Please note there have been a few changes to this year’s school calendar. The changes were not reflected on previous versions of the school year calendar, both those printed or posted on the district website, as employee contract negotiations were not yet finalized.

Please note the following changes on all Olympia School District calendars, including the 12-month wall calendar distributed in September. Calendars posted on the district website have been updated to reflect the following changes:

• November 9, 2018 is a Half Day for Middle School Students Only due to grading.
• The end of first semester is February 1 instead of January 31.
• April 12, 2019 is a Half Day for Middle School Students Only due to grading.

Print and download the one-page school year calendar posted on the district website

As many of you know our “opt-in for texting” text message went out to staff and families yesterday afternoon.

If you did not receive this message, but would like to receive text message communications to your cell phone from the Olympia School District, simply send a text to the OSD “Short Code” of 67587 with a message of “Y”.

You will receive an immediate confirmation response via text and will be opted in to receive text message communications from the OSD!

A memorial service for Annette Stewart, a long-time kindergarten teacher at Roosevelt Elementary who passed away earlier this week, has been scheduled at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 29.

The memorial will take place at Saint Michael Parish, Westside location. The address is 1835 Overhulse Rd. N.W. in Olympia.  This is a public event and open to anyone who would like to attend.

Auditions for this year’s OSD Players musical Mary Poppins are set on November 19. All OSD employees and their family members who are at least 10 years old are welcome to audition for a part in this year’s production.

To audition, please review the following attachments and complete the audition form. It is important that everyone who is interested comes to the audition on November 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Washington Middle School, 3100 Cain Rd. S.E., Olympia.

Those interested in a lead role (see link to character list below) must also come to an audition on Tuesday, November 20, 6:30-9 p.m. at Washington Middle School.

One attachment below describes the Mary Poppins audition process, including rehearsal and show dates. Another is a listing of Mary Poppins characters, and the third is an audition form to download, print, fill out and bring with you to the auditions.

Performances of Mary Poppins are scheduled at 7 p.m. on February 1 and 2, and at 2 p.m on February 2 and 3 at Olympia High School.

• Mary Poppins audition process
• Mary Poppins character list
• Audition Form

On October 25, the district will offer text messaging communications to OSD families and staff. This will be via an opt-in text that will be generated by SchoolMessenger, the company that we contract with for the school district’s website, automated calling and email systems. The opt-in text will go to all OSD staff and OSD families that have cell phone contact information entered in any of the phone number fields in Skyward.

Here is how it works:

• On October 25, SchoolMessenger will pull phone number information from Skyward and an opt-in text message will be generated to all available cell phone numbers entered for OSD families and staff in any of the phone number fields listed.
• The opt-in message will come from the Olympia School  District “short code” phone number: 67587. All text communications from the district will be generated from this number.
• This is an opt-in. Only individuals who reply Y or YES will be opted in to receive text messages. Anyone who does not reply will not receive text messages.
• Once opted in, families and staff will be able to receive OSD text messages sent as General or Emergency communications.
• Texting is most often used in emergency situations such as school lockdowns, late starts or school cancelations due to weather, or a last-minute cancelation of events or activities.
• Staff and families may also opt-out of these messages at any time by simply replying ‘Stop’ to one of the text messages.
• If after opting in staff wish to change their phone contact information in employee access, please contact the OSD Human Resources department at Ext. 6185.