Express Newsletter

I enjoyed seeing many of you gathered around the Belltower circle as we opened Oregon Episcopal School’s 157th year.  Each year I appreciate the messages offered at the Belltower. Paul Erlich, Board President, spoke about three super powers we all have;  love, kindness and humor, encouraging us all to seek opportunities to share our superpowers with one another.  Michael Spencer, Head of School, followed with reflections on lessons learned from “Underdog”, a cartoon super hero from his childhood, reminding us to believe in the value of what we bring to new situations, and the power of showing up for one another. Then MacLean Patrick, Student Body President, offered his reflections on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. After his first viewing he was deeply disturbed by the outcome, but upon further viewings he was able to take away lessons about the importance of being vulnerable and brave, doing hard things and making sacrifices for others.

Thank you to the Fifth Graders and MacLean Patrick for ringing the school bell 157 times, once for each year the school has been established. May we all take on the new school year with love, kindness and a good sense of humor, and strive towards  bravely doing hard things and willingly making sacrifices for others.

The joyful noise of young children learning has now returned to the Lower School with students busily engaged in class, creating new friendships and renewing old, and learning the expectations, routines and practices of school. I am appreciative of our gradual start to the school year, allowing us all time to build up our school stamina and help us bring our best selves into school.

Drop-off and pick-up
Each year it takes a good two two weeks for us to learn how to safely and efficiently get all students onto and off of campus. This week’s drop-off and pick-up is made a little easier with all 315 Upper School students away on trips.  I am glad to see so many families taking advantage of bus transportation, coordinating carpools and riding bikes to help reduce the number of vehicles trying to get on and off campus each day. I also appreciate your ongoing attention to safety and patience as families figure out their beginning and end of day routines.

How you can help Drop-off and Pick-up

• Arrive for LS drop-off (7:30 - 8:00) and pick-up (3:00) on time; not too early or too late.
• Do not drop off students before 7:30 as there is no supervision.
• Drive slowly and remain alert. There are many children on the move at the beginning and end of each day.
• Consider carpooling . The Household Directory in the Parent Portal has a search function that will provide you with a list of OES families within 5 miles of your house, as well as their exact distance from your house; a great tool for exploring carpool options.

The 2026-27 drop-off and pick-up procedures are available to you on the Parent Page of the OES website. If you have different people dropping off or picking up your child, this is a great reference to familiarize them with the routines. If you have different people picking up your child, be sure you have authorized them to do so in the Parent Portal and School Pass.

Early Release Wednesdays
Starting on Wednesday, September 2, Lower School will end at 2 p.m. each Wednesday to provide faculty with time for professional development and collaborative planning. Parents will have four choices for their students after school plans on Wednesdays. Update your plan in School Pass. 

• 2 p.m. pick-up by car
• 3 p.m. pick-up by car - students supervised 2-3 p.m. by Assistant Teachers (designed for students awaiting Middle and Upper School dismissal)
• 3 p.m. home by bus - students supervised 2:00 - 3:00 by Assistant Teachers
• 2:00-5:30 p.m. enrolled in Extension

Interim Care
The supervision provided for students on Early Release Wednesdays from 2:00 - 3:00 pm is called Interim Care. We designed this care for Lower School students who ride the bus or have siblings in Middle or Upper School. With limited staffing to supervise Interim Care, we encourage those students who do not ride the bus or have siblings in Middle or Upper School to either be picked up at 2:00 pm dismissal or to enroll in the Extension Program. Let us know through School Pass by 12:00 pm each Wednesday if you need to use Interim Care.

The week ahead

• Monday, August 31 - After School Classes begin
  • 7:30-8:00 Drop-Off
  • 8:00 Class Begins
  • PK (Half-Day) Dismissal at 12:30
  • 3:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 3:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
  • After School Classes Begin
• Tuesday, September 1 - Regular Schedule
  • 7:30-8:00 Drop-Off
  • 8:00 Class Begins
  • PK (Half-Day) Dismissal at 12:30
  • 3:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 3:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
• Wednesday, September 2 - First Early Release Wednesday
  • 7:30-8:00 Drop-Off
  • 8:00 Class Begins
  • PK (Half-Day) Dismissal at 12:30
  • 2:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 2:00 - 3:00 PK - 5th Interim Care
  • 3:00 - LS and MS sibling pick up
  • 3:00 - Buses load
  • 2:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
• Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4  - Regular Schedule
  • 7:30-8:00 Drop-Off
  • 8:00 Class Begins
  • PK Regular Dismissal at 12:30
  • 3:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 3:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension

Remember to enter your child’s after school plans into SCHOOL PASS
SchoolPass  - All absences and after school changes must be entered in SchoolPass before 2:00 pm

Lower School Daily Schedule

• The Lower School Office opens at 7:30 a.m. 
• Students may begin arriving on campus at 7:30 a.m. . 
• School is in session 8 a.m.-3 p.m. M, T, Th and Fri. Half-day Pre-K students are dismissed at 12:30 p.m. 
• On Wednesdays, school is from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Extension is available to registered families 3-5:30 p.m. daily (2:00 - 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays). Please see the email from Director of After School & Extension Programs Chelsea Lamb for details. 
• The Lower School Office closes at 4 p.m.

Division Daily Schedules

• Lower School 
  • 8:00 – 3:00 pm  All days except Wed
  • 8:00 - 2:00 pm  Wednesdays only
• Middle School
  • 8:00-3:15  All days except Wed
  • 8:45-3:15  Wednesdays only
• Upper School 
  • 8:25 –3:10 
  • 9:10 –3:10 p.m. on alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays

Used Uniforms, Donations Needed
The Used Uniform Closet is open M-F 7:30am-4pm with many uniforms getting adopted. Any donations of outgrown uniforms (free of holes, tears, and paint/marker stains) are welcome so we can restock the shelves.

Labeling Clothing
Please take the time to clearly label any clothing with your child’s first and last name. This applies to both OES and non-OES clothing, particularly outerwear (jackets, sweatshirts, etc). Throughout the school year Lost & Found parent volunteers will attempt to reconnect lost clothing with your children, but can only do so if the item is clearly labeled. Fabric labels that stay on after washing are highly recommended.

School Communications
In an effort to recognize the importance of drawing clearer professional boundaries, we will be following these norms for communication across the school:

• no email before 7:30 a.m or after 5:00 p.m.
• no email over the weekend
• we strive to reply to parent emails within 24 hours (however, if an email is sent on Friday close to 5pm, parents should not expect a communication until Monday morning)
• exceptions will be made with time-sensitive information or in cases of school/student safety (in the latter cases, a phone call would be more appropriate)

Snack Updates

• We are making some changes to snacks to diminish processed foods and steer children toward eating a healthy lunch. 
• One fresh fruit or vegetable snack will still be delivered to the hallways each day. Teachers will determine if the snack will be offered in the morning or afternoon. 
• Cheese will be offered with the fruit or vegetable snack each day. 
• Sunbutter will be available as an additional snack as needed.

Aardy’s Hut Volunteers
Aardy’s Hut has quite a few Parent Volunteer Spots for the Varsity Soccer Games, Homecoming and the Cross Country Invitational.  No training required and bonus-you get to get to know some of our amazing Upper Schoolers.  Not to mention your student can watch the game and cheer on our ‘Varks while parents volunteer.  The parent role is to serve as a liaison for the Upper School Students that are volunteering, helping them manage any issues that might arise (we ran out of $1 bills/can we cash a $100/etc).