I would like to take this opportunity to announce OHE’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Lucy May.  Currently Mrs. May is a 2nd grade bilingual teacher and also mentors other bilingual teachers in the district.  At morning assembly on Friday, we honored Mrs. May with a beautiful flower arrangement.  We are so proud of her and the work she does everyday with your children! Next time you are on campus and see Mrs. May tell her congratulations.  We wish her the best of luck at the next level.

Last semester OHE offered an after school computer class called Scratch.  Scratch is a simplified programming language suitable for students interested in learning the basics of computer programming.  Students create their own interactive programs by learning how to snap together visual programming blocks to control images, music, and sound. The program is being extended for the spring semester. Scratch Club I is for to 3rd - 5th graders with no previous programming experience.  Scratch Club II is for 3rd - 5th graders who were previously in Scratch Club I.  Both clubs will meet on Thursday after school from 2:45 - 4:00 and will run for nine weeks (February 10, 17, 24, March 3, 10, 24, 31, April 7).  Sign-up forms are in the front office and the deadline is February 4th.

Sixth grade choice sheets will be given to our 5th graders this week.  Both O'Henry and Clint Small will be on campus Tuesday explaining the process to our students.  Please feel free to attend.  Then on Friday, Mrs. Taylor, the Small principal will visit my monthly coffee talk at 9:00 for any 5th grade parent that has questions or just wants to meet her.

Also on Friday, one of our corporate sponsors, Chick-fil-A, will be on campus with their new spicy chicken biscuit breakfast sandwich for parents and staff.  Come have breakfast, sign-up for Scratch, and stay for my principal's coffee.

Earlier this month, someone researching school administrators and why they use blogs contacted me. The researcher wanted to know what my reason for blogging was.  If you would like to know my response, you can see it here.

Have a great week!

 

 The percussionist demonstrating tambourines.

 Mrs.Robert's kindergarten class really enjoyed the music by moving to the beat!

A percussionist from the Austin Symphony Orchestra was on campus today and held performances for our Pre-Kindergarten through 3^rd grade students.  He discussed several different percussion instruments and explained how sound was created for each.  Then he would play each instrument and students were able to listen to the unique sounds each created.  The students were excited and interacted with the music. 

 The OHE students had a wonderful opportunity today to see the Ft. Worth Opera.  The five member crew performed "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."  Not only was it an outstanding opera performance, but it also was a lesson on bullies. Thank you to our benefactor for bringing the production to OHE!  

Tutoring has begun for students in 3rd - 5th grades.  Tutoring is offered to students based on their MOY benchmark results.  If you have questions, please speak with your child's teacher.

Starting next week, spring GT testing will take place.  A person from the GT office will test the kindergarten students either on January 18th or 19th, Mrs. McDonald and I will test 1st and 2nd graders, while Mrs. Baxter test 3rd - 5th grade students.  Due to scheduling conflicts, there isn't a specific time these will occur.  So please if your child was nominated, discuss with them that testing will occur.

This is another reminder to please label coats, gloves, hats, etc.  Our "lost and found" has become quite large.

Welcome Back!

The 2011 has started smoothly.  It was great to see all the students back and it appeared most were excited to return and share what they did over the holidays.  There were only a few tears (and those were from teachers).


Today students will be bringing report cards home. After some confusion the first nine weeks about which rewards students were to receive, we have decided on the following:  
Attendance Ribbons                                        
(Zero Absences)                                
PK - 5th grade                                                                        
Citizenship Ribbons                                        
(4s on the personal development side of report card)
1st - 5th grade        
Academics
(All As or 4s)
1st - 5th grades

Many of you have already seen the new lanes for morning drop off in the back parking lot.  This will start officially Monday.  At the back gate along the sidewalk, there will be 5th grade greeters helping students.  Cones will be placed at the first entrance (where the buses enter) blocking this as an entrance therefore the second opening will be both an entrance and exit.  All of the other drop offs (front circle drive and annex) will remain the same.  This is just an additional place to drop off students in the morning.

Also this week for some 3rd - 5th grade parents, permission slips for tutoring are being sent home.  We are offering tutoring classes for any student who is not performing satisfactory on the MOY benchmark test given in December.  Some of the tutoring classes are during the day and some are after school.  If you do not receive a letter, your child performed well on the MOY benchmarks.  If you would like to know how your child did, please contact the teacher.  

The student council has created a "Wear Your Favorite Team Jersey" day for Friday.  So lets all celebrate our favorite team.

Friday is also my Principal's Coffee.  Hope to see you there.

Dear OHE Families,

It has been so wonderful being here at OHE.  I have truly loved being back on a campus and interacting with everyone.  It has been a steep learning curve but it seems to be smoothing out.  This week, Peggye and I sat down to look over some data and I actually recognized student names and knew what classes they were in!  As I walked campus these past few days, observing all the parents helping in the classrooms was wonderful.  

Being new to the community, I wasn't quite sure how this season was celebrated.  But I have been quite impressed with how many traditions and celebrations are taught.  OHE students will understand how other cultures celebrate this time of year or if they celebrate anything at all. Which is great considering the diversity of this campus.

Thank you to all for helping me feel so comfortable and in teaching me the OHE traditions as well as supporting me with new initiatives. I  look forward to continuing our work in the spring.

 I wish each of you a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, and/or other holiday celebrations.

Thank you PTA for the updated safety vest for our 5th graders!  This is just one example of something Projects and Goals has bought already for the school.  Check out the website to learn more about what has been purchased.

Parents with the cooler weather already upon us it would be helpful if your child's name was attached to coats, hats, gloves, etc.  The "lost and found" has increased. 

OHE Parents,

I just wanted to let you know that Mrs. McDonald is out for a couple of days and Mrs. Horne, a retired principal is substituting for her.  So if you see her walking around, you will know who she is and what is doing on campus.

For those who haven’t noticed, the sandboxes now have fresh sand and the playgrounds have been re-mulched.  Also, next time you enter through the front of the building, notice the new light covers.  These are just a few of the items that were mentioned to me when I arrived that needed work.  I am still working on painting the outside.  Those work orders are taking a little more time but still in the works.

With so many students taking Middle of the Year Benchmarks, the student council decided we should have a crazy hair day. The student on the left was very creative- DVDs, pens, how many items are in there? If you don't recognize the person in the next picture with pigtails, that is Mr. Cumings. Lastly, I am not sure how she did this but there is a cup inside of all that hair.  

 

I heard Santa pictures had a huge turn out on Saturday even with the parking lots being painted.  Also if you would like to participate in our Angel Tree, please stop by the front office.

  

The 5th graders just finished visiting the Mobile Planetarium.  This is an excellent opportunity for our students to share what they have already learned as well see actual pictures of planets, stars and the moon.  The students were able to see the next moon phase and when the next lunar eclipse will be, so ask them.  

I also visited all 4th and 5th grade classes to observe how they were doing on their MOY test.  Students appeared focused and I saw lots of great strategies being implemented.  I am sure the results from these benchmarks will be fabulous.

What a fun day at OHE!  Science Fair awards, pajama day, 2nd grade science act, and more.

I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving and know that I am truly thankful to be the principal at OHE!  It is so great to be back on a campus. 

Last week was a very busy week here at OHE, which is why I forgot so blog.  Luckily, my mom reminded me this weekend.  She thinks we are doing really great things here at OHE.

We had our first school-wide science fair.  Student participation was excellent.  Individuals, groups, and class projects were submitted.  About 350 projects were submitted and even one of our 4 year-olds submitted an independent project.  Community volunteers helped judged. One judge stated, “I was enlightened to see the amount of projects that the school had and impressed by the quality of projects”.  The awards ceremony is tomorrow for those students earning 1^st and 2^nd place. 

The gardening committee continued their work in the front of the school.  What a difference it has made.  Thank you to all the gardeners.

Also last week, the library was transformed for the upcoming book fair.  It is quite impressive to see so many books available for all ages and different languages. 

Tomorrow everyone wears pjs.  I will do my best to send pictures.