Jim Andersen, Head of Upper School

 

January 19, 2024

Owl Family,

• College Colloquium- This event is a must! 

• Oakridge Book Fair 

• The Ft. Worth/Arlington Inclusion Summit

• Optimist Club Essay Contest

• Oratorical Showcase

• Winter Formal grades 9-12 - Saturday, January 27

• Check out procedures

• Campus policy

 

College Colloquium: College Colloquium is College Advising's signature event, bringing college admission vice presidents and deans to Oakridge to share their insight with our faculty, parents, and students. With the rapidly changing higher education landscape, College Colloquium is an important opportunity to update our families on the admission process and to connect one-on-one with selective colleges and universities. This year's program will be Thursday, January 25 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the John P. Flavin Fine Arts Center. All parents are welcome to attend.

 

Oakridge Book Fair: The book fair is sponsored by The Oakridge Parents’ Club each January. This event allows all our students and families to purchase books, which in turn, raises funds for the library.  Use the link to sign up to volunteer, see the general hours as well as the special event hours, set up an eWallet for your child, and preview books we may get in our fair. You may purchase books through the online book fair starting today, January 19. 

 

The Fort Worth-Arlington Inclusion Summit: The summit is a collaborative effort between Oakridge, Trinity Valley School, and Fort Worth Country Day School. Students from all three schools came together on January 18, to meet, collaborate, network, and learn together and from each other to discuss topics of culture, community, inclusion, and belonging. The Oakridge School led the way with over 20 participants!

 

 

Optimist Club Essay Contest:  Every year the Optimist Club sponsors an essay writing contest.  Oakridge students have done quite well with this in the past.  Please consider submitting an original essay!  This year’s prompt is “Optimism: How It Connects Us.” Optimist Club Essay Contest  Essay Application

Oratorical Showcase:  Calling all student voices! The DEIB Faculty/Staff committee proudly presents the first annual Oratorical Showcase. Express yourself through speech, poem, song, or prose on the themes of community, culture, and celebration. Applications are now open! Don't miss your chance to take the stage and claim your spotlight! Apply here

Upper School Winter Formal:  Our Winter Formal is at The White Room (2227 W Park Row Dr, Pantego, TX 76013) on Saturday, January 27 from 7:00pm- 10:00pm.  This is a great way to celebrate with friends and meet new ones!  You do not have to have a date. The cost is $20.00 per person. Please use this link to purchase your tickets. You may also purchase tickets in the US office with Mrs. Blake.  A breathalyzer team and uniformed officer are at the door to keep our students safe. If a student leaves prior to 9:30, a parental contact must be made with Mr. Andersen (817-319-4750).  Special thanks to our Student Council for hosting this event!

 

Checkout Procedures: Anytime a student needs to leave campus early, a parent must email Mrs. Blake to let the US office know. Once the office knows, the teachers are notified, and then the student can be dismissed from the class without disrupting the teacher and be on time for their checkout. It is best practice to give 24 hours notice. Giving less than an hour notice may result in classroom disruption and delayed dismissal. 

Campus Policy: Parents, please support us with our updated security policies. All students and families must have a car tag on their rearview mirror; deliveries from outside vendors are not allowed; parents may deliver to the Admissions office and text their child to pick up delivery from the main office as soon as possible. Parents may check into the main office and then proceed to any appointments scheduled on campus. We are a closed campus. This means students may not leave for study hall and return, nor may they leave for lunch and return. If they leave campus, it must be with prior parental notification. Appointments should be accompanied by a note to return to school, ensuring the absence is excused.

Please note the dates for the US January Calendar:

 

On January 9, all students across campus enjoyed our first Preview Day! Each student visited their rising grade level and experienced the exciting things next year will bring for them. If you have any questions about re-enrollment please contact the Admissions Office, awilson@theoakridgeschool.org.