This year's Literacy Trail pairs children's books with state parks and environmental education centers across New York, turning story time into outdoor adventure time.
Featured books and their trail stops:
Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature — Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve & Environmental Education Center, Allegany State Park
Ruby's Birds — Letchworth State Park
Fatima's Great Outdoors — Watkins Glen State Park
Berry Song — Green Lakes State Park & Rogers Environmental Education Center
Gather Round — Point au Roche State Park
Usha and the Big Digger — Mine Kill State Park
Over and Under the Pond — Thacher State Park & Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Avocado Magic — Taconic State Park & Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center
The Curious Garden — Marsha P. Johnson State Park
Last Stop on Market Street — Sunken Meadow State Park
Several titles are available in English and Spanish. Scan the QR code on the trail map for details on getting copies of the books and planning your park visits.
Presented by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, NYS Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
#NYStateParks #LiteracyTrail #GetOutdoorsNY
|| PreK & Kindergarten Sign-Ups (26-27 School Year)
This is a reminder to sign up your incoming PreK and Kindergarten students for the 2026-27 school year.
Our OV Pre-K Program received a positive NYSED review this year - meeting all state standards, recognized for strong program quality, and praised for strong family engagement.
Register here: https://www.ovcs.org/o/ovcsd/page/pre-k-registration
#OVPRIDE
Please join us in congratulating Wendy Roodenburg, Teacher Aide and member of our support staff, on
her retirement after more than 20 years of service.
Wendy also served as a bus aide and substitute in food service and custodial operations whenever needed.
Thank you, Wendy, for your dedication and willingness to help wherever you could!
Last week, students had the opportunity to become better swimmers at the Sherburne Earlville High School Pool.
Thank you to SE for hosting the program, and we have highlights from the program on the way.
#OVPride
|| Celebrating Deputy Kent Smith
This week we're celebrating our recent retirees. Please join us in congratulating Deputy Kent Smith, School Resource Officer, on his retirement after six
years of service to our district.
Thank you, Deputy Smith, for helping provide a safe and supportive environment for our students and
staff. We wish you a happy retirement!
#OVPRIDE
We want to share some important dates regarding our upcoming summer sessions for high school students. Please mark your calendars.
High School Summer School
The summer school program for high school students only will run from July 20th through August 13th.
Regents Review Sessions
The dedicated Regents exam review sessions will take place from August 3rd through August 13th.
Stay tuned for registration details and daily schedules. If you have any questions about eligibility or course offerings, please reach out to the guidance office.
The New York State Education Department has released the official August 2026 Regents Examination Schedule. If you are taking or retaking exams this summer, make sure to lock these dates and times into your calendar.
On Tuesday, August 18, the morning session at 8:30 a.m. includes Algebra I and English Language Arts. The afternoon session at 12:30 p.m. features Global History and Geography II as well as Algebra II.
On Wednesday, August 19, the morning session at 8:30 a.m. covers U.S. History and Government, Earth and Space Sciences, Physical Setting/Chemistry, and Physical Science: Chemistry. The afternoon session at 12:30 p.m. concludes with Geometry and Life Science: Biology.
Please keep in mind that strict uniform admission deadlines apply. Morning exam admissions close promptly at 9:15 a.m., and afternoon exam admissions close at 1:15 p.m. Additionally, students must verify the exact reporting times with their specific schools, as school-specific arrivals often differ from the official exam start times. Reach out to your local school counselor or administration to confirm exactly when and where you need to report.
Good luck to everyone preparing for their exams this summer.
Our summer feeding program at Otselic Valley CSD began on July 6 and ends on July 24. No program on Fridays. Breakfast: 7:30-8:30 Lunch: 11:30-12:30 and is free to ALL under the age of 18. We are an open campus so ANYONE can attend if they are under 18 years of age.
This week, we're taking a look back at some yearbook photos from Georgetown and South Otselic featuring members of the Class of 1976 during their school days!
As these classmates celebrate 50 years since graduation, we are proud to share a few snapshots from their journey. Thank you for being part of our shared history, and thank you to Gail Burpee for sharing the Georgetown and South Otselic yearbooks that helped bring these memories to life!
Here's what's happening at the Otselic Valley Public Library this July!
This month's calendar features the Kids Sewing Series, Storytime, Garden Club, a Dig Dinos program, a Tea Party, Archaeological Adventures in Upstate NY, weekly yoga classes, and more opportunities to learn, create, and connect with the community.
Take a look at the July calendar and plan a visit this summer!
|| The Viking Voice Is Here!
The May/June 2026 edition of The Viking Voice is now available. Catch up on news, stories, and celebrations from across Otselic Valley.
This issue features senior recognitions, student achievements, spring events, classroom highlights, athletics, and more from around the district.
Read it here: https://rebrand.ly/d6ggnym
|| Making a Splash on Water Day!
Our Pre-K through 2nd grade students wrapped up the ABC Countdown to Summer with one of their favorite traditions -- Water Day!
Students earned one water balloon for every level they increased on their benchmark assessments, giving them the chance to soak their teachers in celebration of all their hard work and growth throughout the year. Needless to say, the teachers got very wet!
It was a fun way to recognize our students' accomplishments and celebrate an incredible school year. Thank you to our teachers for making learning fun all year long -- and for happily taking a few water balloons to celebrate our students' hard work!
Have a wonderful summer, OV!
Congratulations to the 25 graduates who crossed the stage during Otselic Valley Central School's 56th Commencement Ceremony. Surrounded by family, friends, faculty, staff, and the community, the Class of 2026 celebrated years of hard work, perseverance, and achievement as they received their diplomas and looked ahead to the next chapter of their journeys.
During the ceremony, students were recognized for outstanding academic achievement, leadership, athletics, community service, citizenship, and scholarship through numerous local and regional awards. Congratulations to all of this year's award recipients and scholarship winners!
The evening also included several special recognitions. Otselic Valley honored Mr. Gregory Brown for his dedicated service and leadership as he retired from the Otselic Valley Board of Education.
In addition, two individuals were inducted into the OV Wall of Fame:
Roy Marshall, longtime school custodian, was recognized for his decades of hard work and unwavering commitment to the Otselic Valley community.
Thomas "Turbo" Thorp, beloved school bus driver and OV graduate, was honored for the kindness, humor, and genuine care he showed every student who stepped onto his bus. His ability to brighten a child's day and make every ride to school feel special left a lasting legacy that will never be forgotten.
Congratulations once again to the Otselic Valley Class of 2026! We wish each of you continued success and happiness as you begin your next adventure.
Once an OV Viking, always an OV Viking!
Congratulations to the Grade 3-5 award winners from this year's Viking Track and Field Day!
Great job to everyone who participated and helped make the day so much fun.!
Our Pre-K students recently celebrated an important milestone as they were recognized during a special end-of-year celebration!
Students shared what they hope to be when they grow up, with future careers ranging from police officers, teachers, bus drivers and more. They also sang a few songs as they celebrated all they have learned and accomplished this year.
Thank you to our Pre-K staff for their dedication, care, and support throughout the year, and thank you to our families for being such an important part in our students' success.
|| Dream Big Kindergarten!
As another school year comes to a close, our kindergarten students are ready to take the next step in their journey. This sweet video is a reminder that every dream begins with believing in yourself.
We are so proud of all they have accomplished this year and can't wait to see where their dreams take them.
Keep dreaming big, and have an amazing summer!
Watch the video here.
Our cafeteria staff helped make the last day of school extra special by serving lunch in fun beach-themed pails for our students. What a creative way to celebrate the start of summer!
A big thank you to our amazing cafeteria team for all they do each day to care for our students. We also want to extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Cafeteria Manager Barbie Hillman on her retirement. You will be greatly missed, and we wish you all the best!
|| A Memorable Last Day for OV Elementary!
To celebrate the end of another amazing school year, our elementary students took their final walk out of the building through a special OV tradition -- a hand bridge formed by our teachers and staff!
It was a great way to send our students off to a well-deserved summer break.
Have a wonderful summer, OV! We'll see you in the fall! 💛🖤
Watch the video here.
From Kindergarten to Graduation
As the OV Class of 2026 prepares to graduate, we took a look back at some familiar faces from their kindergarten days in the 2014 Infinity and Beyond yearbook.
It’s hard to believe how quickly the years have passed. We are proud of all they’ve accomplished and wish the entire Class of 2026 the very best as they begin their next chapter
School is almost out for the summer, but many of Otselic Valley's facilities remain available for community use!
Our baseball fields, soccer fields, and playground are open throughout the summer. The gymnasium and MPR can also be reserved through the facilities scheduling process.
The weight room is available during summer school hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
We hope you have a safe, active, and enjoyable summer!
