February 1, 2010
I am continually impressed with the compassion and caring for others that the students at Oak Hill display. Immediately after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, several sixth grade students approached me with a desire to initiate a project that would benefit those in need. The children planned, organized and executed a bake sale over the weekend at the Franklin Farm Giant that raised $945 to benefit Haiti relief.
Thank you to the many Oak Hill families who supported their children in taking on this event and also to those who donated baked goods to be sold. Despite the frigid temperatures and the snow, the students worked for 3 hours to complete the project they initiated. I am very proud of their hard work and committment to their cause.
Currently Oak Hill students are being asked to contribute donations for hygiene kits that will be delivered to the Centreville Presbyterian Church late in February. Sixth grade students, in cooperation with the Oak Hill SCA , are leading this effort and will work with Mr. Pane and Mrs. O’Malley to assemble and deliver the kits. Please contact the Oak Hill main office for more information on the collections.
It is wonderful to live and work in a community that is so willing to give!
-AG
February 1, 2010
I apologize that it has been since before winter vacation between posts to this blog. I hope that everyone enjoyed the extended winter break as well as the lovely snows we have had in recent days. How January flew by. Can you believe that half of the school year is over already? Wow!
Last week Oak Hill’s Chinese FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) program was filmed for an upcoming segment on the FCPS television program SchoolScene. Mrs. Uang and Mr. Pane’s third grade class did a marvelous job sharing vocabulary and activities related to Chinese New Year. I was so impressed with the knowledge of the third grade students and their comfort level with such a challenging language. While many of the students have had Chinese lessons for 3 years, some were new to the language. Mrs. Uang’s engaging, fun, activities and use of technology really captured the students’ attention and supported them in successfully sharing what they have learned.
Earlier in the week several students from Ms. Coughlin’s second grade class read books that they had written about Chinese New Year on WOAK - in Chinese!!! It was marvelous to listen to the students speak and share confidently in front of their peers. I know I often hear Chinese vocabulary at home as my son is currently being introduced to the language in his first grade classroom. I am amazed by how uninhibited young children are when learning a language. It definitely affirms for me the belief that students should be exposed to new languages at an early age in order to develop fluency. You can visit the Oak Hill FLES Chinese 09-10 site on Blackboard 24-7 to see all of the wonderful things the children are learning.
FLES is one of the elementary programs that will be cut in the current fiscal year 2011 budget. I encourage you to stay informed about the FCPS budget by visiting http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2011.htm. You can also find helpful budget information and links to advocacy groups and local officials on the Oak Hill PTA website: www.oakhillpta.org. If you are interested in serving as a representative from Oak Hill to the FLES parent advocacy group Fairfax FLAGS, please feel free to contact Sandy Knox at sandygknox@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our student learning and our wonderful staff!
-AG
December 18, 2009
Over the last three weeks I have had several opportunities to enjoy musical performances presented by Oak Hill’s ensembles. The fifth and sixth grade chorus shared their winter concert last week which included a variety of winter themed songs and holiday carols from around the world. Individual students also played instruments to accompany the songs I was so impressed with the quality of the music shared especially with the very limited amount of time the students had as an entire group to rehearse. Special thanks to Mrs. Peterson and Ms. Pellegrino the choral directors, as well as Ms. Noble, our strings teacher who assisted with accompaniment. 
The sixth grade chorus followed up this performance the next evening at Reston Town Center where they shared several selections for families who gathered there to enjoy the holiday spirit. In addition, fifth grade hosted an outdoor concert at the entrance of the school earlier in the month to kick of the holiday season. I am so impressed with the dedication of the over 200 fifth and sixth grade students who choose the participate in chorus as an elective part of our music curriculum.
1Ms. Noble, strings director, and the advanced strings ensemble composed of 5th and 6th grade students shared a holiday concert on Thursday, December 17. The music was a diverse presentation of traditional carols and modern holiday tunes – like Mr. Grinch. The kids sounded fantastic!!! Kudos to Ms. Noble’s excellent direction and encouragement of their love of music.
Finally, this morning, Mr. Isle, band director, showcased the talents of his fifth and sixth grade students in a holiday concert in the Oak Hill lobby. Students and staff were entertained by songs that included Up on the Rooftop and The Dreidel song. One of our fifth grade teachers, Mr. Sonoskey, also joined in the festivities as he is currently one of Mr. Isle’s beginning band students! 
Thank you for supporting Oak Hill’s music programs and for encouraging your children to pursue their interest music.
Wishing you and your family healthy and happy holidays! I look forward to seeing you at Oak Hill in 2010.
-AG
November 25, 2009
I am hoping that you have some relaxation and family fun planned for the long Thanksgiving weekend. I know that I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my husband and three young children at home enjoying a Thanksgiving feast, watching movies, playing and just having fun.
At this time of year I am reminded of all of the things I am thankful for: my family and friends, a warm house, a wonderful job and food on the table. I am also extremely thankful for the Oak Hill community – the staff, children and their families. It is truly a pleasure to come to work everyday and serve in the role of principal at Oak Hill ES. Thank you for all you do for our school to make it a very special place.
-AG
November 19, 2009
Today Oak Hill students, staff and parents enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving lunch in our cafeteria. The atmosphere in the Oak Hill cafe’ was festive as tables were decorated with fall flowers and turkey centerpieces. Many children were proud to host a parent or special adult (mentor, coach, family member) at their lunch tables or see a familiar face as a volunteer today. First graders came to lunch in Thanksgiving headdresses reflecting native American culture or that of the original pilgrims. It was wonderful to see the students’ smiles and delight in celebrating this important holiday with their friends and teachers today at school. 
Ms. Sledge and I had the privilege of serving two classes during this month’s “Fine Dining” recognition. Did you know that each day each class can earn a PAW for following cafeteria rules, exhibiting appropriate dining manners, and cleaning up their area well? At the end of each month, the classes that receive “Perfect PAWS Awards” or a PAW on each day, are included in a drawing for Fine Dining. One class in grades 1-3 and one in grades 4-5 is selected as the winners each month and are invited to have a “fine dining” experience as a reward for their excellent work.
During Oak Hill’s Fine Dining luncheon, Ms. Sledge and I wear special PAW aprons and the students are treated to elementary school 4-start dining conditions. This includes table service by the administrators, candles (battery operated), tablecloths and floral centerpieces (artificial). The students also receive a commemorative paw print bookmark and an after lunch mint. This is one of my favorite events of each month and is a great way to showcase excellent behavior for the entire cafeteria. Ms. Sledge and I love spending a little extra time with the kids and also receiving their “tips” at the end of the meal. Today they came in the form of thank you notes written on paw prints from Mrs. Dolenc’s fifth grade class and kind words shared by Mrs. LeClere’s second grade class.
You should be so proud of your children’s behavior not only in the cafeteria, but everywhere at Oak Hill. I know I am!!!
-AG
November 12, 2009
Did you know that students begin learning the foundations for algebraic thinking in Kindergarten? Patterns, Functions and Algebra is one of the critical instructional strands that is woven throughout the mathematics curriculum. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (2000) current standards support the development of student’s algebraic knowledge through experience with the study of “relationships amoung quantities, including functions, ways of representing mathematical relationships, and the analysis of change”.
At Oak Hill we are working as a learning community to develop our understanding of algrebraic thinking and how to best provide students of all ages opportunities to think differently about mathematics. Mrs. Bowman and Ms. Wright are two of our teacher leaders who are sharing what they learned during a summer class with our staff during monthly workshops. Teachers are learning right along with their students how to shift mathematical thinking to focus more on generalizations and relationships and less on memorizing algorithms and facts. It is exciting to see how teachers are taking what they learn in a short workshop and are immediately applying the new knowledge with their students.
Embedding more opportunities for algebraic thinking into the mathematics classroom is just one more way that the Oak Hill learning community is working together to challenge all children to reach high expectations. If you would like to learn more about this, I suggest you read the following article or visit the NCTM website. http://standards.nctm.org/
Soares, Blanton & Kaput. “Thinking Algebraically Across the Elementary School Curriculum”. Teaching Children Mathematics (December 2005-January 2006): 228-235.
Algebra isn’t just for middle and high school students!
-AG
October 29, 2009
This week Mrs. Fredericks and Mr. Sonoskey’s fifth grade classes participated in our first Community Outreach service learning opportunity. Coordinated by PTA Community Outreach chair, Karen Tinker, students shared in an important lesson about giving to others. After hearing a read-aloud of the book Uncle Willy and the Soup Kitchen each student completed a “backpack meal” bag for a needy student in a nearby school. Each bag included healthy snacks such as microwave pasta, granola bars and fruit snacks that a child could take home on a Friday and have enough food to last through the weekend. It was difficult for some of our students to fathom that there are kids in our area who rely on school for their meals – both breakfast and lunch – and that these bags would be their source of food for the weekend. I was so proud of the questions the students asked and their committment to giving to others. I am also very thankful for the generosity of our parents who donated all of the food, their time to share the information about the project, and delivered the food to the donation site. Oak Hill’s Kids Helping Kids project will continue and expand throughout the school year to more classes and additional grade levels. You should be proud of the responsibility your children are taking in our community and of their desire to help others. If you would like to become involved in this program, please contact Karen Tinker.
-AG
October 22, 2009
Have you ever wondered why students get so excited about Field Days? Its about a lot more than just games and a day outside of regular class. For the past two years Oak Hill has held our Field Days during the month of October. This is a change from the traditional June time frame. Having Field Days so early in the year serves as a classbuilder for students and their teachers. It allows inidividuals to shine in areas outside of the classroom and allow their peers to see a different side of themselves! Field Days is also a wonderful opportunity for students to support one another and really bond as a team. I am proud of our students’ behavior – especially their display of positive attitudes and sportsmanship – throughout the Field Day events. Mrs. Lubeley, sixth grade teacher, shared with me how wonderful it was to see the kindness and support her students exhibited towards one another throughout the day. While Field Day is full of fun, it is also full of opportunities for life long learning as well.
-AG
October 15, 2009
What a great week! Students in grades K, 3, 4 and 5 all enjoyed fall Field Days this week. The cooler temperatures were just perfect for all of the games and activities that focused on teambuilding and fun. Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who supported Field Days and to Ms. Price and Mr. Herring for their organization and leadership. First, second and sixth grade Field Days have been rescheduled for next week when the weather promises to be dry and a bit warmer.
Thank you for the wonderful turn-out for Oak Hill night at Chipotle. I was amazed at the number of current families and alumni who supported this event – even in the cold rain. There was a steady line throughout the three hour event and I saw many satisfied customers leaving. We greatly appreciate the support of Chipotle and their generous donation of 100% of the earnings from the evening. Oak Hill will soon be receiving a check for $3,160! I know I also greatly enjoyed my burrito!
New spirit wear has arrived! Just in time for the Oak Hill Fall Festival, the new shirts were delivered to the classrooms Thursday afternoon. I look forward to seeing the students proudly wearing their Oak Hill attire soon.
I hope many of you had the pleasure of attending the Chantilly Pyramid Choral Concert last evening. There were many spectacular performances and the combined chorus – all of the groups from the elementary, middle and high schools – was truly inspiring. Thank you for encouraging the participation of your children in our music programs. And a huge thank you to Ms. Peterson and Ms. Pellegrino for their wonderful direction of our choruses.
As always our staff is very focused on building relationships with students and their families as well as providing a challenging learning environment for all. If you would like to learn more about our instructional focuses for the year, as well as our PAWS goals and service learning projects, please review our 2009-10 School Plan (SIP) on the Oak Hill website: www.fcps.edu/OakHillES
I look forward to seeing you at the PTA Fall Festival this weekend! It will be held indoors due to the weather and promises to be a lot of fun.
-A.G.
October 7, 2009
Thank you for the great turnout at our third annual Scoop Night at the Franklin Farm Baskin Robbins. I hear that a good time was had by all from scoopers to raffle ticket sellers to customers! I hated to miss it, but was enjoying few days of vacation with my family at the end of last week.
Thanks to your generosity and that of Mr. and Mrs. Ghali, owners of Baskin Robbins, over $1000 was contributed to the Oak Hill Technology fund. This money will help with the purchase of an additional mobile laptop lab for student use. Our goal is to have one lab per grade level and we are almost there. Each lab costs over $20,000 so every little bit helps us towards reaching our goals.
I am very excited about another fun fundraising opportunity that will take place on October 14 at the new Chipotle in Franklin Farm. As part of their grand opening they will offer the opportunity for our community to purchase a meal for $5 (burrito, chips and a drink) and ALL proceeds from the evening will go directly to the school. Wow! Mark your calendars for Oak Hill night at Chipotle, October 14 from 5-8 PM.
I hope you and your families enjoy a wonderful 3-day weekend. I know that the students are getting excited for Field Days next week!
-A.G.
