Ashley Read '05, Head of Early Childhood

Dear Families,

This week, for our “10 Simple Lessons” Social Emotional Thought of the Week, students have been learning that “My brain controls my body.” Just like all people can feel happy or sad, all people get mad. That’s okay, but there are right and wrong ways to show people how you are feeling. The way we control our anger is by teaching our brains what to do with those feelings. The biggest thing with young children is that if our brains don’t know what to do, our bodies take over. Sometimes this results in kicking or throwing so it is important to help children manage their big emotions in healthy ways. 

Ideas:

• Deep breathing
• Calm down corners
• Go for a walk
• Fidget toys or sensory toys
• Self talk: My body controls my brain. I can do hard things.

NEXT WEEK- Homecoming Spirit Week:

At this point, you should have received information about Homecoming Spirit Week, which will take place during the week of September 29 - October 3. Click here to view the Homecoming packet, which includes the daily themes and the run of events. We invite all Preschool - 12th grade students to participate in the daily themes. Should your child choose not to participate, uniforms are to be worn. Please send your child to school in tennis shoes daily even if he/she chooses to participate in the themed days. We invite you to join us on October 3 at 10:00 a.m. for the annual Homecoming Parade and hope that you will come back to the O.A.C. (Oakridge Athletic Complex across the street) for the football game that evening. Students who purchased Homecoming t-shirts can wear their 2025 Homecoming t-shirt to school on Friday, October 3.

Save-the-Date: October 9 - St. Jude Trike-A-Thon

The St. Jude Trike-A-Thon is a fun and educational way to teach young children how to make a difference for St. Jude kids. St. Jude provides materials for a week of learning and fun activities for young children, teaching children about trike and riding safety. Throughout the week of October 6, ECC students learn important lessons about helping others by raising awareness and support for children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases at St. Jude. We will spend the week taking part in a fundraiser and hope that you can join us in our efforts. More information to come. On October 9, each ECC student is asked to:

• Bring a helmet to school with his/her name on it
• Bring a riding toy (scooter, tricycle, bicycle) -If your child does not have one, please contact Mrs. McGee
• Wear non-uniform athletic clothes and tennis shoes

We will culminate our week-long St. Jude Trike-A-Thon lessons and fundraising efforts by putting our safety skills to the test. Parents are invited to join us as we travel around the ECC parking lot. See flyer below for more details. 

 

We’re proud of our wonderful Oakridge community—help us share it!
If you know friends, neighbors, or colleagues exploring school options, invite them to discover Oakridge through our Admission Events. Your recommendation is the best introduction!

Our first event, Oakridge-Live! Early Childhood Center Edition is Thursday, October 16, 2025, from 9:00–11:00 AM.

vIEW aLL EVENT DATES AND REGISTER HERE: Oakridge-Live!

Warm regards,

Ashley Read, Oakridge Class of 2005
Head of Early Childhood