School superintendent offers thanks for safe start screenings

||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT |||

Dear Students, Parents, Staff, & Community,

On behalf of the Orcas Island School District, I would like to say “THANK YOU” to the students, family, and staff that participated in the OISD “Screening for a Safe Start” held this past Wednesday. The OISD Health and Wellness Staff and OISD School Board Directors tested 190 individuals in a four-hour period….. approximately one test every 80 seconds….., an outstanding feat in and of itself! The tests were a shallow dry nasal swab, and the tests were pooled (or batched) in cohort groups for testing to be conducted by Atlas Genomics in Seattle.

We received the results today, and we are excited to announce that all cohorts (tests) were found to be normal (negative)! Although we did not reach our goal of a 100% participation rate this time, these results do provide some reassurance that we will have a safe return to campus on Wednesday, September 1.

The district will offer “Screening for a Safe Start” after each major break this school year (Thanksgiving, for example). This is in addition to the weekly Wednesday walk-in testing clinics from 3:30-5:30pm for all students and OISD employees and the mitigating measures implemented throughout the district. 

We are all excited for this next school year, and we know our school community is ready to take on any challenges that may come our way. We are committed to sharing information as we continue to learn how to keep students and staff as safe as possible. We plan to keep our schools open, and we can do this safely and successfully with your help.

Take care of one another and be well,

Back to School Soft Start Schedule

First Day of School… The first day of school for all students will be Wednesday, September 1 from 8:30 a.m. – Noon. Buses will run as normal, however mask are required and windows will be down for increased ventilation. Breakfast will be served, however no lunch will be served due to the noon dismissal.

Soft Start for a Successful Year… On Thursday, September 2 and Friday, September 3, we will implement the highly effective soft start by hosting half of our students and a guardian on campus for a full day each to allow teachers to cover topics to ensure a successful start to our school year. Scheduling for these two days will be distributed to families from their students’ respective schools.

Labor Day… No School on Monday, September 6. 

Regular Schedule … On Tuesday, September 7, we welcome all of our students for a full day of school, and we will adhere to our district calendar for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.

• Elementary School & Montessori Public
  • 8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
• Middle School & High School
  • 8:30 a.m. – 3:25 p.m.

Transportation Shuffle… Please be aware of the following changes with regard to dropping off and picking up students:

• School buses will be staged in the circle driveway in front of the middle school near the flagpole this year. Students will arrive and depart from buses at this location. Only school buses will be allowed to enter and park in this area during school hours.
• All other drop-off and pick-up of students will be directed to the front of the high school in the former bus location on the east side of the campus. Signage, traffic cones, and staff will help guide and direct you to the proper location.
• Drivers dropping off or picking up Elementary and Montessori Public students also have the option to use parking spaces directly located in front of the school garden. You must be parked in one of these spaces before allowing students to enter or exit your vehicle.