Notes from the Head of School

Happy Friday!

Well it was a busy short week here at White Oak School! It always amazes me what we manage to fit in!

*Sunday night a crew ventured into Boston to see the Boston Celtics first preseason game! The team scored a hardy win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just as exciting, we saw Mark Wahlberg film a scene from his upcoming movie "Weekend Warriors". When the movie comes out, we will be in the crowd! Thank you to the families that braved the rainy weather to join us!

*On Tuesday, Ms. Crowe and Mrs. Kelly took a small group to visit the Westfield State University campus and the renowned Banacos support program.

*Also on Tuesday, the White Oak Wolfpack soccer team traveled to Williamstown for their 1st game of the season. Looking strong, the team dominated with a 4-1 win!

*Don't miss your only chance to see the game at home this coming Tuesday, October 21st at 4PM!

Students who would like to stay to watch must have a ride home at 5:15PM! Please email Mrs. Ricco at bricco@whiteoakschool.org if your student plans to stay and please also notify the bus company! Let's go Wolves!

*Wednesday brought a visit from Merlot the wonderful Bright Spot Therapy pup!

*Next Wednesday, October 22nd is Bullying Prevention Day - we encourage students and staff to wear ORANGE in support!

*Next Thursday through the following Monday also marks the time to bring in your entries for the pumpkin decorating contest!! Entries can be brought to the front office in C Building! They will be displayed in the cafeteria from the 27th- 31st and voting will happen on the 31st!

*Reminders:

-The first round of Parent/Teacher conferences begins Thursday the 23rd. Please email Mrs. Ricco if you are unable to attend your scheduled conferences.

-NO SCHOOL NEXT FRIDAY THE 24TH!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jody

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Happy Friday! What a busy week we've had!

*Mrs. Mercier's Anatomy and Physiology classes have finished their life-size skeletal projects, proudly displayed in the A Building hallway! Great job teams!

*On Tuesday, Mr. Micks arranged for a group of students to attend the PFG Food Centric Show at the MassMutual Center. Students were able to speak to a variety of vendors and sample all sorts of tasty treats!

*On Wednesday, Juniors and Seniors visited STCC with Ms. Crowe and Mrs. Kelly. They toured the different facilities and heard about the programs and support services that this 2 year college offers. Next up? A trip to Westfield State University on Tuesday!

*On Wednesday, our Cross Country team completed their 1st full meet at Eagle Hill. Our runners looked sharp out there as they conquered a hilly course. Awesome job runners!

*5th Period Today brought us another round of club meetings! The Board Game Club learned a version of Dominoes, the Helping Hands Club made signs for their first donation drive, the Innovators Club took apart computers to discover the inner workings, and members of the drama club auditioned for their roles in the upcoming production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

*Auditions for the play will continue next week - if students want to audition, they should see Ms. Mercier or Mrs. Williams!

* White Oak’s Helping Hands Club and Jordan Sutter are collaborating to collect non-perishable food and personal care donations for the Common Goods Food Pantry in Westfield. Our goal is to collect non-perishable food and personal care products to extend a helping hand to people in the Westfield community.The following items are most needed. There will be orange bins in the cafeteria for the collection of the donated items. Thank you so very much.Non-Perishable Food Items Needed:● Canned Goods (any canned food)● Dry Boxed Items (cereal, pasta, rice, etc.)● Peanut Butter● Juice boxes● Granola barsPersonal Care Products:● Shampoo● Soap● Toothpaste/Brush● Deodorant

REMINDERS:

*Please be sure to read Nurse Sousa's email regarding health protocols. It is cold and flu season and we need your partnership in keeping our students and staff healthy. Please use your best judgement when your child is experiencing cold symptoms before sending them to school. As always, please reach out to Nurse Sousa with any questions!

*This Sunday is the White Oak trip to the Celtics Game. If you signed up, you should have received your tickets via email transfer from me! I will see you there!

*Don't forget to register to do the Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passages on December 7th with the White Oak team! Families are welcome to join us! Our team theme will be gingerbread men & women. You can register for the 5K run or the 3K walk. The flyer is attached!

COMING UP:

*The SheLeads Club will meet for the 1st time next Wednesday 1st period. This club is open to any female-identifying student in grades 8-12. Student leaders Lucia and Lauren will present a different topic each month for discussion, fostering a safe community for empowerment and leadership!

*The White Oak Wolfpack soccer team will have an away game on Tuesday, October 14th! The students will leave school at 1:45 for a 4PM game at Buxton in Williamstown. Please check the Activities calendar on the White Oak website for updates and additional information!

*The Seniors are hosting a tag sale on Saturday, October 25th from 9-3 on the basketball court here on campus. The huge All 4 Kids consignment sale will also take place on campus that weekend. Stop by and support great causes!

*This weekend is a great opportunity to plan your entry in the Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Just 2 more weeks until entries are due - will yours be the scariest? Funniest? Most creative? I can't wait to see the entries!

*I am also attaching the Spirit Week flyer so students can start planning their outfits!

*No School Monday!

Have a wonderful, long weekend!

Jody

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Happy Friday White Oak Community!

*Thank you to everyone who attended our wonderful Open House on Wednesday night! The weather was perfect and it was so nice to see everyone on campus. Thank you for supporting Mrs. Fuda's Financial Literacy class's fundraiser as well as the Student Council's 3 point shoot! Both were wonderful successes.

*We had our 1st visit of the year from our favorite Bright Spot therapy dog Merlot this week! Merlot and her mom Chelsea will visit our campus every other Wednesday morning. Merlot joins classes and Tutorials, providing a little extra comfort and calm. Everyone looks forward to seeing Merlot - especially the teachers!

*Reminder for Juniors and Seniors - field trip forms for the Westfield State University field trip are due to Ms. Crowe on Tuesday! See your email for more information. The trip is Tuesday, October 14th.

*Did you hear? We have a vocabulary word of the week! It is presented on the slideshow in the cafeteria each day with an example of how to use it in a sentence. Have you heard these words at home- cattywampus, dillydally, discombobulated? If a student uses the word of the week correctly in a sentence and a teacher emails me, the student wins a Five Guys Voucher for a Free french fry or milkshake with purchase!

*Today we had class meetings. Senior Domenic spoke to students in grades 4-6 about the importance of using assistive technology. Discussions took place about fundraising, field trips and class bonding time! Stay tuned - will there be a cookie dough sale? A movie night? Bingo? A teacher duct taped to the wall???

*Speaking of fundraisers- the senior class is collecting returnable cans and bottles! Please save them and bring them in. The seniors will also be having a tag sale on Saturday, October 25th on the basketball court on campus. This coincides with the All 4 Kids community sale on campus that weekend. The seniors are looking for donations of gently used household items, decor, books, and games. Please email Mrs. Williams at twilliams@whiteoakschool.org or Mrs. Mericer at kmercier@whiteoakschool.org to arrange for drop-off.

*I'm excited to announce a new community activity- a pumpkin decorating contest! Students, families and staff are encouraged to enter. Decorate a pumpkin and bring it into school between Friday, October 23rd  (can be dropped off during Parent conferences that night) and Monday, October 27th. Pumpkins will be displayed in the cafetera starting Monday the 27th and voted on on Friday, 10/31. There will be ribbons for: Most School Spirit, Most Creative, Scariest, and Funniest, You can find lots of ideas on the internet for awesomely decorated pumpkins!

*Once again, Spirit Week will be the last week of October. See the flyer below with the theme days so you can start to plan your outfits!

*Don't forget to register to do the Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passages on December 7th with the White Oak team! Families are welcome to join us! Our team theme will be gingerbread men & women. You can register for the 5K run or the 3K walk. The flyer is attached!

*Reminders:

    -No School on Monday, October 13th for Indigenous Peoples'/Columbus Day

    - No School on Friday, October 24th for Teacher Professional Development Day

Have a great weekend!

Jody

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