Dear Olympia School District community,
We are pleased to share our school district’s Annual Report featuring information and highlights from the 2022-23 school year.
This report includes data about the Olympia School District, including demographics, assessment scores, graduation rates, financial information and links to school performance reports and school improvement plans.
Additionally, as you scroll through this publication, you will see one of our favorite things to feature in this Annual Report is the compilation of success stories from throughout the district featuring students, staff and community members. Each year, for example, we recognize one or more OSD Teachers of the Year and Classified School Employees of the Year. Their names and photos are included in this publication, along with student accomplishments ranging from regional successes to prestigious state and national honors. We are proud of the excellence of our students and staff, and we encourage you to take a few moments to scroll through the various accomplishments featured in this report. While the Annual Report is a snapshot of success stories districtwide, many more students, staff and community members are featured on our school district website and social media platforms. I encourage you to visit the district website at osd.wednet.edu, or see the latest OSD
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram and
YouTube posts. You are also welcome to view a more detailed list of districtwide accomplishments for the 2022-23 school year, as well as for past years, on our
Accomplishments webpage.
The 2022-23 school year was also a busy year of construction activity at many of our school buildings. The Avanti High School remodel, for example, began in January 2022 and was completed in time for the start of the 2023-24 school year. Additionally, Thurgood Marshall Middle School became the fifth Olympia School district building to have solar panels installed on its roof. The middle school joined Olympia High, Olympia Regional Learning Academy, Roosevelt Elementary and Washington Middle School in its use of natural and efficient sustainability.
Finally, this Annual Report is an opportunity to express how grateful we are to the thousands of family and community members who volunteer in our schools. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our
Volunteer webpage to submit an application.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our students, staff and community.
Sincerely,
Patrick Murphy
Superintendent
Good News From Around the District: Schools & Staff
We are proud of the Olympia School District's many achievements made in the year 2022-2023. This report gives an opportunity to highlight some of those many accomplishments. The OSD is proud of our students and staff who achieve amazing success every day. In an effort to recognize and celebrate some of the achievements both inside and outside the classroom we have compiled a list of academic and extracurricular accomplishments that involve members of the Olympia School District community.
Our teachers are regularly recognized as among the nation's best, striving to make an impact in the community and district. The success of our schools would not be possible without the hard work of our staff. Every year, our district honors one or more Teachers of the Year and Classified School Employees of the Year.
As always, there are many more achievements in our district than we can summarize in this report, ranging from small acts of kindness to school wide accomplishments. We have included a few of these highlights from the 2022-23 year.
Capital HS teacher Kristina Cummins receives highest honor
We are proud to announce that Kristina Cummins of Capital High School has been named to the Washington State ThespianOpening in a new windowOpening in a new window Hall of Fame. “I'm truly honored to be selected by the Washington State Thespians to join their prestigious Hall of Fame. Being a part of this organization has shaped me as a theater educator. Through Washington Thespians, and as the Co-Chapter Director for the past eight years, I've had the opportunity to attend many educator conferences, participate in Leadership Summits, advocate on Capitol Hill in WA D.C., and provide opportunities for students throughout Washington to participate in our Thespian competitions and State Festivals,” Cummins said.
Congratulations WASA Region 113 award winner Eowyn Latham Grubbs
Congratulations to Eowyn Latham Grubbs, an Olympia School District parent and “tireless advocate for students,” for being recognized with a Community Leadership Award at this year’s Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Region 113 awards dinner. “Eowyn has been a tireless advocate for students, especially students with special needs. We thank her for testifying at the Legislature this year in support of special education funding. Last year, she helped to launch a districtwide parent group for families, students and staff supporting OSD students with disabilities from birth through post-high school. Eowyn also received the ‘Laurie Dolan School Advocate of the Year’ award from Roosevelt Elementary (last year) for keeping equity at the forefront of her work, including coordinating a sensory path at the school. On behalf of all of our students and families, thank you, Eowyn, for your unwavering support.”
McLane’s Jalissa Jones named OSD Teacher of the Year
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Every year, the Olympia School District takes great pride in selecting a Teacher of the Year. This year we have the honor of presenting Jalissa Jones, third grade teacher at McLane Elementary School, as our OSD Teacher of the Year. Jones was nominated by Principal Dannie Clark who shared about Jones’s commitment to effective teaching, as well as her priorities to serve every student at McLane.
Brenda Beck: OSD Classified School Employee of the Year
Brenda Beck was recently selected as the 2022-23 OSD Classified School Employee of the Year. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Beck is not surprised in the least by this news. And for good reason. Beck is described as “the heart and soul of Avanti, a superhero.” She is the first person students and families meet when applying for enrollment and the last person they see when they pick up their diplomas.
Good News From Around The District: Our Students
We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of our Olympia School District students. Here are a few highlights of their accomplishments from the 2022-23 school year:
Connect Students With Careers
Olympia School District high school counselors are helping students explore career opportunities with monthly ‘Career Map Meetups.’ These meetups have been made possible with the help of Olympia Career HubOpening in a new window, a division of the Thurston County Chamber of CommerceOpening in a new window.
The monthly career-themed connections offer high school students the opportunity to meet directly with local professionals in a particular career cluster. Kimari Helmer, office professional in the Capital High School Career Center, said, “They discuss what their jobs are all about, (a day in the life), their personal path that led them to their profession, what kinds of upward mobility there might be and what training or schooling is necessary or beneficial.” Students can ask questions to aid their exploration of the age-old question; “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Transitional Kindergarten a Full-Go at Madison Elementary
Our new Transitional Kindergarten (TK) pilot program is off and running at Madison Elementary School! TK provides free full-day schooling for students who have not participated in a regular early childhood program. This program is designed to support students who face barriers to future school success. Students can be eligible to participate in this program the spring semester prior to their kindergarten year.
Christine Zhang of OHS recognized as STEM Rising Star
Christine Zhang, a junior at Olympia High School, was recently recognized as a Washington STEM Rising Star awardee for the Capital Region. Zhang was nominated by OHS teacher-librarian Stacy Udo. She was selected for her leadership within the student organization ‘BYHER4HER’ and her commitment to making computer science education accessible in her community. You can find a brief video of Zhang talking about her passion for STEM on the Washington STEM YouTube ChannelOpening in a new window.
Lincoln Elementary School: Home of the Movers and Shakers
Each school year at Lincoln Elementary is accompanied by one of three schoolwide themes; ‘What Connects Us, ‘Sense of Place’ or ‘Movers and Shakers.’ These themes rotate through every three years and include an area of focus for the school throughout the year. This year the theme was ‘Movers and Shakers’ and the area of focus was Social Justice.
The Olympia School District Board of Directors recently welcomed two additional student representatives for the 2022-23 school year. Completing the board are Ali Owen, a junior from Avanti High School, and Ru'ya Russell, a senior at Olympia Regional Learning Academy (ORLA). They join the two existing student representatives who took their oath of office in June of 2022 – senior Rahma Gaye from Capital High School, and junior Christine Zhang from Olympia High School.
Student-run ‘Lunch buddies’ brings Bulldogs together
Sixth grade can be hard. The transition to middle school can be overwhelming. Not having all of the people around that you’ve spent the last six years of your life growing and learning with can be a bit of a shock to the system. The Lunch Buddies program at Washington Middle School is here to help!
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Two Olympia High School graduates earn prestigious National Merit Scholarships
In May, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that two Olympia High School students earned prestigious National Merit $2,500 scholarships. Audrey Shen and Jonathan Holcombe, who graduated this week, are among 2,500 students from around the country to earn the Merit Scholar designation.
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Thurgood Marshall strengthens ties in our community
Thurgood Marshall Middle School takes pride in its commitment to continue the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., specifically when it comes to his legacy of service. In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service ActOpening in a new window. With this Act, Congress delegated the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmericorpsOpening in a new window). Like many of our schools, Thurgood Marshall has a tradition of recognizing Dr. King’s contributions to our society with what they now call their ‘Day of Service’.
The Olympia School District is proud of our students and staff who achieve amazing successes every day. In an effort to recognize and celebrate those achievements both inside and outside the classroom, we have compiled a list of academic and extracurricular accomplishments that involve members of the Olympia School District community.
OSD continues to boast high graduation rates
The Olympia School District’s on-time graduation rate for the Class of 2023 was 92 percent. The five-year graduation rate for students in the Class of 2022 was 94.1 percent. Avanti HS had a 100 percent five-year rate.
Board Continues Focus on Student Outcomes
Every year in December, the Olympia School Board elects officers for the coming year during its annual reorganization. The board elected Darcy Huffman as the 2022-23 board president and Hilary Seidel as vice president.
Superintendent Patrick Murphy shared a special thank you to Maria Flores for her “steadfast leadership” as board president this past year.
Board members are also appointed annually to serve as liaisons with various community groups and state agencies. This year’s appointments include:
The OSD Board of Directors approved a list of student outcomes at the December 10, 2018 school board meeting. They read:
Our students will:
Outcome 1: Be compassionate and kind.
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Outcome 2: Have the academic and life skills to pursue their individual career, civic and educational goals.
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Outcome 3: Advocate for the social, physical and mental wellness of themselves and others and be hopeful about the future.
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Outcome 4: Have the skills, knowledge and courage to identify and confront personal, systemic and societal bias.
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Outcome 5: Discover their passions, be curious and love learning.
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Outcome 6: Be critical thinkers who contribute to and collaborate with our local, global and natural world.
Districtwide Construction Projects
The 2022-23 school year was a busy year with updates and construction activity at many of our school buildings and facilities. Let’s start with updates from the larger-scale projects:
Avanti
The Avanti High School remodel began in January, 2022. The project includes updating the building, refurbishment of classrooms, modernizing technology and energy systems, upgrading fire safety and modifying Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility for the building.
The architect and designers have been diligently working to find creative ways to retain the historical features of the building, which was originally built in the early 1920s. The project was competed and opened its doors for the 2023 school year.
Thurgood Marshall Middle School
Thurgood Marshall Middle School is the fifth Olympia School District building to have completed a solar panel project. The middle school joins Olympia High School, Olympia Regional Learning Academy, Roosevelt Elementary and Washington Middle School utilizing natural and efficient sustainability. 306 solar panels were installed on the Southwest facing school roof. This area was selected because of its excellent solar exposure.
The 150 kilowatt system will be capable of producing 149,000 kilowatt-hours a year. This will reduce the school’s energy bill, contribute to sustainable infrastructure in Olympia, and create learning opportunities for Thurgood Marshall students on renewable energy.
McKenny Elementary unveils new Traffic Garden
Last month McKenny Elementary School had a formal ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its new 'Traffic Garden'. McKenny was the recipient of a $10,000 grant from State Farm Insurance which helped make this project possible.
A traffic garden is a small-scale network of connected streets with scaled-down traffic features and other roadway elements for educational programs, skills building and active engagement. They help create a small world to ride bicycles, steer scooters and act out pedestrian roles. Children navigate and practice using roadways, intersections and crossings in a safe environment free of motor vehicles. They learn while having active fun and interacting with features and other users.
Centennial Elementary School
The CES Traffic Garden was installed by the Child Care Action Council’s Safe Kids Thurston County programOpening in a new window, with help from Intercity Transit's Walk N Roll programOpening in a new window and the Olympia School District, and funding from the Rotary Club of Olympia Capital CentennialOpening in a new window.
A traffic garden is a safe and fun place for youth to learn and practice bicycle and pedestrian safety skills in an environment away from vehicles. The miniature streetscape includes an intersection, stop signs, crosswalks and a roundabout. The traffic garden is located on Centennial Elementary School’s playground and will be used during PE class to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety skills. The traffic garden is also open to the community during non-school hours.
Reeves Middle School
The Reeves field renovation and minor repairs to the track included updates to the athletic field grass with sod replacement and drainage improvements. Protective barrier fences may remain in place through September 2023 to allow the sod to fully establish.
While the larger scale projects are always the most visible, there are a wide variety of updates and upgrades taking place throughout many of our buildings and facilities.
Additional Projects:
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Capital High School: B-Pod bathroom conversion to all-gender access
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McKenny Elementary School: Playshed sprinkler system replacement
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Fire Alarm Panel Upgrades: Hansen Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, LP Brown Elementary, Madison Elementary and Jefferson Middle School