Okoboji 8th Grader Collin Kats was involved in a very bad accident over the weekend and is currently receiving medical treatment in Sioux Falls. Collin's birthday is Wednesday and he is a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings. Let's all wear Vikings gear, or purple and gold, on Wednesday to show Collin we are supporting him!
April 3rd is School Para-Professional Day! Okoboji Schools depends on our amazing team of para-professionals in all of our buildings every single day. They are often the first smile a student sees as they walk in the door and they often spend more one-on-one time with individual students than anyone else in our district. They impact the lives of our students, teachers, and families in countless ways and we could not imagine our schools without them!
Thank you to all of our outstanding para-professionals today and every day!
Visitors from Boone got a taste of our school system and learning pathways. Getting an in-depth morning tour of the school and the things that we offer here got them very intrigued and excited. Jill Janes stated, “I really liked learning all the choices the students have, and how they combined different learning options.” Other visitors agreed with her statement and claimed they love all our programs and electives. We always enjoy having visitors; thanks for coming!
Be sure to head to the Pearson Lakes Art Center tomorrow from 5-8 to see some amazing art by students from Okoboji! More details on the flyer at the link below!
https://bit.ly/3wKoruv
This is the sight of nearly 200 student musicians in grades 5-12 being led by just two conductors and playing in beautiful harmony! What a wonderful Parade of Bands Concert we had tonight! Thank you to our musicians, directors, and everyone who came out to enjoy the show!
We are one week away from SPRING BREAK at OCSD! All OCSD school buildings will be closed and on break from March 11-15. Whether you will be travelling or staying local, we hope the time off gives all a chance to recharge and refresh for the last ten weeks of the school year!
We are one week away from SPRING BREAK at OCSD! All OCSD school buildings will be closed and on break from March 11-15. Whether you will be travelling or staying local, we hope the time off gives all a chance to recharge and refresh for the last ten weeks of the school year!
Check out the February Edition of Classroom Chronicles to see what students and teachers are up to.
It's Respect Week at OMS where we focus on inclusion and empathy for one another! Check out the dress-up days below!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YxDdc4YBGv9fOCtDlNpg6nhHtob-N3gj/view?usp=sharing
March 1st is Maintenance and Operations Appreciation Day! Today we take a moment to thank Derek Chappas, OCSD Maintenance Director, and Tim Blair, OCSD Head of Grounds, for all of the hard work they do each and every day. Derek and Tim work tirelessly in ways seen and unseen to ensure our facilities and grounds are safe, operational, and in top condition to support the learning of all OCSD students.
Thank you, Derek and Tim!
Concert season is upon us! You don't want to miss the chance to see these wonderful upcoming performances from both Okoboji Middle and High School students! Admission is $5/person with activity passes accepted. Tickets can be purchased with card at the door or ahead of time through the Bound App at this link: https://www.gobound.com/ia/schools/okoboji/tickets
February 22nd is National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Today we want to salute our Director of Transportation, Steve Clayton, and ALL of the outstanding drivers who get our students to and from school and activities every day safely! Through wind, snow, and rain, they always keep our kids safe and get them where they need to be to learn, perform, and grow! Thank you to all of these outstanding OCSD Bus Drivers!
Steve Clayton
Rod Blau
Tom Sporrer
John Walters
Pam Trosin
Daniel Clements
Michal Schoning
Michael Umscheid
Don Nolan
Aaron Sloan
Brett Simpson
Adam Quail
Brett Ferguson
Doug Otto
Heidi Wittrock
Tiffani Reese
Dennis Houseman
Do you have a child that is ready for our PK Programming next year? Or, do you have a child ready for KG that is currently not at Okoboji Elementary? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, please join us for our PK/KG Parent Night on Tuesday, March 19 at 6:00 PM! See the flyer below for more information!
The Okoboji High School Student Council will be hosting their 3rd Annual Inclusion Fair at Okoboji Middle School on Friday, March 1st from 6:00-8:30 PM. The fair includes activities and games, coloring, a bake sale, and more! Cost is $3 for kids 3-12 and $5 for those 13 and above. Kids under 3 attend free! All proceeds go to the Okoboji Special Olympics Team.
Make plans to come and join us in the fun while supporting these awesome athletes and students!
Today is National School Resource Officer Day! We are celebrating our SRO, Keaton Verner. Keaton has been a part of the Milford Police Department for several years and began his role as SRO for the Okoboji School District this year. Keaton works each day to ensure safety and develop positive relationships with students, staff, and families.
Keaton also serves as a great connection for increased partnership between MPD and OCSD. In his first few months in the role he has helped identify and lead training opportunities for our staff, informative assemblies for our students, and much more.
We are grateful for Keaton and all he does every day for our students, school, and community!
We are all keenly aware of the tragic events that occurred on Thursday at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa. As a district, we stand with and grieve with the students, staff, and community of Perry. Parents and students should never have to feel unsafe at school or worry if their kids will come home safe at the end of the day. As we continue to process this situation, we want to share some of the proactive measures we have taken over the last several years and continue to use to prevent and respond to such a situation. I've attached a letter outlining some of the steps and programs we have implemented to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Please read the attached letter for more information. You can access a clickable version of the letter at the link below. That version will allow you to follow the links for more information.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AcpSZtPvDQ0FEj6JGJLYhjhj2jlqVxT2/view?usp=sharing
Okoboji Community School District stands with the students, staff, families, and community of Perry as they walk through this terrible tragedy. Educators in Perry and across Iowa work hard every day to make school a safe place for kids to grow and flourish. We will continue to offer our support in any way we can.
Hug your kids tonight and every night.
Two of our very own have been nominated to be University of Okoboji Winter Games Cheerleaders! Congratulations to Katie Luinstra and TJ Simington for being recognized for this awesome community honor! It is well deserved! Voting opens today and closes by 5 PM tomorrow!
https://www.uofowintergames.com/cheerleaders/
OMS Marketing Team Press Release -- Milking Memories: Jones Dairy Farm Field Trip Delights 5th Graders
https://www.okobojischools.org/o/oms/article/1346727
🎉 Congratulations, Okoboji Middle School! 🎉
We are thrilled to announce that OMS has been named one of the Top 10 (out of 700) middle schools for 2024 in the state of Iowa by the prestigious U.S. News and World Report. This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the educators, families, and students in Okoboji!
Your commitment to academic excellence, innovative teaching methods, and nurturing environment is admirable. This recognition is well-deserved, and we couldn't be prouder of this outstanding achievement.
Congratulations again on this remarkable accomplishment! 🎉🎓🌟
