Welcome To The Ordway PTO News Page
Latest News
Check out the sections here for the latest, and still relevant, news from the Ordway PTO.
THANK YOU to all our families, friends and community who donated to this year’s Otter Trot Fundraiser. We raised just over $62,000 – beating our goal! We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and participation.
The students and staff have voted! The winning shirt colors are GREEN with white otters and navy waves, and DENIM with silver otters and navy waves.
Order your Otterwear no later then Friday, October 4th (11:59 PM). Click the link HERE, or the button below, to place your order.
Otterwear styles will be:
- Short sleeve t-shirt
- Long sleeve shirt
- Crew neck sweatshirt
- Hooded sweatshirt
The green color will be available in both youth and adult sizes for all styles.
The denim will be available in all adult styles and only available in youth sizes for the short sleeve shirt.
Our annual fundraising campaign is essential, supporting all students, teachers, classrooms, and school-wide initiatives. The fundraising campaign will run through September and will be followed by our first post-pandemic Otter Trot jog-a-Thon on October 25th.
See our fundraising page for more info – click HERE.
Look for more info about the Jog-a-Thon in your inbox prior to October 1st. Students will be pre-registered but additional action will be needed from parents and guardians to support their Otters!
Students raise money, setting a personal movement goal, while showing pride for Ordway. The move-a-thon is adaptive with options for all kinds of participation. The top classes will earn Otterly fun prizes like a Pizza party. Top individuals will be entered for a raffle to be Principal for a day.
Our fundraising Platform, RallyUp, allows for digital and “old school” cash/check donations (digital preferred).
Look no further
New This year: PTO has uploaded the school supply list to “Teacher List” which shows the lists and you can choose which vendor to purchase from. Questions? Contact, PTO Presidents: Christina Cielusniak and Sydney Bond.ordway.president@bainbridgeptos.org
https://app.teacherlists.com/schools/67834-ordway-elementary?utm_campaign=share&utm_source=link
The State Board of Education awarded Ordway the Achievement Award – recognizing the school as a “high performer in multiple measures” – for both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years. That’s two years in a row! Way to go Ordway!
This recognition is due to all of Ordway, the teachers and staff, the students and families, and the supportive Bainbridge Island community.
See the OSPI news – click here
The June 18th District Newsletter mentioned a School Board Study Session will be held on Monday, July 22nd @ 5:00 p.m*. This study session is open to the public and is regarding the recommendation from the Capital Projects & Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee – in other words, what they recommend for the future of the Ordway Building.
On Thursday, July 25th @ 5:45 PM is the regular School Board Meeting. They will likely be voting on whether or not the district should put a bond or levy on the ballot in support of Ordway.
*The time of the meeting was stated as 5:45 in the 6/18 newsletter, but is noted as 5:00 on the district’s website.
At our June 10th PTO Meeting, we voted in new members. We welcome, and thank, these parents and guardians for helping the PTO enrich the kiddos days at Ordway.
- Co-Presidents: Sydney Bond (returning) & Christina Cielusniak (new)
- Treasurer: Jamie Stoner
- Secretary: Katie Lesh
- Volunteer Coordinator: Maribel Gordon (returning) & Camy Cohen (new)
- Communications: vacant
- El Velero Rep: vacant
- Enrichment Coordinator: vacant
- Site Council Rep: vacant
We also welcome the following new and returning committee leads:
- Fundraising: Jill Anderson, Erika Borg, Adriana Zimova
- Social Chair and Boo Bash: Gillian Macdonald
- Carnival: Jodi Fischer, Kristyn Deyo & Maribel Gordon (returning), Camy Cohen & Fauve Gouws (new)
- Bingo: Josh Cunningham
- Popcorn Days: Becky Walliman
- Sustainability & Garden: Sara Daubenberger (returning) & Fauve Gouws (new)
- Yearbook: Rachel Hofer & Maribel Gordon (new)
- Science Fair: JJ Blackwood
- 4th Grade Parent Committee: Rachel Hofer, Jill Anderson, Steph Fisher, Becca Black, Ashley Anderson
- Teacher Grants:
- Emergency Preparedness:
- Diversity Equity & Inclusion:
The Ordway PTO and School would love to build up a robust afterschool enrichment program (afterschool clubs) – a school newspaper, running club, chess, gardening, and more.
If you are interested in volunteering to run an afterschool enrichment club, then let us know. Each club will meet for one hour, once per week, and will run for 4-6 weeks at a time.
We need your help to make this possible!
We are seeking one or more volunteers to help coordinate the programs. Reach out to the PTO Co-Presidents, Sydney and Christina, to support our kiddos.
Ordway’s Librarian, Mrs. Nelson, helped the kiddos create this video about otters. It’s great!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0CE6F_k2h8
BISD's 2024-2025 Budget Challenges
The Bainbridge Island School District sent a community newsletter on Oct 23, 2024 with information regarding the 2024-2025 budget deficit. See the link HERE.
We have updated our resources pages to help you learn more and get involved. See the link HERE.
Carnival News - May 10th 2024
Thank You, Volunteers – You made a difference
Carnival 2024 was a blast, and we couldn’t have asked for better volunteers and a better day to usher in warm and sunny weather. The Carnival Crew and PTO send their heartfelt THANK YOU to all the parents, teachers and staff, high school and 8th grade volunteers. We has such an amazing show of support.
We appreciate you!
Previous News Items
Check out the sections below for the previous news from the Ordway PTO.
Join us at our last meeting of the school year. We will be voting on next year’s Otterwear colors, budget, and new board members. Childcare and pizza will be available.
Time: 6/10/24 6:30 PM
Location: Ordway Library and Zoom (see newsletter for zoom link).
Sign up to volunteer at Field Day. Click HERE to sign up. The time slots align with class grades:
Kindergarten: 8:00 – 8:50 AM
1st and 2nd Grades: 8:55 – 9:45 AM
3rd and 4th Grades: 9:50 – 10:40 AM
Come out for conversation, games, drink and food. The Ordway kiddos and Community are such an amazing group of people. We hope to see you there!
When: Thursday, May 30th 5:00 PM & onward
Where: Sisters’ Cider House @ 921 Hildebrand Lane
Food: Bring your own dinner / snack
Drinks: No outside drinks allowed, with the exception of kids water bottles / sippy cups.
Sisters’ Cider House and Bene Pizza, a few doors down, both generously donate a portion of their proceeds from the night to Ordway. We appreciate Randi and Caron for their continued family friendly atmosphere at Sisters’ Cider House. We appreciate Drew, an Ordway alumni and Owner of Bene Pizza.
Sisters’ Cider House: 921 Hildebrand Lane
Bene Pizza: 937 Hildebrand Lane Northeast, Suite 104
The International Otter Survival Fund (ISOF) established World Otter Day, which takes place on the last Wednesday in May each year. The day was established to help draw world-wide attention to otters, to celebrate them, and raise awareness and support for the conservation of otters and their environments.
Here are some Otterly Interesting links:
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium – Sea Otters and Asian Otters
Seattle Aquarium – Sea Otters and River Otters
Here are some Otterly Cute coloring pages:
BISD and Ordway were accepted into the first Washington And Oregon Farm-to-School Institute. Ordway staff will be participating in a year-long professional learning opportunity to bring farm-to-school nutrition and practices to the district. Thank you Dr. Dunn and Elaine Krogfoss (Food and Nutrition) for your initiative.
This is an exciting opportunity to continue to build the farm to school program at BISD! The team is seeking input from BISD families, staff and community members to inform their farm to school action planning process. Feedback about school meals, gardens and food education is welcome! Please complete this survey by June 7th to share your input!
The annual Bike to School Day is coming up quick ~ Friday, May 24th. As we near the end of the school year, this is a great opportunity to re-energize your kiddos efforts and interests in getting to school.
For those of you who live a bit too far from Ordway and still want to bike, walk, hop or skip to Ordway this Friday, meet up at the Masonic Center across from the High School / Bainbridge Pediatrics.
- Park your car at: Masonic Center 1299 Grow Ave NW, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
- Depart for Ordway at: 7:20 AM
⏰ If you, or someone you know, has some time available, Squeaky Wheels needs more volunteers to help keep the paths safe for our kiddos, and our parent/guardians who may be in tow. Please sign up at the link here, or click the button below.
Don’t forget that the kids will need time to park their bike at school & enjoy the snack and drink.
Thank You, Volunteers – You made a difference
Carnival was a blast, and we couldn’t have asked for better volunteers and a better day to usher in warm and sunny weather. The Carnival Crew and PTO send their heartfelt THANK YOU to all the parents, teachers and staff, high school and 8th grade volunteers. We has such an amazing show of support.
We appreciate you!
Tomorrow, May 13th, will be an opportunity to learn about what the Long-Range Strategic Facilities Planning Committee has been talking about. In other words, when might Ordway be renovated, rebuilt, or what? They be giving the community an update about the following:
- Facility Conditions (i.e. earthquake safety, and other topics)
- Educational Adequacy of buildings
- Building Capacity & Enrollment
- Sustainability
This workshop is also your first opportunity to provide feedback.
When: May 13th, either 3:30 PM or 5:00 PM
Where: BISD Boardroom (In the gym building in the parking “pit”) – 9530 NE High School Road, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
The committee will be presenting their 10-15 year plan on addressing aging buildings and infrastructure the School Board some time in June.
These meetings were mentioned near the end of the BISD April 26th Community Newsletter. They are on the district calendar here:
https://www.bisd303.org/Page/2#calendar1/20240513/day
See also the BISD link here:
- Have your kiddo(s) print and fill out this “worksheet” that is all about their teacher. Hand it into their teacher for a sweet surprise.
https://bainbridgeptos.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/All-About-My-Teacher.pdf
- Make a hand-written note from your child. It shows the teacher that you are taking the time to think about them. Whether your child writes a few words or draws a picture, the effort and thought is appreciated.
- Flowers or a plant, combined with a note about helping your child grow, can freshen up the teacher’s day.
- Gift cards. Yes, these are appreciated by teachers. Consider gift cards to book stores for audio books (Eagle Harbor, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon / Audible), school and craft supplies (Target, Michaels, Jo-Ann’s Fabrics), and don’t forget about Coffee and Pastries.
- Give them a compliment, especially in a note
- Make them some art, sing them a song, write a poem or write/draw a story.
Teacher Appreciation Week of May 6th – 10th. Help us show the teachers and staff how much they are appreciated.
The PTO is treating the teachers and staff to something special each day, a catered lunch, yummy pastries, afternoon treats and more. Reach out the the Volunteer Coordinators, Alora and Maribel (ordway.volunteers@bainbridgeptos.org), to help spread the love around.
- Monday: Tasty Treats
- Tuesday: Blissful Brunch
- Wednesday: Super Sandwiches
- Thursday: Sensational Snacks
- Friday: Indulgent Ice Cream bar
Ordway’s Art Teacher, Mrs. Lishu Rodriguez, is applying for her National Board Certification. Mrs. Rodriguez has a great love of teaching art to children. She has supported children of all ages and skill sets to grow their skills and literacy in art, all the while also helping them become proud of themselves. Let us all help support Mrs. Rodriguez in her application to become a National Board Certified Teacher. Please take a few minutes to fill our a survey about the Student Art Showcase held on April 18th, at Ordway. We will be sharing your responses, anonymously with the art teacher, Mrs. Rodriguez.
May 6th, 20245:30 PM – Budget Brainstorm6:30 – 8:00 PM – Regular PTO Meeting, including update on the facilities planning
School Board Meetings are recorded and made available online. You can find the BISD meetings and agendas on BoardDocs here:
https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/bisd/Board.nsf/Public
The April 25th meeting can be found at the link here:
https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/bisd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=CTPVM37EB8A8
Join us at Sister’s Cider House for a Family Night Out. Children of all ages are welcome. Bring your own dinner / snack. No outside drinks allowed, with the exception of kids water bottles / sippy cups.
Sisters’ Cider House and Bene Pizza, a few doors down, both generously donate a portion of their proceeds from the night to Ordway. We appreciate Randi and Caron for their continued family friendly atmosphere at Sisters’ Cider House. We’re excited for our new connection to Drew, an Ordway alumni and Bene.
Sisters’ Cider House: 921 Hildebrand Lane
Bene Pizza: 937 Hildebrand Lane Northeast, Suite 104
The BISD Long Range Planning info can be found online at the link below:
https://www.bisd303.org/Page/17140
Fill out the form at the link, below, to receive monthly newsletters:
Orders are due no later then Thursday, April 25th.
- Order and Pay online. No order form is needed to buy a yearbook online. Click the link below.
- Order and Pay in person:
- If you need an order form, you can print one at the link HERE (and below). If you don’t have access to a printer, email all of the information from the form to the PTO Co-Presidents (email: ordway.president@bainbridgeptos.org)
- Printable Yearbook Order Form Link:
Mega Fair Open House - April 18th
Event Details:
Science & Maker’s Fair Volunteer Link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DA5AD2DA1F CC07-science#/
Art Showcase and Book Fair Volunteer Link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DA5AD2DA1F CC07-48801237-book#/
Plan extra time getting to and from Ordway.
While classes were out last week, roadwork began on Madison Ave – from Winslow Way to NE New Brooklyn Ave. The construction will affect traffic getting to and from school and will last into autumn.
COBI Website Link – click HERE
School Board Meeting: 4/25
Coffee Talk: 4/26 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM @ Coquetts – see the BISD Calendar link here
The Bainbridge Island School District Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, April 25, at 5:45 p.m. in the district board room at 9530 NE High School Road, Bainbridge Island. The public may attend the meeting in person or via Zoom.
Phone Dial-In Access: 1-669-900-6833
We are looking for donations of small, individual sized candies and candy bars. These will be used for prizes at Carnival. Please drop off your donation at the Office. Donated candy should be nut free.
Ordway’s Spring Carnival is coming up – happening Friday, May 10th. It will be held at Ordway from 5-8pm.