The Scoop: #OneOakHarbor In Action

KOMO News featured the historic construction of two new grant-funded schools for Oak Harbor in a segment featured last night. The story includes interviews with Crescent Harbor Elementary teacher Allison Reed, HomeConnection student Brenna Webster, and more.

“I think showing the dedication and investment in the schools, both for the community, the civilian side, as well as the military side, is incredibly valuable to show that for folks who won't come here to serve, that their children be well served by the educational system,” Captain Nathan Gammache, the Commanding Officer for NASW told KOMO News.

In celebration of Arbor Day on April 25, Oak Harbor Public Schools and the City of Oak Harbor Parks and Recreation worked together to plant trees at every elementary school across the district. 

The event is part of a five-year, $1.5 million grant supporting environmental education and outdoor activities in the community. This community-wide initiative demonstrated the shared commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability and hands-on learning opportunities for students.

At Olympic View Elementary Ms. Vangiesen's students were joined by Oak Harbor Fire Chief Travis Anderson and guest firefighters for Reading with a Leader! Reading with a Leader is a partnership program between Oak Harbor Kiwanis and Oak Harbor Public Schools. Kiwanis donated over 500 books to all second grade students, second grade teachers, and elementary school libraries. Then a community leader is chosen to read the book at a school which is also filmed for teachers and families to use for future read-along time.

Chief Anderson and crew not only read the Fly Guys Firefighters book, but also demonstrated equipment during the reading. The fire department customized the book which was given to the class with local photos and notes from firefighters. Thank you to Kiwanis and the City of Oak Harbor Fire Department for making reading special!

Oak Harbor High School's Choir Club Presents "Disney's High School Musical!" You won't want to miss this fun night of upbeat music and performances from our talented students. Proceeds for this Choir Club musical go to future musicals, club travel and other club expenses.

The show opens on May 1 with performances on May 1-3 and 8-10 at 7 p.m. at the OHHS SUB. Online tickets are available today or you can purchase them at the door.

Exceptional Academy students installed custom designed displays at schools this week to celebrate neurodiversity. Students and staff were also spotted wearing "Neurodiversity is Necessary" t-shirts to raise awareness.

On April 18 Oak Harbor art students and their families attended the 2025 Congressional Art Competition in Mount Vernon hosted by Congressman Rick Larsen. Congressmen Larsen and regional artists juried the art exhibition awarding the top 3 places to Oak Harbor art students! First Place went to Tessa Meyer, Second Place to Lillika Taitano, and Third Place to Peyton Bodenhafer! Tessa and family will be flown to D.C. for an awards ceremony where her piece will be displayed in the cannon tunnel White house area for 1 year. 

Thank you Oak Harbor High School art teacher Kit Christopherson for encouraging our talented students to participate and get recognized!

Big smiles and even bigger fun at Olympic View Elementary School today! The new accessible playground is officially open! Students in the Life Skills class participated in a ribbon-cutting and then enjoyed their new playground. It is equipped with soft mats and ramps to allow for students of all mobility levels to be able to have fun with their peers on the playground. This is part of an ongoing effort to ensure all students are provided with inclusive spaces for them to grow, learn and play. Earlier this year, our elementary schools installed communication boards to help students and staff communicate better together on the playground.

Congratulations to the North Whidbey Middle School Symphonic Band, lead by Patrick Manuel, for earning a Superior rating at the 2025 SJMEA Junior Large Group Festival at Anacortes High School this week. A "Superior" rating is the highest rating you can earn at a music festival.