Happy Friday, Ogden Families!

We are extremely grateful to all of the teachers and staff at Ogden and wish them a restful and enjoyable break... well deserved! Thank you to all of the room parents and volunteers for making our students’ holiday parties and teacher gifts so special. 

We want to mention to our Ogden community that one of our teachers, Mrs. Smolarek, is battling cancer and will be out for the rest of the school year. If you are able to help spread some joy to her, please consider donating here. If your kids would like to draw a picture or make her a card, please bring them to the Ogden office by Monday, January 13th, and they will be delivered to her.

This is our last newsletter of 2024. We hope you all have a great holiday break, and we will see you in the New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Marissa Claxon and Jenna Tassoni

Ogden PTC Co-Presidents

Variety Show 2025 - Student Registration is now open!

Student/participant registration opened December 13, and will last until January 10. This is the step where all students participating need to register. Click HERE to register your student through the Ogden PTC website.

This year's splashy show will be at Park Jr High on Saturday, February 8th, 2025 at 1 pm! Please review this slide show for important info. 

Let Erin McPartlin or Nichole Veihman know if you have questions. We can't wait to see the kids dazzle!

Banned Book Club - All Boys Aren't Blue

Monday, January 27, 7 PM, Location: TBD

Join us for the OPEN Banned Book Club discussion on All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson. This book was chosen by attendees at our first Banned Book Club meeting in November. The program is intended for parents/caregivers of Ogden students and adult members of our community. Don’t miss this engaging discussion on an important and powerful book!

Pre-Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad

Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 – 8:15 PM, Ogden Avenue School Gym



Experience a fascinating presentation by teacher, historian, and Illinois Humanities Road Scholars speaker Connie Martin. Ms. Martin will share her family's pre-Civil War stories that reveal hidden messages and secret codes, which helped guide enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. She will also showcase replicas of 18 different quilt patterns sewn by her family over 200 years ago. Earlier in the day, Ms. Martin will share her story with 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students at Ogden. The evening presentation is intended for parents and caregivers.

Mark your calendars and join us for these informative and inspiring events!

Winter/Spring Menus available for ordering Marla's Lunch

Ordering for Marla's Lunch for the January - May lunches is now open.

NOTE: Cutoff for first lunch is Thurs. Jan. 2, during break. Please get your orders in before Jan. 2, as there won’t be another newsletter reminder until school is back in session.

Click HERE to order.

Use code oas424 if you're new to Marla's Lunch.

Families in Marla's system will get an email reminder from them as well. If you are new to Marla's lunch, click HERE for general instructions, FAQ's, and menus.

As a reminder, you can order "lunches" (in the form of credits) for any staff at Ogden, to be used anytime they like. Instructions can be found in the document above.

Feel free to contact Andreea Alm or Melissa Huitink with questions or feedback.

Ogden Green Team

Hello Ogden Community! 

The Green Team is asking for your help. We are currently collecting the following empty containers for recycling through Terracycle:

• Personal care: shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, cosmetics (anything you use on your body)
• Oral care: toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, floss and mouthwash containers
• Other things we collect:
• Plastic caps and lids
• Beverage tabs
• Holey and lonely socks
• Broken holiday lights

PLEASE make sure the containers are empty

Our goal is to have everyone bring in at least one item after winter break to recycle. There are collection bins in the LRC and in the main entrance.

Thank you for helping us help the Earth!

The Family Liaisons will once again coordinate Career Day events throughout La Grange School District 102 for the third year. 

We are excited to introduce students to a wide variety of career paths. Career Day aims to provide students with a close-up view of different career options, helping them connect their learning to the real world. This experience allows students to explore a broad range of careers and understand how a good education can lead to success in these fields.

We are currently looking for speakers to share their experiences with our students, and we would be delighted if you could commit approximately 75 minutes for elementary schools and 105 minutes for Park Junior High School. This one-day event will take place in January and February 2025. In the form below, you may select the school(s) where you are interested in speaking. Thank you!

Click HERE to express interest in a presentation of your career. 

Park Tutors 2024-25

The Park Tutors Program is back! Park Tutors are available after school to tutor and mentor District 102 elementary school students. See HERE for details.

RoboThink Winter Camp

Need something for the kids to do after the rush of the holidays?! Join a RoboThink Winter Camp! You can register for one or many days depending on your plans. Kids will do everything from a special holiday-themed build to raving robots for New Year's Eve to soaring into the New Year with aviation robots! REGISTER NOW by clicking HERE.

La Grange Library

Winter Reading Challenge

Sunday, December 15 - Friday, January 31

Chase away the winter chill! Complete six reading activities to earn a small prize packet and a ticket for our amazing prize baskets. Want to turn up the heat? Complete all the activities to earn an additional ticket for the baskets!

Register on Beanstack to participate online, or grab a paper form at the Library.

Click HERE for a video with more information.