The Rocket Report

October 2025 Edition

A Spook-tacular Edition of the OES Monthly Newsletter

Hocus Pocus from the Principal ✨

Message From the Principal

Dear Ockerman Families,

Fall is here, and with it comes all the excitement of Spooky Season at OES! This month, we look forward to celebrating learning, community, and the many fun events happening around our school. This past month we finished up taking our first round of NWEA testing. You should have received your child's results from that universal screener at curriculum night. If you did not they were either sent home or you will receive them at parent teacher conferences. Speaking of conferences, please make sure you sign up for a time on October 29th or November 6th to come in and talk to your child's teacher about their progress at school.

We have finished up all of our beginning of the year drills here at school this week. We will continue to practice emergency drills through the rest of the school year. Speaking of safety, please ensure that you are careful in the parking lot in the morning and afternoon during drop off and pick up as many people are making their way through the parking lot. Make sure you are pulling all the way up to the empty cones and your child is unbuckled with their backpack on and ready to exit the car to ensure drop off runs smoothly. Thank you for your continued support in helping our Rockets shine bright each and every day.

– Chris Ritzi

Frightfully Fun Photo Spotlight 📸

Photo Spotlight

Each year, the office gets transformed with a brand-new Halloween theme thanks to the creativity and hard work of Erin Henson and Leslie Marshall. From costumes to decorations, they go above and beyond to make OES festive for the Season.

This Year’s Theme: Wild Wild West 🤠

Currently under construction but keep an eye out on the website & our social media!

2024’s Theme: The Circus 🎪

Circus

2023’s Theme: Barbie 💖

Barbie

2022’s Theme: The Zoo 🦁

Zoo

If you happen to stop by the office this month, be sure to take a peek at the decorations. Leslie & Erin have been hard at work & it’s looking amazing!

What’s Brewing This Month 🎃

Upcoming Events

10/6: Rocket Fuel Pantry Opens (sign up here)

10/6–10/27: PTO Little Caesars Fundraiser

10/7: SEL Parenting Program (Virtual) 6-7 PM (sign up here)

10/10–10/13: Fall Break (no school for students)

10/14: OES Career Fair – Volunteers Needed

10/16: Family STEM Night, 5–7 PM | RSVP here

10/17: Trunk or Treat, 5–7 PM | Sign up here

10/20–10/24: PTO Boo Grams Fundraiser

10/23: FRC Paint Night (details coming soon)

10/24: Rocket Fun Run Celebration

10/28: PTO Boo Grams Delivery

10/28: PTO Meeting, 4:30 PM in the Library

10/29: Parent/Teacher Conferences

10/31: Classroom Halloween Parties & Costume Parade 🎭

Spook-tacular STAR Students 🌟

STAR Student Spotlight

Congratulations to our STAR Students for October! Each of these students has been recognized by their Kindergarten Homeroom teachers for standing out as a role model in their classroom. Whether through kindness, responsibility, effort, or respect, they are shining examples of what it means to be a Rocket. 🚀

Emma Brummer
Gabi Martinez
Kyler Jett
Raina Callaway
Davier Santiago Becerra
Damon Kirk

STAR Students

We are proud of these spook-tacular Kindergarten Rockets who shine through their hard work, positive attitudes and leadership. These students consistently show what it means to be a STAR student.✨

Fang-tastic Staff 🦇

Staff Spotlight

This month’s Fang-tastic Staff Spotlight goes to Mrs. Lindsay O’Daniel, our full-time speech pathologist.

Staff Spotlight

Mrs. O’Daniel works with students across every grade level and makes learning fun! Students love going to speech, where they play engaging games while practicing speech sounds and building language skills. She establishes positive relationships with her students and sets high expectations, encouraging them to reach their goals.

We are so lucky to have Mrs. O’Daniel as part of our Rocket family! 🚀💜

Cauldron of Caring 🎃

Counselor’s Corner

Kick Off Our Parent Series This Month!

We’re excited to launch our 6-part virtual parent program on Tuesday, October 7 from 6–7 PM.

Join us for a 6-part monthly parent program focused on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). This engaging series is hosted by your OES counselors and FRYSC but material is presented by Lisa King, a counselor of 25 years and well known author. She will give you tools to support your child’s mental wellness, behavior, resilience, and confidence — all in a relaxed, parent-friendly VIRTUAL environment. Parents who participate will get a free book called “The Anxious Generation’ which discusses how social media impacts our youth, and those who attend all 6 sessions will be entered into a drawing for a FREE family zoo pass!

👉 Register today: Registration Form

🔗 More Details Here

3rd - 5th Grade Parents

Your student will be bringing home the results of their Panorama/SEL survey that they took a few weeks ago. This district-wide student survey is given twice a year, and measures various skills such as Emotional Regulation, Classroom Effort, Grit, etc. If you have any questions about your student’s results, please contact Ms. Langdon.

BOO-k Nook 📖

Library & Literacy Corner

It's a spooky, fun time of year, and we are thrilled that our 1st through 5th grade students are bringing home great books to read! Reading together is the perfect way to spend a chilly October evening.

To ensure our school library collection stays in great condition for years to come, please help us remind your child about a few important book care habits:

Keep Books Safe: Please help your child find a designated, safe place for their library books, keeping them away from younger siblings and family pets (especially dogs, who sometimes see corners as tasty treats!).
Use a Bookmark: Encourage your student to never fold the corner of a page to mark their spot. A bookmark, a scrap of paper, or even a thin ribbon works great!
No Food or Drinks: Remind your child to keep all food and drinks away from their library books to prevent spills, stains, and sticky pages.
Return on Time: Please help your child remember to return their book on their class's scheduled library day.

Thank you for helping us keep our books in BOO-tiful condition! Happy Reading!!

Thanks to the incredible support of our OES families, our Fall Book Fair in September raised $2,412.13! These funds will go toward purchasing books, supplies, furniture, and organizational materials for the OES Library. Thank you for helping us grow our library collection and create an inviting space for our readers!

Tricks & Treats for Families 🍬

Family Resource Center (FRC)

Go Pantry Food Drive Sponsored by BCEA

Last week, OES participated in the Go Pantry Food Drive sponsored by BCEA, with help from our Student Council members. This project directly benefits children in Boone County who face food insecurity when schools are closed.

Thanks to the generosity of our OES families, we collected 740 pounds of fruit cups and applesauce cups! That contribution helped Boone County Schools reach a combined total of 7,995 pounds and Ockerman made it into the Top 4 Schools by weight for donations!

Go Pantry provides weekend meals and longer-break food boxes for students who otherwise depend on school for most of their meals. We’re so proud of our Rockets for supporting this important cause!

Rocket Fuel Pantry Opens October 6th ⏰

Any OES family is welcome to participate. Please reserve your shopping time:

👉 Sign up here

📍 OES Family Resource Center (entrance left of the main office)

🔗 More Details Here

Family STEM Night 🧪🔬
Bring the whole family for an evening of science, exploration, and hands-on fun!

📅 Thursday, October 16 | 5–7 PM
📍 Ockerman Elementary

Featuring the Cincinnati Science Center with stations like:
🌪️ Forces of Nature – tornadoes, earthquakes, and more
☀️ Reasons for the Seasons – explore Earth’s tilt and orbit

🍽️ Dinner provided! Complete the survey for a chance to win a door prize!
👉 RSVP here
🔗 More details here

🎨 FRC Paint Night

📅 Thursday, October 23

Details coming soon!

OES Career Fair🎓
📅 Tuesday, October 14
📍 Ockerman Elementary

We’re looking for volunteers to share about their careers with our students!

💬 5-minute overview + Q&A
👩‍🏫 All fields welcome: education, public safety, trades, IT, arts, and more

👉 Sign up here
📧 Contact: leslie.harney@boone.kyschools.us
🛡️ Volunteer Background Check Info

Ghouls & Goblins Guide to Good Behavior 🧡

Rocket Rule Reminder

This month, students are learning about showing respect at home and at school by using kind words and having good manners. Being respectful is one of our STAR Rules here at OES.

Ask your child how he or she shows respect at school.

PTO’s Haunted Happenings 👻

PTO & Volunteer Updates

Volunteers Needed! 🧡
We’re currently looking for volunteers for upcoming events so they don’t get cancelled. Please consider helping — any amount of time is appreciated!

Volunteer Sign-Up

Trunk or Treat Sign-Up

Candy War for Trunk or Treat 🍬
It’s that time of year for our annual Trunk or Treat festivities to begin! Flyers are going home this week with details about our CANDY WAR, happening now through October 16.

The class from each hallway that brings in the most candy bags will win a SPOOK-tacular prize!!! 👻✨

Trunk or Treat 2025 🎃
📅 Thursday, October 17 | 5–7 PM
📍 Ockerman Elementary
👻 Candy, prizes, concessions, and family fun!
🚙 Sign up to bring a trunk: Click here
🔗 More Information

Boo Grams Fundraiser👻
📅 October 20–24 | Delivered Oct. 28
Send a Boo Gram to a student, teacher, or staff member for $1 each. Order forms will go home with students.
📧 Questions? Email: oesptopresident21@gmail.com

Little Caesars Fundraiser 🍕
📅 October 6–27
Brochures sent home with students.

PTO Meeting 📚
📅 October 28 | 4:30 PM in the OES Library