OMS Friday Knight Live
May 12, 2023
In This Newsletter:
- Yearbook Distribution & Signing Information
- School Supply Lists for 23-24
- Student Council & Community Service Club
- Testing Days May 15 & 16
- 8th Grade Celebration Information
Yearbook Distribution & Signing Information
Families may verify the purchase of yearbooks by logging into ParentVue and checking the Fee page. The yearbook will be listed under “Paid Fees” and will show as “YRBOOK Yearbook 22-23 OMS”.
Orders and payments for 2023 yearbooks were due by January 31st. Any yearbook purchased after Jan 31 is for the 23-24 school year
Families and students need to check ParentVue in Paid Fee section for purchase verification of this year’s 22-23 yearbook
Please do not contact the office, the bookkeeper, teachers, or yearbook staff for purchase verification
Extra yearbooks are not ordered for purchase. We often receive a small number of overruns.
Students who have not purchased a yearbook have been entered into a random lottery drawing at each grade level to purchase any extra yearbooks received.
If you are contacted and wish to purchase the extra yearbook, your student must bring exactly $25 cash in a labeled envelope to Mrs. Trimble in room # 24th by Friday, May 19th to secure their books. Exact payment only! Payments will not be accepted for extra books in the front office OR after May 22nd.
If you are not contacted regarding the extra yearbook lottery then there are no yearbooks available for purchase.
All students who purchased a yearbook will receive it on the morning of May 26th.
Students who did not purchase a yearbook will receive an autograph book free of charge.
Yearbooks will NOT be distributed before May 26th. Students who are absent or unable to pick-up their yearbook on May 26th will have to contact the front office to arrange pick-up during summer hours starting May 30th.
Signing will take place on May 26th for all students. Students will need to bring a pen/marker on signing day.
Any/all signatures and markings in yearbooks need to be school appropriate. These books have been purchased and are considered personal property. Please speak to your students about respecting others during the signing process.
School Supply Lists for 2023-2024
School supply lists for 2023-2024 are now available. Many items on the lists can be reused year after year (calculators, binders, pencil pouches, etc.)
Supply kits may be purchased through the PTO. Kits will be shipped directly to your home. Purchasing the kits is optional, families may purchase items on their own or Click HERE to purchase 2023-2024 School Supply Kits via the PTO
Student Council and Community Service Club
On May 4, OMS volunteers from our Student Council and Community Service Club donated their time to help package personal hygiene products at Giving the Basics in Kansas City, Kansas. Giving the Basics is a local organization that provides personal hygiene and cleaning items to patrons in need in the KC community. Over 250,000 people access products each month from GTB. On our volunteer day, we worked from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. and packaged 6,212 items! Way to go, Knights!!! If you would like more information about Giving the Basics, please visit their website at https://www.givingthebasics.org/.
Testing Days for 6th & 8th grades May 15 & 16
Testing continues on May 15 & May 16 for the 6th and 8th grades. Make sure all chromebooks are fully charged and brought to school for testing days! OMS does not have extra chromebooks to lend! Please make sure to use ParentVue to notify us if you are picking up your child early. We will not easily be able to pull your child from testing areas without prior notice.
8th Grade Celebration
- Dress attire for students is nice, business casual, and school appropriate.
Students will change into an 8th grade t-shirt (given to them that day) and comfortable clothing following the celebration before heading to Main Event.
Helpful Repeated Information
Start looking under couches! All Library Books Due May 22
ALL student library books are due by the end of the day on Monday May 22nd. Books not turned in by Monday the 22nd will be charged book replacement fees. Students with missing library books will not be able to pick up their yearbook until the library book is returned or the replacement cost is paid.
7th Grade Field Trip Information
7th grade students received their May 25 KC Zoo permission slips on Tuesday. Signed permission slips and payments are due to your student’s Social Studies teacher by Monday May 15th. Payments and slips should be turned in together (make checks out to OMS and no change given for cash). No late slips or payments will be accepted!
Parents – want a free trip to the zoo? Chaperones are still needed! Please email Mrs. Dugan at JDugan@bluevalleyk12.org.
Parents Still Make a Difference May newsletter
The final 22-23 edition of the Parents Still Make a Difference newsletter is available. Articles include Responsible Choices about Digital Devices, Quality Summer Time, Middle Schoolers and Summer Reading, Shyness, and so much more!
Click HERE for the May 2023 newsletter
**Chromebook Replacement Shortage**
OMS families, it is important for students to charge their chromebooks every night and bring them to school every day! There are currently no replacement chromebooks available at Oxford during the day. For chromebook problems, please try the tips below from Mrs. Harvey.
Student with chromebook issues should try these tips first then see Mrs. Harvey in the library (when she is not teaching class). Classroom teachers and office staff cannot fix chromebooks or order a replacement.
Click HERE for Chromebook Troubleshooting Tips
Register for the 2023-24 school year today
Middle school registration for the 2023-24 school year is open and online now for current students and families. Registration is required annually and is the time to update your child’s information (phone, email, emergency contacts, health information, etc.). At this time, you have access to pay all required fees with the exception of course fees. Course fees will be assigned in September.
Completing registration now confirms that your child will attend school in August and helps the district appropriately staff classrooms. Thank you for providing important information as part of the registration process. For more information about registration, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/registration.
Not Returning to OMS Next Year?
If your student is not returning to OMS for 2023-2024 please notify our registrar at BDCastle@bluevalleyk12.org Thank you.
**8th Grade Information**
8th Grade Celebration Date Is Set!
8th grade families, the 8th grade celebration is set for Thursday May 25th from 8:00am - 9:30 am. The PTO needs volunteers if we are going to have a celebration - watch for signups coming soon!
Click here for 8th Grade Celebration Information 2023. This information was sent out in an email last week. Mark your calendars to submit pictures, field trip fee and permission slip by April 28th. Field trip forms coming home today: Friday, April 7th. Ask your student for the form!
Pictures needed by April 28! A baby/toddler photo and a current photo are requested (.JPGS Only and all school dress code standards apply). All photos are due April 28! The photos are the highlight of the 8th grade year end activities - do not let your child be left out! Email 2 photos with student’s First and Last Name to oxfordmspto@gmail.com No LATE submissions!!
Main Event field trip - 8th graders will be going to Main Event on May 25 after the celebration. Permission slips and money must be turned in to your student’s ELA teacher (not the office) by April 28 All checks should be made out to Oxford Middle School and all cash should be in a sealed envelope with student first and last name on the front (no change available at school). Money to be turned in to your student’s ELA teacher. No Late submissions!!
2023-2024 PTO Open Positions
We have open positions next year for President, Vice President, Fundraising Chair, and Newsletter. Please contact current PTO President Laura Pulliam, Lauraannpulliam@gmail.com or 913-948-2132, if you have questions or would like to discuss. We need YOU!
TOP 5 REASONS TO JOIN THE PTO BOARD
1) IMPACT: As a PTO Board member, you have the opportunity to positively impact your child’s learning environment in significant ways. The PTO Board decides how to allocate funds to purchase learning resources such as new books for the library, in-classroom tools, subscriptions, field trips, and more. The PTO also gives funds to support the teachers and staff to help ensure they feel supported, productive and happy.
2) NETWORK: Expand your network both inside and outside of school by being on the PTO Board. Get to know the teachers and staff that interact with your children, meet other parents who want to make a positive impact, and get the inside scoop on what’s going on at the school.
3) FLEXIBILITY: There is a valuable role on the PTO Board to accommodate any interest or availability. Ask about role descriptions and estimated time commitments. We even have opportunities to co-chair.
4) EXPERIENCE: You bring valuable skills to help the PTO do more with available resources. Being on the PTO Board can allow you to try something new that may be of interest and learn new skills for yourself!
5) TITLE: If you’ve ever had aspirations to rock the Vice President title, now is your big chance!
Student Pickup Requirements
Parents and Guardians, just a reminder on the procedure to pick up your child from Oxford. You must park your vehicle, come to the front doors to ring the doorbell, and show your driver’s license or id. We cannot send your child out of the building without these steps being completed. We ask that you wait for your child to exit the building. The safety of all our students is of the utmost importance.
Morning Entry Time for OMS
The entry doors to OMS do not open until 7:15am. With warmer temperatures students will be waiting outside until the entry doors are unlocked. Students may ring the doorbell if they have a morning rehearsal.
Blue Valley Food Pantry Now Open
Family members can now make an appointment at the Blue Valley Food Pantry. This choice pantry is intended to provide hands-on vocational training for high school students with disabilities while also providing a food resource for families and employees. To learn more, please visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/bvpantry.
Appointments will be available on days school is in session from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To schedule an in-person appointment, please visit the Food Pantry website. At this time, we are not taking orders or appointments by phone. Families will select “Make a Shopping Appointment” on the website. The food pantry is located inside of the Hilltop Conference Center, 7700 W. 143rd St.
Kansas Education Enrichment Program
Our social worker has provided information regarding the KEEP program which can assist with education related costs. Click HERE for the flier.
Student Picture Gallery
The OMS website has a Student Picture Gallery showing everyday classroom activities, science labs, activities, clubs, athletics, and special events. Want to see 8th grade science labs? Community Service and Student Council projects?
Click HERE for the Student Picture Gallery and feel free to download your favorite shots!
Traffic Lane Tips
Safe Schools Reporting
Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all of our schools. Through the convergence of physical and intellectual security measures, we are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of emergencies. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns
Student Absence Reporting ** Help Needed
Parents/Guardians we need your help. Please do not email or call staff members directly about student absences, late arrivals, or early dismissals (that includes Mrs. Orenstein, Mrs. Domoney, Mr. Holsapple, or any teacher). When those individuals are absent, your messages do not reach the attendance team.
We Highly Encourage you to use the “Report An Absence” feature in ParentVue. You may leave comments in the notes section if you are notifying us of a late arrival or early pick up. Please do not call Mrs. Orenstein directly – call the attendance line at 913/239-5505.
Thank you – we appreciate your assistance.
Student text “Come Get Me”?
Parents and guardians, we need your help. If your student texts or calls you from their cell phone saying they don’t feel well and want you to pick them up — please tell them to go to the nurse’s office. The school tracks contagious illnesses, number of students out due to illness, and Nurse Piper watches for illness trends. Your student should only be calling you from the nurse’s office if they are going home ill.
Families, it is flu and cold season. Please keep your students home if they have (or in the past 24 hours have had) a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Candid Photos for Yearbook and Website
OMS families we would love to have some candid photos of your student at games, meets, practices, etc..
Photos must be .jpg, .jpeg, or.png for inclusion on the website, the parent newsletter, and the yearbook.
Photos must be in focus
Please do not send multiple photos of the same pose, group, or action – we love variety!
Thank you for uploading photos directly to the yearbook google drive! Click HERE for the 22 23 Yearbook Photo Link
Securly at Home
Your child’s online safety, in the palm of your hand. The time to take action is now. We recognize that student safety and well-being in the online world is a shared responsibility between our schools and families, and with Securly - the district’s cloud-based filtering system - taking an active role in your child’s online safety has never been easier.
Click HERE to access the Securly Parent Toolkit to setup your parent portal and custom notifications.
OMS Building and Office Hours
Doors open in the morning for students at 7:15am – students will be waiting outside until the doors open. Students are to proceed to the Commons/Gym and they may not go to lockers or to classrooms. Students must be in their seats in their 1st period classroom by 7:51am. When the afternoon bell rings at 3:00pm students must leave the building unless they are at a supervised after school activity or practice. Office hours are 7:15am - 3:30pm.
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