The Howler: August 13, 2026
Ottauquechee School News
Welcome Back to School!
Greetings Ottauquechee Families,
The summer has just flown by! I hope you have found time to enjoy the beautiful weather, longer days, summer celebrations and all that helps you to feel connected with family and friends. The Upper Valley is one of the most beautiful and plentiful places to enjoy summer; we are so lucky.
I always find that summer is an essential time for reflection and connection both with my people and the places I hold dear as well as the work that has been done over a school year and what's to come in the year ahead. As you can likely imagine, this summer has been a busy one for reflection and learning as I have been connecting with the great people who know and love the Ottauquechee School. There is still much to learn and my commitment as the Ottauquechee Principal will be to hold a lens of curiosity around what makes our school so special and what it needs most to continue to grow and thrive. I look forward to connecting with you as a part of that process since we will do the best by our community, school and students if we do that work together in partnership.
It is hard to believe that the first day of school, Thursday, August 27th, is just around the corner! Many teachers and staff members have been preparing for their start with students though they still have summer days remaining,. We are so lucky to have such a caring and dedicated team! I'm also so grateful for all the ways they have given of their time and OQS expertise to support my transition.
A new school year comes with a great deal of excitement and also a fair bit of first day jitters for students and adults alike. We know it can be hard to walk into the unknown on the first day of school and so this year the OQS staff and our PTO are working together to welcome all OQS families to a Back to School Walk Through and Ice Cream Social. This event will be held on Wednesday, August 26th. The walk through will take place from 1:30 - 2:30 pm followed directly by the ice cream social. Teachers will be working in their classrooms and welcome you to walk through, get a feel for the classroom and say hi! We'll all meet together for some staff introductions at 2:15 pm and then ice cream will be served at 2:30pm. Taking this brief moment to say hi can make a huge difference on the first day when everything feels so new. We hope you can make it!
Teachers will officially be back next week and you can expect to hear from your child(ren)'s teacher(s) once they return. Many families have been asking about materials and supplies that students need. We provide all materials that students need for learning and if a teacher has something special that they will need you to provide, they will share that in their back to school communication upon their return. Keep in mind it's always helpful that students come with a lunch (if not being ordered from school), a snack, comfortable clothes/shoes and a backpack to carry/organize their things. It's also very helpful if students have seasonably appropriate attire as all students spend time outside each day, weather permitting.
I hope that you are enjoying the last delightful morsels of summer and please know, we are looking forward to welcoming you all back for a great year ahead!
Warmly,
Sara Rose
Ottauquechee Principal
Spring '26 Field Day
I'm so grateful for the handful of opportunities I had to join in some OQS fun this past spring. Thank to all the staff, students and families who made me feel so welcomed.
A little Dunk Tank!
My daughter was so excited to show me the ins and outs of field day...some might say too excited!
