Thornhill Elementary PFC Newsletter

Hello Thunderbirds!

We have reached 44% of our $260,000 goal with 24% of families participating. Week after week, we are so impressed by how the Thornhill parent community comes together to support our students - Thank You!

We also want to thank those who have shared our Annual Fund campaign with extended friends and family and to those pursuing company matches - we truly appreciate the thoughtfulness!

This week, we are featuring Ms. Raquel Williams, Thornhill’s Early Literacy Tutor whose role is funded by the PFC and this annual fund drive.

“I've worked with OUSD for 10 years. I left and became a clerical sub and went back to the medical field. One day sitting at my desk a patient (OUSD staff member) asked me “how do you sit here all day”? I said, I don't know but I know the universe has to have something else for me. I went home to look in frontline (sub openings) and ended up at Thornhill covering a vacation for Ms. Sanchez. Everyone was nice and welcoming.

The Principal at the time asked me if I was looking for work. I was not but after two days he stated he has an opening if I was interested I should apply. Long story short, I was on-boarding after my interview!

I enjoy working with children because they keep you on your toes. You always have to be on alert and stay active and involved. I'm motivated because it brings me joy to see them learn and see their personalities and also learn with them. It's funny to see them react when I tell them I learn from them too.

I was born here in Alameda, I come from a very large family in the Oakland area, and I am happy to be a part of Thornhill Community.”

-Ms. Raquel

We would love to see 100% of our families participate, with any amount counting toward participation. Your tax deductible contribution directly benefits every teacher and student at Thornhill, impacting classrooms, programs and students across the board. Your contribution enables students to excel both academically and in extracurricular activities.

PLEASE help us get one step closer to our goal of $260,000 - Contribute Today!

CLASSROOMS with 80% participation or higher by September 30 will receive a…

You can double or triple your contribution by taking advantage of your corporate match benefit. Many companies, both large and small, will match donations made by their employees. To see if your employer offers matching gifts, visit Charity Navigator to submit a match request online. It only takes five minutes.

Here are some companies that offer a matching program: Disney, Pixar, AAA, Expedia, Google, Pandora, Kaiser, Genentech, PayPal, Apple, Salesforce, Williams Sonoma, Microsoft.

Thank you for your continued support!

Stefani Miller, Vaidehi Seth, Annie Sartor & Ashley Hart

One of the highlights of ThornChill is our Passport Potluck! A special opportunity to celebrate the diversity that makes our community so unique. Food has a wonderful way of connecting people, and we invite everyone to share a dish that reflects a meaningful family culture, heritage, or tradition!

Whether it's a cherished family recipe, a favorite holiday dish, or a food that represents your roots, your contribution will help us learn from and share stories with one another and experience the rich diversity within our community. Sweet or savory, every dish has a story to tell!

Sign up here (at the end of the list): ThornChill Volunteer Sign-Up

Pack your passport and get ready for a delicious journey around the world!

Vanessa Lee and Danajane Katz

ThornChill Co-Chairs

BAC@ThornhillSchool.org

📢Next BI-Weekly Meeting, September 28 6-7pm via ZOOM

One of the many great activities at the ThornChill Fall Festival is the costume swap! Donate your old, gently-used kid costumes to the swap. At the festival, browse the costume swap and find your kid's next costume...for free!

We'll begin gathering costumes at morning drop off on September 30. Now's the time to start digging out your old costumes and setting them aside for the swap!

Welcome to the 5th Grade Corner, your spot for all things 5th grade! We’ll share upcoming events, important dates, and updates as our fifth graders make the most of their final year at Thornhill. Stay tuned for everything from Promotion and the legendary 5th Grade Lock-In to the 5th Grade Yearbook, bake sales, special activities, and more!

Middle School Tours

It’s also time to start thinking about middle school! Below is a list of local OUSD middle schools. Click each school name to visit its tour information and registration page.

Middle School Tour Registration Link List:

Bret Harte Middle School (not open yet)

Claremont Middle School (not open yet)

Edna Brewer Middle School (open)

Montera Middle School (open)

Throughout the school year, our 4th- and 5th-grade families host bake sales to help support our upper-grade overnight field trips, a beloved Thornhill tradition! Fourth graders head to Coloma Outdoor Discovery School, while fifth graders visit Westminster Woods. Funds raised through our bake sales are split evenly between the 4th and 5th grades and help cover student scholarships and chaperone costs for these special trips.

Our First Bake Sale of the School Year is at ThornChill on Saturday 10/17!

What type of goodies do we welcome? EVERYTHING. Homemade or store bought. Cookies, cupcakes, brownies, homemade candies, whole cakes or confections! Anything festive and delicious. Anything that you love to make at this time of year, we would love to sell. :) Items can be single treats, individually bagged goodies or whole desserts. Just share what you'll bring in the signup comments and be sure to note allergen info when you bring your treats to the sale.

All are welcome to pitch in, regardless of the student's grade level.

SIGN-UP HERE 🍪

Thank you for supporting our 4th and 5th graders and helping make these special overnight trips possible. We’re excited to kick off our first bake sale at ThornChill!

Email bakesale@thornhillschool.org with any questions.

Thank you!

Catrina Vrankovich, Lisa Bays, Bianca Darville & Kathryn Miggels
PFC 5th Grade Liaisons

Hello!

I’m Annie Sartor, this school year’s PFC VP of Communications! This is for any Konstella group or committee that may need to share an all-school calendar event or Konstella blast at any point during the school year.

Not to worry, the process is super easy!

1) Within Konstella, create the announcement or calendar event on a computer/laptop (not the app). You have to be a "lead" in the committee to do so (email vpcommunications@thornhillschool.org to be added).

Here are the specific instructions:

1. In Konstella, click on the orange "Create" button and select either "One-Time Event" (if it's an event with a date and time, for example a meeting) or "Announcement" (if it's not date specific, for example an ask to buy auction tickets).
   
   

2. In terms of who you are sending it to, click "Select Groups" to select the originating committee, for example the Auction Committee.
   
   

3. Write the blast EXACTLY how you would like it to be seen to the community, complete with formatting, hyperlinks, and pictures. The Comms team is here to look over your blast for minor edits and then to send it, not to create it for you. That said, if you need help, I'm happy to assist with formatting a post, I just need a few days' notice.
   
   

4. Only use the "attachment" feature if it's a flyer you have to include - all other pictures should be inserted directly into the description itself. There is a "source code" option if the WYSIWYG editor isn't doing what you want it to.
   
   

5. Add other committee members as "Organizers" if you want them to have access to the blast and be able to edit it.
   
   

6. When done, click the orange "Next" button. Keep the box checked for "Add the activity to the Feed" and click the gray "Publish" button. This allows anyone in the group (including the Thornhill Communications admin account) to see it in the feed, but it doesn't bother the committee with an email. (FYI, while you are working on your blast, you can "Save Draft" but note that only you, as the creator, can access the draft. No other organizers will be able to see it.)
   
   

7. Don't worry - you don't have access to email the entire school so you cannot accidentally "goof" and do so. We know it's nerve-wracking when doing this for the first time and hitting a button that says "Publish" but you'll be okay! :)

2) To publish something school-wide: Once your blast or calendar event is published to your committee, please email Annie Sartor at vpcommunications@thornhillschool.org. If applicable, be sure to include the desired day, time and frequency for your post.

Unless you let Annie know that your Konstella announcement or calendar event is ready to be shared with the entire school, it will only be visible to your committee.

Keep in mind that your desired schedule may be adjusted to accommodate other committees or announcements so we can avoid overwhelming families with too many messages at once.

And there you go! Feel free to reach out if you need help!

Thank you!

Annie Sartor
PFC VP of Communications 2026-27

Hosted by the Thunder Dads

When: Friday, September 25th

Time: 6 PM – 9 PM

Where: Thornhill Elementary MPR

Who: A drop-off event for all current Thornhill Thunderbirds!

See details here & buy tickets -> https://givebutter.com/kids-night-out-movie-night-fun-at-thornhill-51526-c

Get ready for the ultimate Friday night takeover! While parents get a few hours off, our Thunderbirds will take over the multipurpose room for a cozy, supervised hangout with all their favorite classmates.

Whether they are there for the movie or just to spend extra time with friends, it’s going to be an unforgettable night! Dinner will be pizza and popcorn, If anyone has dietary restrictions, they can let Thunder Dads know in advance by emailing thunderdads@thornhillschool.org

The BAC would like to welcome families to come together for a relaxed afternoon of play and connection at Montclair Park on September 27th @ 3 pm. Click Here to Sign-up!

Do you live in OUSD School Board districts 2, 4, or 6 (find out here)? If so, your November ballot will ask you to vote on your school board representative. There are many opportunities to get to know the candidates in September and October. Below are the upcoming forums. More details about all of the forums, plus links to register/RSVP, are available on the Oaklandside website.

Be sure also to subscribe to the Thornhill Google Calendar here, and download the OUSD District calendar here.