Dear Owego Apalachin School Community,
I hope this message finds you well. I am thrilled to reconnect with all of you and to celebrate the tremendous success we've had at the start of the 2025–2026 school year.
The opening of the school year has been exceptionally smooth and joyful. It is inspiring to welcome our students and staff back, and the palpable excitement on their faces as they embark on new learning journeys and meet their new teachers and classmates is a testament to the positive culture we have built together.
Driving Our Success: Capital Project, College Courses, and the Blueprint for Excellence
This year is particularly exciting as we advance our collective vision across three major pillars of success: seeing the tangible benefits of our Capital Project, dramatically expanding access to College Courses and Internships for our students, and aligning all our work under the guidance of our strategic roadmap, the Blueprint for Excellence.
For any organization, success depends on many dedicated individuals, and this is especially true for our school district. I want to thank and recognize the tireless efforts of our maintenance staff, transportation department, food service team, support staff, teachers, and administrators. Even as we managed major construction, our buildings and grounds looked impeccable on opening day, classrooms were ready with engaging lessons, and our buses safely and reliably transported students to and from school. I also want to recognize our Board of Education, whose year-round service provides the essential leadership and stability for OACSD to thrive.
Campus and Academic Momentum
Our ongoing Capital Project continues to transform our campus, creating safer, more modern spaces for every student with updates to the gymnasium, music suite, and pool. We look forward to celebrating these updates with you during the next few months. Our recent Homecoming on October 18th was a spectacular event, highlighted by our first organized OA Hometown Tailgate, which was a huge success and truly exemplified our strong school spirit and community connection.
In academics, we are already seeing powerful results from our commitment to innovative teaching. Teachers who have implemented the Building Thinking Classrooms framework have shown significant improvement in math results from grades 3-5, proving that engaging, problem-based instruction works. We expect that with the addition of our new literacy program, which is focused on the Science of Reading, we will see continued growth in ELA as well.
A core part of that Blueprint is ensuring every student has the opportunity to challenge themselves and secure a head start on their future. To that end, we have dramatically increased student enrollment in College Courses (including Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment with local colleges) and expanded our Internship program, providing students with invaluable real-world experience and a critical edge as they pursue post-secondary goals.
Student Engagement and Community Partnership
Already, this school year has been filled with highlights, including new student orientations, open houses, and several successful athletic events and club kick-offs. Our students are truly embracing the wide array of offerings, from competitive new programs like Drone Soccer and Esports to Owego Racing, home to the Winners Circle Project. Furthermore, our student-run enterprise, Hawkeye Graphics, is exploding with success, providing hands-on business and design experience that links directly to our curriculum. Our athletes, coaches, clubs, and activity leaders are doing a wonderful job building school spirit and representing OA with pride. I encourage all students to take advantage of the many enrichment and academic opportunities available to them throughout the year.
Our Owego Apalachin community is vital to everything we do. Thank you for your continued support, for embracing the positive changes and improvements across the district, and for helping us make OACSD a place where every student can flourish. I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events throughout the year.
