The Scoop: Weather Updates and Learning Collaborations

Winter conditions can cause disruptions for schools and families. School closures and schedule changes are districtwide, even if your neighborhood is not severely impacted. Some areas of the district experience more severe weather and driving conditions than others. If your residential area has hazardous road conditions, please do not attempt to drive to school and notify your school of your situation. 

When weather, road, or school conditions result in a schedule change, we inform families through multiple methods, as appropriate. If schools are operating on a normal schedule, no notifications will be issued.

We'll share important information through a phone call, text message, our website, social media, and email. Staff and families do not need to opt-in or register in ParentSquare to receive notifications.

February 11 is Election Day! You can drop your ballot in your mailbox or at the ballot drop box located at Oak Harbor City Hall, 865 SE Barrington Drive.

Over the past few months, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Kuss-Cybula, Assistant Superintendent Dwight Lundstrom, and other district leaders have been engaging with our community - sharing important updates on our school budget, strategic plan, and upcoming levy renewal at various events and meetings.

Oak Harbor Public Schools is teaming up with Math Nation to provide FREE math tutoring and support for grades 6-12! With On-Ramp and Tutoring Wall Tools, students can access help 24/7 - anytime, anywhere.

Thanks to Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), this resource is available at no cost for the 2024-2025 school year for Oak Harbor Intermediate School, North Whidbey Middle School, and Oak Harbor High School students!

In response to conversations and actions underway at the federal level, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released guidance on state and federal protections for immigrant students in Washington’s K–12 public schools. 

OSPI has also provided guidance in the following languages.

Part of our collective work as #OneOakHarbor is to provide a safe and welcoming school environment for all students. Aligned with state and federal laws, OHPS Board Policy (BP 3226 & 3226P) outlines steps in place to minimize interruption to schools.

As a reminder, Oak Harbor Public Schools does not:

Congratulations to our outstanding Information Services team who were recognized at this week's school board meeting! Our small but mighty team work at all hours to serve our students and staff. They keep our classrooms and offices running smoothly, stay ahead of innovations to improve our operations, and connect and protect us in our ever-changing digital world.

Thank you to our school board! We are so thankful that our volunteer school board is present in our schools and our community. They take time to truly connect with students and families and it shows when our students have an opportunity to say "thank you." At this week's board meeting, our schools, staff, and parents recognized our board for their hard work and tireless dedication to improving our schools and serving our students.

"We couldn't do what we do without having such an incredible student body and staff," said Director Tesch. "We want the best for our kids; the best buildings for our kids, the best resources for our staff, and we want Oak Harbor to excel in all areas."

"It's an honor to serve the community of Oak Harbor, and most importantly serve our students. It's a huge teamwork," said Board President Goebel. Thank you to all of the people who took the time to tell us 'thank you'. I think all of us do it because we care about the students."

Thank you to our community partners for attending our mid-year check-in on volunteering! Speakers included Superintendent Dr. Michelle Kuss-Cybula, NAS Whidbey Island Captain Nathan Gammache, and Preston Merritt of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources & Operations Patrick Harrington and volunteer coordinator Jackie Hussey discussed the volunteer process. Our community partners also gathered with school leadership to discuss opportunities and next steps.

During the winter sports season the players on our Oak Harbor High School boys and girls basketball teams have volunteered their Mondays to read to Broad View and Hillcrest elementary students. This is just one example of the learning and collaboration that happens in our schools thanks to local levy funding of school sports!

Students at Hand-in-Hand Early Learning Center are practicing fine motor and adaptive skills! We're so proud of these early learners!

Creativity was flowing and the ideas were exploding in the Oak Harbor Elementary art room this week! From splashes of paint to wild sculptures, students got their hands dirty and let their imaginations run wild. Whether it was mixing colors, molding clay, or just doodling away, there was no limit to the creativity! Art programs like these are supported through our local levy.

Ms. Snook's kindergarten class at Broad View Elementary recently invited parents in to tie dye shirts for fun and relationship-building! Thank you to everyone who could make it in to help, it was a huge help!