Ashley Read '05, Head of Early Childhood

September 11, 2026

Dear ECC Families,

This week, students have been practicing the art of active listening. Active listening means children are paying close attention and responding, while passive listening is just hearing the words without fully engaging. Students have been paying attention to their body language and making sure that their eyes are focused on the speaker and that their ears are listening. “Where the eyes go… the brain follows.” 

Book Options:

• Look Out, Patrick! By, Paul Geraghty
• Come Along, Daisy By, Jane Simmons
• Pay Attention, Emily Brown! By, Linda Burton
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By, Bill Martin, Jr. 

Pencil Grip and Writing: Did you know that hand strength and control need to be in place before a mature pencil grip shows up and your child is ready for writing? Squeezing tweezers, pinching and rolling playdoh, and picking up cotton balls with clothespins are all ways that we provide opportunities for your children to develop his/her fine motor skills. Typically, children move through a predictable sequence as their hand strength and control matures. 

Try this at home:

Clothespin pickup: Have your child use a clothespin to pick up 10 small objects (cotton balls, dried beans, pom-poms or even socks from a laundry basket) and move them one at a time into a cup or bowl. 

Carpool Reminder:

In the afternoons, if you need to exit your vehicle to buckle your child in after using the carpool line, please pull forward to the right or left side and avoid stopping in the middle. 

The Countdown To Homecoming Is On

Get ready, Oakridge, because one of the most anticipated events of the year will soon be here. We're brimming with excitement as we prepare for an out-of-this-world Homecoming celebration on October 16, 2026. Prepare for a classified experience as we unveil the official 2026 Homecoming theme: Oakridge: Area 79. Please click here to access all Homecoming information. The transmission link will go dark on October 6, 2026 so be sure to get your Homecoming T-shirt Order in before the form closes. Students can wear their 2026 Homecoming t-shirt to school on Friday, October 16. Additionally, we invite you to join us on October 16 at 10:00 a.m. for the annual Homecoming Parade and hope that you will come back to the O.A.C. (Oakridge Athletic Complex across the street) for the football game that evening. 

Warm regards,

Ashley Read, Oakridge Class of 2005
Head of Early Childhood 

2026-2027 Calendar & Key Dates