OCSB- In Action

As we prepare to celebrate spirit week in our schools and homecoming events, we are reminded of the pride and traditions that have long defined our school district. These traditions not only strengthen our sense of community but also inspire us to uphold a standard of excellence in all that we do. While we honor our past, we remain committed to providing exceptional educational opportunities that prepare our students for success in the future. Together, our staff, students, and community continue to build on a legacy of achievement, ensuring that excellence and opportunity remain at the heart of our district.

Sincerely,

Dylan Tedders

Superintendent of Schools

Every student in the district can take advantage of powerful learning resources, at no cost, including weekly Live Online Classes, On Demand 24/7 Chat Tutoring, Essay Editing, Celebrity-Led StarCourses, and Self Study resources like recorded content, practice problems, and adaptive diagnostic tests

We’re excited to share that the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is now open at fafsa.gov.

Completing the FAFSA form is a key to accessing federal, state, and institutional financial aid that can help cover the cost of college or career training. We strongly encourage all students to complete the form as soon as possible.

The earlier you apply, the better your chances of maximizing aid.

If you need help or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your school counselor or college advisor.

We have complied the dates of our student holidays to make family vacation planning simple.

Thursday, October 2nd- OHS Homecoming Parade

Friday, October 3rd- OHS Homecoming Game

Saturday, October 4th- OHS Homecoming Dance

Friday, October 10th- End of the First Nine Weeks

Monday, October 13th- No School for Students

Monday, October 20th- Report Card Day

You may have heard the term "visible learning", but what does that mean? Visible learning at it's core is a simple concept: learning should be visible, not just to teachers but to students themselves. This means students must know what they are learning, how to go about learning it and how to measure their progress along the way. Visible Learning shifts the focus from simply delivering content to evaluating the impact of teaching on student achievement.

Some of the ways teachers at Seminole Elementary are using visible learning are creating scavenger hunts for students to compare cultural aspects of Native American Tribes, building words with blocks, and using flashlights to model the cycle of day and night on earth. These are just some of the ways teachers at Seminole are elevating their skills every day to inspire growth and raise student achievement.

This month Yearling Middle School staff was recognized as a Florida PBIS Gold Model School! The team at Yearling have been working hard to establish the PBIS framework within their school community.

You may be wondering what does PBIS stand for? It stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. PBIS systems are uniquely designed to fit the backgrounds of the individuals they serve. This sometimes requires educators to change the way they think about, support, and address student behavior. PBIS utilizes the knowledge, life experiences, and learning styles of diverse students to make learning more relevent and effective for them. A student’s unique history and learning experiences are used as the starting point for establishing expected behaviors and learning goals.

Whether is was a school luncheon, reading with grandparents, or working on an arts and crafts our elementary schools and VPK took the time to honor grandparents this month. It was a special day to acknowledge the family bond that lies between our students and their families. Many of our grandparents are important parts of our school community and we thank you for the love and wisdom you pour into our students.

At the Freshman Campus, students in the Digital Information Technology course are working toward becoming certified as CSS Coding Specialists and WordPress Certified Editors (HTML). Mason Kensel, Kaydience Barker, and Leah Bourque were recognized for excelling in their certifications and showing great strides in their work.

Career & Technical Education (CTE) is the fastest growing area of education.

Students in the CTE Principles of Teaching program are completing their internship portfolio by doing observations and participating in classes at Yearling Middle School and North Elementary. The program, which is designed to prepare students to pursue a career in teaching or early childhood education, is in it's second year and focuses in on the fundamentals of teaching and the aspects of human growth. Okeechobee High School launched a new chapter of the FFEA (Future Florida Educators of America) to support students who are interested in teaching and learning more about a career in education from staff and administration.

At our recent Board Meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize some amazing community and team members!

Retirement- Angie Hodges and Ken Buckner

Our Health & Wellness Committee for another successful annual wellness event.

Community Partners who supported our New Teacher Orientation- DKG, OCEA, Christ Fellowship, Heartland Education Consortium, and The Education Foundation of Okeechobee

If you are an alumni of Okeechobee County Schools and would like to share your success story with us email us- careers@okeeschools.org. We would love to connect with you!