Bogan Weekly News

Happy Friday!

We had our annual bus evacuations on Wednesday morning to practice what they would do if there was an emergency on the bus. Students did a great job following the directions and practicing bus safety.

We enjoyed seeing our families at the THS Trunk or Treat and this morning for coffee and donuts. This was our first year hosting a Coffee and Donuts event and it was a hit! Thank you to Mrs. White and the office team for ordering the food and for setting up this morning!

Reminder: We do NOT have school on Tuesday, November 3rd due to Election Day.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kirsten Cannon, Principal

Please welcome our newest Bogan staff member, Sadie! Sadie is Dr. Cannon's dog.

Sadie is fully trained and certified as a therapy dog through AAAIP, which is affiliated with Pet Partners. She is also an AKC certified Good Citizen! Sadie took her therapy evaluation test at Bogan, so the evaluator was able to make sure that she is a good fit to work in elementary schools.

Sadie is going to start visiting Bogan once a week. She will visit and spend time with our students and staff. Students will always have the choice of whether or not they would like to interact with or pet Sadie.

You can also click the flyer to sign-up!

2026 Class @ the Court

Greater Oxford Educational Collaborative

Miami University Athletics & Talawanda Elementary Schools

On Wednesday, November 11, 2026 our students once again have the fantastic opportunity to attend the Miami University Women’s basketball game “Class at the Court” at Millett Hall during the school day. Thanks to the generous support of Miami University and our educational partnership our students will attend the game free of charge.

We will leave school shortly after we take attendance, heading to Millett Hall at 9:30AM, and will return to school after the game. Any student that has NOT arrived at school on 11/11/26 before 9:30AM, will not be able to participate in this activity. Please make note of this.

We will contact the parent of any student that experiences illness or behavior issues and the parent will need to pick their student up at Millett Hall.

Building Strong Foundations for Reading

Phonological and phonemic awareness are important early literacy skills that help children develop the foundation they need to become successful readers and writers.

What is phonological awareness?

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and work with the sounds in spoken language. Children develop this skill by recognizing rhyming words, clapping out syllables, identifying words that begin or end with the same sound, and playing with sounds in words.

What is phonemic awareness?

Phonemic awareness is a specific part of phonological awareness. It focuses on identifying, hearing, and manipulating individual sounds, called phonemes, in spoken words. For example, children may identify the first sound in the word sun, blend the sounds /c/ /a/ /t/ to say cat, or change a sound to make a new word.

These skills help children connect spoken sounds to letters and build the skills needed for reading and spelling.

What is Phonics?

Phonics is the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. Children learn to connect written letters and letter combinations with sounds to help them read and spell words.

For example, children learn that the letter B represents the /b/ sound, as in ball, and that the letters sh represent the /sh/ sound, as in ship.

Fun Activities Phonemic Awareness Activities to Try at Home

• Rhyming Time: Say a word, such as cat, and ask your child to think of words that rhyme with it, such as hat, bat, or mat.

• Clap the Syllables: Clap the parts of family members’ names or everyday words. For example, ap-ple has two syllables, while ba-na-na has three.

• Sound Detectives: Choose a letter sound and ask your child to find objects around the house that begin with that sound.

• Beginning Sound Game: Ask your child what sound they hear at the beginning of words such as moon, dog, or fish.

• Blend the Sounds: Say individual sounds slowly, such as /m/ /a/ /p/, and encourage your child to put them together to say map.

• Change a Sound: Ask your child to change the first sound in cat from /c/ to /b/. What new word did they make? (Bat!)

Fun Phonics Activities

• Letter of the Day: Choose a letter and practice its sound. Find objects around the house that begin with that sound.

• Sound It Out: Help your child say each sound in a simple word, such as /c/ /a/ /t/, and blend the sounds together to read cat.

• Letter Match: Match uppercase and lowercase letters and practice saying their sounds.

• Build a Word: Use magnetic letters or letter cards to build simple words like sun, dog, and map.

• Read Together: While reading a book, point out familiar letters and words. Encourage your child to identify letters and connect them to their sounds.

Note: Phonological awareness focuses on hearing and playing with sounds in spoken language, while phonics connects those sounds to written letters. Both skills help children develop strong reading and spelling foundations!

Remember: Learning about sounds should be fun! Just a few minutes of playful sound activities each day can help children strengthen their early literacy skills and build confidence as they begin their reading journey.

Hello parents and guardians!

I can’t believe November is already upon us. It honestly feels as if school just started and I blinked and it’s about to be November!

After wrapping up Erin’s Law in our classroom SEL lessons, we have started talking about kindness. Across all grade levels, students are listening as I read “How Full is Your Bucket?” After hearing the story, we brainstorm ways that we can be bucket fillers, while also discussing what kind of things can empty someone else’s bucket. Students then decorate dominoes with different kindness ideas on them that will be displayed both upstairs and downstairs in a display labeled “A small act of kindness can have a domino effect.” This display will help reinforce our PBIS expectations of being kind to others in every setting in and around the building.

After our kindness unit, most grade levels will be starting on emotion management, where we are going to learn various strategies and coping skills for when strong emotions occur. This will carry us into December, and up to winter break. I love watching students take the skills they are learning and use them in natural settings, such as lunch, recess, and the classroom.

If you are interested in your student receiving group or individual support this year, please complete THIS survey and I will be in touch with you regarding permissions forms and any other information needed. I am always here to support your child in any way to help set them up for success.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

The PAX Good Behavior Game is a research-based classroom strategy that helps children make positive choices, and collaborate with others. It supports a calmer, more focused learning environment by promoting kindness, teamwork, and respectful behavior.

As a reminder, you are able to add funds to your student's lunch account through the PaySchool Central. Please be mindful and keep your student's account current.

If you need assistance with lunch debt, please reach out to Mrs. White.

Here are the breakfast and lunch menus for November!

Want quick updates, volunteer opportunities, and event reminders from the PTG? Join our Remind group for short, timely texts without having to dig through emails: https://www.remind.com/join/boganpt?utm_medium=android

November

3rd: NO SCHOOL: PD Day

10th: Chipotle Dine to Donate

10th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

18th: 4th Grade Concert: 6:30pm

21st: Read-A-Thon begins

23rd-27th: NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Break

29th: Read-A-Thon ends

December

8th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

12th: Winter Wonderland: 9:30am-11:30am

16th: 1st Grade Concert

21st-31st: NO SCHOOL: Winter Break

January

1st: NO SCHOOL: Winter Break

4th: NO SCHOOL: Teacher Work Day

5th: NO SCHOOL: Teacher Collaboration Day

18th: NO SCHOOL: MLK Day

19th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

23rd: Oxford Doughnuts Dine to Donate

February

2nd: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

15th: NO SCHOOL: President's Day

16th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

19th: KNO: 6:30pm-9:00pm

24th: Spring Pictures

3rd: PHS Dental Van

March

2nd: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

9th: Conferences

11th: Conferences

13th: Bogan Skate: 1:00pm-2:00pm

16th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

22nd-29th: NO SCHOOL: Spring Break

30th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

April

7th: 3rd Grade Concert

13th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

17th: Bogan Boogie: 6:00pm-8:00pm

21st: KG Concert

27th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

30th: Breakfast with a Veteran: 10:00am

May

3rd: NO SCHOOL: Data Day

4th: NO SCHOOL: Professional Development Day

11th: KKids: 4:10pm-5:00pm

13th: 5th Grade Concert

27th: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Come meet with the Superintendent at the Administrative Offices at 131 W. Chestnut Street Oxford, OH 45056:

November 2, 2026 at 4 PM to share informational items on the new Attendance Law, 40 by 2040 federal funding, and Talawanda financials

November 13, 2026 at 7:30 or 8 AM to share information regarding property taxes, school funding, and Talawanda financials

Bring your coffee and we can share information.

Changes to the K-5 Grading System