News in a Nutshell #4

We would like to wish all of you a very happy holiday season! Thanks for all that you do to share your time, talents, and resources to make our Oak Ridge Home & School events a success! We appreciate you and look forward to an exciting 2024!

Please note that the Home & School will not be meeting in December. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, in the Oak Ridge Library. Hope to see you there! More details and the link to join virtually will be shared in the next smore!

Our annual Stockings & Mittens Drive is a holiday tradition that supports Oak Ridge families in need during the holiday season. Please consider signing up to make a donation here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4CA9AA29ABF94-46434617-stockings#/

We are requesting gift cards, monetary donations, and stockings. When donating a stocking, please purchase and fill a stocking with unwrapped age/gender appropriate items such as small toys/books/toiletries/games. Gift cards and monetary donations can be sent in to school with your child or via PayPal or Venmo. Additional details are provided on the Sign Up Genius.

All donations are needed at Oak Ridge by Thursday, December 14th. Please contact Christina Beebe, School Counselor, and/or Heather Markus heather.markus@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you so much for your generosity this holiday season!

Oak Ridge Home and School Association will be running a flower sale at the Holiday Concert on December 19th.

We are selling bouquets of flowers that you can purchase for your singer/musician. All bouquets need to be pre-ordered and paid for in advance. They will be available for pick up prior to the start of the concert. Two different options are 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. You can Venmo @oakridge_homeandschool (or see the QR code). You can also pay via Paypal at oakridgehomeandschool@gmail.com. Please note your child's name when paying for the bouquet. All orders are due by Friday, December 8th.

We will also be offering wooden roses for sale that evening for $2 each.

If you have any questions or issues with payment, please reach out via email oakridgehomeandschool@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to sharing a fun night of music with you all!

Want to see the details for the next Family Fun Night - make sure to check back here! The next event is on Friday, December 8 at Inline Skate 309 from 5:30-7:30 PM. All skaters cost $10 (including skate rental) and you pay at the door. Concessions will be available from Inline Skate 309. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Let us know you are coming by RSVPing at this link.

The Oak Ridge Clothing Drive fundraiser raised $922 for our school, and we were able to donate 4,609 pounds of clothes, shoes, and toys to assist in global disaster relief. Thanks to everyone who cleaned out their closets to help us with this fundraising endeavor - we couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you to everyone who filled a brown bag with non-perishables for the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thanks to you, 20 local families had staples for their holiday meal delivered to them!

We are thankful to everyone who helped support our annual Holiday Shoppe! From the parents who stored boxes in their basements, to those who came in and volunteered during this crazy busy time of year, to those who sent money in with their children to shop and those who made donations of their change to Home and School - we appreciate all of you! The smiles on the kids' faces as they shop is always priceless and we hope their joy is contagious as they hand out their specially chosen gifts.

In November, your Oak Ridge Home & School dollars went to funding the successful Ice Cream Sundae Bar on November 17. Your contributions also helped us raise over $900 from the Clothing Drive for future events. The current event that is wrapping up is the Holiday Shoppe - and more details about that will be shared next month!

Please continue to send in your photos from recent events like the bake sale, ice cream social, and field trips to orelemyearbook@gmail.com. Keep those pictures coming!!

Friday, December 8 - Skate Night at Inline Skate 309 from 5:30-7:30 PM

Friday, December 8 - Orders for Holiday Concert flowers are due

Tuesday, December 19 - Oak Ridge Holiday Concert at Indian Valley Middle School at 7 PM

Tuesday, January 9 - Oak Ridge Home & School Meeting at 7 PM in the Oak Ridge Library

Friday, January 19 - Hobby Night at Oak Ridge from 7-8 PM