Ottawa Newsletter

September 2023

Principal Message

Hello Ottawa Families,

It has been a great start to the year! Students have been getting back to the routines of school and school wide expectations. At Public Schools of Petoskey, we work hard to learn the Full Value Agreement and apply the three tenants; Work as a Team, Be Safe, and Speak Up in all areas of our life. Please help us celebrate your children when they earn an Ottawa TEAM Ticket and brag tag. We recognize students, classes and staff on the morning announcements and are so proud of them!

Over the summer, the district participated in the Kids Read Now program. Students picked books at the end of last school year and the books were mailed over the summer to your homes. We have heard great feedback about the books and getting them in the mail. We had 64 students log their books and we know that whether you logged the books or not, it was a great way to build family connection through reading and a family library at home.

We hope you have enjoyed the beginning of the school year as much as we have! We look forward to a great year of growing and learning together!

Kindly,

Jodi Schreiber

Monday Sept. 25: Bond Proposal Forum 6 pm at the Middle School.

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders

Arrival Procedures: Parents, please remember to remain in your car. Students should be dropped off and parents should remain in their car to ensure the arrival line continues to move after students have gotten out of the car. If you would like to walk your child to the entrance doors, you MUST park in the parking lot, at Genesis church, or on the street in parking areas. Please DO NOT park in the bus loop. The bus loop is only open to Johnson Bussing transportation vehicles at arrival and dismissal.

Dismissal is going well. We need to keep things moving, so please pull forward until cars are stopped to load students. Once the line is full, we then pull cars forward to continue the process. The line can get long, but it is important for the safety of students, staff, and families that we follow the procedures. Please remember to use Genesis Church parking lot if the line is too long or if you want to park and walk to pick up your child. As a reminder, if anyone is blocking traffic, Public Safety will give citations.

Festival of Books Ottawa Visits

We were lucky to be a part of Author and Illustrator visits this year at Ottawa. All grade levels had the opportunity to listen to authors and illustrators that were part of the Harbor Springs Festival of Books.

Little Northmen & Kindergarten students had the opportunity to meet Steve Light! He has a passion for drawing and creating stories that bring imagination to life. Students received the book "A Spider Named Itsy" and enjoyed hearing all about his experiences when creating illustrations and stories.

First & Second graders met Sophie Blackall who has illustrated over fifty books for children including Ivy and Bean, Finding Winnie, Hello Lighthouse, and more. Her newest book, If I Was A Horse, gives a funny, glittery glimpse into the life of a child imagining what life would be like if they were a horse. The students even shared what animal they would like to be if the story was about them.

Third, Fourth, & Fifth graders were intrigued with the many books by Tae Keller and her story of becoming a writer. Tae Keller is the Newbery award winning and New York Times bestselling author of When You Trap a Tiger and The Science of Breakable Things. Ms. Keller writes about biracial girls trying to find their voices. Her recent series, Mihi Ever After, takes readers on a magical journey through a librarian’s refrigerator and into a fairy tale land.

Ottawa had a great day listening to the presenters! What a great experience and we are very thankful for the opportunity to be a part the Harbor Springs Festival of Books presentations.

Steve Light

Sophie Blackall

Tae Keller

Ottawa Superheroes: What's your SUPERPOWER?

We have kicked off the school year and we are celebrating all of our SUPERHEROES at Ottawa! We started the school year with a PBiS (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports) Kickoff Assembly and reviewed school wide expectations. We continue to strive for excellence and follow the Full Value Agreement. The students have been working hard and will earn TEAM Tickets for working as a TEAM, being safe, and speaking up in a kind and helpful way.

We will also be celebrating "Superhero Students of the Month" this year. September we have been focusing on the SUPERPOWER of RESPECT! We can't wait to celebrate students at our monthly Superhero Assemblies.

Here is a list of our Monthly Superpower Traits: