News in a Nutshell #6

The Oak Ridge Home & School has a lot of events coming up! Please keep reading to learn how you can get engaged.

Thanks to our incredibly generous Oak Ridge community, we collected 60 Stockings filled with thoughtful hand-picked gifts. We also collected $3,850 in donations for groceries, Walmart gift cards, and utilities to help Oak Ridge families in need celebrate the holidays.

Thank you for making the season merrier and brighter for our community!

Our next Home & School meeting is on Tuesday, February 4 at 7 PM in the Oak Ridge library! As always, all parents/guardians are welcome to attend. Come join us to learn more about upcoming events including the Prize Bingo in May!

To keep all families informed about what is happening with Home & School, we will share our meeting minutes each month here in our smore. Find the January meeting minutes at this link.

If you missed the opt-in to receive the direct email of the News in a Nutshell smore during the Directory DASH sign-ups in September, please use this link to opt-in for future direct emails. The distribution list will be updated once each month before the smore is sent out.

Did you know that there is a weekly post from Oak Ridge in the soudertonsd Instagram account? Follow the account and you just might find a picture from something going on at Oak Ridge!

The Oak Ridge Home and School Association invites you to a fun-filled Roller Skating Night on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Inline 309 (2117 Bethlehem Pike, Hatfield, PA).

• Cost: $10 per skater (includes admission and skate rental); non-skaters enter free!

• Snacks: Available for purchase at the snack bar.

Don’t miss this exciting event for the whole family!

In February, we are excited to host Afterschool Rec for 1st and 2nd grade students. These events are immediately after school until 4:30PM. They are a combination of physical and other fun activities to appeal to all interests. Sign-up information will come home with your student(s) soon, and the sign-up links are also below. Events for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will be held in April.

These events cannot happen without volunteers. Please consider volunteering. If you have questions about the events, please email us at ASRec.ORE@gmail.com

• 1st grade (sign-up link) on Tuesday, February 11th
• 2nd grade (sign-up link) on Tuesday, February 25th

Mark your calendar for this year's Lip Sync! Read below for various details - some specific for 5th Graders and others for all who are interested in supporting the Lip Sync event! This Wednesday, January 29 is the deadline to register for Lip Sync. Each student performing must have a separate form. Here is the link to register. We are looking forward to an amazing event in March!

5th Grade Lip Sync Cover Contest

5th graders, it’s your year! We invite your creative ideas for our Lip Sync Cover.

The following information should appear on your submission:

In Our Oak Ridge Era: 2025 Lip Sync

Oak Ridge Elementary School

March 6, 2025 at 7:00 @ SAHS

Please use an 8 ½ x 11 white sheet of paper with any colors you choose. Please scan and email your cover to lipsyncor@gmail.com with your name and teacher in the subject. If you are unable to scan the cover, please send it to Samantha Hagopian. Have fun!

The Lip Sync Committee will vote on all cover submissions. The first place winner will be the cover and the 2nd place winner will be our back cover. All submissions will be included in the program.

Deadline for Lip Sync Cover is February 7, 2025.

5th Grade Finale!

We have chosen some fun songs and current moves for the Finale. No dance experience necessary. Practices will take place in the gym right after school.

Practice Schedule (all practices are 3:30-4:30):

Tuesday, February 4th

Monday, February 10th

Thursday, February 20th

Thursday, February 27th

Thursday, March 6th at 5:45 on stage

If your child is not performing in an act, they are invited to join in the Finale! Every child needs permission. Click here to sign up.

Home and School is so excited for our upcoming Lip Sync on March 6th. We are writing to let you know about a few ways you can help support the event.

First, we will be selling bouquets you can pre-purchase for your talented kids. The bouquets are pre-order only and must be paid for in advance. They will be available to pick up at the concession stand in the lobby prior to the start of Lip Sync.

There are two different options available: a small or large bouquet. Both bouquets will include baby’s breath, greens, cello wrap and a bow. The small bouquet will include a minimum of 4 stems of flowers, while the large will include a minimum of 8 stems. The cost for the small bouquet is $8 and the large is $15.

Payment will be accepted via Venmo using the QR code in this email. Please note the recipient's name in the comments when paying for the bouquet. All orders are due by Wednesday, February 26th.

We will also be offering beautiful wooden roses for sale at the concession stand that evening for $2 each.

We are happy to be able to have our concession stand for the event and are looking for some donations. Please sign up using the signup genius link if you can help! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C45ABA72DA5F49-54443193-oakridge.

We are requesting all items be dropped off in the Oak Ridge Lobby on March 5th or 6th prior to 2:30 pm.

Lastly, please bring your $1 bills to purchase some snacks for the show! All items will be $1 and proceeds will be donated to the Keystone Opportunity Center.

If you have any questions or issues feel free to reach out via email oakridgehomeandschool@gmail.com.

As always we appreciate your support!!! Looking forward to a fun night!!

As we start the new year, H&S is starting to invest in activities for both the remainder of this school year and next school year. The fundraising committee has invested over $3k toward our spring prize bingo event and the Holiday Shoppe committee has invested close to $5k worth of merch for the 2025 Holiday Shoppe (with more to come!)!

H&S received the $1,055 reward check from Box Tops which we are using to replace playground equipment. We have started a wish list and will purchase the equipment in the coming weeks so the kids have new outside toys once this frigid weather passes!!

We have received just over $1,100 in company matches from our Fall Fun Run fundraising event. Thank you to the parents who took the time to submit! As a reminder, you can submit company matches for any and all donations made throughout the school year such as our winter Stockings and Mittens drive we had in December.

We are a 501(c)3 non profit. We accept donations and company matches. Your donation is eligible for company match and may be tax deductible (where eligible). Please use the H&S email when submitting your company match at oakridgehomeandschool@gmail.com

Feel free to email us with any questions!

We are still in need of volunteers to turn the ropes during lunch recess! Please sign up for upcoming dates. Kindergarten through second grade is from 10:30 to 11:30. Third graders through fifth graders jump from 11:30 to 12:30. We need at two volunteers per hour to have it! Thank you!!!

Our Yearbook coordinator, Ashley Bilotti, is always looking for your photos to enhance the yearbook. Please send in your photos from the Holiday socials. field trips, the upcoming Valentine's Day parties and other events to orelemyearbook@gmail.com. Your photos help make our yearbook amazing!

Stay up to date on all things Oak Ridge Home & School - bookmark our new Google site!

To stay engaged between newsletters, join our Oak Ridge Elementary Home & School Association group on Facebook! This is a great place to learn about what's coming up next and to ask questions between meetings. Join and follow us now!

Tuesday, February 4, 2025 - Oak Ridge Home & School Meeting at 7 PM in the Library

Friday, February 7, 2025 - Skate Night at Inline 309 from 5:30-7:30 PM

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 - 1st Grade Afterschool Rec; The Barn Yard Family Night from 5:00-7:00 PM

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 2nd Grade Afterschool Rec

Thursday, March 6, 2025 - Oak Ridge Lip Sync at Souderton Area HS

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - 3rd Grade Afterschool Rec

Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 4th Grade Afterschool Rec

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - 5th Grade Afterschool Rec

Friday, May 2, 2025 - Save the Date: Prize Bingo