OMS Friday Knight Live
August 25, 2023
In This Newsletter:
- Make-Up or Retake Picture Retake Day Sept. 7
- Upcoming Assessments
- FB & VB games added
- Congratulations OMS 8th Grade Choir!!
- Supporting Kids Mental Health at Back to School
- BV Student Code of Conduct
- Game Atmosphere at HS Games
- OMS Social Worker Resource Information
- No Microwaves available for student use
- School Day Access
- Slides from Canvas Parent Night
- Important Travel Outside of the USA Information
- Clubs at Oxford
Make-Up or Retake Picture Day is September 7
Any students who need to get their yearbook photo taken (or retaken) will have them taken at school on Thursday September 7. Parents/Guardians will receive an email from Jostens Pix after the 7th with a link to order pictures.
Upcoming Assessments
Students will take the following assessment next week:
Fastbridge ELA assessment:
7th & 8th grade- Tuesday, August 29th
6th grade- Thursday, August 31st
Football and Volleyball Games Added
Games have been added to the football and volleyball schedules. Click HERE for the Athletics page on the OMS website. Check your specific sport for schedules.
Supporting Kids Mental Health as They Go Back to School
From our social worker – article from the Johnson County Health Center: Supporting Kids Mental Health as They Go Back to School
BV Student Code of Conduct
The Blue Valley Board of Education approved updates to Board Policy 3500 - Behavior and Discipline at the August 14, 2023 Board of Education meeting. As part of this approval, there is a Student Code of Conduct document. We ask all families and students within our school community to review the contents, policies and procedures within this Student Code of Conduct.
Administrative actions taken as a result of a violation of the code of conduct are determined following proper investigation, review, and/or consideration of the age/grade of the student, context, and situation in which the behavior in question occurred. The scope of authority of the Blue Valley Student Code of Conduct applies at all times when students are on school buses or other vehicles used by the district to transport students, school district property, or engaged in official school activities. Additionally, this code of conduct applies to any student whose conduct at any time or place has a direct and immediate effect causing substantial disruption impacting the order of school operations and/or the sense of student and staff safety that exists in the school or school-related environment.
Students at Oxford have been made aware of behavioral expectations and the Code of Conduct through administrator sessions during FLEX classes.
Game Atmosphere at High School Games
Blue Valley families,
We are excited to have your families come to support our high school activities and athletics. It is great to see the entire community at these events. It is imperative that our parent community partner with us as we work to encourage positive elementary and middle school behavior at high school games or events.
We are asking that all elementary and middle school students enter the game with an adult and sit with that adult throughout the game. Please do not drop your child off at a district event without supervision as they will not be allowed to enter. It is challenging to monitor and keep all students safe without the help of our parent community. Thanks for your help with this protocol to make district events a great experience for all who attend. We hope to see your family cheering for our Blue Valley teams this school year.
Matt Ortman
Director of School Administration, Athletics and Activities
Blue Valley School District
OMS Social Worker Provides Resource Information
Sue Ellen Jayne is Oxford’s social worker. She can assist with connecting OMS families with needed resources and services. Ms. Jayne has a resource page on the OMS website where we post community connections. Her page can be found under Families → Social Worker Resources OMS
No Microwaves Available for Student Usage
Please be aware that there are no microwaves available for student usage for lunches. Please send hot items in an insulated thermos or container.
School Day Access
Visitors, including parents and guardians, are not permitted in the building during the school day unless they have a scheduled appointment or meeting. Once the school day has begun at 7:50am visitors must ring the doorbell (located to the right of the main doors). Adults who are picking up a student early must wait outside for the student to exit the building. Please see the School Policies and FAQs page on the OMS website for more information about the door entry system, item drop off, and student absences.
Slides from Canvas Parent Night
Here are the Canvas Tips shared at our Canvas Information Parent Night on 8.22.23. Thanks to our teachers: Ms. Anctil, Mrs. Kolquist, Mrs. McBride and Mrs. Mullin-Mall for presenting!
Important Travel Outside of the USA Information
This important message is for any family or staff that will travel out of the United States during the school year. Please click here to read the restrictions and recommendations for Out of the Country travel. Blue Valley resources such as Canvas, Classlink, and school email are not accessible out of the country unless you have a personal device with a VPN on it.
OMS Clubs
Helpful Repeated Information
A.M. Practices and 1st Period Attendance
Students who attend morning practices for football, cross country, or volleyball must be on time for 1st period at 7:51am. Students who choose to go home and change clothes must be in their 1st period seats on time or they will be marked late unexcused.
School Hours
Students need to be in their first hour class by 7:51 a.m.
6th & 7th grade students report to the Commons before 7:45 a.m. when they may go to lockers and classrooms
8th grade students report to the GYM before 7:45 a.m.
Students who eat breakfast will eat in the commons and then report to the commons or gym
School is dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Students who are not staying for a club or activity exit the building by 3:10 p.m.
Attendance alert options for OMS families
Every day OMS opens its doors to students for a day filled with learning. When a student does not arrive at school, or unexpectedly misses a portion of the school day, we are concerned and want to make sure you are aware that your child is absent.
Beginning Thursday, Aug. 17, families will be notified of unexpected absences through email, phone, text and optional push notifications. OMS families can expect automated attendance messages by email, phone and text at 8:40 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. if a child is absent and his/her absence has not already been reported by a parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to call the school to report an absence or reply to the automated email or phone message.
Families who would also like a push notification can download the ParentVUE app and manage their notifications. If a child has an unreported absence when a teacher submits attendance, then a push notification will immediately be sent to the parent/guardian's mobile device. Push notifications will continue throughout the day until the child’s absence is reported/excused, meaning a parent/guardian could receive multiple push notifications as attendance is typically taken with each class period.
Interested in push notifications? Simply download the ParentVUE app (iTunes app store or Google Play), enable push notifications in device settings and select attendance notifications through in-app settings.
Interested in OMS Spiritwear?
The PTO has created an online store that is open year round. 1st Place Spiritwear has a wide variety of Oxford pride clothing and accessories. A portion of each sale goes back to Oxford PTO to support our school! Mind the sizing guide as sizes tend to run small.
Preventing Game Access from Student Chromebooks: Opt-In Option for Securly Filter
The number one complaint this past year from parents has been student access to game sites during the school day. Parents can now choose to place their 3-12th grade students in the High Restrictions Filter Group by signing up here. The link has detailed information about the differences between the Default and High Restrictions Policies. The Securly update will be effective September 1.
*Educational Games sites used by curriculum will still be allowed.
Before/After School Information – No After School Care
We have had several families ask if middle school offers before or after school care (like Y-Care at the elementary schools). Middle schools do not offer any such options. There are clubs, activities, and after-school-homework help several days a week. But these options are not guaranteed every day and may be canceled if supervisor is out of the building. All families should have plans in place for their students to go home every day.
Interested in a carpool this year?
For students who do not receive bus transportation, families may fill out this form to see if other families near them are interested in arranging a carpool. Anyone who fills the form out will want to check regularly for new additions. Families who use this form will reach out to other parents and guardians on this form to arrange any carpools.
Welcome new OMS families!
We are looking forward to having you and your student at OMS this year. Need a place to start for Oxford information? Click HERE for OMS 2023-2024 Frequently Asked Questions
7th & 8th Graders: Is your chromebook ready to start school?
7th and 8th grade students are asked to power on their chromebooks and download any software updates before school starts. Please log a BV CARE ticket from the website for any chromebook issues before school starts.
Parents/Guardians For Your Refrigerator
We have created a Parent Reference Sheet and QR Codes for your reference during the school year. Scan the QR codes for links to reporting absences, adding money to lunch accounts, school day bell schedules, ParentVue, Canvas, bus company, and so much more!
Click HERE to download the 23-24 Parent Reference Sheet
Change in Lunch Account System
Blue Valley’s Food & Nutrition Services Parent Portal for online payments and monitoring student meal accounts was changed over the summer from Titan to LINQ K12 Solutions. LINKQ has an updated parent access system and app – the Titan system no longer works.
The new website https://linqconnect.com/
If you try to log in to the family.titank12.com website, you will automatically be re-directed to the new website https://linqconnect.com/
IMPORTANT! If you used the Titan Family Connect mobile app – it NO LONGER WORKS!
Parents will need to download the LinqConnect app from the Appstore or Playstore (this was communicated in the LINQ/Titan email to parents)
If you are having problems with logging into the new LINQ website or app and have requested their password reset, please look in their junk/spam folder for the reset message from LINQ(titan).
If you still don’t find the reset message or are having other issues specifically with the website/app they need to Contact LINQ at 1-888-464-5467 then choose Option 1 then Option 1. Oxford school personnel cannot reset passwords.
If parents have a question specifically about their students’ meal accounts (transaction history, transfer of funds or refund) please have them call Blue Valley’s Food & Nutrition Services at 913-239-4062.
Looking for OMS Information? Try the Website!
The OMS website has most of the information you will need for and during the school year. You can find the school calendar, class and lunch schedules, links to the lunch payment system, staff lists (including email addresses), rules about cell phones, how to notify us of a student absence, candid student and event photos, sports schedules, clubs and activities, and so much more! Our website is updated multiple times a week so check here for current updates! OMS Website
For the Latest Announcements and Information
Want to keep up on the latest OMS announcements and information? Check out the NEWS section on the OMS website. NEWS is located under the About Us tab.
Contact Us! We Are Here To Help!
Attendance Number: 913-239-5505
Mrs. Domoney, Principal: cdomoney@bluevalleyk12.org
Mr. Holsapple, Assistant Principal: jholsapple03@bluevalleyk12.org
**Cross Country Practice Monday 8/21 & Tues 8/22**
Due to predicted heat, Cross Country practice will take place @6:00am both Monday August 21 and Tuesday August 22.