HOOTIE HOEDOWN FUNDRAISER: FINAL CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS!

LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS! The Hootie Hoedown fundraiser is less than one week away on Saturday, March 11, from 7-11pm at Wee Burn Country Club (410 Hollow Tree Ridge Road)! If you haven't purchased your tickets yet, this is the last day to buy tickets HERE. TICKETS WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR!  This will be a fun night to gather with our Ox parents in support of the Ox Ridge PTO! Enjoy appetizers, BBQ bites, drinks, dancing, outdoor fire pits and exciting raffles! Ride sharing and western attire are encouraged (but please, no ripped jeans!).

DARIEN AFTER SCHOOL

Please share ideas and suggestions for a class! Spring Session is just around the corner, and the best way for us to bring the greatest After School Program to your school is to hear from YOU and YOUR CHILDREN! Email or call 888.212.3837

SPRING BOOK FAIR

The Ox Ridge Spring Book Fair “Enchanted Book Fair” runs March 27-29th.  Family Nights are Monday (27th) & Tuesday (28th) from 5-7pm (those needing a quieter shopping experience may enter at 4:30).

Click here to set up your child's eWallet and keep your eyes on the Hoot for more information about volunteer opportunities. 

OX ROCKS - PLEASE NOTE CHANGES

Ox REALLY Rocks! A total of 115 students signed up for a total of 64 performances (28 individual and 36 group performances). We are blown away by the overwhelming interest, but unfortunately cannot accommodate this many acts. After speaking with production crews and exhausting every possible option, we were faced with the heartbreaking decision to shift 3rd graders out of the live show, and only have 4th and 5th graders performing live. We know how hard many of these 3rd graders have worked, so we are coming up with creative solutions to make them feel included and special. Additionally, we are having to make a few other changes: each act must be a maximum of 60 seconds and each student may only participate in one act. Please contact Oxrocks2023@gmail.com should you have any questions or concerns. We are so excited about our first annual talent show to celebrate and showcase the diverse talents and interests of the Ox Ridge Students. 

ATTN 4TH and 5TH GRADERS - SHOW US YOUR TALENT WITHOUT GOING ON STAGE!!

The Ox Rocks Talent Show Committee recognizes that there are many talented students that might not be able to showcase their talent on stage (i.e. painter or builder) or might not want to perform "live." We are collecting photos of 4th and 5th graders alongside their "talent." Examples include photography, sculpture, painting, drawing...or maybe your child is a great chef!? Or a poet!? Or incredible Lego creator!? In an effort to be true to the Ox Rocks goal of celebrating the diverse talents of all our students, we want to give another option for contributing to the show. Please upload a picture of your child holding/presenting their "talent" onto the Ox Rocks Google Drive HERE by Sunday, March 19th. Please name the file to include your child's name, grade (4th or 5th) and description of talent. All submissions will be shown in a video montage at the Talent Show.  Questions? Contact Mary Elizabeth Garvey

YEARBOOKS NOW ON SALE!

Yearbooks for the 2022 - 2023 school year are now on sale! Click this link to place an order. Each yearbook is $24 with options to personalize. If you are ordering multiple yearbooks for each of your children, please fill out their names, grade and homeroom teacher individually, adding each yearbook to the cart one at a time. If you are ordering one yearbook for your children to share, please enter the name, grade and homeroom teacher of the child who should receive the yearbook. Yearbooks will be distributed to students during the last week of school. Questions? Contact Natalie Gould. Please contact Dr. Luke Forshaw for more information about financial assistance.

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 or Aquanaut? 

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

Grades 2 - 3: Beastly 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.

ROCK YOUR SOCKS DAY - WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY ON 3/21

World Down Syndrome Day is Tuesday, March 21st (3/21), a day selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which leads to Down syndrome. We invite all students to wear bold, brightly colored, mismatched socks! Doing so allows us to celebrate all of the wonderful things about people with Down syndrome while also advocating for their rights, inclusion and well-being. We can't wait to see how our Ox Ridge community rocks their socks!

WHAT TEENS WISH ADULTS KNEW

Last November, the Thriving Youth Task Force held a solutions-focused listening session with 30 Darien 10th-12th graders - the “Darien Youth Community Conversation” - about what they wish adults in their families, community, and schools knew about life as a Darien teen. On Tuesday, March 7th at 7pm at the Darien Library, several of the students will share their takeaways to help us better understand their perspective! A panel of experts who specialize in children & adolescents will also provide their insights about positive changes we can all make and strategies to build strong & healthy relationships with teens: Rebecca Campbell, LCSW and Director of Therapy Services for Sasco River Center; psychologist Dr. Tara Levinson, who has a private practice in Westport; and Tracey Masella, LCSW, who has a private practice in Wilton, works in association with Silver Hill Hospital, and is the Clinical Director of The Krasner Adolescent Institute. Register HERE.

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 DATES: DANCE IS IN THE AIR, an all-new varied program from East Coast Contemporary Ballet. The evening of dance features four neoclassical and contemporary love duets and an original and fresh world premiere. Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18th at 7:30pm Tickets are $35.

DAC Summer Camps: Mon.-Thurs., 1-4 week options | $285 per week | For Preschool-Kindergarten:10am-12:30pm, June 5-June 29 | For Grades 1-3: 10am-1pm, July 3-July 27. Campers will have art class followed by music and creative movement to release energy, develop physical skills, and promote self-expression! Each art class will introduce different art forms, using different materials, and at the end of each week the campers will have different projects to take home.

Tiny Dancers Camp: Grades K-2 | Mon.-Thurs., June 19-29, 12-3pm | $480. (1 week option available.) A joyful summer experience! Each day ballet class is followed by a dance-related craft, ballet story time and a Rhythm class. An in-studio performance will take place on the final day of the second week.

Summer Dance Intensives: Mon.-Fri. | Intermediate for Grades 3-8: June 17-July 28, 1:30-4:30pm. $600. Advanced for Grades 9-12: Aug. 8-18, 12-4pm. $800. Dancers will train in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary. Intensives culminate in an in-studio performance on the last day.

Summer Dance Classes: Dance Beginnings for Preschoolers, Mon., July 10-Aug 7, 12:15-1pm. $160. Pre-Ballet for Preschool-Grade 1, Wed., July 12-Aug 9, 11-11:45am. $160. Ballet 1 for Grades 1-2, Wed, July 12-Aug 9, 12-12:45pm. $160. Open Ballet Class for Adults/Teens, Mon and/or Thurs, June 12-Aug 24, 10-11:30am. $200 or $25 drop-in.

DARIEN YOUNG COMPOSERS & SONGWRITERS CONCERT

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.

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 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