Falcon Forum

Falcon Students and Families - if you see or hear something concerning—online, at school, or in the community—please report it immediately to a trusted adult, school staff member, or law enforcement. Prompt reporting allows us to respond quickly and appropriately. You can also send anonymous concerns through our SafeSchools Alert Tip reporting system. Click here to learn more.

We hope this message finds you well! Our weekly newsletter is here to keep you informed about important updates, upcoming events, and exciting news from our school community. As we continue to embrace our school’s new motto, "Focused and Fearless," we are dedicated to empowering our students to take bold steps in their learning and personal growth.

Please take a few moments to read through the newsletter each week. Inside, you’ll find:

• Important Dates: Keep track of key events and deadlines—staying focused on what’s ahead.

• School Announcements: Stay informed about new initiatives and important notices—be fearless in supporting the growth of our school community.

• Student Achievements: Celebrate the accomplishments of our students—let’s applaud their focus and fearless efforts.

• Upcoming Events: Don’t miss out on fun and educational activities—get ready to be involved!

• Helpful Resources: Access information and tools to support your child’s learning—because we’re all in this together.

We appreciate your continued support and engagement. As always, if you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Let’s keep moving forward, focused and fearless!

Dear 8th Grade Families,

As we look ahead to our 8th Grade Celebration on the last day of school, June 17, 2026, we want to share an important expectation related to student participation.

In order for students to participate in the 8th Grade Celebration, all outstanding middle school fines must be paid prior to the event.

Families have already been notified via email if their student has outstanding fines. This expectation is in place for an important reason: we do not want students moving on to high school with accrued fines. In recent years, some students have reached graduation with significant unpaid fines that then had to be resolved at the last moment. By addressing this now, we are supporting students and families in avoiding that situation later.

This requirement is also aligned with high school activity participation and graduation expectations, where students must have fines cleared in order to participate in activities and ceremonies.

To pay outstanding fees, families should log in to the Orting Middle School website and click on “Pay for Fees” at the following link:

https://oms.ortingschools.org/students-families/pay-fees-online

Families experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to reach out. Please contact Kevin Collins, Orting Middle School Principal, at collinsk@orting.wednet.edu to discuss options and arrange a payment plan if needed.

Thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a smooth and positive transition to high school for all students. We look forward to celebrating our 8th graders and their accomplishments this June.

Sincerely,

Kevin M. Collins

OMS Principal

Hello Families,

As we approach our upcoming testing season, please remind your student to bring their Chromebook to school each day fully charged. Having a charged device is essential to ensure a smooth and successful testing experience.

We appreciate your support in helping students come prepared and ready to do their best!

We expect all students to be on time to class and ready to learn on a daily basis. Students who acquire excessive tardies to a class will be subject to disciplinary action. Students are provided 5 minutes of passing time. Being on time to class means being in the teacher’s classroom when the bell rings and students are following the teacher’s expectations for the start of class. If a student is more than ten minutes late to a class it is considered an absence rather than a tardy. Students who arrive at school more than ten minutes late must check in at the office before going to class. All late students must check in using the electronic check-in kiosk located in the Main Office. Tardy-related discipline may apply.

📌 Attendance Reminder
Consistent attendance is a big part of student success. Please remember that if a student misses most class periods or hours in a school day, the absence will be considered unexcused unless it meets one of the approved reasons for an excused absence (such as illness, medical appointment, family emergency, or other circumstances outlined in district policy).

We know that sometimes absences are unavoidable, and we appreciate families working with us to make sure they’re properly excused. If your student needs to be out, please notify the office as soon as possible so we can accurately record the absence.

We are excited to celebrate our i-Ready All-Star Falcons! i-Ready Personalized Instruction provides lessons tailored to each student’s learning needs. These Falcons have stood out by completing the most lessons in our school, showing what it means to be focused, fearless, and committed to their learning. Way to soar!

This weeks top All Stars:

• Reading
• Sayge Dowell - 6th Grade - 80 lessons
• Jaden Randall - 8th Grade - 65 lessons
• Thomas Smith - 7th Grade - 64 lessons
• Decklan Hurlbut - 8th Grade - 56 lessons
• Aidan Todd - 6th Grade - 56 lessons
• Math
• Thomas Smith - 7th Grade - 63 lessons
• Aidan Todd - 6th Grade - 51 lessons
• Micah Anslow - 7th Grade - 41 lessons
• Rajasinha Gogulamanigandan - 7th Grade - 36 lessons
• Sayge Dowell - 6th Grade - 34 lessons

Our student safety is our top priority. This also includes their presence on the internet.

At school, the devices students bring home are equipped with Linewize software to help ensure their safety on the internet. Linewize has many tools that help monitor our students' activity while using school-issued devices. We have also partnered with Qustodio to provide our families with the necessary tools and support to ensure their children's safety and well-being online.

As devices play an increasing role in children’s education, it is crucial that we put safeguards in place. Your child already benefits from internet filtering technology, which blocks inappropriate web content on their school-owned device. This is also mandated by US legislation.

Orting School District is going one step further. We are granting every parent a free Qustodio Parental App account. Qustodio will give you important insights into your child’s online activity on their school device. You can use it to review and manage activities on other devices in your home, too.

Bus changes need to go through Transportation department due to limited seats on buses. Transportation will let the Main Office know if a student is approved to ride a different bus. Please call Transportation at 360 893-2303.

_________________________________________________

OMS/OHS has an Activity Bus to take Athletes home. It is NOT to drive kids home who are late catching their regular bus or hang in town and come to catch a ride.

Dear 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Math Families,

We are excited to introduce a new opportunity for our students! Several OMS Math teachers are partnering with students from the National Honor Society at Orting High School to host an after-school Math Club focused on building skills, confidence, and problem-solving strategies.

On Wednesdays from 2:30–3:30 PM, NHS students will join us at OMS to work alongside our math teachers to support students. This is a great space for students to:

• Get help on homework

• Practice skills they’re working on in class

• Prepare for upcoming quizzes or tests

• Strengthen their math confidence

Students who would benefit from extra practice or simply want a focused space to work are encouraged to attend.

Math Club will be held in Room 102 (Mr. Scott’s Room).

Students will need to:

• Have a ride home at 3:30 PM

We are excited about this partnership and the positive impact it can have for our students. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Sincerely,
The Middle School Math Team

Classroom Extension 360-893-4169

Email scottj@orting.wednet.edu

Mrs. Niederle

Email niederlee@orting.wednet.edu

How does my student get to class if they come in late? Your student will need to stop in the Main Office and sign into the Tardy Kiosk, they will need to know their 4-digit lunch number and if possible bring an excusal note.

What if my student loses their coat or lunch pail? Have them check the Lost and Found located in the Commons.

What if I need my student to ride the bus, but it's their first time? Put your address here and your bus number with pick-up and drop-off times will display.

• What if I need to ask about my student's schedules? Our Counselors can help with that
• Ms. Becca Edick edickr@orting.wednet.edu can help students with last names A-K, and
• Mrs. Jessica Oller ollerj@orting.wednet.edu can help those with last names L-Z.

The District has revamped the volunteer application process which will include a few more required documents. The background process will remain the same:

• Processing could take up to two weeks to clear, if applicants work for OSD or are in the military, please write - Employee or Military at the top of the application.
  
• A completed 25-26 Volunteer/Visitor Application- previous year's applications will not be accepted.
• Attach a valid State License/ID
• After reviewing the Volunteer Code of Conduct and Handbook, applicants will need to sign the last page and returned
• Volunteer Release/Hold Harmless Agreement will need to be signed and returned.
• Approvals will be good for two (2) school calendar years.

All new information is located on the OSD website under Students & Families then to Volunteers. Below is the link for volunteers.

https://www.ortingschools.org/students-families/volunteer

Nondiscrimination Statement

Orting School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, marital status, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination and their offices are located at 121 Whitesell St NE, Orting, WA 98360: Civil Rights Compliance/Title IX/ADA Coordinator Carrie Joy, Director of Human Resources 360-893-6500, ext. 4028 joyc@orting.wednet.edu; Section 504 Coordinator Dr. Jennifer Westover, Exec. Director for Student Support Services 360-893-6500, ext. 4027 westoverj@orting.wednet.edu. Information about the nondiscrimination and sex-based discrimination policies and grievance procedures, and how to report a concern or complaint can be accessed here. Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Right.

Email: collinsk@orting.wednet.edu Kevin Collins, Principal

Email: cronind@orting.wednet.edu Danielle Cronin, Asst. Principal

Email: edickr@orting.wednet.edu Becca Edick, Counselor A-K

Email: ollerj@orting.wednet.edu Jessica Oller, Counselor L-Z
Website: https://www.ortingschools.org/Domain/10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrtingMiddleSchool/

Instagram: ortingmiddleschool
Location: 111 Whitehawk Boulevard Northwest, Orting, WA, USA
Phone: (360)893-3565

Fax: (360)893-2919