KINDNESS WEEK IS HERE!

The students will be participating in various activities this week to learn the 6 core Kindness Concepts:

1. Respect - Treating people, places, and things with kindness

2. Caring - Feeling and showing concern for others

3. Inclusiveness - Including others, inviting them in, and welcoming them with open arms

4. Integrity - Acting in a way you know to be right and kind in all situations

5. Responsibility - Being reliable to do the things that are expected or required of you

6. Courage - Being brave when facing new or difficult circumstances

Please have a look at this calendar of the week's activities to make sure your kids come to school ready to spread some kindness. Kindness t-shirts will be delivered to your child's class - we will try to have them sent home on Tuesday and the kids should wear them to school on Wednesday. If the delivery of t-shirts is delayed, teachers will hand them out on Wednesday for the kids to change into or wear over their school clothes.

HOOTIE HOEDOWN FUNDRAISER TICKETS NOW ON SALE! 

Saddle up Ox Ridge parents! Tickets are now on sale for the Hootie Hoedown fundraiser benefiting the Ox Ridge PTO, on Saturday, March 11, from 7-11pm at Wee Burn Country Club. Enjoy appetizers, BBQ bites, drinks, dancing, outdoor fire pits and exciting raffles! Ride sharing and western attire are encouraged (but please, no ripped jeans!). Tickets ($130pp) are now on sale here. Deadline to purchase is March 3rd! 

The PTO is organizing a chance auction as a fun way to raise money to continue to support our PTO efforts. The PTO is calling on our Ox Ridge parents to donate any items that could be packaged and auctioned. Do you or someone you know work for a great company or provide a valuable service? - Get creative with your connections! Your generosity is so greatly appreciated!

Donation themes (examples, but not limited to):

• Sports theme (tickets to a professional game)
• Concert ticket (box seats)
• Summer cottage for a weekend
• Weekend at an Inn
• Experience package (combine different gift cards from stores/businesses into a basket) - social, wellness, culinary, etc. for kids or adults.
• 
  

Kindly email the Auction Committee members, Annie Epperly, Suzanne Anderson, and Christy Menzies if you have any items you would like to donate for auction. Thank you in advance for your attention - we look forward to making this a success!

AUTHOR VISIT 

Jennifer Swanson, author of over 45 nonfiction books for children, will visit Ox Ridge on March 7 & 8. Ms. Swanson's books are largely focused on science and technology and have received many awards including the National Science Teaching Association's Best STEM Books Award.

Programs were specifically identified for each grade as follows: 

Grades K - 1: Astronaut of Aquanaut? 

Students will learn what astronauts and aquanauts do through pictures, activities and reading.

Grades 2 - 3: Beasty Bionics

During this interactive session, students will brainstorm ideas for how to turn animals into robots. 

Grades 4 - 5: Brain Games

This interactive program focuses on the brain and will help students understand the supercomputer housed inside their head.

Please click here to purchase books in advance of Ms. Swanson's visit. 

NEW OFFERINGS AT THE DARIEN MUSEUM OF ART

DARIEN ARTS CENTER Register for all classes and purchase event tickets at darienarts.org. The Darien Arts Center is located at 2 Renshaw Rd, behind Town Hall. For questions, call (203) 655-8683.

NEW ART FROM LIFE - A drawing and painting class for Grades 3-6: Explore still life, animals, portraits and more, using live human and dog models as subject matter and a variety of media to create works of art! Students will learn fun techniques and ways of looking at real life subjects. Thursdays, March 2-May 4, from 4-5:30pm. $345. 

NEW TINY DANCERS SUMMER CAMP - For ages 3-6. Each day, ballet class will be followed by a dance-related craft, ballet storytime, and end in a rhythm class. This 2-week dance camp culminates in an in-studio performance at the end of the final day. Mon.-Thurs., June 19-June 29, from noon-3pm. $480. (Also available in single week options that do not include participation in final performance. For single week registrations, please email dacadmin@darienarts.org.)

NEWLY ADDED CREATIVE WRITING CLASS, For Grades 6-8. Students will learn to express themselves through the written word. Classes will cover where to begin putting together a story, and how to share an experience or feeling with creative writing exercises. Different writing styles will be discussed and explained with examples of notable literature. (Find this class under the Visual Arts tab or on Home Page).Thursdays, Mar. 19-April 20, 3:30-4:30pm. $200.

NEWLY ADDED ACRYLIC POURS SIP & POUR WORKSHOP, For Adults. Explore the techniques of this liquid painting method and be amazed at the beautiful abstract paintings you can create without any painting experience. Each person will work on two canvases, using a different pour technique for each. BYO wine or refreshments. Friday, March 3, 7-9pm. $65.

YWCA PARENT AWARENESS

YWCA Parent Awareness and COFFI Present "They Said What!!?? Talking with Kids about Race and Other Hard Topics" with Liz Dempsey Lee, PhD, Wednesday, February 15th, 10 am at the Darien YWCA, 49 Old Kings Highway North. As parents, we want to encourage a diverse, inclusive community for our children, but we might not always know how to answer their questions about race, gender, equity and other hard topics. Join YWCA Parent Awareness and educator Liz Dempsey Lee for an open and honest discussion to learn how to naturally weave conversations into your parenting, model making and addressing mistakes, and what to do when things go awry. Event is free, but space is limited - register now.

DARIEN SOFTBALL

Spring is just around the corner! If you haven't already, please consider registering your daughter for softball! It's a great way to learn the fundamentals of the sport, make friends, and have tons of fun.

If you have any questions about the program, or softball generally, please do not hesitate to contact Chris Maduri. He runs the Darien House softball program and is very excited for this upcoming season! Please see the DLL registration links below.

LINKS TO REGISTER

• NEW players
• RETURNING players

THE DEPOT'S 80s AFTER DARK

Back by popular demand, The Depot Youth Center’s annual fundraiser returns with a 1980’s-themed party headlined by New York City-based cover band, Rubix Kube. Tickets are now available for The Depot’s 80's After Dark, which is 21+ and will take place at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Woodway Country Club. Billed as “The hottest ticket in town” last year’s benefit sold out, so get yours today: TICKETS

DARIEN PARKS & REC VACATION CAMP

The Darien Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce that registration for 2023 spring & summer programs, as well as the sale of 2023 beach permits, will begin on Wednesday, March 1st online, in-person in Room 110 of the Darien Town Hall or through the mail. Program offerings are currently available to view online. The 2023 spring and summer brochure will be mailed out to all Darien residents the week of February 20th.

February Vacation Camp 

The Parks and Recreation Department and Overtime Athletics have joined forces to bring this fun-filled camp to the youth of Darien on Friday, February 17th and Tuesday, February 21st – Friday, February 24th. Parents have the choice of registering for all five days from 9 AM – 4 PM for $290, 9 AM – Noon for $160 or daily from 9 AM – 4 PM for $65/day.

This exciting variety sports camp for children ages 5 – 12 includes instruction in the fundamentals of traditional sports such as basketball and soccer as well as utilizing Overtime Athletics signature curriculum incorporating non-traditional sports such as kickball, relay races, and cooperative games. The camp will be held at the Darien Town Hall. Full-day participants should bring lunch each day. For more information or to register, please visit February Vacation Camp. Please reach out to us with any questions at parkrec@darienct.gov or 203-656-7325.

DARIEN YOUTH COMMISSION'S SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM REGISTRATION BEGINS ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 13TH

The Darien Youth Commission's Summer Camp registration will start on Monday, February 13^th . Registration forms will be posted on the DYC's Website. (Online Registration will be live starting on Monday, February 13^th and Non-Resident Registration on Monday, April 24th). There will again be three grade-level programs, all operating out of Tokeneke School however the names have changed and are as follows.

Camp Stony Brook: (Students who have successfully completed Kindergarten, and are entering Grade 1)

Camp Settlers: (Students who have successfully completed Grades 1&2 and are entering Grade 2&3)

Camp Mather: (Students who have successfully completed Grades 3,4,5 and are entering Grade 4,5,6)

Sumer camp dates are Monday June 19^th - Friday, July 28^th (Three Two-Week Sessions). Frequently Asked Questions regarding pricing, program content and registration information is currently on the DYC website underneath the Summer Camp Section at DarienCT.gov/YC.

DARIEN YOUNG COMPOSERS & SONGWRITERS CONCERT

Attention Young Composers and Songwriters: Submit an original song for the 2023 Young Composers and Songwriters Concert! Click here for the application. The deadline to submit your composition is Friday, March 3rd. 

The Music Department of the Darien Public Schools will be sponsoring the 22nd annual concert on Wednesday, March 29th at 6:30pm in the Darien High School Auditorium. This program is open to all students currently enrolled in the Darien Public Schools. It is a great opportunity for students to compose their own original music and share it with an audience.