Tiger Tracks

It’s hard to believe we’re already in November, and so far, it’s been a beautiful start to the month with mild, comfortable weather. Our students are loving every chance to enjoy the outdoors before the true Nebraska winter sets in. As mornings turn chilly and afternoons stay warm, please remember to send your child with a light jacket—and remind them to bring it home at the end of the day! Our Lost and Found is quickly filling up with forgotten hoodies and sweatshirts.

November is always a full and exciting month at Oakdale! We’re looking forward to celebrating Veterans Day, hosting the 6th Grade Vocal Music Festival, enjoying our 3rd & 4th Grade Music Program, and, of course, wrapping up the month with the Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving break. Be sure to check your child’s backpack, folder, and teacher updates to stay informed about all the fun and important happenings this month.

As we head into the season of gratitude, I want to thank you for your continued support, partnership, and positivity. Oakdale is a special place because of our amazing students, dedicated staff, and the strong community that stands behind them. I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful November filled with warmth, connection, and thankfulness.

~ Mr. Jagels

Please join us in honoring our Oakdale Community Veterans this Veterans Day with a special school assembly on Tuesday, November 11th at 9:30 AM. Please talk with your Tiger about the veterans who may be in your family or circle of friends to invite them to our special event! On this day all members of the Oakdale Community of Learners will be wearing red, white, and blue. Due to seating limitations, our assembly will include only our students, staff, and our special veterans and their families/guests.

If your student was absent or your kiddo didn't like their smile on the first go around, you have a second chance. Fall retakes will happen on Wednesday, November 12th.

It is an annual tradition that all sixth grade students in Westside participate in what we call the Sixth Grade Vocal Music Festival. This event combines all 10 elementary schools in our district with singers from both the middle school and the high school for one special night of music-making. For many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with hundreds of other students.

This year, the festival will take place on Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the Westside High School gym. The performance will last about an hour. Our students have been working hard to learn four different songs that we are excited to share with you next month!

Join us at Oakdale on Saturday, November 15th, from 10:00-11:00 am, as we host November's Unified Event for the district. Students will be able to participate in several different stations focused on sensory input in our gym, cafeteria, and library. This event is open to all students of all ages from across the district. We hope to see you there!

The Oakdale 3rd and 4th grade music program is quickly approaching! All Oakdale 3rd and 4th grade students will share a performance with our families and community members on Tuesday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m. This will be held at Westside Middle School in their Performing Arts Center. We are asking students to please arrive between 6:45-6:50 so we can be ready to begin right at 7:00. Please have students sit with their families in the auditorium seats upon arrival, prior to being invited up onto the stage.

Our 2025 program is titled The Sound Collector and will last between 20-25 minutes. We're excited to share some of our new favorite songs with you! Thank you for supporting our students in their musical education. We're excited for a great night of music making!

Back again this year is the 9th Annual Turkey Trot. Since its inception, this annual event has brought in over 690 boxes of food, toiletries, and cash donations to help support our Westside Food Pantry. Although the students get excited about the race, the goal is to teach students to help others during this time. Food, toiletry, and cash/gift card (to purchase perishable food) donations will be accepted the week of November 17th.

Please see the flyer below for information regarding this year's Trot. Feel free to come watch the race as it is an outdoor event. However, please be cognizant that there will be NO PARKING on property during the event. We utilize part of our drop off lane and parking lot for the race. Additionally, the race lasts just a short time and students will be returning to their classrooms for instruction the remainder of the day.

However, if you would still like to view your student's grade level race, please park in the church parking lot or in the neighborhood and view the race from the soccer field. Be on the lookout for our Turkey mascot getting the students ready to Trot to victory!

The weather in Nebraska can change in a heartbeat. Light jackets in the morning can be snowshoes and a parka by afternoon. Be prepared. Using the link below you can look up the weather forecast at KETV weather.

Snow Days Information

Nebraska winters can get pretty tough at times. When snow accumulates and the bitter wind blows, Westside Community Schools shares with parents a concern for the safety of their children. Here are a few guidelines that should help us in working together to assure the safety of students, no matter how bad the weather. Cold Weather: So long as the feels like temperature is 10° or warmer, students will be outside for recess, arrival, dismissal, safety patrol, and other outdoor activities.

• If bad weather occurs you will receive phone, email notification and text-message (if you have signed up) either the night before or that morning.
• We will also ask the local radio and television stations to make an announcement.
• You may also visit the district's website regarding inclement weather .

For your child’s safety and for the safety of others, all medication, including cough drops/throat lozenges, must be kept locked in the health office and must be in the original package. All medication needs to be accompanied by a medication form signed by the parent or guardian. All prescription medication forms must be signed by the doctor (or the doctor's office can fax it to us at 402.390.2164). Whenever possible, the medication should be administered at home.

Congratulations to Dakota S. in Mrs. Pedersen's 1st grade room and Max Z. in Mr. Miller's 5th grade classroom! They were randomly selected as this month's high five drawing winners. They were each able to pick three of their friends and enjoy some gym time with Ms. Reyn on Thursday. The November high five drawing is recording the first snow day message sent out to all the families this year.

Click on the buttons below for newsletters from our Specials teachers regarding 2nd quarter information.

Attention parents! We are so excited to be partnering with Omaha-based nonprofit, Smart Gen Society of Lutheran Family Services, to provide your students with a presentation about how to stay safe online. This engaging presentation will teach your students how to stay smart, safe and private in today’s 24/7 digital world. Oakdale has been fortunate to have the Smart Gen Society out in previous years to talk to our students. This year will be talking with 1st, 3rd, and 4th grade students. Their topics include:

• How to balance screen time and non-screen activities.
• Safer online gaming and socializing.
• Safety: How to stay safe online and talk to safe adults when things go wrong.

Westside Community Schools recognizes the difficulties some of our District 66 families are experiencing, and we have implemented a plan to alleviate some of that pain.

We’re asking all who can to donate to the Westside Food Pantry, Westside Foundation, or Student Lunch Accounts.

Details on the graphic below

Westside Community Schools believes that all students should be able to have snacks that are free of most allergens and food sensitivities. This means eliminating homemade snacks and many prepared snacks from local establishments.

We ask that you use the District Approved Snack List linked below and send items to school in the original, sealed packaging bearing the ingredient label. Double-check ingredient labels at the time of purchase to verify that there are no peanuts or tree nuts (e.g. almonds and walnuts) or cross-contamination statements. Manufacturers’ ingredients can change without warning. As always, please coordinate with teachers and administrators before bringing snacks into PK-6 classrooms. This list does not cover all food allergens.

Linked you will find our year long Oakdale Calendar. This is not an all-inclusive calendar and is subject to change throughout the year. However, it will provide a general outline of events to pencil in on your calendar.

In addition, we encourage you to access our Oakdale Calendar through our Website, the Westside Community Schools App, or to subscribe so that this information shows right up on your own calendar for iPhone, iPad, Mac, or any other Google Calendar subscribable platform.

November

11 Veterans Day Program, 9:30

11 Community Club Meeting, 6:30

12 Fall Photo Retakes

13 Don & Millie's Night

13 Vocal Music Festival, 7:00 WHS

18 Grade 3 & 4 Music Program, 7:00 WMS

20 La Casa Pizzaria West Restaurant Night, 11:00 am-9:00 pm 82 & Grover

21 Turkey Trot

26 - 28 NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break

December

1 School Resumes, 8:30 a.m.

2 5th & 6th Grade Strings Concert, 7:30 WMS

5 Family Game Night, 6:00

8 Hour of Code (Virtual)

8 5th & 6th Grade Band Concert, 7:30 WMS

11 Don & Millie's Night

19 Early Dismissal, 2:00

22 - Jan. 5 Winter Break

We know it is important to consider both the physical and social-emotional wellbeing of our students, families, and staff. We continue to be committed to providing regular instruction and support for studying in managing thoughts and feelings.

If your child is experiencing particular difficulties and you would like to explore options for additional support we encourage you to contact our School Counselor, Mrs. Mary McPadden (mailto:mcpadden.mary@westside66.net) or our School Psychologist, Mrs. Krystal Bauman (mailto:baumanfebus.krystal@westside66.net), who can help in coordinating additional support and resources.

Make a week of it and dine at Don & Millie's on Thursday November 13th! Take a night off from cooking to raise money for Community Club. Be sure to let them know you are with Oakdale. Complete the form below and turn in to enter your student for a prize.

For every Don & Millie's restaurant night, students are able to put their name in a drawing to win a free kids meal. Congratulations to our three winners below. Don't forget to put your name in on November 13th to win a free meal!

Join us the Oakdale Community Club meeting this Tuesday, November 11th, at 6:30 pm in the Oakdale library! All are welcome to attend these meetings, where we will discuss current programming, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, updates from Principal Jagels, & more! These meetings are a great way to connect and be informed!

The Oakdale School Community Club offers a FREE online family directory each fall containing the names of students and their parents, with their home addresses, phone numbers, and email information. Only families who submit information to the Community Club or give permission through the Annual Student Verification Process will be included in the directory. If you have not already logged in to the website, please log in and update your information OR new parents can create a new login.

Westside Community Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, marital/parental status, military/veteran status or any other category protected by law in its programs and activities or in admission or access to, or treatment in, hiring and employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The following District personnel have been designated to coordinate compliance and can address inquiries about the District’s nondiscrimination policies and procedures:

For questions or concerns by students, parents or others:

• Coordinator of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator – ABC Bldg. 909 So. 76th St. Omaha (402) 390-2100 E-mail: titleixcoordinator@westside66.net
• Director of Special Services/ADA & 504 Coordinator (disability/accommodation) ABC Bldg. 909 So. 76th St. E-mail: ADAcoordinator@westside66.net

For questions by District employees or applicants:

• Ass’t Supt. for Human Resources/Lead Title IX Coordinator - 909 So. 76th St. Omaha, NE (402) 390-2100 E-mail: titleixcoordinatorHR@westside66.net

For further information about anti-discrimination laws or to file a complaint of discrimination you may also contact the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Dept. of Education, One Petticoat Lane, 1010 Walnut Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 320, Kansas City, MO 64106,
Tele. (816) 268-0550, Fax (816) 268-0599, (TDD) (800) 877-8339, or ocr.kansascity@ed.gov.

Mission Statement

At Oakdale Elementary, we foster an inclusive environment with high-expectations that promotes academic excellence, social-emotional well-being, and lifelong success, while celebrating the unique strengths of each student and preparing them to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Vision Statement

At Oakdale Elementary, our vision is to cultivate a community where every student becomes a confident, independent learner, equipped with the skills, values, and global perspective needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Our vision includes inspiring critical thinking, fostering lifelong learning, and empowering students to contribute positively to society as compassionate, well-rounded citizens ready to make a difference.

Oakdale's Expectations:

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• (Be Kind)

Email: jagels.glen@westside66.net
Website: westside66.org/domain/13
Location: 9801 W Center Rd, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Phone: 402-390-6460
Facebook: facebook.com/OakdaleTigers66
Twitter: @oakdaletigers66