Submitted by the Orcas Island School District.

For the last school year as well as this upcoming year, Orcas Island School District made the commitment to have the study of mathematics be a district-wide focus.

To make this happen, the Orcas Island Education Foundation gave the elementary school a generous grant to help in that endeavor.

The staff at Orcas Island Elementary school would like to give a big shoutout of thanks to the board and members of Orcas Island Education Foundation.

Last year, the elementary school adopted exciting new math curriculum. At the same time, we also added several new teachers to our school and had several classroom assignment changes. OIEF came to the rescue to pay for days teachers could acquire substitute teachers thus allowing for time to examine the components of the curriculum and collaborate with their teammates. The grant paid for teachers to visit schools that have successfully used the curriculum for many years, providing our teachers with deeper insights and time-saving tips.

Their grant will continue to pay for (full day of half-day) time for the teachers to work together and collaborate. We are a lucky island to have such generous and hard-working parents and community members within the Orcas Island Education Foundation. You inspire us.