The Olive Branch 9.25.26

In this Branch:

Principal's Message
Parent/Teacher Conferences Save the Date
Bus Passes Required
Safety Drills
Science Club Sign Up
Hope Larson - Author Visit
Save the Date

OMS Staff Shout Out
D25 Eflyers
Fall Lunch Picture Menu

Principal's Message

A Few Reminders

A quick reminder as we settle into our arrival and dismissal routines:

The playground is closed before school. This includes both the red-top area and playground equipment. If you arrive early and would like your child to get a little extra energy out before school, we encourage families to visit Greens Park.

A few important loading zone reminders:

The driver must remain in the vehicle while in the loading zone.
Students may only exit the vehicle from the passenger side.
Students need to be able to get in and out of the vehicle independently.

We know that parking and drop-off can be challenging, and we truly appreciate your patience and cooperation. These guidelines help us maintain a steady flow of traffic while keeping students, families, and staff as safe as possible. Thank you for helping us make arrival and dismissal run smoothly for everyone!

Finally, pets are not allowed on school property. We invite furry friends to remain in the grassy area between Olive Street and the sidewalk.

Have a great weekend,

Erin, Nikki, and the OMS staff

Parent/Teacher Conferences Save the Date

At Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary School, we value a strong partnership between home and school. Twice a year, time is provided for you to meet with your child’s teacher for Parent-Teacher Conferences. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your child's teacher on Thursday, October 22 or Friday, October 23rd.

Parents will register for conferences online using http://www.signupgenius.com.

Directions and links to register for conferences will be shared via email on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

The window for fall conference registration will begin Tuesday, 9/29/26, at 10:00 a.m. through Wednesday, 10/21/26, at 10:00 a.m. Conferences are scheduled in 20-minute increments beginning at 8:20 a.m.

4th/5th Grade Parents: The conference times are for meeting with your child’s homeroom teacher. If your child has a different math teacher and you have specific math questions, please email him or her.

Please remember that this day is set aside for conferences. If you will be out of town, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange a phone conference or Google meeting during a regular conference time slot.

Bus Passes Required

Beginning Thursday, October 1st, all students who ride the school bus are required to have their bus pass to and from school. OMS students usually have them attached to their backpacks. If your child rides the bus and does not have a bus pass, please let our front office know.

Evacuation Safety Drill

On Friday, October 2nd we will conduct an "evacuation" drill. An evacuation is used to safely move everyone from the building, where there is danger, to a safer place outside. Fires are not the only threat that can sometimes make the building unsafe. The Arlington Heights Fire Department may be onsite for this drill.

On Friday, Oct. 16th, our students will participate in a bus evacuation drill where they will learn about bus safety and what to do in the event of an emergency.

We will continue to practice our emergency drills throughout the school year. If you have questions regarding our safety procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. As always, our goal is to prepare and care for your child in every situation while at school.

Science Club Sign Up

Spots Still Available!

Science Club is back with two sessions, meeting on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, October 6 through November 18. We’re offering hands-on science adventures for students in grades two through five; first grade students may participate if an older sibling is enrolled in Science Club AND an adult can volunteer to help every day that the first grade student attends.

We meet from 3:35 until 4:45 PM in the LMC.

Session 1: Air

Experiment with air-powered rocket “fuels”, optimize paper gliders, and create parachutes with the longest hang times.

Session 2: Material Science Challenge

Perform tests to determine the properties of various building and insulating materials. Then design and build a shipping container with the lowest weight to keep an item very cold and withstand physical damage.

Want to join in the fun? Then complete and return the registration form as soon as possible. Sessions can fill up very quickly. The number of students per session is dependent on the number of adult volunteers. To ensure that we’re able to provide a safe and enjoyable activity at least two adults will be present each day. Any days that do not have at least one adult volunteer will be cancelled. Please consider signing up to help on one or more days as your schedule allows.

Questions? Please contact Cynthia House at chouse@sd25.org.

Hope Larson - Author Visit

Third through fifth graders recently enjoyed a captivating visit from author and illustrator Hope Larson. Ms. Larson gave students an inspiring behind-the-scenes look into how her books come to life. She walked through her creative process step by step, from mapping out initial story outlines to writing scripts and planning scenes. Students were amazed to discover that writing and illustrating an entire book can take up to 16 months!

The visit ended with a Q&A session where students asked thoughtful questions about publishing, including the essential role editors play in shaping a finished book. When asked whether she ever relies on artificial intelligence for her art or stories, Ms. Larson shared a reminder about human creativity: she never uses AI because her own imagination has far cooler ideas than any computer.

By the end of the visit, our young creators were inspired and ready to pick up their pencils to start writing and illustrating their own stories. Students who would like to order an autographed copy of one of Ms. Larson's books are welcome to visit the OMS LMC Author Visit page. There is an online order form there.