OIS ROCKS

I cannot believe it is the end of April!

The weather is changing and so is the climate of our school. I see renewed energy in our students. We need to encourage our students to channel that energy into their studies, if they do, they will surely be successful.

One note on clothing, shorts should be no shorter than 3 1/4 inches above the knee and although sleeveless shirts are allowed tank tops are not… we will use the 3 adult fingers rule to judge the appropriateness of the shirts.

Have a Happy Spring!

MARCH WINDS and TESTING and ATTENDANCE

March bring with it winds and the beginning of Spring Testing season.

• PASS writing will be March 10 -11.
• We will be administering Performance Testing for GT placements March 16 - 17.
• Map testing will start March 19.

Throughout the school year, attendance is VERY important. Students cannot learn what they need to know when they miss instructional time. It is crucial that students are present and on time for instruction every day. Testing days are no exception.

When students miss a test it places an additional hardship on the student; since they not only miss instruction and the test on the scheduled day, they may miss instruction on the make-up day as well. This puts the student further behind. It is understandable that students will be ill, so it is important to prevent missing school for things that may not be necessary, like leaving early on special days like honor roll, wax museum, cook-outs and other unnecessary reasons. An excess of missed days can have a negative impact on your child’s academic growth.

Life is full of the unexpected, controlling the things you can, like attendance, can shield you when the unexpected hits.

Spring Testing Schedule

We are in the middle of MAP testing here at OIS. Students have demonstrated great effort to do their best with the test. We started reading today, we will do math next week and language the following week. Your child will test on Tuesday or Friday.

Other important dates to remember are:

Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) – Grades 3-8
Spring 2009 Testing Schedule

Writing, Day 1 (extended-response) March 10 (Tuesday)
Writing, Day 2 (multiple-choice) March 11 (Wednesday)
ELA (Reading and Research) May 12 (Tuesday)
Mathematics May 13 (Wednesday)
Science or Social Studies* May 14 (Thursday)
Social Studies** May 15 (Friday)
Field Testing May 19 (Tuesday)
Make-up Testing May 15***, 18, 20, 21, 22

*All students in grades 4 and 7 will take the science test. Students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 8 will take either the science or the social studies test.
**All students in grades 4 and 7 will take the social studies test.

If You Want Children to Improve

These two quotes come to mind for me today … from ~ Haim G. Ginott.


“I have come to a frightening conclusion.
I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It is my personal approach that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized”

“If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.”

Big Day Tomorrow at OIS! Also, Super Lessons Today!

Come join us at OIS for our PTO meeting, science fair meeting at 5:00 and then stay for the Oconee County School Board meeting at 6:30.

We hope to have a large turnout.

I went into the fourth grade classes today for a short observation. I was so proud of the students, they were respectful, engaged and participating fully in the class activities.

The teachers were well prepared and the lessons were AWESOME! I wish I had teachers like the ones here at OIS when I was a child!

Hope you all have a great week!

This year is off to a great start!

This year is off to a great start!

I am excited as I enter classrooms; the students are engaged and filled with enthusiasm.

Seeing how well the students have settled into the school environment and how consistently they are demonstrating our OIS Behavior Matrix is the direct result of our teachers efforts, they are working diligently to make OIS a stimulating and safe environment for our children.

Fall MAP testing

Map testing is upon us!

We will test on the next three Tuesdays.September 9, 16 and 23.

Please do your best, this test is very important!

We will conference with every student using this MAP information to set his or her academic goals for this year.