Letter to Editor | Your support needed to fund school outdoor learning program

||| from Hilary Canty and Janet Brownell  |||

Thank you for your generous support of the Community Emergency Response fund. With your help, Orcas has been able to keep families and Seniors fed through the Food Bank and Senior Center, provided mortgage and rental assistance to keep over 170 families in their homes, created new green jobs through the Orcas Civilian Conservation Corps, and continued to connect our most vulnerable neighbors to essential supports to keep them safe and healthy throughout these uncertain times. 

Our community has rallied in remarkable ways, but we now face another critical need that we must address together. We must make sure our children have the best possible education our community can give them.

Labor Day is just around the corner, marking the traditional start of a new school year. The Orcas Island School District is ready to launch, but this year will be like no other. After months of preparing a plan for in-person classes, the district received the recommendation from the County Health Officer, to start the school year with remote learning. This was a considered recommendation due to the continued Covid cases being reported both locally and across the country. The District is now prepared to start with distance learning and instituting plans to ensure digital access for all students.

The District is also keenly aware of the need for social and emotional engagement of children. And, it is aware of the hardship distance learning creates for working families. To that end, it is coordinating with Camp Orkila, and the Y Staff, to provide one day per week for k-5 students at the Camp. On these days, Y Staff will provide outdoor learning, enrichment programming, and a weekly break from screens and home. A fantastic respite for children and parents alike!

This innovative program, however, is an expense for which the District had not budgeted. The Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF) and the Community Foundation (OICF) are partnering to help bridge the gap and support our students and educators. 

To do this — we need YOUR help. Your support now will ensure every child has access to education and enrichment during this crisis.

We must raise $150,000 in the coming weeks to supplement family support and fund the outdoor learning program. Fortunately, the Seattle Foundation’s “All In Washington” matching campaign is still rolling. If you donate today through the OICF Community Emergency Response fund and note ‘All In WA/OISD’ in the recognition field, your gift will be eligible for a match. (We will not know the match percentage until later, but we believe it will be at least 50%). If you are interested in donating stocks, please contact the Community Foundation, 376-6423, for transfer information.

To receive the match you must write: “All in WA/OISD” in comments online or on your check.

The entire community is deeply grateful for everything you have already done. It is clear that this crisis is indeed a marathon and not a sprint. Thank you for continuing to run beside us and thank you for considering another donation to help our children and educators face this challenging time. 

Ever grateful…