Upcoming Events
April:
​4/12-4/16 - School Closed - Spring Break
4/19-4/23 - PTO Virtual Assembly: Diversity Circus
4/21 - Spirit Day: Tie Dye

May:
5/28 - No School - Teacher In-Service Day
​5/31 - School Closed - Memorial Day

​* Please note that all dates are subject to change.
** Spirit Days:  Wednesdays = OSS Spiritwear
                           Fridays = Fitness Friday



SPECIAL CAR LOOP REMINDERS
With a significant increase in car loop traffic now that we are back to school every day, please click here to read our new car loop guidelines.

ATTENTION PARENTS OF FIFTH GRADERS!!
It is a very busy time for the fifth graders as they near the end of their stay at OSS! Keep up to date with fifth grade activities by visiting the 5th Grade Hub.            
    
OUR SUPER SPECIAL TEACHERS & STAFF
Want to nominate an OSS staff member? Did you "catch" them doing something amazing? Please read and complete the Google form so that we can share and spread the kindness. This form can be completed by any OSS community member (parent, caregiver, students, teachers, etc.). Click here for the form.

NEW OAK STREET SCHOOL GOOGLE CALENDAR
Click here (and scroll down to OSS!) for the NEW Oak Street School Google calendar for reminders and events. Using the instructions on the district website, you can subscribe and have it added to your calendar.

ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEOS
How to make announcement videos:
https://flipgrid.com/c424614c (Learn to Lead)
https://flipgrid.com/6a3bfe56 (Pledge of Allegiance)

​CHROMEBOOK REQUESTS
To request a chromebook, please send an email to BTSDTechHelp@bernardsboe.com. Parents should include their child's first and last name, the school they are attending and the words “chromebook request” in the subject line (example: John Smith OSS chromebook request). Parents should include their cell phone number in the email. Parents will receive an email once the device is ready for pickup.

​COUNSELING WEBSITE
Click here to visit Mrs. Kunzman's updated counseling webpage.

FROM THE OFFICE...
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
While every single teacher deserves the award this year, we are honoring the special work of Mrs. Melissa Baron!! She has doubled up her responsibilities to offer both media and tech to our students, while providing great support to her colleagues as we all learn new strategies for student engagement. The library has been magically transformed in her time there to a special place we cannot all wait to resume using normally. Please congratulate Mrs. Baron when you see her!

Changing Dismissal Plans - What you have indicated in your child's Elementary Dismissal Form tells us how your child is being dismissed each day. If you need to change it for a particular day on an exception basis, there is a button for that in Genesis (in the parent portal > Student Data tab > Summary > Modify Daily Pickup Release button). If you need to amend your student's daily plan, email cguibord@bernardsboe.com to reset.

Car Riders - Car riders should be dropped off and picked up on the Oak Street Car Loop; the Henry Street entrance is for bus students and walkers from parked vehicles on local side streets. Everyone should maintain 6 feet of distance.

IMPORTANT BUS POLICY REMINDER
This is a reminder that students are not permitted to eat on the bus and masks are required at all times. Please see the Transportation Handbook. 

Please send a ziploc bag for mask storage, back up masks, snacks and water.
Super Special OSS Staff of the Week
This week’s Our Super Special Staff Highlight is……
Miss Sackie!!

OSS parents have appreciated the difference Miss Sackie has made for their children. One parent wrote: “All of the changes this year have been challenging for my son. The mornings can be difficult yet every afternoon, he leaves OSS with the biggest smile on his face and feeling proud of what he learned and did that day. The pep talks and encouragement are the magic that he needs to be able to settle in and we truly appreciate the love and support that she provides. He is so lucky to get to learn from and grow with Miss Sackie!”
Another parent had this to say: “In December when we unexpectedly kept our daughter home because her brother had a Covid exposure, Miss Sackie dropped our daughter’s new chapter math book off at our home so she would not miss even a single a day.”
Thanks, Miss Sackie, for the difference you make in your students’ lives every day!
COVID-19 INFORMATION
NEW COVID-19 DASHBOARD
There is a new dashboard with information about COVID cases on the BOE website. Click here or go to the BOE home page and click on "Daily Covid-19 Notifications".

MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE
​As our district moves forward with plans to expand in-person instruction, my partnership with you becomes even more critical! I am only as good as the information that is provided to me so please continue to keep open lines of communication and complete the Covid Screening forms no later than 8:15am.
Keep your child home if:
- they report any sign of illness (err on the side of caution!)
-someone in your household is sick and they are awaiting Covid testing results
-they have been exposed to someone who tested positive (identified as a close contact)
- your child or anyone in the household tested positive
It takes a village to raise a child as well as a strong community effort to keep everyone safe and healthy!

Seasonal allergies vs. COVID
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, the general rule is that when we spring the clocks ahead, your start your allergy meds. This helps ensure that you are ahead of the blooming flowers and trees and may eliminate the symptoms that are due to allergies and not COVID.

RETURN TO INSTRUCTION LATEST PLAN
Bell schedule remains the same for all grades at this time (8:45am-1:00pm).
*Note: Students in 100% Virtual will remain in their Virtual Cohort.
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COVID Screening Forms - Available at midnight on the days your child will be attending school in person. Forms must be completed at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the school day. Please have printed backup forms at home (available here) in the event that Genesis is unavailable.
Arrival - Students admitted at 8:30am right to classrooms.
Attendance - Student attendance is taken every day in the morning meeting. If your child is remote and misses it, please email the main office and teacher to be marked tardy. Please complete the Daily COVID Screening Form for every day that your child is attending school. Incomplete forms will cause children to be held in an isolation room until we confirm their health status.
*If absent - Complete the Student Absence Reporting Form in Genesis (in the Parent Portal > Student Data tab > Forms) indicating absence and reason.
*If arriving late - Enter student absence in Genesis before 9am (see above). Once the student arrives to school or is available for remote learning, he/she will be marked tardy rather than absent.
    - Virtual: email teacher, Mrs. Medenilla and
      Mrs. Guibord in the Main Office to confirm time of
      availability for learning. 
    - Hybrid: sign in at the Main Office.
*If leaving early - Use Modify Daily Pickup Release button in Genesis before 11:00am. Use the note section to specify an office pickup with the time for in-person students or a release from virtual instruction with a time for remote students. After 11am, please call the main office.
Acceptable Masks - 2 or 3 ply fabric or the surgical kind. No gaiters, bandanas or vents.
Visitors/Forgotten Items - Due to COVID restrictions, we are not allowing visitors to enter or bring items to the building. We can provide water and safe snack options if your child forgets these items.
OSS Community Hub - click here
Ongoing Fundraising
OSS MAGNETS AND PURAVIDA BRACELETS
Email osspto@gmail.com if you'd like to purchase ($5 each).

​BOXTOPS
Hello! I hope everyone is off to a good school year! I run the Boxtop program for Oak Street School and it is something we can continue throughout this year. There are a couple ways we can submit Boxtops. If you have some clipped and they are not expired, rather than sending them to school with your child, please send me an email so I can schedule a pickup time. Boxtops is actually phasing out the clipping and mailing so another way to earn Boxtops is for you to scan your grocery receipts. Information on how to do so can be found here. All you need is the Boxtops app and a smartphone. It really is super easy and it’s free money for our school! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out!
     Click here for the Boxtops website
     Questions? Contact Alisa Larner

ShopRite:  Register your Price Plus card to earn OSS PTO eBoxtop points whenever you shop for participating products. No clipping required!  Click here for more info or to register your card.

​Stop and Shop:  Register your rewards card to earn OSS Cash Rewards. Click here for info.
If you would like to have anything published on the PTO website, please contact Carol Pietro.
¿Necesita ayuda en español?  Comuníquese con Patricia Craig, profesora de español-Oak Street School (pcraig@bernardsboe.com).