MUSTANG NEWS

SY 2022-2023 | Q2. Issue 10| January 11, 2023

January IMPORTANT DATES

January 9-13

International Week

January 12

Spirit Day

January 13

2nd Quarter Report Cards Issued

January 13

Multicultural Day

(Represent Your Country/Culture)

January 14

International Fair

(OAA Gymnasium @ 6:00pm)

January 16

MLK Day

(No School)

January 20

2nd Quarter Honors Assembly

January 23 - February 3

MAP Testing (K-8)

(No Homework Issued)

Mental Wellness Month

Do You Know...

January is Mental Wellness Month. A healthy mind is an asset and here at Oakwood Adventist Academy we believe in developing, nurturing and affirming healthy minds. According to The World Health Organization mental wellness is defined as "a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community."

Four Dimensions of Mental Wellness

  • Thoughts

  • Bodily Functions

  • Behaviors

  • Emotions

Positive thoughts and a positive attitude help you have a better perspective on circumstances or events in your life. Everyone has moments of uncertainty and self-doubt; however, if you start isolating yourself, overeating, or not eating enough, lashing out at others, breaking into tears, these can be signs of a decline in mental wellness. Guess what, in those moments, there is nothing wrong with seeking help to get back on track.

Tips for Improving Mental Wellness

It is possible to learn and practice skills to improve mental wellness that can be turned into habits: These skills include:

  • Self-appreciation - recognizing strengths and weaknesses.

  • Resilience - coping with and recovering from negative events.

  • Affiliation - developing & maintaining a support network.

  • Negotiation - an attitude that is okay to not have all the answers, because no one ever does.

  • Eating well

  • Exercising and self-awareness - focusing on your breath through activities that promote body-awareness and quiet time can also help reduce stress and improve mental wellness.

Resources

If you are in need of assistance, the following resources are available:

  • Counsultation Licensed SDA School Counselor | www.counseltation.com

  • OAA Chaplin Pastor Taylor | rtaylor@myoaa.org

  • SAMHSA's National Helpline, call or text 1-800-985-5990

  • FindTreatment.gov

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-TALK

  • Crisis Services of North Alabama | 256-716-4052

oAA 8 Habits of mindfullness

In addition to the tips for improving mental wellness, we are intentional about supporting our students and providing them with the necessary tools to be successful. Hence, at the beginning of the school year we launched the 8 Habits of Mindfulness:

RESPECT

ADVOCACY

INTEGRITY

PROACTIVE

PUNCTUAL

SCHOLAR

CARING

MISSIONARY


Bi-weekly a new habit is introduced and we want to continue to encourage reinforcing the habits both at school and at home.

Check out this week's Habit of Mind, see below!

Habit of the Week: Proactive

Definition: Creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.

Quote of the Week:

Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice.

~ Stephen Covey

K - 12 updates

International week & Festival

We are excited to have kicked off International Week at Oakwood Adventist Academy. Teachers and students have created displays of cultural representation for the bulletin boards and hallways of the elementary, middle and high school buildings.

This week is dedicated to students learning about cultures and countries other than their own.

To culminate the week, OAA HandS will host our International Festival on Saturday, January 14, 2023 @ 6:00 PM in the gymnasium.

All are encouraged to come dressed in your country's attire. If you are interested in a booth for your international wares, items or food please contact Vaughan Mountain or Adrienne Reid via oaahands@myoaa.org

Data driving instruction

If schools constantly ask the question "are our students learning?", then, data is driving instruction.


During this school year, OAA has put an emphasis on understanding the importance of integrating the philosophy of data-driven instruction when it comes to our scholar mustangs and their academic success.


This is accomplished by:

  1. Including students in their academic journey

  2. Setting academic goals

  3. Celebrating academic achievement


Kudos to our Administrators in collaboration with their Professional Learning Communities as they cultivate change when it comes to ensuring that data-driven instruction is a reality in and for Oakwood Adventist Academy.

March 2nd Elder T. Marshall Kelly will turn 93!

Elder Kelly has a career that has spanned over 70 years in the gospel ministry. Known for his signature "It Takes Everything to Serve the Lord," Elder Kelly has consistently over the years ministered through music for the consecration services for Oakwood Adventist Academy.


Elder Kelly lost the love of his life and bride of 63 years back in 2015. Due to Mrs. Kelly being interred at Oakwood Gardens, it has been and remains to be his desire to remain in Huntsville, AL.


Over the past two years, Elder Kelly has experienced a significant decline in health, mobility, and vision to a point where it has become necessary for 24-hour nursing care to be provided in his home or an assisted living community.


After much consideration and prayer, the family has decided to publicly ask all those whose lives have been blessed by the ministry and friendship of Elder Kelly to contribute financially to sustain this man of God.


Thanks in advance for your contribution as no amount is too big or small as we join the family by financially contributing to this fundraising campaign to sustain this man of God.

a lost & found initiative

The deeper we get into the school year, the more items we are collecting in the lost and found. In an effort to maximize time, all K-12 lost and found items will be available during the International Festival.


Again, the festival is on Saturday, January 14, 2023.

jobs in the huntsville area

There are up to 18, 000 jobs available in the Huntsville area. Please have a look and share this link as this information could help friends and family currently seeking employment.

yearbook ads & tributes

Attention Parents and Guardians of Kindergartners, Eighth Graders and High School Seniors!

Yearbook Tribute Ads can be purchased NOW!!! The Deadline is Thursday, March 23 at 5:30 pm.

1. Go online NOW to www.yearbookforever.com

2. Type in Oakwood Adventist Academy.

3. Follow instructions to purchase your yearbook Ad/Tribute.

4. Ads for your Business are also accepted at the link above.


We look forward to receiving your Tribute Ads

Thank you!

Dawna Baker and Ray Leftridge

Yearbook Sponsors

SCC covid - 19 update #14

As COVID continues to evolve we want to be sure to keep our OAA Community abreast of the expectations from the South Central Conference pertaining to the guidelines and expectations. You can view the full update here.

CARLINE PROTOCOL

For the safety of you, your child(ren), the OAA volunteers, safety patrols and staff, please be reminded of the following:

GENERAL RULES:

  • Children should enter and exit the vehicle from the right side only.

  • Only allow your child to exit your car on the sidewalk.

  • Drive slowly while on campus, especially during drop-off/pick-up.

  • All cars move together "One Band, One Sound" [this is for the safety of your child(ren) + all children of Oakwood Adventist Academy]

MORNING SPECIFIC RULES:

  • Drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 7:55 a.m. Students may not enter the building until 7:30 a.m. Oakwood Adventist Academy is not responsible for their safety before that time. Please do not leave them unaccompanied outside of the school building.

  • Safety patrols are here to assist your children out of the car and to class. If you need to speak to a teacher, please schedule a conference.

  • If you are not at the drop-off zone in front of the school, your children should not exit.

  • Children should be ready to exit the vehicle when they arrive at the drop-off zone. Please don’t wait to put sneakers on and collect your school supplies when you pull up to the drop-off zone.

  • Do not begin to pull away from the car line until all children are safely on the other side of the barrier.

  • If the 8:00 a.m. bell rings, your child is tardy and you MUST sign them in at the front desk.

AFTERNOON SPECIFIC RULES:

  • K-8 ||| Pick-up begins at 3:15 p.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m., M-TH AND begins at 2:15 p.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. on Friday

  • 9-12 ||| Pick-up begins at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m., M-TH AND begins at 2:30 p.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. on Friday

  • OAA car tags are preferred to be hanging from the rear view mirror. Bare minimum they must be placed on the left hand side of the dashboard.

  • Students may NOT walk to the parking lot at any time unless accompanied by an OAA staff member.

  • Please refrain from talking with the teachers during pick-up, as this distracts them from ensuring the safety of all children.

AFTERNOON SPECIFIC PROCESS:

  • Cars arrive and we group names based on arrival for calling students to line up for dismissal.

  • Cars make their way to the front of the building (8 cars at a time)

  • Students are dismissed to their car based on how they were grouped.

  • Once the sidewalk is clear and all students are loaded, the group at the sidewalk departs so that the next group of 8 cars can arrive to the front of the building.

***Please do NOT drive around pass the old high school building/the Anna Knight building to cut the line. When you cut the line, it prolongs the car line process for everyone as the names and numbers get thrown off.***

uniform reminder

Complete uniform attire is required to attend all classes, including physical education classes. The full dress uniform is to be worn on field trips, to school assemblies, and to other designated activities. Students’ uniforms must be clean, neatly pressed and in optimum condition at all times.

Students should assume the full school uniform is required every school day, regardless of the weather, unless there is written notification of a non-uniform day. When in doubt, students should wear the school uniform. Each student/family is expected to comply with the school’s dress standards as outlined in the OAA Parent & Student Handbook.

JEWELRY REMINDER:

Jewelry is not to be worn to school or any school-sponsored event or activity (ex: sporting events, field trips, banquets, etc.). This includes rings, earrings, toe rings, bracelets, necklaces, studs to keep piercings open, dog tags, and tongue rings.

If clarity is still needed, please check out the uniform letter sent out earlier this week, here.

SHOES:

Dress Shoes (formal days):

-Black or Brown (boys) Black (girls)

Sneakers (casual days) :

-White, black, green, gold, grey




Say goodbye to lost clothes

Reminder: Please label your child's sweaters, jackets and blazers! Don't forget we have a discount code with The Name Stamp. This is an excellent way to say goodbye to lost clothes! Customize your stamp here and apply the 10% off using code: OAKWOOD10


MASK Protocol reminder


With Covid, RSV and the Flu still on the rise, all students are still REQUIRED to wear masks while at school. Please take the precautionary measures to ensure all students are safe while at school by providing your child with a mask daily.


Our disposable mask supply is depleted. This is a result of too many students reporting to school without a mask and/or students coming to get a new mask during the day.


Thanks so much!

OAA Bowling event updates

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 makes the end of our first year of bowling season and what an awesome season it has been. The growth our team has shown on the lanes and the support of parents, family and friends has be nothing short of GREAT!!!

On behalf of Coach Hardin, thank you for making this inaugural season a success.

Please come out and support if you can at tomorrows tri-match. Here is the information:

Match: Tri-Match

Opponents: ASCTE and Sparkman

Location: Stars and Strikes

Time: 4:00pm

We hope to se you there!

FLIERS + SUCH

IMPORTANT LINKS

easy ways to raise $$ for oaa

Amazon Smile

Login into amazon smile and choose Oakwood Adventist Academy as the charity you want to support each time you shop Amazon!


Box Tops 4 Education

Use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add cash to OAA's earnings online.


Publix Partners

Simply sign up for Club Publix or log in to your existing account, click Publix Partners, and select OAA. Publix will give to OAA every time you shop!



Bottle Cap Collection

Just a reminder to save all bottle caps in all sizes. They can be dropped off at the Elementary building during OAA business hours.


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