Andrea Park, Principal
450 W. 400 S., Orem, UT 84058 --- Phone: 801-610-8116

Monday, January 30, 2012

Winning Essay!!!

Here was the winning essay submitted by a parent named Julie Hale.

“Orem Elementary has been trying to raise money for a computer lab for over three years now, with little success. We just barely don't meet the standards for Title I funding, which means that as a school we are responsible for raising any funds needed for such things as a computer lab. So called "poor schools" in our area are far better equipped with technology and educational improvements than we are as a school.

We currently only have one small computer lab for the whole school to share. New Utah State regulations require all students to take year-end-testing on computers. …but (our) daily educational use of our existing computer lab is less than optimal and you often see up to three children huddled around one computer during class time.

This year, one mother (Lori Sanders) decided she was fed up with our situation and decided to take things into her own hands. She saw an advertisement for a grant from Clorox called, "Power A Bright Future" () and decided to enter our school. She got our PTA on board and our fight began, but it's been a long, uphill process. The contest runs from 10/24/11 to 12/9/11 and the basic premise is to see how many people each school can get to vote for them. One text vote is allowed per day per person, and another vote per day by going to the website. Our start was a little slow, but we have been jumping up and up in the rankings everyday as the spark caught on with other parents and teachers. We are currently 5th out of 864 in our category and 14th overall out of 1,622 entries. We have some amazing parents, faculty and community leaders who have really helped us with our efforts, but we have less than a week left in the contest and need a serious push of media/social networking support to take it over the top.

This contest has really brought our community together to fight for a good cause, to band together in purpose and serve, and to believe all things are possible. If we don't win this Clorox grant, we won't give up, because our fire is lit and burning bright. We believe in our kids, in our school, and in our abilities to make this computer lab a reality. We invite you, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Target to help us in our efforts and make our dream come true. Thank you! –Julie Hale”

Our $100,000 Target/Ellen Grant Celebration!!!

Such a party at an Elementary School was never had! Silly string, confetti canons, balloons, Artie Hemphill and the Iron Horse Band, Target, and a really, REALLY BIG CHECK!!!

Check out these links to see more!!!

abc4News

connect2Utah

KSL

Deseret News

Salt Lake Tribune

The Daily Herald

Alpine School District


Friday, January 27, 2012

Parents score $100,000 grant from Target for Orem school

Last month, parents at Orem Elementary watched their school skyrocket into the top 5 in a text vote-driven contest for a $50,000 grant from Clorox. But realizing they were not going to capture the grand prize, they tried Plan B.
And they won an even bigger reward.
On Thursday, Orem Elementary Principal Rachelle Bolingbroke announced to students that their school has won a $100,000 grant from Target Corp. Several parents nominated Orem in the contest, which was promoted by the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Viewers of the show helped pick 50 schools nationwide to receive a $100,000 grant. Orem is the only winner in Utah.
"Students are so excited," Bolingbroke said Friday. "The energy is electrifying right now."
Target plans to present the giant check at an assembly on Monday.
The school plans to spend the money on technology, including buying about 35 to 40 computers for a second computer lab. The lab was built as part of an addition to the school a few years ago, but the school has not had enough funds to buy the computers.
An existing lab with 40 computers is used daily for a rotating computer specialty class. A second lab, Bolingbroke said, is needed both to provide more classroom time with computers and to handle year-end testing. This year, Alpine School District plans to administer all standard exams in math, language arts and science via computers. Orem Elementary has more than 600 students.
Julie Hale, a parent of a second- and a fourth-grader at Orem Elementary, wrote the winning grant nomination. When her kids learned the news, they told her, "You’re going to be famous," she said with a laugh.
"I was totally shocked and overwhelmed," Hale said. She said her school’s population nearly meets federal requirements to be classified as Title I because of poverty. Without the classification, Orem Elementary does not receive federal Title I funding that flows to nearby schools.
"You often see two to three kids huddled up around one computer," Hale said. "Right now [the second lab is] a room, fully set up, with all the cables and desks — but no computers. It’s ready and waiting."

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53391991-78/orem-computers-elementary-grant.html.csp

Target / Ellen DeGeneres $100,000 Grant Celebration Assembly

What: School Assembly 

When: Monday, January 30, 2011, 9:30 am


Where: Orem Elementary, 450 West 400 South, Orem


Why: OREM ELEMENTARY JUST WON A $100,000 Grant from TARGET via the Ellen



DeGeneres Show!



Thursday, January 26, 2012

Orem Elementary receives $100,000 grant from Target

OREM -- After working tirelessly for months to raise money for a new computer lab, parents at Orem Elementary are finally being rewarded.
It was announced Wednesday the school is being given $100,000 grant from Target. Orem Elementary was one of 48 schools and two school districts throughout the country and the only school in Utah to receive the award.
The money will be used to furnish a second computer lab at the school.
"This is more money than we ever imagined," principal Rachelle Bolingbroke said. "We will be able to upgrade technology in classrooms as well, get new projectors, smart boards and iPads. These are things we have none or very few of so it is exciting to be able to bring that technology to our school."
Currently the school has only one computer lab, which serves more than 700 students. The application to Target was submitted after parents tried and failed to get enough votes to win a $50,000 grant from Clorox in December.
Julie Hale wrote the winning submission for the Target grant.
"I wouldn't have submitted if it wasn't for the energy of the PTA and dedicated parents that were trying so hard to get $50,000 from Clorox," Hale said. "I felt their passion and kind of took it on."
Hale says her submission included details about the school narrowly missing the cutoff to be a Title I school.
"I just said many so-called poor schools have much better technology than us because they receive federal money, and we have to raise our own," Hale said.
Hale also included a photo of the space designated for the new computer lab that currently is sitting empty.
A spokeswoman for Target says Title I eligibility is one of the many components the selection team took into considerations when choosing the winners.
"We looked at what the unique needs of each school were and truly focused on how we could help meet those needs," Jill Hornbacher said. "We here at Target have a long-standing commitment to education and are happy to be able to support these schools in this way and be able to improve their learning environments."
Hornbacher says more than 7,000 nominations for the grants were received.
Bolingbroke says the new computer lab will help the school meet state testing requirements as well as provide learning opportunities for students.
"The way technology is moving there is so much available to students, education wise, on the computer," she said. "This will really benefit our students."
Bolingbroke says she doesn't know when the school will actually receive the money but hopes the new computer lab will be in place before the end of the school year.

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/orem-elementary-receives-grant-from-target/article_7f18e6eb-fd9c-53da-84f5-c554f5367ca5.html 


Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/orem-elementary-receives-grant-from-target/article_7f18e6eb-fd9c-53da-84f5-c554f5367ca5.html#ixzz1kbtGNoK1

Monday, January 23, 2012

This week at OES!

Book Fair

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 8:30am-4:00pm

Thursday, Jan. 26, 8:30am-8:00pm

2. Student Led Conferences are Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.

You may visit your child’s class (with your child) anytime between 3:00-7:45pm. Teachers will be available in their classroom. Students are excited to share what they have been learning with their parent(s).

3. Thursday is also an AM COMMON Day. The schedule is as follows:

Grades 1-6 8:00am-2:15pm

AM Preschool/Kindergarten 8:00am-10:45am

PM Preschool/Kindergarten 11:30am-2:15pm

4. At OES conferences on Thursday, you will also find the following:

PTA has Spirit Sleeves on sale for $7 each. Remember Spirit Sleeves for that sweet someone on Valentine’s Day or Easter.

PTA will be taking nominations from parents for a teacher and a volunteer to receive the Excellence in Education Award.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

WHAT'S HAPPENING: JANUARY 16 - 20

Hey OES  Cubbies! Enjoy your day off!!!

Monday, January 16 - Martin Luther King Day. NO SCHOOL!

Tuesday, January 17 - After School Programs begin.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SIGN-UPS START TOMORROW!

Sign ups will be held on January 11th & 12th before school at 8 AM and 9:15 AM and after school at 2:15PM & 3:30 PM in the gym.

Thanks!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

HELP WANTED!

Orem Elementary does amazing things and that is because we have amazing parents!

However, our kids to the darnedest thing and grow up and leave the school, taking their amazing parents with them. We need you noobs to help us out!

The PTA is starting to fill service positions for next year and would like to invite you to help us out.

PTAs in general usually have a bad rep, but when I tell my friends the things our PTA does and how fun it is, they want to come to our school - we do things differently here!

The major spots we are looking to fill are:


*President Elect 
Shadow the current president to learn the ropes for your turn as president. I personally can say being president is hard work, but so awarding. I'm very glad I did it!

*Secretary
Easiest job ever - take minutes at monthly meetings for the pres and record volunteer hours.


*Assistant Treasurer

To assist and be trained by Jen Nielsen who will be the 2012-2013 treasurer. If you like crunching numbers and running your home finances, this is a great job for you! It starts off heavy in the beginning of the school year, but after Back to School Night and Carnival, it really slows down.


We have plenty other areas you can help us with too. If you think you can help us out, want to be more involved at the school and stay connected with the teachers and principal, this is an awesome opportunity to accomplish that!


Please email Karen Wynn at wynnjk@gmail.com or call her at 372-8515 if we have piqued your curiosity.


THANKS!!!

JANUARY NEWSLETTER!

The January PTA newsletter is now available. Get it by clicking HERE!