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!
Hello Pioneer Family,
We want to inform you that, under Federal guidelines, schools are to notify families that breakfast and free/reduced lunches are available to all eligible families. Ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals is our commitment. To learn more and apply for the fee/reduced lunch program, please get in touch with Danni Bockman at dbockman@okobojischools.org or call 712-338-4757.
Thank you for your partnership in promoting the well-being of our students.
In the Okoboji School District, we genuinely care about the overall well-being of our students AND their families. That's why we are thrilled to offer our FREE Student and Family Assistance Program! This amazing service is confidential and provided by masters-level counselors, ensuring top-notch support for all our students and their families.
Whether you're facing academic challenges, personal issues, or just need someone to talk to, our Student and Family Assistance Program is here for you! Available both in and outside of school, this service is paid for by the district to assist families in prioritizing mental health. Simply dial the number on our flyer, and you will be connected with a counseling professional for up to 6 FREE sessions to lend a helping hand, providing the support you need to thrive.
Remember, your well-being matters to us and Pioneering Pathways includes mental health support. There's no need to face challenges alone. Reach out today to our Student and Family Assistance Program and experience the caring, confidential support that is just a call away! Please see the flyer for the contact information and for more information.
Mrs. Gebel's TK class learned all about apples this week and they also learned all the things we can use them for! They got to watch a video about what happens with apples before they hit the store, painted using apple halves, and tried different apple foods like dried apples, apple butter, and apple dessert!
This week the Algona community was rocked by the death of Police Officer Kevin Cram. Officer Cram was shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Cram was a 10-year law enforcement veteran and also a husband and a father to young children.
In an effort to support Officer Cram's family in this difficult time, the Okoboji Pioneer Booster Club will be collecting free-will donations in buckets at the concession stand at tonight's Okoboji/Estherville football game. All donations raised will be given to Officer Cram's family.
If you are attending tonight's game, please consider donating to help Officer Cram's wife and children.
The Kindergarten students in Mrs. Clasing's class made Kindness Cards during their Character Strong lesson today!
School pictures will be taking place in two weeks. OHS will take pictures on Monday, September 25th, OMS on the 26th, and OES on the 27th! Nothing needs to be done ahead of time and ordering details will be coming soon from Split Rock Photography. Mark your calendars and bring your best smiles on picture day!
Shout out to the Pioneer Football Team for greeting our students this morning! We had a lot of very excited kids, both young and old!! :)
Good luck tonight, Pioneers!
The Okoboji Pioneer Football team will be at OES tomorrow morning to greet students as they arrive! Check your email for more information! It's going to be a great day! Go Pioneers!
Labor Day was great, but our 3rd graders are excited and ready to be back!
Our 1st graders had some fun with manipulatives in math class yesterday! We took two sided discs to find the parts of 6 and graphed the results! Who doesn't love hands on learning?!?
We are excited to bring back Wellness Wednesdays again this year. Hydration is our first theme this year. We will focus on hydration for the last week in August and the month of September. As the weather is especially hot, please encourage your student to drink water throughout the day.
We had an awesome first day back! It was so fun to see our awesome kids! It's going to be a great year! #PioneeringPathways
OCSD Families,
Please be aware that bus routes for the 2023-2024 school year have been updated today and republished to the documents section of our Okoboji Community Schools App. Each route along with maps and time stops for both AM and PM is available in the documents section of the district and building pages on our app. Check them out and we can't wait to see all the smiling faces on our district buses tomorrow morning!
Intake Conferences are off and running! We can't wait to see you all! We have Pioneer Gear on display and a table for community resources. Girl Scouts are even here! Also, make sure you take a picture by our sign with the amazing balloon display courtesy of Pioneer Parents and Boji Balloon Bar!
OCSD Families - Please note that information on bus routes for this year was just emailed to all parents. Bus route maps and schedules are available in the Documents section of the Okoboji Schools App! A reminder that buses DO NOT run on Wednesday as only 9-12 grade are in session and 10th-12th are only in school for the afternoon. Normal bus routes will begin on Thursday.
We're thrilled to share that our new school year started on a high note. Our teachers and staff collaborated wonderfully to create an engaging and welcoming environment for your children as they begin next week's new school year. Exciting times lie ahead, and we are committed to a year of growth and learning together. Pioneering Pathways For Every Student!