OV Family Newsletter 1/12

Posted Date: 01/12/26 (03:25 PM)

January 12, 2026

Hello, OV Families!

We're excited to share the latest happenings and updates from our school community to keep you informed and engaged.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our office manager, Jamie Wright. You can reach her at WrightJL@mukilteo.wednet.edu.

Winter scene with the text 'Important Dates' in large, decorative font.

1/12: Home Basketball Game @ 3:45pm
1/12: PTO General Meeting on Zoom @ 7pm
1/13: S.O.S. Presentations in social studies classes (see more details below)
1/13: Learning Labs Family Meeting @ 6:30pm in library (6th grade families)
1/14: Home Volleyball Game @ 3:45pm
1/15: MLK Assembly @ 8:49am
1/15: PTO Fun & Games (STEAM Activities & Ice Cream Social) in cafeteria from 2:45-4:15pm
1/19: MLK Day--No School
1/20 - 1/22: Girls Basketball Tryouts
1/27: Learning Labs Family Meeting @ 6:30pm in library (6th grade families)
1/30: Teacher Work Day--No School
2/16 - 2/20: President's Day & Mid-Winter Break--No School

A school calendar for the 2025-2026 academic year, with dates and key events.

SCHOOL INFO

OFFICE HOURS:

During the school year, our office is open from 7:30am-4pm on weekdays.

SCHOOL SCHEDULE:

Mondays-Thursdays: 8:05am-2:45pm

Fridays: 8:05am-1:30pm

ATTENDANCE:

Need to report an absence for your student? Please message our attendance clerk, Alex Maldonado, in ParentSquare or email him at OVAttendance@mukilteo.wednet.edu. You can also call the attendance line at (425) 366-5205.

MEALS:

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students this year. Our cafeteria opens at 7:35am for breakfast. CLICK HERE for the bell schedule to see the lunch times (separated by grade levels).

WEBSITE:

Please check out OV's homepage throughout the year for important information including our staff directory.

STAFF DIRECTORY:

Need to contact a teacher or other staff member? Go to "Our School" and click on "Olympic View Middle School: Staff Directory." Families can also message staff through ParentSquare.

ACTIVITY BUS:

Students in a supervised club or activity can ride the activity bus home. The bus leaves OV at 4:10pm on Mondays - Thursdays and has limited stops. CLICK HERE to see the bus stops and estimated drop-off times.

The letters SOS are displayed with a life preserver, with the text 'Signs of Suicide' below.

SOS PRESENTATIONS

School staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.

Through the program, students learn:

That depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
How to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
To ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
Who they can turn to at school for help

For information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources and some of the key messages students will learn, we encourage parents/guaradians to visit: https://mindwise.org/parents/

Presentations will be school-wide on Tuesday, January 13th and will be taught through social studies classes.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact your student’s school counselor:

6th grade: Lisa Morris
7th grade: Wendy Smith
8th grade: Alex Hernandez

For more information, please see the attached flyer.

Informational poster about youth suicide prevention, with text and graphics.

WINTER SPORTS SEASON #2 STARTS SOON

Two female basketball players in uniform compete for the ball on a court, with spectators in the background.

GIRLS BASKETBALL TRYOUTS

Girls basketball tryouts are coming soon. Tryouts run from January 20th - January 22nd. Interested 7th and 8th grade girls must have their Final Forms online paperwork completed and have a copy of a current sports phycial on file with Mr. Reinecke before tryouts begin.zz

Two wrestlers in red and green singlets grapple intensely on a mat.

WRESTLING BEGINS IN FEBRUARY

Wrestling begins on February 12th. It's open to boys and girls in all grades. (Our 6th graders can practice with the team but cannot compete in meets.) It is a no-cut sport, but all athletes must complete Final Forms online registration and have a current physical on file.

Check out these links for more sports information: OV SPORTS INFO and FINAL FORMS ONLINE REGISTRATION.

Two speech bubbles, one red and one green, overlap to display the text 'Parent Survey'.

TAKE THE PARENT/GUARDIAN SURVEY

Our school district is doing a district-wide survey to get a better sense of how families are doing and how we can better serve you.

The survey is open through February 2, 2026. The survey should only take 15 to 20 minutes to complete and is available in several languages including English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Korean, Arabic and Vietnamese.

Family Survey: https://ceeffectiveness.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_299xWiZ1NuMrtgq

Thank you for helping us get a sense of how people are doing and how we can better support students and families.

If you have any issues accessing the survey, please contact JoAnne Fabian: fabianjx@mukilteo.wednet.edu.

A speech bubble graphic with the text 'Let's Chat!' in blue and white.

SCHOOL BALLOT INFO SESSIONS

Join us for an interactive session with district leaders to learn about the Feb. 10 school ballot! Approval of the renewal learning levy would sustain 300 staff members and programs like athletics, arts, and campus safety, while passage of the capital construction bond would fund dozens of projects to improve student safety, replace outdated building systems, and modernize decades-old schools. Bring your questions and hear directly from the leaders guiding this work. Learn more at: www.mukilteoschools.org/bondlevy2026

January 14

4-5 p.m.

https://bit.ly/Jan14event

January 21

6-7 p.m.

https://bit.ly/January21event

These are online events. Interpretation will be available upon request to communications@mukilteo.wednet.edu

The words "LIBRARY NEWS" are displayed in large black text over a blurred background of bookshelves.

Print or Digital? Many of us read on screens, but did you know according to recent research, reading text on paper leads to better comprehension, retention, and deeper learning than reading on screens—a phenomenon called the “screen inferiority effect”—because screens encourage multitasking, reduce mental mapping cues, and promote skimming. Even though these latter skills are helpful in our adult lives, young readers are especially affected. Youth under the age of 14, who read more print develop stronger brain connections related to language and attention, while heavy screen use is linked to weaker attention and lower comprehension.

Parents can support stronger literacy by encouraging reading print books, balancing screen time with paper books, and modeling positive reading habits. Fortunately, print books are not going anywhere - ask your child which print book they’ve read recently! Contact Mrs. Peterson, our librarian if you would like some suggested titles for your OV student!

TIPS FROM OUR STUDENT SUPPORT ADVOCATE

Does Your Family Have A Plan?

It is important for families to have a plan for the care of their children in the event that parents or guardians are not able to care for them. Writing up a family plan is one way a parent can designate a caregiver (Power of Attorney) who has the ability to care for their children, seek medical care, and communicate with school. If you are interested in learning more about a Family Plan, please contact our Student Support Advocate (Patty Nogueda) or click here for more information : https://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/plan-someone-else-care-your-child-if-you-cant

An open book with various school-related icons, including a lightbulb and calculator, on a wood-grain background.

AFTER-SCHOOL HOMEWORK HELP

LEARNING LABS is open after school from 2:45-4pm in C143 (PE Health classroom) on Mondays through Thursdays.

Learning Labs is for 6th graders only!
Kim Phillips, our LEARNING LAB coordinator for this school year, can help students stay on top of work, strengthen your student's skills, and make sure they are starting the year off right. Let’s kick off the school year strong and stay on track for academic success.

ELECT TO LEARN is open after school from 2:45-4pm in A214 on Mondays through Thursdays.

It is open to all grades.
It is staffed by Ms. Laura, Ms. Karina & Ms. Katie.

Both of these options are quiet study places to get help with homework or to read a book. No cell phones or computer gaming is allowed.

ACTIVITY BUS: Students attending these supervised activities can ride the activity bus home as long as they live in our bus boundaries. CLICK HERE for the bus stops and estimated time of drop-off.

Text reads 'STUDENT/PARENT MEETING' in green capital letters on a dark, textured background within a white square border.

LEARNING LABS--FAMILY MEETINGS

Upcoming Student/Parent Meetings — Join the Conversation!

We’re excited to offer two engaging Parent Information Nights this month designed to strengthen the partnership between home and school and help every student thrive.

These meetings are for our 6th grade families--students should attend with their parents/guardians.
Meetings are in the OV library.

Tuesday, January 13 · 6:30–8:00 PM

Topics include:

What is continuous monitoring, and why is it essential to student success?
Building your child’s support team — Student, Parent, and School working together
Parents as partners: navigating middle school challenges and how to best support your child

Tuesday, January 27 · 6:30–8:00 PM

Topics include:

Understanding the state assessment tool — what it is, why it matters, and how to help your student prepare
Fostering hope, resiliency, and self-advocacy — key ingredients in school success

These sessions are open to all 6th grade families and will be held in the school library. We look forward to seeing you and exploring ways to support our students together!

Graphic with pirate hat, waves, and text: 'OV PTO News'.

Join OV's PTO

What is OV PTO? Olympic View Middle School PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) has a simple mission to assist students, staff, and families at Olympic View. Let us know if you'd like to volunteer in any way!

JOIN PTO:

Become a PTO member HERE - (suggested $15 but can put $0 - we just want you to join!)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

OV PTO sponsors many events throughout the school year. CLICK HERE to see all of our planned events.

UPCOMING PTO EVENTS

January 12 @ 7pm – PTO General Meeting on Zoom

Happening tonight (Monday) at 7pm, Mukilteo School District representatives will present a 30-minute overview of the items on the February 2026 ballot that impact OV. The presentation will take place at the start of the meeting—please join us if you can.

In addition, we need three people willing to be part of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee helps recruit qualified individuals to part of the 2026-2027 OV PTO Board. We will vote on the Nominating Committee as well during the meeting. We also raffle off two sets of $5 Snacks Ahoy bucks for your student to use (must be a PTO member to win).

Topic: OV PTO's Personal Meeting Room

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8967508001?pwd=BbSvzDfKUVwohuA7kbgQL45rh8B2Nb.1

Meeting ID: 896 750 8001

Passcode: Pirates

January 15: Fun & Games: STEAM & Ice Cream Social

Volunteers Needed:

We still need two adult volunteers from 1:45–4:30 PM to help run activity stations. District volunteer clearance is required. Sign up to volunteer HERE. Volunteers will receive $2 in “Snacks Ahoy” bucks to give to their student as a thank-you!

This Thursday, students can join us for an afternoon of hands-on STEAM fun! Students can explore activities like ping pong cannons, marshmallow catapults, a square puzzle, and tile painting—plus enjoy a FREE ice cream sundae.

We’ll also be holding a gift card raffle featuring prizes from Crumbl Cookies, Dairy Queen, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Emerald City Smoothies, and Chick-fil-A (Everett Mall). Additional snacks will be available for $1–$2.

IMPORTANT!

There is no activity bus available. Students must arrange their own transportation and pick-up is required at 4:15 PM.