Tiger Tracks

Dear Oakdale Families,

As we begin the month of May and head into the final weeks of the school year, I want to thank all of our students and families for your continued support and partnership. It has been a wonderful year filled with growth, learning, and many memorable moments, and we are excited to finish strong together.

These last few weeks are always busy and full of special events, so please be sure to stay connected and watch for important updates from your child’s teacher and the school. We appreciate your help in keeping students engaged and focused through the end of the year.

A quick staffing update: We are sad to say goodbye to one of our Special Education Teachers, Jaqui Williams, as she transitions to another position within the district at West Campus. She supported many students during her two short years at Oakdale. Joining us in August will be Nicole Loeffler. She is from Omaha and graduated from the University of NE-Lincoln in elementary and special education. She student taught in Waverly, Nebraska, and has been substitute teaching this semester in Lincoln. She will be moving back to Omaha over the summer and joining our staff next year. Please welcome our new Tiger!

As summer approaches, we wish all of our families a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled break. A summer newsletter will be shared in July with important information as we prepare for the upcoming school year. Thank you again for a fantastic year—we look forward to finishing it on a high note!

~ Mr. Jagels

Our Lost & Found is overflowing, especially with coats and hoodies. Stop by after school between 3:30 - 4:15 pm to see if anything can be reclaimed. It is located in the cafeteria near the restrooms. You can also remind your student to visit the Lost & Found during the school day.

Anything not claimed by the last day of school will be donated.

It's time for incoming kindergartners through 5th graders to provide sizes for next school year's free spirit tees!

At Oakdale, we want all our kids to be respectful, responsible, and safe everywhere at school—whether it’s in the classroom, the lunchroom, or on the playground. When students follow these values, school is a great place for everyone! Next year's free spirit tees, courtesy of Community Club, will feature the Three Be’s.

And guess what? Your child gets to help pick the design! Huge thanks to Jessica Bittner for her amazing design skills. Let’s give her a big round of applause!

Fill out the form (linked below) to vote for their favorite design and choose the right size. Please note that Next Level shirts are premium quality and tend to run small. Consider the measurements carefully to ensure the right fit.

Your support ensures we'll have these spirit tees ready to hand out at Open House on August 11th. Please complete the form by May 22nd.

To access the form, log in or create an account on the Community Club website (Membership Toolkit). You’ll only see the free spirit tee form once logged in. Use your favorite device and browser for easy access, and consider using your device’s password manager for a smoother experience.

Triple Be is Thursday, May 21st! It's Oakdale's annual field day and celebration of the students' collective efforts to:

• Be Responsible
• Be Respectful
• Be Safe

Students' positive behaviors are highlighted in quarterly Triple Be assemblies during the school year. The final assembly is the Triple Be field day. This event occurs during the school day at Oakdale.

Grades will participate as follows:

• K-2nd in the morning (9:00 AM to 11:00 AM)
• 3rd-5th in the afternoon (1:00 PM to 3:00 PM)
• 6th will enjoy all activities at the end (3:00 to 3:30 PM)

Please send your student in an Oakdale Elementary Tigers Spirit Shirt provided by the Community Club.

Congratulations to Caelan L. in Mrs. Pontious's 2nd grade and Townes H. in Mrs. Clark's 4th grade. These two students were randomly drawn for the April Monthly High 5 Reward. They, and three friends each, will join our resident artist and educational assistant, Ms. Ivy, outside for an extra recess and chalk drawing. Be on the lookout for our last high 5 drawing, a Scavenger Hunt and Picnic with three friends hosted by our retiring school counselor, Mrs. McPadden. Good luck!

KINDERGARTEN RESIDENT ENROLLMENT FOR 2026-2027

Kindergarten enrollment for District residents for the 2026-2027 school year is OPEN! Please check our website to start your enrollment online.

Children entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before July 31, 2026. Parents may wait to enroll their child(ren) in kindergarten for an additional year. However, Nebraska law requires that children who reach the age of six prior to Jan 1st of the current school year must be enrolled in school.

For questions about enrollment, please contact the Westside Welcome Center at 402-390-2100 or enrollment@westside66.net

To ensure your student is fully prepared for the start of the school year, all registration materials must be submitted to the Welcome Center by Monday, August 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

EARLY ADMISSION FOR KINDERGARTEN

Children of District residents who wish to be tested for early entrance to kindergarten must turn 5 years old between August 1 and October 15, 2026.

For further information regarding early entrance testing, please contact Early Admissions at 402-390-2142.

Get a jump start on next year by picking up supply list items. Next year's supply list is attached below. Additionally, if you are not the shopping type, you can order through Bright School Kits and eliminate the need to even step foot in a store! Information is included 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.

*Top priority is simply having your child read every day.

This can include times when someone reads to or with them.

Nebraska Reads: The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has provided an extensive list with many online literacy activities.

Free Summer Opportunities for Reading

• Westside Summer School, June 8-26, by invitation only

• Westside IXL: Skill Practice, with home device

• NDE Read-at-Home Program

• Omaha Public Library Summer Reading Program & Kids Resources

• NDE other available resources

Free Online Resources

• Reach has interactive lessons for reading skills for grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade, as well as videos/lessons for all grade levels across a wide variety of topics including reading, math, science, and social studies.

• Storyline Online is a website that has celebrities reading stories aloud and includes activity guides for parents. Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading.

• Storynory is a website that has audio books. It has some original stories, classics, fairy tales, & myths.

• Epic is an app that has both audio and digital picture books and chapter books. There is a wide variety of both fiction and nonfiction.

• Imagination Soup has lists of book recommendations for all ages and by genres, topics, and series, and audiobooks.

Summer Opportunities at Family’s Cost

• Metro Community College--College For Kids

• ABCmouse.com or Starfall.com

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.

May

2 MultiCultural Fair, 12:00-3:00 WHS Football Field/Track

2 District Big Band Dance, 5:30 WHS

5 District Band & Strings Solo & Ensemble @ WMS, 6:00

7 La Casa Pizzeria West Restaurant Night
8 Spring Fling: End of Year Celebration, 6:00-8:00

14 McPadden Retirement Party @ Oakdale Library, 3:30-5:00

14 Don & Millie's Night

20 Early Dismissal, 2:00

21 Triple Be Field Day

22 Last Day of School, 12:00 Dismissal

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, May 14th for the next family restaurant night! Take a night off from cooking to raise money for Community Club. Be sure to let them know you are with Oakdale. Don't forget to enter your student's name for a chance to win a prize.

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