Jim Andersen, Head of Upper School

Sept. 23, 2022

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.  Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

This past week students were involved in many learning activities! The juniors and seniors attended the FWCD College Fair and had the opportunity to meet and acquaint themselves with over 150 colleges and universities. Teachers implemented lively lessons, and advisors engaged students in important conversations about time management, study skills, and taking responsibility for grades. Athletics continued to strive for personal bests in cross country, volleyball, field hockey, and football. An outstanding job by Karina Wheeler for placing 4th out of 110 runners and Keith Mathews for placing 5th out of 157 runners at the meet last Saturday. 

This message includes:

• Checkpoint Grades 1.2 

• Senior Class of 2023 

• Last Friday 

• October peek 

• Upcoming Dates

• Reminders

Checkpoint grade 1.2 will post on Wednesday, September 28. This checkpoint will be a snapshot of course achievement. A good conversation would be to talk with your child about what they discussed in advisory on Tuesday with their advisors. For example, asking them about their study habits; are they using study hall wisely, are they attending office hours and tutoring sessions if needed, and are they receiving important notifications from Google Classrooms, Hoot, and student email? These aspects provide for the most successful classroom achievement. In addition, please remind your child about the changes in the conduct portion of grades; you may refer to last week’s E-Newsletter for a detailed description.

Senior Class of 2023, Friday, September 30, kicks off the year of “Senior Stuff” with Senior Portrait session 1. All seniors must have their portraits taken by Glamourcraft for the yearbook. If you are a parent of a senior student please click here for information on this portrait setting and click here for a draft of the “Senior Timeline.” The Senior Timeline will be a live document to provide updated information for “all things senior” as we move through this crucial yet memorable year.

Friday, September 30 is a “Last Friday”; students will dismiss at noon. The programming for this day is Advisory time, Pancake breakfast (Buddies for Juniors and Seniors), and team building. These days although not core, academic days have valuable payoffs for students. Brain science shows that students that spend time in social interactions like talking and laughing cause the body to release the hormone oxytocin. This helps us to bond with others. Those bonds create a feeling that’s often called “psychological safety.” When students feel psychologically safe, they’re more likely to participate in class discussions, ask questions, try to do an assignment even when it’s hard, or talk in a tone of voice that’s appropriate for the situation. Days like this help alleviate symptoms we hear our teens talk about, such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, acceptance, belonging, and panic. We look forward to Last Friday and some oxytocin time! 

October is already on the horizon. The month will bring about some significant events. Be on the lookout for Fall Play, Fall Break, PSAT/SAT day, Homecoming Week, and more! If you are not on the Parent Remind Hoot, please join now. Remind is a great way to receive updates and reminders. 

Parent Awareness:  At Oakridge, we encourage students not to be tempted to try dangerous challenges or dares such as the “One Chip Challenge.” From time to time, trendy challenges make their rounds on social media or recirculate popular challenges from past years. The current national trend is called the “One Chip Challenge.” The current trend involves a chip (one per box) sold by the company, Paqui. The chip, in a box shaped like a gravestone, is dusted with carolina reaper pepper and scorpion chile pepper. “Heat” from the peppers has been known to create medical emergencies for students around the country due to the pain. For additional information about this dangerous trend, please read the article found in Today, “The super-hot ‘One Chip Challenge’ is back, and getting banned by schools.”  To clarify, these chips are not allowed on campus.

PARENTS HELP US REMINDERS:

• A large part of life's success is being present. Please try to work appointments outside of the school day and have your child arrive at school early. When school day appointments are necessary, email Michelle Emmert at least 24 hours in advance so we can have your child ready to check out from the Upper School office on time. 
• Remember that students may not leave campus at any time without prior permission from parents. 
• Students may not check out to get off-campus lunch. Non-parent food deliveries are not permitted as a part of our security plan.  
• Advisory is EVERY Tuesday; this adjusts the times of each class period. Be on time.
• Seniors with Study Hall privileges should be checked in on campus by 10 AM. 
• As field trips and school travel are back, students' Magnus compliance must be completed to travel. If you have Magnus questions, please reach out to acampbell@theoakridgeschool.org.

The Upper School Team

Jim Andersen

Christine Metoyer

Michelle Emmert