Ashley Read '05, Head of Early Childhood

August 28, 2026

Dear ECC Parents,

At the ECC, we use Dan St. Romain's "10 Simple Lessons" framework to guide our Social Emotional Learning. Each week, students focus on a new "thought of the week," which we bring to life through read-alouds, classroom discussions, and hands-on practice, giving children real opportunities throughout the week to build and apply that skill. Each week, I'll send home the thought of the week along with a brief paragraph and a list of supporting books, so you can reinforce that same skill at home.

Thought of the Week: We raise our hands.

When we are all together in a large group, the way to get a teacher’s attention is to raise your hand. This lets an adult know you have something to say without interrupting them. Sometimes you will want to say something, but you may not get called on to share. Sometimes we get what we want and sometimes we don’t, and that is okay. Raising our hand is a way to show respect to our classmates so that we do not speak over each other. 

Book Options:

• Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
• Ivan the Terrior by Peter Catalanotto
• Ruby Sings the Blues by Niki Daly
• Babushka’s Doll by Patricia Polacco

A Note from the Counseling Team:

The Oakridge School Early Childhood Center welcomes professionals who can provide developmentally appropriate learning opportunities for our families around social-emotional learning, child development, and family support. Please complete this form to help our team identify and bring in professional speakers who can share helpful information and resources on the topics that interest you most! 

1st Wednesday Chat, September 2: 

Join us for our 1st monthly ECC 1st Wednesday Calendar Chat. We will run through the ECC Calendar to ensure you are up to date on all things ECC. Additionally, Ms. Solby, our ECC counselor, will join us! You are invited to join us at 8:00 a.m., watch Morning Announcements in the Big Room, and then head to the Quinn Big Room for the meeting. 

Notes from Last Week:

As we settle into the first few weeks, you'll likely notice a lot of fine motor practice, coloring pages, and simple routine-based activities coming home, and we want you to know this is completely intentional. Research in early childhood education is clear that the first six weeks of a quality program are foundational. This window is a time to slow down, focus on relationships, and help every child feel known, valued, and ready to learn, before academic pacing accelerates. Establishing strong routines isn't just about keeping a tidy classroom. Routines actually free up a young child's brain to focus on higher-order learning, while also strengthening classroom management, focus, and engagement. Studies even show that strong early routines are linked to better problem-solving, stronger language skills, and higher reading and math scores down the road. So while it may look simple on the surface, every color sheet and every practiced routine is laying the groundwork for a year of confident, joyful learning ahead.

Dress Code:

As a reminder, the daily outerwear policy has been updated this school year. Please make sure you have read through the 26-27 Dress Code expectations to ensure your child is following the uniform guidelines. 

Warm regards,

Ashley Read, Oakridge Class of 2005
Head of Early Childhood 

2026-2027 Calendar & Key Dates

2025–2026 Yearbooks Still Available

Did you miss your chance to order a yearbook last school year? A limited number of 2025–2026 Oakridge yearbooks are still available for purchase.

Families who would like a copy may order through the link below while supplies last:

Purchase a 2025–2026 Oakridge Yearbook