Outstanding Things About Orting School District

Congratulations to every Orting School District student and staff member for the successful ending of the 2012-13 school year. As we near the start of the summer, I wanted to take a moment to pause to reflect about the many accomplishments that have been achieved over the past year that help  make Orting School District the outstanding preK-12 district it is. I also recognize that it is the people that make the difference and affect the lives of students. Here are some hallmarks of the work that we have collectively accomplished:

• Orting High School earned a 2012 School of Distinction Award from The Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) for being in the top 5% of improvement of all schools in Washington State.
• Ptarmigan Ridge families collected 2,458 pounds of food for the Orting Food Bank and 3,139 items of food and other needed items during a three-day food drive in November.
• Orting resident, Mrs. Amy Lalone received the WASA 2013 Honorary Award for Community Leadership for her volunteer service projects including book fairs, bulletin boards, chaperoning and hosting community recognition events. 
• The Cardinals excelled on the athletic field with wrestling finishing third in the state and 2A league champions. The football team represented OHS proudly with an appearance in the 2A state play-offs, and track & field athletes 4x1 relay finished third in the state.
• In this year’s graduating class four students have a perfect GPA of 4.0 and 67 students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  For the first time a graduate is entering West Point Military Academy and 13 graduates earned both an AA degree and a high school diploma.
• Orting staff forged ahead by implementing the Washington State Teacher/Principal Evaluation Pilot during the school year – a full year ahead of statewide implementation.
• “Falcon It Forward,” a student recognition program at Orting Middle School, took flight this year. Students who have shown ‘random acts of kindness’ to create a positive, warm environment at school were awarded a blue bracelet with the program’s motto.
• Ten students at Orting Primary School had perfect attendanc for the 2012-13 school year. Research shows consistent school attendance helps students reach academic success.
• Technology upgrades – the district launched a new and improved website in November and provided online access for parents and families to student data and accounts.
• We have bright students, talented staff, dedicated parents/families, and a supportive community!
• Orting Primary School offered two full-time tuition-free kindergarten classes this year and will add one more for next year.
• Ptarmigan Ridge Intermediate School had 34 students with perfect attendance and 47 who missed only one or two days this year.
• Ptarmigan Ridge Intermediate School started the school year with 525 students and ended with 553.
• Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord joined Ptarmigan Ridge students on three occasions this year; twice for physical fitness testing and once for their school-wide “No Bully Boot Camp” field day.
•  Ptarmigan Ridge had 36 students who have read over 1,000,000 words, and three who have read between 4,500,000 to 5,500,000 million words this year.
•  With support from Communities in Schools Ptarmigan Ridge’s fifth graders visited St. Martin’s University after studying the “I’m Going to College” program.
• Ptarmigan Ridge Intermediate School hosted over 150 girls in grades two through five and their mothers at the “Discover Your Inner Beauty” program presented by Kathleen Hassan, a nationally known speaker on empowerment.  The program was made possible through partnerships with Communities in Schools, Orting Combined PTA, Pierce County Community Connections, and Orting Standing Together on Prevention.

As you can see, there are many accomplishments for which we can all take great pride and satisfaction. It is clear that the Orting School District is affecting the lives of our students and their futures.  

I hope everyone finds some time for a well-deserved break this summer. I look forward to seeing our students, their parents, and our staff in the fall as we continue to build on this year’s success.