Owatonna Public Schools
District Newsletter - August 2021
2021-2022 School Year
The official start to the 2021-2022 school year is Monday, August 30, 2021.
K-5 students and families will have before school interviews on August 26, 30 and 31. The first day of school will be on Wednesday, September 1.
6th grade students will have orientation on Monday, August 30. 6th-8th grade students' first day of school will be Tuesday, August 31.
9th-12th grade students will begin school on Monday, August 30.
Calendars
Single-page Academic Year Calendar
School Hours
Elementary: 7:55 am - 2:25 pm
Grades 6-12: 8:10 am - 2:40 pm
For more information about our school buildings, please click here.
Health and Safety Protocols
The Safe Learning Plan that was in place last school year has expired. COVID-19 cleaning protocols will remain in place across Owatonna Public Schools, but several of the requirements that were in place due to COVID-19 are no longer in effect. Please note:
Face coverings for all students and staff will be recommended (not required) in school.
Every student and adult who rides on a bus will need to wear a face covering.
Isolation time for students or staff who contract COVID-19 is 10 days with no testing requirement to return to school.
Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and a full list of health and safety guidance will be shared with students and families as the school year gets closer or as conditions change.
Safe Learning Plan
Throughout the school year, Owatonna Public Schools' Safe Learning Plan will use guidance from state and local health department officials, local medical experts, and Minnesota Department of Education to advise our practices. Our goal is to maintain a normalized environment where students can learn and teachers can teach.
Our plan includes information regarding health and safety, face coverings/masks, cleaning/sanitizing procedures, transportation on school buses, safe food services, and visitors and volunteers.
Owatonna Public Schools prioritizes student/staff safety and health, data-driven decision-making and the importance of local school districts to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of their students, families and communities. We continue to work closely with local, county and state partners to educate, promote and encourage the community of Owatonna to help us provide a safe and healthy learning environment.
To view the Safe Learning Plan, click here. For more information about COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 Response website.
Before School Interviews
Owatonna Public Schools is committed to creating strong student and family relationships and fostering a positive first experience. Students in grades K-5 will start next school year on Wednesday, September 1st to allow time for before school interviews to take place.
Before school interviews allow teachers to meet individually for 30-40 minutes with students and parents before the start of the school year. All kindergarten students will sign up for an individual 30-minute interview conference time on either Thursday, August 26th or Monday, August 30th. All students, grades 1-5, will sign up for an individual 40-minute interview conference time either on Thursday, August 26th, Monday, August 30th or Tuesday, August 31st.
Students will meet one on one with their teacher for approximately 40 minutes to learn more about them and assess their reading level. Parents will complete paperwork during this time. Following the teacher meeting, students will stop at stations to complete FASTBridge reading assessment and school pictures. Students in grades 1-4 will also complete their vision and hearing screening. The teachers are looking forward to getting to know your child better at the beginning of the year.
Parents should have received an email with their child’s teacher's name and a link to sign up online for an interview time. If you have questions about signing up for a time, please contact your elementary building office.
OPS Welcomes New Washington Elementary Principal
Mrs. Libby Zeman has been hired as the new principal at Washington Elementary. Mrs. Zeman has been an employee of Owatonna Public Schools for 16 years, working as a teacher, a Teaching and Learning Coach at McKinley, and then as Interim Principal at Lincoln Elementary. She has a passion for supporting all learners by providing for their academic and social-emotional needs. She builds strong relationships and has a child-centered approach. She believes building strong partnerships between families and the school are vital to the success of our students. Welcome to Washington, Mrs. Zeman!
Game Tickets
All game tickets and activity passes will be presold through Hometown Ticketing this year.
All Big 9 Conference schools, as well as MSHSL will be using Hometown ticketing for their online ticket purchasing.
Online ticketing will be used for all events that require tickets for admission. Tickets can be scanned from your phone or printed and scanned.
Game tickets will be made available for spectators 1-2 weeks prior to events.
Ticket box office available at www.owatonnaactivities.com - click on the blue box “Hometown Ticketing.” Tickets are also available on the OHS website at www.isd761.org - click on “our schools and Owatonna High School,” “activities” and “Hometown Ticketing.” Game tickets and activity passes are available.
Tickets are non-refundable. Ticket refunds minus the service fee will be provided for CANCELLED games only. No refunds for postponed games.
Cash purchases will be available for those who do not have credit card accessibility.
Activity passes are available as an online option and scanned at the gates.
Click here for the activity pass rates.
To purchase activity passes or game tickets, click here.
Back to School Reminders
Health Services
Should your child stay home from school?
Immunizations: Is your child ready for school?
COVID-19
If you are feeling sick, stay home. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after you are exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. Not everyone with COVID-19 has all of these symptoms, and some people may not have any symptoms.Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about symptoms. Refer to the Decision Tree for People with COVID-19 Symptoms, found on the Minnesota Department of Health’s website.
COVID-19 Basic Principles
Sick students, teachers and staff should not come to school.
Enforce regular handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.
Disinfect & clean daily: schools and highly used objects and surfaces
Social distancing
Wear cloth face coverings as recommended by MDH/MDE and your local leadership.
School Breakfasts and Lunches
Breakfast and lunch meals are free to all students through the end of the 2021-22 school year due to a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) allowing us to operate the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) during this time.
Nutrition Services strives to offer students a variety of healthy, tasty, and high-quality foods to fuel their growing bodies. Students are encouraged to actively participate in our meal program by eating breakfast and/or lunch and providing feedback about the meals. Each school meal offers milk, fruits, vegetables, protein, and grains, making each meal a great value and convenience for busy families. Milk is provided with each breakfast and lunch meal. If students wish to purchase a carton with their cold lunch from home or a second milk with their meal, they must have funds in their account. The cost is $0.45 per carton.
Click the links below to learn more about the following topics:
Breakfast and lunch meals are free to all students again this school year. However, we ask that all families continue to complete an Application for Educational Benefits to determine if your children are eligible for other benefits, such as reduced rates for activity fees and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits. These applications also help provide critical funding for educational interventions, school social workers and counselors, and instructional materials. Visit our website to apply for educational benefits. Paper copies are available at the District Office. Applications may be submitted any time throughout the school year.
Annual Notices
Learn More
Other Updates and Events
School Board Meetings
The August 23 school board meeting has been changed to Monday, August 30 at 5:30 PM at the Owatonna Public Schools District Office, 515 West Bridge Street, Owatonna.
The School Board is an elected body formed by Minnesota law to conduct the business of the school district at open meetings, which the public may observe, with specific exceptions such as negotiation strategy or litigation (see policy 205, Open Meetings and Closed Meetings, on the school district website). In the interest of open communications and hearing the concerns and views of the public, the School Board gives the public an opportunity to address the Board in the "Public Forum" portion of the regular business meetings. Guidelines for public forum can be found on the school district website: www.isd761.org/our-district/school-board/meeting-dates.
Owatonna Public Schools board meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of each month at 5:30 PM in the Board Room at the District Office (515 West Bridge Street) with some exceptions. Typically, the second Monday of the month is a work session and the fourth Monday of the month is the regular business meeting. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed and changes will be updated on the school district website. Click here for the school board meeting schedule.
New High School Construction Update
As promised, the school district turned to community members to assist with the concept and final design of the new high school, and construction has begun! The three-story high school will contain new classrooms, state-of-the-art industrial arts labs and shop spaces, an 825-seat auditorium, a four court gymnasium with a second level walking track, and a large commons/cafeteria space in the center of the building. The new high school will be located on a 90-acre site in Southeast Owatonna with parking lots for 890 vehicles. The project also includes a 3,481-seat stadium, eight tennis courts, four multi-sport practice fields, two softball fields, two baseball fields, and a synthetic turf stadium field surrounded by a nine lane track.
The community can monitor construction progress by visiting the school district website www.isd761.org and clicking on “New High School.” Photos as well as time-lapse videos will continue to be updated on the website throughout the project.
Staff and students of Owatonna Public Schools remain grateful for the community’s partnership and support for the school district and the new high school facility.
Current High School Site
Owatonna Public Schools has received input from the community to help write the next chapter for the current high school campus. In November 2019, the community voted to build a new high school and to allocate $8M toward repurposing the current high school campus for school district and/or community needs. Engage Owatonna offered the District a platform to gather ideas from community members to help decide how the current Owatonna High School property will be used and supported.
District administration collected ideas and prioritized them. The information will be provided to a newly commissioned community member task force that will be established this fall.
Community Education
Watch for upcoming Community Education events and brochures! Arriving soon in your mailbox will be information for Early Childhood Family Education, Adult/Youth Enrichment, and Adult Basic Education. Fall special events are posted on the Community Education website. Registration for Early Childhood Family Education begins on August 27. Registration for Adult/Youth Enrichment begins September 8.
Some special events include:
August 30: 55+ Driver Discount Program
September 24-26: Black Hills Photo Shootout
October 27: Music Man at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre
November 8-12: Holiday Branson Tour
For more information or to register, visit communityed.isd761.org or call 507-444-7900.
Digital Flyer Delivery
As a reminder, Owatonna Public Schools uses Peachjar to send school information and approved flyers from community organizations digitally. In addition to important school events and information, these flyers contain programs and events offered throughout your community that help your child succeed. After-school sports, local family events, free community programs, and college prep are just a handful of the resources found in our district’s Peachjar emails.
You can also find all school-approved digital flyers posted on your school’s flyerboard by clicking the Peachjar button on your school’s website under "Connections."
If your email address is on file, then no additional action is required. You will receive a welcome email from Peachjar that includes a username and password if you do not already currently have an account. To ensure smooth delivery of this communication, we suggest you add “school@peachjar.com” to your email contacts. When you receive your first Peachjar email, be sure to click “always display images.”
We look forward to a great school year!
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Contact Us
Email: shoffman@isd761.org
Website: www.isd761.org
Location: 515 West Bridge Street, Owatonna, MN, USA
Phone: 507-444-8600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Owatonna761/
Twitter: @Owatonna761