Ox Ridge School
April 25, 2021
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Monday, April 26th
- Earth Week In-Class Enrichment: Recycling
Tuesday, April 27th
- Earth Week In-Class Enrichment: Water & Air Pollution
Wednesday, April 28th
- Earth Week In-Class Enrichment: Climate Change
Thursday, April 29th
- Earth Week In-Class Enrichment: Composting
Friday, April 30th
- Earth Week In-Class Enrichment: Renewable Energy
- Last Day to Submit Photos for Restore Our Earth Challenge (details below)
Monday, May 3rd
- Last day to register for 14-Day Racial Equity & Social Justice Educational Challenge (details below)
Monday, May 3rd - Friday, May 7th
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK |
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Hi All,
Looking forward to seeing everyone back in person on Monday! A reminder to please bring in all of your belongings, technology etc. back to school. Also a reminder that when we return together next week, we'll be using our picnic areas for outdoor dining for students. We have tables and outdoor seating available for most students, but your help in providing blankets / towels for your child to enjoy some fresh air with friends is appreciated. Thanks to our PTO for the additional blankets and faculty picnic tables!
Thanks to the Darien High School History club – Ox Ridge school will contribute construction and planning drawings of our school construction to the town time capsule! The town of Darien is celebrating its 200th birthday and our own DHS history club, lead by some outstanding Ox Ridge alumn, is leading the charge in filling the capsule with items that capture school life in 2021.
Thanks,
Luke
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Dear Ox Ridge Parents,
Thank you to all of the 5th grade students and parent chaperones who helped clean up Weed Beach on Saturday, in recognition of Earth Week! We have a robust itinerary of Earth Week activities this week (rescheduled from last week, due to remote learning), including daily environmental topics, environmental videos, and books on the environment donated to the classrooms from the PTO. Please see the Earth Week blurb under Ox Ridge News below for more detailed information. Thank you to our Green Team chair Christina Kreuz for orchestrating all of these fantastic ways to educate our students on the Earth's vulnerability and for motivating our students and families to be more proactive about preserving the Earth and its essential resources. Don’t forget to email a photo of you/your family doing your part to Restore Our Earth (details below)!
In other news, we are excited to announce that with the support of District Administration and CDSP, all of Darien's PTOs now have the opportunity to invite their schools' parents to participate in the YWCA’s 14-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Educational Challenge. The Challenge was available to the entire Darien community at the end of February, and approximately 400 individuals signed up. We are hoping there will also be a high level of participation from DPS (particularly Ox Ridge) parents! See details in Ox Ridge News below.
Finally, we would like to share with you the three donations our PTO has made this year to local non-profit organizations that provide in-school enrichment opportunities for students and/or their parents within the Darien school system. Here are the donations, with a brief description of how each non-profit serves our community:
1. Music for Youth ($350): Music for Youth has representatives from each Darien school. The organization supports the thematic unity of the Darien Music Department’s yearly program and allows the district to bring in professional artists and educators to the schools. A recent example is the Beethoven Poster Contest that took place this past winter. MFY is a tangible way for donations to directly impact students’ classroom experiences and give them access to excellence in the arts.
2. YWCA Darien/Norwalk Parent Awareness ($400): YWCA Darien/Norwalk Parent Awareness is a family-focused program that provides support and education to parents and children in order to encourage the healthy, positive development of youth and families. They work closely with our Parent Awareness Committee, with representation from each of the schools and community partners to offer a broad range of programming. As a non-profit organization, they rely on community support to provide this programming.
3. Darien Foundation ($250): Since its founding in 1998, the Foundation has awarded over $4.7 million in grants – and over $1.4 million to Darien Public Schools.
We hope everyone has a great week!
Kindly,
Ashley & Beth
PTO Co-Chairs
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Ashley Hinchman
(804) 405-4750
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Beth Morgan
(917) 679-9018
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Happy Birthday to the following Ox Ridge Staff!
April 29th
Jen Fischer (3rd Grade Teacher)
May 1st
Brianne Schneider (Occupational Therapist)
Judy Lasko (Kitchen Manager)
May 2nd
Rowan Whitesell (Music Teacher - Strings)
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EARTH WEEK 2021: RESTORE OUR EARTH APRIL 26-30
Happy (belated) Earth week! We are excited to celebrate Earth Week now that we are back to in-person schooling! Below is a detailed list of the fun, fantastic, and eco-friendly activities the students will be participating in:
- Daily environmental topics including recycling, water and air pollution, climate change, composting and renewable energy.
- Daily videos on each environmental topic, including a special video on composting created specifically for Ox Ridge by The Darien Nature Center.
- Environmental facts read by 5th graders during morning announcements
- For grades ELP-2, the PTO gifted each classroom the book “Dear Earth…From Your Friends in Room 5” by Isabel Otter. Teachers may read this to their classes during the week.
- For grades 3-5, the PTO gifted a selection of 10 books on the environment to the library for students to read at their convenience.
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An enrichment packet with additional information can be found HERE. This packet also includes three green activities for students to do at home, including a composting experiment, a bee bath project, and a bird feeder craft. Special thanks to The Darien Nature Center for providing these activities.
- 5th graders have been learning about commercial composting in conjunction with Darien's Food Scrap Recycling program, and will be selling composting kits from the Town for families to purchase. Each 5th grade classroom also received a composting kit to use at school.
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Restore Our Earth Challenge—in recognition of this year’s Earth Day theme (“Restore Our Earth”), we are challenging all Ox Ridge students to take action to do their part to make a difference. From April 19-30, students are encouraged to do at least one thing that helps Restore Our Earth (e.g. recycling, up-cycling, planting seeds, composting, picking up litter). Please send a photo of you/your family doing your part to Restore Our Earth to [email protected].
A special thanks to all the 5th grade students and parent chaperones who participated in the Weed Beach Clean Up on Saturday, April 24th!
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DARIEN FOOD SCRAP RECYCLING PROGRAM
Ox Ridge 5th Graders have been learning about composting and participating in Darien's Food Scrap Recycling Program. Students watched a video from Carolyn Bayne of the Advisory Committee on Sustainability. Each class continues to collect food scraps from their lunches everyday, which will be taken to the Town's Recycling Center and commercially recycled. Keeping food scraps out of our garbage, makes our waste disposal more efficient and turns food scraps back into beneficial organic matter. To start recycling food scraps at home, sign up to purchase a starter composting kit from the Town here. For more information about the program, please see this easy, one page guide. We hope many Ox Ridge families will join our 5th Graders as they lead us in this important environmental change for the better!
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14-DAY RACIAL EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE
Ox Ridge (along with the other Darien schools) is excited to announce the opportunity for members of our school community to participate in the YWCA 14-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Educational Challenge beginning Tuesday, May 4th! The 14-Day Challenge is a program in which participants receive daily emails. The emails are succinct and invite the participant to reflect on various topics such as race and how it is covered in the media, equity versus equality, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation. Participants are then invited to delve deeper for optional 5, 10, or 20-minute follow-on activities.
We encourage you to invite others in our school community to join in this journey by forwarding them the registration link. Although this is a personal exercise, you can read through the daily emails with members of your family, or establish your own groups with friends or colleagues to share your experience and explore together.
Registration for the Challenge will close on Monday, May 3rd. Please click here for additional information and to register. Many thanks to Byrne Pozzi, Jenn Sherman, and the YWCA for leading this project!
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PUBLIC HEARING ON DPS FACILITIES, THURS, APRIL 29 AT 7 PM
For all those interested in listening in on and/or participating in the Special Meeting of the Board of Education that will include a public hearing on proposed renovation plans for Hindley, Holmes, and Royle Elementary Schools (including the potential elimination of portables), please see agenda and remote login instructions here.
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BOARD OF EDUCATION 2021-2022 UPDATE
On Tuesday, April 6, the Board of Finance approved the 2021-22 Board of Education budget without making any alterations to what was proposed. The next step in the process is that the full town budget will be voted on by the RTM on May 10th. As a reminder, the RTM can reduce the operating budget by a specific dollar amount and/or cut specific capital items. We will continue to monitor the process and provide any relevant updates to the parent community.
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You can find a copy of the Spring Newsletter HERE as well as a link to the published web page with updated health information.
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In a recent NYTimes article, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, the director of contemplative practices and well-being at the Fish Interfaith Center in California, explains that happiness is more of a daily practice than anything else. He suggests specific strategies to help boost families’ sense of wellbeing in difficult times. One suggestion? Be grateful and kind. Brainstorm with your children who they know who might appreciate an act of kindness right now. Whether it’s surprising a neighbor with cookies or flowers or even paying for the car behind you at Starbucks- practice a family act of kindness this week and talk about what you learned or experienced along the way.
Talk early, talk often. Thriving Youth/The Community Fund of Darien
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DHS ADOPT-A-SENIOR AND SPREAD SOME LOVE FOR THE CLASS OF 2021
Looking for a fun, creative and caring activity that your family can do together? The Darien High School Parent Association (DHSPA) invites you to participate in their Adopt-a-Darien High School Senior program and brighten a graduate’s day!
The program offers an opportunity for our younger Darien school students and families to show support for members of the DHS Class of 2021. Families who wish to participate are asked to drop off a homemade card or sign, a flower from their yard, or a small token at the senior’s home anytime during the week of Monday, May 24 through Friday, May 28.
To participate, please click on the following Google form: Adopt-a-DHS Senior - Family Form by Wednesday, May 5th. You will be notified via email the week of May 10th with your student’s name, address for delivery and interests/plans for next year to help you create a personal card or message.
Please note that this project is based on a first-come, first-served basis and families and DHS seniors will be randomly matched. To ensure fairness among all participants and to make certain that every DHS senior is adopted, we cannot grant requests for specific seniors.
For student privacy reasons, Adopt-a-DHS-Senior is only open to families with children in the Darien school system; please do not share or repost the form or program details to social media accounts (Moms of Darien, local sports teams, etc.) or to individuals outside the Darien school system.
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YWCA DARIEN/NORWALK
The YWCA Darien/Norwalk is launching an Essay + Poster Art + Poetry Youth Contest with monetary prizes as an element of the 15th Annual YWCA National STAND AGAINST RACISM campaign. The contest will provide Darien and Norwalk students in grades 6 - 12 an outlet to explore the prompt #How I Take A Stand Against Racism. Students should reflect on what they are seeing in the world around them, within the context of local and national events, and demonstrate through their creativity how they can take action and have an impact. Prizes will be awarded in each category: Essay |Poster Art |Poetry. Submissions are due May 15, 2021. For contest rules and more information, visit www.ywcadn.org/youthcontest.
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BLOOMS FOR CAMPERS - OPUS PERSON-TO-PERSON FUNDRAISER
Blooms for Campers officially launched on April 12th and is off and running. OPUS’ beloved Balloon Day is now Blooms for Campers. It’s the same incredible fundraiser (raising funds to send children from financially fragile families to summer camp, at no cost) with an earth friendly spin. Green has become the new red!
This year, in lieu of a red balloon, on Saturday, May 1st (the last day of the fundraiser), OPUS volunteers and their children will tie red burlap ribbons on donors’ mailboxes and storefronts throughout town. All donors will also receive wildflower seed packets, as a symbol of gratitude for supporting the Person-to-Person Campership Program. Blooms for balloons!
Please consider donating to Blooms for Campers to provide a safe and carefree summer to these children. This year more than ever, there is a tremendous need in the community for Person-to-Person’s Campership Program! The demand is extremely high as families are eager to secure summer experiences for their children, and remain in the workforce. Maintaining employment and increasing opportunities for social and emotional learning are critical in this crucial time. To donate to Blooms for Campers and help sprinkle a bit of magic on these children’s lives visit our website:
Interested in volunteering to help with the Blooms for Campers campaign? We are looking for volunteers to tie eco-friendly red bows along with wildflower seed packets to the mailboxes of Blooms for Campers donors on Saturday, May 1st. Participants will be given a number of addresses to distribute these gifts around Darien, Rowayton & New Canaan. This gratifying activity will last around 45 minutes between the hours of 8:30am - 11:00am. Bring your children along for this rewarding experience and help us to make the future bloom for the children of the P2P Campership Program! Sign-up for your time slot by clicking here.
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SAVE THE DATE: TICKET SALES FOR OPUS'S VIRTUAL SUMMER SOIREE 2021
Don’t miss your chance to take part in the party that you so very much deserve, without the risk associated with an in-person gathering.
On Thursday, May 20th - Saturday, May 22nd, we will be offering dinner and drinks for two delivered to your doorstep. Each night will have a unique menu from a different partner - South End, Uncorked/The Back End, and Lisa Clarke of Soirée CT, a private catering company that specializes in healthy and wholesome home cooking.
Net proceeds will support OPUS's "Baby Basics" program (in which layettes are given to new moms in need referred to Person-to-Person by hospital social workers) and provide emergency assistance to individuals and families in need in Lower Fairfield County via Person-to-Person.
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YWCA PARENT AWARENESS PRESENTS: WHAT EVERY GUY NEEDS TO KNOW
Monday, May 3rd, 6:30 - 8:00 PM Zoom YWCA Parent Awareness Presents: WHAT EVERY GUY NEEDS TO KNOW with Todd Palker, M.D. of New England Pediatrics. A straightforward presentation about the physical and emotional changes of puberty. Dr. Palker will help teach your son what to expect in the future. This is NOT a sex talk - it is a starting point for future discussions about your son’s changing body. The program is intended for 5th and 6th graders to attend with their father or caregiver. Registration is required.
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DARIEN JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE (DJFL) REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Welcome to the Darien Junior Football League’s (DJFL) 2021 season. We are looking forward to another fun, exciting and safe year. The DJFL program runs in the Fall and consists of tackle football (grades 4-8), modified travel flag football (grades 3-4) and flag football (grades 1-3). DJFL registration period opened on April 1 and will remain open through July 31st. Register before May 15th and save $100. Go to DJFL.org to register now and learn more about our youth football programs!
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DARIEN SCOUTS SEEKING DONATIONS FOR ONLINE MEGA-AUCTION!
The Darien Scouts tag sale is now online at www.auctionninja.com/darien-scouts/ ! The Darien Scouts Online Mega-Auction consists of multiple auctions featuring furniture, art, decor, antiques, toys, rugs, lamps, lawn & garden items, electronics, and more! Visit often, new items are added regularly and bidding starts at $1! The Darien Scouts Mega-Auction will run through May 6 and all proceeds go to support the Darien Scouting program, building young leaders and serving the local community. Thank you for your support!
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EDITORS NOTE:
OX RIDGE HOOT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
The Ox Ridge Hoot is emailed every Sunday during the school year. The deadline for submission is Thursday at noon. Please send your submission to [email protected] with the text of your e-mail, single spaced and left adjusted (NO FORMATTING!), with "Ox Ridge Hoot Submission" in the subject line.
"Community News" information/events will run for a maximum of two consecutive Hoot editions. Please time your submissions accordingly.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR DECLINE ALL SUBMISSIONS.
See what's happening on our social media sites:
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