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April 27, 2012
I wanted to let our community know that we have made some significant changes for our staffing next year. In going through this process, I was extremely moved by the willingness of our staff to consider changes that will profoundly impact their professional lives. Their dedication has affirmed my own strong feelings that I have for our school. I truly appreciate all the support that has been shown by our staff for these moves - all in the interest of our children. The dedication of our teachers to our children is remarkable. Without a doubt, I have not been more proud to be a member of the Oak Bluffs School. What is our motivation behind the moves? One – decisions around retirement, leave of absences, and budget. Two – and more importantly, we feel that we need to articulate the curriculum in our school. The strength of this school is in our teachers. We hope to enhance our consistency and unity of direction by having teachers move down in grade levels or take on additional assignments. By doing this, the priority standards that we teach within our curriculum frameworks will be articulated, K-8. Those teachers who are moving will share the standards of their previous grade levels with their new grade level team members. Next year, our grade level teams will have an enhanced ability to collaborate and articulate our priority standards and emphasize the consistent expectations of our school that are so necessary. The homeroom teams/assignments for 2012-2013 will be as follows: Kindergarten: Anne Davey Sheila Rose Kindergarten staff to be determined 1st Grade: Heidi Ganser Barbara Jones Nancy Perry 2nd Grade: Ellen Berube Beth Glynn Jennifer Robinson 3rd Grade: Jen Bausman Deborah Hammett 4th Grade: Jeri Brown Liz Forns Kelli Pecararo 5th Grade: DJ Baptiste Beth Flaherty 6th Grade & 7th Grade: Jeannie Holenko Missy Smith Amie Lukowitz Science staff to be determined 8th Grade: Leah Dorr Eve Heyman Donna Hopson Stacey Morris We are very excited about these changes and the future direction of our school. Please call me with any questions or concerns. Thank you… Richie WELLNESS TIP
Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. Imagine your great-grandmother (or grand-mother, depending on your age) at your side as you roll down the aisles of the supermarket. You're standing together in front of the dairy case. She picks up a package of Go-GURT Portable Yogurt tubes — and hasn't a clue what this plastic cylinder of colored and flavored gel could possibly be. Is it a food or is it toothpaste? There are now thousands of foodish products in the supermarket that our ancestors simply wouldn't recognize as food. The reasons to avoid eating such complicated food products are many, and go beyond the various chemical additives and corn and soy derivatives they contain, or the plastics in which they are typically packaged, some of which are probably toxic. Today foods are processed in ways specifically designed to get us to buy and eat more by pushing our evolutionary buttons — our inborn preferences for sweetness and fat and salt. These tastes are difficult to find in nature but cheap and easy for the food scientist to deploy, with the result that food processing induces us to consume much more of these rarities than is good for us. The great-grandma rule will help keep most of these items out of your cart.
Note: If your great-grandmother was a terrible cook or eater, you can substitute someone else's grandmother — a Sicilian or French one works particularly well. Taken from Michael Pollan on How To Eat Well New Community Meeting format
Starting this Friday, the K-5 morning community meetings will take place in the lobby. This will occur every Friday except for the last Friday of each month (3/30, 4/27, 5/2, 6/15) when the entire school will have community meeting at 2:10PM. Sixth through eighth grades will have community meeting only once a month when we conduct our whole school meetings. No Community Meeting this Friday and 2/24 is the staff/student basketball game.
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MAZE WORKSHOP
Our second MAZE WORKSHOP is this SATURDAY, APRIL 28, in the OB School gym from 10:00 to 2:00. Our maze is now 6,000 sq. ft. Our goal is 10,000 sq.ft. Join us on the 28th and help us break the Guinness world record. Refreshments, music and other activities provided. Stay as long as you'd like. It's fun !
Sign up on our "OB Giant Maze" website or just show up. Bring the whole family. Hope to see you. The Maze Masters SPRING BIRTHDAYSSpring time birthdays abound, please send in healthy treats to celebrate at school ,and save the cake for home! Little nutritional efforts mean a lot ,and add up when a child is trying to make good choices.
MCAS SCHEDULE
May 8 - Grade 5 - Math #1; Grade 6 - Math #1; Grade 7 - Math #1
May 9 - Grade 5 - Math #2; Grade 6 - Math #2; Grade 7 - Math #2 May 10 - Grade 3 - Math #1; Grade 8- Math #1 May 11 - Grade 3 - Math #2; Grade 8- Math #2 May 14 - Math Make-ups May 15 - Grade 5 - Science #1; Grade 8 - Science #1; Grade 4 - Math #1 May 16 - Grade 5 - Science #2; Grade 8 - Science #2; Grade 4 - Math #2 May 17 - Math & Science Make-ups May 18 - Math & Science Make-ups May 21 - Math & Science Make-ups NOTES FROM THE NURSEBeginner Cardio Kickboxing will start in May at the Blitz Fitness Studio with our own Jean Cleary! Tuesday 4:30! First class is free to all MV Students. All fitness levels are welcome. See poster on PTO board in school lobby.
Kudos to all the active students at OBS. If you see an newspaper article with OBS mentioned, please bring it in for the bulletin board in the hallway by Lost and Found. Lovely photos of the skaters last weekend and a special shout out to the Rise dancers that competed off island and did well! Being busy and challenged physically, as so many of the students are at OBS creates glowing noticeable HEALTH! The real BMI (body mass index) measure that I care about is the following: how happy is this student in his or her own body? There is not a measure for this, other than the over all amount a student laughs and smiles everyday. When they appear in my office glowing about the soccer match in the cold or making this or that team there is lightness of spirit and joy. The same goes for the fabulous art and music or theater options. The Y and Boys and Girls have bodies in motion and kids are psyched. This is a thank you to all the parents driving all over to make this happen and brain storming "what interests my child that can make his or her spirit soar?" Also, I want to thank the PE teachers that have your students loving physical challenges. At the games night, Deb Brown had the most kids in that gym and so HAPPY! Happy = less eating for the wrong reasons ! Happy Easter/Passover and RUN for the eggs! Be Well! DATES TO REMEMBER
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