New Family Resource Guide

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OGS PTA New Family Resource Guide

Key Information about School, Local Sporting Organizations, Kids Classes, and other Resources

School Event Descriptions
Below is an explanation of fun events at the school throughout the year.

Open House, October

• The school hosts parents for teacher-led presentations on the upcoming year’s curriculum and in-class activities.
• Open House is followed by a cocktail party for all parents, teachers, and administration at a local business in Old Greenwich.

BTW - Between the Waves

• This is the weekly email and main form of communication sent by the PTA, which highlights the school calendar, special events, school closings, early releases, and a lot of other essential information.
• It arrives to email boxes on Sundays for the coming week. 
• The school strives to be paperless, so please take a few minutes to read this every week.
• If you don’t receive these emails, please email OGSBTW@gmail.com.

OGS Website

• Our PTA pages are all about OGS! Please take a moment and look through our site.
• The school calendar, listed in the PTA pages, is always up to date information.

Membership Toolkit and PTA Membership

• The school encourages every family to join the PTA (Parent Teacher Association). Proceeds help fund curriculum enrichment programs at every grade level. 
• Sign-up to become a Member of the PTA on our online registration website Membership Toolkit. 
• Every family will need an updated family account on Membership Toolkit to order to register for PTA events as well as access our online directory. 

Volunteering at School
If you are interested in the myriad of ways to volunteer at school, please contact OGSPresidents@gmail.com. Our PTA Co-Presidents can direct you to the committee of your interest.

Music Program

• Starting in Grade 3, students can choose to participate in Orchestra with a string instrument and receive weekly instruction during school time at no extra cost. They meet once a week in the morning before school and perform in a Holiday Performance and an End of Year Performance.
• Starting in 4^th grade, students have the additional choices of Chorus and Band. 
• 4^th and 5^th graders who attend weekly instruction can participate in the School Chorus, School Band and/or the School Orchestra. They meet once a week (per discipline) and perform in a Holiday Performance and an End of Year Performance.

Pumpkin Patch

• The school’s largest community event and fundraiser, complete with games, food, crafts, prizes, jumpy houses, and pumpkins galore. Proceeds go toward the PTA initiatives.
• This is completely run by volunteer parents and families – please help out!

Music on the Menu
This is a PTA sponsored music performance for all grades during lunchtime. Parents are welcome to attend these lunches. Dates will be noted in the Sunday BTW Communication from the PTA. 

Book Fairs, Fall and Spring
Held twice a year in the gym, this event is GREAT! There are lots of great titles for both kids and adults. Proceeds go toward PTA initiatives.

Family Fun Night
OGS Family Fun Night - come for a fun family theme night of dancing, snacks, and fun! Theme TBA.

Talent Show, Spring
School-wide event that showcases the many talents of the children, from singing, dancing, musicians, and comedians. Don’t miss! PS: everyone can participate; no try-outs.

Circus Night, June
Performance by students in Grade 5 after a week long artist-in-residence program with the National Circus Project.

Dolphin Day, Spring
A surprise day where all grades compete in a fun, PE-teacher created games on the field.

Afters

• OGS PTA offers 8-12 different classes held after school for one hour in three sessions throughout the year (fall, winter, spring). Kids go directly from their classes to the Afters' classes. Pick-up is at 4:15 pm in front of school. Sample activities include golf, art, science, running clubs, Legos, cooking, archery, etc. Sign up for this will be announced in the BTW and available here. 
• These classes are fee based, with some scholarship availability.
• Kindergarteners can only join in the spring session.

Progressive Dinner, Spring
Annual fundraiser held in the spring and hosted at private homes. Grade-wide cocktail parties are followed by small group dinner parties.

Teacher Appreciation Week
We love our teachers and it shows during a week long of special events for the teachers. From flower arrangements, gift cards, to a sit-down luncheon, the week is action packed in showering them with gratitude.

Yearbook

• The yearbook includes pictures of every class, in addition to the many extra-curricular activities and special presentations at the school throughout the year.
• It is pre-sold in the late winter for delivery right before school ends. It’s a must have for each student, especially the older kids who sign each other’s books.

School Drop-off and Pick-up

• As you will notice, there are lots of parents and caregivers walking children to school and picking them up. Please note, parents are not allowed to walk their children to their classrooms. They must leave them at the door.
• Pick-up is either in front of school or at the gym doors. You must let your child’s teacher know if they are going to the gym doors. 

Early Bird Computer Skills and Activities Hour
Teacher supervised early morning drop-off starting at 7:30 am in the Media Center.

Dolphin Club (Childcare organized by the OGRCC)
Adult supervised after school program in the OGS Cafeteria. For registration information, please visit the OGRCC website. 

LOCAL SPORTING and ACTIVITY ORGANIZATIONS

Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich (bgcg.org)
Located off exit 3, this facility offers ice sports, swimming, as well as leadership opportunities.

Chelsea Piers CT (www.chelseapiersct.com)
Located in Stamford, this facility offers gymnastics, ice sports, tennis, squash, swimming as well as many other sports.

Old Greenwich Riverside Civic Center or OGRCC (myogrcc.org)
Located in the Riverside Old Greenwich Civic Center, this organization has tons of sporting teams, classes, and camps for children and adults.

Sportsplex (sportsplex-ct.com)
Located in Stamford with annual memberships, this facility offers swimming, squash, and fitness classes.

YMCA (greenwichymca.org)
Located near Greenwich Ave, this facility has several pools, gym, and fitness classes.

YWCA (ywcagreenwich.org)
Located on Putnam Avenue between Old Greenwich and main Greenwich, this facility offers swimming, fitness and camps.

Greenwich Newcomers Club
50 year old volunteer-run organization with playgroups, lunch and book clubs, fun social parties and much more. See www.greenwichnewcomers.org for more details. Note: their annual Information Fair is in September at the 2^nd Congregational Church on Putnam/Maple. See their website for times.

Old Greenwich Farmers Market
Weekly market on Wednesdays from 3-6 pm during spring/summer/fall seasons at the Presbyterian Church of Old Greenwich at 38 West End Avenue. See their website at: www.oldgreenwichfarmersmarket.com.