June 2020
Superintendent’s Message
The 2019-20 school year will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most challenging, unusual and probably influential in the recent history of education. As we all know, COVID-19 forced school districts across the world to change their delivery model overnight. We also know that the results and impacts of that sudden and dramatic change on families and staff were wide-ranging.
I want to express my gratitude to all of our students, staff, families and community members for their exceptional effort, resilience and perseverance under these extraordinary circumstances. I want to say a special thank you and congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2020. Your send-off into the next stage of your life has been as unique as the times we are facing. Our staff in our high schools and programs have worked so hard to honor and congratulate all of you in special ways. Whether it was virtually, through parades and drive-up ceremonies, or via local radio broadcasts, we want all our graduates to know how proud we are of you all and how we look forward to hearing about your future adventures and achievements.
As we see our graduates off, we are all keenly interested in what school will look like in the fall. We have fall planning committees with more than 100 people including staff, students, and families working diligently to review guidance from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and health authorities, as well as OSD survey data, in an effort to determine our best path forward. We all want our children back in school in the fall so they can meet face-to-face with their teachers and have in-person interactions with their peers. The effort of our staff to create a distance learning model so quickly this past spring has been commendable. And yet, at the same time, we know that not being in our school buildings is taking not only an educational toll, but it is impacting the social and emotional well-being of our students, families and staff. Our committees are working hard to find a way to get our students and staff back in our buildings safely under whatever conditions will be in place as set forth by our health officials. We know those conditions can change, so we need to have flexibility in our plan.
If you have a student in one of our schools and have not yet taken our fall school reopening family feedback survey, we encourage you to take the survey by the June 30 deadline. Also, if you want to follow the work of our Fall Contingency Planning committees, we have posted agendas, meeting summaries, committee membership, research and resources, and other information on the district website.
I suspect like everything else, this summer will be unlike those that have preceded it. Regardless of the phase we are in, or the limitations COVID-19 imposes, I do hope all of you have a safe, restful, rejuvenating summer. There will be more information than normal that we will be sharing with families this summer, so please stay connected to our district communication tools such as email, texts, social media and the website.
Sincerely,
Patrick Murphy
Class of 2020 graduation live-streams and commencement videos
Due to the nature of our non-traditional, social distancing graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020, things looked a little different this year. Having said that, we were thrilled to be able to live-stream all four of our graduations on the Olympia School District Facebook page so that families, friends and community members could “partake” in the festivities.
Included below are links to the videos of those graduation ceremonies as well as links to prerecorded commencement speeches from students and staff. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did:
Olympia High School’s graduation will take place at St. Martin’s University this Saturday, June 27. The diploma presentation will be live-streamed for all students on the OSD Facebook Page at about 1:30 p.m. On Saturday we will also push out a video, on our Facebook page, of the school’s prerecorded commencement speeches. Be sure to follow/like us on Facebook and tune in this Saturday!
Pandemic EBT Emergency School Meals Program
As you are all aware, COVID-19 closed our schools for the final three months of the 2019-20 school year. Because of this, your child/children may be eligible for food assistance, called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT): Emergency School Meals Program.
Follow the link below for all the details, and necessary forms, which need to be submitted by the end of day on June 29, 2020, in order to receive assistance. Please take a moment to check your eligibility and apply today!
School Board approves 2020-21 budget
The Olympia School Board has unanimously agreed to adopt a $250.4 million budget for the 2020-21 school year.
The budget approved by the board on June 22 represents $159 for operating resources and $67 million for capital investments, including the $8.5 million technology levy approved by voters in 2018. Remaining resources are devoted to the Associated Student Body fund, Debt Services fund and Transportation Vehicle fund.
The operating budget reflects $4.3 million in budget reductions to address a projected deficit next year. A list of those reductions is posted on the budget webpage on the Olympia School District website.
During discussion of the proposed budget, the board agreed to an amendment to “suspend the School Resource Officer (SRO) program while re-examining services offered.” The re-examining process will involve conversations with students, families, communities of color, City of Olympia and Olympia Police Department leaders, and district employees. As part of the work going forward, the board discussed the legal requirement to ensure our agreement aligns with state guidance and legislation enacted in 2020 pertaining to School Resource Officers.
In preparation for the 2020-21 school year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the district is developing plans for multiple operational scenarios, and for the use of a projected $1.2 million in federal resources for pandemic response. Federal resources can be used for costs that exceed normal operating costs, including nurses and health aides, greater cleaning frequency, distance learning costs, professional development, technology investments, additional teachers and/or paraeducators, investments to help with social and emotional health concerns, and transportation costs. Already underway are the purchase of cloth face coverings for students and staff, additional protection and disinfecting supplies, and health room supplies. The district will continue to invest in technology resources for students and teachers, extending the 1:1 chromebook distribution to elementary students, including new kindergarten students.
Learn more about the 2020-21 budget, including the budget presentation shared on June 22 and a list of the approved budget reductions, on the Olympia School District website budget webpage.
Register for Summer School today
Registration is underway for Elementary, Middle and High School Summer School classes that begin on June 29, 2020. The deadline to register is Friday, June 26.
These amazing OSD musical productions can’t be stopped by COVID-19
There have been many remarkable stories of student success that we have been thrilled to share with you during the past three months since the COVID-19 pandemic began and closed down our schools. Some of the most joyful content which we’ve pushed out has come directly from our band and orchestra students and the talented staff who lead them!
Don’t believe us, well we’ve got proof! Below are links to a number of videos submitted by music teachers from across our district who have put together videos for their students or organized Zoom-based online concerts to help maintain some sense of normalcy. We’ve even got a piece by the Olympia Symphony Orchestra that the musicians put together specifically for the Class of 2020...enjoy!
Summer Meal Program
The Olympia School District is distributing free grab-and-go meals this summer to students and youth including lunch, and breakfast for the following morning, at designated schools and community sites.
Any student, regardless of age, is eligible to pick up a meal. Youth not enrolled in school, but under 18, are also eligible to receive a meal. Students and youth will not be asked for their name, identification, enrollment status, Free and Reduced-Price meal designation or school of attendance.
A list of summer meal program locations, including an interactive map, is posted on the district website.
Outdoor facilities reopen in Phase 3
Thurston County has been approved, as of June 24, 2020 to enter Phase 3 reopening of the state’s Safe Start order. Given this status, the school district has begun to reopen its outdoor facilities, as well as some indoor facilities use.
All OSD playgrounds are now open and available for play. We encourage families to ensure that students wash or sanitize their hands before and after playing.
Outdoor athletic facilities have also reopened, and the use is based on the Governor’s plan regarding phased safety measures. View Gov. Inslee’s “Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities Phase 2 and 3 COVID-19 Requirements.”
Use of the Ingersoll and Swarthout tracks by the community is allowable. As required by district policy, please be cognizant that school and community athletic teams will also be using the fields. See district policy 4260P(E) for Swarthout and 4260P(D) for Ingersoll. As a reminder, use of our fields are scheduled centrally for athletic teams. The City of Olympia Parks, Arts, and Recreation department schedules the use of elementary and middle school baseball fields and soccer fields. School facilities and high school fields, including Ingersoll and Swarthout, are scheduled via a centralized “SchoolDude” system on the district’s website.
Please also remember that both Capital and Olympia high schools are under construction for major remodels. Therefore, not all facilities are accessible, even if the county is permitted to reopen to Phase 3 levels. For example, Olympia HS tennis courts are partially closed while three new courts are constructed, and the parking lot is inaccessible.
Please be mindful that our coaches/teams are practicing strict social distancing protocol in order to be able to hold team practices. If you arrive at one of our outdoor facilities and students are participating in a practice, please consider exercising at the stadium after the team finishes.
School board welcomes two new student representatives
The Olympia School Board welcomed two new student representatives to the board — Isabel McClatchey and Rebecca McMillin-Hastings — during the June 8 school board meeting.
McClatchey, a senior this fall at Olympia Regional Learning Academy, and McMillin-Hastings, who starts her junior year in September at Capital High School, took the oath of office for their one-year positions.
The board also bid farewell and expressed their thanks to this past year’s student representatives -- Ruby Gruber of Olympia High, and Alexis Nevy of Avanti High School.
Student representatives are non-voting members and contribute to school board discussion by providing student insight and perspective, serving as a liaison for students districtwide, and reporting to students about the work of the board and district activities. They are selected by their high schools on a rotating basis in the spring of each year to serve on the board for the following year.
Each student representative term begins in June and concludes in May. In even numbered years, Capital High School and Olympia Regional Learning Academy students are selected to serve. In odd-numbered years, the opportunity is open to Avanti High School and Olympia High School students.
Welcome Isabel and Rebecca!
Immunization Record Requirements
Starting August 1, 2020, all student immunization records turned in to schools or child care centers are required by state law to be medically verified. Immunization records must be turned in to the school on or before the first day of attendance. This means immunization records turned in to the school must be from a health care provider, or you must attach paperwork from a health care provider to your handwritten form that shows your child’s records are accurate. Your child cannot attend school until you provide these records.
Here are some examples of medically verified immunization records:
- A completed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visiting https://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCI and clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.”
- A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached.
- A CIS printed by a health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System.
- A CIS printed from MyIR which is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go to https://wa.myir.net/register to begin the sign-up process.
If you are requesting an exemption from one or more of the immunization requirements, you must provide the school a completed Certificate of Exemption.
If your child already meets immunization requirements and has records on file with the school, you do not need to do anything. If you aren’t sure, or if you have any questions, please contact the Student Support Office at (360) 596-7530.
Upcoming Events
- June 27: Olympia High School Graduation Live Stream at 1:30 p.m.
- July 3: Independence Day (observed)
- July 20: OSD Board Meeting online via Zoom at 6:30 p.m.
OSD Notice of Nondiscrimination
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 Olympia School District offers many Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs/courses in the following areas: Skilled and Technical Sciences/STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics); Agriculture/Natural Resources; Business Marketing; Family and Consumer Sciences; and Health Sciences. For more information about CTE course offerings and admissions criteria, contact Pat Cusack, Director of College and Career Readiness, 111 Bethel St. N.E., Olympia, WA 98506, (360) 596-6102. Lack of English language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in CTE programs.
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:
Michael Hart, Title IX Officer
Ken Turcotte, Section 504 and ADA Coordinator (Students)
Starla Hoff, ADA Coordinator (Staff)
Scott Niemann, Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator
Pat Cusack, Director of College and Career Readiness
All six individuals may also be contacted at 111 Bethel St. N.E., Olympia, WA, 98506.