DATES TO REMEMBER
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October 1 - Impact Aid (Complete on Parent Square)
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October 15 - PTA Meeting @ 4pm
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October 15 - NEHS Induction @ 6pm
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October 22-23: NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher Conferences (Sign up details coming soon)
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October 29: Picture Retake Day
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October 31: Community Trunk or Treat 2-4pm
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Important Reminders for Students & Parents!
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Morning Arrival: Office opens at 8:30 AM, and school doors open for students at 8:40 AM. Students please do not arrive before 8:40 AM.
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Bike, Scooter, & Skateboard Safety: For everyone’s safety, these must not be ridden on campus at any time.
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Dismissal: Don't forget that school gets out early on Mondays at 2:40 PM. Please ensure that arrangements are made to pick up your child promptly at dismissal time.
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Last month, your families created the "Panther Project Blueprint" to map out a complex task. This month, let's advance that skill by focusing on Prioritization and Time Management. We know life is busy, and students need to learn how to choose what must be done now versus what can wait.
This challenge, The Panther Priority Purge, teaches your child to look at their tasks (chores, studying, planning for school, activities) and quickly decide what is most urgent. This is a crucial skill for being Ready and Responsible!
How to Run Your Priority Purge
The goal is to help your student organize their tasks into three simple categories, reducing that feeling of being overwhelmed.
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The Purge List (The Dump): Together, help your child write down everything they need to do for the next day or week. Include everything: chores, studying for an upcoming test, preparing gear for a sport, or a multi-step family project (like organizing the garage). This helps get the clutter out of their mind.
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The Three Priority Piles (The Sort): Using three separate notes or columns, help them sort their list into these categories:
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Pounce NOW (Must do): These are tasks with a hard deadline within 24 hours or that are required before the next steps can happen (e.g., "Empty the dishwasher before dinner," "Study for the vocab quiz on Tuesday," or "Pack my backpack for the field trip").
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Pounce SOON (Should do): These tasks are important but have a deadline a few days away. They should be worked on after the "Pounce NOW" list is complete (e.g., "Start cleaning the fish tank," or "Work on steps 2 and 3 of the family project").
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Pounce LATER (Could do): These are desirable but non-essential activities (e.g., "Tidy my desk drawers," or "Watch a TV show I recorded").
- The Benefit: Time Management Roar!
By physically purging the mental clutter and creating clear priorities, your child takes control of their time. This simple routine reduces stress, teaches them to manage deadlines, and ensures they are Responsible for their most important tasks first.
New Panther Families: Your Foundational Focus
If this is your first year with us, we recommend focusing on a basic family routine before tackling advanced planning. Join the Panther Prowl for Pages!
Swap screen time for story time and dedicate 20 minutes every Friday to reading together as a family. This practice is the single most important activity for building vocabulary, improving comprehension, and developing a love of language. Make it a fun event with snacks and cozy lighting to signal that reading is valuable family time.
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Adequate sleep contributes to a student’s overall health and well-being. Students should get the proper amount of sleep at night to help stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance.
Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and injuries. They are also more likely to have attention and behavior problems, which can contribute to poor academic performance in school.
How Much Sleep Do Students Need?
How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has made the following recommendations for children and adolescents:
Age Group Recommended Hours of Sleep Per Day
6 - 12 years
9 to 12 hours per 24 hours
13 - 18 years
8 to 10 hours per 24 hours
What Can Parents Do?
Model and encourage habits that help promote good sleep. Setting a regular bedtime and rise time, including on weekends, is recommended for everyone - children, adolescents, and adults alike. Adolescents with parent-set bedtimes usually get more sleep than those whose parents do not set bedtimes.
Dim lighting - Adolescents who are exposed to more light (such as room lighting or from electronics) in the evening are less likely to get enough sleep.
Implement a media curfew. Technology use (computers, video gaming, or mobile phones) may also contribute to late bedtimes. Parents should consider banning technology use after a certain time or removing these technologies from the bedroom.
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The Character Strong Trait for the Month of October is: Responsibility
One way to define Responsibility is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.” Taking action can mean doing the right thing or completing the tasks you have been assigned. Understanding the impact of our choices means that our actions matter. Positive and responsible actions can help people and irresponsible actions can hurt others.- Character Strong Newsletter.
October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
Bullying is defined as “Hurtful, Repeated behavior that involves an imbalance of power.” OHI is asking students to “Stop, Support, Report” if they witness bullying behavior. Please see the Bullying Prevention Newsletter for more detailed information about how you can support us in helping keep students safe or visit Characterstrong.com/bullying-prevention
I Know, Mental Health Classroom Lessons
Counselors will be going into classes to Introduce the “ I Know” Campaign for Mental Health and Suicide Awareness starting in late October and early November, please see the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention letter for more information about the campaign and how you can support your student with Mental Health. |
Good attendance is one of the simplest ways families can help students succeed in 5th and 6th grade. Students who attend 90% or more of school days (missing less than 2 days/month) are more likely to stay on track academically, build strong relationships with teachers and classmates, and develop the habits they need for success in middle school and beyond.
We know that life happens and some absences are unavoidable. But when students are healthy and able to attend, being at school every day really does make a difference.
To celebrate students who make attendance a priority, we will recognize:
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Monthly Perfect Attendance Awards for students who attend every day that month.
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Attendance Streak Awards for students who maintain perfect attendance throughout the entire school year!
Thank you for partnering with us to help your child make the most of every school day. Every day at school is an opportunity to learn, grow, connect, and succeed!
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Don't forget to apply for free and reduced price meals! It's more than just a meal application. By applying you can also qualify for reduced fees and ensure that our schools qualify for important state and federal programs.
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Oak Harbor Intermediate School has decided to hold a Read-A-Thon this year!
Read-A-Thons actually get your reader excited about reading and it gives friends and family the opportunity to encourage your child to read even more.
Our Read-A-Thon starts Monday, October 26th, 2026.
About one week before our Read-A-Thon starts we will send home instructions on how to activate your reader's personal page. This is where you will be able to view and record their progress. We've chosen Read-A-Thon because it will not take much of your time, gives your child a reason to read and helps in the development of stronger reading skills.
We hope EVERYONE participates.
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The Federal Impact Aid Program Survey Form will be sent to families in ParentSquare on October 1st. It is important that you fill out this form as soon as you receive it, no later than Friday, October 16th.
Impact Aid funds make up for lost tax revenue to local districts due to non-taxable federal property in their boundaries. The amount of Impact Aid our district receives is determined by the actual number of our students with parents who live or work on NAS Whidbey Island or other federal property, including Native American lands and our schools on federal property: Crescent Harbor and Forest Vista Learning Center with the HomeConnection, and Hand-in-Hand programs.
To qualify for funding, we need a completed survey for every student attending our district. Our school relies on the Impact Aid funds to financially support programming that directly benefits our students such as special education, transportation, and instructional support.
Introducing OHI’s Impact Aid Return Incentive Program
When you turn in your student's completed form by October 30/4:15 PM, your name will be entered in a raffle drawing to win one of up to ten special prizes. Drawing will be held on November 2 at 2:00 PM. Family winners will be contacted by telephone.
Additionally, each homeroom who receives 100% of their forms by the end of October will earn CAT Cup points for their CAT Team. The sooner 100% is reached, the more points earned. The CAT Cup is a friendly competition we run all school year for classroom teams to earn special rewards and recognition.
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On February 9, 2027, Oak Harbor voters will consider a school construction bond measure that will address the District's two most aging and deteriorated facilities. If approved by at least 60 percent of voters, the measure would rebuild Oak Harbor Elementary School and the District’s transportation center. The historic building at Oak Harbor Elementary would be repurposed for community use. The measure would address safety, accessibility and functionality needs.
The bond measure follows three years of facilities planning and community input, including community surveys, facility assessments and the work of the District’s Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC). The feedback and community voices gathered through that process helped inform the projects included in the proposed bond measure.
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Oak Harbor Public Schools is partnering with the Oak Harbor Police Department to share an important safety reminder about students’ use of e-bikes and electric scooters in school zones:
- Wear a properly fitted helmet every time.
- Follow traffic signs, signals and speed limits.
- Slow down and yield to pedestrians.
- Stop and look carefully before crossing roadways.
- Walk bikes and scooters through busy crosswalks and school parking lots.
- Never carry passengers on a bike or scooter designed for one rider.
- Stay alert and avoid phones, earbuds and other distractions while riding.
Additionally, Washington’s updated e-bike law took effect June 11, 2026. The law continues to recognize three classes of e-bikes and distinguishes e-bikes from electric motorcycles, which may have additional requirements such as registration, insurance and a motorcycle endorsement. Youth under 16 may not ride Class 3 e-bikes or e-motorcycles.
What is a Class 3 e-bike?
A Class 3 e-bike is an electric bicycle that provides motor assistance only while the rider is pedaling, up to a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph. Class 3 e-bikes are required to have a speedometer, and riders must be 16 or older in Washington.
Please take a few minutes to review the rules with your student.
Learn more:
Thank you for helping keep our students and community safe!
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