Dear Oxford Families,
Welcome to the 2014–2015 school year! I hope everyone had a great summer break. The first day of school is Wednesday, August 27th and school will be in session from 8:00 am until 1:15 pm. As always, Wednesdays are early release days for grades 1st–5th.
Dismissal times are as follows:
Weds: Kindergarten: 1:20 pm 1st–3rd: 1:15 pm 4th–5th: 1:20 pm
M/T/Th/F: Kindergarten: 1:20 pm 1st–3rd: 2:05 pm 4th–5th: 2:10 pm
Class lists will be posted on the breezeway doors and on this web site at 5:00pm on Tuesday, August 26th.
A few things to make our year go more smoothly:
The passenger loading zones on Walnut and Oxford are for active passenger loading and unloading only. Do not use these gray zones for waiting in your car, and do not leave your car unattended. The buses need to have access to the bus zones on those streets as well, so please don’t block them.
Make sure to park legally around the school; do not block driveways.
Do not drop your child off on the opposite side of the street from the school and have them run across the street. We need to keep our children safe!
If we can get parents/guardians to travel around the school in a clockwise direction, then the passenger door will always open on the school-side sidewalk and drop-off will be smoother and safer.
Morning playground supervision begins at 7:50 am and the whistle is blown at 8:00 am for students to line up. Do not send students to school before 7:50; there is no supervision on the playground.
On the first day of school, all students will assemble on the playground at 8:00 am to meet their teachers and walk to their classrooms together. We ask that 1st–5th grade parents stay on the playground when children enter the building. Kindergarten parents/guardians are invited to join their children in the classroom for 20 minutes of family reading on the first three days of school, and then we will ask you to say goodbye to them.
Every child will bring home a communication folder on Thursdays. A package of important forms will be sent home the first week that we need everyone to complete. We request that all families complete a lunch eligibility form each year even if you know you may not qualify. Submitting these applications helps BUSD qualify for much-needed government funding.
In an effort to build our Oxford community, I encourage families to get to know each other so that we can build new friendships and support each other throughout the year. Below, please find information about the many ways you can be involved, at the school and in the school district.
Our PTA will be providing coffee on the upper playground from 8:00–8:30 am for the first three days of school in order to build community and provide an opportunity for parents/guardians to make connections. Back-to-School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 4th (times to be announced). This is the time when parents/guardians will meet in the classrooms with teachers and learn about grade level curriculum, projects, and expectations. And don’t forget to come to the first PTA meeting on Sept. 17th at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome!
E-tree: You can receive school- and district-related information via email if you subscribe to the e-tree. This e-mailing list is used only to circulate information directly related to Oxford and the Berkeley Unified School District. The mailing list subscribe link is in the sidebar on most pages of this website.
As we get ready to begin the 2014–2015 school year, feel free to join us for the “New Families Lemonade” on Monday, August 25th from 5:00–6:00 pm on the upper playground, hosted by the PTA. (This is a change in the date; originally it was 8/26, but now it’s 8/25.) If you aren’t a new family, you are welcome to join us and say hello to our new families!
At Oxford Elementary, the staff, faculty, and administration are honored that you entrust us with your precious ones. The hours that your children are with us each day are so important. Here’s to a great school year!
Sincerely, Beth Rhine, Principal
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