Oakview South Newsletter

As many of you already know, for the last two years, Oakview has been a National Showcase School for Capturing Kids' Hearts. I always want to make sure that families know exactly what that program looks like in a school. Capturing Kids' Hearts is a proven social-emotional learning program that focuses on building strong relationships between students and educators. Its core philosophy is that when students feel respected and cared for, they are more likely to engage in the learning process and reach their full potential.

The program centers around four key elements:

1. Building Trust: Teachers and students create authentic, trusting relationships that encourage open communication and mutual respect.

2. Social-Emotional Learning: Students are taught skills such as empathy, self-regulation, and effective communication, which are essential for navigating both the classroom and the world.

3. Positive Reinforcement: Capturing Kids' Hearts promotes a positive behavior system where students are recognized for their good deeds, which in turn reinforces a culture of kindness and respect.

4. Student Voice and Choice: The program gives students the opportunity to have a voice in decisions, making them feel more involved and invested in their school community.

There are so many jargon words that are used in education, so I want to take a moment and clarify some of the words you might hear from your child around Capturing Kids' Hearts.

1. Social Contract: It is an agreement on how everyone will treat each other and how they will work together. The goal is to create a classroom environment where everyone feels safe and positive.
2. Good Things: A classroom practice where teachers start the day asking students to share something positive happening in their lives, creating a positive and supportive classroom.
3. Affirmations: Students write short positive notes to each other to promote positive self worth.
4. Launch: Teachers end class by sending students off with a positive and purposeful closure, essentially setting them up for success in their next activity or day.

Sincerely,

Jim Alspaugh

Principal, Oakview South Elementary

11/26 No School

11/27 Thanksgiving

11/28 No School

12/8 Winter Concerts

12/15 Family Game Night

12/20 Winter Break Starts

Monday, December 8th 2025

in the Middle School Auditeria

5:45pm - All 3rd Grade + Mrs. Parker and Ms. Berkhousen's classes

6:30pm - All 5th Grade + Mrs. McCracken and Mrs. Taylor's classes

We will be collecting items from Monday, December 1st - Tuesday December 16th. Donations will be taken to Beacon Of Hope Family Care Center in St. Johns.

If you are in need of assistance please contact Mrs. Richardson in the office and she can give you more information.

OR

If you are in need of assistance please contact Beacon of Hope at 989-224-0328.

December 1 Cereal

December 2 Shampoo and Conditioner

December 3 Pasta Sauce

December 4 Antiperspirant/Deodorant

December 5 Potato or Rice Sides

December 8 Sloppy Joe Sauce

December 9 Pancake Mix

December 10 Syrup

December 11 Condiments (mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickles, etc)

December 12 Spices

December 15 Paper Towels

December 16 Ramen Noodles

In third grade, we wrapped up our unit on multiplication and division. It was nice to see so many families at the math celebration. We learned about facts we know and facts we’re working on. What we know (x2s, x5s and x10s) can help us figure out facts we’re working on. For example, to find the product of 8x7 we may add together 8x5 and 8x2: 40 + 16 = 56.

Our new math unit focuses on adding and subtracting 2- and 3-digit numbers. We will add and subtract using efficient strategies and side-to-side equations. For example, 159 + 52 may be added in two steps: add 50 (in tens) to 159, then add two more:

159 + 50 = 209 and 209 + 2 = 211. Practicing counting forward and backward by tens up to 1,000 may be helpful. Sometimes we need practice moving up to or down from the next hundred: 168, 178, 188, 198, 208, 218 or 427, 417, 407, 397. . .

In reading, we’re asking and answering questions. Some questions are answered directly/literally from the text, while other questions require us to use our schema, or prior knowledge, and clues from the author’s words to infer. It’s interesting to discuss how inferences may vary, based on a variety of different individual experiences. A character’s traits may be learned through inference, based on how the character acts, feels, thinks and what the character says.

In science, we’ve been studying trait variations and the life cycle. The students have been learning that traits determine what a living thing will look and act like. We’ve used canines, both domestic and wild, to see how those traits make a dog well suited for special kinds of activities such as hunting, herding, guiding, and even being a family pet. We’ve seen that traits come from both the mother and father, but the offspring may get different traits. This results in offspring that are similar but do not always look or act exactly the same. We are nearing the end of this unit and then will move back to a social studies unit on Michigan history.

Math

Students just finished a unit on addition and subtraction of large numbers. During this unit students learned how to use standard algorithms. Please continue to practice this at home.

Students are now working on a data unit. In this unit students learn how to collect, represent and analyze data.

Science

(Parker)

We are working our way through the human machine unit. In this unit students learn how muscles move bones, the structure and function of eyes, the brain nerves and the brains information processing.

Students are enjoying the models and experiments that we are making. Students brought home a model of a finger and an eye. Please ask your student to explain how they work.

(McCracken & Taylor)

We are working on describing how immigration changed our culture in the United States. We are learning about the many different stories and reasons why people would immigrate to the United States.

Social Studies

(Berkhousen)

We have started our U.S geography unit. Students are enjoying learning about different landforms and the human characteristics that connect people to different places in the U.S.

Writing

(Parker & Berkhousen)

We are working our way through an informational animal report. Students are learning how to research and take notes. We are also focusing on informational text features and adding those into our reports. Students are writing paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. At the end of this unit students will have a google slide presentation to share with the class.

(McCracken & Taylor)

We are working on our Traditional Literature unit. After learning the main types, students are creating their own Fairytale based off elements we discussed. They will be sharing their work in other rooms!

Reading

(Parker & Berkhousen)

We just finished up a unit all about determining the main idea and supporting details in nonfiction texts. Students have also been practicing writing about reading using thought provoking questions about different nonfiction texts. When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will dive into poetry!

(McCracken & Taylor)

We just completed our character study with the book “Tiger Rising” by Kate DiCamillo. We are now presenting our book reports to the class to demonstrate our knowledge about characters, plot, theme, and summary.

Social Studies

This past month, students continued to learn about the impact of colonization in North America. Most specifically, we studied life in the Southern Colonies and the New England Colonies. Students enjoyed acting out another play. This time the play was about a group of students writing their own play about the first Thanksgiving. It was fun to see some of the myths brought to light and learn what the first Thanksgiving was really all about as well as what they ate. Also, our time in Social Studies was split with writing a personal narrative. Students chose a strong memory from their own life to write about. They were asked to write at least five paragraphs covering a lead to the story, rising action leading to a climax, the climax itself, falling action, and a conclusion. It has been fun to learn more about each student through the stories.

Math

This month, our 5th graders have been busy strengthening their understanding of fractions. Students learned how to compare fractions and write equivalent fractions using visual models and reasoning strategies. They also worked on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, and will begin adding and subtracting mixed numbers this week.

To build fluency, students played several fraction card games that challenged them to determine which pair of fractions created the greater sum. They also practiced using number lines by breaking apart fractions and mixed numbers into smaller, equivalent pieces in order to “move” along the number lines accurately.

Looking ahead, students will soon begin our next unit on decimals, where they will explore how decimals connect to their growing understanding of fractions.

Science

We were able to use our digital microscopes to look at moss and explore the microscopic side of plants. We found evidence to understand if moss was a plant, fungus, or parasite. We also observed nurse logs and collected data through observation and drawings. In Lesson 5, we investigate factors that help plants grow: water, light, and air. Since we have figured out that weight is a way to measure matter, we weigh each factor to determine whether it could be contributing to the matter in plants. We use our findings to collaboratively model how air could be made of matter, then individually model what we have figured out about where plants get the matter they need to grow.

ELA

In ELA, our 5th graders are wrapping up a unit that challenged them to read multiple texts, make meaningful connections, cite evidence, collaborate with peers, and present their thinking clearly. Over the past few weeks, students have been building these skills through a group project centered around a fictional hiking adventure in the Amazon Rainforest. Each group received a unique team profile and a limited set of items to “pack,” which required them to analyze text, problem-solve together, and support their choices with evidence.

Their final task was to present their journey at a mock “press conference,” where they explained how they navigated challenges in the rainforest and what they learned along the way. The students put a lot of effort and creativity into their presentations, and it showed. This has been a lively, engaging unit, and we’re proud of how hard they’ve worked.

This month we are learning basketball fundamentals, such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. We will also learn about keeping our bodies healthy with the five food groups and limited sugar intake.

Nationally, there has been a significant increase in elementary students gaining access to social media. Research shows the importance in delaying this until the brain has grown to be able to use proper safety precautions. While there are many aspects of social media that increase enjoyment and resources for users, there are also many negative side effects which can include decreased focus, lower quality sleep, anxiety and/or depression as well as exposure to unsafe people and content. If your child already has access or may gain access through friends, here are a few resources that can help you guide your child in this area.

App Safety and Guidance

Device Parental Controls

Screen Time Contracts

• Students should not be dropped off before 7:55 am and walkers should not arrive before that time. We do not have supervision until 7:55 and it is unsafe for them to be unattended.
• Please continue to stick to the designated areas for drop off and pick up. We have noticed some families are dropping off on Clinton Ave. This is a very busy road for the buses and families, so please stick to our designated areas.
• Communicating any change of plans to the office is vital. Please make sure to do so in a timely manner so the office can coordinate with all the parties involved.
• If you decide to park to pick up/drop off your child, make sure to walk with them across the parking lot. We want everyone to remain safe during this busy and chaotic time.
• Please do not pass other cars in the pick up line and be respectful of everyone picking up. The first car may pull up to spot 1 in the pickup line.

If you have any feedback or suggestions for Oakview, click the box below. Thank you!

Here is a link to our monthly newsletter from Capturing Kids' Hearts.