OMS Friday Knight Live
May 19, 2023
May Pics
In This Newsletter:
- End of Semester Canvas & Grade Info
- Last Day of School May 26th- 10:50 a.m. dismissal
- MAP scores
- 8th Grade Chromebook Turn In
- 8th Grade Celebration May 25th
- 7th Grade Zoo Field Trip May 25th
- Check the Lost & Found!
- Yearbook Distribution & Signing Info May 26th
- Managing Middle School Technology- tips from our counselors
- School Supply Lists for 23-24
End of Semester- Important Information about Courses & Grades in Canvas
The end of the second semester is nearly here. Our students have had a great semester of learning and we continue to see the positive impacts of our learning management system, Canvas, in our classrooms. As we gear up for the end of the semester, please take note of the important information below regarding grades and courses in Canvas.
End of Semester Information
All assignments and work should be completed by the end of the day on May 24th. To view Past Enrollment Canvas courses open Canvas website in a web browser, log in, and click on the Courses tab. Click View All Courses and scroll down to find the past enrollments. Access Past Enrollment guide (Video tutorial)
Second-semester Report Cards will be published in ParentVUE on June 1st.
Need some help?
Blue Valley has a variety of resources available for parent support on the district’s Canvas web page, www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.
Last Day of School Friday May 26th
Friday May 16th is the last day of school with dismissal at 10:50am. Students will be picking up and signing yearbook/autograph books and attending an assembly. Students should only bring a pen/marker to school that day (No backpacks please). There will be no early pickups or late arrivals on Friday – if your student cannot arrive at 7:45am or stay until 10:50am then please report their absence via ParentVue.
MAP Scores
Students should have received their MAP scores this past week. Please see the attached letter for an explanation of the different score ranges.
Click HERE for 2023 MAP Letter
8th Grade Chromebook Turn In
Chromebook collection for 8th grade students will take place on Tuesday May 23rd.
8th grade chromebooks and chargers must be turned in (please do not return the black carry case)
Students who are taking a Blue Valley summer school class that requires a chromebook may keep theirs only if a parent/guardian emails TAElford@bluevalleyk12.org before May 23 (please include student first, last name, and what class they are taking)
Chromebooks will be scanned and removed from the student’s account during 6th period
8th grade students who do not return their chromebook will not receive a Mac device in high school
8th grade students who do not return their chromebook will not receive their yearbook
8th Grade Celebration
Parents and guardians, you are invited to join us at 8:00am for the 8th grade celebration on Thursday May 25th. You may enter OMS at the gymnasium entry at 7:45. Please do not come into the building before then as we will be getting the 8th graders prepared for the ceremony. The scheduled end time for the ceremony is 9:00am.
Students who are not going on the Main Event field trip should be checked out for the day. Please remember that parking is at a premium at OMS and we encourage walking and carpooling.
Parents and guardians- if you wish for an OMS sibling to attend celebration, please have them come with you and not go to class first thing. They can go to classes after celebration concludes.
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.
7th Grade Zoo Field Trip
Too Much Lost and Not Enough Found
All lost and found items will be thrown away on Friday May 26th. Have your student check now for water bottles, hoodies, coats, lunchboxes, and shoes.
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.
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.
Counseling Corner- Managing Middle School Technology *tips from our OMS counselors
As we near the end of the school year and coast into summer, we wanted to relay some information and suggestions to help guide your student's online use. We have all been spending more time online, due to the nature of school, work, and life. How does this affect our children? A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that teens who spend 3 hours or more on social media sites can be at a higher risk of mental health issues. Teens are also at a greater risk of posting personal information or sharing personal stories that could lead to cyberbullying or harassment. (Mayo Clinic)
80% of teens say they check their phones throughout the night and respond to every notification they receive.
14% of teens feel that they can talk to an adult about technology.
86% of teens say they want to be a social media influencer one day.
Screen Sanity is an organization that was developed by parents, for parents, to help educate one another and help build a "world where kids are captivated by life and not by screens." Their website offers podcasts, online trainings, and tools that can help parents learn how to guide technology use for their families. Setting boundaries with technology is an ever-changing process and we can all use guidance! For more information, please visit their website at https://screensanity.org
Taking an active role in your child's online activities and knowing about the apps and sites that they are using is essential. Be sure to talk to your student about the dangers that can be found online and the consequences that can take place if they are not following appropriate protocols with their online behavior.
Here are some steps to help guide your student and find the balance between in person and online life:
Set reasonable technology use limits. Don't let social media and technology use interfere with daily activities, sleep habits, family time or socializing with friends.
Keep cellphones, tablets, laptops out of bedrooms at night and dock them safely away from access at night.
Monitor your teen's accounts at least once a week. Make sure your child knows that you will be checking their online use.
Talk to your student about what are appropriate and inappropriate online behaviors. It is NOT OK to participate in gossip, spread rumors, engage in bullying behaviors or damage someone's reputation.
Be a role model to your student with your online use. Be present during family activities and put down your device.
Make a list of activities that you would like to do with your family, that doesn't involve screens, and do one each day. Balance online time with activities with family and friends.
Watch for warning signs that your child may be involved in unhealthy relationships online: spending long hours online, keeping online friendships a secret, isolating or withdrawing from family or friends.
Remind your child to stay anonymous online—do not share passwords with others, take care in establishing screen names and passwords, keep private information PRIVATE. Never share photos, address, phone #, school name, etc. online. Make sure your GPS locator is turned off on social media apps.
If you have concerns about your child or a peer being targeted or exploited online, please report these concerns to your law enforcement, your internet provider, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Summer is a great time to take a break from screens and spend time with family and friends! We wish you and your family a fun, relaxing summer!
For more information on this topic, please refer to the articles below:
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/net-safety.html#catbehavior
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/online-id.html
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/internet-safety.html?scrlybrkr=903296ab
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
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.
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.
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