I want to say a big THANK YOU to our staff, students, and families for a great start to the school year! Students are settled into their classrooms and learning every day. We are really looking forward to our Literacy Night on Thursday, October 24, beginning at 5:00 pm. I hope to see lots of you there!

As we get further into the fall season, there are many up-coming holidays that are celebrated by OHE families. It's important to teach our children that many families celebrate different things, and it's okay if our friends have different celebrations than we do. Along those lines, I want to share our policy regarding the celebration of Halloween. This policy is similar across all of the elementary schools.

Students will be permitted to dress in costumes on Thursday, October 31. Students do not have to dress in costume. They can choose to have a pajama day or dress in their usual style. Please take a moment to speak with your children to remind them to respect the decisions and traditions that differ from their own.

Additionally, we will enforce the following guidelines:

• No costume masks or makeup are allowed. Students who come with make-up on will be asked to wash it off.

• Avoid scary and gross costumes. That means no blood, depictions of violence, weapons, etc. No “Huggy Wuggy” or other characters that are not age-appropriate for all students in our school, who range from age 4 to 4th grade.

• We will be conducting classes as usual, so students must be able to sit in their seats and move about the school (in halls, classes, cafeteria, bus & gym) without bumping into others or obscuring their view. In other words, costumes cannot interfere with learning.

• No inflatable costumes.

• Costumes should not interfere with a student’s ability to use the restroom independently.

• Leave all accessory items at home. We will not be responsible for them. This includes fake weapons and spray bottles as well. If these items come to school, a parent or guardian must pick them up from the office.

• Any student wearing an outfit that is deemed to be inappropriate for school will be asked to change prior to being allowed back in class.

Please let your child’s teacher and/or the principal, Mrs. Merritt, know if you have concerns for your individual child. Teachers will still be teaching regular lessons. If any classroom celebrations have been planned, appropriate accommodations will be made for students who do not celebrate this holiday. Please make sure your child's teacher understands your wishes for your student.

Christina Merritt, M.Ed., NBCT

Principal, Oak Harbor Elementary

Oct. 4 | Spirit Wear Friday

Oct. 7-11 | OHE Spirit Week

Oct. 8 | PTA Meeting

Oct. 9 | Walk to School Day

Oct. 11 | Spirit Wear Friday

Oct. 18 | High 5 Friday

Oct. 18 | Spirit Wear Friday

Oct. 24 | O.H.E. Reading Night

Oct. 25 | Spirit Wear Friday

Oct. 31 | Halloween Costume Spirit Day

We will have staff and local community members line up at arrival time (8:15 am to 8:40 am) offering high fives, fist or elbow bumps, and words of encouragement to students on their way into the buildings.

The High Five Friday is intended to allow community members to make connections with our students, build positive relationships, and gain a greater sense of friendship with students in our community. If you would like to volunteer to greet our students, please contact our office at 360-279-5100.

We are looking for volunteers to help with our Family Reading Night. If you are interested, please sign up below. You must be a cleared volunteer through our district office.

As part of an ongoing effort to strengthen campus safety, we are pleased to announce we are using a visitor management system called “SafeVisitor Solutions” at our school to add another layer of security.

Keeping our students and staff safe means knowing who is in our school buildings at all times in the unlikely case of an emergency. The visitor management system will allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers entering our schools electronically.

All visitors at OHE will be asked during regular school hours (8:45 to 3:05) to present a government-issued form of identification to enter school grounds or to check a student out of school. Accepted IDs include U.S. government-issued licenses, identification cards, permanent resident cards, or active military cards. Staff members do not need to use this system.

If no such identification is available, the parent or guardian will not be allowed past the front office.

We play outside at OHE. Fresh air and outdoor movement are highly encouraged at our school, even with some rainy weather. Please send your student/s to school with weather-ready clothes.

If you need a coat for your student please reach out to our school counselor Ms. Stratton at jstratton@ohsd.net or 360-279-5952.

We want to provide some clarity as to how our Parent Pick-up (and drop-off) operates. The attached diagram shows where adults can wait for their students after school. Here are important details about dropping off and picking up students:

• Our campus opens at 8:15 am. Our car loop closes at 8:40 am. Students arriving after 8:40 am will need to be taken around to the front of the school and checked in at the office by an adult.
• Parents picking up or dropping off students need to do so near our car loop off Jerome Street. Remain in your vehicle. If your child needs assistance, a staff member can help, or you may park on the street and use the crosswalk and sidewalk to enter.
• All visitors must check in at the office to be within our fencing perimeter (other than in designated Parent Waiting Areas). Please do not walk through the campus without authorization from the main office. This is for the safety of all students.
• Students will place backpacks on their class lines and walk on the path. Our play equipment is not open during arrival or dismissal.
• Students should exit or enter the vehicle from the sidewalk side of their vehicle, not from the center lane. (Driver's side in the "green lane" and passenger's side in the "blue lane".)
• The center lane is for driving through, please do not park there. Watch for pedestrians.
• Parents should not enter our security gates, except to be in one of the designated Parent Waiting Areas. At dismissal, a staff member will open the 3 gates between the student waiting area and our car loop.
• Please keep the area painted with white stripes clear for student safety purposes.
• Families should wait in one of the 6 designated Parent Waiting Areas. You may waive to get your student & their teacher's attention, but please remain in one of those areas.
• Adults - Please model a safe street crossing by using the crosswalk to cross Jerome Street.
• We are all looking out for the safety of our OHE kids, so be kind and patient. Our Parent Pick-up line is usually cleared within 10-15 minutes of our dismissal bell ringing; sometimes even sooner. It is even faster in the morning.
• Only service animals may enter our campus without prior authorization from the principal, Mrs. Merritt. All pets must remain outside of our fencing.

Resources for Cold & Flu Season

As we head into fall and spend more time indoors, there are actions we can take to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community from seasonal respiratory illnesses. Respiratory viruses include COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu), and other common cold viruses (rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and other viruses). Use the links and guidance below to stay informed.

Take steps to prevent respiratory illness

Influenza (Flu)

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Flu vaccines decrease the severity of flu-related illness, reducing the need for medical care and hospitalization. Symptoms of the flu include sudden onset of high fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, nausea, and fatigue.

• A yearly flu vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older. It's best to get your family immunized by October.
• For those who are at higher risk of developing severe disease, vaccination is especially important. These groups include:
  • Older adults
  • Adults with certain chronic health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease
  • Pregnant women
  • Children younger than 5 years, and especially those younger than 2 years old

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild cold-like illness. Most people recover in a week or two, but infection can be serious for infants and older adults.

• Infants and young children: Monoclonal antibody treatments are CDC-approved and will soon be available to protect infants and young children from severe RSV. Parents can discuss this treatment option with their pediatrician.
• Older adults: Vaccines are currently available for adults 60 years and older to protect against severe disease.
• Pregnant women: This fall, pregnant people will be able to receive an immunization to protect themselves and their newborn(s) against severe respiratory illness and hospitalization.

COVID-19

Many people with COVID-19 have mild illness, but some people can become severely ill. Symptoms may include headache, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose, fever, loss of sense of taste and smell, and fatigue. Convenient at-home tests can help determine if you have COVID-19. If you would like free COVID tests mailed directly to you, order at https://special.usps.com/testkits

• COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older. Vaccination is especially important for individuals at greater risk for severe disease including older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Vaccination decreases disease severity and helps prevent Long COVID, which can last for an extended duration following infection.
• Visit our COVID-19 Webpage to learn more.

At OAK HARBOR ELEMENTARY we are always looking for ways to have a positive impact on our students and our community outside the classroom. On OCTOBER 9 we will celebrate International Walk to School Day with 49 other states and more than 40 countries to encourage a more walkable world and we would like to invite you to walk with us.

Walk to School Day was established in the United States in

1997 by Partnership for a Walkable America, a national

alliance of public and private organizations committed to

making walking safe, easier, and more enjoyable.

While walking to school was commonplace just a generation ago, traffic jams around schools are now the norm. Students are losing an opportunity for regular physical activity that is good for their health by riding to school in cars. On International Walk to School Day, students have a special opportunity to celebrate the fun of walking and biking.

Please join students, parents, and community members for our school’s Walk to School Day. All students who walk or ride to or from school on October 9 will get a certificate and will receive a prize!! If you live too far away to walk from your home, you and your student can drive to a location and walk or bike together from it… Maybe a local coffee shop!

We value your support. If you have any questions, please contact me, Holly Troyer, at 279-5140 OR HTROYER@OHSD.NET

Join us for our next PTA Meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 3:20 p.m. in the library.

Meet our PTA Officers:

President: Chantel Dwyer

Vice President: Amy Olson

Secretary: Courtnie Deckwa

Treasurer: Becky Walters

Email:

ohe.pta.eagles@gmail.com

PTA Facebook Page

Oak Harbor Elementary PTA

Each Friday the PTA is celebrating our OHE school spirit. Students who wear school spirit on Fridays will be counted for their classroom. The classroom at the end of the month with the most student participation will win a special treat from the OHE PTA. **The Spirit Store will be open again soon. Please check the "Oak Harbor Elementary PTA" Facebook page for updates.

School Spirit Fridays:
October 4

October 11
October 18
October 25

Mark your calendars for Spook Harbor Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 26! The OHE PTA is excited to partner with OHPS, other local PTAs, and Living Word to host a BIG trunk or treat event! We are looking for volunteers in a variety of ways. Would you like to decorate a trunk? Could you help with guiding families or help clean up the event? Take a look at the sign-up:  https://tinyurl.com/spookharborvolunteers

Coming to school soon is Trunk or Treat Pete, our OHE PTA Candy Monster! He loves to eat candy and will be hungry in October. You can find our candy monster, Pete outside the office. Drop off bags of candy you'd like to donate and you can "Feed Pete." These candy donations will go to support the Spook Harbor event on October 26. 

We'd love for you to join our PTA!! Parents/guardians and OHE staff can join the PTA. Have a voice in what the PTA sponsors and brings to OHE students and staff!

PTA Membership Link for Individuals: 

https://oakharborpta.givebacks.com/store/items/1078698

PTA Membership Link for Families: 

https://oakharborpta.givebacks.com/store/items/1079633

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the Dance-a-Thon in September. We raised almost $8,000 to cover the cost of field trips for our students! The OHE PTA is covering the cost for every grade to go on a field trip. These funds cover admission costs (if any) to venues and they cover the cost of bus transportation to the field trip location and driver fees. 

If you missed out, you can still make a donation by using the QR code on the Dance-a-Thon image.

Email: oheinfo@ohsd.net
Website: www.ohsd.net/ohes
Location: 151 Southeast Midway Boulevard, Oak Harbor, WA, USA
Phone: 360-279-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oakharborelementary