Otselic Valley Central School District

|| Duck Derby at Fishing & Heritage Day! Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 17th, and don’t miss one of the most exciting events of the day! Duck Derby Details: Location: Gorge Creek Bridge (subject to change) Time: 3:00 PM Prizes: • 1st Place - $200 • 2nd Place - $100 • 3rd Place - $50 Ducks are $5 each To purchase a duck, email Andrea Lehmann at ALehman@ovcs.org Proceeds benefit the OV FFA and the Otselic Valley Fishing & Heritage Association. Join us for this fun tradition and cheer on your lucky duck!

|| OV Wins on the Diamond! Both our softball and baseball teams brought home victories last night in exciting matchups against DeRuyter! • Softball took the win with a strong 22–10 finish • Baseball battled hard for a 12–9 victory Great job to all our athletes and coaches!

|| Our students have been cooking up something delicious! Check out these beef and cheese empanadas that our students made -- what a tasty way to learn! Great job to everyone involved!

|| Another Win for OV Golf! The OV Golf Team picked up another impressive victory Monday night, this time against Cincinnatus at Apple Creek! Top Scores: •Payne Wood - 36 (overall low scorer) •Owen Davis - 37 •John Schuyler (Cincinnatus) - 42 Final Score: OV - 251 Cincinnatus - 265 Great job to our Vikings for another strong performance on the course!

|| Elementary School End-of-Year Dates to Know! Check out key dates and reminders for the rest of the school year, including field days, musical, and concert information. View the full letter here: https://rb.gy/37plly Let’s finish the school year strong!

|| Middle & High School End-of-Year Dates to Know! Check out key dates and reminders for the rest of the school year, including awards, field trips, Regents exams, and graduation. View the full letter here: https://rb.gy/f1ovm3 Let’s finish the school year strong!

|| Healthy Kids Summer Camp Sneak Peek Open House! Friday, May 23 from 3:00-5:00 PM Otselic Valley Central School, Windowed Cafeteria We’re inviting families to come explore what’s in store for Summer Camp 2025! •Meet the friendly, caring staff who will make this summer fun and meaningful •Learn about the fun, hands-on activities planned for summer •Ask questions and learn more about joining Healthy Kids! Whether your child loves art, STEM, sports, or just making new friends, Healthy Kids Summer Camp has something for everyone. Let’s make this summer unforgettable, filled with adventure, friendships, and growth! We’re excited to grow our camp community and can’t wait to meet you at the Sneak Peek Open House!

|| Chromebook Challenge Warning We want to make all Otselic Valley families aware of a dangerous social media trend known as the “Chromebook Challenge,” which encourages students to insert lead or metal objects into Chromebook ports -- causing electrical shorts that can lead to serious fire hazards and toxic fumes. Please talk to your child about the dangers of this challenge. Damaging a Chromebook in this way poses serious safety risks and will result in severe consequences. || At OV, any student participating in this challenge will face disciplinary action, may be held financially responsible for the device (valued at approximately $250), and could be subject to expulsion and criminal charges for starting a fire. Your cooperation in helping us keep our students, staff, and school community safe is appreciated.

|| Celebrating 2nd Grade Habitat Dioramas! Our talented 2nd graders recently showcased their incredible habitat dioramas, and we couldn’t be prouder! These students put in so much hard work learning about their habitats and bringing them to life through their creative projects. Visitors who stopped by shared how amazing the displays were and how excited the students were to talk about their work. One person said, “They did a great job and are so proud!”

|| Explore Renewable Energy This Summer! We’re excited to share that SUNY Morrisville is offering Early Summer Renewable Energy Courses at a 50% reduced cost thanks to the Offshore Wind Training Institute Grant! If you’re interested in renewable energy, this is a fantastic opportunity to jumpstart your skills and explore a growing career field! || Learn more & register today: Learn more: https://shorturl.at/AFaDu Start your registration here: https://shorturl.at/jzYN0 Contact Sam Doubleday at DoubleS@morrisville.edu or 315-684-6299 for more information.

|| Upcoming Otselic Valley Board of Education Meetings & Budget Vote Monday, May 12, 2025 7:00 PM: Annual Budget Hearing Mirrored Cafeteria Tuesday, May 20, 2025 6:00 PM: Policy Committee Meeting Mirrored Cafeteria 12:00 PM–9:00 PM: Budget and Board Member Election Also voting on: • Public Library Levy • One Public Library Board Trustee Voting Location: Conference Room, South Otselic Building 8:30 PM: Business Meeting, Mirrored Cafeteria

|| Celebrating Decision Day 2025 at Otselic Valley! Otselic Valley is proud to recognize our Class of 2025 seniors as they announced their plans for life after graduation -- whether pursuing college, entering the workforce, joining the military, or exploring other exciting opportunities. We’re so proud of each student’s hard work, dedication, and bold dreams for the future. Here’s a look at the Class of 2025’s post-graduation plans: • Riley Bartlett will attend SUNY Morrisville for a degree in social services • Austin Brown will be employed by Integrity Lining Systems LLC • Aidan Brown-Smith will be employed by Buckley’s Excavating and Landscaping • Braeden Bunting will work in metallurgy and metal fabrication • Erie Comfort will complete a degree program in environmental science • Eric Cookingham, Jr. will complete a degree program in software engineering • Melody Cross Barnes will be working in food service • Caden Fuller will be entering the workforce • Carlie Golden will attend SUNY Morrisville to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse • Skyler Harvey will work in carpentry • Katie Kenyon is working on obtaining her Cosmetology License • Ryley Palmer will be employed by M&S Contracting • David Palmer III will be entering the workforce • Alexander Remillard has enlisted in the United States Army • Gracie Rooker will attend MVCC to complete a degree program in radiology • Caylene Russell will attend Cornell University to earn a degree in Veterinary Science

|| Morning Program Highlights! This morning marked our first OV Morning Program in several weeks, and it was so good to be back together! || Starting the Day Right: ✔️ Pledge of Allegiance & singing of the Star-Spangled Banner ✔️ Weather report & lunch menu ✔️ Character trait of the day: Cooperation! Students even performed a skit showing how to be cooperative. || Celebrations & Fun: Happy Birthday to our April/May birthday students: Kameron, Garrette, Caesyn, Hunter, Brooks, and Jessa! We all sang to celebrate. || OV’s Got Talent! We were treated to a kindergarten performance of an alphabet Mother’s Day song and a 2nd grade rendition of “Die with a Smile.” As always, there was plenty of dancing and laughter filling the room. It was wonderful to have everyone back together again!

}} A Sweet Thank You! We want to give a big shoutout to Ms. Cantrell, Mr. Wentworth, and their amazing students for baking Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite cookies -- Fat Rascals -- and creating wonderful brochures about Roosevelt for our recent community budget forums. Attendees loved the treats and were so impressed by the students’ creativity and hard work! Thank you for bringing history to life and showing such great community spirit.

|| We’re so proud of Otselic Valley’s own Mr. Joseph Gross, who was featured by WSKG Public Media as one of 14 outstanding educators during Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you, Mr. Gross, for the joy, creativity, and care you bring to your classroom every day -- you make a difference for our students and school community! (Originally shared from WSKG Public Media)

|| Throwback Thursday -- 1977 Edition! We had a request to find photos from 1977, and we delivered! Enjoy this Throwback Thursday look at the 1977 Girls’ Softball Team and the Varsity Baseball Team from the Otselic Valley "Reflections" Yearbook. Girls’ Softball: Row 1: Caroline Martin, Margaret Knickerbocker Row 2: Kim Wentworth, Martha Fox Row 3: Cindy Rounds, Lori Murray Row 4: Lori Brown, Kay Wentworth, Ann Hagen Varsity Baseball: Row 1: Jeff Wood, Jeff Rivenburgh, Mark Tefft Row 2: Mike Burt, Wayne Law, Tom Smith, David Coye Row 3: Coach Loomis, Jim Thorpe, Alan Kenyon, Doug Dutton, Herbert Neal, Richard Martin, Chris Boetcker

|| Food Partnership Helps Fill Our Cupboards at OV! Last week, our Liberty Partnerships Program teacher, Linda Gorton, made a trip to the Neighborhood Center in Vestal, NY, a nonprofit food recovery program serving 16 schools in Broome County. Thanks to her efforts, she brought back a carload of food for Otselic Valley students! The center partners with local businesses like Walmart, Target, Freihofer, Entenmann’s, and Starbucks to provide bread, snacks, frozen food, canned goods, hygiene items, and more. We’re proud to be the only school in Chenango County currently working with this amazing program! Ms. Gorton shared that this partnership could open the door to providing food and supplies right here in school for our students. We’re excited about the possibilities and grateful for her dedication to supporting our students beyond the classroom.

|| Movie Night Fundraiser this Friday -- Grades 2-5! The Class of 2030 and 2031 are hosting a Movie Night on Friday, May 9th from 3-5 PM in the library! Students will get to watch The Lion King or The Sandlot and enjoy pizza and snacks. || $5 entry includes: • A slice of pizza • A pack of chips • A drink Additional snacks, candy, and drinks will be available for $1 each. Please note: parents can send in permission slips and money up until Friday morning! || Parents: Please plan to pick up students at the library entrance.

|| Happy National School Nurse Day! Today we celebrate Mrs. Stacie Morse for her dedication, care, and the vital role she plays in supporting the health and well-being of our students and staff every day. As Otselic Valley’s school nurse, Mrs. Morse provides first aid and health assessments, coordinates care plans for students with health conditions, educates our school community on public health, administers medications, maintains health records, supports student athletes, and partners with families -- all while staying informed through professional organizations and the NYS Department of Health. An Otselic Valley graduate herself, Mrs. Morse is truly committed to serving our students, families, and staff. We are so grateful for all you do!

|| Celebrating Our Amazing OV Staff! In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day today, our PTO treated Otselic Valley staff to a delicious catered lunch today -- thank you to Kandi's Kitchen LLC for the incredible food! || We’re so grateful for everything our teachers and staff do each day to support and inspire our students.