Happy New Year!

I just wanted to take a brief moment to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! The next few weeks will be filled with many exciting things here at OCS.

We will be hosting the Child Assault Prevention program on January 13-15. There will be an informational meeting about the program on Tuesday, January 6th at 7:00 in the school cafeteria. This meeting will allow parents to hear more about the program;

We are excited to be having nationally-acclaimed poet and author, Ms. Sara Holbrook, here at the school to host writing workshops with the students on January 12th and again on January 16th. Ms. Holbrook has written a number of books that offer many insights about young people and their lives;

We will be taking our 8th grade students who are interested in attending the Warren County technical School for a school visit on January 9th;

School will be closed on Monday, January 19th for a teacher In-Service;

Tuesday, January 20th will bring the Spelling Bee back to OCS!

The second marking period ends on January 23rd.

Till next time...

Safe Routes to School Grant

I am very happy to report that the school district, working with a committee from the township was awarded an $8,000 grant to help us promote students walking and riding their bikes to school. It would have been nice to get the full amount we were looking for, $103,000, but this grant is a start in helping us promote more students walking to school. Governor Jon Corzine issued a press release that describes the idea behind the SRTS program:

NJDOT’s 2008 Safe Routes to School initiative will provide grants for projects in 33 municipalities in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $300,000. The grants will be used for local projects designed to encourage children to walk and bike to school, including the creation of safer walkways, bikeways and street crossings near schools.

New Jersey's Safe Routes to School Program helps communities develop and implement projects that encourage walking and bicycling to school while enhancing the safety of these trips. The program increases pedestrian safety awareness among motorists and schoolchildren. Safe Routes to School also improves environmental health and quality of life by reducing traffic jams and air pollution. In addition, Safe Routes to School improves pediatric health by providing regular physical activity.

We are very happy to be receiving this grant and we will continue to work to bring more money to the school district and township to further promote the Safe Route to School initiatives.

Till next time...

snow days

Well if you are like me, you are sitting at home thinking...man I wish I could get out to shop for Christmas. Enjoy the extra time with the kids! There are plenty of terrible Christmas movies on television. See everyone on Monday!

till next time...

Blogging

As another way to provide parents with information about their child's progress, I have asked the staff here at OCS to begin investigating the features and benefits of blogging. The web-log, or Blog, is a great way to provide information and another avenue for parents to use when trying to decipher what a student might have for homework, or may have as upcoming assignments. Let's face it. There are many nights when we as parents experience a great deal of frustration because our little cherub did not bring home the necessary list of homework assignments, or lost it, or your dog ate it! (There have been many of these nights in the Magnuson household over the year's.) These blog sites will allow you to access our web page, click through to the teacher page and then see the blog site for every staff member.

I have been doing this since the start of the school year and I have found the process to be very accessible. Staff have the next few weeks to decide how to best do this and I expect them all to be up an running by the start of the fourth marking period. As teacher's get their pages up and running they will let you know how to find the blog.

Till next time...

Nine days

There are only nine more days until the holiday vacation. This vacation, one of our longest, will see the school closed from the afternoon on Tuesday, December 23rd all the way through to Sunday, January 4, 2009.

It is always good to remind people so that they are well-prepared! Tuesday 12/23 will be a half day with dismissal at 12:30 pm. School will reopen on Monday, January 5, 2009!

The office at the school will be open on Monday, December 29 and Tuesday, December 30. Office hours are 8:00 am-4:00 pm.

There will be a Friday Bulletin this Friday and then again on January 9th.

Till next time...

Psychic?

Thanks to the parent who pointed out to me that the blog time was off. Apparently it was set to the Pacific Time Zone and appeared to be three hours ahead of our local EST. This did happen, but I can assure you that I, nor anyone on our staff--are psychic. We are thorough and do our homework, so that we may give the appearance of being psychic, but alas... we are not!

I hope everyone enjoyed the show last night. The students worked very hard and it was good to see the instruments as part of the show. The 6th and 7th grade students who assisted were a big help to Mrs. Firling and to the staff who were here to monitor the children!

I wanted to take this time to send out a special thank you to Mrs. Nixon's Mom, who DONATED ALL of the treats that were provided after the concert. What a wonderful holiday gesture and we will never be able to thank her enough.

Remember the PTO Clothing drive is this weekend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please check the PTO website, http://www.ocspto.org/ for further information.

Till next time...

A special heartfelt thank you!

Thank you to everyone who came out and cast a ballot on Tuesday, December 9th. The referendum did pass and for that I am grateful. Now the real work continues... we will be working hard to ensure that the costs are contained and that we can put a project together that we can all be proud of and that will benefit the children of our school. We will be exploring the solar options we know are out there to further reduce the costs of this referendum to the taxpayers.

If you can't stand the heat...

What was the saying? I have been the subject of some negative comments on the Oxford Forum of the NJ.com website. Let me assure anyone who reads this blog... the heat doesn't bother me! In fact, it is the cold that gets to me.

What does that mean? It means that I have spent 24 years educating students in NJ and during that time I have always worked to do what is best for kids. When you do things that are best for students and always keep that goal in mind, sometimes it does get "hot" because there are always going to be people who do not agree with this idea. This project is best for kids! It is designed with the needs of the students in mind... not just those in the school right now, but those who will attend in the future. It does get hot around here, but if you call the school or stop by, I am still here! When I see criticism about me personally, it only strengthens my resolve--especially when I know I am doing the right things-- the right things for kids.

Some of the bloggers feel that I do not care or have a clue about the economy. Well, opinions are easy to come by, and we teach students to make their opinions known. But we also teach them to gather the facts, analyze their options and think before they speak. I have done this with this project proposal. I DO KNOW THAT TIMES ARE TOUGH. I also know that the State of NJ has found a way for our school to combat the tough times and STILL get the school finished.

What I don't like is the cold. The cold thoughts, the cold reactions and the coldness that some people bring to their words when they express their opinions. That is what irks me.

I took this job knowing that it would not be easy. It is not easy. The challenges are here each week. I am here each week.

This is a great school. The staff works hard to meet the needs of their students, the kids are great and the community support has been fantastic. For those members of the community who support what we do here every day--Thanks.
For those out there who might not support what we do, stop by. Voice your thoughts to me. I would love to talk to you!

till next time...

Riding the Bus

Today Ms. Dachisen and I spoke with our older students about some upsetting comments our younger students are reporting about their bus rides to and from school.

We are beginning to hear that the older students--grades 4-8-- are using inappropriate language and are not setting a very positive example for the younger students.

We are also hearing that some parents might have been hearing about this from their children. Please give us a call about these types of behaviors. We do not wish students to use language that is profane and that provides our younger students with a new "earthy" vocabulary!

After the Turkey Day break we will be meeting with the Transportation Committee of the BOE to discuss making our transportation even more enjoyable for those who ride the buses.

Thanks for your assistance.

Giving Thanks and helping others

Before the Turkey Day Break let me say thank you to everyone who brought donations to the school to assist one of our families in the aftermath of the tragic fire that struck their home last Friday, November 21st! The incredible outpouring of assistance clearly illustrated the breadth of this communities support for others. The fact that so many families came together to assist is a true testament to this community. I am proud to be associated with the fine people of Oxford.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

Till next time...

Just what are we doing?

Recently I was asked why a school district, or individual, might be willing to call the Division of Youth and Family Services to report a suspected problem involving a student. My answer was not very popular with the interviewer! The law is pretty clear on this issue. The law says, in so many words, that if a person knows or suspects that a child might be in a dangerous or harmful situation, a call MUST be made. Not, should I think about it and then maybe place the call.
The key to understanding the role of DYFS in NJ today is the title of the organization. They are here to help families and children deal with the stresses they may be feeling. In my experiences here in Warren County the family is assisted with the help of the DYFS workers and not punished for sometimes buckling under in the face of real pressure and stress. DYFS works for the families and the children. Yes, it can occasionally have issues to deal with, but we have not seen this in our county and with our community.
The key to this law is allowing for outside agencies to assist families and their children so that they can all enjoy a happy and healthy home life.

December 9th is coming rapidly

The school district is at a crossroads! We have actually been at this crossroads for quite some time.



The crossroad in this scenario is where the old crosses with the new. The old road is the road that continues to look at the leaks in the hallways, classrooms and stairwells; the classrooms that are not up to current codes; and many other projects, and chooses to throw band-aids at each project, hoping they work and watching the bills pile up when they don't. I know the old road. I was on the old road. It is bumpy! It can be no fun to ride.



The new road involves addressing these problems and getting them fixed--finally. The new road does cost more than the old road. However, the time to fix the problems is absolutely, NOW. I have been asked the questions: "Why don't you apply for the construction grants that the state is making available?" The answer is that we got our share of state grants that helped cover some of the costs for the wonderful facility we use everyday. The problem is that there are 100's of districts competing for the grants and because we were granted money years ago, our project would be dropped to the bottom of the priority list. So the state has said that instead of the grant funds, they will pay 58.7% of the debt service for the project.



The projects we are asking for are all projects that are labelled as Level I and Level II projects by the state of NJ. These projects involve school safety, code upgrades, maintaining the integrity of the facility and the use of renewable, clean solar energy. These projects will allow us to take the water collection barrels out of the stairwells and hallways, bring the building up to code and provide the school with a consistent stream of solar electricity that will further decrease our bills and our impact on the environment.



We can get off one road and on to the other road. Come out on December 9th and let your voice be heard.



Till next time...

Old Roof

I have been reading many "interesting" viewpoints concerning the referendum that the Board of Education and administration have proposed as a special election on Tuesday, December 9, 2008. Not everything is, how should I put this, the most factual representation of the proposed projects. The facts are:
When the building was remodeled and expanded, one aspect of the project was missing: the roof on the older 1923 section of the school. The school changed shape and size over a two year expansion and was ready to be occupied for the 2004-2005 school year--without a new roof on the old building.

As the construction projects began and evolved, some projects were left on the "cutting room" floor. For example, new slip-resistant stair well treads, new American Disabilities Acts compliant doors and hardware, a more secure front entrance, vinyl tile in all classrooms, and others.

It is time to get these projects done and finish the building!

The roof is still leaking and we are throwing money at projects that are not long-term solutions, just temporary band-aids.

The current Board and current administration never once felt that previous citizens were responsible for any issues associated with the past project. The past project was a good one, and it allowed us to meet the needs of the students of OCS. However, due to the project's evolution, not everything was fixed.

Back in 2000, when the state approved the renovations, the people of Oxford paid for more than 53% of the project. This year, the state has said they will fund 58.7%.; leaving the taxpayers less than half the project funding.

Please help us finish the work that needs to be done.
I hope to have the facts up on the school web page in the next few days.

As always, thank you for your support!

Thoughts for the start of November

Tonight at 6:00 pm, we are having a very important meeting here at the school. The school is in need of many renovations that could not be done as part of the construction project back in 2001. Many people do not realize that one of the major aspects of the new proposal is the roof on the 1923 section of the building. That roof was never part of the previous referendum that was approved by the town back in December of 2000. It needed to be replaced then and it is not getting any better. As many of you know, we had to have a delayed opening to make sure that our classrooms could be fully operational as the rain came pouring in last week.

There are many other projects that were never addressed in the building project, due to the change orders that occurred as the new wing was added and the older, original structure was updated. Classroom floors need to be replaced, stairwells need safer footing and railings, carpets need to be taken up and many other projects that will keep the building secure and compliant with all codes and federal regulations.

Please come out and see the presentation. The facts are here. The project is transparent and what we need.

See you tonight.

when it rains--or snows-- it pours

into the Oxford Central School! The past few days have certainly been eventful days at school. I have been away at a conference but fortunately we have wonderful staff who were able to interact with me via the phone and take care of the problem--for the time being. However, the problem is not going away. We still have a roof that needs to be replaced and is quite obviously getting worse. I invite everyone to to come out to the school next Wednesday, November 5th at 6:00 pm to see what the plans are to provide the students of Oxford with a safe, and dry building.

Tomorrow is Halloween, come on out to see the parade and volunteer to assist in the classroom.

Enjoy the weekend!

Sometimes the real world...

comes creeping on in. There is a letter being sent home today with our students that discusses two unfortunate instances where someone has been posing as a law enforcement official and has, on two occasions, pulled over students from our area. Fortunately, I am getting information that no one was harmed in these cases, but it certainly reminds us that there are some people out there who just can't seem to play nice! Please sit the kids down and remind them about how to respond when they meet a stranger.

till next time.

No Tip of the Hat to the Mama and the Papas...

especially if you are old enough... as I AM.. to remember the song playing on your AM radio from WABC and Cousin Brucie! Monday WAS a day we could trust! The County-Wide Red Ribbon Week Kick-off was a great success. There were more than 25 agencies and organizations here, along with more than 600 people, all focused on the positives of life. I can honestly say I was very glad to be in the middle of the line of teachers when the BMX rider jumped over us! Thanks to our students and staff: K-Kids; REBEL II; OYA members, the OCS Red Ribbon Committee; the Board of Education and all the volunteers who made the day a great day. Thanks also to Mr. Leonard Becker and the Oxford Township Municipal Alliance for their generous support of our year-long efforts!

The problem with thanking people is that you inevitably forget to mention everyone! We will have a list of thank-yous on our website real soon!

The rest of the week looks like this:
Wednesday is hat day
Thursday is pajamas day
Friday is Jeans and flip-flops day.

Red Ribbon/ School Violence Awareness Week

Boy I hate to start with a heading that says School Violence Awareness Week. It makes it sound as though we have a problem... well at least not here, in many other school yes, but fortunately not here! That does not mean we are out of touch. We know that we have students who occasionally say mean things to other's, or who might even show a lack of respect for the adults in the building. Those things do happen, and they do get said. Our mission is always to try to provide students with outlets and understanding--before mean things happen.

We have worked hard as a staff to keep reminding students about the effects of saying things to other students that are hurtful or downright mean! We encourage students everyday to be mindful that the words they use may have a negative effect on other students. We have implemented a wonderful character education program, held assemblies that stress positive messages and have infused in to the curriculum (across the board) the ideas of positive choices and treating each other with respect.

Does it always work--no. However, when a student does go off the path, we have the tools, the staff and the knowledge of how to handle the situation, We also know that we have provided the students with the tools necessary so that the incidents we might have had a few years ago, are not happening today.

Have a great week!

The leaves are turning and...

starting to cover my lawn! But every chore does seem to have a silver lining. This is the time of year to rake up a huge pile of leaves, assemble the kids and jump on in! Another childhood rite of passage passed along to the next generation. Looks like the weather man is saying the temperatures are going to drop back into the average range over the next few days, so get out and enjoy the colors of our area. We tend to take the richness of the area for granted, constantly being surrounded by the trees as they turn colors; but go for a hike this weekend. There are many great places to hike around the area. Go out to Apple Mountain and play 18--walk the course, the view from the top is excellent! Now is the time to gather the kids and to show them the glory of nature and their natural surroundings. Spend some time outdoors this weekend. But remember as you are raking leaves and bagging them up... snow angel time is right around the corner!

I wanted to thank the Rotary Club for stopping by today to deliver dictionaries to our third grade students. This is a long-standing community service project that Rotarians conduct around the country and it is great for our school to have such dedicated community members bring a dictionary to every third grade student!

Today was Mr. Kenney's Birthday! I trust he had a great day.

There will be a note coming home about Halloween and what will be going on here at the school on the 31st. The 31st is also the end of the first marking period. We have been working on a list of students who might benefit from some additional after school tutoring... if your son or daughter was felt to be a good candidate, information will be along shortly.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday at the Red Ribbon celebration.

Keep movin' on!

Thanks to everyone who expressed their thoughts concerning the recent medical scare we were going through at the Magnuson Ranch. Everything has turned out well!

The big event is less than a week away! The entire county has been invited to Oxford to help celebrate Red Ribbon Week! The big day is Monday, October 20th. Come out and help us celebrate students making positive choices.

If you have questions about your son or daughter's progress in school, please remember to give your child's teacher a call or drop them an email. The email address is pretty standard: the teacher's first initial, then their full last name @ warrennet.org.

See you on the 20th!

busy days and distractions

We are all busy and we are all prone to the distractions of life. I wanted to take a second to thank everyone who has been thinking of me and my family as we move through a rather difficult set of circumstances affecting my older daughter. Thanks to modern medicine, and I am sure everyone's positive thoughts, things look like they are going to end on a positive note. One more doctor, THE specialist in the nation in Philly on Monday, and the ordeal should be over. Thank you to everyone who allowed me some leeway over the past four roller coaster days. It was a big distraction and now that it is coming to a close, I would like to thank everyone for being patient with me! The real world has a way of creeping into our lives every once and a while! Enjoy Columbus Day, the weather is going to be great.

Don't forget the PTO Silver Bells fund-raiser is due on Wednesday, October 15th!

Till next time

friday stuff

I came across some cool things that are going on around the area in the Friday morning Star Ledger.
The Turtle Back Zoo--yes it is still in operation, is offering a night time tour next Friday October 17th. The program costs $3 per child.

There are many farms in our area that are great places to take the kids for pumpkin picking. At my house we take pictures that the kids have downloaded to create some really cool jack-o-lanterns!

The Newark Museum is sponsoring an exhibit called "Once Upon a Dime: The World of Money" Check the museum hours, but they are always open every weekend.

Of course, be sure to channel all your positive energies to the Giants as they travel to the banks of beautiful Lake Erie to take on the Cleveland Browns!

Get out there and enjoy the weekend.

Thursday is only one day from Friday!

The Friday Bulletin will be up on the website tomorrow and we are highlighting some of the activities that we have lined up for the month of October: dances, PTO craft days, Mystery and Mayhem( a special field trip for our 4th grade G/T students), a day off on Monday October 13th, OYA Movie Night, just to name a few!

If you haven't seen Iron Man, this weeks OYA feature, holy smokes! get over to the school Friday night by 7pm to see it!! It is awesome!

Enjoy the three day weekend! Thank you Christopher Columbus!

till next time

Shelter in Place

We had a Shelter in Place drill today here at the school. Shelter in Place is the term we give to what is commonly referred to as a lock down. The teachers had prepared with our youngest students over the past few days so that they would understand the process and then understand how to react to the situation. Everything went very well.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 7, 2008 is Picture Day!

Today is Mrs. Mound's Birthday! Happy Birthday to You!!

This week we are promoting Fire Prevention and Fire Safety! members of the Oxford Fire Department will be here in the school on Friday, October 10, to discuss with our pre-school through 4th grade students the importance of safety.

Thursday, October 9, is the work session for the Board of Education. All regularly scheduled BOE meetings are public, and you are certainly invited to some to the meetings!

Finally, don't forget that market day pickup is this Thursday night at 6pm.

Enjoy the week!
Mr. Magnuson

September 26, 2008

The Friday Bulletin will be coming out this week! Look for it online at the end of the day.
Next week we have a few night time meetings to discuss the big trips that are being planned for the 7th and the 8th grade classes this year.
One of the major considerations about the 8th grade trip is going to be the costs of the trip. With the higher fuel and costs related to this trip the cost is going to be higher than it ever was in the past. Currently I am working with a group wholesaler to get a better discounted rate on the rooms we will need and we are awaiting the information from the bus companies.
There are two meetings coming up on Tuesday night, September 30th. The first ( 7th grade trip) will be held at 6pm and the second will be held at 7 pm to discuss the 8th grade trip.

I got some great pictures of Mrs. Dowd's class doing some observations of the wind yesterday! They had created their own anemometers and were recording the wind speeds around the building. The incoming nor-easter certainly assisted in this experiment! Mrs. Dowd's newsletter includes a great picture as well.

Check out next weeks Warren Reporter. There should be a picture of our K-Kids and the Warren County Flag they purchased and donated to the school! it will look great in the lunchroom.

"till next time!

Introduction

This blog is developed to allow the people of the Oxford NJ community to ask questions, receive feedback and get information pertaining to the 2008-2009 school budget process. Please be respectful of the ideas posted on the site and always remember that the blog administrator is watching the posts and has the right to eliminate remarks that are deemed inappropriate or offensive.