Ordway Weekly Newsletter - March 9, 2026

Inside this Newsletter

March is coming in like a lion in the Ordway Music classroom and the musical excitement and instrument sounds are palpable! The month of March brings all things Irish to the music room and introduces our new Composer of the Month, Igor Stravinsky.

4th Grade has been working hard on their recorders and playing off songs in our Recorder Karate curriculum that lets them earn "belts" or beads, in our case, as they play off their different song levels. It's wonderful to be able to hear each student individually and see how far they have come with note reading.

3rd Grade have been having fun taking on some ukulele! Normally ukulele is introduced in 5th and 6th grade, but our Ordway Otters are tackling up to 3 chords so far and playing fun songs with gusto. It's been helping with perseverance, as well, when you have to really stretch those fingers.

Kinder through 2nd grade are now singing our favorite song, The Rattlin' Bog, and playing along with xylophones! We also started playing the singing game 1, 2, 3 O'Leary with bouncy balls, which is always a huge hit. K-2 will continue to build their solfege singing and rhythm skills.

We're already starting to think about and work on some songs for our end of the year evening performance and will be excited to share this with you. Stay tuned for more information and a save the date!

Sincerely,

Wendi Olinger

Ordway Music Teacher

This week is Educational Support Professionals week! Educational support professionals are an integral part of our Ordway community. We support students every day in a myriad of ways. Paraprofessionals work with students one-on-one or in small groups within the classroom, while our bus drivers, dispatchers, and maintenance teams ensure your children are delivered safely to and from school.

Our custodians clean the buildings from top to bottom and coordinate with the grounds maintenance teams to ensure repairs are handled promptly. Our nurse cares for injuries, illnesses, and ongoing medical concerns every single day. During recess, our monitors provide a fun, fair, and safe atmosphere for play, and at mealtimes, our food service team provides students with delicious, nutritious meals.

To keep us connected, our building tech support ensures digital tools are up and running to support our curriculum and communication. Finally, our office staff fields phone calls, requests, and schedule changes, addressing questions and concerns from parents, teachers, and children alike.

Please take a moment this week to thank one of the Educational Support Professionals that supports your child!

Thank you for sponsoring the Pacific Science Center Science on Wheels - Space Exploration this past Thursday. Every class attended an assembly, participated in a class specific activity and then visited the hands on learning stations set up in the library. It was amazing to have all of the adventure found at the Pacific Science Center delivered to our door!

Upcoming Events:

Ever wonder what happens when a bunch of stuffed animals spend the night together in the Ordway Library? Sign up for the Stuffie Sleepover and find out! Students are invited to bring one stuffie to school with them on Wednesday, March 25th. On this day, the PTO will collect each participant's stuffie, permission slip, and $10 fee (if you haven't paid online). Please contact Sarah Dunstan for scholarships. The night of the 25th, we will have several adult chaperones snapping photos and engaging the stuffies in fun activities! Families will be given a link to view these photos throughout the evening. Stuffies will be returned to their student the following day to take home. Visit the link for more information about this event and check out photos from other stuffie sleepover events happening around the country!

Knowing that you have a Kindergartener or that your family might be moving, helps us with staffing decisions for next fall. Keep us informed! Email me (Sarah Dunstan Ordway Office Manager) at sdunstan@bisd303.org.

Enrollment Link.

Did you know that these dates are on Ordway Parent Square and the Ordway Website? And you can subscribe to the Ordway Calendar?

13: BINGO NIGHT

25: STUFFIE SLEEPOVER

06: SPRING BREAK

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.