Skip to main content
District

Ordway Weekly Newsletter - Tuesday January 20, 2026

Posted Date: 01/20/26 (11:58 AM)
View Original Post


Ordway News
pic

Tuesday January 20, 2026

Inside this Newsletter

  • STEM News
  • El Velero Lottery
  • Kindergarten Information Nights
  • Conferences
  • Car Wash PTO
  • BSF Gala
 

STEM Updates!

Dear Ordway Families,

Ordway STEM students have been busy exploring engineering, coding, forces, and energy through hands-on projects! Students are practicing the STEM cycle — Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Evaluate, and Improve — to solve real-world challenges while building critical thinking skills.

Kindergarten wrapped up a Fairy Tale engineering unit, building houses for The Three Little Pigs, ladders for Rapunzel, and a zip line for Little Red Riding Hood. A favorite project waswas engineering a paintbrush and using it to paint a picture. Next up: coding with Code & Go Mice!

1st Grade completed a sound and light unit, making stained glass art, rainbows with prisms, and learning about transparency and opacity. Their next unit will focus on Coding and Lego BricQ to explore forces and motion.

2nd Grade designed walls to prevent erosion during flash floods and discussed real-world impacts of flooding in our state. Students will move on to coding using Lego Spike and Lego WeDo 2.0.

3rd Grade finished their Invisible Forces unit with magnets — highlights included floating a pencil with magnetic force and “unlocking” a door with magnets. Next they’ll explore Simple Machines and use them to build more complex inventions.

4th Grade is studying energy and moving into electricity. Students will build flashlights and heat spinners while learning about circuits, conductors, insulators, and energy transfers.

Ask your child about their STEM projects — they love sharing what they’ve built and discovered!

Sincerely,
Jocelyn Jablonski, STEM Teacher (K–4)
 
El Velero

Kindergarten - El Velero Lottery

Enrollment for the 26-27 school year has begun! For Ordway that means our El Velero program is accepting Lottery Applications for incoming Kindergarteners. Interested in other grades please refer to our webpage.

We also have an El Velero Kindergarten open house coming up next month. Join us!

El Velero (Spanish Immersion)
Wednesday, February 4 | 6:00 p.m.
Ordway Elementary School | 8555 Madison Ave North
Kindergarten Information Night
 
kinder

Kindergarten Information Nights & Choice Program Dates

Families with a rising kindergartener are invited to learn more about kindergarten options in Bainbridge Island School District. Join us for our general kindergarten information night and program-specific events to explore both neighborhood schools and choice programs.

🎒 General Kindergarten Information Night
Thursday, January 22 | 6:00 p.m.
Blakely Elementary
4704 Blakely Ave NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Learn about kindergarten from representatives of all BISD elementary schools and get answers to your questions. More information at www.bisd303.org/kindergarten. Let us know about your rising kindergarten student by completing this form.

Enrollment for 26/27 school year is OPEN 4 pm 1/5. Enrollment Link

🎓 Choice Program Information Nights
Along with traditional kindergartens at BISD neighborhood schools, BISD offers choice programs (meaning families choose to enter them through a lottery). Attend these program-specific information nights to learn more!

🌍 El Velero (Spanish Immersion)
Wednesday, February 4 | 6:00 p.m.
Ordway Elementary School | 8555 Madison Ave North
Kindergarten Information Night

🏫 Odyssey Multiage and Mosaic Home Education (COS)
Tuesday, January 27 | 6:30 p.m.
Commodore Options | 9530 High School Road
Kindergarten Information Night

* Lottery note: Applications for Odyssey and El Velero are due Thursday, February 12 at 9:00 a.m.
 

Conferences February 11-13 - No School

Conferences are February 11-13. Conference sign ups open in Skyward this Wednesday January 21st at 3 pm.
 
Car wash tickets
Purchase Car Wash Tickets
 
gala
Purchase Tickets
 
Calendars

Ordway Calendar

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

JANUARY
21 - CONFERENCE SIGN UP OPEN IN SKYWARD
22 - KINDERGARTEN INFORMATION NIGHT @ BLAKELY

FEBRUARY
02: PTO MEETING
04: EL VELERO INFORMATION NIGHT @ ORDWAY
11-13: CONFERENCES - NO SCHOOL
12: EL VELERO LOTTERY FORMS DUE
16: PRESIDENTS DAY - NO SCHOOL
17-20: MIDWINTER BREAK - NO SCHOOL
 
local events

Community Events

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.

 

Non-Discrimination Statement

Bainbridge Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, the presence of any sensory mental, or physical disability, neurodivergence or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.  The BISD 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:

Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator & Title IX Coordinator:
Kristen Haizlip, Associate Superintendent
206-780-1058
khaizlip@bisd303.org

Section 504/ADA Coordinators:
Annalisa Sanchez, Director of Student Services
206-780-1069
asanchez@bisd303.org

Maria Kuffel, Director of Student Services
206-780-1088
mkuffel@bisd303.org

8489 Madison Avenue North Bainbridge Island, WA 98110