About Orcas Island Elementary School

Located on beautiful Orcas Island, Orcas Island Elementary School is a K-5 school with an enrollment of approximately 135 students. The Nellie S. Milton Building was erected in 1949 to house all grades, K-12.  In 1980 a new high school reduced the space to a K-8 building and then in 1992, with a growing population, more building took place and the present elementary school was completely remodeled with a new addition to the north. We believe our beautiful maple tree was planted in 1905. We have no idea how many children have climbed its branches!


Our purpose is to prepare students for the future through providing academic rigor and support – fostering critical thinking and problem solving and – encouraging ownership of their learning and self.  Our desire is to challenge students to learn through hands-on, cooperative group experiences, while raising the bar academically through integrated outside projects and experiences. 


OIES also places tremendous emphasis on the “whole” child, helping each child grow to reach their fullest potential while being safe, respectful and responsible.  We strive to individually meet each child through a variety of social and emotional supports such as social skills groups, PIP, and social/emotional learning in all classrooms.

Beyond the basic academic programs offered to all OIES students, the school also features music education (including band and strings for 5th grade students), physical education, Creative Arts (A-OK Art and bucket drumming), and a unique Farm-to-Classroom program.

Orcas Island Elementary features an experienced and highly educated teaching staff with an average of 16 years teaching experience, and more than half of the teachers hold masters' degrees.  The principal and two other teachers are either National Board Certified or pursuing certification.

More about our Elementary School...

1. We understand that children of different ages have different needs and abilities. We study child development theory and make sure that our classrooms have developmentally appropriate activities and expectations. 

2. We observe our children. The child has so much to teach us about learning. By watching closely, we can modify our lessons and materials to best suit the child's interests and growth. 

3. We model grace and courtesy (good manners), treating our children as we wish ourselves to be treated. We use calm voices when teaching and speak with respect in regard to the children's feelings. We carry ourselves with poise and handle objects with care. We believe that the children are acutely observing us even when we aren't aware of it, and they will mimic our behaviors and attitudes. We know that humans aren't perfect, but we really try to bring out the best in ourselves.


4. We recognize that children are unique individuals who are not likely to master the exact same concepts or have the same interests at the same time. We celebrate this uniqueness and allow each child to develop at his or her pace. We believe that learning is a natural process that develops spontaneously. When we place our trust in the child, we are often surprised at the immense amount of learning that takes place through the child's interaction with his or her world.


5. We believe that each child is on the way to developing self-discipline and that the rewards should be intrinsic (within oneself) rather than externally imposed. When a child misbehaves, we first examine the reasons why the child is exhibiting those behaviors (hungry? tired? overstimulated? testing boundaries?) and then we contemplate whether a change in the prepared environment would help or if we need to teach certain problem-solving skills to prevent another occurrence. We try to help the child understand appropriate behavior in a social context in a gentle, firm manner. 

 

6. We believe that children learn best when they are free to move their bodies throughout the day. We encourage this independence, but also teach respect for others. No one's freedom should infringe upon another's right to concentrate.

7. We believe that the materials a child works with should be carefully chosen to support the current developmental stage. Concrete experiences are always offered first and abstract thinking presented later, when the child has a firm grasp on the concept. 

8. We believe that education can change the world for the better. We are advocates for peace. We feel that the work we do as educators, guiding children toward self reliance and compassion, is incredibly important in the grand scheme of future life on Earth. We are humbled by the great possibilities that exist within the tiniest of humans, and we respect their inner wisdom.

Schoolwide Title One

2023B Intervention Parent Letter

OIES is a schoolwide Title 1 school. This is a federally funded program that targets service for those students who are in need of some special academic attention. Sometimes interventionists will “push in” to a classroom to assist and sometimes, small groups of students will be “pulled out” for additional targeted services.  At OIES specific academic support is given in reading and math. Being a school wide title 1 school has a few requirements, which include: 

1) The PBIS annual staff survey growth from 5/12 questions “in place”  to 10/12 questions “in place” 

2) Each class will have a minimum of 50% of their families attend the family events.

Family Activities:

Activities will include:


Family Engagement Focus:

At Home - OIES parents joined staff to develop ideas about how families can support students’ success in reading and math.  Some of our key at-home activities are:


In Our Classrooms - Teachers will work with families to support students’ success in meeting grade level standards for reading and math.  Some of our key connections with families will be:

Positive Behavior Intervention Supports

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) - As a result of our commitment to help students achieve high academic and behavioral standards, we have restructured the school’s discipline plan to reflect the research, training, and work of the Positive Behavior Team at OIES.  The plan celebrates the positive actions of students and explicitly teaches appropriate behavior decisions when a student makes an inappropriate choice.

 

The main part of our plan is centered on the “Orcas Big Three” school-wide rules that have been established for use in all areas of the school.  The staff has established specific behavior guidelines for all locations on campus based on the “Big Three.”



In order for your child to do his/her best, the parents and the school must work together. With discipline and self-control, your child can be successful and enjoy school.

 

Positive Recognitions - At OIES we have a variety of opportunities to recognize students who are following the expectations, “making a good decision”.