Weekly Flash

April 1, 2024

Welcome to April! We've got TONS of news to share this week, here are the highlights:

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

Updates from Principal Hudspeth:
- No school Tuesday
- Send in $1 and wear your PJs on Eclipse Day 4/8 to fund eclipse glasses for the students
- An announcement from Mrs. Wicke
- HVAC Work begins
- STEAM Night thanks
- Last call for class placement letters
OHS students head to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals
Hang on to your cans and bottles for the 5th Grade service project
Sign up to pedal to school with the Bike Bus on May 8
Walk-a-thon is coming soon - reserve your FREE t-shirt size now
Art Show for Grades 3-5 on May 7, volunteers needed now to help prep
Notes from Mrs. Budlowski: School Dismissal Manager reminder, info if you're moving, summer birthday celebrations
Yearbooks on sale through April 30

Coming Soon

April 2 - NO SCHOOL
April 8 - PJ Day for eclipse glasses fundraiser
April 10 - NO SCHOOL
April 15-19 - NO SCHOOL, Spring Break

Looking Ahead

April 26 - PTA Meeting, 9:30am
April 26 - Variety Show Dress Rehearsal
April 27 - Variety Show 11:30am
April 30 - Early Dismissal @1:40pm
May 4 - Parents' Night Out, 5-8pm
May 6-9: Book Fair
May 7: Art Show Grades 3-5, 6-8pm
May 8: Bike Bus

**Follow us on OHS Families Facebook & OHS_Families Instagram to stay in the know, and check out our OHS PTA website!**

Dear OHS Families,

I want to thank you for the kind emails and sentiment shared over the last days in sharing my news about my departure. It means so much to me. Although the move to Ireland is an opportunity I am extremely excited about, it was not an easy decision to leave this community. I look forward to time spent with all of you in these next months. Here are some updates for you:

No School on 4/2

There is no school for students tomorrow (Tuesday, 4/2). It is a staff professional development day. If this day is not reflected on your current school calendar, please find the newest school calendar here.

Solar Eclipse PJ Day – Donate a dollar

On Monday, April 8^th, a solar eclipse is happening. Our area will have 92% coverage during the eclipse at about 3:26 pm. This is right at our dismissal time. Each student will receive a pair of solar eclipse glasses from the school that day and we will ask them to wear them at dismissal as protection. For families interested in viewing the eclipse with other families in our community, I would invite you to pick up your child(ren) that day and meet in our back playground area.

Since the day will get dark during the eclipse, we thought we would tie in a little fundraiser on this day and invite students to wear PJs and contribute a dollar to the PTA. This money will go towards the purchase of the eclipse glasses and any extra money collected will benefit the many other wonderful work our PTA supports. So please mark your calendars for Monday, 4/8, as a day to wear PJs and bring a dollar to school. Thank you!

Mrs. Wicke’s Retirement Announcement

Mrs. Rebecca Wicke has been a part of our school community for many years and taught at one time or another in every grade from k through 3. She has decided to make this school year her last and retire to spend more time with her young grandchildren. Since Mrs. Wicke has worked with so many students and families, she wanted to share her letter with our greater community. I know you will join me in saying thank you to Mrs. Wicke for her years of service and wish her the best in retirement.

HVAC work

The good news is the installation of the new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system throughout our school is starting over April break. The bad news is we need to prepare our school for this work. The lower wing will be the first phase of the work. Teachers in this hallway have already started preparing for the work, which requires readying their rooms to be cleared out for an overnight while the workers take out the ceiling, and then put back together. There should not be impact to instruction and learning during this time, but the rooms will look very different for the remainder of the school year with less items on the walls and more boxes around. We also need to take down all the bulletin boards and hanging signs from the hallway itself. This work is necessary in order for the crew to accomplish their timeline of having AC throughout our school starting in the 25-26 school year.

STEAM Night Thank you

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the grade 2 through 5 students and their families who attended STEAM Night last Wednesday. Your enthusiastic participation greatly contributed to the event's success, fostering creativity, exploration, and enjoyment for all. We extend a special thank you to Mrs. Greer who organized the event beautifully and to our dedicated staff members who volunteered their time to lead activities and ensure the smooth running of the night. We are also grateful to the family members of our current staff who lent their support. Your contributions were invaluable. Additionally, we would like to thank the PTA for their generous gift of dinner for our volunteers, providing nourishment and energy. Your support is truly appreciated.

Last call for Class Placement Letters

This is the final reminder that we are again accepting letters from families to provide information to our placement teams. Please see the linked letter for more information about the information we will accept. Please know letters containing information we do not accept will be returned. Please send letters in by April 5, 2024 to Terry Budlowskiso we can organize the information over the break in preparation for our placement teams.

Have a great week and start to April,

David

OHS students in Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

Congrats to Miles (5H) and Peter (5H) and their fellow PTAC teammates on making it to the Odyssey of the Mind Worlds Finals! To read more about their journey and how to support the team, you can visit their GoFundme page. Good Luck to the team!

Hang on to your cans and bottles for the 5th Grade Service Project

The Fifth Grade Service Project is underway!! Please start saving deposit cans and deposit plastic bottles for collection at OHS. More details on timing and the service project to follow!

Many thanks!

Jenn Brady, Meg Horn, Katya Bardos

Variety Show countdown to showtime

We were blown away from the by the response of the OHS community hoping for tickets to cheer on our Variety Show performers. The show sold out in record time, but we are doing our best to make sure that all performers' families have the opportunity to get a few tickets.

For anyone in the OHS community still hoping for tickets, we recommend keeping an eye on our OHS Families Facebook group as we get closer to the show. There are often last minute changes in plans, and the group is a great resource to find or rehome tickets.

Questions? Contact The Variety Show Committee

Pedal your way to school with the Bike Bus on May 8

Mark your calendars and get your helmets ready! On Wednesday, May 8th, OHS will join the National Bike to School Day. This exciting event will feature our very own Bike Bus program, a fun and safe way to cycle to school with friends. Our Bike Bus route will be a breezy 2-mile journey along a mostly flat path, taking us from the southernmost part of the Osborn Hill school district all the way to school! Feel free to join the fun at any point along the way, but for riders looking for a safe and easy way to wait for us, check out this map where we've identified four great spots for riders to hop on!

The Bike Bus is open to everyone but all children must wear a helmet and be accompanied by an adult. One responsible adult can supervise multiple children, so gather your neighbors and classmates, dust off your bikes, put on your helmets, and get ready for a fantastic day!

Click Here to Sign Up!

Questions? Contact Rob Marshall

Reserve your FREE Walk-a-thon Shirt

The 2024 OHS WALK-A-THON will take place on Friday, May 17th. This is an annual event in which all students and faculty walk together in a loop around the neighborhood as parents and neighbors cheer them on. The WALK-A-THON is one of our biggest PTA fundraising efforts at Osborn Hill.

One of the highlights of the WALK-A-THON is that each student receives a new OHS t-shirt to wear during the walk. These shirts are FREE to each student and staff member.

For each student in grades K-4, please click here to complete the order form. If you have multiple children at OHS, please submit a separate form for each child. 5th graders should not register – they will wear their 5th grade shirts.

Note: anyone who doesn’t register for a shirt will be given a default size based on the student’s grade. K & 1 = youth small, 2 & 3 = youth medium, 4 & 5 = youth large.

Click Here to Submit Your Response By April 11

Volunteer in April to help prep for the Art Show

Come view the work of our amazing grade 3-5 artists at the Osborn Hill Art Show on May 7th from 6-8pm. We need volunteers throughout April to help organize and mount the artwork, and to help setting up and cleaning up the day of the exhibition.

--> Click here to sign up! <---

From the desk of Mrs. Budlowski:

Absences Around April Break

If your child will be out for additional days around the spring school break, please either enter it into school dismissal manager or email Mrs. Budlowski (TBudlowski@fairfieldschools.org) your child’s name, homeroom and dates so you don’t have to call the absentee line (she then can enter it for you).

Are You Moving?

If you are planning on moving, please email Mrs. Budlowski (TBudlowski@fairfieldschools.org) so she can advise on the two scenarios below. Thanks!

If you are moving OUT of the OHS District and your child will NOT be attending OHS this coming school year, a request for record transfer will be sent to you for your completion.
If you're moving to a new address within the OHS district, you will need to make a “Change of Address” appointment with the district registration office to prove your new residency by calling the registration clerk 203-255-8398.

Summer Birthdays

If your child celebrates a summer birthday:

From May 1 to May 13, we will announce daily birthdays for the months of May, July and August (i.e., May 1, July 1 & August 1)
From May 14 to May 31, we will announce daily birthdays for the months of May, June, July and August

Your child will receive their birthday book on the above day (Saturday and Sunday birthdays are announced on Fridays). You are welcome to come in and bring a special birthday lunch during their 20-minute lunch time, stay and visit with your child sitting on an assigned table in café or just drop their birthday lunch off.

Order your 2023-2024 OHS Yearbook

The year's not over yet - but it's time to order your 2023-2024 Osborn Hill yearbook! Yearbooks are $22, and orders can be placed until April 30.

Yearbooks can be ordered online atwww.coffeepond.com

Click on the Order Yearbooks banner
Enter the password 'ozzie24', select online order and continue
Enter your child's name and grade and the book quantity
Enter your email under contact and select add to cart
If needed, you can purchase more by clicking the order for another child button. If not, you can finish checking out.

Can't remember if you've already ordered?

Don't worry! Coffeepond has an easy way to check. Just click here to get to the Coffeepond website and enter your email under the "Forgot If You Ordered" section.

Any questions? Please contact the Yearbook Committee.

Have news to share? Email Jen Braun by 10am Friday
to include in the following Monday's OHS Weekly Flash.

SUBJECT: OHS Weekly Flash | No School on Tuesday