Friday Highlights

For those of you who may not know Coach Alliare, he was a long time teacher substitute for OPS and spent many hours working with our students.

Honoring Rich’s final wish, and in true Rich fashion, family and friends are invited to gather for Rich’s Celebration of Life Party on Saturday, July 18, from 3pm-7pm at the Oxford Grange, 482 Oxford Road, Oxford, CT. Parking is available at the Oxford Grange, with additional parking at the Oxford Center School Municipal Annex and Oxford Town Hall.

OBITUARY

FACEBOOK EVENT

We're excited to announce Oxford's Summer Enrichment Program for 2026! The program runs Monday through Thursday, July 6th through July 30th and offers a variety of classes for students from Kindergarten through Grade 6. Click here for more info!

The World Language Department will be offering an opportunity for our junior and senior WL students to travel to Italy during spring break in 2027! This will be a 10 day trip visiting Venice, Florence, Orvieto, Sorrento, Capri and Rome. The cost for students will be $6,172.00. Kindly contact Mrs.DiCicco (diciccoa@opsct.org) for further information.

ASAP!’s annual Celebration of Young Photographers invites students in grades 6-12 to submit their photographs for a chance to participate in a juried art exhibition. A panel of professional photographers selects 60 photos for a public exhibition, recognizing the top four photographers for their outstanding and thoughtful work based on the yearly theme.

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.

Final Forms registration for middle school and high school athletics is now open for the 2026-2027 school year. Please click here for communication.

Final Forms has created the following attached documents to help you with the process of creating an account and registering your student-athlete. If you are still having issues creating an account and completing the registration, please refer to the Final Forms Playbook and/or contact support. You may also email our high school athletic trainer, Chelsea McGee (mcgeec@opsct.org) or our athletic director, AJ Huston (hustona@opsct.org) with any questions.

Final Forms Playbook - English

Final Forms Playbook - Spanish

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, 2026. 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.

5 Quick Ways to Help Your Teen Handle Exam Stress

Exam season can trigger a "fight-or-flight" response in teens, leading to procrastination, poor sleep, and intense anxiety. Here are five strategies you can help them practice at home:

1. Prioritize Tasks

When overwhelmed, teens often procrastinate. Have them spend two minutes every evening writing down tomorrow's tasks in order of importance. Ticking them off builds confidence and control. Tip: If they are too stressed to start with the hardest task, have them knock out a few easy ones first to build momentum.

2. Use Deep Breathing Techniques

Physical stress can block concentration. Teach them Square Breathing, or Box Breathing to instantly reset their nervous system (they can even use this during the exam):

• Inhale: Breathe in through your nose while counting slowly to 4.

• Hold: Hold your breath in for a count of 4.

• Exhale: Slowly breathe out through your mouth for a count of 4.

• Hold: Hold with empty lungs for a count of 4.

3. Protect the "Self-Care Basics"

When stress hits, nutrition, sleep, and exercise are usually the first things teens neglect. Ensure they are eating regular meals, getting 20–30 minutes of daily movement, and sticking to a sleep routine. Remind them to stay connected with family and friends rather than isolating themselves.

4. Fill Their Emotional Cup

Teens often sacrifice their emotional needs—like connection, hobbies, or a sense of accomplishment outside of school—to study. Encourage them to take short breaks for things that bring them joy or purpose, whether that's playing a video game, talking to a friend, or just venting to you.

5. Create a Daily Mantra

Anxiety often stems from a fear of failure. Help your teen counter negative thoughts with a simple, empowering statement to repeat for a few minutes each morning or before bed. Examples include: "I am capable, and I will just do my best," or "I have prepared for this; no matter what, I will be OK."

Watch out for prolonged stress signs like fatigue, mood swings, or frequent stomach aches. If exam anxiety is severely impacting your teen's health, please reach out to OHS support staff.

As summer break approaches, the Seymour-Oxford Food Bank and Seymour Food 2 Kids is offering a great resource to ensure all local students have access to nutritious meals over the vacation. If your family could use a helping hand over the summer months, check out the graphic below for details on how to register for this wonderful program.

Thank you to everyone who attended this afternoon’s Onward & Upward ceremony! Today’s event marked our second year celebrating two incredibly special milestones in the life of our school community: our kindergartners moving upward and our seniors moving onward. Though these two groups are at different points on the path, the spirit of today’s ceremony was the same: our tiniest scholars and our graduating seniors are moving forward with confidence and upward with purpose. Today also reminded us that every ending is also a beginning, and every beginning is full of promise. We look forward to continuing this incredible tradition.

Final exams begin next week, for all students, except our seniors participating in Capstone. A detailed communication specific to this year’s exam schedule was shared on May 11 and is linked HERE. Please note that make-up exams are only available to students with an excused absence, and must be scheduled in advance with administrator and teacher permission.

Lastly, a reminder that all school-wide communications are posted on the “Principal’s Press” page (found under the “Administration” tab on our website). This is your best resource for up-to-date information and events happening in our school community.

Enjoy the weekend, Wolverines,

Heather