February 25, 2019

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February 25, 2019

 

Superintendent's Message

 

Hello Olympia School District Families,

Patrick Murphy headshotThere is a saying that the month of March “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb,” meaning the weather is cold and harsh to start, but by the end of the month the milder climate and conditions of spring start to arrive. Given the record amount of snow we had in February, I think we would all be happy with months full of lambs.

Given that we had to miss four days of school due to the snowstorm, our calendar has been adjusted. By contract, any missed school days are made up at the end of the school year. Currently our last day of school has been changed from Tuesday, June 18, to Monday, June 24. However, because the storm was declared a “state of emergency” by the governor, we are eligible to apply for a waiver for one or more of those days. We know that having the school year end the following week is problematic for some families who have other commitments. We also need to be mindful of our graduation dates for seniors and any ramifications a later end to the school year could have on those ceremonies. We intend to keep those graduation dates as they are currently scheduled. We also know that every day of instruction is important, and that many of our students and families rely on the school for a variety of services that, if possible, we don’t want to limit.

As many of you have seen in weather forecasts for this week, we are not out of the woods yet with potential inclement weather, so we are holding off on any decision regarding a waiver submission until we get closer to spring. That being said, we know that families and staff need time to prepare, so look for a final word on that mid-way through the month of March. Lastly related to weather, I want to remind families to keep your information up-to-date in Skyward Family Access so you receive all emergency communications in a timely manner.

Having our school district located in the state’s capital, we more than most are very aware that we are in the middle of a legislative session. We continue to closely follow proposed legislation and how the proposed bills could help with our projected budget deficit. We’ve stayed in close contact with our local legislators to make sure they are fully aware of our financial outlook. There have been some encouraging bills that could substantially help with our projected shortfall. We will keep the community informed of related developments as the session continues.

Lastly, with winter coming to an end, lots of other events and happenings are right around the corner. We will be welcoming incoming kindergartners at a Countdown to Kindergarten event on Saturday, March 2. That cohort will be the high school graduating Class of 2032….that’s incredible. Our student performers and athletes throughout the district are working hard to prepare for spring concerts, theater productions, athletic events and regional/state/national competitions. If you haven't visited our schools in a while, consider attending a concert, watching a stage production or cheering on students at an athletic event. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks as always for your amazing support for our Olympia Schools.

 
Sincerely,
Patrick Murphy Signature

Patrick Murphy

Superintendent
Olympia School District


 

Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County Youth of the Year

Boys & Girls ClubJohanna Chhay, a junior at Capital High School, has been named 2019 Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County “Youth of the Year.” The Youth of the Year competition takes place on the local, county and state level, finishing with the national level. Chhay competed against other winners within Thurston County to win the 2019 Youth of the Year nomination. She will now advance to the state competition.

Judges look for candidates who reflect the core values of the Boys & Girls Club, including healthy lifestyle, academic success, leadership, character and service to the community. Candidates submit essays and prepare a public speaking presentation given in front of a panel of judges.

Chhay’s speech included gratitude for the Boys & Girls Club and the influence it has had in her life. South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to present Chhay, as Youth of the Year winner, with a two-year tuition grant. When she isn’t busy with her school studies and time at the Boys & Girls Club, Chhay enjoys a wide variety of art forms including theater, dancing and filmmaking.

Congratulations to Johanna Chhay for winning the 2019 Youth of the Year nomination, as well as a tuition grant to SPSCC!

 



Upcoming District Events

Building BlocksThis time of year is always full of school events and activities. Below is a summary of many of those events scheduled this week and into early March. Each item links to information posted on the district website:

  • Optional Middle School Program Nights: Tuesday, February 26 at Jefferson Middle School and Thursday, February 28 at Reeves Middle School, both starting at 6:30 p.m. Read more on the district website.

  • Countdown to Kindergarten: Saturday, March 2, 10-11:30 a.m., Capital High School. Read more on the district website. Note that kindergarten registration for the 2019-20 school year begins on Monday, March 4.

  • Building Blocks for Success (events promoting kindergarten readiness for families with children ages 4-5): March 4, March 25 and April 15, 6-7:30 p.m., Garfield Elementary School. Read more on the district website.

  • Health Care Career Fair: Saturday, March 2, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Olympia High School Commons. Demonstrations will be for students in grades six through eight. High school students will be supporting the professional medical career demonstrations. Read more on the district website.

 



JAMS students at Jefferson Middle School REACH New Heights

Jefferson REACH programStudents in Jefferson Middle School's Reading Enrichment and Arts Cohort for High-Achievers (REACH) solved mysteries this past semester. The REACH students pored over the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe, looking for clues to make the perfect plays.

JMS students selected their favorite stories and adapted them into script format. They presented their work to the general public with two productions: And Then There Were None and Sherlock Holmes. Both plays were completely student-written and produced and were the final product of a semester-long study of the mystery genre.

Jefferson Reach ProgramEach year, students in the program (which serves highly-capable and high-achieving students from across Olympia) study classic literature from various genres and ultimately adapt those stories to the stage. REACH is a student-led class with all students contributing to the final script. Student directors then cast the show and select stage managers, as well as audio and lighting directors, to bring the show to life.

Jonathan Moore, the REACH teacher and program coordinator, said, "I am incredibly thankful to everyone who has helped bring these productions to life — from our principal, Mr. Cimino, who has invested heavily in this program — to the parents who go above and beyond to help on production night. I have such an amazing group of volunteers at Jefferson Middle School who truly understand the hard work and dedication of the REACH students. Our shows would not be possible without them or without the support of the parent and community groups who have donated funds to make REACH the amazing program it is."

The REACH program has been a staple of Jefferson Middle School for decades and was reinvented in 2016 to focus on classic literature, creative writing and student-leadership. Since 2017, REACH productions have been completely student-led.

 


 

Interested in serving on the Olympia School Board?

OSD School BoardLearn about the role of a school board director and get information about the three Olympia School Board seats up for election in the November 2019 General Election during a community meeting on Wednesday, March 13.

People interested in vying for a seat on the school board, as well as those who want to learn more about the role, are encouraged to attend the meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Knox Administrative Center, 1113 Legion Way S.E. in Olympia.

Superintendent Patrick Murphy will share opening remarks, followed by guest speaker Colleen Miller, director of leadership development with the Washington State School Directors Association. Miller will explain about the role and responsibilities of a school board member. Her presentation will be followed by remarks by Olympia School Board Vice President Scott Clifthorne and former veteran school board member Eileen Thomson.

There will be three Olympia School Board director seats on the November 5, 2019 General Election ballot:

  • Director District #1, currently held by Frank Wilson; 4-year term.

  • Director District #2, currently held by Joellen Wilhelm; 4-year term.

  • Director District #4, currently held by Hilary Seidel; 4-year term.

     

People interested in vying for a seat on the board may mail, drop off in person or submit their application online to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division. The Elections Division will begin accepting candidate filings by mail on April 29, 2019, and they must arrive at the elections office no later than May 17. Candidates may also fill out and submit an application online during candidate filing week May 13-17, 2019.

For more information about filing for an open seat on the school board, visit the Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division website. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, reside in the district for which they are filing and be a registered voter at the time of filing. There are some judicial exceptions; for more information, contact Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division at (360) 786-5408.

A Primary Election will be held on August 6, 2019, followed by the General Election on November 5, 2019.

Maps of the district’s five director districts will be on display during the March 13 community meeting. Copies of the maps, including an interactive map in which community members can type in their address to find their director district, are available on the Thurston Regional Planning Council website.

 


 

OSD welcomes new School Resource Officer

New Olympia School District SROWe would like to welcome our new School Resource Officer, Kelsey Schmidt, to the Olympia School District. Officer Schmidt serves as SRO for Olympia High School and its feeder schools. Schmidt has been in the Olympia Police Department for close to four years and has a heart for working with children and young adults.

Prior to becoming a School Resource Officer, Officer Schmidt was featured in a film with Blippi, a fictional character in a series of popular educational films. One event officer Schmidt also enjoyed prior to becoming a SRO was “Shop with a Cop,” which takes place during the winter holiday season. “Shop with a Cop” gives children from low-income families the opportunity to shop for presents. Officer Schmidt said it was touching to see the excitement in the children's faces as they selected gifts for their families.

When off duty, Schmidt enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons on their 5-acre hobby farm. She describes the farm as a “for fun” farm where the goal is to raise interesting animals and enjoy caring for them. Some of these animals include call ducks, two goats (named Penny and Jenny), cats, dogs and about 40 chickens. Officer Schmidt and her family also grow a large garden filled with grapes, strawberries, pumpkins, tomatoes and more.

Though Officer Schmidt has served as a School Resource Officer for a little over two months, she is already enjoying the positivity that comes with the job. “Being around people who are happy to see you is refreshing,” she says.

Thank you, Officer Schmidt, for serving as our School Resource Officer!

 



Student learning in the Olympia School District

Student learning in the OSDOver the past few months we have been making a point of getting out into classrooms with our video camera to take footage of student learning in the classroom and pushing it out on our district Facebook account.

What we’ve been trying to capture is what a classroom might look like on any given day in one of our buildings. We aren’t featuring special events, lessons or initiatives. This is strictly everyday activities happening in our buildings which highlight our amazing teachers and students.

You can view our five “Student Learning” videos on our Facebook playlist.

Hopefully you enjoy this brief glimpse into our day-to-day!

 


 

Sky Dome Planetarium visits Madison Elementary

In early February, Madison Elementary School’s gym hosted a 36’ diameter sky dome. Students and teachers crawled through an entry tunnel before stepping into the large, inflatable dome. Once inside the dome, students and teachers circled around Robert Pirtle, the planetarium presenter, for a tour through our solar system, the surface of the moon and even into the heroics of a mythological drama. Images of the Space Station, astronauts and a dune buggy lit up the dome overhead as students tilted heads back to view the display. A few moments later, the dome was filled with stars.

Madison Elementary Planetarium visitThe presenter switched between displays of star charts featuring various constellations in the Northern Hemisphere, to the skies as seen on a clear night. Students were shown the winter constellation, Orion, and the three large stars that make up Orion’s belt. The chart shifted overhead as the Big Dipper was spotted, with the two “pointer stars” that show the way to the North Star. Characters from Greek mythology came on the scene next, complete with a theatrical retelling of the stories behind these constellations. Cassiopeia, the great W-shape in the sky, was the vain queen and catalyst for the Greek myth. With a different voice for each character, the presenter told the story of the rescue of Princess Andromeda by Perseus, and the defeat of the sea monster Cetus.

Throughout the presentation, children were invited to repeat back the facts from the presentation. For most of the children, this included an attempt to imitate the intonations of Pirtle. “Can you say big?” Pirtle asked, dropping his voice to a low rumble. “Big!” chorused the students. “Red?” “Red!” “Spot?” “Spot!” shouted the students as Pirtle circled the image of Jupiter’s storm with his laser pointer.

What a unique way for students to learn a fascinating series of topics. As one student proudly told the presenter as he lined up to exit the sky dome, “This is my first planetarium!” We hope this sparks in students a love for the science all around them, but especially that of the distant skies. Who knows? One of these students might be the next Galileo of our century.



School Performance Reports

School Performance Reports (SPR) reflect facts about the schools from the previous academic year, including the scores for the annual state assessment (SBA and WCAS) as well as the annual district assessment (MAP). SPR’s also include an “About Our School,” school demographics and the District Operating Budget.

For a list of the School Performance Reports, please visit the SPR webpage.

 


 

2018-19 Accomplishments

OSD AccomplishmentsOur Accomplishments page seeks to recognize and celebrate achievements both inside and outside the classroom throughout the district. We include a wide variety of accomplishments ranging from schools named Schools of Distinction, sports, music and art achievements, Classified School Employees of the Year and more.

To view our 2018-19 Accomplishments, please visit our Accomplishments webpage.

We are always looking for more accomplishments by members of the Olympia School District community. Please send accomplishment submissions to Conor Schober at [email protected].

 


 

School Improvement Plans

Each School Improvement Plan (SIP) is composed of a series of goals including communication goals, academic goals, safety goals and professional growth goals for the academic year. SIP’s are unique to each school.

For a list of the School Improvement Plans, please visit the SIP webpage.


 

 

Budget forums set Feb. 27 and March 7

Learn about the Olympia School District budget outlook and budget development process for the 2019-20 school year during two community budget forums — one on February 27 and the other on March 7.

  • The first budget forum will be held on Wednesday, February 27 from 6-8 p.m. in Room 303 at the Knox Administrative Center, 1113 Legion Way S.E., Olympia.

  • The second budget forum is scheduled on Thursday, March 7 from 6-8 p.m. in the Jefferson Middle School library, 2200 Conger Ave N.W., Olympia.

     

The same budget information will be presented at both meetings.

 



Upcoming Events

 

February:

  • Feb. 25 – Board Meeting: Pioneer Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.

  • Feb. 26  – Middle School Options Night at Jefferson MS, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

  • Feb. 27 – 50-Minute Early Release

  • Feb. 27  – OSD Budget Forum at Knox Administrative Center, 6 - 8 p.m.

  • Feb. 28  – Middle School Options Night at Reeves MS, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

 

March:

  • March 2 – Olympia School District Health Care Career Fair, Olympia HS, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

  • March 2 – Countdown to Kindergarten at Capital HS, 10 - 11:30 a.m.

  • March 4 – Building Blocks for Success: Ladders to Literacy, Garfield ES, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

  • March 5 – School year Calendar/School Start Times Committee, Knox Admin., 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

  • March 6 – 50-Minute Early Release

  • March 7 – Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age, Olympia HS, 6 p.m.

  • March 7 – OSD Budget Forum at Jefferson Middle School, 6 - 8 p.m.

  • March 10 – Daylight Savings

  • March 11 – Board Meeting: Knox Administrative Center at 6:30 p.m.

  • March 11-15 – Education Support Professionals Week

  • March 13 – 50-Minute Early Release

  • March 18 – Joint Griffin & OSD Board Meeting at Griffin SD, 6 - 8 p.m.

  • March 20 - Oly Bear Open House, Olympia HS, Room 311, 6 - 7 p.m.

  • March 20 – 50-Minute Early Release

  • March 25 – Building Blocks for Success: From Families to Friendships, Garfield ES, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

  • March 25 – Board Meeting: Boston Harbor Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.

  • March 27 – 50-Minute Early Release

 


 

The Olympia School District will provide equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the academic and activities program without discrimination based on race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district will provide equal access to school facilities to the Boy Scouts of America and all other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society. District programs will be free from sexual harassment. Auxiliary aids and services will be provided upon request to individuals with disabilities.

The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies, reports of alleged sexual harassment, concerns about compliance, and/or grievance procedures: 

  • Steve Rood, Title IX Officer, [email protected], (360) 596-8545 or Nancy Faaren, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning, [email protected], (360) 596-6117

  • Ken Turcotte, Section 504 and ADA Coordinator, [email protected](360) 596-7530

  • Pat Cusack, Director of College and Career Readiness, [email protected], (360) 596-6102

  • Scott Niemann, Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, [email protected], (360) 596-6185 or Nancy Faaren, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning, [email protected], (360) 596-6117


All four individuals may also be contacted at 1113 Legion Way S.E., Olympia, WA, 98501.