Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter
Volume 27, Issue 36, May 12, 2020
In This Issue...
- FYI: Last PFC Meeting is on Monday, May 18 at 5:30pm. Info on Konstella.
- Note from the Principal
- Presenting the PFC Board Slate, and your name could be on it!
- Thunderbirds are crushing the Read-a-thon
- Shout outs to Dine Outs
- Weigh in on the OUSD Enrollment Survey
- Adventure Time (AT) Registration Information
- Pick Up the Pieces - PUZZLE PIECES THAT IS
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From the Principal
Dear Thornhill Families,
I am hoping that this note finds you well as we approach the middle of May. As you know, we will be wrapping up the "school year" and there is still so much for us to do. I would like to let you know that during the last week of school (May 26-28), our staff will not be doing instruction, per OUSD. Also during the week of May 26-28, we are organizing an opportunity for parents to pick up their student's property. You will get a schedule by Wednesday evening. Although this year we will have an unusual way to end the school year, we did want you to have this opportunity to pick up items on specific days. As you know we have to follow both OUSD and County Health Guidelines to make this a possibility and so we ask for your patience and understanding with the forthcoming schedule.
2020-2021 School Year
As a parent I am well aware of your interest in knowing what is in store for us in the fall. As soon as I am informed about how the school year will look, our team will communicate this with. Due to the unprecedented nature of COVID 19, OUSD is taking the necessary precautions regarding the opening of the 2020-2021 school year. In short, I have no information yet and stay tuned. All I can say is that at this time, school is scheduled to begin on August 10. Again, as soon as I am informed, I will pass along the information.
PFC Positions
The PFC is still recruiting several positions for next year. Please consider being a part of this team. The PFC is a key part of our school and we always need support. Feel free to reach out to members to learn more.
MEMORIAL DAY: There is no "School" on Monday, May 25 - I hope you can take some time to think of the importance of this day in both the history of America and the world.
Take good care!
Love,
Mr. Daubenspeck
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PFC Board Slate 2020-21 and Please Join Us!
Per our bylaws, we are publishing the PFC (Parent Faculty Club) Board Slate for the 2020-2021 school year. We will be voting on this slate during our May 18 PFC Board meeting from 5:30-7pm on Zoom. Everyone is welcome to come to the meeting, where we will also be approving our budget for next year.
PFC Board Slate 2020-2021
Presidents: Rex Crum & Alicia Streight
Secretary: Sarah Abreu
Treasurer: Derek McDonald
VP Communications: Evie Nagy & Erin Proudfoot
VP Community Support: Becky Urbano
VP Education Support: Adimika Arthur
VP Fundraising: Erin Fredrick & Christine Volden
VP Personnel: Rachel Gardunio
Member-at-Large (3-5): Alexis Lavine-Moore
Teachers: Bonnie Forbes & Richard Thompson
Back to School Donation Drive (BSDD): Adrienne Selke & Rianna Stoll
Enrichment: Teresa Contreras-Chavez
Konstella: Sylvia Sudat
Room Parents Chair: Terri O’Connor
Sustainability: Elyse Bart
Technology: Andrew Smith
Traffic: Christa Pennacchio
TK/Kindergarten Co-Chairs: Melissa Kellenberger & Kate Quigley
PFC Open Positions
We have the following PFC positions open and we would absolutely LOVE to have you join our team. Have questions? Reach out to the current person holding the position or anyone on the executive committee. We'd really - truly - love to tell you all about it.
We have one more position to fill on our Executive Committee:
Member-at-Large (TK-2): Serves on the Board to represent and liaison with the general school community. Members-at-large may help lead special projects.
We have some (also, super-key) positions to fill on our PFC Board:
5th Grade Chair: Organizes any 5th grade fundraisers and coordinates some 5th grade activities.
Auditor: Performs a biannual audit of all financial transactions, may prepare and file tax forms, and provides occasional financial advice and opinion.
Auction Co-Chairs: Organizes the school's main fundraiser with a team of volunteers.
Dads Club: Coordinates volunteers for Dads Club events such as Thornhill Night at the A's and Movie Nights. Encourages dads' participation in the school.
- Diversity: Leads a committee of interested parents to make our school environment welcoming and accepting of all families and differences in our school community and promotes diversity meetings and events.
- Fall Festival Chair: Organizes and oversees the main Fall school-community event. Note we have switched our community event from the Spring to the Fall!
Grants & Solicitations: Seeks grants that will benefit the school and prepares the grant applications.
Hospitality: Coordinates the Back-to-School Coffee and Teacher Appreciation Day Luncheon. Manages the Lost & Found.
Merchant Partnerships: Coordinates merchant give-back programs and promotes give-back programs through various communication channels.
Newsletter: Responsible for regular layout, publication, and distribution (via email) of the weekly newsletter based on information received from board members, principal, parents, and teachers.
Parliamentarian: Gives instructions in parliamentary procedure when needed at meetings. Makes sure the PFC follows our bylaws.
Site/Safety: Coordinates site-improvement days, helps with emergency preparedness plans, materials, building evacuation drills, keeps emergency supplies in container current, and maintains decorations in the lobby area.
Spirit Wear: Decides and designs what Thornhill School items to purchase and sell, and keeps track of inventory of items.
Spring Walkathon: Organizes this spring fundraiser with a team of volunteers. Note we have switched our walkathon fundraiser from the Fall to the Spring!
Webmaster: Maintains and updates school website (including calendar and posting newsletter). Ensures website content is updated at the beginning and regularly throughout the school year.
Thank you for volunteering your time with your PFC!
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Read-a-thon in Full Swing!
After one week, our amazing Thunderbirds have read more than 57,000 minutes and raised more than $13,000! We have 182 students who have created their pages, are tracking minutes read, and raising money for our school community.
We would love to have 100% participation! If anyone is still having difficulty signing up, please contact Ms. Fox at marie.fox@ousd.org.
Check out the upcoming incentives and prizes:
- If we get 10 more families to create their pages, we will share a video of Ms. Novak walking on her hands in celebration!
- If we raise $16,000, Ms. Fox will have her children throw a pie in her face and share the video!
- If we raise $20,000, Ms. Fox will have a bucket of ice water dumped on her head by her children and share the video!
Two students in every classroom will earn prizes. One for the top reader and one for the top fundraiser - a gift card to one of our local bookstores:
Mrs Dalloways, Mr. Mopps, or A Great Good Place for Books.
Ms. Fox's children are really hoping we reach those goals. And as a bonus, we all get to support our local bookstores. So let's keep reading, Thunderbirds!
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Dine Outs: That's a Wrap!
Thanks so much to the local restaurants who hosted "Dine Out" nights for Thornhill this year. Extra thanks to the Thornhill families and friends who went out to eat and supported these businesses who supported our school. This year, we can thank The Star on Grand, Red Boy Pizza, Zachary's, Paulista, Pattys & Buns, Chipotle (on Lakeshore) and Round Table (on Mountain Blvd) who collectively donated roughly $2,000 to Thornhill PFC, which all goes right back to supporting our students and teachers. If you have others to suggest for next year please email merchant@thornhillschool.org. Thank you!
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Fill Out OUSD’s Enrollment Survey
Do you have thoughts about enrollment? Do you want to help influence how the District determines what school your child attends?
The OUSD Board of Education is considering how to alter the District’s enrollment policy to ensure more equitable access for all students to high-quality schools. Here’s an easy survey for everyone to complete that will help guide this important work. It takes about ten minutes and comes in multiple languages.
The survey is here: https://bit.ly/EquitableEnrollmentCommunitySurvey
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Thornhill Adventure Time Registration: Tuesday, May 26 at 9am
From Adventure Time: Due to Covid-19 and the shelter-in-place order we have all been following, Adventure Time Fall 2020 registration will be online. By going to our website www.adventure-time.com you will be able to access our application.
Please download, complete the information on both pages, scan and email back to us at customerservice.adventuretime@gmail.com. You may also fax the application back to us at: 510-658-9102. There is an $85 application fee. Checks should be mailed to P.O. Box 5009, Berkeley, CA 94705. You may also pay by credit card. The credit card form is accessible on our website and may be emailed or faxed to us. If you need an application mailed to you, please call our office at 510-658-7412 x100. Once your application is completed you may take a photo of it that clearly shows your information and email or fax back to us on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 9am.
Enrollment in the Thornhill Adventure Time program is contingent on guidance from the State of California, Alameda County, and OUSD restrictions and safeguards which will be put in place once school reopens. Our capacity for enrollment may be limited or reduced and we may not be able to enroll every interested family. We will be working closely with OUSD to determine priority based on needs of essential workers and other vital personnel. If we are able to accommodate the same number of children as in previous years, enrollment will be on a first come, first served basis.
Attention: We will not accept your enrollment application until after 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday May 26, 2020.
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Pick Up the Pieces
One of the incredible prizes in this year’s virtual auction was a puzzle of our beloved Thornhill mural. Here are a few Thunderbirds using their spatial and fine motor skills and endless time at home to reconstruct its beauty.
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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, Evie Nagy, 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, VP of Communications Erin Proudfoot, PFC President Rex Crum, 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