Otis Orchards Elementary

School offices are now open! Enroll your student now!

School Supplies 2023-24

Open House August 28th ~ 4:00-5:30

EVSD PEP had amazing success at the Silverwood Science Day this month. We are so very proud of our students! Way to go Knights!

We want to thank all of our retirees for their hard work, dedication, and service to the East Valley School District over the years. Shelly Engel - 30 Years of Service Jacqueline Johnson - 12 Years of Service Susan Morrison - 29 Years of Service Tonia Abramson - 8 Years of Service Sharon Alldritt - 23 Years of Service Inge Arbacauskas - 8 Years of Service Conni Bendio - 28 Years of Service Shelli Sinclair-Wood - 27 Years of Service Jewel Bang - 5 Years of Service Loriann Howe - 29 Years of Service Terri Putney - 3 Years of Service David Palmer - 6 Years of Service Kim Cash - 26 Years of Service Thank you for all the support you have given to staff, students, parents, and the community. We wish you the best retirement!

Otis Orchards Career Day was a blast!!

Jim Kuehnle was a Spokane Valley businessman, community leader and legislator who raised his family and conducted his business in the East Valley School District for more than twenty years. Mr. Kuehnle adamantly believed that reward should be based upon merit; that people should be compensated in direct proportion to quality of work. Because of his heart for excellence in education, it was his desire to enhance the earnings of outstanding teachers in a way not provided by the existing salary schedule. The intended use for the teacher awards is for professional or personal growth. Through this award, his intent was to recognize teachers with high standards and excellent performance. Recognized individuals are: Outstanding, Dedicated, Motivated, Honest, Caring, Hardworking, and Diligent in covering assigned curriculum, respected by students, staff and patrons. In addition, the teacher has excellent classroom control, high expectations for student behavior while also holding students and self accountable. We are proud to announce the 2022-2023 Jim Kuehnle Outstanding Educators are: Kim Boulton - EVMS Science Teacher Nicole Brown - Trentwood 6th Grade Teacher Kelli Shanholtz - Otis Orchards 4th Grade Teacher Please help us in congratulating these outstanding educators! Together, we are East Valley!

East Valley's very own Neale Rasmussen (Executive Director of Business Services) and Melissa Larsen (Business Manager) recently received recognition at the annual Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) from the State Auditor's Office. Neale and Melissa were recognized with the 'State Auditor's Stewardship Award' for their outstanding accomplishments in accountability, transparency, and good stewardship of public resources towards a shared mission of government that works better to earn greater public trust. Congratulations Neale and Melissa! Together, We are East Valley!

A Middle School Social Studies Course Design and Instructional Materials Adoption Committee was convened to thoroughly review 7th and 8th-grade resources. Community members are invited to review the proposed core instructional materials for middle school social studies adoption. The recommendations for approval are as follows: 7th Grade - Washington State History Open Educational Resource (OER), Educurious - Copyright 2021 8th Grade - History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism Third Edition, Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI) - Copyright Print 2023/Digital 2022 The materials will be available for community viewing from Tuesday, June 6 - Monday, June 12, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. Please contact Michele Chavez at 509.241.5011 for the opportunity to review the instructional materials and provide public comment.

Thank you to everyone that was able to join us at the ABC Trades Night on May 3, 2023! We had so much fun watching participants and learning about the various jobs in the trades industry. If you weren't able to check out this amazing opportunity, we hope to see you next time!

Thank you to everyone that was able to join us at the first Healthcare Discoveries Trades Night on April 27. We had a blast getting to know the vendors and the work they do on a daily basis. We can't wait to do this again!

Thank you to everyone that was able to join us at the first Automotive Trades Night on April 19. We had a blast getting to know the vendors and the work they do on a daily basis. We can't wait to do this again!

For the 3rd time in EVSD History, a PEP Destination Imagination (DI) Team will be representing at Global Finals! DI is a problem-solving competition meant to ignite the power of creativity and collaboration. This year, our 8th-grade team, “Aged Improvolone,” won regionals, and was amongst the top teams at the Washington State Competition. At Global Finals, they will join 14,000 students from multiple countries as they compete and connect with other amazing kids. If you would like to donate to the PEP team, please visit evsd.org and click on the Donations tab. From there, select Otis Orchards and Destination Imagination Global Finals. We thank you for your support!

REMINDER: Tonight is Paint and Sip Night at Otis Orchards! The cost is $10 per painter and includes paper, watercolors, and a glass of sparkling cider. Pizza, popcorn, and other drinks will be available to purchase! **Students must be accompanied by an adult**

A big hug and many thanks to Karen Toreson and Dave Lindstrand from Spokane Valley Sunrise Rotary Club. The cart of boxes contained hygiene and personal products as well as other items needed by our students. We are so grateful for the many partnerships we have with our community and business groups. Together, we are East Valley.

Join us Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at Otis Orchards Elementary for Paint & Sip Night! Doors open at 5:30 pm and painting will begin at 6:00 pm. For more information click here. We look forward to seeing you there!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The most important thing we can do to help children thrive is to support families before they reach a crisis. Learn more during #ChildAbusePreventionMonth. #ThrivingFamilies https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/ preventing/preventionmonth/about

Hello EV Students, Staff, and Families, About an hour ago, I was one of 35 superintendents across the state who received a threatening email indicating a bomb threat. The message was emailed to each of the 35 superintendents at the same time. Law enforcement has been notified here and in the many different jurisdictions across the state. Though this is assumed to be a hoax, we are taking precautions. Given recent situations within our own school district and in schools across the state and nation, I felt it important that you learn of this from me rather than through the media. Thank you. Together, we are East Valley. Brian Talbott Superintendent. -bt

Otis Orchards put on its first annual art show! Kindergarten through sixth-grade art is presented on the walls of their hallways. The theme this year is to honor our Veterans. “Keep Kindness in My Heart” is the name of the artwork done by the younger students. They used paint sticks, tempera paint, and puffy paint to create their masterpieces. The focus is to instill within students that kindness matters. For the older students, acrylic paint was used to create “We Will Never Forget”. They focused on the meaning of the poppy and how thankful they are for those who serve and have served in the military, as well as, those who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom. If you are a Veteran, we want to thank you for your service and honor you! We are so proud of how much effort each student has put into their artwork!

Hello East Valley Students, Staff, and Families, Regardless of one’s proximity or involvement in last Friday's school shutdown, it has been a hard and emotional week for all of us in East Valley. It cannot be overstated; we have work to do. That said, we would much prefer to be defined by how we collectively respond to this situation, rather than by the incident itself. Though I cannot yet provide a definitive plan as to next steps, you should know that we are working on it. We have no intention of merely putting a lid on this in hopes it goes away, because we understand that it won't. However, sometimes as educators (and adults), we make well intended decisions on behalf of our young people without ever inquiring of them their own personal perspectives. I believe an essential step moving forward will be asking for and listening to student voices. Through them, all of them, we will engage in the hard conversations and foster the healing process. I ask for your patience as we wish to do this in a thoughtful manner that helps us improve and grow as a school community. Thank you for your support and understanding. The safety of our students and staff must always be at the forefront of our decisions. There is no room for error; we will act thoroughly and thoughtfully, but with necessary urgency in these matters. Thank you for the partnership we have between home and school. If you haven't already, please take the time to talk to your kids about: the incredible power of and potential consequences of their words; when you see something, please say something; and, finally, we look forward to seeing them on Monday, April 10th. Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work; these are our children, in our schools, from our communities, and our neighborhoods. Together, we are East Valley. Brian L Talbott Superintendent -bt