OGMS News

Parking Lot Safety and Getting Back Into Routine To End The Year Strong It is that time of year when we can all get complacent in parking lot safety, but when the rules aren’t followed, we put students at risk and put them in harms way without meaning to so we would like to remind everyone of our OGMS rules to finish the year safely and strong for students who are dropped off in our front lot. As you know our parking lot is a busy place so if you drive your teen to school, use only the front parking lot for drop-off because the busses in the bus bay aren’t expecting students to be getting out of cars and the busses have the right of way.    When in the front lot, please follow the below rules: Parking Lot Etiquette: A.M.          In the morning, the closer you arrive to 7:25, the more important it is to support safety and drive slowly. So remember please be patient because safety for our students is our first prior...

Counselor’s Corner April 2017 Stress and Test Anxiety Mary Brannen, 6 th Grade Caryl Altman, 7 th & 8 th Grade The month of April is when Arizona begins their state testing, the AzMERIT and 8 th Grade AIMS Science. Although our students are faced with many challenging tasks during the year, these kinds of tests can be overwhelming because of the length and complexity, resulting in high anxiety and stress. Here are some tips to help your child feel more confident and prepared. 1. Start the day off right. Provide a nutritious breakfast after a good night sleep. According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “Adolescents are notorious for not getting enough sleep. The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is between 7 and 7 ¼ hours . However, they need between 9 and 9 ½ hours .” 2. Teach your children to use affirmations. Come up with a phrase that you can say to your child on the way out the door and they can repeat to themselves before they tackl...

If you would be so kind....we are out of tissues and would appreciate any donations.  Thanks!

On Wednesday, March 15th Leslie Nicholson joined OGMS as our new school nurse.  We have attached a letter from her to the OGMS community.  Please feel free to contact her at 209-8204 or by email at lnicholson@cfsd16.org.  We are excited to have her join the OGMS team!

February was a busy month...   Our students readied themselves for their Student Led Conferences, they heard messaging that supported being good digital citizens, as well as hearing reminders about lockdown and sheltering in place drills to continue to support student safety awareness. Furthermore, all students prepared for the 2017/2018 school year by going to Catalina Foothills High School and learning about their elective and core classes and our current students signed up for their 7th  and 8th  grade electives right here at OGMS.    Finally, the month closes with my announced retirement and the appointment of Mark Rubin-Toles to the principalship for the 17/18 SY.  You can expect my continued dedication to your student(s) and the OGMS staff and community as I finish my contract out strong, just as I expect our students to finish their year strong.  Appointing Mr. Rubin-Toles as principal truly allows for a smooth transition for next year a...

CATALINA FOOTHILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICES HEAD LICE: A Letter from the School Health Office To Parents/Guardians:                   We have had some cases of pediculosis (head lice) reported at OGMS. There has been a resurgence of head lice in recent years. Anyone can get head lice regardless of income, age, sex, race and neighborhood. Head lice are very tiny insects that live on the scalp of humans.   They can spread very fast from person to person through direct contact with combs, bedding, articles of clothing or head gear of an infected person.   Persons who have head lice may have persistent head scratching. It is hard to see head lice as they move quickly and shy away from light.   The nits, or eggs, are tiny, pinpoint size,   round glistening pearl-like beads attached firmly to the hair shaft close to the scalp. Nits can resemble flakes of dandruff but...

Counselor’s Corner March Edition March Madness! March means basketball and those brackets we’ll soon be completing!   Here at Orange Grove, we have been learning a different kind of bracketing, or compartmentalizing. Webster's Dictionary defines compartmentalize as: ·          To separate (something) into sections or categories ·          To separate (two or more things) from each other ·          To put (something) in a place that is separate from other things. What does this mean in terms of supporting our students attain optimal learning? It means teaching them to put aside thoughts that disrupt or inhibit the learning at hand.   For example, while in math class, thoughts should be focused only on math, not an English assignment, the soccer game after school, or a video game.   According to Marzano and Pickering, bracketing is a process of maintaining focus and attent...