The Middle Matters
OMS Parent Newsletter October 8-23, 2022
Inspiring Excellence. Every Learner. Every Day.
From Your Principal
Now that we are settling into the school year, we are also to the point of implementing interventions to help our students succeed. Below is an explanation of the different options we have!
Homework Help: Wednesdays after school from 2:45-3:45 in the East Learning Commons. This can be assigned by a teacher (with a phone call home) or can be a walk-in by students. This is a quiet time to get caught up with practice with some support.
SOAR: Built-in intervention/enrichment blocks every other week. See below for more information.
Saturday School: Starts this Saturday, October 8 from 8:00-11:00. This is by invite based upon need to catch up on practice. A light breakfast is provided and is staffed by two OMS teachers. If your child has not been invited to this but you are intersted in having him/her attend, please reach out to the main office and ask to speak to one of the administrators. Saturday School runs once or twice a month depending on the schedule.
We WANT your child to be successful, but we understand that everyone learns at a different pace. These interventions are opportunities to ensure students are staying on top of their learning and giving them additional support as needed.
SOAR
We will hold our second SOAR session on Wednesday, October 12. For those of you new to OMS, SOAR is an intervention block we build into the schedule every two weeks. The time is broken down into two sessions. If a teacher needs your child for reteaching, catching up on practice, or reassessing, they will lock your child into sessions. If your child is not assigned to a classroom, they will have the opportunity to sign up for enrichment activities that include a variety of options for students. Our intent is to help intervene with academic support during the school day. Many students are not able to stay after school because of transportation or other obligations. This time allows us access to your children to be support their learning. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out to the school!
Calendar
Monday, October 10:
B Day
Morning Choir - Choir Room - 7:00 am
Pledge of Allegiance - 8:10 am
Directors Meeting for One Act Play - 100B - 2:40 - 4:15 pm
Tuesday, October 11:
A Day
Practice A for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Detention - TBD- 2:45 pm
Wednesday, October 12:
B Day
College Wear Wednesday
SOAR (See adjusted schedule below)
End of Wheel 1
Practice B for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Homework Help - Learning Stairs - 2:45 pm
Thursday, October 13:
Morning Basketball - Big Gym - 7:15 am
A Day
Practice C for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Detention - TBD- 2:45 pm
Flu Shot Clinic - Nurses Office - 3:30 pm
Friday, October 14:
Chamber Orchestra - Orch. Room - 7:00 am
Morning Basketball - Big Gym - 7:15 am
B Day
Monday, October 17:
A Day
Morning Choir - Choir Room - 7:00 am
Pledge of Allegiance - 8:10 am
Superintendant's Advisory Council Meeting - Learning Stairs - 10:00 am
Tuesday, October 18:
B Day
Jazz Band - Band Room - 7:00 am
Chamber Orchestra - Orch. Room - 7:00 am
Coffee and Chat - Learning Stairs - 7:15 am
Practice A for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Detention - Rm 304 - 2:45 pm
Wednesday, October 19:
A Day
College Wear Wednesday
Walk-in Wednesday for AVID - Rm 101 - 7:30 am
School Store - All Four lunches
Practice B/C for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Homework Help - Learning Stairs - 2:45 pm
Best Buddies Club - N206 - 2:45 pm
Thursday, October 20:
NO SCHOOL
Friday, October 21:
NO SCHOOL
SCREENAGERS
Owatonna Public Schools and Exchange Club Center for Family Unity invite you to a free screening of "Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age," the first feature documentary to explore the impact of screen technology on kids and offer parents and families proven solutions that work.
Tuesday, November 1
6:00-7:30 pm
Owatonna Middle School, 500 15th Street NE
Register here
Visitors
All visitors must enter through Door #1 on 15th St NE. All visitors must have a scheduled appointment or be here under special circumstances. You will need to present a valid ID in order to enter. Please let our security officer know who your meeting is with and he will call them down to the security office to escort you to and from your meeting.
Reminders
- Every student must bring their Chromebook to school every day, fully charged. This does affect students' PAW scores under Work Habits! Teachers will be using these on a daily basis; it is crucial your child brings his/her computer to school every day!
- Cell Phones are "AWAY FOR THE DAY". No cellphone usage between 8:10-2:40. Phones must be put away in lockers and not on their persons.
Learning is taken very seriously at OMS; therefore, we try to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum:
-Please do not bring or arrange deliveries of bouquets, balloons, stuffed animals and the like to students. They will not be accepted.
-Encourage students to remember their Chromebooks, lunches, gym clothes, musical instruments, etc. We do not have staff to deliver these items, nor do we call the classrooms to have the students come down and pick up the items.
-Make afterschool arrangements with your student before school, if possible. We do not interrupt classrooms for these types of messages.
We believe that taking these simple steps will reduce interruptions to the classroom and will help our students stay more focused on their learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
My child has an unplanned absence. What should I do? Call the attendance line at 444-8705. Leave your child’s name, grade and a reason for absence. To ensure the health and safety of all students and staff, please list specific symptoms of illness for Public Health Tracking. Please leave parent's name and a phone number where we can reach you at in case we have further questions.
My child is going to be absent in the future. How should I handle this? You may call the attendance line in advance at 444-8705. Leave your child’s name, reason for absence and the date(s) they will be gone.
If I have questions about my child’s attendance, who should I call? You may call Mrs. Hunt at 444-8711.
My child will be late coming to school due to an appointment or leaving early due to an appointment? What should I do? For late arrivals: Please call the attendance line at 444-8705 before 9:00 am. State your child’s name and reason they will be arriving late. When they arrive, they may enter through the 15th St NE doors and go directly to the office to check in with Mrs. Denton to get a pass to class.
For early dismissals: Call the attendance line before 9:00 am. Leave your son/daughter’s name, reason for dismissal and the time you want them dismissed. They will receive a pass before their departure time. They may keep this pass to show their teacher. The student then proceeds to the 15th St NE doors and shows the Security Guard their pass. When they see you pull up, they may head out to your vehicle. It is not necessary to come in to the building.
The 15th St NE entrance are the only doors students may enter and exit through between 8:10-2:40 pm.
Can my child get homework if they are absent? Homework can be requested if the student has been gone more than two days. You may call or email the teachers to gather the homework. Typically we require one full school day to gather the homework for students. If possible, the teachers may email you the homework; otherwise, it may be picked up in the office at the end of the school day.
How is my child doing in school? Parent Portal is a very useful tool to follow your child’s progress in school with grades and attendance. If you have not yet requested a username and password, please contact your child’s counselor.
Lindsey Mesich: Students A through K 444-8724
Olivia Gullickson: Students L through Z 444-8548
If you have any questions about grades or assignments, please contact your child’s teacher. If you are concerned about a pattern that you are seeing with academics, please contact your child’s counselor. Their contact information can be found on the website.
Conferences are also held two times per year. You are encouraged to attend with your child. The dates are November 3 and 7 and again on March 9. All conferences are held in the individual classrooms and run from 3:30-7:00 pm. (These dates may be subject to change.)
Who do I contact if I am concerned about my child’s mental health and personal well being. Please contact the school social worker that corresponds to your last initial.
Janessa Jandt: Students A through K 444-8727
Chely Flores: Students L through Z 444-8719
How do I pay on my child’s lunch account? There is a payment box outside the office where your son/daughter can drop off payments. Please put it in an envelope and write your child’s full name and grade. You may also pay online on Infinite Campus. Just log into your Parent portal to access this option.
We are at home and having problems with our Chromebook, who do I call? Please call the Chromebook Technology Hotline at 444-8630 or fill out this form.
I have to work late and want to pick up my child late. Can they just hang out at the school? Can I drop them off early? All students must be dropped off after 7:55 a.m. and picked up by 2:50 p.m.