Notes from the Head of School

Happy Friday!

*On Wednesday, a crew cheered the Springfield Thunderbirds hockey team to victory! It was fun to be at a school day game and the students had a great time! Big thanks to the parents who helped out!

*Also on Wednesday, MAAPS (Massachusetts Association For Approved Private Schools) held a wonderful event at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston to celebrate the 50th anniversary of IDEA - the federal Special Education law. The venue was turned into a living history of Special Education development in Massachusetts, including the foundation of schools like White Oak. We were thrilled to have 2 students join us. Ainsley, a senior and an aspiring lawyer, learned about the longstanding fight for rights for all students and sat on the replica senate floor in awe. Jo, a Junior, had the privilege of introducing 2 of the speakers at the event. A portion of her journey was shared on a floor-to-ceiling video screen. It was so awesome to watch her be part of such a special day- she shined! Kevin C. had entered a piece of his artwork into the "I put the 'I' in IDEA" project which was displayed. It was an important event and I am so proud that White Oak School was well represented there. Please consider joining the MAAPS Action Network to continue advocating for Special Education rights at the state and federal level by visiting the MAAPS website.

*On Thursday, our wonderful reps from the Hampden County DA's Community task force came to talk about social media safety and rules. The focus for Grades 4-7 was what information should not be shared online (name, address, school name), keeping passwords safe, and why you should only talk to people you know online. Ainsley presented this information as part of her responsibility with the Youth Advisory Board. For grades 8-12, the conversation included social media safety, the consequences of sending and receiving inappropriate content, and the laws concerning cyberbullying. This is an important conversation that we revisit with the DA's office every year in addition to the work we do in Oral Expression classes.

*Thursday night a large group (almost 40!) attended a performance of Hamilton at The Bushnell in Hartford. It was a late night, but everyone agreed that it was worth it to see the epic show!

*School pictures are ready! Visit mylifetouch.com to log in or create an account, find your student and order pictures. Retakes will be on December 3rd!

*Reminder - our lockdown drill will take place next week in cooperation with the Westfield Police Department.

*Please share the PAC's RaiseRight gift card fundraiser information! The flyer is attached. Next week we will announce a December fundraising challenge!

*Mrs. Fuda's science class has an exciting project in the works! Stay tuned to see what's coming...

*Seniors: don't forget to gather and bring in gift cards for the upcoming calendar raffle fundraiser. Bring them to Mrs. Williams or Ms. C.

*The Helping Hands Club is still collecting non-perishable and personal care items to donate to the Common Goods food pantry on the Westfield State campus. There is an orange bin in the cafeteria for donations. Items needed include: canned goods, dry boxed items (cereal, pasta, rice), peanut butter, shampoo, soap, deodorant.

That was a busy short week! One more full week before Thanksgiving break- it will be a productive one!

Have a great weekend!

Jody

‍

Happy Friday!

*Picture day was a success today - we will announce makeups as soon as they are scheduled.

*Sophomore Evan D. was a guest on the YouTube feature In The Zone this week! Check out some scenes from his experience below and tune in using the link on our Facebook page to hear Evan's contribution!

*We had a beautiful visitor in the field today!

*Ms. Crowe and Mrs. Kelly got a small group of students to Landmark College in Vermont today. They enjoyed exploring this Vermont campus and learning about the programs and the support services they have to offer.

*Our vocabulary word of the week was rigamarole!

*At club meetings today, our knitters knitted, our writers composed, the board game club learned a new card game, our actors and actresses started practicing their lines for Wonka Jr., our stage crew started gathering props and scene information, and our innovators explored the insides of computers. Club meetings are always an awesome experience!

*Next Week:

*NO SCHOOL on Tuesday in honor of Veteran's Day

*Wednesday: Lower School field trip to the daytime Thunderbirds game

    -MAAPS Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of IDEA - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children. The event will be livestreamed at 11AM here: MAAPS YouTube Channel. Our very own Jo C. will introduce one of the main speakers!

*Thursday: the District Attorney's Office will be here to present about Internet and Social Media Safety.

For Grades 3-7, the topics will highlight important safety rules when connecting on social media and playing games online.

For Grades 8-12, the presentation includes a discussion regarding:

• The permanence of online actions – what you post, message, or even delete.
• The serious (and often legal) consequences of inappropriate photo exchanges, online threats, and harassment, to include bullying.
• The knowledge to navigate an online presence responsibly, highlighting how actions can affect future opportunities.

Upcoming:

*Our lockdown drill was postponed this week, and will take place the week of November 17th.

*We have a 1 PM dismissal on Tuesday, November 25th and no school November 26-28th for Thanksgiving break.

*Thank you for participating and sharing the PAC's RaiseRight gift card fundraiser! Please share the information!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jody

‍

Happy Thursday!

*Our Wolfpack soccer team had a strong finish to the season with a 7-4 win over Buxton here on our own home field! It was an exciting game, a great crowd, and an awesome end to the season. Big thanks to Coaches Gumina and Rida for guiding this young team to success!

*On Wednesday, our Cross Country team ran the course at Four Rivers in Greenfield. All of our competitors got PRs (personal records), with Jo Cestola coming in 6th place for the female runners! The Cross Country championships are next Wednesday at Charlemont!

*Wednesday also marked Wear Orange Against Bullying. We had a great number of participants! So proud of our community!

*We also had some surprise visitors this week - a flock of turkeys in our field!

*The pumpkins for the pumpkin decorating contest are rolling in! I'm just going to give you a sneak peek below... Pumpkins can be painted, embellished or carved. Families can work together, students and teachers can collaborate, or students can design all on their own! Bring your pumpkins in by Wednesday of next week - they will be displayed in the cafeteria and voted on on Friday!

*Pizza, pizza! Mr. Fisk's math classes are learning about fractions and this week they put their skills to good use! The students followed directions to make their own dough and then picked their own toppings. Yummy!!!

Mr. Micks and the Culinary Arts classes also made pizza dough and designed their own pizzas this week!

*This week's vocabulary word was kibosh. Ask your student the meaning. :)

*This weekend! The All 4 Kids Consignment sale is taking place on the White Oak campus - a great opportunity to get kids' clothes in sizes 0-teen. See their Facebook page - or ours- for their hours!

In addition, the Senior Class of 2026 is hosting a tag sale on Saturday from 9-3 on the basketball court! They will have snacks and face painting. Stop by campus this weekend!

*I have been in contact with the Exploring Membership Director for Western Massachusetts Scouting America. They are working to establish Aviation Drone Explorer Air Squadrons in the four Western counties of Western Massachusetts. We would need at least five high school students interested in learning more about Drones and having fun competing against each other. We would also need a parent volunteer. If your student would be interested in this opportunity, please let me know and I will explore it further! Their website is: www.wmascouting.org/exploring.

Next Week:

*Spirit Week!

  -Monday is 1970's Day - known for its bold, individualistic styles, ranging from the carry-over hippie movement to the glam rock and disco eras, we can't wait to see your best 70's dress! Are you ready for disco dancing under the disco ball?

   - Tuesday is Tye Dye Day - Groovy! Returning students should have their shirts from last year's field day.

      -Wednesday is Squad Day- grab a peer or 2 or 3 or more and dress in a theme! You could all wear the same color, be a cast of characters, or parts of a whole. Need an idea? Join our White Oak Wolfpack squad and wear your White Oak sweatshirt or t-shirt!

      - Thursday is Music Icon Day- dress as a music icon or don a concert T-shirt from your favorite artist!

      -Friday is Costume Day - be creative! Please be school appropriate and NO - full face paint, fake weapons of any kind. You may wear a mask for pictures, but they must be taken off in the classroom.

NOTE: About a dozen students will be asked to join us in visiting the residents at Armbrook Village next door for a Halloween parade for their residents! Students will be chosen and announced at morning break and will go to Armbrook from 10:45-11:20 AM. It is a favorite White Oak tradition!

*On Tuesday, October 28th from 9am-10am we will hold our first Parent Advisory Committee Meeting in Building C. This is a wonderful opportunity to brainstorm and exchange ideas in regard to creating greater opportunities and positive experiences for our scholars.  I have learned that we can accomplish amazing things when we pool our talents and resources together as one larger community. I hope that many of you can make it. Please RSVP to Alex Sutter at asutter@whiteoakschool.org by Monday so that we can plan appropriately.  Here is the meeting's agenda:

This year's theme is Social Skills Development

-Greeting and Introductions

-Review last year's goals and accomplishments

-Share ideas for topics that parent would like to focus on this year

-Brainstorm social skill opportunities for students and families

-Fundraising ideas to fund social skill activities

*The 2nd round of Parent Conferences is Wednesday the 29th.

*School picture forms went home this week! Reach out to Dorothy at dalger@whiteoakschool.org with any questions. School pictures are Friday, November 7th.

I hope all of the students have a restful day off tomorrow! Enjoy the weekend!

Jody

‍