The Middle Matters
OMS Parent Newsletter Sept. 26-Oct. 7, 2022
Inspiring Excellence. Every Learner. Every Day.
From Your Principal
To those of you who drop a student off at school,
Thank you for your patience as we try to get a system in place that keeps the traffic flowing as much as possible in the back parking lot. We usually have two adults helping direct traffic. We appreciate you helping us by pulling up as far as possible on the curbside before dropping off your child. The inside lane can then be used to pull out and continue to the exit. By not having students dropped off in the inside lane, we are providing a much safer experience for your child so they are not crossing through moving cars. It also helps alleviate the clogging of the parking lot for those who have to move out at the end of the day for coaching, meetings, etc. We know it isn't perfect, but it seems to be moving much better than in the past. Remember that you can always drop off along St. Paul Road; there is a sidewalk to the north and south of the baseball diamonds that can help your child get to the building safely!
SOAR
We will hold our first SOAR session on Wednesday, September 28. For those of you new to OMS, SOAR is an intervention block we build into the schedule every two weeks. In addition, the time is broken down into two sessions. If a teacher needs your child for reteaching, catching up on practice, or reassessing, they will lock your child into sessions. If your child is not assigned to a classroom, they will have the opportunity to sign up for enrichment activities that include a variety of options for students. Our intent is to help intervene with academic support during the school day. Many students are not able to stay after school because of transportation or other obligations. This time allows us access to your children to be support their learning. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out to the school!
Calendar
Monday, September 26:
B Day
Morning Choir - Choir Room - 7:00 am
Pledge of Allegiance - 8:10 am
Tuesday, September 27:
A Day
Practice A for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Multilingual Parent Meeting - Learning Stairs - 6:00 pm
Wednesday, September 28:
B Day
SOAR (See adjusted schedule below)
Kona Ice Visit (during all four lunches)
Practice B for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Homework Help - Learning Stairs - 2:45 pm
Best Buddies Club - N205 - 2:45 pm
Thursday, September 29:
A Day
Picture Retakes 8:10-10:30 am - Performance Platform
Sixth Grade Field Trip
Practice C for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Friday, September 30:
B Day
Scots Field Trip - Dartts Park
Homecoming - 2 hour Early Release (see schedule below)
Monday, October 3:
A Day
Morning Choir - Choir Room - 7:00 am
Pledge of Allegiance - 8:10 am
Tuesday, October 4:
B Day
Jazz Band Tryouts - Band Room - 7:00 am
Practice A for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Detention - Rm 304 - 2:45 pm
Wednesday, October 5:
A Day
Practice B for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Homework Help - Learning Stairs - 2:45 pm
Thursday, October 6:
Morning Basketball - Big Gym - 7:15 am (Athletic Entrance open 7:10-7:20 am for entry)
B Day
Courage Retreat - Mavericks
Practice C for One Act Play - Performance Platform - 2:40 pm
Detention - Rm 304 - 2:45 pm
Friday, October 7:
Morning Basketball - Big Gym - 7:15 am (Athletic Entrance open 7:10-7:20 am for entry)
A Day
Chamber Orchestra - Orchestra Room - 7:00 am
Courage Retreat - Dragons
School Store Open - All four lunches
Homecoming Schedule
September 30, 2022
Lifetouch Picture Retake Day
September 29
8:10-10:30 am
Stage Area Cafeteria
Order your pictures here.
Students wanting retakes must return their picture packet.
Parents and Guardians of Owatonna Middle Students:
We are excited about a special opportunity at Owatonna Middle School. We are hosting the Courage Retreat workshop for our 7th grade students, which will focus on the value of courage. Youth Frontiers Incorporated of Minneapolis will present the workshop. This non-profit organization has been working with students in grades K-12 for over 20 years providing workshops on important values such as kindness, courage and respect. Their purpose is to build the character of young people, and by doing so they work to improve the climate of schools. OMS has hosted this retreat for 7th graders for a number of years, and we are looking forward to a wonderful opportunity for learning and building school community. This workshop will be held at Owatonna Middle School on October 6 and October 7. The workshop will run from 9:00-2:30 each day. Students will eat lunch here at school just like a normal school day.
Youth Frontiers requests that students not have their phones during the retreat. We will be asking students to leave their phones, chromebooks, backpacks and other belongings in their lockers. We also encourage parents and caregivers to talk with their students about the workshop experience once they return home. Thank you for your support of OMS as we strive to build and support exceptional character in our students.
Visitors
All visitors must enter through Door #1 on 15th St NE. All visitors must have a scheduled appointment or be here under special circumstances. You will need to present a valid ID in order to enter. Please let our security officer know who your meeting is with and he will call them down to the security office to escort you to and from your meeting.
Reminders
- Every student must bring their Chromebook to school every day, fully charged. This does affect students' PAW scores under Work Habits! Teachers will be using these on a daily basis; it is crucial your child brings his/her computer to school every day!
- Cell Phones are "AWAY FOR THE DAY". No cellphone usage between 8:10-2:40. Phones must be put away in lockers and not on their persons.
Learning is taken very seriously at OMS; therefore, we try to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum:
-Please do not bring or arrange deliveries of bouquets, balloons, stuffed animals and the like to students. They will not be accepted.
-Encourage students to remember their Chromebooks, lunches, gym clothes, musical instruments, etc. We do not have staff to deliver these items, nor do we call the classrooms to have the students come down and pick up the items.
-Make afterschool arrangements with your student before school, if possible. We do not interrupt classrooms for these types of messages.
We believe that taking these simple steps will reduce interruptions to the classroom and will help our students stay more focused on their learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
My child has an unplanned absence. What should I do? Call the attendance line at 444-8705. Leave your child’s name, grade and a reason for absence. To ensure the health and safety of all students and staff, please list specific symptoms of illness for Public Health Tracking. Please leave parent's name and a phone number where we can reach you at in case we have further questions.
My child is going to be absent in the future. How should I handle this? You may call the attendance line in advance at 444-8705. Leave your child’s name, reason for absence and the date(s) they will be gone.
If I have questions about my child’s attendance, who should I call? You may call Mrs. Hunt at 444-8711.
My child will be late coming to school due to an appointment or leaving early due to an appointment? What should I do? For late arrivals: Please call the attendance line at 444-8705 before 9:00 am. State your child’s name and reason they will be arriving late. When they arrive, they may enter through the 15th St NE doors and go directly to the office to check in with Mrs. Denton to get a pass to class.
For early dismissals: Call the attendance line before 9:00 am. Leave your son/daughter’s name, reason for dismissal and the time you want them dismissed. They will receive a pass before their departure time. They may keep this pass to show their teacher. The student then proceeds to the 15th St NE doors and shows the Security Guard their pass. When they see you pull up, they may head out to your vehicle. It is not necessary to come in to the building.
The 15th St NE entrance are the only doors students may enter and exit through between 8:10-2:40 pm.
Can my child get homework if they are absent? Homework can be requested if the student has been gone more than two days. You may call or email the teachers to gather the homework. Typically we require one full school day to gather the homework for students. If possible, the teachers may email you the homework; otherwise, it may be picked up in the office at the end of the school day.
How is my child doing in school? Parent Portal is a very useful tool to follow your child’s progress in school with grades and attendance. If you have not yet requested a username and password, please contact your child’s counselor.
Lindsey Mesich: Students A through K 444-8724
Olivia Gullickson: Students L through Z 444-8548
If you have any questions about grades or assignments, please contact your child’s teacher. If you are concerned about a pattern that you are seeing with academics, please contact your child’s counselor. Their contact information can be found on the website.
Conferences are also held two times per year. You are encouraged to attend with your child. The dates are November 3 and 7 and again on March 9. All conferences are held in the individual classrooms and run from 3:30-7:00 pm. (These dates may be subject to change.)
Who do I contact if I am concerned about my child’s mental health and personal well being. Please contact the school social worker that corresponds to your last initial.
Janessa Jandt: Students A through K 444-8727
Chely Flores: Students L through Z 444-8719
How do I pay on my child’s lunch account? There is a payment box outside the office where your son/daughter can drop off payments. Please put it in an envelope and write your child’s full name and grade. You may also pay online on Infinite Campus. Just log into your Parent portal to access this option.
We are at home and having problems with our Chromebook, who do I call? Please call the Chromebook Technology Hotline at 444-8630 or fill out this form.
I have to work late and want to pick up my child late. Can they just hang out at the school? Can I drop them off early? All students must be dropped off after 7:55 a.m. and picked up by 2:50 p.m.