Hello Ogden Families!

District 102 is starting a Strategic Planning Process to determine the future of D102, what is and is not working, and what changes and improvements need to be made. As part of the process, D102 wants to hear from you, the Ogden Community. Superintendent Dr. Chris Covino will be coming to Ogden on Wednesday, March 6th at 6:00 p.m. to talk about the Strategic Planning Process and hear from the Ogden Community about what we would like to see for the future of D102. Please join us in the LRC on Wednesday, March 6th at 6:00 p.m. to welcome Dr. Covino and learn more.

The Trivia Night Fundraiser was last weekend and was, as usual, a great time and a huge success. Thank you so much to Gaelen Orbon, Jen Kairuz and Sara Franko for all of your work hosting and planning another Trivia Night. The three of you do it so well!

We hope everyone enjoys their Friday off from school tomorrow!

Leah Burkiewicz & Sarah Barus 

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Rebecca Ramana.

Today is the last day for the tastiest PIMA fundraiser of the year -- Lou Malnati's coupons! They are nice to have on hand for easy meal planning, and they make great end-of-year gifts for teachers, school staff, crossing guards, coaches, etc.

Your purchase helps PIMA support the musical education of D102 students through the purchase of musical instruments, equipment and uniforms, scholarships at summer music camps, music education field trips, and social events to celebrate their success.

Each coupon is $13 and may be redeemed for one 9” frozen Deep Dish pizza (Cheese, Sausage, Pepperoni, or Spinach ONLY) to be picked up at any Lou Malnati’s location, including Arizona, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The shipping of frozen pizzas, and delivery is not included. Coupons expire six months from date of issue. Coupons are only valid for frozen pizzas and no other food items.

Coupons will be delivered at rehearsal in mid-March. Please click HERE to order by THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29th!

Supporting Our LGBTQ+ Friends and Neighbors

As the coming out age gets younger, children and families may have questions about the LGBTQ+ community. You may want to be more familiar with terminology or want to know more about the resources available in our community. You may want to know how to answer questions that your kids ask about gay or trans people in developmentally appropriate ways. 

The OPEN Committee is proud to host our next event on Wednesday, March 13 with Carolyn Wahlskog, Director of Operations and Programming at Youth Outlook, an organization that celebrates, empowers, advocates for, and provides services to meet the ever-evolving needs of LGBTQ+ youth,

All are welcome at this event, including friends, family and neighbors from surrounding communities. Youth Outlook will facilitate a youth activity (suggested age: 3rd to 6th graders) about understanding gender diversity and a conversation for parents to practice answering questions and creating safe spaces. 

To sign up for this event, please click the button below for the Sign Up Genius. 

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request an accommodation, inquire about accessibility or for any other questions, please contact Rebecca Ramana.

Ogden Bingo Is Back and Better Than Ever!

Join us at Ogden Elementary School on Sunday, March 10th for Ogden Family Bingo! There will be prizes and “celebrity” announcers too! Details below. Space is limited, so sign up early!

To sign up, click HERE.

Back and even better is Nicky V's with a food truck !!! Nicky V's will be offering a meal package of Hot Dog, Chips & Drink for $6/pp. You can order in advance within this purchase, and plan to arrive at 12pm to enjoy your lunch.

What: Ogden Family Bingo

When: Sunday, March 10; 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm (BINGO will start promptly at 12:30pm)

Where: Ogden Elementary School MPR

Tickets and Lunch: Tickets are $5 per person (includes bingo cards and dauber); click HERE to purchase your tickets and pre-purchase a hot dog meal from Nicky V's.

Other: As always, we need a few extra hands to make this event happen. Click HERE to volunteer for a role. Thank you in advance for your time and assistance!

Questions? Contact Stacy Davis or Andreea Alm.

Join your fellow dads at the Stadium Club to socialize and meet new friends on Thursday, March 14 starting at 7:30 p.m. Food will be available to purchase from the menu along with a cash bar.

15% of the proceeds will be donated to the Ogden PTC.

Questions? Contact Kristen Reichel.

Green Bagel Day

The PTC is excited to announce Green Bagel Day in celebration of St. Patrick's Day! This fun Ogden tradition (fully funded by the PTC!) provides buttered green bagels to all students and staff.

Bagels will be distributed during the lunch periods on March 15th so please adjust your lunches accordingly. Kindergarten and 1st grade will each receive 1/2 of a bagel.

The Sign Up Genius will go live this Monday, March 4 at 12:00pm.

**If you would like a gluten free bagel for your child, please contact Kelly Marco or Dawn Gormely

District 102's Annual Race to the Finish 5K and 1 mile Fun Run/Walk

Early bird registration is open for District 102's 9th annual Race to the Finish 5K and 1-Mile Run/Walk!

This year's event is taking place at Cossitt Avenue School on Saturday, May 11, 2024. The 1-mile fun run will kick off at 8:00 am and the 5K Race at 9:00 am.  

Don’t miss out on early bird pricing through March 11th! $25-5K, $20-1 Mile Fun Run + $80 family pricing of 4 or more. Also, if you have a child who wants to be timed for BOTH races but doesn’t need two shirts, please contact runfor102@gmail.com for more information on a discounted rate.

6th Grade Slideshow

Attention 6th grade parents:

We are looking for photos of Ogden 6th graders throughout the years!

On the last day of school, Ogden will have a special breakfast and slideshow for our graduating 6th graders. We are looking for specific pictures for this slideshow and possibly the yearbook.

Using this DROPBOX LINK, please submit photos for consideration according to these specific guidelines:

- Current 6th grade Ogden students only

- From kindergarten age through now

- Groups of 6th graders from school events

- No family or siblings in pictures

- Photos with Ogden teachers and staff are a bonus!

DEADLINE is Friday, March 15th so don't delay and submit today!

4th-6th Grade Night Out

We are in need of someone to head up the 4th-6th grade night out in April. This is a new event so the ideas are endless! We had a great event/dance for K-3rd grade in the fall and would like to do the same for the older kids. Please reach out to Jen Kairuz if you would be interested in joining forces with a few parents to spearhead this event!

Save the Date for Thursday, April 18!

The school will be open from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 for Ogden's Spring Open House. Parents and their children are invited to tour classrooms and view student projects. Stay to enjoy some ice cream compliments of Andy's Frozen Custard, stroll through the Art Enrichment Student Art Gallery and visit the Anderson's Bookstore Book Fair!

Drama Club is off to a great start! We have 39 members registered. The kids have their parts and practices are now in full swing!

We are in need of parent volunteers! To help out with practices, please sign up HERE.

Our Thursday practice group (Stage Crew & Scenes 1, 3, 6, 6.5 & 10) meets today from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. in the Music Room.

The next meeting for the Tuesday practice group (Costumes/Makeup & Scenes 2, 3.5, assembly, 5, 8, 9 and 9.5) will be Tues, March 5. Same time. Same place.

Questions? Contact Samantha Sordyl or Nichole Veihman.

March Donation Drive for Pillars/Constance Morris House

This March, in honor of Women's History Month, the Ogden OPEN committee will

host a donation drive for the Pillars Community Health Constance Morris House, a local domestic violence shelter where survivors can find refuge as they flee abusive relationships.

Over the past year, the Constance Morris House has undergone an

extensive renovation, and when it reopens in early spring, it will feature additional rooms, a brand-new playground, and larger spaces to accommodate families that are looking to remain together during their stay at the House.

In advance of the reopening, the House will need to be replenished with all new supplies, personal items, and bedding for the residents. Please see the attached FLYER with an overview of items we are collecting throughout the month of March.

We hope you will consider supporting the Constance Morris House and their work to provide a safe environment for domestic violence survivors in our community.

For more info or questions, please contact Betsy Shea or Roderick Drew.

We are excited to announce we have added MORE dates to The Ogden Fun Lunch! There will now be two lunches per month.

See the updated schedule below. And click here to view the updated flyer.

Schedule:

2/29 - Potbelly Toasted Subs & More

3/7 - Sarpino's (newly added)

3/21 - Panera

4/11 - Buona -Pasta Menu (newly added)

4/25 - Billy Bricks

5/9 - Culver's (newly added)

5/30 - California Pizza Kitchen

Registration is up and running - ready to accept meal choice orders.

If you still need to create an account to order, click HERE - School password: oas424

We have also added additional volunteer spots - please click here to sign up to volunteer.



Questions? Contact Dawn Gormely or Kelly Marco.



• Final service project at Feed My Starving Children:

Fri, March 15th, 7:00 to 9:00pm (TWO SPOTS LEFT!)

Sign up your 6th grader to participate by clicking HERE!



• Team ropes course: Friday, April 12 and Friday, April 19
• Spring bowling party: Friday night, May 17
• Wednesday morning, June 5 (last day of school), 6th grade breakfast/slideshow/clap out

6th Grade T-Shirts

All 6th grade students will be presented with a Park Junior High shirt on the last day of school. Please fill out the T-shirt size survey HERE.

Become A Volunteer English Tutor through TEACH!

The program is looking for District 102 parents to tutor other parents in the district who are looking to practice English. Training is free. Volunteers do not need to be bilingual, and no experience is required.

Make a difference! Tutor English and help with citizenship test preparation for adult learners.

For more information about becoming a volunteer, please contact Malorie Farrington or visit www.teachempowers.org.

Mark your calendar for the Cossitt Elementary School's bi-annual children's consignment sale on Saturday, March 9, from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. Explore quality name-brand items from infants to size 16, including spring/summer clothes, shoes, sports gear, and books.

Catch the amazing HALF PRICE deals from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Plus, your purchases support local children in need – unsold items are donated to Chicagoland non-profits. Shop smart, help the community, and care for the environment!

For details and involvement opportunities, visit www.cossittptc.org/clothingsale.

The Park Tutor Program is an after-school program where Park Students tutor and mentor elementary students. They are meeting today!

Mondays and Thursdays

3:30 to 4:10 p.m.

Park Junior High LRC

Meet in front of the Main Office of

Park Junior High School...

then go to the LRC.

Tutoring Session Dates:

February 29

March 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21

April 3, 4, 8, 11th (last day)

Questions? Email Mrs. Pasieka.

We have you covered for your upcoming breaks!

Spring Break Camp is back this year, with more fun, more games, and an in-house field trip! Dates run 3/25-3/28, there are full and half day options available.

While you're at it, don't forget to register for Summer Camp! Space is limited; don't miss out on the summer fun. www.communityparkdistrict.org