Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter

• From our PFC co-Presidents

• Back to School Night

• 2024-25 PFC Board Slate - Help Us Fill Some Openings!

• Get to Know Thornhill's Beautification & Sustainability Team!

• Get to Know Thornhill’s BIPOC Advisory Council (BAC)

• Meet our New Thornhill Teachers

• Meet our Teaching Assistants for Student Support (TASS)

• Student Arrival, Dismissal & Parking at Thornhill

• Volunteer for Traffic Duty! Our Students Need You!

• Konstella & ParentSquare: What’s the difference and why do we have both?

• Facebook & Instagram: Stay Connected on Social Media

• OUSD Announcements

• Calendar of Important Dates

TOMORROW NIGHT is Back to School Night!

The first two weeks of school are minimum days

Thunderbirds!!

Welcome to the very first issue of the Thornhill PFC (Parent-Faculty Club) Newsletter for 2024-25 school year! The PFC newsletter is published every Tuesday through ParentSquare and Konstella, it's the best way to stay updated on all the events and activities happening at our school.

As your PFC co-Presidents this year, we'd like to take a moment to introduce ourselves to those who may not know us yet. Catrina Vrankovich, mom to a 3rd and 5th grader, and Becky Gonzales, mom to a 1st and 5th grader, have both been part of this Thornhill community for a long time and our main goal is to collaborate with Thornhill’s parents, caregivers, administration and teachers to support our school in every way possible.

We want to extend the warmest welcome to our returning families and new families! We also want to thank our dedicated team of teachers and staff who have been working so hard to prepare for a year filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. Thornhill is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and supported.

As we settle into these first few weeks of school, we encourage you to stay connected with the PFC and to be an active participant in our school community!

Our new families may be wondering, what is the PFC? As a Thornhill parent or guardian, you’re already a member of the PFC. The mission of the PFC is to support the Thornhill community—students (of course!), but also teachers, staff, and families. We do this through community-building events, making connections, and through fundraising. The best part? Everyone is welcome. In fact, getting involved is highly encouraged. (So encouraged that we’ll email you repeatedly throughout the year to remind you of it!)

There are a number of ways that you can get involved, whether you’re new to our community or if you’ve been here several years. Many of us are working caregivers, and there are opportunities to be involved in the PFC no matter how much time you have to give.

This past Saturday, we kicked off the school year with a Back to School Popsicle Social. The weather was perfect—a gorgeous, sunny day—and in just 1.5 hours, about 400 popsicles were devoured! The turnout was incredible, and it was so nice to see all the kids on the playground, excitedly asking each other, "Who's your teacher?!".

We’re excited to be adding more events to the calendar—there’s so much to look forward to!

But that’s all for now, keep reading for more updates and announcements! If you have any questions, please reach out to us at any time at president@thornhillschool.org.

Warmly,

Catrina Vrankovich & Becky Gonzales

PFC co-Presidents

We are excited to invite you to our annual Back to School Night, taking place TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 14 from 6:15-7:15 pm in the MPR (Multi Purpose Room). This is an adults only event. Back to School Night is an excellent opportunity for you to meet your child's teacher(s), explore their classrooms, and learn more about the exciting year ahead. You will gain valuable insights into the curriculum, classroom expectations, and ways you can support your child's education at home. You will also hear from Principal Daubenspeck, the administration team, PFC, and BAC (BIPOC Advisory Council) Leads for some important information about our school.

We look forward to seeing you there and working together to make this school year a successful and memorable one for all of our students.

Volunteer as a PFC Board Member, committee chair or team member. If you have an interest, there is definitely a volunteer opportunity for you, no matter how much time you have (or don’t have). No matter the job, we can give you the info and training you need to be a “pro volunteer.” Plus, you can meet other parents and guardians who are pretty cool.

The PFC is organized with an Executive Committee and Board Members. We have a few open positions below where we need your help! More information about the positions can be found on our website (thornhillschool.org/pfc).

If you want to get involved, but aren’t sure where to start, email president@thornhillschool.org, Catrina Vrankovich & Becky Gonzales are happy to help.

Thank you to those who have volunteered!

Executive Committee

Presidents: Catrina Vrankovich + Becky Gonzales

Secretary: Morgan McDonell
Treasurers: Madeline Buck + Tonya Young

VP, Communications: Jill Evans

VP, Fundraising: Open!

VP, Personnel: Evie Nagy

Member-at-Large (TK-2): Selam Brown

Member-at-Large (3-5): Chelsea Boniak

Principal: Steven Daubenspeck

Teacher Representatives: TBA

Board Members

5th Grade Liaison: Rosana Garcia

Auction Chair + Committee: Bart Lounsbury

Annual Fund: Stefani Miller, Selam Brown, Deepa Lounsbury, Annie Sartor

Inclusion & Belonging Chair: Sophie Astier

Grants & Solicitations Chair: Open!

Hospitality Chair: Angela Fautt-Gatdula, Philip Gatdula
Merchant Partnership Chairs: Ibby Sasso (Brands) + Jessica Serratos (Dine-outs)

Newsletter Editor: Annie Sartor

Parliamentarian: Open!

Read-a-thon Chair: Marie Fox

Room Parent Coordinator: Kathryn Miggels

Site/Safety Chair: Bruce Cowles

Spirit Wear Chair: Nisan Perera

Fall Festival Chair: Malcolm Goodwin

Sustainability co-Chairs: Deepa Lounsbury, Marine Thibault

Prospective Family Liaisons: Adrienne Selke, Katie Clark, Alexis Hayman

Traffic Safety Chair: Ian Storrar

Walk-a-thon co-Chairs: Alison Bunker + Brenna Gustafson

Webmaster: Sylvia Sudat

We are parent and student volunteers helping to make Thornhill a wonderful place to learn and play while empowering our kids to be stewards of their campus, communities, and the planet.

WE NEED YOU! We have many open roles for volunteers who are interested in gardening, energy efficiency, waste reduction, event coordination, communications, education, lunch quality, applying to grants, and more! We're a joyful team motivated to both build community and make an impact, and we welcome everyone!

LAST YEAR'S OUTCOMES: In the 23/24 school year, volunteers helped maintain the school garden year-round while our garden teacher, Ms. Alexis, taught students of all grades about gardening, growing, and harvesting fruits and vegetables. We inspired neighborhoods to come together and reduce emissions through our monthly Walk and Roll to School days, organized events and in-class education on waste sorting, composted food waste at lunchtime, and recycled huge amounts of plastics with company Ridwell. We also beautified the campus grounds in the Fall and Spring.

We have big ambitions this year to improve our school even more and make sure every person (no matter how little or big they are) knows how they can make a difference!

GET INVOLVED: Learn more about each opportunity here (most only ask for 1-2 hours per month of your time or a one time effort of a few hours). Reach out to Green Team Co-Leads Deepa Lounsbury or Marine Thibault, or email sustainability@thornhill.org with your interest or questions.

Join our 1st monthly in-person meeting!

Friday August 30, 5-6pm

Taps and Take-Out, Montclair

At Thornhill, we believe that every student deserves to feel seen, heard, and valued. To help fulfill this commitment, we created the Black Indigenous People of Color Advisory Council (BAC), established in February 2023. The BAC was born out of the dedication and advocacy of Thornhill parents who sought to ensure that our school is a place where all students, especially those from underrepresented communities, feel a deep sense of belonging and inclusivity.

The council plays a vital role in supporting and advising our school on policies and practices that address racism and racial inequities. Additionally, the BAC collaborates closely with the Parent Faculty Club (PFC) to ensure that school-sponsored events are welcoming to all, with a particular focus on lifting up voices from underrepresented groups.

As we kick off the new school year, we invite every member of our Thornhill community to join us in this journey toward a more inclusive and equitable school environment. To learn more and become a member, please email the BAC Board – Katrina Journey, Malcolm Goodwin, Bethany Donaphin and Becky Gonzales – at bac@thornhillschool.org.

Join Us

• Wednesday, Aug. 21: BAC New Family Welcome Coffee Chat @ 8:20am - 9:15am at the tables in Thornhill's back patio; opportunity to chat with BIPOC members

• Wednesday, Aug. 28: First BAC General Meeting of the school year @ 6:00pm - 7:30pm in person. Room TBD and child care will be provided. Please sign up for child care here.

As we kick off the new school year at Thornhill, we are thrilled to recognize our exceptional Thornhill teachers. This is an INCREDIBLE group of educators that bring knowledge, creativity, and enthusiasm to the classroom, ensuring a supportive learning environment for every student. Our Thornhill teachers are ready to make this school year an extraordinary journey of learning!!

Transitional Kindergarten: Nancy Steimle

Kindergarten: Anna Finnell,​ Ashley Johnson, Julia Harder

1st Grade: ​Jennifer Formoso, Caitlin Dobson, Rosalie MacNeal

2nd Grade: Katherine Tsuji, Zach Johnson

2nd/3rd Grade: Maureen Whalen

3rd Grade: Alison Bunker, Katy Geisert

4th Grade: Brenna Gustafson, Maya Novak

5th Grade: Jeanne Bernard, Rob Wilkins

Please welcome the two newest Thornhill teachers for the 2024-25 school year, Miss. Harder (K) & Ms. MacNeal (1st)!

Hello! My name is Miss. Harder and I’m incredibly excited to begin teaching Kindergarten at Thornhill Elementary this year! I attended Thornhill school myself and loved my experience. It definitely encouraged my desire to become a teacher! From a very young age, I have known that I wanted to work with children. I studied Early Childhood Development at Sonoma State University before moving to the United Kingdom, where I earned my teaching degree at Kingston University in London. I taught 1st grade in England for two years and absolutely loved it. I could not ask for a better job than getting to teach and help children every day.

My teaching style is based around an environment of mutual respect. I believe that having a space where both the children and I feel heard and respected is essential to a calm and safe classroom environment. I value spreading kindness to everyone and strive to make that a daily occurrence in my classroom. Positive reinforcement and leading by example are two of my favorite ways to reinforce the expectations in my class. Setting clear intentions and boundaries from the start will allow us to have a fun and productive year! I love music, art, and nature and try to incorporate these topics into my lessons, as well as the children’s interests when possible. I want school to be an exciting and enjoyable experience for the children in my class.

Now that I am back in California, I could not dream of a better place than my old school to continue my teaching career. I look forward to meeting the wonderful children and families that make up the Thornhill community.

My name is Ms. MacNeal and I’m thrilled to be joining the amazing community at Thornhill Elementary as a 1st grader teacher! I received my B.A. in Communicative Disorders, focusing on Audiology and Speech Pathology, and my Master’s in Education from the University of Redlands. I have taught both in public and private schools as an associate and head teacher, with some experience in American Sign Language. Throughout college I worked as a specialist providing support to children with autism. As a child, English was not my native language. However, with the amazing support, love and patience from my teachers, I grew to love learning and thrived to be a teacher myself.

As an educator, I am passionate about fostering a positive environment where my students can succeed both academically and socially. My educational philosophy is to help students achieve their goals by creating an enriching learning environment that is both engaging and challenging. I believe that children learn through collaboration, exploring their own ideas and asking questions. With my background and experience of learning a second language, my approach to teaching reading and writing is something I take pride in. To observe a child understanding and connecting letter knowledge to reading is what drove my passion to teach first grade. I think being a teacher is an amazing and rewarding profession because not only do I get the opportunity to help shape the future minds but I also get the chance to learn from them.

A little about me…I moved to the US from Cambodia at the age of 7. From a young age I have always had a fascination for learning and I spent my high school years interning and studying abroad teaching English in Cambodia. I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and running, art and going to the beach. I have a deep love for the ocean and sea turtles.

We are absolutely thrilled to have SIX amazing Teaching Assistants for Student Support (TASS) this year! Their contributions in the classroom are truly invaluable. They provide essential support for our teachers, lead engaging small group learning sessions, offer personalized one-on-one assistance to students and so much more! This incredible support team is fully funded by the PFC and is made possible through the remarkable generosity of our wonderful Thornhill parent community.

From L to R: Moises Gonzalez, Mariana Moreno-Hernandez, Chelsea Graf, Rebecca Rivera, Vicki Mix-Lopez, Ansel Burnama

Moises Gonzalez

I attended Unity High Charter School and Rudsdale Continuation School in East Oakland! I am a musician who loves to spend time with family and who also loves playing sports. I’m also very passionate about helping my community, especially when it comes to the youth of Oakland because I am a product of these roots. I know how important it is to be a figure to those behind us which is why thankfully I am coming back for my second year to the Thornhill family! Very excited to see what this year brings.

Mariana Moreno-Hernandez

I am a second year TASS member at Thornhill, supporting teachers and students. A mother of 4 beautiful children, three boys and a daughter. I also have a fur baby named Abby. During my free time, I enjoy going on walks and traveling with my family.

Chelsea Graf

Originally an Indiana Hoosier, my husband and I packed our car and headed to California in August of 2016. When I am not playing Lego’s, Barbies, or Magnatiles with my Thunderbirds (incoming TK & 1st), you can find me hiking, wading in creeks, or taking care of my 50+ plants. I love the outdoors, the California sunshine, and exploring this beautiful state with my family. We love animals and veggies so much that we’re all vegetarian! I can’t wait to help make Thornhill an awesome, inclusive, and fun place to learn.

Rebecca Rivera

Hi my name is Rebecca, and last year was my first year working at Thornhill as an after school TK teacher. This year I’m excited to work as a Teaching Assistant/Student Support staff member! Outside of work I really enjoy being active, such as going on hikes and just being involved with nature. I also really enjoy cooking and baking; it’s one of my favorite things to do while I binge watch a TV show I really love!

Vicki Mix-Lopez

I am a proud paraprofessional, mom and grandma (Gigi). I have worked as a paraeducator I, II, and III for Washington Unified and as an art teacher for an afterschool program. I enjoy going to the beach, painting, crafting, gardening and watching the local deer. I am returning to my hometown of Oakland to work at Thornhill Elementary, where I am very excited to help our young Thunderbirds thrive!

Ansel Burnama

Yo! Go Cougars, Wildcats, and Trojans (Vannoy, Creekside, CVHS)! I am a recent graduate of Castro Valley High School and I am so excited to be part of the TASS team! When not at Thornhill supporting teachers and staff, you can find me giving my all at church, the basketball court or with my dogs. I love to hangout with friends and family *preferably over a competitive activity* and am a huge fan of sports (especially basketball). This is my first year at Thornhill.

Hi everyone! The traffic team is excited to be back in action next week helping to make school drop off and pick up run smoothly this year. For new families, welcome and please don't hesitate to email Ian Storrar at quickdrop@thornhillschool.org if you have questions about how getting your kids into and out of school each day works.

We are still in car-mageddon mode because of the construction on the church parking lot. There is no family parking allowed in the church parking lot and there are (scary voice) consequences if folks are found parking there without a permit. If you are able to carpool, walk or bike from home, or park farther away and walk into school, we strongly encourage you to do this.

• In the mornings, the drive and drop-off lanes on Thornhill Drive (GATE A & B) and on the Alhambra Lane (GATE D) side of the school will be open around 8:15 and run until 8:40ish. For the Thornhill Drive drop-off lane, pull into the lane, a friendly parent volunteer will open your door to let your kiddo(s) out, pull carefully out of the lane and drive up to Merriewood to turn around if you need to go westbound out of the neighborhood. Similar procedure for the Alhambra Lane drop-off lane - it’s ok to drive through the St. John’s lot, you just can’t park there.

• Please make sure your kids are ready to jump out of the car so that we can keep things moving. The parent volunteers are happy to help your kids close backpacks, zip up jackets, etc. after you drop off.

• In the afternoons, we will be running a pick-up lane!! The lane will open at 2:15 for TK/K (1:10 on minimum days) and run until 3 pm (or 2 pm for minimum days). Parent volunteers will connect kids waiting at the gates to cars. If your kids aren't ready to be picked up, we'll ask you to move along and come back through after making a u-turn at Merriewood Drive and then circling back around. If you are picking up both TK/K and 1-5 graders, unfortunately, you can't sit along the front curb between pick up times and will need to find another spot to wait.

• There will be no parking allowed in front of the school between 8-4 pm on school days. This has always been prohibited (see signage on the curb), but not enforced. This year (scary voice again) it will be enforced because we will need to keep the lane clear for the afternoon pick-ups.
  
  

As always, please bring your patience, good humor, and safety brain during drop off and pick up. A few reminders to that end:

• Please don't speed on Thornhill (or any neighborhood street for that matter): the speed limit is 25 mph throughout and 15 mph in the school zone. There will be kids walking and biking up and down Thornhill and it is extremely unpleasant and unsafe to have drivers going 30+ mph on the corridor.

• Please don't park in front of neighbors' driveways, even if "just for a minute." One of the neighbors across the street is a nurse who works the nightshift. They have been delayed getting home from work in the morning because a Thornhill family parked in their parking spot to drop off in the morning. Please don't be that person!!

• Please no u-turns in front of the school or anywhere else on Thornhill, except at Merriewood Drive.
  
  

And finally, we are always in need of volunteers to help run the drop-off and pick-up lines. We're a fun group of people (despite all the stern warnings above) and all you need is a passion for opening car doors.

Dismissal Student pick-up happens at the three front gates on Thornhill Drive: Gate A, Gate B, and Gate C.

The dismissal locations are as follows:

Gate A

Ms. Finnell’s (K) class, 4th grade, 5th grade

Gate B

Ms. Harder’s (K) class, 2nd grade, 3rd grade

Gate C

Ms. Steimle’s (TK) Class, Ms. AJ’s (K) class, 1st grade

Thank You,

Ian Storrar & Christine Fry

Thornhill Traffic Team Members

Please help us keep our kids safe and traffic flowing! It’s simple and takes as little as 30 minutes (dropoff and minimum day pickups) and no more than 45 minutes (regular pickup).

We need at least 4 volunteers in the morning and 4 in the afternoon every day the school is open. In the past, we had a smaller number per day but with a change in our procedures, we are asking for more of you to step up and join the 12+ regulars who held things together last year.

Sign up on Konstella at the links below.

Morning Drop-Off Volunteers

Afternoon Pick-Up Volunteers

• Konstella is Thornhill’s communications platform for Parent Faculty Club (PFC) announcements and parent-to-parent communication. There are classroom groups, committees, the school directory, a calendar, the opportunity to share photos, and more.

• ParentSquare is the official communications platform for OUSD as well as for Thornhill’s administration and teachers.
  
  

While official school information will come from ParentSquare, there are many features Konstella offers that ParentSquare can’t do!

Konstella provides a space for us to reach everyone (like we are doing now!) with information about community events, fundraisers, and other activities. PFC committees need a space to brainstorm and plan, and Room Parents in each classroom need to be able to communicate about class parties, gifts for teachers and other important things. Thornhill families need to be able to find each other for playdates and other kinds of parent-to-parent communication.

In the next few weeks, you’ll see that you and your child(ren) have been assigned to your classroom groups and any committee you’re in (or join in the future!). Konstella is also a schoolwide directory—not only can you contact the other parents/guardians in your class, you can search for anyone at the school by name or kid's name.

OUSD uses ParentSquare across the district for OUSD and school/classroom announcements. This is linked to your Aeries account.

We will use Konstella for everything else—our school/parent directory (ParentSquare doesn't provide this), room parent communication, teacher and staff appreciations, community and fundraising events (Annual Fund, Walkathon, Fall Festival and Benefit Auction), groups/committees, PFC meetings/announcements, photos, etc.—essentially everything that is organized and communicated by parent volunteers.

Konstella is Thornhill’s official communication channel, along with this newsletter and our school website, but we also have an informal community Facebook group that we invite everyone who uses Facebook to join for sharing resources and supporting one another. You can even join your child’s grade level specific Facebook page! Lastly, don’t forget to follow the Thornhill PFC on Instagram, @thornhillpfc!

Congratulations! Now you’re in the know about everything going on at Thornhill! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions relating to Thornhill Communications (Konstella, Newsletter, Website and Room Parents). Thank you to this year’s awesome team: Annie Sartor (Newsletter), Kathryn Miggels (Room Parents) and Sylvia Sudat (Webmaster).

In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful start to the 2024-2025 school year, as well as a BIG welcome to all of the new families!

- Jill Evans (VP Communications)

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).