Home

Principal's Message

Dear Red Oak Elementary Families,

I’m excited to begin my second year as principal and my fourth year at Red Oak. We strive to empower students to develop a love for learning and compassion in a safe, inclusive community. I see this mission come to life every day—in our classrooms and out at specials, snack, lunch, and recess. Our staff and greater community care deeply about our students' well-being and growth. That shared commitment is what makes Red Oak a place where students thrive and make meaningful progress each year. It’s inspiring to watch their growth from the start of the school year on.

As a TK–5 elementary school, we focus on the whole child. Our students are challenged each day with a rigorous academic curriculum taught by highly qualified educators. At the same time, we are explicitly teaching social and emotional skills to help them build resilience and problem-solving strategies. Through the support of our staff and our robust Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), students make individual progress and work toward meeting or exceeding grade-level standards. This work shows in our state test scores year after year.

Our strong sense of community is made even stronger by the active involvement of our families. We encourage you to join us for events like Trunk or Treat and the family dance, and to volunteer as room parents, library story readers and classroom helpers. You’re also invited to get involved by visiting the Red Oak PFA (Parent Faculty Association) website to donate to the Give to Grow Fund and the Oak Park Education Foundation (OPEF). All donations are optional and go toward funding a PE aide, educational software (IXL, Reflex, BrainPop), art classes, and more. Thank you for supporting our school!

We hope this handbook helps you and your children understand the practices that make Red Oak such a special place to learn and grow. Please take a moment to review it.

Together, we’ll continue to build on our tradition of excellence. Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education. I’m looking forward to a fantastic year with our rattlers!

Warmly,

Jackie Longo
Principal, Red Oak Elementary School