Veteran's Day

Oak Grove students and staff presented an amazing tribute to our Veteran's on November 11.  Although the fabulous ceremony organized by the 8th graders for our local Veterans was perfect and memorable, the work that occurred behind the scenes is perhaps even more amazing.  Coordinated by the Social Studies teachers, a lesson was held with each class about the freedoms of our country.  These lessons to the younger grades were taught by the older children.  This teaching culminated in a video called "Why I Love my Country."

Other lessons were taught by the 8th graders to the younger children to help them learn about the meaning of Veteran's Day. Each group of 8th grade students designed their own lesson plan and had it approved by the younger grade teacher.  For instance, in kindergarten the children were engaged in games where they put on military jackets including Coast Guard life vests to learn about the branches of the service.   What a wonderful opportunity for our children to practice the 21st Century Skills of leadership, creative thinking, collaboration and problem solving.   Watch videos of this special learning by going to our website www.ogschool.org. 

Halloween at Oak Grove School

Remember Woody from Toy Story? He wasn't as cute as this!

Here you can see a 2 minute movie of our K-3 Halloween fun.
Be patient, it takes 15 seconds to load.

Click here: Halloween at Oak Grove School

Waiting for Superman - an Interesting Review

Click the word "null" to view a good discussion of the issues in Waiting for Superman from Compass Learning

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Waiting for Superman

Recently the law firm of Franczek Radelet invited educators to a viewing and panel discussion of the new movie, Waiting for Superman. I had heard, from the reviews, that this was a documentary that was not complimentary toward schools. I wanted to make sure to attend to be able to speak knowledgeably about the movie, especially if it opened up negative debate about our school. I came away, however, believing that the film’s intention was not to be critical of schools like ours.

The main focus of the movie was the challenge of urban education. No doubt this is a huge problem we have not solved. Although, the film’s depiction was a bit unfair, I found the story engaging and poignant as the families seek to leave their schools for charters.

The title comes from the author’s childhood vision that Superman would one day come and make things all right. He was devastated to learn that there was no Superman. Even though the film is biased toward charters, I see it as a call to action for the need to improve schools for all children, especially those in our low SES areas.

My wish is that someone would make a film showing the brilliant, creative things that teachers are doing in many schools. It doesn’t matter if the classrooms are public, parochial, charter or in another country… let’s celebrate what is working and use the film to motivate people to replicate good programs and strategies for all children. Then let the movie make the point that there is no Superman, it is just up to us!

Anyway, I was glad I went to the movie. if you have the chance, I would recommend seeing it. Let me know what you think. You might even “blog” your response back to me!!

Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent

Stop by if you would like to chat about your ideas or just get better acquainted.

 October  26,    Tues.      9:00 a.m.  Superintendents Office
 October  30,     Sat.        9:00 a.m.   Panera   830 S. Milwaukee
 November 12,   Fri.       7:00 a.m.  Starbucks 159 Buckley
 November  22-23    Drop in during Parent Teacher Conferences

Are We There Yet?

By now every Oak Grove family knows that the “Chicago Magazine” recently rated our school as #3 in Lake County.  This recognition is based on student achievement on the ISAT, teacher student ratio, teacher salaries as well as how efficiently we are using our resources.  We were delighted to be recognized by this honor.  Hopefully, the benefit will be enjoyed by students, staff, parents and even our community residents who will eventually market their homes.   However, even as we are still smiling, I heard this question.

Does this mean that we are good enough to coast for a while?  My opinion is, “No way!”  We always want to be learning, growing and improving. This year, we are working to implement our new Strategic Plan which includes finding ways to teach our students about technology, and the skills that will prepare our students for the 21st Century.  Teachers are adapting traditional lesson plans to add a component that helps students practice creativity, critical thinking, collaboration,  communication, global awareness and leadership.  We are monitoring student achievement in several new ways to encourage and monitor growth. The journey to continues.    

Building Facility Study Planning

Last spring, the Oak Grove School Education Foundation held a successful Gala to earn money for the school.  The projected project was to update the cafeteria spaces for our students.  Some people have asked, "Why haven't we renovated the cafeterias yet?" Here is the answer.  In May,  the Board of Education contracted with Ruck Pate Architects to conduct a full facility review of the building.   It did not make sense to renovate a portion of the school that might be found, in just a few months, to have a problem or a better purpose.  As a result, all major projects were put on hold until the facility study could be completed.  The first phase of the study involved mechanical systems such as boilers, roofs, and electrical.  The first phase report has been presented to the Board of Education and is available for public view on the Board web site.  The second phase of the facility study involves the educational uses of the building.  This study involves the number of classrooms needed for our current and projected best use of the building.  Interviews with Principals and staff will begin to be scheduled this week.

Welcome to My Blog

Oak Grove School Community
This will be a place where I will share some information about our school using a 21st Century Tool.  I welcome your comments.  I will have a chance to review your comments before I make them visible on my blog.  Hopefully, this is a place where the community can have some two way communication.