“Learning Through Leadership” Spreading Our Wings & Learning New Things

Respectful & Responsible Owls Learn Here……..

Okatie Elementary School

Volume 16

Issue 95

March 9, 2018

Dear Okie Parents and Owlets,

The recent tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, as well as Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Marshall has heightened our awareness of the importance of school safety. The Beaufort County School District continues to assess and make improvements that will help keep our students and staff safe. Within the past five

years, all front entrances have been remodeled to add a scan system for staff entry and a ‘button’ sys-tem that signals the front desk to allow visitors to enter the vestibule portion of main lobby before being ‘buzzed’ into main office. All parents who enter the office must have a picture ID that can then be scanned for clearance before entering the main building. For anyone wishing to attend a field trip or volunteer in the classroom, the volunteer must complete the BIB (Background Investigation Bureau) process. All exterior doors, including classroom doors, remain locked at all times. Teachers use their badges to enter designated areas for re-entry from the playground. The security cameras have been up-graded to record and view the campus and all interior halls, as well as common areas. In addition, teachers take radios and cell phones while on the playground in the event of an emergency. Lockdown Drills and procedures are taught and reviewed throughout the year. Drills include fire, torna-do, earthquake, Modified Lockdown (criminal activity noted within the area—stay inside the building un-til further notified) and Full Lockdown (danger on campus—take cover immediately until notified by law enforcement that it is safe to come out). Lastly, all school buses have been outfitted with video cameras and radios. The BCSD has asked that we inform our parents when we have any sort of drills. This will occur afterwards on the day of the drill. Since much of our daily communication and reminders occur through E-blast, it is important we have a current working phone number for each family. Notification will also be posted to the Okatie Elementary School Facebook page. Students throughout the country are planning various event on March 14th to commemorate the one month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Tragedy. The Beaufort County Schools will not participate in the walkout, but at some schools, students are planning remembrance events. At Okatie, our students will focus on making new friends and strive to write to their new friends monthly using Wee-Deliver, our inner-school mail delivery system. In addition, our 4th and 5th grades will informally discuss ways to improve safety on our campus. Our thoughts and prayers are with the many families, schools and communities who are affected and hope that the lawmakers, politicians and local boards can find the funding to help provide additional safety precautions and infrastructures for all schools. Memories of school life should include caring staff, educational challenges, laughter, achievements and lasting friendships. Lastly, Read Across America Week was filled with many fun learning activities. We ended the week with Authors’ Tea. Thank you to the 350+ family members who were able to join us that morning for our cele-bration of literacy. A special thank you to the parents who made special treats for the tea and helped set up. Also to Mrs. Phillips for organizing the week of literacy events. We are very proud of your students and eager to recognize and showcase their learning with you!

Yours in Education,

Jamie Pinckney, Principal

http://oes.beaufort.k12.sc.us/ * www.Remind101.com (text message reminders) * oes.school.office@beaufort.k12.sc.us

Straight from the Beak Self-control is thinking before you speak. Page 2

I t is hard to believe that we are quickly approaching the end of the third quarter

of our academic year. While we all welcome longer and warmer days, this time of year is always a busy time for elementary school children since extra-curricular activities, such as baseball and soccer, resume. Parents find themselves in full motion hustling from one event to another. However, please remind your children that their primary focus still needs to be academic performance in school.

O ur ESOL students have a couple more weeks of taking ACCESS for

ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Com-munication in English for English Language Learners). This assessment is given to all students in grades K-5 who were identified as English Language Learners. The assessment will help us monitor students’ progress in ac-quiring academic English. We will share re-sults with parents.

D uring the weeks of February 20– March 8 students in grades 2-5 took

the Performance Task Assessment (PTA) This assessment identifies students for the Gifted and Talented program at our school. Parents will be notified via letter from our GT Coordinator Mrs. German. The results for this assessment will be back before the end of the school year.

A ll students in grade K-2 will take the Spring MAP assessment during the

weeks of May 7– 25. In preparation for this assessment, students can continue to work on Compass Learning, Khan Academy, IXL, Reflex Math and MAP Skills. Please work with your child so they can continue to make gains on the MAP

Assessment.

S tudents in grade 3 will be identified based on their Winter MAP score and

SC READY score. Students that score below 177 on the Winter assessment and students that score Does Not Meet Expectations will be required to take this assessment in the Spring.

T eachers and students are working very hard to prepare for the upcom-

ing SC READY and SCPASS test. Students are making excellent choices in learning and behavior. For more information on SC READY and SCPASS visit the website be-low:

http://ed.sc.gov/tests/middle/south-carolina-college-and-career-ready-assessments-sc-ready/.

T hanks for your

continued support. If you have ques-tions or concerns, please feel free to email me at marva.neal@beaufort.k12.sc.us.

Sincerely,

Marva Neal, Assistant Principal

Straight from the Beak Self-control is being disciplined. page 3

Literacy and Math News O katie Elementary students participated in a vari-ety of extra curricular reading activities this month. Students in Kindergarten-5th grades accepted the Plaid About Reading Challenge sponsored by The Heritage Foundation again this year. As a school, Okie Owls read a total of 288,795 pages. The class that read the most pages was Mrs. Matz’ second grade class. Collectively the students read 30,690 pages!

R ead Across America Week was another suc-cessful event. Students enjoyed dressing up as their favorite book character, wearing crazy hats and t-shirts from places they have visited. Our culminating activity, Authors’ Tea, provided an opportunity for all students to share their favorite writing piece with family and friends.

I am often asked what parents can do at home to help their student build stronger reading and writing skills. If you want to help boost your child’s reading comprehension try these five tips: 1. Read aloud. This slows down reading and

helps the reader “process” words. 2. Read to relax. Encourage your child to read

enjoyable books for fun.

3. Reread. Rereading things more than once fa-miliarizes your child with new concepts and vo-cabulary.

4. Supplement reading. Look for interesting, non-intimidating materials such as magazines.

5. Discuss reading. Ask questions that encour-age thinking, such as, “Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?”

(Source: “Improving Reading Comprehension,” Schloast-ic.)

D id you know that read and writing are connect-ed? Reading and writing go hand in hand. When your child writes regularly he/she will be building reading skills, too. By encouraging your child to write you are helping your child develop as a reader. Help your child develop a writing habit: Ask your child to create lists (i.e. grocery, to do,

wish lists) Encourage your child to keep a journal. Write daily! Happy Reading and Writing- Laura Phillips, Literacy Coach laura.phillips @beaufort.k12.sc.us or 843-322-7768.

Why STEM is Important

A t OES, we are continually expanding our STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering, Math) focus. You may wonder why it is so important. As our world becomes more technologi-cal, our students need to have constant exposure to these disciplines. The careers that are associated with STEM have out-grown non-STEM careers

substantially and are projected to continue to grow. Here is a graph from the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) that shows this growth.

T here is a great deal of information about STEM careers so I am sharing a few web sites that I find helpful.

http://www.esa.doc.gov/sites/default/files/stem-jobs-2017-update.pdf

http://www.verizon.com/about/news/16-awesome-stem-jobs-future

https://stemjobs.com/future-stem-careers/

W hile not every child will pursue a career in a STEM field, I hope you will take some time to investigate these and more sites so you can be informed and help guide your children as the grow.

Susan Tucker, Numeracy Coach

Susan.tucker@beaufort.k12.sc.us

Straight from the Beak Self-control is doing what is right. Page 4

Birthday Procedures are outlined in the agenda book—

We recognize birthdays on the last Fri-day of the month in grades 2-5 with a light snack.

Balloons and flowers are not allowed to be sent to school.

Please do not send home birthday invita-tions through the classroom teacher.

Pre-K, K & 1st grades, please plan for the last 20 minutes of school day or dur-ing lunch.

Use www.Paypams.com to prepay student lunch

online.

Emarie Toirkens 1

Dylan Cobb 2

Ava Allbee 3

Kennedi Cave 3

Jack Cummings 3

Leslie Gomez Sousa 4

Sebastian Lopez 4

Kacey Dubon Portillo 5

Ryan Goll 8

Andrea Strickland 8

Maisie Johnson 8

Nolan Powell 8

Travon Battle 9

Donovan Eayrs 9

Malcolm Gordon 9

Edgar Fernandez Gomez 9

Alexandria Lindsey 10

Isabelle Bailey 10

Avery Davis 11

Nicolas Brooks 11

Rylan Paul 11

David Hinson 12

Benjamin McCullough 14

Ryan Catlett 15

Jayden Wall 15

Elliott Parrott 16

Kyler Boatwright 16

Der'eon White 16

Kinsley Church 17

Jacob Lewis 17

Zoe Balcarcel 18

Jayden Cunningham 18

Ariana Salmon 19

Braxton Dunn 19

Shelby Davidson 20

Langston Stingley 20

Kayla Privette 21

Emilia Mondelci 22

Ivoriona Jones 22

Ian Morgan 22

Anna Schoenberger 23

Aila Villalobos 23

Mya Mojon Gonzales 23

Edward Cooper 23

Brianna Puerta-Reyes 24

Dean Meade 26

Hope Nickolite 26

Tucker Nelson 27

Justin McMillan 27

Hayden Lewis 28

Brayden Catlett 30

Charlie McInish 30

James Matits 30

Catherine Schoenberger 31

Straight from the Beak Self-control is making respectful and responsible decisions. Page 5

PTO Board Members Ellen Andreoletti, President ekandreoletti@hotmail.com

Karen Davidson, Treasurer ksd205@gmail.com Quinn Saleeby, Secretary quinnsaleeby@hotmail.com

Jennifer Parrott, Volunteer Coordinator jenniferkoser@hotmail.com

Lisa Church, Room Parent Coordinator lisamg81@yahoo.com Brenda Bibee, Sponsorship Coordinator brendabibee@hotmail.com

WE OUR VOLUNTEERS

BIG FUNDRAISER EVENT COMING UP!!!

T he PTO and students are gearing up for the Okie 35 Fun Run, kicking off with a Pep Rally on Tuesday, March 6th! This is a 9-day program where families will gather pledges for every lap your student runs (30-35 laps), and we’ll celebrate at the Okie 35 Fun Run on March 15th. Our big goal is raising $12,000 for an outdoor life-sized chess board and playground upgrades. We asked the Fun Run experts at Boosterthon to power our Fun Run and make it more profitable, easier, and FUN. Please show your support to this fundraiser by helping your student get sponsor pledges.

Platinum Sponsors

Mathnasium

* Coastal Pediatric Dentistry

* Walmart

Gold Sponsors

Palmetto Pediatrics * SVG Financial

* Sea Smiles * Camp Green Dog

Bloom * CrossFit Port Royal Sound

* Peter Rippey, M.D.

Silver Sponsors Abbi Keen—State Farm * TICO

Heritage Dental Spa * Derek Holland-Charter One

Blue Sponsors

Centerpoint Cabinets * Riverwalk Animal Hospital

Berkeley Flowers and Gifts * Okatie Youth Ballet

Elite Lowcountry Painting * May River Custom Homes

Jack Frost Ice Cream * Winning Smiles

Spirit Wear Website – Order anytime! Items will ship to the school!

www.blufftonpromos.com/showrooms

Val-o-Grams

T he Val-o-Grams were a HUGE success this year! It’s so wonderful seeing how many families participated and showed their love to their kids. We hope you all had a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Straight from the Beak Self-control is making good choices. Page 6

Get Out the Vote

A pril 21st is when residents of Beaufort County will go to the polls to vote on a $76 million referendum to solve the over-crowding issues in Bluffton and increase Career and Technical Education facilities in Bluffton and Beaufort. If successful, the bond referendum will fund

12 additional classrooms at River Ridge Academy

16 additional classrooms at May River High School

Funding for a new school in Bluffton

CATE buildings at Beaufort, Hilton Head and Bluffton High Schools

I n a separate vote, the Board of Education approved funds to place mobile classrooms at Pritchardville Elementary and River Ridge Academy as a temporary solution to the over-crowding at those schools. The mobile class rooms will alleviate the need to immediate re-zoning and are expected to remain until the con-struction projects are completed.

I f the referendum fails to pass, mobile classrooms may be-come a more permanent solution and the district will be forced

to evaluate re-zoning plans as previously discussed. We urge all parents to get involved and to speak to your friends and neigh-bors to express your support or concerns over the proposed changes. Please visit the district website at www.beaufort.k12.sc.us for more information.

A s always, we welcome your suggestions and feedback on issues related to Okatie Elementary and the Beaufort County School District. If you are able to participate in our monthly meetings, please join us the 3rd Tuesday of each month in the small media center at 7:00 a.m.

Best wishes,

Kiley Wynne

Chairman, OES SIC

kjwynne@hargray.com

Board Meeting April 3, 2018

Bluffton Library 120 Palmetto Way

SIC/Community

Stakeholders Meeting

March 22nd @ 6:00 pm

G’ma Ice Friday 3/16,

$3.00 / 5 flavors

Straight from the Beak Self-control is controlling your actions, thoughts , and feelings. page 7

Counseling in the Nest

Mrs. Bauer, MA, CDF

School Counselor

D o you know what your kids are doing online? Do you know what apps they

have downloaded if they have a device? I

meet with students regularly, and especially with 4th and 5th graders, I am increasingly hearing about apps including Musical.ly, Snapchat, Kik, TextNow and Instagram. It is

important that you monitor what your child is posting and that you know who they are inter-acting with online. Also, it’s important for kids to know that whatever they share online is

FOREVER. A screenshot of anything can be kept and shared once out there. We have had students insulting others over text and cyberbullying those who they say are their friends. Please teach your child that making

threats via text or cyberbullying can get you into some big trouble, especially as they get older.

W ww.commonsensemedia.org is a great site for parents to use to stay

up to date on what kids are into online, and it will share with you the potential risks of the

different apps and what kids are able to do with them. They also have great advice on the amount of screen time your child should be getting:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/screen-time

B e safe out there! The kids know more

than we do about cyber world, so it’s up to us to stay informed in order to keep them safe and out of trouble.

**NOTICE**

M rs. Bauer will be out on medical leave beginning

March 13 for 5-10 school days. If you need assis-tance during that time please contact our social worker,

Mrs. Waddell, or the front office.

Have An Angry Child?

F irst, know that anger is OK. Everyone feels it sometimes. The key is knowing how to express

it in a healthy way. When students come into the coun-seling office angry, I usually ask if they want to talk or sit quietly. If they want to sit quietly, I put out a book or two and some Theraputty. Eventually, they are ready to talk

about what has made them angry. Always try to let someone cool down before trying to get them to talk.

Try to help figure out what the source of the anger was. Anger is a secondary emotion, meaning it comes after something else like embarrassment, loneliness, frustra-tion, etc. Get to the root of that. I try to give suggestions for ways to deal with whatever happened that made them

angry.

Tell children and adults the anger rules:

1. No hurting yourself

2. No hurting others

3. No destroying things

H appy March! How exciting, we are getting into the homestretch of the school year!

Please remember that attendance will continue

to be important up to the very last day of school. If your child is healthy they need to be in school! As always, I am here to help those families and students that are in

need of resources. If that’s you, don’t hesitate and contact me!

Straight from the Beak Self-control is being in charge of yourself.. page 8

Book Character Parade

Crazy Hat or Hair

Day

Read Like a Super Hero!

Oh, the

Places You’ll Go!

Straight from the Beak If you learn self-control you can master anything. page 9

Dr. Al Panu, the Chancellor from USCB visited our school and read Anansi the Spider.

The dancers from Kinetic Works did a wonderful performance for our student incorporating Math. As you can see we had a number of students to

participate with the dancers.

Straight from the Beak Self –control is using your time wisely. page 10

Service Project Support Staff

“Pet Awareness”

A va Montjoy is the OES nominee for integrity. “Ava is polite, respectful and responsible”, according to teacher, Danielle Hunt. “She is a conscien-

tious learner. She always uses good manners and says yes ma’am and no ma’am. She is a joy to have in class. She works hard daily and is always willing to help the teacher”. Ms. Hull says that Ava is a hard worker and always kind to others! She’s very sweet and soft spoken. Definitely a great representative for integrity!!

A va is the kind of student who does what is asked, and you don’t have to worry about supervising her. If you need her to power up the computers

with a group of peers or deliver something, you know that she will take care of it quickly, and will always conduct herself with integrity.

Straight from the Beak Self –control is knowing when to speak. page 11

Character Breakfast