KG completed their CKLA Knowledge Domain, "Stories." In this domain, we learned about characters, settings, and plot. To wrap up our learning, each KG student was asked to complete a Character Report and decorate a pumpkin to match their selected character. What a cool and fun project!! Click below to see videos!
https://bit.ly/ClasingPumpkins
https://bit.ly/GischPumpkins
https://bit.ly/JacobsenPumpkins
https://bit.ly/OstrumPumpkins
https://bit.ly/JensenPumpkins
The Art Room had a very special visitor yesterday as Officer Verner stopped by to see what was going on! He jumped right in and was eager to participate with Mrs. Mortwedt's 4th grade class! The students loved having him there, and it turns out that Officer Verner is a great artist!
In Literacy, 4th graders are learning about different groups of people in the Middle Ages. They are collaborating in small groups, gathering information, and sharing notes about a group of people, such as knights, craftsmen, monks, nuns, serfs, or lords. Then they will write persuasive paragraphs stating their opinions regarding whether certain aspects of life in the Middle Ages are positive. They are also working on being responsible, active participants in their groups. They doing an amazing job!
The tailgate for tonight's football game, sponsored by Central Bank and Central Insure, will be moved into the upper commons at OHS!
Congratulations to our September Pioneer Student recipient, Caleb Simington, for his outstanding work with youth. His commitment to helping them grow into confident individuals and his efforts to shape future generations are invaluable. This is a testament to Caleb's character and positive influence.
Congratulations to our September Board Salute recipients for going Above and Beyond. Brock Holman, Erin Clary, and Brenda Martin for their remarkable efforts that have not gone unnoticed for their pursuit of excellence, willingness to lend a helping hand, passion for students, and volunteering. They consistently exceed expectations and set a shining example for others to follow. Your efforts are recognized, valued, and deeply appreciated.
Please make plans to attend a public forum with candidates running for a seat on the Okoboji Community School Board. The forum will be held on Tuesday, October 26th beginning at 6:30 PM in the Okoboji High School Auditorium. Candidates will field questions read by moderator Brad Simington and have the chance to share their views, goals, and opinions.
A recording of the event will be shared on the Okoboji Community Schools Facebook Page for those who are unable to attend.
We are excited for our 2023 Homecoming Parade this afternoon at 2:15! Here is the map of the route! We hope to see you there! Bundle up and join in the fun!
Our 1st graders are just finishing up a unit on the human body. Mrs. Luinstra's classroom had a special guest, Dr. Mara Groom, on Thursday! She brought some fun gear for our kiddos and gave them a chance to get a small taste of being a doctor! She was so impressed with what we knew about the five body systems and she was also there to answer some questions that we still had. Thank you, Dr. Groom, for stopping by!
The Pioneer Football Team was here this morning to welcome our kids! Good luck tomorrow! Can't wait for Friday Night Lights!
Okoboji Schools has been recognized by the Iowa State Auditor’s Office for efficient use of public funds. Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand has announced the 2023 Public Innovations and Efficiencies, or PIE, Award recipients. Okoboji Community School District was recognized as the state-wide runner-up among Class 3A schools. The awards are given to schools and public entities that are implementing the largest amount of money-saving practices laid out in a 10-page checklist from the state auditor’s office. Created in 2019, the PIE program encourages public entities across the state to explore different ways to save public funds and allows the State Auditor’s Office to highlight local entities doing the right things across the state.
Cross Country helped us welcome kids this morning! Thanks for coming! Good luck tomorrow and run hard!
It's been a FUN week in 4th grade reading! The 4th graders have completed Unit 1 of our CKLA Contraption Quest. This quest is all about WRITING! In Unit 1, the students wrote several personal narrative pieces. They learned and practiced two skills:
1 . Focus - to write exclusively about one moment or idea
2. Showing - using different kinds of details to help the reader picture what you are describing.
They wrote narratives that were about being happy, sad, angry, and nervous. They were even expected to write for 12 consecutive minutes on some of their prompts, and they did AWESOME with this!
We had the Cheer/Dance teams at OES before school this morning welcoming kids. We also had the band march through our halls playing our fight song! What a great way to kick off our Homecoming week!
Who doesn't love playing with shaving cream?!?! Mrs. Dowhower's class had a great time practicing their Tricky Words!
Today is a special day as we honor and appreciate the individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our schools are clean, safe, and conducive to learning. Happy Custodian Appreciation Day!
Our custodians play an integral role in our school community. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave, dedicating their days and often nights to the upkeep and maintenance of our schools. Their hard work often goes unseen, but it is felt by all of us who enjoy the clean classrooms, shiny hallways, and well-maintained facilities. Their commitment to their work has gone above and beyond to ensure every nook and corner of our schools is sanitized and safe for all of us.
Thank you, custodians, for all that you do! Your hard work, dedication, and commitment do not go unnoticed. You truly make a difference.
We had our monthly Character Strong assembly this morning! We finished up our focus on RESPECT and we will be moving towards RESPONSIBILITY next week! Be on the lookout for the parent newsletter for ideas on how to reinforce responsibility at home!
Click on the link to see a video of us singing the RESPECT song during the assembly!
https://bit.ly/46rSund
Our School Resource Officer, Keaton Verner, came to our TK class today to talk about his role in our school and community! Thanks to Officer Verner for helping wrap up our community helpers unit!
This year’s Homecoming Grand Marshall has been an outstanding individual in the community and school district. Helen Alexander is a driving force in her family and throughout the community advocating for the arts, higher education, and hard work.
Helen has been the definition of a model community member and has spent countless hours dedicating her time to her children, Okoboji students, educators and coaches with a significant impact. You may often see her with her big camera capturing the smiling faces of Okoboji students and teachers at sporting events, music performances, and teacher conference lunches. Her excitement at seeing everyone never wavers!
Helen started her career owning an import export business at the age of 26, traveling the world, and speaking 5 languages. She took the experiences from being an international businesswoman, world traveler, and a first-generation immigrant to be the best parent and community member she could be. Helen and her late husband Doug have lived in Okoboji for the last 23 years. They raised their three sons, David, OHS Class of 2019, John, OHS Class of 2020, and William, OHS Class of 2021, in Okoboji. All three have used their memories and lessons from Okoboji Schools to become successful young men and have made their parents very proud!
Helen is a proud figure of Okoboji Community Schools and continues to support, love, advocate, and volunteer for the students and teachers. Her genuine care for the community is always visible with her bright big smile and constant photos! That is why the honor of our 2023 Grand Marshall has been awarded to Helen Alexander!
Christian Hesse graduated from Okoboji CSD last spring and also recently finished up his initial training with the Marines! Christian graciously gave up some of his time to come and see his brothers and talk to their classrooms at OES about his experience in the Marines so far. He talked about team building and how important it is to have good character. It tied in great with our Character Strong lessons! We are so proud of Christian and are thankful for him!
