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Dear Orca Families,
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” –Rainer Maria Rilke
The final month of 2024 is here. I hope the upcoming holiday season brings you the opportunity to connect with those you love and find joy in the midst of the hustle and bustle. As we prepare to bring in a new year, I am excited to see what 2025 brings for our Orca community. The hard work of students and teachers can really be seen in the months after we return from winter break. Students become better readers (some begin to read their first words), better writers, better mathematicians, and better problem solvers. It’s pretty amazing to witness the changes that happen in a year.
Character Strong Trait of the Month: Empathy
This month, we’re focusing on empathy—the ability to understand and connect to other’s feelings. Our school community members care about building a community where everyone feels heard and cared for. Encourage your child to practice empathy by listening to others, showing kindness, and being understanding.
As we look ahead to the new year, we’re excited about all the opportunities and experiences it will bring. It’s a fresh start and a chance for everyone to set new goals, learn new things, and continue growing as a community. We’re so grateful for all the support from our families, and we can’t wait to see what the new year holds! I wish you all a holiday season and a new year filled with love! Please reach out to me if I can help you or your family in any way.
Warm regards,
Sara Lucero
General Office Contact Information
Office contact number: 360-279-5150
Office contact email: oveinfo@ohsd.net
Attendance: 360-279-5159
Attendance email: oveattendance@ohsd.net
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Early Release Monday | 2 Dec. @ 2:20 pm
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PTA Meeting | 2 Dec. @ 5:15 pm
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Teacher Work Day | 5 & 6 Dec. (No School)
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Early Release Monday | 9 Dec. @ 2:20 pm
- Winter Wonderland | 13 Dec. 4-7 pm
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Early Release Monday | 16 Dec. @ 2:20 pm
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Winter Break | 23 Dec. - 3 Jan. (No School)
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School Resumes | 6 Jan.
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Early Release Monday | 6 Jan. @ 2:20 pm
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Contact Information Updates - If you have a new phone number, address, and/or new emergency contacts, please call the office at 360-279-5150,or email at oveinfo@ohsd.net.
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Lost & Found to be Donated - Please come search for your students' missing clothes in our lost and found. Anything remaining after 12/20/24 will be donated during Winter Break.
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Morning Drop Off - If you are dropping off your student at 9:00 AM or later, please park your car and come inside to check them in. Remember to bring your ID, as it will be required to complete the check-in process.
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IDs are required - If you are coming onto campus for any reason, you will need to present a form of Identification. This includes picking up your student early or dropping them off late. Accepted forms of ID are a driver's license or military ID, provided they are not expired.
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Student's Outerwear:
Bundle Up for Recess!
As the weather gets chillier, please make sure your child is dressed warmly for outdoor recess. Jackets, hats, gloves, and appropriate shoes can help keep them comfy and safe while they play. A little extra warmth goes a long way to keeping everyone happy and healthy during these cooler, rainy months! If you need assistance with coats, hats, gloves please let our office staff know.
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Ms. Byers’ class learned about force and motion today by using a spring scale to see how far their cars would go.
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Celebrating Our First Trimester Ambassadors & Welcoming the New Team!
Dear Olympic View Families,
As we wrap up the first trimester, I am thrilled to recognize the incredible achievements of our Olympic View Elementary Student Ambassadors. This group of young leaders has made a meaningful impact on our school community by embracing the values of responsibility, respect, kindness, and safety.
Over the course of six lessons in our Student Leadership Program, these students developed essential leadership skills that will serve them well in the years to come. They practiced effective communication, explored decision-making strategies, and learned the importance of leading with integrity.
Program Highlights & Accomplishments
Structure & Expectations:
Our first trimester Ambassadors demonstrated exemplary punctuality, responsibility, and resilience in their roles. From greeting classmates in the morning to mentoring peers and helping to maintain our school’s welcoming environment, they have truly set the bar high for future Ambassadors.
“Pride of Pods” Recognition:
Each Friday, Ambassadors were tasked with selecting a peer who demonstrated exceptional leadership and kindness. This tradition of recognizing others' strengths highlights the power of positive influence and the importance of celebrating success.
Leadership Lessons in Action
Understanding Leadership: Students identified traits such as fairness, kindness, and responsibility, exploring what it truly means to lead. Building Communication Skills: Ambassadors practiced active listening and clear communication to connect effectively with others. Exploring Leadership Styles: Through role-playing, they discovered how different approaches work in various situations. Responsible Decision-Making: By completing their Power Pledges, students committed to making thoughtful, responsible choices. Leading by Example: They brainstormed ways to model leadership through daily acts of kindness and teamwork. Practice Makes Perfect: In our final lesson, students reflected on their Power Pledges, sharing their personal commitments to making better choices. They discussed how practicing thoughtful decision-making not only helps them grow but also creates a positive ripple effect in their community.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate the success of our first trimester Ambassadors, we eagerly welcome the next group of students into the program! Starting December 9th, these new Ambassadors will have the opportunity to grow as leaders while continuing to serve our school community with pride.
Congratulations to our outgoing Ambassadors for their outstanding contributions, and best of luck to our incoming team. You have big shoes to fill, but we are confident you’ll rise to the challenge!
Let’s keep leading the way together!
Warm regards,
Michael D. Howard
Dean of Students
Olympic View Elementary School
mihoward@ohsd.net, cell phone: 360-969-2652
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Student Ambassadors learning from Mr. Greg about US flag. |
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Student Ambassadors reading to students before school. |
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Student Ambassadors putting the flag up. |
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Mrs. Croucher and I are working on using Pear Deck with i-Ready math lessons. This will allow for them to show us their thinking in different ways as we work on tasks in different subjects. Between yesterday and today, they have learned how to highlight, draw and type into the drawing slide that was added into the presentation. It allows us to also look at different student's work with no names to see different ways to work on things. In addition to learning how to use their chromebooks to create, they are working on skills needed for later grade levels, state testing and future jobs.
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Resources for Winter Holidays
Food Support - We have several community partnerships to assist families at OVE with food support. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact Stacey Mahoney at the information below. We are so grateful for the donations from Rotary Club of Oak Harbor, Family Bible Church, North Whidbey Help House. North Whidbey Help House is taking requests for Christmas baskets now through December 12th. Pick up a form in the main office or contact the school counselor at the information below.
Holiday Gift Support - Holiday House North, sponsored by the Oak Harbor Lions in partnership with Toys for Tots and other community organizations, is offering families with financial need a place to come and select donated new unwrapped items for their children in a store-like setting. Parents can sign up directly on their website at www.holidayhousenorth.com
Clothing support - Olympic View Elementary also has access to shoes, winter clothes like jackets and boots, backpacks, etc. Contact Ms. Mahoney.
Contact Stacey Mahoney, OVE School Counselor for more information smahoney@ohsd.net or 360-279-5160
Students Learn Problem-Solving Skills
In classes K-3, we have been learning about problem-solving skills and strategies that can help us in the classroom, playground, or even working things out at home. In Kelso’s Choice curriculum, Kelso the frog acts as a guide to help students solve different problems they might encounter—issues around sharing, using unkind words, taking turns, etc.
They learn that if we ever have a “BIG” problem (one that is scary or frightening), we need to tell a trusted adult like Mom or Dad or school staff immediately because someone can get hurt. Students learn that if we have a “small” problem, we can use Kelso the Frog’s ideas to solve it. Kelso’s small problem strategies are: go to another game, talk it out, share and take turns, ignore it, walk away, tell them to stop, apologize, make a deal, and wait and cool off. If you would like any of the visuals to use at home, we are happy to provide them.
Stacey Mahoney
School Counselor, OVE
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We want to express our gratitude to the following organizations: Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters of America, and the parishioners of St. Augustine Church. They generously donated coats to our students as the chilly weather approaches.
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Dec 2 PTA Meeting |
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Open Board Positions |
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Penny Wars Grand Total |
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PTA Contact Info |
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Click to Volunteer |
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School Yearbook |
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Our Math Club is up and running every Wednesday morning with Ms. Berthiaume! It’s a great opportunity for third and fourth graders to improve their math skills in a fun and supportive setting. We love seeing our students work hard and grow their math confidence!
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Please join our Olympic View PTA
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Kenley’s class has the most parents signed up for PTA so they won a Hot Cocoa Party!
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We are thrilled to feature the exceptional staff at OVE. Each month, we will showcase a selected group, including their photos and brief bios.
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Our KindergartenTeam
From left to right Dani Morrison, Eleanor Kerr, Candice Esvelt, Amber Hunter, and Amy Kenley make up our fantastic Kindergarten Team. Mrs. Morrison - Has been an Orca for a total of 10 years. Her favorite color is blue. Her favorite thing about OVE is the people she works with.
Mrs. Kerr - Has been an Orca for 4 years. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite thing about OVE is the smiles.
Mrs. Hunter - Has been an Orca for 7 years. Her favorite color is all the shades of blue. Her favorite thing about OVE is the connection to the students and their families.
Ms. Kenley - Has been an Orca for 2 years. Her favorite color is teal. She says what makes our school so special is its commitment to creating a nurturing environment where every child feels supported, encouraged, and able to grow both academically and emotionally. OVE is a great place to be, she says.
Mrs. Esvelt - Has been an Orca for 8 years. Her favorite color is aqua. Her favorite thing about OVE is the people she gets to work with!
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Mrs. Tate
- This is her first year as an Orca. She is one of two Life Skills Teachers.
- She has two favorite colors, pink and yellow.
- Her favorite thing about OVE is how kind everyone is.
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About Olympic View Elementary
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Karen Bell
Karen is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters
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