• Fall spirit wear is completed. 
• Orders will be accepted until Friday September 25, 2009.  At that point the orders will be sent in.
• Sally Foster
• Track 4 is from September 21 – 25 and then reminders will be sent out on October 19 when they return from track out.
• Tracks 1,2,3 will run from October 5 – 16.
• Family Nights
• October 17 (Saturday) at Jelly Beans in Cary.  5:15 – 7pm and the admission is $6.
• November 17 (Tuesday) at McDonalds at Mill Pond Village
• December 3 is Ollie Fest – letters have gone out to teachers and room parents to start thinking about ideas for baskets

Thanks to the hard work by Deb Gebbia and Marti Ajax there are some awesome programs lined up for your children.  Here is more information on the wonderfully talented groups of performers scheduled to visit Oak Grove.

4th grade writer in residence, Richard Krawiec,  September 21-25 and October 2nd, October 5 and October 7-9

5th grade writer in residence, Howard Craft, week one was week of August 31st, week 2 is September 14-18

5th grade artist in residence, Bryant Holsenbeck, is January 19-22

Seona McDowell - Monday October 26th, 2009 at 9:30 AM (K-2) and10:45 AM (3-5)

Seona calls herself a singer of songs, an emissary of knowledge, a teller of stories and a communicator. She is one of the most unusual and versatile performers to come out of Australia and New Zealand in many years.  Even if she couldn’t sing a note, she could stand on stage and charm the audience by simply carrying on a conversation in her delightful accent and have them laughing at her wicked Irish sense of humor!  Seona’s impressive credits include touring with Don McLean, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and many other top recording artists. Accompanying herself on guitar, autoharp and didgeridoo, Seona’s songs are humorous, thoughtful, and fun for any age group.  Oak Grove students will be invited to join her bush band (percussion instruments), and sing along as we all learn to be good "CITIZENS OF THE WORLD".  

http://www.seonamcdowell.com/

Hobey Ford - Tuesday January 12, 2010 at  9:30 AM (k-2) and 10:45 AM (3-5)

Hobey Ford is considered an innovator in puppetry craft, and a master storyteller.  Winner of puppetry's highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants.

He has created both the "Foamies" and the clever hand puppet known as "Peepers."  "Foamies" are large animal puppets carved from blocks of foam.  After studying each animal's characteristic movements, Hobey designs various control mechanisms to make the puppets themselves move in a life-like manner.   Hobey's intricate shadow puppetry work and creation of the original rod puppets, the "Foamies", and "Peepers" have earned him a place on stages across the world. 

Hobey's performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles including Bunraku, rod, marionettes, "Foamies", and shadow puppetry.  Hobey adapts folk tales from various cultures for many of his performances, always adding a special "Golden Rod" twist.  He uses his own voice to create characters and sound effects, tell stories, and sing.  Oak Grove students will be treated to Hobey's Turtle Island Tales.  Turtle Island Tales is a performance of songs and stories of Native Americans, told through shadow puppetry and a life sized realistic Native American singer puppet who narrates the show. Among Native American people today, North American is called Turtle Island. The name derives from a myth of the Onondaga, a tribe of the Iroquois confederacy.  The production features three tales: Ravel Steals the Sun (Haida) which tells the antics of Raven the Trickster in stealing back the sun from a selfish chief; The Gift of Fire, a cautionary tale of Man as he discovers the uses and dangers of fire; and Antelope Carrier and the Thunderbirds (Arikara) which tells of how a boy helps the thunderbirds defeat a monster.

http://www.hobeyford.com/

http://www.peeperspuppet.com/

Timmy and Susana Abell - Tuesday March 2, 2010 at 9:30 AM (k-2) 10:45 AM (3-5)

Susana and Timmy Abell will combine their unique talents to offer dynamic and highly engaging performances centered around a repertoire of unforgettable original songs and stories.  Their concerts include an original puppet performance that has captivated audiences around the world, as well as spellbinding storytelling, poetry and award-winning music on seven different instruments. With eight musical instruments and a big pocket full of songs, poetry and stories, it's the sheer variety of material in Timmy's concerts which keeps young students happy for a good long. Children will learn about the banjo, listen to the hammered dulcimer, laugh with the dancing man, and dance sitting down.  They will drift with time with their eyes closed to the penny whistle, and sing from their hearts. Programs are designed with a focus on information, music appreciation, cultural awareness and participation.

****Timmy and Susana will also treat the third grade classes to a special workshop in conjunction with Ms. Snyder's music class this week on March 3rd and 4th.  More details about this mini-residency later!

http://www.timmyabell.com/

Yvette Lewis - Wednesday March 24, 2010 at 9:30 AM (K-2) 10:45 AM (3-5)

Yvette Lewis is a lyric soprano who has performed extensively throughout the eastern seaboard including appearances with the Washington Opera, the Baltimore Opera, the Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia, the Baltimore Symphony and the Spoleto Festival in Melbourne, Australia. Ms. Lewis has been a finalist in both the Metropolitan Opera Mid-Atlantic Region and the Opera Company of Philadelphia/Luciano Pavarotti competitions.  She will bring, SO THIS IS OPERA to Oak Grove students which includes operatic arias, storytelling and participation by the student audience. The students actually learn an aria during the program, which they perform with Orff instruments.  

A teacher guide, which contains pre- and post-performance activities, is available at the web site below. These are designed to enhance core curriculum standards in reading, writing and language arts and can be used in conjunction with other state-mandated activities. The guide includes teaching strategies that will increase children's appreciation and understanding of opera.

http://www.operakids.com/

There are a lot of things going on with the Oak Grove PTA these days! 

• Citipass Fundraiser is wrapping up quickly.  If you want more books, just let us know!  They are$25 and are filled with tons of coupons to all of your favorite spots!
• Fall Spirit wear sale is going on now!  These items are offered for a limited time only!  Order forms are located on the website or you can email Mandy Patterson  at mandyp@pattersonplace.org for one.  Items offered are zippered hoodies, green long sleeve tie dye, pink long sleeve tie dye, grey long sleeve and green mesh shorts.  These are for sale for a limited time only!  Sales end September 18th so get yours today!!!

View Full Album
• Sally Foster is almost here.  Track 4 goes out on September 21st.  Track 2 and 3 will be on September 28 – October 9.  And track 1 will go from October 12 – 23.  All orders must be in by October 23rd
• Volunteers are needed for Ollie Fest and the school store.  If you want to help please contact Mandy Patterson at mandyp@pattersonplace.org.

Thank you all so much for all that you do for Oak Grove every day!  There are so many people behind the scenes making sure great things happen for the children.

The first General Membership meeting will be held on

Thursday, July 23 rd

at 7pm

in the Gym.

We are voting on the budget so your vote is very important!