2020 Oak Farm Connects

OAK FARM CONNECTS

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM Our ambassador program is designed to increase communication to families new to Oak Farm Montessori, but also families who have students moving up to a new level. Our ambassadors will be reaching out to all new families the first or second week of August to introduce themselves and answer questions you may have about orientation, picture day or just general questions about the start of the year. They will be your go-to person as you get acquainted with OFMS and figure out ‘who is who’ and everyone’s role within the school. Please direct any curriculum questions to your classroom teacher.

8.19.20

PARENT EVENT COUNTRY HERITAGE WINERY Private Event Room 0185 County Road 68 LaOtto, IN 46763

Level Ambassadors for 2020-21 Infant/Toddler: Sarah Holland & Melissa Witt Welcome to the 2020-21 school year!

Our school believes in creating a strong communtiy and support system for our parents and students. While Oak Farm Connects isn’t your typical PTO program, it has many events and opportunites you are sure to love and we hope you will participate in this year.

In this flyer you will find information about our Ambassador program for new families or veteran families moving up to a new level, the Connects calendar of events, volunteer opportunites and and invitation to our first adult social. If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to contact Nicole Lowe, Community Relations Liaison.

Primary: Tara Routsong & Emily Stuckey

Lower Elementary Cara Kaiser:

Upper Elementary: Laura Zollman

Middle/High School: Terri Clark

Wednesday, August 19, 2020 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Wood-fired pizza, salad, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

Cash bar also available R.S.V.P. by Sunday, August 9th

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

AUGUST 19TH: Connects Parent Event: Adult only event, 6:30 - 8:30pm with food & beverages. Please remember to RSVP SEPTEMBER 25TH: Fall Festival: Family-friendly event on campus with food, games and wagon rides. Event begins right after dismissal from school.

OCTOBER 3RD: Light the Night virtual event: Walk with the Oak Farm Acorn Team in honor of our founder, Lorene Dekko Salsbery, and past sudents who have been diagnosed with Leukemia or Lymphoma.

CONNECTS CALENDAR

OCTOBER T.B.D.: Outdoor movie night!

JANUARY T.B.D.: Rollerskating party: Familyfriendly event at Skatin’ Station in Auburn.

FEBRUARY 20TH: 14th Annual Tall Oak Gala: It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year and you won’t want to miss it. This is an adult only event at the Mirro Center on a Saturday evening.

APRIL 23RD: Earthfest: Celebrate our beautiful Earth with family and friends. Join our students on campus after school for art exhibits, music, food, book fair and eco-literacy opportunities.

APRIL 30TH: Elementary Sleepover: Join our super crazy staff for an overnight at OFMS. This event sells out fast, be on the lookout for information after Spring Break.

JUNE/JULY T.B.D.: Summer Reconnect: This family-friendly event may be a Tin Caps game, organized picnic/play date at a park or another summer fun activity. *All events are subject to change based upon the current pandemic our country is facing, but we will work to provide community connections to the best of our ability.

People volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some, it offers the chance to give back or make a difference.

For others, it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience. And still for others, volunteering is appealing for meeting new people and bonding. It’s not important why you choose to volunteer, it’s that your family DOES volunteer. Please consider Oak Farm Montessori when sharing your time. Grandparents are also more than welcome to share their time and talents as well. Our Google Form allows you to select your areas of interest so our volunteer coordinator can connect with you.

Playground Cleaning: To ensure the health and safety of our students, classrooms will have alternating times on the playgrounds. We would like to be able to sanitize the playground equipment between classes. If you are available any day, Monday - Friday, between 11:30 - 1:00, we would love your help.

Campus Gardening: If you love the outdoors, we have a spot for you! Our Eco-literacy Coordinator, Brett Bloom, will be working hard this fall on the campus gardens; one is a perrenial fruit & vegetable garden for imaginative, immersive experience and learning & the other is a production garden to present students with different ways of cultivating food. This work can take place weekly Tuesday, Thursday or Friday; between 9:00 am and noon.

Totally, Terrific Task Tuesdays: Every first & third of the month, from 8:30 - 11:30, we will have open volunteering in the basement of the Victorian Farmhouse. This time will be used to cut, laminate, organize and label materials the teachers need completed for the classrooms. The work sessions are great opportunities to meet other parents and grandparents. Stay for an hour or all three! Watch for updates in the weekly community memo.

Yearbook Candid Photography: Our yearbook designer, Kelly Elias, is looking for one volunteer per level (Infant/Toddler, Primary, Lower/Upper Elementary and Middle/High School) to take candid photos one time a month; September through January. Parents can use their own camera or the school has one available; phone cameras are discouraged.

Memory cards can be given to Kelly at the end of each shoot, so when you leave you are done!

After School Clubs: Do you have a talent you would love to teach to our youth? We are always looking for club instructors for our six week club sessions. Ideas include, but are not limited to: chess, fitness, photography, knitting, basic sewing, basket weaving and craft clubs.

We anticipate restarting clubs for the 2020-21 school year in January 2021. Clubs meet for one hour, once a week, for six weeks.

Take Home Projects: We have many busy families and sometimes it can be hard to volunteer at school. We usually have take home projects for people who would love to help, but do not have daytime hours available.

Projects usually consist of cutting, sorting or labeling and can be returned to school one week later.

Community Networking: Are you interested in connecting with Oak Farm Montessori MS/ HS students as a mentor or by sharing your expertise? We are building lists for guest lectures, shadowing experiences and intership opportunities.

BIG OR SMALL, TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT ALL!