time etc.
SEEKING EMPLOYMENT
Office of Human Resources
Sara Morris, Executive Secretary, (248) 336-7703
Seeking employment? Oak Park School District is hiring for “on-call” substitute staff,
working as either lunchroom aide, latchkey aide, teacher aide, and/or substitute teacher.
The rate of pay varies per position. Potential employees must pay $60.00 for their verified
fingerprint clearance. To start the process, please visit www.willsub.com or please call (248)
336-7703 and speak with Ms. Sara Morris, regarding your interest. For additional employment
opportunities, please visit our district website, www.oakparkschools.org for administrative, professional, and
support postings. We look forward to you interest and application. The Oak Park School District is an equal
opportunity employer and complies with all laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, sex,
national origin, religion, citizenship, handicap, height, weight, and/or marital status.
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OAK PARK HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN INSTITUTE
Pam Vermiglio, Principal, (248) 336-7780
It is hard to believe the school year is half
over and the end of the first semester is rapidly approaching! Our students are engaged
in their classes and preparing for the end of
the semester and final exams. Please help
your child earn the best grades possible by
assuring their attendance at school every day.
All students must earn 3 credits by the end of
the first semester and 6 credits by the end of
upstate New York, who is abducted and sold
this school year to be on track for graduation
into slavery. This movie is closely aligned
.
with our US History curriculum.
Tutoring
At OPFI, we have a variety of resources to
help students learn and offer academic support. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from
3:30-5:30 we offer tutoring for Algebra, US
History, Physics, and Language Arts. Students that are interested in signing up for this
program can see Mr. Southward in the main
office.
College Tours
Freshman Basketball Players
We are very excited to announce that our
Girls JV Basketball team and Boys Freshman Basketball team are having an outstanding season. Please join us at a game and help
root them on to victory!
12 Years a Slave, the movie
post
high
s c h o o l
graduation.
GATH consists of a cohort of scholarly
students, academic
coaches (teachers, mentors, and other internal stakeholders) who work collaboratively
over a maximum of four years to create a
direct pathway to college for students that
plan to pursue higher education.
Highly effective instruction, rigorous college preparatory coursework, relevant materials / resources, along with intentional,
caring, and positive behavior support to
foster healthy relationships distinguishes
this model from a traditional learning environment. In addition to college preparation,
scholars receive leadership training, character education, test preparation, service
learning, mentoring, project-based learning, travel experiences, advanced placement
courses, accelerated academic programming, academic camps, and an opportunity
to earn college credits during high school.
The students at OPFI had an opportunity
to visit the campus of Oakland University.
Upcoming tours will include Saginaw Valley State, Michigan State University, and the
Three principles serve as the foundation
University of Michigan.
for GATH: Scholarship, Leadership, and
Citizenship. Scholarship is formal acaOPFI Website
demic learning, training, and achievement.
Everything you need to know about OPFI is Leadership is the ability to guide, direct, or
posted on our website. Please visit opfi.wee- positively influence others through action.
bly.com to view our calendar, see pictures, Citizenship is social conduct that is mature
visit teacher web pages, read the newsletter, and upholds the responsibilities that come
and explore the counselor’s corner.
with being an active member of an academic community. These three principles, along
PTSA Dates
with the collaborative efforts of the cohort,
Please join us as we continue to build a strong cultivate a climate for academic excellence
relationship between home and school. Our to flourish.
On Tuesday, November 26th we took 120
students to see the movie 12 Years a Slave.
This movie is an historical drama about PTSA meetings are held in the OPFI cafeteSolomon Northup, a free black man from ria at 6:00 p.m. Meeting dates for the remainder of the year are April 16th and May
14th. We hope to see you there!
OPFI GATH
The purpose of GATH (Gifted and Talented
Honors) is to provide students, who demonstrate scholastic achievement, the opportunity to participate in an advanced series of
academic courses, experiences, and programming to create a direct pathway to college
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Oak Park High School
Kwame Stephens, Principal, (248) 336-7740
WHERE WE ENTER TO LEARN
& LEAVE TO ACHIEVE!
Greetings Oak Park
Community:
I, Kwame Stephens,
am extremely honored to introduce myself to
you as the new principal of Oak Park High
School. I have enjoyed my first four months
as principal, and look forward to continuing
to contribute to the long standing tradition of
excellence at Oak Park High School.
In our ongoing commitment to
placing student learning at the center
of all that we do, we are dedicating
ourselves to building systems that
ensure that student achievement is the
ultimate measure of success. Through
the implementation of Data Teams, and
functioning as a professional learning
community, we are laying the foundation
for continued improvement for students
and staff.
Gregory Church, Ed.D. ,
Asst. Principal
Charity Jones
Asst. Principal
for collaboration with our parents and
community.
School spirit is at an all time high, and “It
is a great day to be a knight!”
With our renewed commitment to PBIS,
we are creating an inclusive culture that
is reflective of the student’s interests. Our
parent to parent education network has
provided an excellent opportunity for our
parents to make significant contributions
to our school family. We look forward
to continuing to provide opportunities
buildOn
Dan Kraiza, Teacher, (248) 336-7740
The Oak Park High School chapter of buildOn
has been busy the last several months! This
past summer, 3 OPHS students and OPSD
teachers Dan & Lisa Kraiza, along with a
team of students from other Detroit buildOn
chapters, traveled to the small mountain village of Santa Fe, Nicaragua. Everyone lived
with and shared meals with a homestay family, as well as, helping with the construction
of a school. Students also learned about the
culture, and practiced their Spanish skills.
During the 10 days spent in the village, everyone helped dig the foundation, make bricks
and even started to put walls up. The school
is now open and is educating many students
during the day and illiterate adults in the evening. buildOn sends OPHS students on two
different Treks for Knowledge every year, and
covers the costs of the trips.
In February, students will travel again to
Nicaragua, then in June, two more OPHS
students will travel to and build a school in
one of the countries that buildOn has its Trek
program.
Besides the Trek for Knowledge in Nicaragua, OPHS students have been very busy
providing community service to the Detroit area. This fall organizations like Kids
Against Hunger, Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners, The Bat Conservation Society, Toys for
Tots, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, and
the Oak Park Public Library just to name a
few, have benefitted from volunteer service
from Oak Park students. Students have contributed over 890 hours since the start of this
school year alone!
buildOn is open to all OPHS students grades
9 to 12. Students need 40 hours of community service to graduate and buildOn offers
different opportunities every weekend and
during school breaks. The club meets on
Thursdays after school from 3:30 to 4:30 in
room E 217 at the high school. In addition,
there is a mentoring and tutoring program
with OPHS students and students at Pepper
Elementary school every Wednesday. For
more information, contact Dan Kraiza at
[email protected].
The Oak Park High team consisted of French
Teacher Dan Kraiza, students Jame’Qua
Camper, Catherine Daoud, and Curtis Hobbs,
Jr., and 8th grade ELA Teacher Lisa Kraiza.
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GIFTED AND TALENTED HONORS PROGRAM - OPPA, OPFI, and OPHS
Charity Jones, Oak Park High School/Pam Vermiglio, Oak Park Freshman Institute, (248) 336-7740
The purpose of G.A.T.H. is to provide
scholars with an advanced series of academic courses, experiences, and programming to create a direct pathway to college post high school graduation. GATH
consists of a cohort of scholars, academic
coaches (teachers, mentors, and parents), a
counselor, and an administrator who work
collaboratively to create a direct pathway
to college for individuals that desire higher
education. Rigorous instruction, collegeprep coursework, relevant materials and
resources, along with logical, caring, and
positive, behavior support to foster healthy
relationships distinguishes this format from
a traditional setting.
In addition to college preparation, scholars receive leadership training, character
education, test-preparation, service learning, mentoring, project-based experiences,
field / travel experiences, advanced and accelerated programming, academic camps,
and an opportunity to earn college credits
during high school. The foundation of this
cohort rests on three principles: scholarship (formal academic learning, training,
and achievement), leadership (ability to
guide, direct, or positively influence others through action), and citizenship (social
conduct that is mature and upholds the responsibilities that come with being an active member of an academic community).
These principles, along with the collaborative efforts of the cohort, cultivate a climate
for academic excellence to flourish.
During the first semester of the 2013-2014
school year, GATH hosted four monthly
parent, student, and staff meetings to build
collaborative relationships, network with
parents, develop our core values, and to
participate in a book study of Steve Covey’s, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Teens. Our GATH students also partnered
with Key Elementary School to mentor and
tutor elementary students to support academic success K-12. Lastly, we celebrated
student success by participating in the honors breakfast to acknowledge scholastic
achievement and to encourage students to
continue academic excellence throughout the semester.
Benefits of Participation in GATH:
• Leadership Training
• Character Education
• Test Preparation
• Service Learning
• Mentoring
• Project-Based Learning
• Advanced Placement
• Honor Courses
• Academic Camps
• College Visits
• University Partnerships
• Monthly Workshops/Seminars
• Achievement Incentives
• Study & Note-Taking Skills
Y.O.U. PROGRAM
Kathryn Locano, Teacher, (248) 336-7740
Y.O.U. (Young, Optimistic and United) is a
student leadership organization at Oak Park
High School that assists students in succeeding at school and in the community by
making responsible choices and choosing to
remain drug and alcohol free. Participation
in Y.O.U. is open to all students at OPHS.
Club meetings are held twice a month after
school where student members are taught
leadership and communication skills, drug
and alcohol prevention education, along
with participating in relationship building
exercises and activities.
In addition to bi-monthly meetings, members of Y.O.U. apply the knowledge they
have acquired regarding substance abuse
prevention and awareness by organizing and presenting mini-workshops in the
classrooms, during homecoming and prom
season, to their fellow peers. Moreover,
student members host anti-marijuana campaigns in the lunch room to educate students about the dangers of marijuana use.
Y.O.U. gives away promotional items such
as back packs, t-shirts, pens, candy and
mouse pads to students who successfully
answer multiple choice questions about
drugs, alcohol and prescription drug facts.
In addition, student members participate
in “Sticker Shock,” a community awareness campaign where Y.O.U students, after
gaining permission from the owners, go
into local establishments that sell alcohol
and place warning stickers on alcoholic
beverage containers notifying patrons of
the consequences for providing alcohol to
minors.
Corey James, Y.O.U. Program Coordinator
states that an important aspect of keeping
kids safe and off of drugs is to expose them
to social and cultural events that provide a
“natural high” such as CJ Barrymore’s Entertainment Center, Mosaic Youth Theater
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Performances, whirlyball and bowling, just
to name a few.
Y.O.U. is an affiliate youth program of TriCommunity Coalition of Berkley, Huntington Woods and Oak Park. Tri-Community
Coalition, a 501 c (3) non-profit organization was formed to prevent the abuse of
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through
education, community action and involvement and the promotion of a drug-free lifestyle.
Y.O.U. was formed five years ago when
students attended “Dialogue Day”, sponsored by Tri-Community Coalition. At
the conclusion of the event, students overwhelming suggested the need for a youth
coalition located inside the school as a way
of becoming more educated to combat underage substance abuse among teenagers.
Students can join Y.O.U. on an ongoing
basis. If you or someone you know is interested in attending a meeting and want
additional information, please contact
Y.O.U. Staff Advisor, Ms. Locano at 248336-7740 x2730.
Oak Park School District Athletics
Greg Carter, OPHS Athletic Director, (248) 336-7740
BUILDING TRADITION
First, thanks is extended to our outstanding
fall coaches. We certainly appreciate their
time and effort.
Once again the Oak Park Public School
Athletic Department would like to thank
the residents of Oak Park for providing
outstanding support for our student/
athletes as they competed in the extremely
competitive Oakland Athletic Association
(OAA) and the equally competitive
Central Oakland Middle School Athletic
Conference (COMSAC). Three high
school and two middle school sports
involving nine teams entertained us this
fall along with our very enthusiastic
Varsity, Junior Varsity and Middle School
Cheerleaders. Those fall sports included
Varsity, Junior Varsity and Freshman
Football, Varsity and Junior Varsity
Volleyball, Varsity Cross Country, Middle
School Football and Girls 7th and 8th
grade Basketball teams.
The 2013 season provided many
memorable moments. Congratulations
to Coach Doug Eiland and the Oak Park
Preparatory Academy football team for
winning the COMSAC South Division
Championship with a league best 5-1 wonlost record. Although there were no other
championships won there were many great
games played and outstanding individual
performances and accomplishments. In
Varsity Football six young men received
post season honors being named to the
OAA White Division All-League team.
They are John Kelly Jr.. RB/S, Chance
Savage Sr. DB/RB, Shahid Bellamy Jr..
OL/DL, Ricardo Smith Jr.. OL/DL/LB,
Anthony Jackson Sr. OL/DL and Juan
Hernandez Jr. WR. Junior John Kelly was
also named 1st team All North and 1st team
All State Division II. In Varsity Volleyball
Jasmine Stackhouse sophomore and senior
Anaya Merriweather were named to the
OAA Gold Division All League team. As
a result of hard work and dedication the
team finished with a 19-12 overall record.
The girls
and boys
c r o s s
country and
track and
field teams
are one of the
best in Southeastern
Michigan. Sophomore, LaShae Bowens,
who is a great model of a student-athlete,
became the first female cross country
runner in Oak Park school history to
qualify for the Division 1 state cross
country championships. Oak Park girls
cross country coach Brandon Jiles said
Bowens’ accomplishment is far exceeding
expectations for the team. Coach Jiles is
in his second year as the girls coach and is
doing an amazing job. The cross country
and track and field teams are one of the
best in the state, both Coach Robert Lynch
and Brandon Giles have made both sports
premier programs.
The girls and boys basketball programs
at Oak Park are sure to demonstrate
great improvements in 2014, thanks to
the excitement of new coaches and hard
working student athletes.
Following an incredibly successful tenure
at Renaissance High School in Detroit,
Coach Diane Jones has joined the Oak Park
Knights, as their new head basketball coach.
Last year, the Lady Knights were 2-7. We
expect great things from the Lady Knights
under the leadership of Coach Jones and
Assistants Miesha Barksdale and James
Warren, along with Junior Varsity Coaches
Latisha Martin and Bruce Mosley. In
their season opener, the Lady Knights
demolished their first opponent, placing
three different players in double digits in
the scoring column. Floor general Ariel
Walker recorded 12 points, five assists, five
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Oak Park High School School District (Cont.)
Greg Carter, OPHS Athletic Director, (248) 336-7740
steals and eight rebounds, shooting guard
Debrionna Davis banged home three triples
on her way to 11 points and forward Deana
Williams posted a double-double of 10 points
and 10 boards. Check the website for the
Lady Knights schedule. They are sure to be
a team to watch this season. To make sure
we have an amazing feeder program, Coach
Michael Taylor worked hard with the middle
school girls program. Coach Al Kattola also
supported the middle school girls throughout
the year.
season. Check the website for the Knights
schedule. They are sure to keep us in the
game this year. Be sure to watch Coach
William Eddie and the middle school boys
basketball team, which serves as a feeder
program as well.
Best wishes and Happy Holidays from the
student-athletes and coaching staff of the
Oak Park School District.
Greg Carter
Great expectations have the boys team ranked
at 17th in the State. The boys are led by
head coach Bryant Tipton. He is fresh off
several years of head coaching at Detroit
Cody High School, where he was an all star
player himself, he is preparing the Knights
for a better than average season this year.
The student athletes who are ready for the
challenge look forward to an exciting year
with Assistant Coach Drewery Watson, Junior
Varsity Coach Al Kattola and his assistant
Sherman Cochran, and Freshman Coach
Alton Marks.
Already, one of the players, Ja’Christian Biles
has committed to Youngstown State. By far,
Oak Park has the capabilities of being one of
the best teams in Southeastern Michigan this
NOVA Discipline Academy
Derek Faulk, Supervisor, (248) 336-7650
O a k P a r k Haven is a non-profit organization that
addresses violence in the home and
Family,
community. HAVEN staff meets with
N O VA i s a students on Tuesdays and Thursdays in
small but mighty gender based groups to address the issues of
entity not only in the community violence, respectful relationships
Oak Park School District but in the tri-county and respectful behaviors. HAVEN’s three
area. Our staff is motivated and determined main areas of emphasis are: Who Am I;
to assist students in getting back on track Understanding Boundaries; and Developing
and moving towards the goal of not only your Mission Statement. The students are
graduating from High School but becoming completing the first stage of the program
a successful citizen in our society.
this month.
Many students come to NOVA in search
of success and a new beginning. We have
partnerships with HAVEN and SWAG to
further assist with getting students back on
track, towards graduation, and feeling that
they have found the answer to their quest to
turn their lives around. We have partnered
with two organizations to assist with social
and emotional learning goals.
SWAG (Students With Awareness and
Goals) is a Detroit based program that helps
students to have healthy relationships,
better communication skills, build their
self-esteem, help them to make better
decisions, set goals, show restraints by
resisting peer pressure, and to demonstrate
increased leadership skills. SWAGG has
three main areas of emphasis: Knowing
Myself; Relating to Others; and Planning
-23-
My Future. The students have completed
the first portion of the program.
To make sure students have the supports
in place to succeed we offer additional
tutorial support and allow students access to
technology if needed Monday - Friday until
5:30 p.m. and two Saturdays each month.
Please call today, if you have additional
questions. Our first priority is to provide
the best service to students who need a nontraditional learning environment.
Oak Park Alternative Education Center
Harry Bautista, Director/Amire Congress, Principal (248) 291-6722
Oak Park
Alternative
Education
C e n t e r
opened its
doors to students in
January of 2011, in collaboration with ATS
Educational Consulting Services and the
Oak Park School District. Our focal point is
that of engaging students looking for a nontraditional learning path. We want to assist
those students who need additional support
to succeed, to make certain they are able to
earn a high school diploma.
core academic learning is provided through
virtual means, we offer one-on-one support
where needed, to best meet the needs of our
students.
Students who attend our school are from
a variety of backgrounds. Many of the
students are looking for a second chance
or a renewed opportunity to achieve their
potential. Primarily, the mission is to
provide an enhanced, engaging learning
environment where students are taught
the value of character, self-discipline,
education, and life skills.
Our instructional methods consist of courses
that are delivered through interactive multi
media software, where students have access
to their lessons anytime from any computer
with internet access. Students are expected
and encouraged to attend class daily, Monday
- Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m, so they are
The 2013-2014 school year continues to
provide one of best alternative learning
experiences for our students. We have
maintained our enrollment, which helps
us to continue to provide eight different
on-demand career tracks for our students
to choose from.
Our dedicated staff is fully equipped
with the educational resources to help
students with their academic, emotional,
and/or social challenges. Although our
& Computer
Te c h n o l o g y ;
M u s i c / Vi d e o
Production;
Cosmetology/
Hair Culture; and
Manicuring/Nail Technician. The goal is
to help students enter college and /or the
workplace after graduation. We partner with
several organizations such as Focus Hope
and a variety of workforce development
organizations.
To make sure our students know that we care
and expect them to further their education
after they have earned their diploma, all
graduates earn a $500 scholarship to enroll
in post secondary education or certified
vocational training.
afforded the opportunity to meet with and
get the support from certified teachers and
mentors. We support our students in every
way to reach the goal of earning their 20
required graduation credits. Earning a high
school diploma is the goal for each of our
students.
The on-demand career technical training
courses provide hands-on experience and
exposure to career interests. Students are able
to select the career of their choice from the
following areas: Building Trades; Medical
Office Assistant; Culinary Arts; Business
-24-
We provide a variety of wraparound services
to assist students where resources may be
limited. We offer free lunch daily, bus
tickets, and shuttle van service to and from
bus routes. To ensure our students have the
best possible high school experience, we
have graduation activities for our students
(i.e. prom, commencement, etc.).
College Palooza
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Monica Jones, OPHS Counselor
On Thursday, November 14, 2013, Oak Park High School hosted their annual college palooza. Students and
their parents perused the halls in interest of learning more about opportunities beyond high school.
OFFICE OF STUDENT DATA
Delores Love Smith, Student Data Facilitator, (248) 336-7726
Michigan immunization law requires that a child enrolled in a school or a childcare center be immunized
against diseases. Contact your child doctor or local health clinic for information regarding shots that your
child may need.
-25-
OAK PARK HIGH SCHOOL – SAVANT CHAPTER
The Savant Chapter of the National Honor Society held a “Meet and Greet”
on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, for recruitment of new members into the
most prestigious organization in the high school. There were 45 students
(sophomores, juniors, seniors) and parents that attended. This informational
meeting conducted by the officers and fellow members discussed the
qualifications for membership, the enrollment packet and the qualities of
Character, Service, Leadership and Scholarship that are essential requirements
for membership in the organization. The students and parents participated
in a question and answer session and were treated to refreshments after the
meeting. Our Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, January 23,
2013 at 6:00 pm. in the Oak Park High School Auditorium.
Ms. Andrea Polley, Advisor
Brittany Edmondson, President
Diamond Henry, Vice President
Janica So, Secretary
Catherine Daoud, Treasurer
Chanel Williams, Parliamentarian
The National Honor Society has developed a calendar of service projects that
will support those in our school and community that are in need. Commitment
to service is a key component of our organization. Many of our current
members are committed to service through several organizations at the high
school e.g. Build-On and Diversity Club.
The 2013 Oak Park Schools Thanksgiving Feast at Key Elementary School was celebrated on Friday, November
22, 2013. Students, staff, parents and Mayor Marian McClellan enjoyed a lunch filled with activities and great
food. Thank you Mrs. Snow, second grade teachers, staff and parents for making it a huge success!
-26-
Oak Park Education Foundation Golf Outing
Daveda J. Colbert, Ph.D., Superintendent, (248) 336-7705
-27-
OAK PARK SCHOOLS TELEVISION - VIDEO PRODUCTION CLUB
Eric Vancil, Production Supervisor, (248) 336-7760
OPSD TV is continuing its upward trajectory
of growth and expansion, while providing
quality programming to the community, A/V
and production services to the district staff,
and educational and career opportunities for
our students.
production and compositing. The video club
has produced a promo for the Square One
Robotics Competition, designed the lighting
for the Oak Park High School production of
The Wiz, produced a documentary for the film
studies class, and worked on the Night Court
clip for the Tri-Community Coalition.
department to
provide more
production
opportunities
for our students,
and programming
exchanges.
Our video club continues to participate in
all district productions, and will be the first We are currently working on a partnership We are also on the web: http://www.
in OPSD TV history to learn green-screen with the City of Oak Park’s Municipal Cable oakparkschools.org/content/oak-parkschools-tv.
January, 2014 - Programming Guide, Channel 17
Sun
Mon
5
Tues
6
See 1/01
12
7
See 1/01
13
See 1/08
19
See 1/08
20
See 1/15
26
See 1/15
27
See 1/22
NJHS Induction
Ceremony
Tales of the Underground Railroad
Thur
Fri
Sat
1
Story Time with Mayor
Marian McClellan
Parent-2-Parent
Lessons & Concepts
Topic: Rock Cycles
2
3
4
8
9
See 12/31
Tri-Community
Coalition
Leadership Breakfast
Guests: Kinetic Affect
15
21
22
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream
23
29
30
Tri-Community
Coalition
Town Hall Meeting
Diary of a Bullied Kid
Student Summit
with Lloyd Banks
Celebration of the
Written Word with Jim
Aylesworth
See 1/01
10
See 1/07
14
Two Rivers: One Stream
The History of American
Music
28
See 1/22
Wed
16
Board of Education
January 13, 2014
11
See 1/08
17
See 1/14
See 1/08
18
See 1/15
24
See 1/21
Board of Education
January 27, 2014
See 1/01
See 1/15
25
See 1/22
See 1/22
31
See 1/28
See 1/29
Homecoming 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Homecoming 2013 was a memorable experience for all who participated in the October week long activities.
-28-
After School Achievement Academy
William Washington, Administrator, (248) 336-7620
The After School Achievement Academy, (ASAA), was created this school year to provide a supportive
environment for children in grades 3 – 8 to receive homework support in an after school learning environment.
The program runs daily from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m., with dinner served at each site. The program was developed
to focus on the three “A”s, (Academics, Arts and Activities), with creative ways of socializing and community
service opportunities, which enhance the overall educational experience. The programs are located at Key,
Einstein, Pepper, OPPA and NOVA. We currently serve over 150 students. If you are interested in learning
more about the After School Achievement Academy, please contact Mr. William Washington at 248-336-7616.
Calling all Oak Park High School Alumni
Our first Oak Park High Alumni Association Meet and Greet was held on December 12, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at Oak Park Preparatory Academy.
All alumni of Oak Park High School (any school in the district) were encouraged to attend. We had a great time! During the gathering the
following information was discussed and distributed: The happenings throughout the District; How alumni can connect with classmates;
The reason for reaching out to the Alumni of the Oak Park School District, which included encouraging networking amongst the group, as
well as, encouraging support for the schools/students today. The attendees learned about the Oak Park Education Foundation, Career Day
Activities, and more. We encourage all alumni to reconnect with the school district. If you were unable to attend the “Meet and Greet” on
December 12th, please give Mr. William Washington a call at 248-336-7616 for more information about alumni events and opportunities.
-29-
Oak Park Schools
Technology Department
Jim Nye, Technology Manager, (248) 336-7668
WHAT’S tops and even desktops. Recently, there was
GOING a sample test given to students. Before the
ON IN THE test, students were offered to use a tablet,
TECHNOLOGY laptop, or desktop. The majority raced toward
DEPARTMENT
the tablets, followed by laptops, and finally
desktops. After the test was over, the students
Besides the normal day-to-day opera- were interviewed. Those that choose a Desktions, we’re busy preparing for the latest top or laptop had a better testing experience.
online testing. We’re looking for the best The tablets had smaller screens, so they were
devices for our students to take the test, harder over the whole term of the test, and
as well as making sure we’re 100 percent without the mouse or keyboard, it was more
ready for the new tests. This includes of a challenge to effectively navigate the test.
taking a look at all of our computer equip- So, while the latest and greatest technologies
ment. We need to make sure we have are available, we want to make sure we choose
enough, that it’s compatible with the new the ones that are best for our students in the
tests, as well as complete a network in- long run. We’ll be looking at some samples,
frastructure study to make sure we’re test as well as monitoring the latest changes to the
ready. When all the students are online new test over the coming months before actuand taking a test, we need to make certain ally purchasing them.
our network is capable of all that usage at
the same time. Once all this occurs, we In addition to the latest devices, we’re workwill be planning the actual scheduling of ing on coming up with the best ways to prethe students. As of now, the tests may in- pare our students for this new type of test.
volve up to 9 separate sittings, or sessions, Unlike the MEAP, which was paper and penper student! At Einstein Elementary, we cil, the newer tests require higher level comwould be scheduling 3,465 sittings for the puter skills, including graphing, typing, high385 students that will be taking the test! lighting, sorting, online calculators, flagging,
Now multiply that across the entire dis- pictographs, zooming, radio buttons, sorting,
trict. That’s a lot of computerized testing! and a multitude of other computer skills- and
this is just for the third grade test! This year,
We’ll need to add some new devices for we’ll be working with our technology teachthe testing. We’ll be taking a look at ers to make sure these new skills are covered
some of the latest tablets, as well as lap- in detail in our K-12 technology courses and
Zackhary Kilgore
Technician
Tommy Burton
Technician
that every student can focus on the test material, versus worrying about just making it
through the test!
Testing aside, we have just finished a few
projects. At our High School, we added 120
new laptops for the English classes. The laptops are stored on rolling carts, each with a
wireless color laser printer attached. Now,
our English students can write, search, and
print all from their classroom. In addition,
we added a new “Student Writing Center” in
A-wing that opens in January, as well as replaced all the computers in the A-wing computer lab. At our NOVA building, we added
30 new computers as well as some additional
laptops to fill their ever-increasing needs for
technology. Finally, our Special Services department also added a cart of 30 iPads to each
Elementary, OPPA, and OPHS.
We’re really excited and thankful for the
grant funds that funded these upgrades and
we’re looking forward to the latest and greatest coming in 2014.
Staff vs. Student Basketball Game
Friday, November 22, 2013
Oak Park School District staff is committed to building appropriate relationships with students and showing
them that we care. A few staff stayed after work to play a few games against the students. The staff won both
games.
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Michigan Works! (Oak Park Career Center)
Mona DeFrancesco, Director, (248) 691-8437
During the Summer
of 2013, Michigan
Works! Oak Park Career Center partnered
with William Beaumont
Hospital for the second
year of the highly successful Beaumont Rehabilitation
Summer Internship Program.
Mary Acheamong, Aliyaha Jiles, Nautica Dunford, and
Elena Barnes, all Oak Park High School HOSA students
enrolled in the Michigan Works! Oak Park Career Center’s Summer Work Experience Program and received a
hands-on introduction to the many career opportunities
within the rehabilitation professional health care field. The
interns were mentored, observed, and worked with physical and occupational therapists at Beaumont Hospital and
the Beaumont Health Centers.
We are conveniently located in the Clinton Education Center
Oak Park Career Center
22180 Parklawn
Oak Park, MI 48237
Telephone: (248)-691-8437
TDD: (800)-649-3777 or 711
Visit us on the web at: www.oakparkcareercenter.org
WE POST JOBS ON FACEBOOK and Twitter!
Michigan Works! Oak Park Career Center
@Mi_WorksOakPark
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program
At a recognition celebration at Beaumont Hospital with
their parents present the interns were acknowledged for
their fine work.
Chartwells Food Service
Aric Weinclaw, Director, (248) 336-7757
well balanced meal. Elementary
school students will have breakfast
provided for them in the classroom.
Any questions? Please contact the
Director of Dining Services or your
child’s lunchroom food service
worker for further details regarding
your child’s breakfast times and location in their school.
Greetings
Oak Park
Parents &
Community
CEO:
“Community Eligibility Option”- This year Oak Park Schools has
qualified for the Community Option.
What does this mean for your student?
It means everyone gets a free meal!
Free meals are available for breakfast
and lunch. Be sure to take advantage of
this great program.
• Though everyone qualifies for free
meals, there is a household survey
that we ask you to fill out for your
child. If you haven’t already filled
one out, please take the time to get
one from the main office of your
child’s school. You may return it
to the main office once you have
filled it out.
• Parents, wondering how your child
is spending their money in the
lunchroom? Even though meals are
free this year, school cafés still offer
a variety of a la carte items that need
to be purchased. If you want to find
out how your child is spending their
money, it’s now easier than ever to
find out. Simply visit www.oakparkschools.org, click on Zangle Parent
Connect and then enter your log-in
information.
• Oak Park School District Breakfast
Program: As part of the CEO Program,
Breakfast throughout the district is
provided for free. Secondary School
students interested in eating breakfast
simply have to visit their school café
before school to enjoy a nutritious,
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• Wondering what’s on the menu?
Looking for nutritional information
or curious about Oak Park School
Districts food service provider?
Click on the District Departments
link on the Oak Park Schools website, choose Food Services and you
ADVERTISING IN THE REACH
Sub Secretaries Needed
email Resume to
[email protected]
Requests for
Oak Park School
District
News Items
In an ongoing effort
to effectively showcase
student and staff
achievements throughout
the district, your input and support
is essential.
Please submit your articles, acknowledgements and
other pertinent information relative to staff and student
achievement to Lorna J. Wadlington, Coordinator
to the Superintendent and Executive Director of
Curriculum and Title Programs, by the fourth Friday
of each month.
2013-2014 Calendar of Events
December 23, 2013 - January 6, 2014
January 3, 2014
No School
Classes Resume
Full Day
January 21, 2014
January 22, 2014
Professional
Development
No School
February 24, 2014
March 4, 2014
Classes Resume
Professional
Development
April 7-11, 2014
Schools Closed
For the 2013-2014 school year, the REACH will be
published in December and May. It is our goal to
acknowledge all that strive to REACH their maximum
potential.
Sincerely,
Lorna J. Wadlington, MAT, MSIT
Coordinator, Administration Office
& REACH Newsletter Graphic Designer
Email: [email protected]
Report Card/
Progress Report
Distribution
 April 14, 2014
Classes Resume
January 20, 2014
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Honored - No School
February 17 -21, 2014
Winter Break
 March 14, 2014
Report Card/
Progress Report
Distribution/Parent
Teacher Conferences
April 15, 2014
Report Card
Distribution
Schedule for Upcoming Board Meetings
January 13, 2014
January 27, 2014
February 10. 2014
February 24, 2014
March 10. 2014
March 24, 2014
April 14, 2014
April 28, 2014
May 12, 2014
Meetings convene at 7:00 PM, Administration Building,
13900 Granzon, Oak Park, MI 48237 unless another location or time is specified.
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