Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter
Volume 28, Issue 32, April 13, 2021
In This Issue (bolded items are new contributions for this week)
Note from our PFC Co-Presidents
ParentSquare and Re-opening Communications
- Family Trivia Night --> this Saturday at 6pm!
- Auction! Auction! Auction!
- Return to In-Person School Info Night --> Thursday at 7pm
- Veggies!!!
Thornhill is Hiring!
How to Become an OUSD Substitute Teacher
California Healthy Kids Parent Survey
OUSD Family Resources
OUSD Announcements
Individual Class Printed Packets
Calendar of Important Dates
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A Note from our PFC Co-Presidents
Aloha,
Welcome back! Whether you stayed home or got out of town this past week, we hope you had a good time, and depending on your vacation style, either an active or slow-drive version of Spring Break.
As we get into returning in-person to Thornhill, we are also coming up on the last few weeks of the school year. Please keep in mind the Thornhill Family Trivia Night this Saturday, April 17 at 6pm, and the upcoming live school auction on Saturday, May 1 at 6pm. If you’ve ever wanted a Peloton bike, we are raffling one off and this could be the best deal around if you win. Plus, you will also be supporting Thornhill with your generous donation!
Since we can see the end of the school year on the horizon, we can also see the next school year down the road. With that in mind, we have an announcement to make.
After three years as PFC President (two solo, and this year, along with the incredible Alicia Streight), it is time for me to step aside. With that, we are all fortunate to have Rianna Stoll coming in as co-President to serve alongside Alicia. Many of you know Rianna already as a longtime Thornhill parent; Magnolia is currently in 5th grade and Beckett is in 2nd grade. Rianna has worked tirelessly for Thornhill and has helped lead several of our school’s Annual Fund drives. We should all give our thanks and support to Rianna for her willingness to volunteer for Thornhill’s PFC. I have no doubt that she and Alicia will do a great job in the upcoming school year.
Let’s make these last few weeks the best of this school year!
Mahalo,
Rex Crum and Alicia Streight
Gate A
Gate B
Gate C
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ParentSquare and Re-opening Communications
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Thornhill Family Trivia Night!
Please join us for a family trivia night this Saturday, April 17 from 6-7:30 pm. The questions will test your general, pop culture, and all-things-Thornhill knowledge -- and first place will win a prize! You'll also get a first look at some of the awesome items up for bid at our virtual auction next month on May 1.
Date: Saturday, April 17 --> this Saturday!
Time: 6-7:30pm
Who: The Whole Family!
We have a completely optional donation request of whatever you would like to give to support this event. This donation is 100% tax-deductible!
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Auction! Auction! Auction!
- PELOTON BIKE RAFFLE: For a mere $50 for one ticket, you have a chance to win a Peloton bike!! Buy 4 tickets for $200 and we'll throw in an extra ticket for free. Your raffle ticket purchases are 100% tax deductible to the Thornhill PFC. Buy a raffle ticket here. Open to anyone. Deadline is Friday, April 30th at 11:45pm.
- VIRTUAL ESCAPE ROOM for 4th & 5th Graders: Thursday, April 15 (this Thursday!) from 4:30-5:30pm. Super fun brain twisters for kids aged 10-12. Buy a spot here.
- CLEARY BIKE: Win the bike of your choice! Currently no bids... bid here.
Our Virtual Live Auction is on Saturday, May 1 at 6pm and will be loads of fun. You'll get a last chance to bid on items and we'll see who wins the Peloton bike! Register for free here.
All money raised goes directly to our teacher's aides, librarian, music, PE teacher, and more. Thank you in advance for your generous donations.
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Grades 3-5 Return to In-Person School Information Night
We will have a "Return to In-Person School" information session this Thursday evening, April 15 at 7pm.
On the agenda: safety, routines, expectations, and time for Q&A. (For those with TK-2nd younger siblings, this will be a repeat of the lower grade session.)
Please join us if your schedule allows. This is intended for parents/guardians/caregivers, but students are welcome to listen if they would like. For those unable to attend, a copy of the presentation will be shared afterwards.
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News from the Thornhill Garden
Please come get your school garden veggies this Wednesday, April 14 from 4 to 6 pm on the school yard! I will be harvesting bok choy, red mustard greens, sugar snap peas, mint, swiss chard and more.
Happy Spring!
Miss Alexis
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Thornhill is Hiring!
The PFC is currently hiring for Teacher's Aides to help with in-person school this Spring! Apply online or email your resume and any questions to the PFC at: personnel@thornhillschool.org.
Thank you,
Rachel Gardunio, PFC VP of Personnel
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How to Become an OUSD Substitute Teacher
A great way to help our teachers, school and community is to become a substitute for OUSD. The process is fairly simple and right now we're at an all-time low for humans that can step into a classroom to give our hardworking teachers a break! This is the single most effective thing you can do to help out in a BIG way. If you’re interested and have a college degree, just follow these steps:
Register for the CBEST Test
Check the OUSD hiring page for information on how to apply to be a sub
Once you're done, make sure you let Thornhill know you're ready to go! Any questions about the process can be directed to Alicia Streight, astreight@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Alicia Streight
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California Healthy Kids Parent Survey (CHKS)
Please complete the CHKS 2021 Parent Survey by this Friday, April 16! This survey is an opportunity for you to help Thornhill by sharing your opinions about it. We want to learn about this school’s efforts to promote academic success and well-being for every student. We also want to know how well the school is supporting you to be a true partner in your child’s education. If you have more than one child at this school, you may either fill out a separate survey for each child or just focus on the experience of one of your children at Thornhill.
Thank you,
Sherry Kaetzel, Thornhill Secretary
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OUSD Family Resources
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OUSD Announcements
Please find OUSD announcements and events here, including past Info and a recorded webinar on the re-opening this week and Fall planning.
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Individual Class Printed Packets
If your teacher tells you that printed materials need to be picked up, they will continue to be in the same spot — on the fence near the TK trailer and the Alhambra entrance, right next to the D Gate. Gate D is an alternate morning drop-off location.
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Calendar
- Thursday, April 15: Grades 3-5 In-Person School Info Night (7pm, Info in Konstella)
- Saturday, April 17: Thornhill Family Trivia Night (RSVP in Konstella)
Monday, April 19: In-Person School start date for 3rd-5th
Saturday, May 1: Virtual Benefit Auction for Thornhill
Monday, May 3: FINAL PFC Meeting of the Year --> Vote on 2021-2022 budget & board members! (5:30pm, Info in Konstella)
Be sure also to subscribe to the Thornhill Google Calendar here, and download the OUSD District calendar here.
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About the Thornhill Newsletter
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.
Email submissions to our Newsletter Chair, Jill Evans, 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 extremely compelling 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, VPs of Communications Erin Proudfoot & Evie Nagy, PFC Presidents Rex Crum & Alicia Streight, and Principal Steve Daubenspeck. Member of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
Email: webmaster@thornhillschool.org
Website: thornhillschool.org
Location: 5880 Thornhill Drive, Oakland, CA, USA
Phone: 510-339-6800