Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter
Volume 25, Issue 8, October 20, 2017
Walk-a-Thon...Just Eight Days Away
Are you wondering what those orange and yellow flyers are all about?
The 40th Annual Thornhill Elementary Walk-a-Thon is only eight days away! Are you a Walk-a-Thon veteran? First Timer? Don’t worry, the Room Parents have you covered!
The Walk-a-Thon will be held Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This year's theme is “Trek N’ Treat”, so Halloween costumes are highly encouraged. Please follow the costume guidelines found on the Walk-a-Thon rules page to ensure a safe environment for all.
Here are the most important and immediate next steps for parents, students, and families:
Pledge Page: Setup your student’s DoJiggy page here.
As of now, we have raised $4,305, or about 17 percent, of our $25,000 goal.
Walkathon 101: How it Works...
Donations are made on a flat fee basis, not per lap. For example, say Uncle Fester donates $40. This means Pugsley now qualifies to walk as he met the $30 minimum by the 28th. Puglsey can then earn different lap prizes (mostly small, Halloween-related items) based on the number of completed laps. The $40 remains a single donation in his name, leaving an opportunity for Grandmama, Lurch, and Cousin Itt to also make fixed donations. If those three Addams Family members each contributed $20, Pugsley would have raised a grand total of $100. There is no money associated with number of laps walked.
Volunteers Needed: Organizing this event is no easy task, so your help is needed. Right now, only 40 percent of the volunteer spots have been filled. We want to ensure all logistical duties and volunteers are finalized by Monday, Oct. 23. A successful Walk-a-Thon requires full participation – walkers, donors, sponsors, volunteers...Everyone.
Use SignUpGenius to volunteer here.
Walkathon Website: Updates can be found here in addition to useful resources such as your pledge form and rules.
Questions? Comments? Can’t wait to Donate? Want to get involved?
Email walkathon@ thornhillschool.org
And in keeping with our theme, here's a little Halloween-related humor for you...
Cheezy Halloween Joke # 1:
Q: What’s a monster’s favorite play?
A: Romeo & Ghouliet
Cheezy Halloween Joke # 2
Q: What do ghosts serve for dessert?
A: Ice Scream.
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Dads Club--Movie Night and More
If you still want your child to see the movie, here are the particulars for tonight (buy your tickets here or at the door):
- 6:30pm: Arrive with your kid(s) and drop them off if you like.
- 7:00pm: Movie begins.
- 9:00pm: Pick up your kids!
We will have a Halloween costume contest, so we encourage your little ones and adults to dress up. You can also drop off your children if you like - make it a date night!
Non-Thornhill siblings are allowed, as long as all younger siblings are supervised by a parent/guardian for the entire movie. Feel free to bring a sleeping bag, pillow, blankets, stuffies, etc. to make the movie watching experience more comfortable. Endless popcorn and water will be provided and kids may bring in other food/dinner as well. No nuts, of course!
Walk-a-Thon BBQ - Saturday, Oct. 28 at 9am
The Dads Club will be serving up some tasty burgers, hot dogs, and a veggie option for all in attendance at the Walk-a-Thon. The event is from 10am - 4pm, but we are looking volunteers for before, during, and after the event. Sign up here
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Deep Dish Deliciousness: Dine Out at The Star on October 24
This is a great opportunity to enjoy a family night out and hang out with other Thornhill families. Been meaning to schedule a playdate or a night out with a friend in your child’s class? Curious what happens at the Walk-a-Thon and want to chat with some other families? Just want to enjoy some pizza & salad and not cook for a night? Here’s the dish…
What: Last year, we successfully raised over $1,000 for Thornhill while having fun family nights out through our “Dine Out” evenings and partnership with BigPie. Have a great meal, hang with fellow parents, and help support Thornhill at the same time. It's a win for you and Thornhill.
Where: The Star on Grand, 3425 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA
When: Tuesday, October 24, from 4-9 p.m.
Who: Date night, family dinner, etc. Coordinate with a few familiar faces or make new friends over cocktails, calamari, and cheesy pizza.
Why: This is a great opportunity to chat with other Thornhill families and get ready for the Walk-a-Thon! Oh yeah, did we mention 20 percent of the sales go back to the Walk-a-Thon fundraising efforts?
How: Take a minute to register your email with BigPie here before you go (no credit cards or fees). When you arrive, please tell your server you are a Thornhill parent. They will bring you a card on which to write your email and receipt total and that’s it! At the end of the night, the purchases will get logged and a 20 percent giveback will be given to Thornhill PFC.
Eat. Drink. And Raise Money.
We’ll see you for dinner at The Star on Grand on Tuesday, Oct. 24!
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Halloween Parade--October 31
Forget the Rose Parade. Don't even think about Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Thornhill's Halloween Parade is the one and only parade you need. This year's parade will take place on the playground beginning at 1pm on Tuesday. All Thornhill families are welcome at the parade.
Please also remember that Tuesday is a minimum day, so students will be dismissed after the parade at approximately 1:25pm. Some classrooms may also be hosting class parties over lunch. Your teacher or room parent will provide additional details on what's happening in individual classes. Don't forget to leave ample time to park, as there will be many parents arriving at the same time. Happy Halloween!
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Picture Make-Up Day & Class Pictures - Thursday, November 2
Was your child absent on Picture Day? Did she show up with her shirt on backwards? Did your son stick his tongue out at the photographer?
Well, whatever the reason, if you want a new picture of your little Thunderbird, you will soon have your chance.
MyLegacyUs is coming back to Thornhill on Thursday, November 2. They will be doing two things:
* Class Photos - Each entire class will take a picture together with its teacher
* Picture Make-Ups - If you didn't like your kid's photo!
There is no need to sign up or do any paperwork prior to the make-up day. Please just make sure your teacher--and kid--both know that you want a make-up picture taken and they will take one that day. Practice those smiles!
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Fall Sweep--November 18
Let's show our amazing school some amazing love! This year's Fall Sweep will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 9am - 12pm. Please sign up here to volunteer for a project. The more hands the merrier!
At the Fall Sweep, we are planning to:
- Clear all trash from our grounds - outside and inside our fences.
- Clear green materials: leaves, pine needles, old branches, etc - getting our grounds and storm drains more open.
- Deep clean of garbage/recycling/compost area.
- Possibly have a native planting session.
- Possibly resurface the woodland area in front of the school to make it safer/more accessible year-round - more info on this to come.
- Improve other areas as suggested by you!
On the day of the Fall Sweep, please bring your favorite garden tools, labeled with your name so we can make sure they go home with you.
We will have a potluck of homemade refreshments and snacks to power you thru the morning. bring kids, grandparents, friends and ideally some folks who use our beautiful yard during off hours!
Many thanks,
Elyse Bart & Bonnie Forbes
PFC Sustainability Chair and Green Gloves Teacher Leader
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Library News
I’m happy to say that we have received 62 donations from the Thornhill Library Wish List, and it's only October! Wow! Thank you so much for your generosity to the library.
These donations have a huge impact on our students’ literacy. Sharing these new titles with the students during library visits builds loads of excitement about books and reading. And reading books aloud or independently increases vocabulary, fluency, and background knowledge—all important aspects to reading achievement!
This week, I want to thank Lindsay Mitchell and her family for donating The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and The Antlered Ship. I also want to thank Ella and Vivien Olofsen and their Grandma for donating: A Perfect Day; Star Wars BB-8 on the Run; Big Cat, Little Cat; Wolf in the Snow; and Herbert's First Halloween.
We have another mystery donation this week. It’s Fact Attack: They Byte-sized World of Technology. If you donated this book, let me know and I will make a spiffy donation label for your student.
If you want to donate a book to the library, have a look at the Thornhill Library Amazon Wish List. If you donate directly from the Amazon Wish List, make sure to add a gift note with your student’s name included! Thank you again to all of our donors.
Happy Reading,
Maura Hennessy
Librarian
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Dates To Remember...
Friday, October 20: Dads Club Movie Night: Monsters Inc. (7-9pm)
Saturday, October 28: Walk-a-Thon (10am-4pm)
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About The PFC Newsletter
The Thornhill Parent-Faculty Club (PFC) eNews team publishes this weekly newsletter each Friday in the school year to communicate school, PFC and OUSD news, events and information.
Email submissions to our Newsletter Chair, Rex Crum, at newsletter@thornhillschool.org by 3 p.m. Wednesday for approval, including Word or Text files, with links and no formatting, and 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.
THANK YOU to everyone who submits articles and to PFC Board Members, Teachers, VPs of Communications Erin Proudfoot and Pamela Schwartz, PFC Co-Presidents Shauna Fithian and Shanyn Lloyd-Gibson and Principal Steve Daubenspeck. Member of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
Email: newsletter@thornhillschool.org
Website: thornhillschool.org
Location: 5880 Thornhill Drive, Oakland, CA, United States
Phone: (510) 339-6800