Express Newsletter

Changes in Lower School
We are in the midst of making plans for the next year, while continuing to attend to many special events. Be sure to consult the OES information sources listed below to stay abreast of the many special events in the final four weeks of school. 

As I plan for the 2026-27 school year I want to share a variety of personnel changes that will go into effect in the new school year.

• Kristen Zimmer, current teacher on special assignment, will be returning to her former role as a third grade teacher. 
• Anthony Villaseñor, current first grade teacher, will serve as an All School Instructional Coach next year.
• Anne Savage, current kindergarten teacher, will teach first grade next year.
• Kindergarten Teacher - We have launched a search for a new kindergarten teacher.
• Teacher Librarian - Lora Worden will not be returning next year. We have begun the search for a new teacher librarian.
• Maria Zuiderveld, prekindergarten assistant teacher, is retiring at the end of this year. We have begun the search for a prekindergarten assistant teacher.
• Community and Behavior Student Support Specialist.  Inspired by the positive impact of Kristen Zimmer’s work as a TOSA this year, we have expanded the role and made it permanent. The addition of this new role being added to our student support team will enable Chris and Kirstin to commit more time to program development in Lower School.
• Four sections of fourth grade.  Due to applicant interest in 4th grade we are expanding to four sections of fourth grade. We have begun a search for a new fourth grade teacher and anticipate class sizes of around 15 students. 

Moving Into Coffees
Among the upcoming events this spring are the annual Moving Into Coffees.  Each year we offer parents a time to be introduced to their child’s grade to come during our Moving into Coffees.  See the table below for the dates and grade levels of the coffees. The coffees are listed in grade level order. Review the schedule below and plan to attend the coffee for the grade that your child will be moving into next fall.  Kirstin McAuley, Chris Thompson, grade level teachers and I look forward to sharing our goals for the 2026-27 school year, highlights of the grade level to come and answering your questions.

Each Moving into Coffee will be preceded by an informal coffee social from 7:45 - 8:15 in the LS Library.

The remaining six weeks of school are full of performances, presentations and celebrations. You have several ways to access the OES calendar.

• All School Public Website Calendar - this includes options to filter the calendar for LS Events only. The calendar icon is located in the upper right corner of each OES website page
• Parent Portal Community Calendar - this calendar includes filter options as well as events that are of relevance to smaller groups of the OES Community

Besides the OES Calendar you have four other sources of school information.

• The biweekly Aardvark News, emailed to you each Friday morning with news from across the school
• The biweekly Lower School Express, included as a link in the weekly Aardvark News
• The weekly Room Parent newsletter emailed out to you each Sunday which contains information particularly relevant to the grade or class
• The teachers’ classroom websites contain schedules, curricular updates and news about upcoming events

Last Day of Lower School is Wednesday, June 10: We will end the school year as is our tradition with a shortened day and the opportunity for students at each grade level to be promoted to their next grade. The 5th graders will send Lower School out into the summer by ringing the bell at 11:00 am, officially bringing our year to a close. 

• Pick-up for Lower School students is at 11:00 am
• Pick-up for 5th graders is at 11:15, so they have time to ring the bell
• Students will be picked up from the usual locations
• Pick-up for Lower School students with Middle School siblings will be at 12:00. Lower School students will be provided with a simple lunch and recess time. Pick-up will be at the Middle School.
• Lower School students who plan to ride the bus will have the option of staying in Lower School until 12:00. They will be provided with a simple lunch and recess time.
• All other Lower School children need to be picked up at 11:00. There is no after school care.

5th Grade Promotion is on Thursday, June 11, on Morissette Court from 8:00 - 9:30 am. There is ample seating for friends and family members of the 5th graders. A reception will follow the ceremony in van Hatcher Court.

GIFTS FOR EMPLOYEES POLICY
Our faculty and staff always welcome your kind words and personal appreciation of their efforts.We ask that families not give gifts of significant monetary value to individual employees. While we appreciate the high regard in which students and their families often hold their teachers and coaches, we believe that it is best for gifts to be a simple expression of thanks and affection. Therefore, we ask that gifts be restricted to inexpensive and/or handmade items. Alternatively, we suggest giving a book to the library in honor of, or in memory of, a teacher or coach, or you can designate your annual OES Fund contribution as a tribute gift.

Spring has Sprung and Allergies have Come
If your child suffers from seasonal allergies be sure to attend to their allergy needs before they come to school. The LS Office has seen a significant increase in the number of students coming to the office seeking medication for their allergies.