LEVEL MEET & GREET
Let’s make some connections!
*ALL MEETINGS ARE FROM 8:30/8:45AM - 10:00AM
I/T Meet & Greet: Wednesday, September 4th @ MS
Primary Meet & Greet: Thursday, September 5th @ MS
Lower Meet & Greet: Wednesday, August 28th @ HS
Upper Meet & Greet: Thursday, August 29th @ HS
Middle/High School Meet & Greet: Tuesday, August 27th @ HS
Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be offered during this time to mingle and meet fellow OFMS parents.
R.S.V.P. by Sunday, August 25th
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 in August to introduce themselves and answer questions you may have about Oak Farm Connects, picture day or just general questions about the start of the year. *Please direct any curriculum questions to your classroom teacher.
Level Ambassadors for 2024-25
Infant/Toddler:
Betsy Ley: elizabeth.k.ley@gmail.com
Haley Rheineheimer: haley.rheinheimer@gmail.com
Primary:
Carleen Lesser: carbean5@gmail.com
Kendell Feaker: kendellsaylor@gmail.com
Candy Ostlund: candy.ostlund@icloud.com
Lower Elementary:
Ania Hornberger: agedzior@gmail.com
Upper Elementary:
Amber Busche: amberbuschefarms@outlook.com
Jenessa Boniface: jenessaboniface@yahoo.com
Middle School:
Julie Brubaker: Julie.Brubaker@zimmerbiomet.com
Brandi Hicks: brandihicks@ymail.com
High School:
Brandi Hicks: brandihicks@ymail.com
Nicole Lowe: gellingslowe@gmail.com
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM OFMS CONNECTS
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! Our school believes in creating a strong community and support system for our parents and students. While OFMS Connects isn’t your typical PTO program, it has many events and opportunities 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 opportunities and an invitation to our adult social. If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to contact Nicole Lowe, our Community Relations Liaison, at nlowe@oakfarmschool.com
AUGUST 15th: Connects Parent Event: Adults only, 6:30 - 8:30pm with food & beverages. By RSVP only.
SEPTEMBER 27th: Fall Festival: Family-friendly event on campus with food, games and wagon rides. Event begins right after dismissal from school.
November TBA: Elementary Sleepover: Join our super crazy staff for an overnight at OFMS. Watch for more information in the Community Memo.
NOVEMBER 8th: Founder’s Day: Our Founder’s birthday is a day of rememberence, celebration and philanthropy.
NOVEMBER 15th: Community Coffee with Candice is an opportunity to hear the latest news from our Head of School.
DECEMBER 20th: Singing loud for all to hear: Join students and faculty for an opportunity to celebrate the season. This is a half day dismissal for students.
JANUARY TBA: Rollerskating parties: Familyfriendly event at Skatin’ Station in Auburn.
FEBRUARY 22nd: 18th 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. The theme this year is Through the Looking Glass.
MARCH 21st: Celebrating OFMS Fine Arts & Music. Let your eyes and ears enjoy the sights and sounds of our talented students!
APRIL 28th: Earthfest: Celebrate our beautiful Earth with family and friends. Join our students on the North campus after school for ecoliteracy opportunities and activities.
MAY 22nd: Graduation: Join us at the Wellness Center for the commencement and celebration of our graduates.
JUNE/JULY TBA: Summer Reconnect: This family-friendly event may be a Tin Caps game, organized picnic/play date at a park, family barbeque or another summer fun activity.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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. Please email Nicole at: nlowe@oakfarmschool.com to discuss volunteer opportunities.
Campus Gardening: If you love the outdoors, we have a spot for you! Our Eco-literacy Coordinator, Gena Grobarek, will be working hard this fall on the campus gardens; one is a perennial fruit & vegetable garden for imaginative, immersive experience and learning & the other is a production garden to present students with different ways of cultivating food. General land management tasks are also available! Work with Gena on any Friday from 9am - 2pm or schedule independent work time.
Totally, Terrific Task Tuesdays: Every first & third of the month, from 8:30 - 11:30am, 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.
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, outdoor exploration, and more. Clubs meet for one hour, once a week, for six weeks and we have four sessions throughout the year. It’s a paid gig too. Session one start September 3rd, so contact Nicole asap if interested.
Library: We are looking for a parent or grandparent willing to devote a few hours each week to reshelving books in our libraries across campus. This volunteer role allows you to select your own hours anytime between 8:00am and 4:00pm. Our libraries are a very important part of our daily curriculum so we appreciate your support!
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, guest speaker, or sharing your expertise? We are building lists for guest lectures, shadowing experiences and internship opportunities.
