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Your Monthly
Guide to OFS:
October Issue
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Dear Oneness Community,
In October, we are delighted to gather once again for our annual United Nations Day Celebration on Friday, October 24, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
This event is a significant undertaking and is a deeply meaningful moment where our students' personal identities and their exploration of the world come together. What students will carry with them is not just the presentations to the community, but the effort, persistence, and pride of seeing a long-term project through. It is a celebration of scholarship, global citizenship, and the meaningful role each of them plays in shaping our shared future.
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Estefani Rondón
Director of Student Affairs & Elementary Programs
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Equally important is the opportunity it provides for parents. This event allows families to truly see their children—not just as students, but as thinkers, performers, researchers, and global citizens. Witnessing their children confidently share their learning and represent their cultures and ideas is a powerful moment of connection and pride, one that deepens the home-school partnership and reinforces the value of holistic, inquiry-driven education.
As we prepare for United Nations Day, our students are asking profound identity and belonging questions: “How can I deepen peace within myself and in the world?” Peace begins with small, everyday choices — how we treat one another, how we care for ourselves, and how we extend kindness into the wider world.
This year, we invite families to reflect on this question together. Below are some ways to explore peace at home across different ages:
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For Primary Program Students
Practice a daily “peace breath” — one slow inhale, one slow exhale together.
Draw a “peace picture” showing what calm and love look like to them.
Create a simple home “peace corner” with a soft pillow, a stuffed animal, or a small object from nature where they can go to feel calm and safe.
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For Elementary Students
Keep a “kindness log” — write or draw one peaceful action they did each day.
Read stories of peacemakers from around the world and talk about their choices.
Help cook a meal to share with family, neighbors, or friends as an act of peace.
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For Middle School Students
Reflect in a journal on times they brought peace into a difficult situation.
Create a playlist of songs about peace, hope, or unity to share with the family.
Choose a simple service project, such as collecting food or supplies for others.
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For High School Students
Write a poem, essay, or reflection on the question: “What does peace mean to me?”
Research countries that are presently considered peaceful and analyze the critical actions and strategies their societies implemented to attain and maintain peace.
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United Nations Day at Oneness-Family School is not only a celebration of our student’s learning but also an invitation for families to nurture peace at every age and stage. Together, we build a global Oneness community rooted in kindness, reflection, and action.
In service and appreciation,
Estefani Rondon
Director of Student Affairs & Elementary Programs
estefani@onenessfamily.org
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“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means.”
Dalai Lama
| | Here are the upcoming events in September! | | |
Monday, September 29
Apple & Syrup Order Deadline, 3 pm
Wednesday, October 1
Musical Informational Session, 4-5 pm
Friday, October 3
Community Meeting, 9-9:30 am
October Birthdays Celebration
Saturday, October 4
Apple Fest, 10 am - 1 pm
Friday, October 10
Community Meeting, 9-9:30 am
Concert with Cantare
Monday, October 13
Half-Day for Students
Teacher Training, 1-5 pm
Indigenous Peoples' Day
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Friday, October 17
Community Meeting, 9-9:30 am
Friday, October 24
United Nations Day
1:30 Dismissal for CPG-Grade 12
Full Day for Little Stars
Tuesday, October 28
Hearing & Vision Screening
Friday, October 31
Community Meeting, 9-9:30 am
Halloween
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Apples, Apples, Apple Fest!
Wonderful news! So far, our community has raised $4,599 for the Oneness Fund, ordered 186 bags of apples and 51 quarts of maple syrup to enjoy at home, and donated 114 bags of apples to DC Central Kitchen!
Apple Fest: October 4
Join us this Saturday, October 4, to ring in the fall with the OFS community at Apple Fest! From moonbounces to face painting to an Apple Bake-Off, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Tickets and Apple Fest passes are now available online - we recommend preordering to avoid the lines at the festival.
Learn more and buy tickets for the event at www.onenessfamily.org/applefest!
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Musical Information Session - October 1
For Students in Grades 2-8
Join the musical theater team for an informational session about our 2025-2026 musical theater program this Wednesday, October 1, from 4:00-5:00 pm in the Art & Music Room!
Parents and students who are interested in learning more about this exciting program for the school year are invited to attend.
| | United Nations Day – October 24 | | |
In October, we are excited to celebrate our annual United Nations Day. All families are invited to the celebration, student presentations, and the international luncheon.
Please note that this is a half-day for CPG-Grade 12, with dismissal at 1:30 pm. There is a regular school for Little Stars students on this day.
Families are kindly asked to contribute a dish that represents their cultural background, and to sign up for the flags they will wave for the event.
We look forward to a fantastic UN Day celebration!
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Community Meeting
This Friday's Community Meeting – October Birthdays
All parents are invited to attend Community Meetings, which are held most Fridays from 9:00 - 9:30 am in the Parish Hall and hosted by our Ambassadors middle school class. This Friday, we look forward to celebrating October birthdays!
Share Your Interests at Community Meeting!
Parents, family, and friends – we are always looking for people to share their culture, special interests, and talents with the wider OFS community at one of our weekly Community Meetings. If this is something you are interested in, please email Ambassador teacher Hannah Chick.
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Minimizing the Spread of Illness
As we see an increase in colds among students, we'd like to remind all parents of the importance of keeping their children home when they're feeling under the weather and allowing them time to rest and recover before returning to school.
To review our school's health and safety guidelines, including the criteria for sending a student home or for a student to return to school after illness, please review the Health & Safety page on the Parent Portal.
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