Ox Ridge School
October 25, 2020
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October 26th (Mon)- October 30th (Fri):
- Book Fair Spirit Week Theme Days
- Monday (October 26): Hat Day, wear your favorite one
- Tuesday (October 27): School Pictures
- Wednesday (October 28): Wear your favorite sports team jersey day
- Thursday (October 29): Pajama Day
- Friday (October 30): Halloween Costume (weapons, scary/gory costumes, excessively large or cumbersome outfits/accessories not permitted)
October 27th (Tues):
- School Photos with Lifetouch (photo retakes are scheduled for December 14th)
October 29th (Thurs):
- Meet our School Psychologists 8 PM (Zoom link to follow)
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November 3rd (Tues):
- No school (Professional Development)
November 11th (Wed):
- Veterans Day Celebration (virtual)
November 18th (Wed):
- Ox Ridge Construction Update 8 PM (Zoom details to follow)
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK |
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Hi All,
As much fun as “Camp Ox Ridge” has been, I’m pleased to share that the district has purchased individual seating options for our students when they are dining in the common room!
In anticipation of the snow and wet floors to come, we have just received a shipment of these individual tables below:
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Given the table dimensions and height adaptability, we can still ensure all students continue to be spaced 6 feet apart, but now will have a table top surface and chair to use for lunch daily. Please know that as long as the days are sunny outside, we’ll continue to use our picnic tables for outdoor dining , so our kids get additional fresh air as well!
Please see the “re-run” of my note last week regarding next week’s Halloween spirit day celebration!
Ox Ridge will have a spirit day on Friday October, 30th for all students. Halloween is one of the most exciting days of the year for children and we want to celebrate the joy on campus! Unfortunately this year, we will forgo our annual Kindergarten Halloween parade. However we still want kids to have a special day in school as a community!
“Weapons”, scary or gore-y costumes, excessively large or cumbersome outfits / accessories are not permitted.
Teachers can certainly ask students to remove a part of their costume if it becomes overly distracting or disruptive to the learning process. In addition or as an alternative to costumes, students can celebrate the day by wearing pajamas, orange and black or Darien School colors of Blue and White. Our ELP classes will have their own safe and fun way to celebrate, ELP teachers will reach out to their families with detail. Looking forward!
Thanks,
Luke
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Dear Ox Ridge Parents,
Hope everyone had a great weekend! We have a busy week ahead - School Pictures, Book Fair, Meet our School Psychologists, Halloween Costumes and more - so please be sure to read through all of the news below so you don’t miss anything.
School Picture Day is this Tuesday, October 27th. Please visit www.Lifetouch.com for clothing suggestions, online payment details and more.
The Book Fair continues this week through November 1st. Check out the virtual fair by clicking here with your children and shop to support Ox Ridge. The teacher's wish lists for their classrooms will be shared this week as well so please consider purchasing a new book to donate to your child's classroom.
You can also purchase youth and NEW adult spirit wear tax free at our online shop Ox Ridge Outfitters through November 1st.
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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SCHOOL PICTURE DAY
Mark your calendar! School Picture Day is coming Tuesday, October 27th . Remote Learners will have an opportunity to have their portraits taken on October 27th as well; 4 – 6pm has been set aside for our remote learners. A signup sheet will be shared with our remote learner families. Please visit www.Lifetouch.com for clothing suggestions, online payment details and more. Ox Ridge School Picture day ID#EVTCM8KPT
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OX RIDGE VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR & OX RIDGE OUTFITTERS
You’re invited to shop our Scholastic Book Fair online until November 1, 2020! All purchases benefit our school and connect kids with new books, favorite characters, complete series, and more.
You’ll love the NEW option to shop for Book Fair exclusives directly from the interactive booklist and enjoy these special online shopping features:
⦁ Over 6,000 items, including new releases, best sellers, and value packs
⦁ All orders ship direct to home
⦁ FREE shipping on book-only orders over $25*
⦁ All purchases support our school and earn 25% in rewards
Visit our Book Fair Homepage and click “Shop Now” to get started:
*Free standard shipping is available on book-only orders of $25 or more, after all discounts are applied. Free standard shipping (books) must be selected during checkout. Orders containing products other than books are not eligible for this shipping promotion.
To coincide with book fair week, Ox Ridge Outfitters will also be offering youth and NEW adult items over $20 for purchase tax free- including sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts and blankets! Get in the spirit this week and get them while you can! Orders are being hand delivered to local addresses.
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SPIRIT WEEK PHOTOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA & YEARBOOK
In conjunction with Book Fair, this week is Spirit Week! We would love to collect photos of your child dressed according to the theme days set forth in the co-chair note above (hat day Monday, sports team Wednesday, pajama day Thursday, and Halloween costume Friday). Please email your photos to Beth Morgan They will be shared on social media (facebook.com/oxridge.pto and instagram.com/oxridgepto) and may be used for Yearbook as well.
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PTO SPEAKER SERIES - MEET OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS -
8 PM OCTOBER 29TH
Meet the Ox Ridge school psychologists, Mrs. Annie Farson and Ms. Madeleine Vivian! At this evening virtual session, you’ll learn more about who our psychologists are, what they do to serve our entire school community alongside some tips for supporting healthy social and emotional development at home. Come to connect with and learn from our psychologists!
We’ll also have time to get back to school updates from Dr. Forshaw about the full return to Ox Ridge alongside some general updates about new school construction project to come! Zoom details will be shared closer to the meeting date.
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VETERANS DAY 2020
Ox Ridge will continue the tradition of our Veterans Day program on Wednesday, November 11th. Although “virtual” this year, we look forward to paying tribute to all the veterans in our families and community - past, present, near and far.
A video is being produced that will be shared with students and the entire Ox community as part of the morning program on the 11th. It will incorporate musical performances by the children and photos/videos of our veterans. Our goal is to continue to develop appreciation among students for our country and the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our safety and freedoms.
If you have a veteran or active duty service member in your family, or if you know a veteran who you would like to honor, please complete the digital Veterans Day form here by Thursday, October 29th.
Additionally, if your veteran would like to participate in the VIDEO portion of this year’s event, please complete stay tuned for instructions! We will be assembling a list of questions for them to answer by video (no more than 30 seconds each) and sharing them via SignUp Genius in the coming days.
Please contact us with any questions OR if you are willing/able to help us bring the “Virtual” Veterans Day program to life! *Video/digital media experts wanted* :) Thank you so much!
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DARIEN ELEMENTARY VIRTUAL CHORUS
Do you want to part of the chorus program in Darien? If so, sign up here for 4th and 5th Grade Darien Elementary Virutal Chorus. The first rehearsal will be THURSDAY OCTOBER 29th!
HINDLEY/ROYLE/TOKENEKE - Thursday mornings 7:30 AM
HOLMES/OX RIDGE - Thursday mornings 8:00 AM
Contact your music teacher for more information!
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BOO GRAMS FOR UNICEF
Thank you to all who participated in our Unicef BooGram fundraiser. BooGrams will be delivered to your children towards the end of this week. Parents of REMOTE students only - The school will notify you when you can collect your child/children's Boos from school. E-mail [email protected] with any queries. Happy Halloween!
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2020 HOPE CHEST
Please help us make the holidays special for foster children in Fairfield County by being a part of Hope Chest and purchasing a gift card for a foster child. While this year is a bit unprecedented and we aren’t able to collect individual gifts or throw a holiday party like in years past, we are still able to make the holidays magical by purchasing individual gift cards for each foster child. Please follow this link to purchase a gift for a foster child.
Once you have signed up for a specific child you can go to our Amazon Hope Chest Wishlist to purchase the gift card. We ask that the gift cards be $25 per child. Should you wish to give more than that amount please consider purchasing gift cards for more than one child. When purchasing gift cards off of the Amazon Hope Chest Wishlist, the gift cards will be sent directly to The Blair’s home for collection when you choose “Blair Family – Hope Chest” as the delivery address. You may also drop the cards in the Blair’s mailbox at: 12 Shady Acres Road, Darien.
With your support, we would like to complete the Hope Chest Wishlist before Thanksgiving. We appreciate your generosity in helping to make the holidays special for these sweet children. Should you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Kira Saunders or Brooke Blair. Thank you for your support and generosity!
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KIDS CARE CLUB - SIGN UP
The Kids Care Club is the community service arm of the PTO. We work with kids in all grades to teach them about community outreach and volunteering. The meetings are normally held once a month in person; however, due to Covid-19, we will be getting creative and doing things virtually this year. Our first project will be to make holiday cards for each foster child from the Norwalk Family and Children’s Agency. Since they are unable to hold their annual holiday party in December, we’re hoping this will bring some joy and make them feel special during this difficult time. The holiday cards will be included with the gift cards for basic necessities collected through Hope Chest.
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HOLIDAY CARDS - HELP US EARN EXTRA DOLLARS FOR OX RIDGE!
Order your holiday cards through Minted and you save 20% and Minted will give 15% of sales to Ox Ridge PTO. Please use promo code FUNDRAISEOXRIDGE which is valid through December 31, 2020. For any questions, please email the fundraising chairs, Ellie Davidson and Megan Malone.
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HEALTH OFFICE UPDATE REGARDING TRAVEL
If you plan to travel to a state or country on the CT Travel Advisory List, please visit the CT Travel Advisory website for the most up-to-date information about affected states and instructions on reporting travel as per the Governor’s Executive Orders.
Please keep the following important points in mind:
- Upon return, the State of Connecticut requires anyone who has spent >24 hours in a Travel Advisory state and entering CT for >24 hours, quarantine for 14 days or, if using the testing option, remain in quarantine (except to get tested) until a negative test result is received.
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You must fill out the “travel form” - there is a link on the CT Travel Advisory Website. Failure to do this could result in a hefty fine - you will want to avoid this!
- If you choose to get a COVID test upon return, it must be an RT-PCR test, not the antigen test (typically the "quick test"). The test can be obtained no earlier than 72 hours prior to your return to CT and can be scheduled and obtained in the state you are traveling to if you will be gone >72 hours. If you are away from CT less than 72 hours, the test should be obtained upon your return.
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If you wait until you return to CT to be tested, you may want to go ahead and schedule the test now. Testing site information can be found here.
- The test results need to be submitted to the email address on the CT Travel Advisory website prior to breaking quarantine.
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Also, please submit proof of the negative test to your school nurse at the school where you work or where your child attends school.
- If any individual who has traveled tests positive, they are required to isolate for 10 days. Additionally, any household members will be required to quarantine for 14 days (you cannot test out of quarantine).
- For those who have family and friends visiting from a state on the Travel Advisory list, only those who have traveled from the affected state must quarantine or be tested. Please understand if you have family visiting from out of state and they wait to be tested until they arrive in CT, the visiting family is subject to quarantine unless, or until, they have a negative PCR test. If those visiting from a Travel Advisory state test positive for COVID, all members of the household are subject to a 14 day quarantine.
Flu? Cold? COVID? Guidelines to Follow if Your Child Becomes Ill
Fall is here and with it comes cold and flu season. The District has put together the following documents to help parents make the right decisions if a child becomes ill.
Questions or Concerns or Positive COVID test?
During school hours, please call (203.655.4604) or email Ox Ridge School Nurse Yvonne Dempsey directly. After school hours, please call the Nurse Information Line: 203.656.7440
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THRIVING YOUTH TIP OF THE WEEK |
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In these difficult times, practicing grounding techniques with your child can help them tolerate stress and help them live in the present moment. One grounding technique takes you through your five senses. Take a deep breath and look for five things you can see (a tree, a picture frame, a mug), four things you can feel (socks, a pillow, my watch) 3 things you can hear (the sound of typing, traffic outside), 2 things you smell (if you can’t smell anything at the moment, you can name your 2 favorite smells) and 1 thing you taste. Try practicing a grounding technique with your child to relax before bed or on a walk this week.
Talk early, talk often. The Community Fund of Darien/Thriving Youth
If you would like to learn more about the campaign, please visit:
Let's Get Talking - Thriving Youth
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YWCA PARENT AWARENESS - THE HOLIDAYS PLAYBOOK IN THE AGE OF COVID
October 27, 2020 6:00-7:00PM Zoom YWCA Parent Awareness and Family Centers are pleased to present: The Holidays Playbook in the Age of COVID. Join Chelsea McGee, LCSW and Julianne Green, LMSW for a discussion about how families can stay positive, manage stress, and stay connected during the upcoming holiday season with COVID-19. How can traditions be maintained? How can new ones be created? How to keep and maintain boundaries with family if people feel and think differently and how to not feel guilty about those differences during this time? Walk away with a game plan to help with creative ways to still feel uplifted! Registration is required: https://ywcadn.org/parent-awareness.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR DARIEN SUMMER SCHOOL 2021
Our academic and enrichment programming will run from June 28-July 30 this year. Please help us plan for this summer by taking a short survey. The survey is open to both previous DSS participants and non-participants. We kindly ask that you complete the survey by Monday, November 2. Survey link: https://forms.gle/vnpaebGTAVP8Hywt8
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STATE GRANT MATCHES GIFTS TO DAC BY 50%
Your gift to the Darien Arts Center is now worth 50% more. Connecticut Governor Lamont announced a state-wide Arts Funding Program available to organizations like the Darien Arts Center that have suffered greatly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Donations made to the Darien Arts Center by November 1st will be matched at 50% by this new grant. Your support is more important than ever, as the DAC has lost 42% of its earned income, totaling over $270,000 since March. Your donation will enable the DAC to continue delivering the arts programs that make Darien a vital, well-rounded, robust community! To donate to the Darien Arts Center and have your gift matched at 50%, please visit darienarts.org or call (203) 655-8683 by November 1st. The DAC is located at 2 Renshaw Road, behind the Darien Town Hall.
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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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