Express Newsletter

Last week was a wonderful week of community building with Back to School Night, Lower School Walk4Fun and Fall Family Festival. The Walk4Fun was a joyous event with so many smiling faces walking, skipping, jogging and running around the track. Thank you to the PE team for organizing and the many volunteers for supporting this day of fitness.

Saturday was the Lower School Fall Family Festival. The weather was perfect, the activities just right and attendance impressive.  Thanks to Molly Honore and Stephanie Huiscamp for organizing this community gathering.

This afternoon and tonight you can continue with the community building theme by coming to the OES Homecoming, featuring volleyball and soccer games, food trucks and spirited Aardvark cheering . In honor of Homecoming, today is a uniform optional day. Students are encouraged to come dressed in OES spirit wear.

Next week we have several special events

• Rescheduled BTSN for 4th grade and Lauren Endicott’s Kindergarten class. 6:30 - 7:30 pm
• Division Counselors host the final Crisis Training workshop day on Thursday, October 6
• Thursday, October 6 is also the first Challenge Success: The Well-Balanced Child presentation sponsored by Parent Partnership
• Friday, 10/7 and Monday, 10/10 are no school days. Friday is a professional development day for all educators. Monday is Indiginous Peoples Day and a school holiday.

Lower School Week of October 3-7, 2022

• Monday, October 3
  • 7:30 Drop-Off begins
  • 8:00 Classes start
  • 3:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 3:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
  • BTSN for 4th grade and Endicott K - 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 4  
  • LS Chapel 8:10
  • 7:30 Drop-Off begins
  • 8:00 Classes start
  • 8:10 LS Chapel - Primary through 5th Grade
  • 3:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 3:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
• Wednesday, October 5
  • Early Release Wednesday
  • 7:30 Drop-Off begins
  • 8:00 Classes start
  • 2:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 2:00 - 3:00 PK - 5th Interim Care
  • 2:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
• Thursday, October 6
  • 7:30 Drop-Off begins
  • 8:00 Classes start
  • 3:00 PK (Full Day) - 5th Dismissal 
  • 3:00 - 5:30 PK - 5th grade Extension
  • 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Challenge Success: The Well-Balanced Child
• Friday, October 7 
  • No School - All School Professional Development Day

Remember to enter your plan changes into SCHOOL PASS

Lower School Helpful Hints

Lower School Begins at 8:00 am - The Loop Road Gate closes and the LS Building doors lock at 8:00.  If your student arrives on campus after 8:00 you will need to come to the Lower School main entrance and call the Lower School Office, 503.768.3143, to be let into the Lower School building. Thank you for your ongoing effort to help us start the school day together and on time.

Opening of School Dates

• Friday, 10/7 through Monday 10/10
  • Autumn long weekend
• Wednesday, 10/19
  • LS Parent Partnership Meeting
  • Admissions Lower School Open House
• Thursday, 10/27 & Friday, 10/28
  • LS Conferences 
  • All Day Extension and short term student supervision provided
• Friday, 11/18
  • Grandparents and Special Friends Day

COVID Response Team updates

• When a class has three or more cases we will strongly advise masking and consider having students eat outside
• Students who are in music or voice lessons for 30 minutes or more are required to wear mask for the class. We will have masks available in the music classrooms.

Lower School Uniform Policy
Review the LS Uniform Policy to be sure your child is coming to school properly attired. Of particular note are the following restrictions for safety reasons:

• No Wheelie sneakers
• No Jewelry, except stud earrings.
• No Cellphones and smartwatches – while on campus
• Non-web connected watches are allowed

If you have questions about the uniform policy please contact your child’s teacher or the LS Office.

Prekindergarten Parking Spots
The Prekindergarten parking spots in front of Lower School are reserved for Prekindergarten parents during drop-off and pick-up. We reserve the spaces because the state requires parents or guardians to sign their child into and out of the prekindergarten classroom each day. Prekindergarten parents, please put your family signs in your car window to help with identification.