Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter

We would love for parents to join the celebration by cheering our students on as they make their way to the school gates; there will be music, streamers and dancing so come along and line their pathway to school with encouragement and good vibes! You can sign up to volunteer here.

On the day:

• Everyone can take part by walking through our ‘tunnel of positivity’ and decorated school gates starting at 8:15am!

• Please come to school wearing purple!

• If you would like to, join a walking train to school. Map and timings can be found below.

• Students will enjoy a Ruby-themed community gathering hosted by the teachers at 8:40am before morning line-up. Parents are invited to join this.

• Following the community gathering, parents are invited to join us for coffee and donuts in the school garden from 8:45am.

We are excited to celebrate this wonderful day with you! If you have any questions please contact Marcelle Perera and Sophie Astier via Konstella or at diversity@thornhillschool.org

Thank you!

Mark your calendar for the Fall Sweep on Saturday, November 16 from 1-4pm! It's one of the school's two annual sweeps where parents and students come to school to sweep dead leaves, weed, and collect trash on the ground inside the school campus. We bring snacks and drinks and always have a good time! We need volunteers! Bring your rake, broom and gloves!

Fall Sweep: Saturday, November 16 from 1-4pm at school

We want YOU to join the Auction Committee!

Thornhill's 39th Annual Benefit Auction & Dinner will be held Saturday, March 15, 2025 at The Bridge Yard.

URGENT! We need your help to make this year’s Auction a success! Check out the open Auction Committee roles—whether you want to take on a big role or a small one, you can even team up with a friend or two! Every helping hand makes a difference and teamwork lightens the load. Please email Bart Lounsbury at benefit@thornhillschool.org if any of these roles appeal to you.

Being an experienced party planner is not a requirement. You’ll receive guidance and insight shared by past committee members. Help us plan a super FUN party that raises money for our school!

DATE: Wednesday, November 20, 7:30-8:30 pm

LOCATION: ZOOM

Meeting ID: 835 3450 2882

Passcode: Auction

At Thornhill, we’re committed to fostering a safe, mindful, and responsible environment for every student. To support this, we ask each family to create a personalized Student Comfort Pack for each child. These packs will be stored on campus with our emergency supplies and distributed if students need to remain on site for an extended period before reunification.

Why Comfort Packs?

While Thornhill maintains essential food and water supplies, a familiar snack, comforting item, or note from home can help children feel more secure in a stressful situation.

How to Prepare

Please put together a small Comfort Pack for your child following the instructions on the enclosed PDF. Suggested items for the packs include high-energy, low-salt snacks (like granola bars or dried fruit), a comfort item (such as a family photo or favorite very small toy), and a simple activity (like a deck of cards or crayons with paper). By providing thoughtful items, you’re helping your child feel supported and safe.

Important: Please send completed Comfort Packs to your child’s classroom by November 22, 2024. Update and expand your emergency contacts in Aeries, as only listed individuals can pick up your child in an emergency. For questions, contact your child’s teacher or class room parent. Thank you for being a part of keeping Thornhill prepared!

Right on the heels of the fabulous Election Day Bake Sale - thanks to all who pitched in - we have another opportunity to help our kids by buying Thanksgiving pies!

SALES ARE OPEN NOW for the Thanksgiving Pie Pop-up. We have a tantalizing menu of delicious treats ready to grace your holiday table - or feed your family post-holiday breakfast.

Menu includes:

• Pumpkin Pies

• Pecan Pies

• Cherry Brown Betty

• Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

• Gluten-Free Crostata

• Basque Cheesecakes

• Pumpkin Cheesecake

• Pumpkin Cardamom Crumb Muffins

• Chocolate Pudding Pie

• Classic Coffee Cake, and more…. :)

Simplify your holiday celebration by getting a little help from Thornhill friends - you can pretend you made it yourself! Or, show your thanks and buy a pie for a favorite teacher!

Pre-purchase by November 20 and pickup on Sunday, November 24. Order early to reserve your favorite - because of the very limited supplies, it’ll be first come, first served. Just $45 to dazzle your family or show thanks to your friends. Tips welcome - all funds go to the kids.

As a reminder, these bake sales are to offset costs for the annual overnight field trips for 4th and 5th graders - a Thornhill tradition and incredible learning opportunities for the kids. Due to increased trip costs, the fundraising need is sizable: we need to help raise close to $10k.

Please email bakesale@thornhillschool.org to place your order. And spread the word to fellow sweet-tooths beyond the Thornhill community!

In December, look forward to the second annual Great Big Holiday Bake Sale, in partnership with the kid-craft spectacular Holiday Market. The awesomely fun, festive event will take place at school on Saturday, December 14. Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for more info soon.

Laura Borrman and Chelsea Boniak

This school year we’re excited to host a series of joint 4th and 5th-grade fundraisers to support scholarships and chaperone costs for two beloved Thornhill traditions: the 4th grade’s trip to Coloma Outdoor Discovery School and the 5th grade’s adventure to the Marin Headlands.

Due to rising trip costs, we’re raising funds to make these trips accessible for everyone. To help reach this goal, we’re thrilled to invite you to the kid-crafted Holiday Market & Winter Social! This festive event, held alongside the The Great Big Holiday Bake Sale, promises an afternoon filled with fun and delicious treats—all for a great cause.

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, December 14

Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Location: Thornhill MPR & Lobby

The Holiday Market will feature handmade crafts by our talented 4th and 5th graders, as well as some Thornhill swag perfect for holiday gifting. All proceeds will go directly toward funding the 4th and 5th-grade overnight trips.

Who Can Participate?

• Sell: Any 4th or 5th-grade student interested in selling their homemade goodies and crafts is welcome to join! The hard deadline to sign up is December 2. Please contact Katy Geisert at holidaymarket@thornhillschool.org for the link to sign-up.

• The Great Big Holiday Bake Sale: Sign up here to volunteer or to bake. Email Laura Borrman and Chelsea Boniak at bakesale@thornhillschool.org for more info. Regardless of your child’s grade level - all are welcome to join the fun.

• Buy: EVERYONE is invited to the Holiday Market, spread the word to friends, family, and neighbors!

ShopRaise Partnership
We’re also excited to introduce our new partnership with ShopRaise this year! Whether you're buying daily essentials like groceries, shopping for home office furniture, or booking your next trip, the ShopRaise app allows you to raise funds for Thornhill Elementary while you shop online—all at no extra cost to you. Now, your everyday shopping can directly support our school. Click the link here to learn more and download the app.

• Tuesday, November 12: BAC General Meeting 6:00-7:30pm (Thornhill MPR - new location) (details in Konstella)

• Wednesday, November 13: TK/K Information Night via Zoom 6pm (details in Konstella)

• Thursday, November 14: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day (details in Konstella)

• Saturday, November 16: Fall Sweep 1:00pm-4:00pm (details in Konstella)

• Tuesday, November 19: PFC Meeting 6:00-7:00pm via Zoom (details in Konstella)

• Wednesday, November 20: DEADLINE to order Thanksgiving pies (details in Konstella)

• Wednesday, November 20: Auction Meeting 7:30pm via Zoom (details in Konstella)

• Thursday, November 21: DEADLINE @ 5pm to pick up from Lost and Found before it is donated

• Friday, November 22: DEADLINE to submit Student Comfort Packs (details in Konstella)

• Monday, November 25 - Friday, November 29: NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving Break)

• Monday, December 2 - Friday, December 6: Winter Conference Week (Minimum days)

• Saturday, December 14: Holiday Market & Winter Social (details in Konstella)

• Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3, 2024: NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

• Monday, January 6: OUSD Professional Development Day (no school for students)

• Saturday, March 15: Thornhill’s 39th Annual Benefit Auction & Dinner (Details in Konstella)
  
  

The Thornhill Parent-Faculty Club (PFC) eNews team publishes this weekly newsletter each Tuesday in the school year to communicate school, PFC and OUSD news, events and information. We all have plenty of other things to do, but please try to read it weekly, as it will more than likely answer most questions you have about what’s up at school. Information about how to submit to the newsletter is below, but you can reach out to us at any time at newsletter@thornhillschool.org.

Email submissions to our Newsletter Chair, Annie Sartor, at newsletter@thornhillschool.org by 8 p.m. Thursday for approval—nothing sent after this will be included in the following week’s newsletter unless there are extenuating circumstances. It’s fine to include text in the body of the email with links and no formatting, and attach photos preferably as 150 x 150, 72 dpi JPG or GIFs only (not embedded in email or word file). Submissions may be edited for spelling, grammar, brevity and clarity. Advertising and items not related to Thornhill are not accepted, as we need to keep the newsletter focused on need-to-know info for the community.

THANK YOU to everyone who submits articles and to PFC Board Members, Teachers, PFC co-Presidents Becky Gonzales and Catrina Vrankovich, VP of Communications Jill Evans, and Principal Steve Daubenspeck, member of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).