Notes from the Head of School

Happy Friday!

*The semi-formal Winter Wonderland dance hosted by the Student Council last Friday was a fun success! Pizza and cookies, pictures and dancing were the highlights of the night!

*The White Oak School team was 21 strong for the Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage in Northampton last Sunday. It was a cold day but the camaraderie was warm! Student team leader Jo C. completed the fun run - go Jo!! Together the team raised $620 for this important organization that provides safety and support for domestic violence survivors. So proud of this team! A big thank you to Berkshire Blanket for the awesome warm scarves!

*Our White Oak Wolfpack basketball team had their 1st game of the season away at BART yesterday. They started off strong but came up short in the end with a tough loss. Coach Gumina reported that the team looks great and predicts a strong season ahead! The team is on the road again on Monday against Charlemont, playing in Shelburne Falls. Their 1st home game is slated for Wednesday, January 14th!

*The sign up sheet to join the Wolfpack Pep Squad is posted in the school cafeteria! Members will learn basic cheers and decorate posters for our players. We will have a meeting during milk break on Wednesday for those interested!

*Monday is the last chance to make donations to our Common Goods Pantry and Safe Passage collections. Bring in non-perishable food items for Common Goods or personal care items for Safe Passage and make a difference this holiday season!

* Next week, Dec 15, 2025 - Dec 18, 2025, the Junior class will be selling candy grams during Milk break and Lunch break. Each Candy gram will be $1 and students will be able to write a little message to send to friends, classmates or staff. Candy grams will be distributed on Friday, Dec 19th.  All candy gram proceeds will go towards Junior class field trips this year. We thank you for your support and dedication to supporting the Class of 2027!  Sincerely, Mr. Girard,and Mr. Fisk, class advisors.

*The Student Council says Wear Your Ugliest Sweater on Thursday! There will be prizes for the ugliest, the most festive, the most creative, and the funniest sweaters! Let's have some fun on the last full day of school for 2025!

*This week, the Culinary Arts classes tried their hand at cookie decorating! Yummy!

*We had an early morning visitor in the field this week - a beautiful coyote seeking a breakfast of field mice.

*Spotlight on the great work done by Callie F. on her diorama and book review of Because of Winn Dixie. It's a White Oak favorite - have you read it? Callie highly recommends you do!

* The RaiseRight gift card fundraiser is in full swing!! Download the app or go to the website -it's easy to register and easy to share with family & friends!

https://raiseright.onelink.me/Gei8?af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.raiseright.com%2Fenroll%3FenrollCode%3DRR-YRQDYHHQ2N&af_xp=custom&pid=web_invite&c=P2P&deep_link_value=EnrollmentCode%3Fcode%3DRR-YRQDYHHQ2N&af_dp=swsapp%3A%2F%2FEnrollmentCode%3Fcode%3DRR-YRQDYHHQ2N

Don't forget : The student with the most gift card sales through the RaiseRight gift card fundraising site from December 1 - December 15 will win a $25.00 gift card of their choosing!

How can students participate? Share, send, distribute the information on the attached flyer. Where? Social media, email, work spaces, family & friends gatherings, local groups/businesses.  When people use their name while purchasing, they will get credit! People are purchasing gift cards as holiday gifts - now they can support White Oak School with no extra cost to them!

*Don't miss out on White Oak afternoon at the Springfield Thunderbirds game on Monday, January 19th! The flyer is attached to this email - scan the QR code and join us!

*Nurse Sousa sent an email this week regarding the symptoms and protocols around the spread of respiratory viruses. We also know that the norovirus is present in some school districts. Thank you for helping to keep our students and staff healthy by keeping your child home if they aren't feeling well. We will do our part by reminding everyone to wash their hands and by wiping down common surfaces! Please contact Nurse Sousa with any questions.

*Reminder - Friday, December 19th there is a 1 PM dismissal and Winter break begins! School reopens on Monday, January 5th!

Have a great weekend - stay warm!

Jody

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