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The Eagle’s Tale
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Oakridge School Newsletter
May 2015
It’s time again for Oakridge to support the Rankin Cancer Run! This is the time of year when we rally together to support
a very worthwhile cause. Many of us have friends and family members who have been affected by this terrible disease.
Participating in the Rankin Cancer Run will enable our students to raise money to support people in the Niagara region
who need our help.
Last year, the Rankin Run raised 750,000. This is where the money went:
 300,000 to the St. Catharines General Hospital Site, Oncology Department
 150,000 to Wellspring Niagara
 50,000 to the Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls
 50,000 to the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby
 50,000 to the Douglas Memorial Hospital in Fort Erie
 50,000 to the Welland General Hospital
 10,000 to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Hospital
 40,000 to the Port Colborne Hospital
 30, 000 to Hospice Niagara
 20,000 t Dr. Willard of Welland General for colorectal cancer equipment
 Every hospital in Niagara received a donation
We are hoping for a great turn-out on May 23rd. Students have been given orange t-shirt order forms that are to be
returned by May 4th. They will then receive their registration brochures so that they can collect pledges as well. There is
the option to register online at www.rankincancerrun.com. Our school team is the Oakridge Eagles. Online pledging
makes it easy to ask for donations from friends and family. Make a list of everyone you know and don’t be afraid to ask!
The G8LT has planned some exciting fundraising events for the month of May.
The day of the run will be a fun day for all Oakridge staff, students and families. Participants may choose between a 1 km
walk or a 5 km run. Most of us will be walking and the route is posted on the website. Several volunteers and police
officers are along the route to ensure everyone’s safety. Please make this a family event and come out to support a
great cause.
The race/walk starts at:
Grantham Lions Club, 732 Niagara Street
Saturday, May 23rd at 10:00 a.m.
Oakridge School will congregate in one spot within the park and we will then listen to the opening ceremonies. After the
walk has finished, we can all enjoy the entertainment and barbecue. Last year was a beautiful Saturday morning walk
along the Welland Canal. Make sure you wear sunscreen and have a good pair of walking shoes!
CHESS CLUB / TEAM
Over the past couple months, students from grades 3 to 8 were practicing their chess strategy.
Then, in April, we had representatives from each grade go to our DSBN chess tournament at Nelles
School in Grimsby. All Oakridge Eagles players showed great game play and sportsmanship.
Congratulations to everyone......some of our players even placed first in their group and won a
medal at the tournament.
Great job this year at the tournament:
Grade 3: Alex, Owen , Chase, Devon
Grade 4: Charlie, TimothyS, Olajiire, Shelby
Grade 5: Ben, Alex, Cassie, Miriam
Grade 6: Sauren , Sagar, Christian, Liam
Grade 7: Jessica, Oreoluwa , Gage, Darren B
Grade 8: Greg, Zaden, Ryan, Emily
INTERMEDIATE BADMINTON
Over the past month we've had more than 50 students come out to try and hit the birdie for
badminton team tryouts and badminton 'For Fun' club. Our team is now made and we’re looking
forward to 2 tournaments coming up at Crossroads and at Brock University......our results will be
posted in June’s newsletter. Badminton 'For Fun' club meets once a week after school and is open
to any grade 7 or 8 student looking for some fun time hitting the birdie back and forth while
listening to some good tunes.....just listen to the announcements and we’ll see you there.
Go Eagles!
This year our Oakridge Eagle badminton team members are:
Boys: A.J., Rya., Jacob, Max , Henry, Yazeed, Ishan, Jason, Sam
Girls: Katie, Claire, Jenny , Vida, Emma, Kelsey, Samatha, Maddy, Breanna
JUNIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
The following boys represented Oakridge this year: William L., Ben A., Sagar P., Saurin P., David S.,
Liam P., Youssef A., Barry R., Ben C., Adam C., Garrett M., Dustin N. The boys lost a close game in
the Consolation Final. Thanks for all the hard work and great sportsmanship.
JUNIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL
Congratulations to the junior girls basketball team. They displayed improvement each and every game they played and
should be proud of how they finished the season. Members of this year's team were:
Shelby
Rachel
Cassie
Sarah
Briar
Alexa
Hannah
Olivia
Mackenzie
Jordyn
Leenah
GIRLS GYMNASTICS
This year's gymnastics season was a great one! All team members were committed and independent and did a fantastic
job preparing themselves for the board wide competitions on April 16th and 17th. The Oakridge girls won a total of 62
ribbons and had a great couple of days. Mlle Leung and Mrs. Gula were extremely impressed by their performances as
well as their sportsmanship. Great job girls! This year's team members were:
Emma
Thea (4th on floor, bench & vault)
Zoe
Sophie (2nd on floor, 3rd on vault)
Emily (6th on bench)
Olajiire (2nd on bench)
Fallon (4th on floor)
Tabitha
Isabella (3rd on bench)
st
nd
Keira (1 on bench, 2 on mat)
th
Ella (5 on floor)
Hannah (1st on mat, 2nd on floor)
Sarah (1st on floor, 4th on mat)
Briar (3rd on mat, 5th on bench)
Cassie (2nd on vault, 3rd on floor, 4th on bench)
Laura (1st on floor, bench & mat, 2nd on vault)
Medina
Julia (3rd on mat)
Erin (3rd on vault)
Emma
Grace (3rd on vault, 4th on mat)
Katie (3rd on floor)
Markie (1st on floor, 3rd on bench, 6th on mat)
Faith
Rachel (3rd on bench)
Grace (4th on vault)
Cassie
Madeline (5th on floor, 6th on vault)
Kashmira (2nd on floor, 3rd on mat)
Alyssa (6th on vault)
Jamie (5th on bench)
Cassandra (3rd on floor, 4th on bench & vault)
Madison (2nd on floor, 5th on bench)
Kelsey (3rd on bench & vault, 5th on floor)
Aseel (2nd on vault)
Alysha (4th on bench & mat)
Christina (1st on vault, 4th on floor)
Ryann (5th on mat)
Jenny (1st on mat, 6th on floor)
Katie (2nd on bench)
Abby (1st on mat & vault, 3rd on floor, 4th on bench)
We would also like to thank Mrs. Wilkerson and Mrs. McNeill for their time spent helping the girls.
TRACK AND FIELD
Students will be participating in our school track and field meet on Wednesday, May 6th
at the Niagara Olympic Club (DSBN Academy). We remind everyone to come dressed
appropriately for changing weather conditions (ie. layered clothing) and if necessary to
wear sunscreen and a hat, and bring umbrellas in case it rains. Our regional track meet
is on Wednesday, May 20th.
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YMCA of Niagara Summer Care for 3 & 4 Year Olds
YMCA Child Care will be offering a new weekly program this summer for 3 and 4 year olds in designated licensed centres
(3 year olds must be born in 2011). Designed to keep your child engaged in play-based learning throughout the summer,
YMCA Summer Care provides a safe and nurturing environment for children to develop into confident, caring and happy
individuals. For more Information on locations and fees, please visit www.ymcaofniagara.org
OAKRIDGE ARTS
On Monday, May 4th at 12:45, we will join thousands of children across Canada to sing "We Are
One" for Music Monday. What a wonderful way to embrace music in our lives!
Many students are hard at work, practicing for the talent show. Primary auditions are on
Tuesday, May 12th, Juniors are on Thursday, May 14th and Intermediates are on Tuesday, May
19th. All students should come to school on their audition date with any music or other materials they require for their
talent. We look forward to seeing and hearing what our friends from KG to Grade 8 are preparing.
Congratulations to Mr. Hanna's class for putting on a spectacular bucket drum show last month! Also, we were able to
see some great music and dance compositions by our French Immersion classes.
Just keep singing!
This year I entered the Niagara Regional Science and Engineering
Fair (NRSEF) competition and submitted a project on the Effect of
Citronella Oil on Mosquitos found in Southern Ontario. In my
project, I tested to see whether citronella oil was an effective
mosquito repellant to protect ourselves from mosquitos since
there many mosquito borne diseases and there is no vaccination
to prevent them. West Nile Virus which we are familiar with is one of them. In other parts of the
world, mosquitos are responsible for very serious epidemics such as Dengue and Malaria.
I started the project in early August 2014, and the Science Fair took place on April 10th, this year
at Niagara College (Welland Campus). The Science Fair is a three day activity. The first day was
for set up, the second day was for judging and going to workshops, and the final day was for parents and community to
see the projects and taking down the projects. The fair was very fun and there were many teens of my age with great
ideas and projects. On April 15, the contestants were invited to Welland Centennial College for the Awards Ceremony. I
was surprised and happy that I won three awards -The Statistical Science Award, The A.E Howey Jeweller Award for
Biology and the Third Place (Bronze Medal) in my age category.
I want to especially thank Mr. Hanna for supporting and guiding me, Mr. Beaman for lending me his Poster Board that
was given to him by his Grandpa and Mrs. Klassen for supporting my application from Oakridge. Overall, it was great fun
and a great learning experience.
By: Ishan H.
Students in grades three and six will be participating in EQAO testing from Monday, May 25th –
Friday, June 3rd, 2015. Students will complete a variety of assessment activities based on the
Ontario Curriculum. During this time it is essential that students arrive on time for class, be
well rested and bring enough snacks so that they are able to do their best. Please avoid
scheduling family trips or appointments during this time. Individual student results will be available in the fall.
SUPPORT STAFF APPRECIATION DAY!
On Tuesday, May 12th the DSBN will be celebrating our awesome support staff! Here at Oakridge we want
to say thanks to Ms. Moreau, Mr. Adams, Ms. Hann, Mrs. Dunn, Mr. Iggulden, Mrs. Bonfield and Mrs.
Klapatiuk for the great work they do each and every day to make Oakridge a great place to learn!
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ARE YOU MOVING?
At this time of year some families are already aware of an impending move or change of address
that will take place during the summer months. Please notify the office if you have plans to move
and will not be attending Oakridge School next year. This will assist us in organizing our classes for
September.
SEPTEMBER’S CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!
We’re already looking ahead to the new school year and will soon begin the
process of organizing next year’s classes. In developing our new class
structure, our goal is to ensure your children have an outstanding educational
experience and the opportunity to develop lasting friendships with their classmates.
Much like a family, our classes work best when they include members of differing interests, abilities and perspectives.
This gives students the opportunity to learn from and about each other. These experiences help to open students’ minds
to new ideas and new possibilities, allowing them to test limits and develop their true potential.
To do this, it’s important for us to look at a number of factors, including:
Learning Style: We consider how students learn best and what kind of classroom environment will best support
their needs.
Ability, Interests and Talents: All children are unique and have their own set of strengths and abilities. Having a
grouping of students whose strengths complement each other will help enhance everyone’s learning.
Relationships: We aim to create groups that allow for strong friendships to develop and an environment for
effective learning.
Parent Input: As parents, you have a unique perspective on your children and their school experience. If you
have any information that could the help inform our decision please send it in to the office, in writing, attention
to PRINCIPAL NAME by DATE.
Your input will be considered in relation to the criteria listed above.
May and June are the months of planning for end of the year and planning forward for the 2015/16 school year. Our
staffing process for next year is well underway in the District School Board of Niagara. As always, we are excited to
welcome the students from Glenridge for grade seven. In consultation with Mrs. Baggs (Glenridge principal) and Ms.
Pisek (our area superintendent) the students currently in grades four and five will also be joining our Oakridge family in
September. This means that 12 students will be joining Oakridge early. This decision was made in order to avoid a triple
split (grade 4/5/6) situation at Glenridge. The organization for Glen Ridge next year will be 1 class of Kindergarten
students, a grade 1/2 class and a grade 3/4 class. The enrolment will be approximately 72 students. This is a one year
solution for the 2015/16 school year.
Next year marks the first year that Oakridge will no longer have French Immersion students. We will have students from
JK-8 and we are working on the organization of our classes. We again want to thank our community for being flexible
and working together to do what is in the best interest of our students. Our actual teaching staff will be named in a later
newsletter as teachers are just entering the staffing process and this will be finalized by the end of June.
GRADE 8 GRADUATION - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!
Plans for our Grade 8 Graduation are now underway. The date is set for Tuesday, June 23rd
at 6:30 p.m. at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. Please keep in mind that seating will
be limited. A dance will follow at Oakridge School. Grade 7 parents will be asked to donate
baked goods and/or volunteer to serve on the night of the graduation. Please consider
helping us out with this task. When it is your child's turn to graduate, you will enjoy this
annual reception as well. Please contact the office if you are willing to give of your time to
help plan this exciting event.
Dreambox/Prodigy Challenge Winners!
Congratulations to the following students who completed our Dreambox digy
Challenge. In the month of March they spent more than 5 hours on Dreambox or
completed 15 lessons or 60 skills mastered in Prodigy. A big shout out goes to
Alayna, Athena W , Emma P., Sam D., Thea, Zoe, Addisen, Karina, Lillian, Louie, Brendan, Jonas, Oreoluwa, Rachel and
Daisy. We had fun celebrating with an ice cream sundae party! Keep using Dreambox and Prodigy!
FUN FAIR
The Parent Fundraising Committee has been meeting and the plans for the Oakridge Fun
Fair are now underway. They need a lot of volunteers to make this happen. An
information letter has gone home and it will be posted on the website as well. Please
take some time to decide where you would like to volunteer and send back the completed form and fill up the treasure
bag. The date of the Fun Fair will be Thursday, June 18th from 5-7pm.
EDUCATION WEEK: MAY 4TH TO 8TH #DSBNEDWEEK2015
Many students can recall that first moment in school when the world began to make
sense, when their minds became open to new concepts, ideas and possibilities.
Although that’s an important time in a student’s life, the reality is that education is a
series of moments, each one helping to build greater understanding, self-esteem and
character. During May 4-8 DSBN schools will showcase how they help students experience those “a-ha” moments each
day.
PLANNING TODAY TO ENERGIZE EDUCATION FOR TOMORROW
DSBN Trustees are supporting student success by revitalizing our public schools. An important part of this process is the
role of Accommodation Reviews.
On March 26, 2015 the Ministry of Education released revised Pupil Accommodation Review Guidelines (PARG) and the
DSBN has revised the Accommodation Review Policy to align with the new Ministry Guidelines.
You are invited to provide your comments on this new policy. From May 6 to June 3, 2015 please go to www.dsbn.org
and click on the “Accommodation Review Policy Feedback” button. You may also provide comments via mail. Please
send to Lora Courtois, Superintendent of Planning, District School Board of Niagara, 191 Carlton St. St. Catharines, ON,
L2R 7P4.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
This year we would like to invite our Oakridge volunteers to join us for an Appreciation Event
on Thursday, May 14th, at 10:40 a.m. Please mark this date on your calendars and plan on
joining us for our celebration. We value the time our volunteers give to support both our
students and teachers and we look forward to seeing you then!
SUMMER HEAT 2015
We are pleased to offer SUMMER HEAT, a primary Summer Learning Program, again this year. The program will run from
Monday, July 13th to Friday, July 31st for students entering JK to grade 4 in the fall of 2015.
Kindergarten Kick Start is for students entering junior and senior kindergarten in the fall, while Funshine Kids is for
students entering grades 1, 2, 3 and 4. This three week program is entirely FREE, but space is limited so please be sure to
register early. Registration can be done online starting Friday, May 1st. The program will begin at 8:15 a.m. with
breakfast provided, and it will end at 12:15 p.m. Students will be involved in a variety of learning opportunities
throughout the morning, with a focus on literacy, numeracy and active living. We are excited about being able to offer
this amazing program to our families. Check it out on the DSBN website at www.dsbn.org/summerheat
Summer HEAT will be offered at the following sites:
St. Catharines - Edith Cavell (literacy and mathematics site), Connaught (literacy and mathematics site), Lincoln
Centennial (literacy and mathematics site), Grapeview (Aboriginal site with literacy)
Welland - Diamond Trial (literacy and mathematics site)
Niagara Falls - Simcoe Street (literacy and mathematics site), Valley Way (Aboriginal site with literacy)
Port Colborne - De Witt Carter (literacy and mathematics site)
Fort Erie Area - Crystal Beach (literacy and mathematics site), Peace Bridge (Aboriginal site with literacy)
NEW sites:
Beamsville - Senator Gibson (literacy and mathematics site)
Welland - Princess Elizabeth (Aboriginal site with literacy)
Registration for all July 2015 summer programs is now OPEN
The DSBN is offering summer school programs for students in grades seven and eight. There is the Gr8 in 8 program for
grade seven students and High School Head Start for grade eights. They will also be offering the Reach Ahead Credit
programs again (for both seven and eight). The Summer Programs website has been updated with the program
information and student registrations, please refer to the website at www.dsbn.org/summer for current and up to date
information for the Adult and Community Education Summer Programs. Also, see the flyer attached to this newsletter.
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FIFTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE
Thank you to Mrs. Klapatiuk and Mrs. Dunn for their years of service and
dedication to the District School Board of Niagara. It was our privilege to present
them with their 15 year pin and certificate. Congratulations!
OAKRIDGE SCHOOL DRESS CODE
With warmer weather approaching, we would like to remind you of the DSBN dress code that we follow here at
Oakridge. Students’ dress should be appropriate to an academic setting, create a separation between the street and the
school, and contribute to an overall positive image of our school.
1.) Hats are not to be worn indoors
2.) It is expected that tops cover the student’s front and back, and have appropriate covering
over the shoulders and midriff, and do not reveal undergarments (no spaghetti straps. Straps on
shirts should be 3 fingers wide.
3.) Shorts and skirts are to be of a length that is appropriate to a school environment and
longer than the extended arm (no short shorts are allowed).
4.) Clothing advertising or promoting alcohol, drugs, violence, racism or that displays
obscene, distasteful or hurtful messages/images is not to be worn in school, on field trips or at other school
events.
Footwear appropriate to the subject area or activity must be worn at all times. Students should have proper footwear at
all times in case of an alarm. Flip flops will not be allowed on the playground equipment.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
-PERSEVERENCEFK1
Willem, Lexi, Emrah
FK2
Ethan, Landin
1/2
Louie, Karina
2/3
John, Sam, John Emmett
5/6
3/4
Kareem, Mehak, Razia
Maryam, Dustin, Saurin, Liam, Leenah
7-8-1 Tiernan, Adam, Jack, Razaq
7-8-2 Oreoluwa, Austin, Dylan, Greg
8F1
Zaden, Emily, Max, Justin, Daisy
8F2
Jenny, Ryan, Jamie