The Middle Matters
October 18-29, 2021 OMS Parent newsletter
Inspiring Excellence. Every Learner. Every Day.
Letter From the Principal
One of the challenges we are facing is student behaviors. If we could, we would ask that you have conversations with your child(ren) about appropriate school behavior. The world of Tik-Tok and other social media platforms continue to influence behaviors in school. A recent Tik-Tok trend to steal items from school hit Owatonna Middle School this week. While students may find these acts funny, they cause damage and take considerable time to investigate.
Social media continues to be one of our biggest challenges. We encourage you to check your child's phone on a regular basis. Snapchat, in particular, is used widely by our students even though students are supposed to be 13 years old to have an account according to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. While this is hard for us to police, all too often we deal with situations that are rooted in social media interchanges.
We will continue to work on things from our end by promoting all of the positives we see, and there are many, while addressing behaviors as they arise.
PAW
As we continue to work on grading at OMS, our PAW scores have become an important means of communication with families about their student's conduct at school. Practicing Kindness, Appropriate Conduct and Respect, and Work Habits are our three key areas. At the end of each quarter (or Wheel class), you will see final PAW scores; however, you may see scores posted earlier than that in some classes. We are doing this for a number of reasons:
- Supports more frequent or sooner communication from courses that have PAW scores only.
- Allows for conversations with students on their current progress and if there are improvements that need to be made.
- Acknowledges students who are continuously being AWESOME with PAW that we want to highlight early.
- Helps facilitate communication with you as parents about your child's behaviors/conduct.
- Supports conversations with our athletic programs, coaches, and Activities Coordinator recording PAW score concerns.
Calendar
A Day
7:00 am Early Bird Choir: Soprano (Choir Room)
October 19
B Day
No Tech Tuesday
2:45 - 4:00 pm One-Act Play (Performance Platform)
October 20
A Day
SOAR INTERVENTION SCHEDULE (See below)
College Wear Wednesday
7:00 - 8:00 pm Chamber Orchestra
October 21
No School - MEA
October 22
No School - MEA
October 25
B Day
7:00 am Early Bird Choir: Alto/Part Three (Choir Room)
3:30 - 7:00 pm Conferences
October 26
A Day
No Tech Tuesday
7:00 - 8:00 am Jazz Band Rehearsal
2:45 - 4:00 pm One-Act Play (Performance Platform)
October 27
B Day
College Wear Wednesday
2:45 - 4:00 pm One-Act Play (Performance Platform)
October 28
A Day
3:30 - 7:00 pm Conferences
October 29
B Day
7:00 - 8:00 pm Chamber Orchestra
Event Tickets: Get Your Tickets Online
Once you click on the link, scroll down a bit and click on the event you need to purchase tickets for - football, volleyball, etc. You can purchase a ticket for your child electronically and then text or email the QR code to them OR you can print it out for them. Electronic tickets through Hometown Ticketing is the new and preferred way to purchase game/event tickets.
SOAR: An Intervention Block
Those who are not pulled by a teacher for classroom needs will have the option to sign up for enrichment activities that cover a wide variety of options. We are excited for this oppotunity for our students as they work to show proficiency in their learning.
We Are Hiring
We need your help! Owatonna Public Schools has found it increasingly challenging to recruit candidates, especially in the following positions:
Substitute Teachers (4 year degree required)
Special Education Paraprofessionals
Custodians
School Aged Care Assistants
Nutrition Services Staff
MORE!
Why join our ISD761 team?
Make a difference for kids in your community
Chance to work near home
Personal and professional growth opportunities
Competitive wages
On the job training
Please apply today or help us bring new talent to Owatonna Public Schools by referring applicants to our team. Careers
GO HUSKIES!