Important Announcements:
Spring Break is April 16th-20th Enjoy your vacation
Our Mission:
The Mission of Orcas Elementary is to work collaboratively to enable all children to become creative, lifelong learners, critical thinkers and contributing members of society. We will encourage all children to reach the highest potential academically, socially and emotionally while fostering a caring respect for self, individual differences and the planet we share.
About Our School:
Orcas Island Elementary School is housed in the Nellie S. Milton Building, the historic home to the Orcas Island School District. The Milton building at one time housed all K-12 students on Orcas Island. Today Kindergarten through 6th grade students begin their educational experience in this classic school building. Both the Milton Building and the 100+ year old maple tree in-front of the school are community landmarks.
Currently OIES offers two full-day Kindergarten classes, traditional 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classes and a 1st-3rd grade Montessori class in the lower elementary along with traditional 4th and 5th grade classes, a 4th/5th multiage class, and a 6th grade program featuring multiple teachers.
Beyond the basic academic programs offered to all OIES students the school also features music education (including music theory, choir, band, and strings), physical education, arts education (visual, theater, and dance), and a unique Farm-to-Classroom program. Many of these programs are made possible by the continued generous support of the Orcas Island community.
The students at Orcas Elementary consistently perform above the state average on student assessments in all grade levels and content areas. For a more in-depth look at OIES scores along with demographic information click here.
Orcas elementary features an experienced and highly educated teaching staff with an average of 16 years teaching experience and over half of the teachers holding masters degrees.
The school benefits from wonderful parent and community support with an active PTSA and Site Base Council providing leadership and guidance in school activities and school improvement planning. Both the Orcas Island Education Foundation and the Orcas Island Community Foundation provide support for the school along with numerous other community organizations.
We are constantly working to improve our website any feedback is always welcome.
