December Do's and Don'ts

December is that last month, yet very special, time of the year.  It is a special month to reflect on what has happened throughout the year and anticipate what 2013 will bring.  It is important however, as we enter this busy holiday season, to set priorities and remember to be diligent in our class and schoolwork; leaving celebration time for after the student job is done.

Key study points include:

• Be sure to write all your assignments down  with due dates in your agenda.
• Don't leave your work until the last minute!  Plan out long-term assignments so that if that special holiday event turns up you have plenty of time to get things done.
• Review study guides and subjects covered each day so that you can ask your teacher if you have any questions or concerns.  If you leave studying for a test or quiz until the night before, you may not be able to get your questions answered before your test.
• Have a special place or homework folder to use to keep yourself organized.  If you put you complete/ incomplete work in the same place everyday, you will never lose it!
• Be honest with yourself as to how you can study best.  We are all different in our learning styles.  Some of us......
• don't mind background noise and are not bothered by music, etc. 
• must have absolute quiet to be able to concentrate. 
• learn best by listening.
• need to write everything down.
• need to see something, be able to sketch it out or come up with a visual picture.
• need to connect our learning with movement and by doing something. 

It is important to remember, especially at this special time of year, that you are special too.  We need to continue to work hard through the month of December and stay focused on our schoolwork for the next couple of weeks.  Our holiday break is right around the corner!!!
Enjoy:)
Mrs. Carr

November News

This November has been quite a month!!!  Nothing like our typical Novembers... with leftover Halloween candy, thoughts of harvest and Thanksgiving.. 

This year we've already had a hurricane, a snowstorm, dark- cold nights, living in the dark!  It has been quite an adventure for us all.  Thank goodness our school and friends have weathered our storms and things are getting back to "normal". 

Remembering our CORRECT values helps us through difficult times such as the ones we have learned to live with this November.

We are reminded about COURAGE from the examples shown to us by the rescue workers, policemen, firefighters, and those that have been working day and night to restore our power.

We should think about OPTIMISM knowing that with hard work, with neighbors and communities working together, things will get back to normal.

We need to RESPECT others and help them through troubled times.

We should show RESPONSIBILITY in helping at home and doing our homework.  It is important that we work together.

EMPATHY is an important word for this November.  Be thankful that we have a warm, clean school where we can learn.  Think about others in our state that have been unable to attend school due to the storm.  It is hard for us to imagine how difficult it is.  Consider a friend or classmate who may still be without power and offer a kind word.

We also can't forget that in the middle of our east coast difficulties we did have a presidential election where we watched the adults around us exercise their right to vote.  We watched good CITIZENSHIP in action as people were forced to take extraordinary efforts to be able to vote this year.

We need to show TRUSTWORTHINESS that we can be counted on to do whats right during good times and trying times.

Thinking CORRECT sure does help get us through and help us to be the best we can be.

October Happenings!

With all of those new school year jitters behind us, it is now time to fine tune our focus for learning.  It is time to set our sights on those goals that we created in September and move forward full steam ahead. 
It is important that we have the

COURAGE to be organized.
OPTIMISM to know we can succeed.
RESPECT for our teachers and classmates.
RESPONSIBILITY to do our job as students.
EMPATHY to understand our classmates and some of the hard times they have had to face already this year.
CITIZENSHIP that do our best to represent ourselves, our classes, our schools, our community....
TRUSTWORTHINESS in all that we do.  Our teachers and parents can trust that we are working hard to do our best.

Remember these "I'm ready for school" tips...

a/   Get a good night's sleep so you are ready to do your best.

b/  Eat breakfast so that you are physically ready to learn.

c/  Be on-time for school and class each day.

d/  Come to school and class prepared with your supplies, books, and homework.

e/  Show respect to your teacher and your classmates by listening in class and not being a distraction. 

f/  If you have a question, raise your hand and politely ask the teacher.  More than likely others will benefit from your question as well.

g/  Be aware and patient with your classmates. We all learn in different ways and at a different pace. 

Remember our CORRECT values help us gain the most from our classes and our total school experience! 

It's Great to be Back!!

Although summer is lots of fun, it's great to be back here at Oxford Central School.  We have lots to learn and lots to do.

This year we will be building and branching off from our character education efforts.  Students and staff alike have come from a refreshing summer vacation with new ideas on how to make OCS even better.  Soon we will be creating our very own school song based off our CORRECT values.  Just one more way for us to remember the importance of being CORRECT.

Something to remember this year, although our superheroes, activities and lessons help us to remember Courage, Optimism, Respect, Responsibility, Empathy, Citizenship and Trustworthiness.  It's up to all of us to show our classmates, family, and community by the way we live and learn each day that we understand the importance about being CORRECT.

Upcoming Events!

     Time sure does fly by.  It's hard to believe that the school year is almost over and summer vacation is right around the corner!!
 
    Important to remember..... Stay focused and to do your best.  We need to remember that this part of the school year counts!!  Classwork, homework, and all assignments need to be completely, thoroughly, with your best effort.  It is important to finish our school year strong.

Please note:
     Yearbooks are still available online.  There will be a limited supply (since the majority of our books this year have already been sold online) available to purchase Ocean Night and in school.  Books are sold on a first come first sold basis. 
     There will be a parent meeting May 22, 2012 regarding the 7th and 8th grade field trips.  If there are any questions or concerns regarding the trips please contact myself or Miss Stocker.

   

Welcome Spring!!!

April and May are full of special activities here at OCS.  It also is a time for NJ ASK testing!  So much to do- so little time!!!

This is a time of year when we need to remember what we learned in those "Character Workouts"!

We need courage and optimism when we take the ASK.  Courage to try our best and optimism to have the confidence that we will succeed. 

We need respect and responsiblity to move forward and complete the year.  Respect for our teachers and for the whole school process.  Even though we are approaching the end of the school year, we must continue to perservere to do out best, being responsible in completing assignments and putting forth a good effort.

We need empathy, citizenship, and trustworthiness as we move ahead to a time of spring sports, activities and the end of the year.  We are all not the best softball players and won't all achieve those end of the year awards, but we can all be TEAM players and support each others efforts and achievements.

Welcome Spring!  We're glad you're here!

Thank You Everyone!!!

Wow, what a month it's been! Busy, busy, busy!!!!!

Our character work-outs were great. Working out together with Kid Courageous and Cousin Correct sure made our character muscles stronger. We need to take the lessons we learned and put them into practice every single day from now forward. We are certainly a school of courage, optimism, respect, responsiblity, empathy, citizenship, and trustworthiness.

The Pasta Dinner was POSITIVELY PERFECT!! A big thank-you goes out to all the staff and parents who helped with this special event. The students should also be commended for their hard work serving, cooking, and helping with all those extra details. We certainly flexed our character muscles in serving our community with good food and a time for friendship and sharing. We at OCS are a caring community.

March Character Work-outs

March is a very special month at OCS. We are having character workouts. Twice a week for four weeks, we are strengthening our character muscles. We are learning about good character, having a poster contest,and a special assembly to celebrate OCS being CORRECT.

Kid Courageous has stopped by to help us. His cousin, Cousin Correct, is with him too.
Each day they introduce us to a different trait and a different workout. The whole school stops everything and works on that special character trait. It is important to remember that students achieve more with a foundation built on good character!

Day 1 Courage- we did jumping jacks!
Day 2 Optimism- we did frog stretch ups!
Day 3 Respect- we jogged!
Day 4 Responsibility- we are doing push-ups!

You'll have to wait and see what OCS does for empathy, citizenship, and trustworthiness.


*** Remember: Pasta Dinner = March 28, 2012 *** Hope to see you then!

February Happenings

Is it really February? You certainly would never know by our weather. Nothing cold going on here!!!Our schedules are warming up as well. There is lots to do at OCS in February. Valentine's Day, President's Day- a good time to reflect on caring for others and the importance of citizenship, one of our CORRECT values.

We have have just learned that OCS has achieved "Honorable Mention" status with our recent "School of Character" application. This is an incredible achievement recognizing that we are a school that highly values the qualities of good character and service to others, as well as academics. Our "CORRECT" program and positive behavior supports assist greatly in creating the atmosphere of support that allows our students to be "the best that we can be" in preparing for today's complex world.
We are definitely preparing "Students of Character" here at OCS.

Yearbook Happenings- Remember to order your yearbook online at jostens.com for $23.00 throughout the month of February. Prices increase in March.

7th Grade/8th Grade News- Planning is underway for the Pasta Dinner to be held on March 28, 2012. We are collecting penne pasta, Afredo sauce, and 12-packs of beverages. Next meeting will be held on either March 21 or 28; please check announcements.

Happy New Year!

2012 is here! What a year it promises to be!! Each new year brings with it the promise of new opportunities. We need to remember, with new opportunities comes new responsibilities! "Make it a good "year" or not, the choice is yours".

January not only brings with it cold weather, but it is planning time for the Pasta Dinner! Our first meeting for parents/volunteers will be January 17th, Tuesday at 6:00 pm, in the school cafeteria. We have many details to discuss. Students may attend the meeting with parents only. In order to insure success we need your help.

Pasta Dinner- Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Snow Date- Thursday, March 29, 2012