Ottawa Area Center Parent Link

• October 7 & 8 - School Pictures

• October 8, 22, 29 - Early Dismissal Days

• October 10 - No School for Students- OAC Staff Professional Development Day

• October 13-17 - No School for Students & Staff - Fall Break

• October 31 - Half Day - Halloween Trick or Treating @OAC

As part of our commitment to student safety and in compliance with Michigan House Bill 5451, schools are required to share information each October regarding the safe storage of firearms.

This legislation was created to help reduce accidental injuries and tragedies by ensuring families have clear guidance and resources for securely storing firearms in their homes. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provides materials that outline best practices for safe storage, including the use of locked storage devices and keeping ammunition secured separately.

Please take a few minutes to review the attached materials. We encourage all families to consider how these safety practices might be applied in your household to help protect children and teens.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school community safe.

The Michigan State Budget has officially been approved, and we’re thrilled to share that it includes FREE Healthy School Meals for ALL students! 🙌

🥪 What This Means for You
Beginning October 30, 2025, all students will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch at school — no cost, no forms required for access! 💚

This exciting news ensures every student can stay fueled and focused throughout the day. Thank you to our state leaders and community advocates who helped make this possible! 💪🌟

📌 Still Important:
Families are encouraged to complete the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Application for the 2025–2026 school year.
Even though meals are free for all, these applications help secure valuable funding for student programs and support services.

✅ Forms can be returned to your child’s school — they’ll be forwarded to West Ottawa Food Service.

Let’s celebrate this amazing win for our students and community! 🎉🍏

• It’s that time of year—school pictures are just around the corner!

  Scheduled Picture Dates:

  • Tuesday, October 7, 2025

  • Wednesday, October 8, 2025

  • Wednesday, October 29, 2025 — Retakes

  Teachers will be signing up for their classroom’s picture day on either October 7 or October 8. If your student is absent on their scheduled day, they will have the opportunity to participate in retake day on October 29.

  
  

25-26 School Year medication prescriptions and feeding orders were due September 1, 2025. As of today, families who are still missing these forms will be contacted personally by our Student Services Coordinator, Michelle Brothers and OAC Nurses, to offer support and guidance.

We want to ensure every child receives the care they need at school. Without these updated prescriptions and feeding orders, our nurses are unable to administer medications or provide tube feedings during the school day. Of course, students are always welcome at school; if we do not have the required paperwork, families may need to come in to administer medications or assist with feedings.

We truly appreciate your help in providing this information to us as soon as possible so that we can ensure your child's safety, health, and well-being during the school day.

OAC Ollie's Outlet Committee is working hard to provide meaningful, motivating resources for our students—and we’d love your help! We are seeking lightly used donations that can make a real impact in the classroom. These could include:

● Toys – such as puzzles, building blocks, action figures, dolls, or sensory items like fidgets and stress balls.

● Clothing – gently worn jackets, hats, gloves, or comfortable clothing for play and activities.

● Reinforcement items – small prizes, games, books, craft supplies, or other fun items that can be used as positive rewards and motivators.

Every item you donate helps us create more opportunities for engagement, learning, and joy. If you have items to contribute or would like more information, please contact Michelle Brothers (mbrother@oaisd.org) or Beth Gomez (bgomez@oaisd.org). Thank you for supporting our students in meaningful ways!

Full Day – 8:33am-3:05pm

½ Day – 8:33am-11:50am

Early Dismissal – 8:33am-2:05pm

Student AM Bussing begins at 8:23am

Student PM Bussing begins at 2:55pm

Early Dismissal Bussing begins at 1:55pm

1/2 Day Bussing begins at 11:40am

As a reminder, all volunteers on any OAC outing are required to complete the volunteer form and have a background check done before volunteering in a classroom or attend any school outing or classroom field trip. This process does take several weeks to complete the background check process, so please plan accordingly to get your volunteer forms turned in to the office or your classroom teacher. well before the date you would like to attend a field trip or volunteer in the classroom. The forms must be completed each school year. Please contact the office if you would like volunteer forms sent home in backpacks.

Volunteer Form

Family Support, educational, and social events for adults with disabilities.

A pilot program designed to help children with varying disabilities explore movement and develop motor skills. Demonstrated through basic sport skills with fun, inclusive, and engaging activities. Hope College Sports Studies students will volunteer alongside participants, offering guidance and support at a pace tailored to each child’s individual ability and progress.

The Lucas Project Meet & Mingle Program was created to bring respite care to special needs families while they enjoy a much needed break, run errands, or connect with other caregivers. We are excited to bring this opportunity to families within the West Michigan community, as it is a much needed resource for parents and caregivers. This program is offered for a low cost fee of $5 for disabled individuals between the ages of 13 – 50 years old.

This is your one stop location for parents/guardians to go for community supports and resources. Please check out this resource at Social Work/OCSN Resource Warehouse. Bookmark this resource on your computer and refer back often. It will be continually updated with fresh and new information.

Any time your child is absent from school for a medical appointment, please send in a Dr. excuse note to the office or to your teacher. The office will code the absence as a medical appointment and then the absence does not count towards the overall absence total. We can only mark it as a medical appointment if we have documentation from the doctors office.

OAC needs substitute aides and teachers. If you are interested in a flexible schedule where you work on the days you want, this is the job for you. If you have any questions please call Michell at 616-738-8960 ext. 4608.

Want to sub at OAC - Contact Edustaff
Start an Application

Call Edustaff at

877.974.6338

All outside resources and links featured in this newsletter are provided for informational purposes only. Ottawa Area Center does not endorse, sponsor, or assume any responsibility for the content, accuracy, or reliability of these resources. Please use your discretion when accessing and utilizing any external materials.

Full Day – 8:33am-3:05pm

½ Day – 8:33am-11:50am

Early Dismissal – 8:33am-2:05pm

Student AM Bussing begins at 8:23am

Student PM Bussing begins at 2:55pm

Early Dismissal Bussing begins at 1:55pm

1/2 Day Bussing begins at 11:40am

Email: bseymour@oaisd.org
Website: www.oaisd.org/schools/ottawa-area-center
Location: 10160 96th Avenue, Allendale, MI, USA
Phone: (616)738-8960
Facebook: facebook.com/OttawaAreaCenter/