News in a Nutshell

As we prepare for the upcoming Holiday Season, I wanted to take a moment to say how incredibly grateful we are for our Oak Ridge Community. Our Pumpkin Dash Fun Run Fundraiser was a success because of YOU and the support that you showed us. We raised approximately $20,000 after expenses in 23 days. That is AMAZING! Here is what your support makes possible:

-Lip Sync
-$15 per student for field trips
-After School Rec
-Supporting Literacy in the classroom and Reading Olympics
-Assemblies
-Back to School Bash
-Family Fun Nights
-Oakie’s Caring Hearts
-Staff Appreciation
-And more!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and fall break.

Amy Rossi

Oak Ridge Elementary Home & School President

Our Pumpkin Dash Fun Run was a success and we could not have done it without our amazing sponsors! A huge thank you to DCO Orthodontics, Michalak's Auto Repair and Erika Lyn Photography. You made a difference for our students and staff! Thanks for investing in our community.

https://www.dco-ortho.com

https://michalaksautorepair.com

https://erikalynphotography.com

We are so grateful for the generous support of the following Sponsors. They donated the prizes for our Pumpkin Dash. Thank you for investing in our community.

Amazing Escape Room

Arnolds

Bucks County Children's Museum

Crayola Experience

Engage Art Studio and Artisan Gallery

Goldfish Swim School

Monster Golf

Philadelphia Eagles

Pinspiration

Turkey Hill Experience

Shoutout to our amazing In-Kind Contributors! We are so thankful for their support of our school and community!

Brothers Pizza-Harleysville

Chick-fil-a Lansdale

GK Entertainment & Event Group

Philly Pretzel Factory-Collegeville

Looking for something fun to do while school is closed on Election Day? Join us on Tuesday, November 3 from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM at Painting with a Twist in Skippack! Students will paint a winter scene featuring polar bears, and all proceeds benefit Oakie’s Caring Hearts. Cost is $45, with both in-person and virtual options available.

In-Person Registration:

https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/studio/skippack/event/4362255/

Virtual Registration:

https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/studio/skippack/event/4399458/

Bring the whole family for a fun night of bingo, prizes, and community on Friday, November 6 in the Oak Ridge Gymnasium! Doors open at 5:45 PM and games begin at 6:00 PM. Admission is free and no registration is required. Families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable pantry donation for Keystone Opportunity Center. Please remember that this is a family event and no drop-offs are permitted.

🦃 Oakie's Caring Hearts Thanksgiving Food Drive! 🍂

Help us spread kindness this Thanksgiving! In partnership with The Bean Bag Program, we're collecting food donations to provide holiday meals for Oak Ridge families in need. 💚

🛍️ How You Can Help:

• Bag A: Canned vegetables, stuffing, gravy, mac & cheese, applesauce, and Bisquick.

• Bag B: Mashed potatoes, pie crust mix, pie filling, cereal, peanut butter & jelly, and coffee/tea/hot chocolate.

• Or donate both bags to provide a complete holiday meal!

📅 Drop-Off Deadline: Monday, November 9th

Please label your filled bags "Bag A" or "Bag B" and drop them off in the Oak Ridge lobby.

👉 SIGN UP HERE:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4CA9AA29ABF94-66426948-oakies#/

Questions? Contact Heather Markus at heather.markus@gmail.com or Mrs. Beebe, School Counselor.

Thank you for helping make Thanksgiving special for our Oak Ridge community! 🧡

🦃 Join Us for Our November Home & School Meeting! 🍂

Just a friendly reminder that our November meeting will not be held on the first Tuesday of the month, as school is closed on November 3rd.

Instead, we look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, November 10th at 6:30 PM in the Oak Ridge Library!

💻 Can't make it in person? No worries! A virtual option will also be available so everyone can join in.

We hope to see you there! 💚🦉

🥨 PRETZELS WITH A PURPOSE! 🥨

Our Oak Ridge 4th graders are back with their November Pretzel Sale! 💚🦉

Treat your student to a delicious soft pretzel while supporting our awesome 4th graders! Every purchase helps support their fundraising efforts! 🎉

🥨 Orders & Money Due: Wednesday, November 11th

📅 Pretzel Delivery: Friday, November 13th

💵 CASH ONLY! Please send your order and payment in by the deadline.

Let's show our 4th graders some love and make this pretzel sale a success! Thank you for supporting our Oak Ridge Owls! 💚🦉

🍨🍒 SWEET NEWS! SUNDAE BAR IS BACK! 🍦🎉

Get ready for a sweet treat! Our next Sundae Bar is Friday, November 20th! Students can enjoy a delicious ice cream sundae with all the fun toppings for just $2.00! 🌈🍫

📅 Order & Payment Deadline: Wednesday, November 18th

🍨 Cost: $2.00 per sundae

💻 Order and pay online here:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/26-27-sundae-bar-order-form-november

🥛 Need a dairy-free option? Please reach out to Joslyn at 267-351-0006 or Laura at 215-519-5590.

Don't miss out on this sweet way to end the week! 💚🦉

Clean out those closets for Oak Ridge! Every pound of gently-used clothing, toys, and shoes from your closets will help us raise money for our school when you pack them in plastic trash bags and bring them to our clothing drive. This year’s Clothing Drive is scheduled for Monday, November 23rd, 2026 from 9 AM to noon. As always, we’ll have a collection bin in the lobby during the week leading up to this event.

A paper flyer went home with students during the month of October. Please sign up to volunteer if you can! Here’s the link to sign up: tinyurl.com/ORClothingDrive2026

Oak Ridge's annual Holiday Shoppe will take place on Monday, November 30th through Thursday, December 3rd with an opportunity for makeups the morning of Friday, December 4th. Please look for more details in the parent letter that will be sent home with students the week before Thanksgiving break.

In the meantime, please save reusable paper shopping bags with sturdy handles (think Giant direct) for the kids to carry their purchases home. These can be dropped off in the main lobby during parent teacher conferences.

A signup genius for volunteers to help the kids shop will be sent to parents who indicated interest on the volunteer interest form. If you did not check the Holiday Shoppe committee box but would like to help please email Keri Ehrlich kaehrlich711@gmail.com to be added to the volunteer list.

Painting with a Twist in Skippack is holding a Public Fundraiser benefiting Oak Ridge Home & School on:

Wednesday, December 2

This year’s painting is “Rustic Barn.”

You will have the option to paint on canvas or wood.

Please register early to save your seat! It will be another fun evening of painting, fun and friendship. We hope to see you there!

Ages 13+ are welcome with an adult painter.

Prices range between $48–$58.

Register here:

https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/studio/skippack/event/4352365/

🎤🌟 OAK RIDGE LIP SYNC IS COMING! 🎶🦉

Be on the lookout for Lip Sync sign-up flyers coming home Friday, November 13th! Registration will officially open that day and remain open for one month. Start thinking about your favorite songs and get ready to take the stage! 🎶 Mark your calendars for March 4th, 2027 (snow date: March 19th). We can't wait to see our Oak Ridge Owls shine! 💚✨

🎃👻 TRUNK OR TREAT 2026: THANK YOU! 🧡🖤

What a SPOOKTACULAR afternoon at Oak Ridge! Our annual Trunk or Treat was a huge success, thanks to our amazing families, volunteers, and community! 🍬🕸️

🚗 35 decorated trunks joined the fun this year, including special appearances from the Lower Salford Police, Harleysville Fire Department, Freedom EMS, and even the SCOOBY DOO VAN! 🐾

🏆 Congratulations to our trunk decorating winners!

🥇 1st Place: Spooky Halloween Trunk with Animatronics

🥈 2nd Place: Dinosaur-Themed Trunk

🥉 3rd Place: Winnie the Pooh

A HUGE thank you to everyone who decorated a trunk, donated treats, volunteered, or came out to celebrate! You helped make this event such a fun and memorable experience for our Oak Ridge families! 💚🦉

We can't wait to do it all again next year! 🎃✨

On October 26th, we celebrated our wonderful Oak Ridge teachers and staff with a cozy fall-themed treat in the faculty room!

Our teachers and staff enjoyed fresh-brewed coffee, tea, apple cider, donuts, bagels, pumpkin bread, and other seasonal goodies! ☕🍎🍩

Just a little way to show our appreciation for everything they do for our students and school community! 💚🦉

💌 Interested in helping celebrate our teachers and staff each month? Join our Home & School Hospitality Committee! Email jillianadelepiper@gmail.com to get involved!

Oakie had quite the adventure this summer! From road trips and camping to exciting destinations near and far, our Oak Ridge families took Oakie along for some unforgettable summer fun!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in Oakie's Summer Adventures and shared their photos! Be sure to check out our "Where Is Oakie?" bulletin board to see all the wonderful places Oakie visited!

🎉 Congratulations to the Rittenhouse Family, our lucky random drawing winners! We hope you enjoyed your vacation with Oakie!

Thanks for making Oakie's summer one to remember! 💚🦉

Say hello to Oakie Jr., Oak Ridge’s newest plush mascot! Oakie Jr. is ready for adventures, loves listening to his friends read, and can’t wait to become part of your family.

Oakie Jr. is available for purchase now, and orders will be delivered directly to your student’s classroom in a brown paper bag.

Please note: Orders may take up to 2 weeks to deliver.

Order Oakie Jr. here:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/oakie-jr-plush-sale

Questions? Contact oakridgefundraising465@yahooo.com.

Who loves Pillsbury Crescent Rolls at Thanksgiving? Pillsbury and Betty Crocker both have bonus offers this month. Please join the Monthly Challenge and when you complete the challenge, you will be entered into a Box Tops Sweepstakes. Fingers crossed Oak Ridge will be one of the 100 lucky schools to win $50!

It's never too late to join Box Tops. Register and use our Referral Code: O4V40H9H. Thanks again for participating and scanning your receipts.

📸💚 HELP US CAPTURE OAK RIDGE MEMORIES! 🦉

Our Yearbook Team has been receiving so many wonderful photos this school year, and they're excited to put together a yearbook filled with special memories to share with everyone at the end of the year! 📖✨

📷 Keep those photos coming! From classroom celebrations and school events to field trips and everyday Oak Ridge moments, we'd love to see them!

📧 Have photos to share? Email your favorite pictures to our Yearbook Team at oryearbookphotos@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping us capture all the moments that make Oak Ridge such a special place! 💚🦉

Don't forget OTC offers Oak Ridge Home and School FREE SHIPPING every day! No minimum order required. Use our code FUN4OAKRIDGE at checkout. Great time to start planning for the upcoming holidays!

💚🦉 SHOW YOUR OAK RIDGE PRIDE! 🖤

Our Oak Ridge Spirit Wear Store is open and stocked with NEW designs and merchandise! From cozy hoodies and sweatshirts to T-shirts, there's something for the whole family! 👕🎉

🎁 Perfect timing for holiday shopping! Grab some Oak Ridge gear for your favorite Owl!

🚚 FREE SHIPPING! Now through November 15th at midnight, select "Pick Up at Oak Ridge" at checkout to receive free shipping!

📦 Orders will be sent home with your student by December 16th, just in time for the holidays!

🛍️ SHOP HERE:

https://stores.inksoft.com/OakRidgeElementary/shop/home

✨ The store is always open, with no minimum order required! Don't miss the November 15th deadline for free school delivery! 💚🦉

Welcome to the monthly treasurer report—a look at how Oakie is earning and spending his loot!

Home & School has spent $15,311 (51%) of the planned budget for the current school year. This past month, our focus was fundraising, generating $2,000 in commissions from Spirit Wear, EPI kit sales, and Shutterfly (school photos).

Thank you to our Oak Ridge parents and extended families for supporting Pumpkin Dash. The kids had a great time and raised approximately $20K after expenses. These funds will support a new Oak Ridge outdoor cafe and ongoing Home School programs for students.

Home & School operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, managed entirely by parent volunteers. 100% of donations and raised funds are reinvested into the Oak Ridge Community.

If you would like to join our wonderful group of parent volunteers, please send us an email at:

oakridgehomeandschool@gmail.com

The Oak Ridge Home & School Google Site is your go-to place for Home & School information throughout the year!

The site brings important resources together in one easy-to-access location, including upcoming events, committee information, meeting details, forms, volunteer opportunities, and other helpful links.

Be sure to check back throughout the year as information and resources will continue to be updated!