Glen Oak News

Today the guidance counselors from Olentangy Orange Middle School (OOMS) and Olentangy Shanahan Middle School (OSMS) came to GOES to speak to our 5th grade students about course selection.   They discussed how the 6th grade is divived into 3 teams in which those students are assigned the same core teachers.   The students have some course selection choices between band, strings, choir (or a combination of those) or a study hall.   The middle school encourages all 6th grade students to participate in one music course instead of a study hall, but that is a family decision.  The students will be receiving their forms to complete the course information to help the middle schools with the scheduling process.   Please look for a yellow form if your child is going to OSMS and an orange form if they will attend OOMS.   Please work with your child to fill out the form together and return it to Glen Oak as soon as possible.

Congratulations to all of our 5th grade students that participated in the spelling bee.    Baxter Whitehead was our champion and Kathryn Lee was our runner-up.   A special thank you to Ms. Lemire for organizing the practice times and event for the students.  Also thank you to the 5th grade team for judging during the competition.   Everyone did a great job!

This year Glen Oak hosted its first Daddy-Daughter dance.  The event was intended to be a low cost night out where girls and their dads could spend some quality time together.    We had a great turn out and hope everyone who attended had a great time.   A special thank you to Connie Hamm who organized the event, as well as all of the volunteers.   Thank you!

P.S. A mother-son event is currently in the planning stages, tune in to the Blue Holly Line listserv in the near future for details.

This year the Glen Oak staff organized a night out where kids could hang out with their friends at school and parents could take a well-desired break.   The holiday shop was busy most of the night with little shoppers excited to purchase items for their parents, siblings and other loved ones for the upcoming holidays.   The night was also filled with crafts, singing & dancing, movies and board games.   Thanks to all of the families that supported the event.

This week students at Glen Oak participated in theme days to help remind us about making healthy choices.  Mr. Bickley began meeting with 5th grade classes to discuss how to cope with peer pressure.  It was a great lesson about how a student gets older their peer group because more influenctial on their life and the choices they make.  Sometimes our peers are a positive influence and at times they are not.   He shared that the best way to cope with peer pressure is to feel good about yourself.   A positive self-image is something that we can help our students with providing them with compliments, encouraging them to take risks, and praising them with their efforts.  Below are some of the quotes about peer pressure that Mr. Bickley shared with the 5th grade students in Mr. Ortega’s and Mr. Rohrer’s class this week and will be sharing with Mrs. Lemire and Ms. Bruns’ classes next week.   Students worked in teams to pick their favorite quote and describe what it meant to them.   Some students even wrote their own quotes.

“Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go, instead, where there is not path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson  (student description: don’t do what others tell you, choose your own path and do what is right.)

“The time is always right to do what it right.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.  (student description-always do what it right)

GOES students’ original quotes about peer pressure:

“It is better to be lonely than to do something bad.” “It’s better to have no friends than to have friends that make you do bad things.”

Students at Glen Oak are honoring veterans with a “White Table” and wall of gratitude.  The book titled, America’s White Table, by Margot Theis Raven describes the practice of setting a symbolic table to honor military men and women.  Please stop by the Glen Oak lobby to view the table and read the bricks of gratitude created by students and staff.

Students enjoyed the fall harvest festivities with a parade around the school before the classroom parties.   There were many creative costumes, students and teachers alike.  Thank you to all of the room parents that organized the parties and parents that came to help celebrate.

On Friday, September 23rd we hosted our Brain Games ceremony to present those students that participated and turned in the appropriate forms with a ribbon and/or medal.   A special thanks to Stacey Laprise who organized the event!!!   We are excited to announce that 285 GOES students participated and were recognized.    Each grade level came to the gym or commons to see classmates receive their rewards.  Thank you parents and students for all of your hard work over the summer.

A HUGE thank you to everyone that contributed to our success with the Earning for Learning program at the Polaris Mall.   By turning in your receipts from mall purchases, as well as participating in special events such as donating gently used shoes together we were able to earn $3.000 for our school.  Glen Oak finished in 3rd place and celebrated with other Olentangy schools that also earned money to support additional activities for our students ( Freedom Trail-1st place,Walnut Creek-5th place,  Johnnycake Corners-7th, Berkshire Middle-8th, Wyandot Run-9th place and Orange HS-special sponsor prize).

A few weeks ago we had our first TOWN MEETING with all Glen Oak students.   During this building wide assembly students watched a video that displayed pictures of staff members (new and old), as well as pictures that highlight special events that students will experience in each grade level.   During the video students showed their excitement by doing a SILENT CHEER.   Be sure to ask your students about this.  Then we talked about our building wide promise that was designed by GOES staff in hopes that students will agree that the following things are important to make our school a safe and happy place to learn.

GOES Promise:

I will…

Give respect

Offer kindness

Embrace honesty

Stay safe

I’m a GOES kid.

Each morning students say this promise following the Pledge of Allegiance.   Teachers have begun discussing this promise with their class and what it looks like in the classroom, hallways, recess, etc.   We are looking forward to developing ways to recognize students who act in positive ways that reinforce our school promise.

Below are some pictures from the town meeting that was on Friday, September 23rd.