Friday Highlights

🎁🎄Hope Club Giving Tree

The Hope Club is collecting items for their annual Giving Tree! Hats, Gloves, Toys and Toiletries are all needed! Please consider donating as each item will help support our local communities. All donations can be dropped off in the main office: Attention Hope Club. 🎁🎄

📘🧑‍🎓 Yearbook is collecting important Senior information:

• A Parent Ad for your graduating Senior can be purchased through Jostens.com when you order your yearbook.

• Seniors should submit their baby photos and pet photos by TODAY, December 5th through the assignment posted in the class of 2026 google classroom.

• Click Here to order a yearbook!

To view the list of athletic schedules, go to the OHS Website and select the tab for Athletics. Use the drop-down arrow and you will find schedules for each sport that is offered.

Jersey Mike’s Players of the Week: Congratulations to the following athletes for being selected as players of the week for their sport:

Brandon Kecko

Trent Therriault

As a friendly reminder from Nurse Dani, please log into your student’s PowerSchool account and sign off on the use of Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen and Tums if needed while in school. When you log into PowerSchool, go to forms and check off the boxes if you would like your child to receive any of these medications when in need. These medications may only be administered if the forms are completed on PowerSchool. Verbal permission is not accepted. Lastly, please forward your student’s Medication Administration and Asthma Action Plans. Connecticut does not allow medication to be administered with an outdated form.

CT State law requires that all students in 10th grade have a physical assessment. This assessment serves to document adequate immunizations and any health issues that may impact your child while they attend school. The physical exam must be dated after January 01, 2025. The front of the HAR form must be completed and signed by a parent/guardian. The second page must have all *asterisks areas completed.

As a friendly reminder your child must be fever free (without medication) and has not vomited within 24 hours before returning to school.

A friendly reminder of our procedure for early dismissals:

1 - Early Dismissal Note: If your student needs to leave school early, please send them in with an early dismissal note. This allows us to give your student a dismissal pass, enabling them to sign out on their own. There is no need for you to come into the school.

2 - In-Person Pick-Up: If you need to pick up your student in person, please bring your driver’s license. You will need to complete the dismissal process through Securely Visitor for security purposes.

3 - Contact Information: Ensure that your contact information in Powerschool is up-to-date, including who is permitted to pick up your child.

We appreciate your cooperation in making the early dismissal process smooth and secure.

Mancinone:

Grade 9: A - C

Grade 10: A - C

Grade 11: A - C

Grade 12: A - C

Angeley:

Grade 9: D - L

Grade 10: D - M

Grade 11: D - M

Grade 12: D - L

McRae:

Grade 9: M - Z

Grade 10: N - Z

Grade 11: N - Z

Grade 12 M - Z

The counseling caseload by grade level (above) and links to book appointments (below).

Mancinone - https://calendar.app.google/EtkksyPUk4ZUaVKo7

Angeley - https://calendar.app.google/F21rojoZo4AF8d447

McRae - https://calendar.app.google/3mnufwcsCXqrgoL89

Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

Now that December has arrived, so has the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. For some, this is “the most wonderful time of the year.” For others, the month represents stress and unpleasant feelings. Whether you are filled with holiday cheer or would prefer to skip the whole season, we can all agree that there are levels of stress that accompany the holidays. Here are some ways you can make them a little merrier and brighter.

1. Accept Imperfection

2. Don’t Lose Sight of What Really Counts

3. Be Kind

4. Find Time to Decompress

5. Ask For — and Accept — Help
   
   

Take care of yourself this holiday season. Try to find the joy in your surroundings, wherever they may be, and remember to give yourself grace.

For more information on ways to handle holiday stress, visit https://www.nami.org/anxiety-disorders/the-happiest-time-of-the-year-tips-for-managing-holiday-stress/

🐾 OHS Families!

The Booster Club is excited to support our students, teachers, arts, activities, and athletics. Thanks for being part of the Wolverine family!

🗓 Booster Club Meetings
Join us at 7:00 PM in the OHS Café:

• Jan 6th
  
  

🎉 Upcoming Events

Goody Bags Are Back at OHS!

Our Goody Bags were a huge hit last year, and we’re excited to bring them back! These personalized bags are a fun, encouraging way to support your student during midterms and finals. Once your order and payment are received, the Goody Bag Committee will prepare and deliver each bag to your student’s locker the night before exams. Seniors will also receive a special graduation surprise in their final bag!

Cost: $25 per student (covers two Goody Bags for the 2025–2026 school year)

Order by December 23, 2025.

Order here: https://forms.gle/gq5qAhbMd1vdXiHv8

Questions? Contact Susan O’Brien at suegobrien@gmail.com.
If financial hardship is a concern, please reach out confidentially to office staff—Megan Hogrefe at hogrefem@opsct.org , and all inquiries will remain private.

🎄Our biggest community celebration of the year—the Festival of Trees—is almost here! We kick things off with Pizza with Santa & Friends on Friday, December 12, followed by our festive Holiday Market on Saturday, December 13. See flyer for more details!

🎅Friday, December 12 – Pizza with Santa & Friends See flyer for more details!
Join us for a fun evening of pizza, holiday cheer, and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus!
🍕 Please note:

• Tickets are required ONLY for the pizza portion of the event.

• No ticket is needed to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus or to view the beautifully decorated trees, wreaths, baskets, and inflatables available for raffle.

👉Register for Pizza with Santa here:
https://bit.ly/2025PizzawithSanta

🎁Giving Back to the Community
All raffle proceeds support local charities. Over the past three years, the Festival of Trees has proudly raised more than $7,000 to benefit organizations chosen by our donors.

🎄Saturday, December 13 – Holiday Market (10 AM – 2 PM)
Shop from 40+ vendors offering homemade crafts, holiday décor, jewelry, pet treats, books from local authors, and more—perfect for holiday gifting!

The OHS Boys and Girls Basketball teams will also be collecting unwrapped toy donations on Saturday, 12/13 from 8 AM–2 PM to support the Yale Children’s Cancer Center.

A donation bin will be located in the foyer near the ticket table. See flyer for more details!

🎫Raffle Tickets Available Saturday!
Raffle tickets will be available during the Holiday Market, with winners drawn at 3 PM. Don’t miss your chance to take home a stunning tree, wreath, basket, or inflatable!

🎶FREE Holiday Concert – 11:30 AM
Celebrate the season with a performance by the OHS Music Department featuring the Chamber Choir, Concert Choir, Concert Band, and Jazz Band in the OHS Auditorium.

It’s a weekend full of joy, community, creativity, and holiday magic—and we can’t wait to celebrate with you! 💙🎄

💙 Get Involved
Volunteer, share ideas, or become a member today: 2025 Membership

Thank you for your continued support—together we’ll make this year the best one yet!

Go Wolverines! 🐾

On Tuesday, December 9, Oxford High School will welcome juniors and seniors from Amity High School who are currently enrolled in a UConn ECE course titled “If You Love It, Teach It,” a course designed for students interested in pursuing a career in education. Their visit will provide valuable field experience at the high school level, as they will spend the day shadowing OHS teachers. We look forward to welcoming these students into our building and are eager to support them in their academic and career exploration.

Earlier this week, a group of teachers and administrators participated in classroom walkthroughs. Three OHS teachers from various content areas, Ms. Sorak, and I spent the day observing teaching and learning across the building. These walkthroughs provide an opportunity for staff to learn from one another and strengthen our shared understanding of high quality instruction. The process is collaborative and reflective, focusing on identifying patterns of effective instruction rather than perfection. Throughout the day, we witnessed strong instructional practices in real time, including purposeful questioning, meaningful engagement, and thoughtful differentiation. We look forward to continuing to build and refine this process as the year progresses.

Lastly, a special thank you to everyone who attended last Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day football game and generously donated in memory of Rich Allaire. The funds raised will support the purchase of a bench in his honor, as well as a potential scholarship fund in his name. The halftime ceremony was a beautiful tribute to Coach Allaire, and we are truly grateful to all who were part of it.

Enjoy the weekend, Wolverines,

Heather