Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter

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Thank you for your continued support!

Selam Brown, Stefani Miller, Deepa Lounsbury & Annie Sartor

Annual Fund Co-Chairs

annualfund@thornhillschool.org

This week, we’re getting to know Matthew Shell, known to all our Thornhill students as Mr. Shell. Each week, Mr. Shell ensures our children are outdoors, engaging in physical activities, playing, gaining knowledge, and most importantly, having a great time! Our students adore him, and he is an invaluable addition to the Thornhill team. Your generous contributions to the Thornhill PFC play a crucial role in supporting his position.

How long have you been at Thornhill?

I started my path at Thornhill as a teaching assistant 4 years ago, and my dedication to the school was so deep that when the chance to become the PE instructor emerged, I eagerly embraced it. I also have a love of music and incorporate it into each class. What I also treasure most is integrating a diverse range of activities like yoga, stretching, running, soccer, tennis, and basketball, all with a primary focus on having FUN! This school year chess has been added as an additional activity.

Why did you choose to become a PE instructor?

PE is important, particularly to elementary students. Kids these days have so many options and distractions that encourage sedentary lifestyles. A healthy lifestyle with physical activity will result in a much higher quality of life and will have long-lasting, positive health effects. I feel it is important to offer an opportunity and an example of how fun and easy healthy exercise can be.

Why is PE so important for K-5 kids?

PE reduces stress - PE acts as a valuable stress reducer, offering a productive channel for releasing tension and anxiety while promoting emotional stability and resilience.

PE supports learning in other subject areas - PE contributes to learning in various subject areas by reinforcing knowledge acquired across the curriculum. It serves as a practical laboratory for applying content from subjects like science, math, and social studies.

PE strengthens peer relationships - Physical education plays a pivotal role in fostering positive peer relationships among children. It provides ample opportunities for successful socialization and the development of essential people skills.

Thank you, Mr. Shell!

“I love PE with Coach Shell! I love hopping on one foot and doing obstacle courses with my class!” Rose S., Kindergarten

“Our family loves Mr. Shell! He teaches students fun ways to exercise their bodies and he’s also so great at teaching kids strategies for conflict resolution. I really appreciate having yet another caring adult on campus who is so attentive to how kids are feeling day in and day out!” - Becky L. - Thornhill Parent

“I love PE because Mr. Shell always makes it fun. Gaga ball is my favorite!” Peyton V., 5th grade

“I love Coach Shell because he’s always smiling, pitches in when he sees a need, provides a variety of activities for each class so that all kids feel successful and he brings joy to exercise!” - Ms. Steimle - TK Teacher

“Mr. Shell is so much fun! He teaches us fun ways to keep our body moving, and the importance of exercise. He is kind and caring, and builds self esteem! What would be do without Mr. Shell! Please keep PE as a part of our school week!” Karis, 3rd Grade

We have a lot to look forward to in September, but first, here’s a reminder that our first BIPOC Advisory Council (BAC) Allies Group Brainstorm and Social will be taking place this Wednesday, September 4, 6:00pm at El Agavero Restaurant in Montclair. This is a very informal and family-friendly meet-up, so please come along to help us support equity and inclusion for our students at Thornhill! Even if you haven’t attended before please come and check it out- everyone is welcome and kiddos may attend with their parents!

We would also like to invite you to discover two school resources that are here for you to enjoy and use. First, we have a little free library and mindfulness corner in the school garden which offers a chance for students and parents to take a moment and enjoy our beautiful school grounds. The little library includes books for children of all ages and also offers books for parents on a range of topics, including how to talk to your children about race, friendships, and how to support children with dyslexia or who are on the autism spectrum. Please feel free to visit this space anytime.

Also, we are happy to let you know that you have online access to all our previous Inclusion Book Club entries. Our book club typically runs monthly during the school year in the school newsletter. We try to cover a variety of books for children and adults to help guide conversations around anti-racist learning and practices, so please check them out when you can! In particular, we would like to recommend Our Skin, A First Conversation About Race, by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli and Raising Anti-Racist Children by Britt Hawthorne. All entries include information on how to borrow or access the books through the school’s online library, Sora. You can find all of our book club blurbs on Konstella here.

Please feel free to reach out any time if you have ideas for Inclusion and Belonging at Thornhill. You can contact us at diversity@thornhillschool.org.

Thank you!

Inclusion and Belonging Team

How receptive and excited the students were this week during their in-class waste-sorting education! The Green Team is on an ongoing tour of the classrooms to talk about the importance of reducing and reusing waste, at school and at home. Students are learning to be mindful and sort their recyclable and compostable waste, using all 4 bins at school: Recycling, Composting, Ridwell, and as a last resort, Landfill. Those new Ridwell boxes are filling up with plastic wrappers! Starting next week, volunteer waste-sorting heroes from grades 2 to 5 will take their posts in the cafeteria at lunchtime to guide students in sorting their lunch waste. Our mindful and responsible students are officially reducing our landfill waste!

ShopRaise Partnership
We’re 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.

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).