Ox Ridge School
February 7, 2021
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Wednesday, February 10th
- Ok2Delay Zoom re "The Social Dilemma" 8:00 PM
Thurs, February 11th
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Ox Ridge Building Committee Meeting 10am (click here for agenda and details on how to join remotely)
Friday, February 12th
- No school - Professional Development Day
Monday, February 15th - Friday, February 19th
- No school - Presidents' Day & February Break
Wednesday, February 24th
- Author Visit with Alicia D. Williams (ELP & grades K-3) 9:30 AM
Thursday, February 25th
- Author Visit with Jerry Craft (grades 4-5) 9:30 AM
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BOARD OF EDUCATION'S BUDGET CALENDAR
Tuesday, February 9th at 7:30pm - Regular Board of Ed Meeting
- Approval of 2021-2022 Board of Education Budget
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK |
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Hi All,
This week, I want to amplify the great work of our district literacy and math teams by encouraging you to take some time to read their newsletters!
All of the ideas and resources described in these newsletter will most certainly help you gain a deeper understanding of what your child is learning in reading, writing and math. Enjoy!
Thanks,
Luke
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Dear Ox Ridge Parents,
We hope everyone had a nice weekend. The Darien Board of Education will vote on Superintendent Dr. Addley’s proposed 2021-2022 education budget this Tuesday, February 9 at 7:30pm. There will be public comment at the beginning of the meeting so anyone wishing to comment publicly on the budget may do so. Please note this is the final opportunity for the public to comment on anything in the proposed education budget. Full agenda and details are included below.
The Ox Ridge Building Committee will also hold a public meeting this Thursday, February 10 at 10:00am. All are welcome to attend.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. Have 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!
Feb 9 - Nancy Dineen (1st Grade Teacher)
Feb 10 - Michael Lamphier (Custodian)
Feb 11 - Stephanie Frawley (2nd Grade Teacher)
Feb 12 - Cheryl Viesto (Paraeducator)
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LAST CHANCE TO COMMENT ON 2021-2022 PROPOSED BUDGET!
This Tuesday, February 9th, at 7:30 pm, the Board of Education will vote on Superintendent Dr. Addley’s proposed 2021-2022 budget. There will be public comment at the beginning of the meeting. This is the last opportunity for the public to comment on anything in the proposed budget. Please see agenda and details for joining the meeting here (you must join via Zoom and click on “Raise Hand” at the bottom of the screen under the Participants or Reactions tab if you would like to speak in public comment).
On January 26th, the Board put together their add/cut list to signal to the community what items in the proposed budget they are looking to add or cut. The replacement of the SESS (Special Education Student Services) Facilitator with a Special Education Assistant Principal at all of the elementary schools was not on this list. However, at the BOE Public Hearing last Tuesday night, a Board member added it to the cut list, based on public comment by SEPAC in the beginning of the meeting. Because this cut was added late in the process, community members may not have been on alert that it was something to advocate for at the Public Hearing last Tuesday night. If interested in this issue, you may watch the replay from last Tuesday’s BOE Public Hearing in the YouTube link here. BOE conversation starts at 1:58:30 and goes until 2:26:30. SEPAC’s public comment against the change begins around 49:29. You can watch the District's presentation on transitioning from SE Facilitator to AP (given by Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services, Shirley Klein) beginning at 1:46:30 in the January 12th YouTube here.
Other items in the proposed budget to be voted on Tuesday night are replacing 1 full-time paraprofessional aide with 2 part-time lunch monitors at the elementary level and the potential for reducing “budget control” (budget tool created by the district to allow for the hiring of a full-time teacher in the event that enrollment for any grade should tip over the recommended cap).
Public comment on Tuesday night is your opportunity to speak up about any of these items. Alternatively to speaking during public comment, you may email your comments/concerns on anything in the proposed budget to Dr. Addley and the BOE members at the emails below before Tuesday night:
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JOIN THE OX RIDGE PTO
The Ox Ridge PTO is looking for volunteers for the 2021-22 school year and there are many opportunities to get involved! Whether you are a working parent or a stay at home mom or dad, there are positions available to work with your schedule. Details can be found on the PTO website at: http://oxridgepto.com/pto-job-descriptions/
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LET'S KEEP TALKING! THE SOCIAL DILEMMA
After a successful town-wide viewing and Zoom discussion of the documentary film, The Social Dilemma, join us as we keep the dialogue going for our Ox Ridge community. This discussion will be led by OK2DELAY co-founders and Ox Ridge moms, Marty Hendrickson and Jacqueline Telgheder, and will focus more specifically on topics that are most relevant to our elementary age students. Helpful resources, solutions and ideas will be shared. We hope that you will join us on Wednesday February 10 at 8pm. To attend, please email us at [email protected] and we will send you the ZOOM link.
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CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY: UPCOMING AUTHOR VISITS
February is Black History Month and serves as a good time to reflect on historical events and celebrate the exceptional contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout our nation’s history. Thus, we are excited to welcome Newbery Honor-winning author Alicia D. Williams (for ELP and grades K-3) and New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Craft (for grades 4-5) who will “visit” the classrooms remotely to present books they have written in celebration of African American culture. Details below.
On Wednesday, February 24th, K-3 + ELP will meet with Alicia D. Williams, author of Genesis Begins Again, which received the Newbery and Kirkus Prize honors, was a William C. Morris prize finalist, and won the Coretta Scott King--John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Alicia D will be talking about her debut picture book biography, Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston and each child will be gifted a copy of this extraordinary book thanks to the generosity of the PTO.
On Thursday, February 25th, students in grades 4 and 5 will hear from Jerry Craft, New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal winning author of the graphic novel, New Kid. His second graphic novel, Class Act, was published in October 2020 and will be distributed to each student prior to the event. Craft is also the creator of Mama’s Boyz, an award-winning comic strip which won the African American Literary Award five times. He is a cofounder of the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts.
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KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Kindergarten Registration is happening online! To register your child, please go to www.darienps.org and select the "District Information" tab and then "Student Registration" to start the registration process.
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YEARBOOKS ON SALE NOW!
All yearbook sales will be online this year. Just click this link to place an order. The cost is $22 per yearbook. 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 at the end of the school year.
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SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR NEW PTO COMMITTEE ON DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Our PTO is excited to introduce a new committee dedicated to diversity and inclusion. This committee will brainstorm ways to create healthy discourse and education regarding diversity in our community and beyond, especially in light of current events that have caused division and deeply affected so many of us. The goal is to foster an atmosphere of inclusion, respect, and appreciation of differences. We are scheduling author visits to align with Black History Month (dates and details to come), are in the planning phases of an international passport event for the spring that will involve our students’ active participation, and are seeking speakers on diversity and inclusion for a PTO speaker series event, open to all Ox parents. However, we need volunteers! If you have any ideas and/or would like to be involved in this committee, please email Beth Morgan and Ashley Hinchman.
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INFORMATION FROM ALICIA CASUCCI, DIRECTOR OF NURSING SERVICES
IMPORTANT LINKS
If you receive positive COVID test results after school hours, please call 203.656.7440 to speak with a nurse.
Should I let my children go to a birthday party? What about holiday parties?
This is a difficult question, especially for the COVID weary! Any time we gather with those from outside our home, we are increasing our risk of being exposed to COVID-19 Unfortunately, many traditional birthday celebration and holiday parties can be high-risk for spreading viruses. As you make decisions about what activities you and your children can enjoy, remain vigilant about the mitigation strategies put in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as:
- Performing frequent hand hygiene
- Wear a mask whenever you are outside your home, especially when you are with people who you do not live with
- Maximize your distance from people who you do not live with, indoors or outdoors, 6 feet as feasible, especially when not wearing a mask
- Avoid high risk activities such as travel, large crowds, gatherings, parties, carpools
- Stay home if you are feeling ill, especially with a new onset cough, loss of taste or smell, fever, severe sore throat or headache
- Stay home if you have been exposed to anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Alicia V. Casucci, APRN, CPNP, NCSN
Director of Nursing Services
Darien Public Schools
203.655.3981 ext. 2304
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In Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg explore the theme of post-traumatic growth. They define trauma as “a seismic event that shakes our belief in a just world, robbing us of the sense that life is controllable, predictable, and meaningful.” Many have described the covid-19 pandemic as a collective trauma. The good news is this: we can work towards post-traumatic growth. Grant and Sandberg explain that post-traumatic growth can take five forms, “finding personal strength, gaining appreciation, forming deeper relationships, discovering more meaning in life, and seeing new possibilities.” What’s one area of post traumatic growth that you can focus on this week?
Talk early, talk often. Thriving Youth/Community Fund of Darien
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JOIN THE 14-DAY RACIAL EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGE
On Monday, February 22nd the YWCA Darien/Norwalk is launching our 14-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge. The Challenge asks participants to make daily time and space to build more effective social justice habits— particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege and leadership.
I am writing to ask for your participation in, and your support of, the challenge. Our goal is to have 300 participants and we hope you will help us by spreading the word.
Participants who sign up for the Challenge will receive daily emails from Monday, February 22nd through Sunday, March 7th. Each email will have a “challenge” designed to help foster understanding and awareness. Activities will range from reading an article, listening to a podcast, and reflecting on personal experiences.
This 14-Day Racial Equity & Social Justice Challenge was originally developed by Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. and Debby Irving and has been adapted by many organizations across the country. Our local challenge was brought to you by YWCA Spokane’s Racial and Social Justice Committee and prepared by the YWCA of Darien/Norwalk. We believe that participation in the challenge will help all of us discover ways in which racial inequity and social injustice impact our community, as well as help us connect with one another and identify ways to make progress towards dismantling racism and other forms of discrimination.
Are you up for the Challenge? To register: www.ywcadn.org/challenge
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REGISTER NOW: DARIEN YOUTH COMMISSION'S SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM
The Darien Youth Commission’s Summer Camp registration beings Monday, February 22!
FAQ regarding program development and registration information will be on the Youth Commission website (in the Summer Camp Programs section) by end of business February 11, 2021. There will again be three grade-level programs located at two sites this year: Camp Royle-1 students entering grade 1; Camp Royle-2/3 for students entering grades 2 & 3; Camp Mather (@ Holmes School) for students entering graders 4, 5 & 6. Summer camp dates are: June 21 – July 30 (new this year: three, two week session options). www.darienct.gov/yc
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DEADLINE APPROACHING: PIC DARIEN SMARTPHONE CONTEST
The Darien Arts Center’s 2021 Smartphone Photo Contest, PIC DARIEN: Images of Hope, Heroes and Home is accepting entries at darienarts.org through February 10th. The contest will benefit Health and Human Services of Darien & local judges will judge photo entries from both adults and children in 10 categories: Heroes, Hope & Happiness, Home & Holidays, Humor, Covid-19: The New Normal, Land & Sea, Nature & Floral, Food & Drink, Abstract & Architecture and Pets. The contest is open to all; there are no age restrictions and contestants are not required to live in Darien. To find out more, visit darienarts.org or call (203) 655-8683.
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ZOOM YWCA PARENT AWARENESS AND DVCC: HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS LEARNED (2/25, 12:30 PM)
Healthy relationship skills are not innate. They are learned. Educated, informed parents can teach their kids the skills and knowledge needed to engage in healthy dating relationships. In honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, join Ann Rodwell-Lawton, MSW, from DVCC to learn about the foundational elements of healthy relationships, how to have discussions with your children about healthy relationships, and how to teach relationship skills, such as healthy communication and setting boundaries. Unhealthy relationship dynamics rooted in power and control will also be discussed. This workshop is appropriate for parents with children in middle school and high school. Registration is required: www.ywcadn.org/programs
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PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED COMMUNITY NEWS |
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JOIN US TO CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF OPUS
OPUS for Person-to-Person is excited to celebrate our 25th Anniversary "Silver Jubilee" campaign from February 1 to February 12, 2021. OPUS for Person-to-Person is an incredible organization that has stayed true to its original mission to raise funds and awareness for Person-to-Person (P2P). Over its 25 years and with all volunteers, OPUS has raised over $4 million to help local families meet basic needs. At the same time, it has fostered an amazing community of women committed to giving back, led to long-lasting friendships, and helped us show our children the importance of using your time and talents to make a difference in your community.
These accomplishments would not have been possible without the dedication of our founders, alumni, and current members and the generosity and contribution of our town. For your support we are incredibly grateful.
In the face of this historic pandemic, the needs of our community have never been greater, and the funds we raise have never been more important. Your donation today helps better the lives of the more than 28,000 clients P2P assists each year. From baby layettes to food assistance, clothing, emergency financial aid, camperships, and scholarships, P2P’s work is critical to ensuring that the basic needs of our local community are met.
Please join us in donating today to celebrate 25 years of impact, community, and friendship.
Visit www.opus4p2p.org and connect with us on Instagram (@opus4p2p) for more information.
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WEBINAR: NEURODIVERSITY IN SCHOOLS: CREATING A CULTURE OF BELONGING
Please join us for an informative webinar by inclusion expert, Lauren Hough Williams, on Tuesday, February 9th from Noon -1 pm. RSVP here.
In this presentation, we will explore neurodiversity and discuss the many ways we can support our neurodivergent students in our schools. If we can find ways to shift to focusing on strengths, commit to the principles of universal design, and celebrate neurodiversity, we can create inclusive environments where all learners can thrive. Co-sponsored by Darien SEPAC, Darien Library and YWCA Darien/Norwalk.
Lauren is an autism and inclusion specialist, but first, she is an educator. She began her career as a special educator for the NYC Department of Education before working for over a decade to define, refine, and expand the NYU ASD Nest Support Project. Her development process includes partnering with the autistic community to shift the paradigm in special education from focusing on deficit to a focus on strengths. From Lauren’s experience working with educators, she has seen that those who know better can do better. She is committed to helping school systems understand the needs of their neurodiverse students so that they can build inclusive classrooms where everyone can thrive.
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DARIEN PARKS AND RECREATION UPCOMING EVENT: 4TH ANNUAL DESSERT WAR: SOMETHING SWEET ON TOUR!
Save the Date: Saturday, February 27th 1:00pm-3:00pm
This year, the dessert war is hittin’ the sweet streets of Darien! Hungry for more information? Visit: www.darienct.gov/sweet
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PARENT AWARENESS AND THE DARIEN LIBRARY PARENTING BOOK GROUP: FOR PARENTS ABOUT PARENTING
It’s time for your next parenting book and great read over February Break! Please join us on Zoom on February 24th, 2021 at 11:00 AM to explore "UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World,” by Michele Borda, Ed.D. As a natural extension to our Social Dilemma Workshop Discussions, Unselfie addresses what parents and educators must do to combat the growing empathy crisis facing our children due to the increasing use of social media. The book group will be facilitated by a Darien Librarian. To register: www.darienlibrary.org
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DARIEN MUSIC FOR YOUTH SPONSORING A BEETHOVEN POSTER CONTEST
Listen to some Beethoven (this year's district music theme) and make a poster! 9 prizes per school! 1st-3rd prizes for K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. Entries due Feb. 26th in the music room or emailed to your music teacher. Entry form found here: Darien Music for Youth Sponsoring a Beethoven Poster Contest! Listen to some Beethoven (this year's district music theme) and make a poster! 9 prizes per school! 1st-3rd prizes for K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. Entries due Feb. 26th in the music room or emailed to your music teacher. Entry form found here. Questions? Please ask a music teacher or call the district office at 203 655-3981 x. 2250.
Darien Music for Youth is a 501(c)(3) which has been supporting music education in Darien for 50 years, but we need donations to make this happen. All donations go straight into programs in the schools. Please donate at darienmusicforyouthwordpress.com.
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NEW PROGRAMS AT THE DARIEN ARTS CENTER
For kids:
Grades 1-4 | Monday 3:45-4:45pm, Feb. 22, Mar. 1 & Mar. 8 | $70
Grades 5-8 | Wednesday 5-7pm, Feb. 25 | $45
For the grownups:
Wednesday 7-9pm, Feb. 10 | $50
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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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