Dr. Amy Alsip, Head of Upper School

August 22, 2025

Dear Upper School Families, 

We had a wonderful first week of school in the Upper School! It was great to welcome everyone back to campus and especially nice to welcome 41 new students for the first time!

Our morning carpool has gone well, but please keep in mind, class starts at 8:30, and once students who drive have arrived, they are not allowed to return to their cars during the school day without a pass from the US office.

At our assembly this week, the Stuco Exec officers rolled out our new house system (Honor, Trust, Respect, and Wisdom), and students will be “sorted” into houses this Friday. Be sure to ask your child which house they are placed in! We also unveiled our US theme this year, “Where Dreams Begin,” and our goal is to help your child find their dreams, whether in academics, arts, athletics, or college acceptances. 

Next Tuesday evening, August 26, we invite you to join us for Upper School Parent Night at 6:00- 8:30 p.m., starting in the Fine Arts Performance Hall. You will be able to hear from the administration and meet your child’s teachers as well. 

Student Parking: Students who will be driving to school will need to purchase a parking spot for the school year. Please see Mrs. Blake to purchase a parking spot for $30. Parking applications can be found here.

Checkout Procedures: Whenever a student needs to leave campus early, a parent must email Ms. Blake to notify the US office. Once the office is notified, the teachers are informed, and the student can then be dismissed from class without disrupting the teacher, allowing them to be on time for checkout. It is best practice to give 24 hours' notice. Giving less than an hour's notice may result in classroom disruption and delayed dismissal.

Lockers: Students who would like to request a locker can email Mrs. Blake at cblake@oakridgesch.org or stop by the Upper School office. The locker number and combination can be found on the top of the student's schedule through the student portal.

A/B Calendar: The A/B calendar is now available on both the student and parent portals. You can also view the calendar here. We are also providing the bell schedule here. We hope this helps when making appointments throughout the year.

Bookstore: If you have not already purchased books, they can be purchased using this link https://bnck-12.com/oakridgeschool. The authentication code is Oakridge1979. Please match your child’s course with the course list on the book store. Some books will be required and some optional. Please let us know if you have any trouble.

Remind: We will be using Remind to message all the students during the year regarding reminders for events, etc. We are encouraging parents to talk to their children about this, as we are trying to put some ownership on students now that they are in the Upper School. Parents are part of their own Remind group and may not receive the same messages as the students.

Veracross: All coursework information (plans, resources, assignments) will be available in the student portal in Veracross.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

We look forward to a wonderful school year. 

All my best, 

Dr. Amy Alsip
Head of Upper School