In a Nutshell: Hat's off to you!

Have you ever penciled in the word “sleep” on your calendar or to-do list? I don’t do it often, but this past weekend…I did just that! Maybe it was chatting with people at Gladfest, or running in Abby Pavlisin’s family’s 5K, or screaming at the Monday night Chiefs’ game, or enjoying my time with our Grandparents and Special Friends, or enjoying a perfect enchanted evening at Alldredge Orchard, or two nights of outstanding performances of The Little Mermaid! All I know is that by Friday night, I was ready for some sleep!

Fall break (although only one day for the faculty and staff) was welcomed, needed, and appreciated! We pack so much into these fall days (and nights)...even though the daylight is getting shorter, we still make use of every waking minute! Community is important to Oakhill - these events and activities provide the foundation for belonging, engagement, and support…creating the “home away from home” atmosphere and feeling! 

Oakhill embraces Grandparents and Special Friends Day(s); they are a part of our Oakhill family! This year, Michelle McDaniel, Oakhill’s Marketing and Communications Director, created a wonderful video to welcome each grade level’s grandparents to Oakhill.

I able to record the voiceover, and I shared how important it is to be a role model - to guide this younger generation as they prepare to be the leaders and decision makers for tomorrow. Grandparents are special in many ways - they are wise, experienced, authentic, and proud; they know how to advise and coach…how to share their life stories. We ALL need to listen…to really listen; they have much to say and we all have much to learn from them. 

As I write, I feel so honored and privileged to be at Oakhill; today we are celebrating Boss’s Day, and I am the Boss (today)! : ) I don’t really like that term…that makes me sound bossy! The team celebrated by wearing hats…I love hats. I have the Family Circus cartoon strip on my office wall - the one where Billy is looking at a lineup of hats and decides to go out as himself that day. I do like wearing a lot of hats - it keeps the job exciting! My absolute favorite part of my “job” is to work alongside this talented team of teachers and administrators…to get to know the incredible families at Oakhill…and, to enjoy the smiles and laughter from the Oakhill students each and every day!  

Speaking of hats…hold on to your hat for the next few weeks; we have more fun ahead! Next week, we can’t wait to see you at Parent/Teacher Conferences; we are excited to share your child’s progress with you -- the ups and downs, the celebrations and challenges, and the personal connections during the school day. We are also excited to see you at the Fall Book Fair next week; I love seeing students excited about books and READING! And…there’s more…Halloween is just around the corner! We hope to see you at the festivities on the 31st - classroom parties, costumes, and a parade! Feel free to dress up and join us in the fun!

Finally, I will reference the hat one more time! October is giving month for the Mighty Oak Fund, and we have THAT $50,000.00 match on the line! I will now pass the hat (virtually) to see if I can encourage each family to participate in the campaign. I know we can do it; I’ll hang my hat on that!

Hat's off to you,

Suzanne