The Olive Branch 1.23.26

IN THIS BRANCH

Principal Message

Digital Citizenship Week

Valentine's Day Parties

Parent-Teacher Conferences

D25 Pre-Registration for Kindergarten and New Families

Upcoming Author Visit

Important Dates

Dear Families,

We hope you are staying warm and that your child/children enjoyed the e-learning day. Thank you to "Olive" our families and caregivers for helping our owls get logged on to Google Meet and complete their assigned work for the day. We look forward to seeing our owls next week.

While it is supposed to get warmer next week, we don't think it is going to get above 20 degrees. Please continue to watch the weather as we do go outside if temps (including wind chill) are above 0 degrees. We do not make an official call for lunch recess until about 11:15 each day. We reference the NOAA.gov website to monitor our local temperatures.

Bundle Up,

Erin, Julia, and the OMS Staff

The first week of February (Monday, Feb. 2nd through Friday, Feb. 6th) District 25 will be recognizing the importance of Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety by having a Digital Citizenship spirit week! Digital Citizenship week will focus on the importance of being safe, responsible, and respectful online. During the week, a new topic based around Digital Citizenship will be explained in the morning announcements and discussed in class.

D25 students can also participate in a spirit wear week. Please see our dress-up days below. If you have any questions about Digital Citizenship Week please contact Ms. Randazzo at trandazzo@sd25.org.

February 14th is just around the corner. On Friday, February 13th, our students will celebrate Valentine's Day with a classroom party. PTA Room Reps are already planning this special event with classroom teachers. Please look for specific party information from your child's teacher or room rep.

If your child will be passing out Valentine's Day cards to other students, the CARDS CANNOT HAVE ANY CANDY OR FOOD ATTACHED TO THEM PER THE DISTRICT'S WELLNESS POLICY. Items such as pencils, erasers, stickers, etc. are great alternatives as long as they are not edible. Goodie bags filled with treats or candy are also not permitted.

We greatly appreciate our PTA Room Reps. and all of our volunteers who organize and provide fun Valentine's Day experiences for our students.

If you haven't already, please CLICK HERE to sign up to meet with your child's teacher. Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Monday, February 16th from 8:20 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Conferences are scheduled in 10-minute increments.

Kindergarten and New families joining D25

Online PRE-Registration for the 2026-2027 School Year for all incoming Kindergartners and NEW 1st - 8th grade students is NOW OPEN! Please begin the registration process by visiting www.sd25.org/Registration and clicking on the 2026-2027 Pre-Registration Link.

Students in grades K–3 are in for a special treat! On Tuesday, February 10, our school will welcome local author Rekha Rajan for a presentation that brings stories to life. Best known for her Disaster Squad beginning chapter book series and beloved picture books, Dr. Rajan will share her journey as an author and the inspiration behind her action-packed stories.

Sponsored by the PTA, this event gives students the chance to meet a USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 books for kids and adults. Dr. Rajan’s work—spanning both fiction and nonfiction—has appeared on numerous best books lists and state award lists for children.

About the Disaster Squad Series
Meet Leela, Jaden, and the rest of the Jackson family as they travel across the country responding to natural disasters. Along the way, they help communities in need and rescue animals—proving that courage, teamwork, and kindness can make a big difference.

All who are interested in ordering a signed copy of one of Dr. Rajan’s books are invited to visit the OMS Library Media Center website. There is an online order form on the webpage. Orders must be placed by February 5 in order for the books to arrive on the visit day.