Oakhurst Weekly

Kindergarteners have been immersed in creative thinking this fall! They’ve learned all about brainstorming to come up with unique ideas and how to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary. An ordinary kitchen whisk turned into a bubble blower and black dot stickers turned into bowling alleys, flower beds, and rollercoasters. Beads, pipe cleaners, and popsicle sticks were crafted into fidgets and bracelets to sell in their classroom marketplaces as they learned the differences between goods and services. Creativity involves taking risks, and we’ve enjoyed challenging our kindergarteners to think differently from their peers and expand on their ideas.

Some of the books we’ve read to inspire our creative thinking include The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater and Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews.

1st graders are learning to watch out for Rock Brain! Don't worry though because when they spot Rock Brain, they know just what to do! Rock Brain is one of the Unthinkables. When an Unthinkable gets into our brain, it can make it hard for us to work with others. Rock Brain wants us to only think about our ideas and not listen to or try the ideas of others. With Rock Brain, there's only one right way to solve a problem. 1st graders are practicing strategies for when Rock Brain shows up by collaborating on engineering challenges, building various things out of everyday materials to meet a goal.

2nd graders kicked off the year with creativity, sharing their dreams through a neighborhood filled with the most unique, one of a kind houses that would make a suburban HOA run for the hills. The students learned that creativity in art isn’t all about technique, but more importantly, about originality (no one else has thought of the idea), elaboration (details), and fluency (meaningful, relevant ideas). These houses showed all of that, plus a sense of humor that can only come from the minds of 2nd graders. Check out some of these masterpieces!

Since fall break 2nd grade has shifted gears from creative to critical thinking with hands on and paper and pencil logic puzzles. This “Detective Thinking” involves carefully reading clues, eliminating incorrect statements, and looking for only one right answer.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about Brain Gym, reach out to Amanda Lockwood alockwood@csdecatur.net or Courtney Hartnett chartnett@csdecatur.net

Use THIS LINK to view/order your child's school photo.

Your password/access code is your child's student ID# (their lunch number).

Picture retakes/makeups will be on Thursday, October 30th, and class photos will happen this spring.

Any child who did not have a photo taken on October 9th will automatically be included in makeups.

RETAKE INFORMATION

❗ Please complete this form if you would like your child to have their photo retaken. ❗

Oakhurst families, please complete and submit this food insecurity request form if your student is experiencing food insecurity within the home and is in need of some supplemental weekend snacks.

The Decatur Education Foundation supplies Oakhurst with snack bags for any student in need. This request form will go directly to our school counselor, Ms. King, and she will send home a snack bag with your student every Friday. Please go through each week's snack bag to remove any snack you may not want your child to have due to allergy concerns, etc.

Read the October 23, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter

On October 16, Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker emailed a letter to City Schools of Decatur community that the Board of Education has initiated a comprehensive review of K-2 school utilization. This review will assess how CSD's K-2 schools are currently being utilized to ensure that space, staffing, and resources align with student needs while also maintaining operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility.

The Board of Education work session on October 14, 2025, served as a preliminary discussion to review various options, including the potential closure of a K-2 school. The consulting firm Education Planners has been engaged to facilitate this process and presented a timeline for the first time at the board work session, along with a detailed overview of the school closure and redistricting process. The board has not yet decided which school, if any, will be closed. There will be opportunities for families to share their input in the upcoming weeks.

Please read the full letter in English here. Additional language translations of the letter and up-to-date information about the process are available on the K-2 School Consolidation & Redistricting Process webpage. Stakeholder engagement is encouraged and vital as we work together to make the best decisions for our students and schools.

The community is invited to upcoming public hearings to provide feedback:

• Wednesday, October 29, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Beacon Hill Middle School, Cafeteria
• Thursday, November 13, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Beacon Hill Middle School, Cafeteria

In addition to the in-person public hearings, input may be submitted via this feedback form.

Our Oakhurst students picked their favorite designs among the entries from students at Decatur High School and now, for a limited time, they can be yours!

Use this link to pre-order your limited edition shirt today! Adult shirts (S to 3XL) are $20, child sizes (XS to L) are $15. Click here to Pre-order!

Purchase items directly from our Amazon Wish List and they’ll be shipped straight to the school! Click here!

Email: oakhurstelementaryschoolpta@gmail.com

Facebook Group: Oakhurst Elementary School PTA

Website: oakhurstpta.org