Owatonna Public Schools

School counselors and social workers work together to provide positive experiences for our students. They help students move towards this Desired Daily Experience - My child learns to respect every person, appreciating their own and other people's uniqueness and understands how to build healthy relationships.

Watch as Owatonna Middle School social workers and counselors share about their roles and how they work in partnership with families.

By Trina Kasper, early childhood social worker

Preschool is a crucial time for children to develop social and emotional skills that will shape their future relationships and interactions. It is important that adults who support young children are purposeful in the ways they help children learn to not only respect each person, but appreciate their uniqueness and ultimately build healthy relationships. Owatonna Public Schools begins helping children develop these skills far before they enter kindergarten. Within Owatonna’s Little Learners and Bright Beginnings preschools, students and staff focus on social emotional and relationship development almost constantly as these core skills are embedded into the heart of the program.

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The K-5 boundaries design process continues.

The next Input Team meeting is Tuesday, February 20, from 6-8pm in the Owatonna Middle School cafeteria and is again open to the public to attend, to listen and learn. Only Input Team members provide feedback at these meetings.

All community members will have a second opportunity to provide online feedback regarding the concepts the week of February 19.

Find more information on our boundaries design webpage.

Kindergarten registration for 2024-25 is open through February 25. Please visit the enrollment page to learn more and begin the process.

If you do not have internet or a computer, call 507-444-7900 to schedule an appointment to go to Roosevelt Community School (122 East McKinley Street) to complete the online application.

Owatonna High School is excited to announce that junior Theresa Wunderlich has been selected as one of the 2023-2024 state level MN State High School League ExCEL Award recipients. This is an incredible honor! ExCEL award recipients are selected from an independent panel of judges from schools throughout the state.

Theresa, along with the other state award recipients, will be recognized on 45TV during the broadcast of the 2024 winter tournaments.

Congratulations to Theresa on this great achievement!

Rehearsals are in full swing for the latest Owatonna High School musical production, Newsies!

Mark your calendars for the showtimes:

• February 23 and 24 at 7pm
• February 25 at 1:30pm
• March 1 and 2 at 7pm

Purchase tickets here.

During the January 22 School Board meeting, Superintendent Jeff Elstad recognized Offset Operator Gwen Vogt, Mail Courier Curt Matejcek, and Nutrition Services Courier Dave Purdie for their hard work behind the scenes to keep the district running smoothly.

Student school board representatives serve as non-voting members who are advisors to, and meet and work with, the school board and administration in the formation and evaluation of policy and regulations in the operation of our school system. Student representatives attend and participate at all open meetings of the school board, including work sessions.

Every spring, the two-year position is open to sophomores. Representatives of the school board and administration will review the applications, conduct interviews, and select the student representative by May. Apply by March 15 .

More information can be found on the school district website.

We all want our children to work hard and learn to be responsible members of the community. Every day, our Owatonna Public Schools school board members are leading the way by example. They give hours of their time so our children can have a first-rate education.

February is Minnesota School Board Recognition Month. We are grateful to our school board members for their hard work on behalf of our students. Be sure to thank them when you see them in the community.

School Board Members

Deborah Bandel, Elizabeth Hedlund, Tim Jensen, Jolayne Mohs, Mark Sebring, Eric Schuster, Lori Weisenburger

Student school board representatives - Erin Baker, Jace Forcelle

The community is invited to join Superintendent Elstad for “coffee and conversation” at the Owatonna Public Schools District Office (515 West Bridge Street, Door #1) on Friday, March 1, at 8:30am.

Hear an update on what’s happening in the school district, and bring any questions you have.

Minnesota’s Computer Science (CS) Working Group has been meeting regularly since October 2023 and has made important progress toward developing a state strategic plan for long-term and sustained growth of computer science education across all public K-12 and charter schools in Minnesota.

The CS Working Group has identified key priority areas and generated recommendations for the state’s next steps for CS education. The plan is now available for public review and comment through February 16, 2024. The finalized plan will be presented to the Minnesota Legislature by March 22, 2024.

Visit the MDE website to learn how to provide comments on the plan.

February 13, 15, and 16 - K-5 conferences

February 16 - Grades K-5: No school (conferences)

February 19 - No school

February 20, 6-8pm - K-5 Boundaries Design Input Team, OMS cafeteria

February 22, 3-6:30pm - Owatonna ALC (Area Learning Center) conferences

February 22, 3:30-7pm - Owatonna High School conferences

March 1, 8:30am - Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent, District Office

March 7, 3-6:30pm - Owatonna Middle School conferences

• February 12: School Board work session, 5:30pm
  
• February 26: School Board regular meeting, 5:30pm

Location: Charles S Crandall Center, Chambers, 540 West Hills Circle, Owatonna

Our Schools

Owatonna Bus Company

Nutrition Services

Health Services

Enrollment Office

Community Education

Technology

Celebrate our students, our staff and our schools by following us on social media. If you like what you see, be sure to share it with others. Together, we are #OwatonnaProud!

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@Owatonna761

District Calendars

School Websites
Breakfast and Lunch Menus

District Dashboard

Parent Email Community and School Flyers (PeachJar)

School Board Meetings

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