ABCs of Olympic View

A is for After School Enrichment. Sign your child up for a variety of fun classes, three sessions each year. A is for Art Docents. Volunteers are trained to teach specific art skills to students in the classroom and guide them to make art inspired by great artists from around the world. A is for Arts Night every other year, showcasing exciting Arts programming within our school and from the surrounding Seattle community.

B is for our Building Leadership Team (BLT), which make vital decisions that keep our school running smoothly. Parents and staff work together to direct our school  resources to ensure our students achieve success. B is for Back to School Night, when we welcome families in to meet the teachers, see your students classroom and tour the school. B is for Beaky, our very own eagle mascot. Look for Beaky at special events!

C is for Conferences. These happen in November and this is the time to discuss your child’s learning with teachers.

D is for DanceChance, a special program through Pacific Northwest Ballet for screened 3rd graders to study ballet on a full scholarship! D is for Drama. The school   musical is an exciting opportunity for 3rd – 5th grade OV students to work together both on and off stage. There are three              performances in the spring.

E is for the Eagle Way, they receive Eagle Eyes. The Eagle is also the name of our school newsletter. Sign up for an email copy! E is for Eagle Packs are free food and snacks that are distributed weekly for any student provided by the University Food Bank. E is also for Eagle Time, which is targeted learning time with extra support for smaller group instruction.

F is for Fundraising. The PTA supports our school by holding fundraisers throughout the school year.  Money raised by those events help pay for field trips, library books, multi-arts and PE supplies, art docents and a lot more! F is for Fall Festival. The Fall Festival is an exciting and free event for all  families. It is held in mid-October each year and relies on volunteer support. F is for Field Day! Every June, our PE teacher, Barbara Bruecher, bhbruecher@seattleschools.org organizes a fun-filled afternoon of activities. Volunteers are needed to make this all school event successful.

G is for Global Reading Challenge. OV partners with the Seattle Public Library for a battle of the books. Students in 4th and 5th grade sign up to read a selection of books and team up to answer questions to compete against other schools.

H is for Hot Lunch. All students are eligible for free lunches at Olympic View. Our lunchroom manager and favorite “lunch lady” is Mindy Crum macrum@seattleschools.org; Her assistant is Amy Boelter acboelter@seattleschools.org

I is for Instrumental Music. 5th grade students can learn how to play musical instruments at OV. I is for Involvement. Student success is linked to involvement in schools. We can use your help at home or in the classroom and attending school events.

J is for Jump Start for our youngest students at OV, who are entering kindergarten.

K is for Kindness. We practice kindness with ourselves, each other, our school and community. This is another way we can show the Eagle Way by “taking care” each and every day.

L is for Leadership. Andrew Bean ajbean@seattleschools.org is our school’s Principal, Rachel Roosma rmroosma@seattleschools.org is our Assistant Principal, Crystal Parry cnparry@seattleschools.org is our Administrative Secretary, and Sabrina O’Brien snobrien@seattleschools.org is our Office Assistant in the main office. Andrea Chaddock is our PTA President. Your ideas inform our leaders on ways to better serve our whole community. L is also for our Library, staffed by Kristi Leland, klleland@seattleschools.org where students can check out books for fun and information.

M is for Multicultural Community. Part of what makes our school so great is our diversity. We celebrate our community each year, typically in January, with a potluck at Multicultural Night. M is for Multi-Arts. Liz Law melaw@seattleschools.org teaches dance, theater and visual arts to all students. M is also for Music class with Olivia Helbach okhelbach@seattleschools.org. Move-A-Thon is an all school event and fundraiser in the spring. It is such a fun celebration!

N is for Newsletter. Most classroom teachers regularly send home newsletters. The Eagle, the school newsletter, comes out at the start of each week via email. The PTA also emails a monthly newsletter. N is for our Nurse, Angie Sterwald amsterwald@seattleschools.org who helps us keep students healthy and safe.

O is for the Office, which is open 7:30am – 3:30pm to answer your questions or to help you sign-in when you volunteer at OV.

P is for Parent Teacher Association (PTA), which plans and funds many events throughout the school year. General meetings are held in the evenings three times per school year. Please join the PTA, come to a     meeting, and help us make OV a better place! P is for Plant Sale. Each spring, our PTA hosts a large sale of vegetables, flowers and garden supplies. Come volunteer or  purchase plants to raise money for our school!

Q is for Quality Instruction. Our entire staff is dedicated to bringing your child the best quality education possible. Q is for Questions. We know that questions drive our learning and help us be responsive to needs as they arise. Please ask questions! We will try to find answers that work.

R is for Racial Equity. We are working to dismantle racism and increase equity at Olympic View and Seattle Public Schools. R is for Reading. An important part of your child’s day is to read at school and at home, read together or read alone – just read! Students are expected to read at least 20 minutes each evening as their homework. RULER starts with “R” and is a way for our school to talk about feelings, self-regulation and develop empathy for others. 

S is for School Assemblies. The second  Monday of the month, we meet in the cafeteria for our Becoming a Change Maker Assembly and discuss the monthly attribute. Please join us! S is for Science Night every other year, showcasing what OV students are learning in the Amplify Science Curriculum and programming from the surrounding Seattle community.

T is for Technology. We have 1:1 ratio for  devices, each student at OV is assigned their own device for the year. Kindergarten – 2nd grade receive iPads; 3 – 5 grade receive a  laptops. T is for TalkingPoints. We use this program to communicate with families via text messages. This allows for two-way translated communication.

U is for Understanding. If there is something you understand, please share it with others. If there is something you do not understand, please share it with the staff. We are here to support you and help your students succeed.

V is for Volunteer Opportunities. Interested in helping teachers and/or students in or out of the classroom? If you have any time or energy, we can use your help! All volunteers must complete the paperwork and online training.

W is for Wednesday Spirit Days! Once a month we have a fun spirit day. This day is always the same week as the Change Maker Assembly.

X is for X-ing Guards or “Safety Patrol”. Look for our 5th grade students in the orange vests helping students and families to cross streets safely each morning and afternoon. 

Y is for Yearbook. Every June, OV produces a yearbook for sale. Please collect pictures during the school year and contribute them to this wonderful memory book.

Z is for Zeal. We teach and learn with zeal and enthusiasm at Olympic View!