Orchard View Elementary

Newsletter

March 2025

Dear OVE Families, 

A huge thank you to everyone who helped their child participate in our “Dress as Your Favorite Book Character” Reading Celebration Day! It was a fantastic way to wrap up the week and launch into the South Bend Cubs Reading Challenge, which runs throughout March. Students will have weekly reading goals set by their teachers, and if they meet all four and make it to “home plate,” they will receive a ticket voucher for OVE Night at the Ballpark on May 9th! Just thinking about spring and baseball brings a smile to my face!

I know that many students and families, including my own, were hit hard by illnesses in February. As we transition into spring, I’m hopeful that warmer weather brings better health for everyone. If your child is unwell, please keep them home to rest and recover. However, if they are feeling well, regular attendance is key. Consistency and routine are essential for our young Eagle learners!

March also marks the start of the testing season for our 2nd and 3rd-grade students. The IREAD testing window opens on Monday, March 3rd, and runs through Friday, March 14th. This test has become increasingly high-stakes, and our teachers and students feel the pressure. Please encourage your child by reminding them that they are prepared and capable. At OVE, we frequently say, "We can and will do hard things," and that mindset is especially important this year. Your support for both students and teachers during this time is greatly appreciated!

The third quarter ends on March 21st, and paper copies of report cards will be sent home on March 26th. Spring parent-teacher conferences, primarily for students whose teachers have requested a meeting, are scheduled for March 27th. Conference details have been sent home, and sign-ups are available through our OVE Facebook page and website.

Finally, if you know a family with an incoming kindergarten student, please remind them that kindergarten registration is open!

As always, feel free to reach out to me by phone at (574-825-5405) or email at martink@mcsin-k12.org with any questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Fly Eagles Fly,

Mr. Martin, Principal








March Menu

Breakfast

Lunch

Mornings can be rushed, but it is important to make time for breakfast. Children can benefit from the School Breakfast Program! Studies show that school breakfast can raise test scores while improving classroom attentiveness and behavior. Make sure your kids start the school day with a healthy meal!

Free/Reduced Meals

Click here to apply online for free or reduced meals. If you do not have internet access and need a paper copy of the form, please call the school. If your financial situation changes at any point during the school year, you may apply for free or reduced meals.

Meal Prices

BREAKFAST: $1.70 per day $8.50 per week

LUNCH: $2.45 per day $12.25 per week

REDUCED BREAKFAST: $0.30 per day $1.50 per week

REDUCED LUNCH: $0.40 per day $2.00 per week

If your child receives free or reduced meals and packs their lunch, but wants milk, they need to buy milk. Milk costs $0.65.

Counselor's Corner

Lesson Topics

All OVE students are participating in varying levels of lessons focusing on self-regulation. These lessons aim to help create a common language with emphasis on our various "zones" based on the foundations of Zones of Regulation and Trauma-Based Relational Interventions. We hope that this will further our awareness of how we move in and out of different emotional zones throughout the day and allow for a foundation of common language with students and staff!

Nurse Notes

nurse hat

Please make sure your child has an extra set of clothes in their locker. We are out of clothes in the clinic and have had many students get wet during recess.

If your child borrows clothes from the clinic please make sure to launder and return clothing back to the clinic.

We are out of pants and socks. If you have pants or socks that your child has outgrown please consider donating them to the OVE clinic.

Please make sure to communicate any medical conditions your child may have with our nurse. This also includes any medications that are taken at home.

If you would like to be notified of your child's nurse visits please sign up for a SchoolCare account. This can be found in your Parent PowerSchool account. If you need assistance with signing up, please contact our nurse!

Contact info:

  • Email: Delvallea@mcsin-k12.org

  • Direct line: 574/822-5069

LINQ Connect

Student Meal Accounts

OVE parents, did you know that you can easily deposit money into your student’s meal account? When you register with the Linq Connect website, you can make deposits, set up recurring deposits, OR just use the website to monitor what your child is purchasing in the OVE cafeteria. You can also set up notifications to let you know when your child’s balance is low. In addition, you can apply for free or reduced meals on the same website at any time during the school year. Go to linqconnect.com from any computer, tablet or mobile device and create a free account. There is also a mobile app available in the Google Play Store and Apple Store. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Gini Bennett, Bookkeeper, at 574-825-5094.

March Events

1 Kindergarten enrollment posted online

3 South Bend Cubs reading challenge begins

3 PTO meeting @ OVE

3-14 IREAD

4 School Smiles @ OVE

4 School board meeting 4pm

5 Eagle Council meeting

6 1st grade music program

7 PTO raffle tickets order form due

7 PTO online auction opens

14 Carnival 5:30pm-8:00pm

18 School board meeting 4pm

21 End of quarter 3

26 Report Cards

27 Parent teacher conferences

*Be on the lookout for OVE's Spirit Store to re-open!

April 4 No School

April 7-11 No School

Happy Day Club dates

March 3

March 10

March 17

March 24

March 31

Running Club dates

March 11

March 13

March 18

March 20

March 25

April 1, 3, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29

Eagle Feather Winners for the month of February. These students were recognized by staff for displaying outstanding leadership! Great job Eagles!

Eagle Feather

No particular order: Luke Kauffman, Torin Kuehn, Alex Miller, Makena Ybarra

We are still looking for volunteers for the upcoming carnival on March 14th.  Due to changes with the Civics program at the Middle School and a Choir event at the high school this weekend, we are short on student volunteers.  If we are not able to fill slots, we will have to look at limiting the number of games available to our students that evening.  

Slots are set up in a manner that you can volunteer and still have time to walk around with your student.  

Carnival Volunteer Sign Up

Kindergarten
Art
Bean