Ordway Weekly Newsletter - November 10, 2025

Inside this Newsletter

It’s been a vibrant start to the school year in art!

Students have explored expressionism, using color, texture, and mixed media to express their feelings about the new year. All students have focused on observation and developing their craft as a studio artist.

Students explored Día de los Muertos traditions through textile and wire art honoring loved ones. They collaborated on a colorful Catrina mural for the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art exhibition. In addition, they practiced observation, contour drawing, and spatial measurement while designing houses and sea life connected to the Wit & Wisdom curriculum.

Students focused on color mixing, line work, and the basic elements of art. Projects included Yayoi Kusama–inspired dotted pumpkins, 3D color wheel mobiles, observational drawings, Laurel Burch–inspired cat artworks, and mixed-media rainbow mobiles.

In all grades, the art room is buzzing with creativity, curiosity, and joy—students are growing as artists and storytellers through every project!

Lishu Rodriguez & Jill Queen

Last Friday, we welcomed veteran friends and family to our annual Veterans Day Assembly. Our 3rd and 4th graders celebrated with songs and a prepared speech honoring all the veterans in attendance. Our Ordway Otters deeply appreciate your service to our country.

BISD will conduct a test of our emergency alert system on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m.

This routine test helps ensure that we can quickly reach staff and families by phone, text, and email in the event of a real emergency or weather-related closure.

If you receive a message that day labeled “TEST MESSAGE”, no action is needed. It simply confirms that your contact information in ParentSquare is up to date and our system is functioning properly.

If you do not receive the test message, please check your ParentSquare settings or contact your school’s office to confirm your contact information.

To manage your settings in ParentSquare - please use this link:

Thank you for helping us make sure we can communicate quickly and effectively in any situation.

Get ready for the Ordway Parade of Condiments on Wednesday, November 19th, at 1:00 PM! We are collecting donations of condiments and other non-perishables. See list of items HERE.

Please drop items in the collection boxes outside each classroom. We also need volunteer chaperones! If you can help, please contact your child's teacher. To ensure volunteers can focus fully on Ordway student safety, please arrange childcare for any younger siblings.

Pacific Northwest fall weather is here!

We hold recess outside on the playground, rain or shine. Please send your student with warm clothes and a jacket, and pack a change of clothes in case they slip, slide, or tumble into a wet or muddy spot. If they need to change, most children feel more comfortable in their own clothes rather than borrowed items from the nurse’s office. Take a moment to find something comfortable for them to change into, pack it in a ziplock bag, and place it at the bottom of their backpack.

Did you know that these dates are on Ordway Parent Square and the Ordway Website? And you can subscribe to the Ordway Calendar? See information above about how to sign up for Parent Square.

11: VETERANS DAY - NO SCHOOL

19: PARADE OF CONDIMENTS

26-28: THANKSGIVING BREAK

1-3: SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

18: WINTER-SING-ALONG: 4TH GRADE FAMILIES INVITED

This page on the BISD Website publicizes information about community events as a service to non-profit community organizations. These events are perceived as appropriate for students, parents, and families. Interested in submitting news and events? Learn how to do so by visiting our webpage, Distributing News & Events.