Welcome New Families

Make sure to double-check the Admission & Enrollment Portal to ensure you have submitted all required forms and records prior to the start of the school year. Of particular importance are:

• Immunization Records & TB Risk Forms  If you have questions about these forms, please contact Lower School Office Administrator Colleen Altendorf (c.altendorf@oldorchardschool.com) or Upper School Office Administrator Kristin Wright (k.wright@oldorchardschool.com).
  • You will find a copy of the TB Risk Assessment Form here. NOTE: TB Risk Forms are only required for new students in Jr Kindergarten, Kindergarten and students in GRs 1-8  who are new to Santa Clara County.
• Community Health & Safety Pledge Be sure to complete the Community Health & Safety Pledge listed under Optional Forms.
• 4th & 5th Grade Students: Be sure to complete the iPad Damage, Loss and Theft Policy listed under Optional Forms.

Our Key Dates & Holiday Calendar highlights school breaks, holidays and other notable events throughout the year such as parent teacher conferences, picture day, and more. We will continue to revisit and review the school calendar as health guidelines and requirements evolve. Please be advised, we may need to reschedule or reimagine planned dates and activities. We know how important scheduling is to our families and will keep you informed of any changes as they occur. 

Old Orchard students wear uniforms on a daily basis in Kindergarten (K2) through 8th Grade. Jr. Kindergarteners (K1) do not wear uniforms; they should follow the guidelines for free dress. Our Uniform Requirement and School Dress Code aims to foster a sense of community and to create a positive learning environment, as well as to help students dress appropriately and comfortably for school each day with minimal fuss.

• Purchasing Uniforms: All uniform pieces should be purchased from Merry Mart or selected from our Uniform Exchange (see below for details). Additional information and OOS specific details for Merry Mart can be found here. Merry Mart will reopen their store on a limited basis on July 6. Hours of operation will be Monday–Friday 11am to 5 pm. Uniform specialists will be available by appointment only to help kindergarten families and students that are new to uniforms. Call their store at (408) 296-0423 to schedule your personal fitting appointment.
  • 20% off Summer Sale: This year the summer sale will take place ONLINE ONLY from Monday June 7th - Sunday June 13. This will be the only summer sale before school starts.
  • Pro Merry Mart Tip If you find that an item is out of stock online, proceed with ordering the item (this means it is on back order). They will be able to fulfill the order it just may take 1-2 weeks. 
• Uniform Exchange We will be holding a uniform exchange on two dates: June 9 & August 11, 10 am – 2pm. Stop by the Lower School Campus to shop our selection of gently used uniform items. The exchange will be held outside in the courtyard with standard safety protocols (masks and social distance).

Here you will find a list of general supplies your student should bring the first day of school and have on hand throughout the year:

• Jr Kindergarten & Kindergarten Supply Lists
• 1st and 2nd Grades Supply Lists
• 3rd Grade Supply List
• 4th & 5th Grades Supply List
• 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Supply Lists

If you shop with Amazon, we encourage you to consider using AmazonSmile and selecting Old Orchard Service League as your charity of choice!

Old Orchard students entering Grades 4-8 are asked to complete a short summer reading or writing assignment. Students have the entire summer to complete the assignment. You will find details here:

• GR4 Summer Reading
• GR5 Summer Writing Project
• GRs 6-8 Summer Reading  Be sure to email Ms. Hsieh your book choices by Friday, June 11!

New students enjoy meeting current students before school begins. The Grade Level Email Groups document will provide you with a list of grade-level email aliases or groups which you may use to contact all families in your grade, along with guidelines on appropriate use of these addresses. New family email addresses will be added to these lists as of July 1.

We are excited to welcome My Green Lunch back to campus for the 2021-22 school year! Lunch Service will be offered 5 days a week across all grades (JrK-8). Stay tuned for details which will be communicated prior to the start of the school year.

Each week you will receive News & Notes, our school-wide, e-newsletter packed with information about the coming week as well as photos and highlights from the previous week. News and Notes is distributed via email on Friday evenings. The first regular issue of the school year will be sent shortly before school begins.

The Old Orchard Service League (OOSL), a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded and led by Old Orchard parent volunteers, organizes community events and raises funds for enrichment programs across all grades. Meetings are held the first Friday of each month. All Old Orchard parents are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the organization, hear what they have planned for the year, and offer suggestions. OOSL is always looking for parents able to support its activities with volunteer opportunities to suit every schedule. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved, reach out to ooslboard@gmail.com.

To help ease your transition, we have gathered together common abbreviations you may see in our printed materials.

• K1 = Jr. Kindergarten
• K2 = Kindergarten
• LS = Lower School (K1-5^th Grade)
• US = Upper School (Grades 6-8)
• OOS = Old Orchard School
• OOSL = Old Orchard Service League (our parent run service league)
• CCC = Campbell Community Center (home to the Upper School Campus)