Families & Students,
Due to the impending forecast that includes ice in the early morning and
heavy snowfall tomorrow afternoon, Olympia students will be doing remote
learning tomorrow, Thursday, February 17th. Elementary students will work
on the materials that have been sent home by their teachers. Middle school
and high school students should login to Google classroom tomorrow to
complete their work and / or participate in meetings with their teachers.
We realize there may be minor fluctuations in the weather but at this
point it appears as if our morning commute and our afternoon commute would
both be negatively impacted by weather. We will make an announcement
tomorrow regarding Thursday after school activities / practices.
As a reminder, students DO NOT have school on Friday, February 18th due to
a Teacher Institute Day. Monday, February 21st is a school holiday as well.
We will see students back in our buildings on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
What an honor to have James Nottingham, creator of the Learning Pit, visit Olympia and share strategies to engage in the learning process. Thank you, Mr. Nottingham, for all the ways you teach us about challenge, learning, and leadership!
Family Tip 4: Encourage upstanding
Let kids know that supporting someone who is being bullied can make a big difference. If they feel safe confronting the bully, they should. If not, a PM can help someone through a tough time. Speaking up against hate speech is important too!
Congratulations to Neil Alford on his All State Choir recognition and honor!
The Illinois State Scholars were recognized at the Board Meeting tonight and at a reception prior to the meeting. We are so proud of these students!
Congratulations OHS Speech!
Video: bit.ly/OlyCBV7
As humans, we thrive on social connections and group associations. But this tendency can also lead us to be suspicious of people outside our group. This fear -- xenophobia -- can be overcome by more exposure to people who are different from us. However, the internet can often make this more difficult. Help your kids recognize this challenge and find strategies for navigating content online.
Video: bit.ly/OlyCBV6
Cyberbullying is something most families hope they never have to deal with. But if your kids are texting, sharing photos, and posting comments, it’s important to talk to them about how to deal with online harassment. Learn 5 ways to stop cyberbullies.
Some Olympia staff are participating in a book study on Trauma Sensitive Instruction. They were blessed to have one of the authors, Tom Hierck, join their virtual meeting this week. Tom was recently named by Global Gurus as one of the top 10 thought leaders in education. Thank you Tom for joining us!
Olympia South 5th Graders had a great day at the Challenger Learning Center thanks to a generous grant from Growmark!
Family Tip 3: Role-play
If kids feel like they might have trouble removing themselves from digital drama, experiment with some different ways they can make a graceful exit. Talk through words they can use, ways they can steer conversations in positive directions, etc.
Sixth graders took their learning outside of the four classroom walls today as they examined a variety of different shoes in an activity to analyze and write about characters. Learning is fun!
What should I do if my kid is bullied online?
Finding out that your kid has been cyberbullied is emotional for parents. You or your kid might want to retaliate, but it's best to help your kid defuse the situation, protect himself, and make rational efforts to put a stop to the bullying. Here are the immediate steps we recommend for parents... Read More
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/cyberbullying/what-should-i-do-if-my-kid-is-bullied-online
This week is National School Counseling Week. The 2022 theme, “School Counseling: Better Together,” sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), focuses on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do.
At OHS, we are blessed with an exceptional group of counselors: Allison Baker, Alex Castillo, and Lisa Steve. Thank you for your tremendous impact in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. We are thankful for you!
As kids grow, they'll naturally start to communicate more online. But some of what they see could make them feel hurt, sad, angry, or even fearful. Help your students build empathy for others and learn strategies to use when confronted with cyberbullying.
https://d1pmarobgdhgjx.cloudfront.net/education/PowerOfWords_NewBumper.mp4
Spanish 4 just wrapped up a unit about giving directions. They created their own maps and gave directions to each other to practice speaking and listening. To show off their skills, the students completed a speaking summative with a lot of cultural value. They used Google Maps to virtually explore a location in Mexico City paid attention to what they saw - people, houses, nearby stores, and plazas. Then, they described how to get to a nearby restaurant by giving the directions. Awesome work, Spartans!
Family Tip 2: Check in about online life
Just like you'd ask your kid about their sleep, exercise, and eating, stay on top of their online life. Who are they chatting with? How do people treat each other in the games and on the sites they're using?
Video: bit.ly/OlyCBV1
Let's face it: Some online spaces can be full of negative, rude, or downright mean behavior. But what counts as cyberbullying? Help your students learn what is - and what isn't - cyberbullying, and give them the tools they'll need to combat the problem.
Family Tip #1: Define Your Terms
Make sure kids understand what cyberbullying is: repeated and unwanted mean or hurtful words or behavior that occur online (through texts, social media posts, online chat, etc.).
Families,
Due to the winds, the continued drifting and blowing of snow, and extreme temperatures, Olympia will not be in session tomorrow. Friday, Feb. 4th will be a snow day for Olympia. The road commissioners in the area are reporting that roads are impassable and are drifting over after being plowed.
As a reminder, there will be no activities / practices tonight, Thursday, February 3. Coaches and sponsors will notify families tomorrow morning regarding plans for Friday afternoon / evening activities as well as plans for Saturday scheduled events.
Thank you - stay warm!
Dr. O’Donnell
