Clubs

Point of Contact: Marci McGohan

Point of Contact: Tess Reed

Description

Be part of a community of students and teachers who love to read and talk about great books. This program is a collaboration of the school library and the city library. The book titles are chosen by the public librarians. Teams from our school will compete against other schools in a city-wide competition usually held one evening in February. This is a “game-show” like team competition with trivia questions about each book.

Eligibility

Open to all students in grade 5. Limited membership, usually one to three teams of five students each. Due to the relatively short time this club meets, there are no restrictions regarding membership in other clubs/organizations.

How to Join the Battle of the Books Team

Applications will be available from the school library and 5th grade teachers in mid to late September. Students will be required to keep a reading journal (one will be provided), should have a positive growth mindset, be respectful toward peers and adults, have an ability to work well in a small group, and be motivated to read on their own.

Commitment

Students will meet during lunch twice a month September through December, then weekly January until the competition in February. We will meet in a 5th grade classroom, eat lunch together and discuss the books we are reading. Because this is a team competition it is extremely important to remain committed to the program, attend lunch meetings and attend the competition(s) in February. Competitions are generally held in the early evenings at a local high school. Students will need to have their own ride to and from the competition. The competition consists of two rounds. If your team wins their semi-final round they will compete in the final round competition. The public library selects the competition dates which are not released until late fall. More information will be sent home with students as it is received.

Point of Contact: Daniel Brunner

Eligibility

Open to all students in grade 5. Chorus students may participate in any extra-curricular club that does not conflict with chorus class.

Commitment

Chorus is a year-long commitment (September - June). Classes meet once a week during PE. Students are expected to participate in public performances several times a year.

Point of Contact: Marci McGohan

Commitment

Girls on the Run meetings normally take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-4:30pm.

Point of Contact: Ashley Natoli

Description

The purpose of this program is to help students work on their leadership skills while assisting the school counselor.

Eligibility

Open to all students in grade 5. There are no restrictions regarding membership in other clubs/organizations.

How to Become a Guidance Helper

Students are selected and trained by the school counselor based on their leadership abilities as well as how cooperative and reliable they are.

Commitment

Being a Guidance Helper is a year-long commitment (September - June).

Point of Contact: Carl Peake or Tess Reed

Description

Your morning announcement team since 2006, the Waverider Morning News Team broadcasts live every school day. This is a fully student-run program. Crew members collect announcement and weather information, update graphic and teleprompter files, serve as announcers, audio technician, video technician, and director. Each class in the school provides guest "pledgers" daily for the Pledge of Allegiance, and OLES students occasionally appear for special announcements and events. We have served as a model for video morning announcement programs in a number of other Virginia Beach schools, including several middle and high schools.

Eligibility

Grade 5 only. Limited to 6 students. Students who are accepted may not participate in other limited-access clubs/organizations or those with schedule conflicts, including Safety Patrols, STEM Robotics, and STEM Makerbot. SCA officers are eligible for the morning announcements team.

How to Join the Waverider Morning News Team

Applicants must be in good academic standing and possess positive character traits, including being respectful toward peers and adults, have an ability to work well in a small group, be articulate, self motivated, and project a confident on screen personality. Applications are typically available in late spring for the upcoming school year.

Commitment

Team members meet in the television studio every school day from 7:45-8:10 to prepare and deliver the morning announcements. Additionally, they practice every Monday afternoon from 2:50-4:00 from September through June to acquire and refine their skills.

*This is one of the most active (and demanding) student organizations at Ocean Lakes ES. We take our students' academic success very seriously. Students who experience academic difficulty may be asked to take time off from the morning news team to improve their academic standing.*

Point of Contact: Judy Uiterwyk

Description

The Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile is the culmination of an ongoing running and walking program for elementary aged children which promotes lifelong fitness. Children participating in the Final Mile run at school and at home (also includes sport activities) in the weeks preceding the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend to accumulate 25.2 total miles. They then run the “final mile” of their 26.2 mile marathon on race day, crossing the same finish line that will welcome the Shamrock marathoners the following day.

Eligibility

Membership is open to any Ocean Lakes ES student, and parents are encouraged to participate. There are no restrictions on membership, and running club members may also participate in any other club at Ocean Lakes ES.

Commitment

Students will run/walk every Friday morning before school beginning January 10th - March 20th. Final Mile Race Day: March 21st students will participate in the Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile race at the Virginia Beach oceanfront on Atlantic Avenue.

Point of Contact: Dee Perry

Point of Contact: Yolanda Yon

Description

Students in the 3D printing club will work in small teams to invent a product that can be manufactured using 3D printing technology and present their proposal before a "Shark Tank-style" panel. Students will research possible items to develop, document their progress, use Google SketchUp to convert designs to digital renderings, and fabricate their designs using a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer.

Eligibility and Restrictions

Grades 4 and 5 only. Limited to 8 students. Students who are accepted may not participate in other limited-access clubs/organizations or those with schedule conflicts, including STEM Robotics and the morning announcements team. Safety Patrols and SCA officers are eligible for the STEM Makerbot Club.

How to join the STEM MakerBot 3D Printer Club

Membership is based on academics, attendance, essay, and teacher recommendations. Please see Mrs. Yon for an application. Online applications are NOT available.

Commitment

Meetings are held weekly on Monday afternoons from 2:45-4:30pm from mid-October through early June. Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled meetings. All club members are expected to participate in the STEM Maker Expo, which typically takes place on the first Thursday in June.

Point of Contact: Carl Peake

Description

Ask. Imagine. Plan. Create. Improve. Where else can you learn to solder, program, fabricate, and drive a robot? Using the engineering design process as a foundation, students research problems, document their progress, create an electronic portfolio, solder circuit boards, use TinkerCAD software to design parts, learn the basics of computer programming, and fabricate parts using a MakerBot Replicator 3-D printer. We have some absolutely awesome parent and military volunteers who help make this program possible. Ocean Lakes ES parents who are interested in volunteering with the STEM Robotics Club should contact the school office or one of the club sponsors directly.

The Ocean Lakes ES STEM Robotics Club has enjoyed an extremely successful first six years. Our students and parents have risen to the occasion and worked well together to solve ecological and industrial problems using robots in preparation for the VBCPS STEM Robotics Challenge. Ocean Lakes ES has consistently placed all of its teams in semi-final competition, and finished in first or second place six out of seven years the club has competed. At the 2019 STEM Trifecta Challenge, over 70 elementary school teams participated in the STEM Robotics Challenge, and the teams from Ocean Lakes ES finished in first, second, and third place. In 2021 we had two teams participate in the VBCPS STEM Robotics Challenge CoderZ League and our teams finished in first and second place. Parent and volunteer support has been instrumental in making this success possible! Thank you!

Eligibility and Restrictions

Grades 4 and 5 only. Students who are accepted may not participate in other limited-access clubs/organizations or those with schedule conflicts, including STEM Makerbot and the morning announcements team. Safety Patrols and SCA officers are eligible for the STEM Robotics Club.

How to Join the STEM Robotics Club

Applications are available beginning in late September. Membership is limited to 12 fourth and fifth graders based on academics, attendance, essay, and teacher recommendations. Please see Mr. Peake for an application. Online applications are NOT available.

Commitment

Meetings are held weekly from 2:45 - 4:30 PM from mid-October through early June, except when there are school holidays or adjusted dismissal. Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled meetings. All club members are expected to participate in the STEM Robotics Challenge, which typically takes place the first Thursday in June. All club meetings are posted on the Ocean Lakes ES Activity Calendar.

Point of Contact: Reed Matthews

Eligibility

Open to all students in grade 5. String students may participate in any extra-curricular club that does not conflict with string class.

Commitment

String orchestra is a year-long commitment (September - June). Instruments and books are not provided. Classes meet once a week during PE. Students are expected to participate in public performances several times a year.

Point of Contact: Ashley Natoli

Description

Interested in helping Ocean Lakes ES be a better school? Get involved with the SCA! Students may serve as an officer (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, or historian) or as a homeroom representative.

Eligibility

SCA officers must be in grades 4 or 5. There are no restrictions regarding membership in other clubs/organizations.

How to Join the SCA

Applications are typically available in early September, with candidate speeches and balloting taking place in late September or early October. See Mrs. Pick for an application.

Point of Contact: Ashley Natoli

Description

Student Hosts welcome new students throughout the school year to our Ocean Lakes Elementary family. Training will be given the first week of school. Students will take new students on a tour of the building, introduce students to the faculty and staff, and eat lunch with them for one week. The hosts are responsible to let the school counselor know if a student is having difficulties transitioning. On occasion, they will assist the teacher prepare for the new student by getting supplies and desk ready for their arrival.

Eligibility

Open to all students in grades 1 through 5. There are no restrictions regarding membership in other clubs/organizations.

How to become a Student Host

Students are selected by school counselor based on the following criteria: Students are responsible citizens who make and maintain friends. They are respectful towards their peers as well as the faculty and staff.

Commitment

Being a Student Host is a year-long commitment (September - June).