OMS Friday Knight Live
August 18, 2023
In This Newsletter:
- Back to School Night Information
- Canvas Information Night Tuesday, August 22nd
- Elective Class Change Requests... due Wednesday, August 23rd
- Upcoming Math & Reading Assessments
- School Day Visitors
- Cheer Information Meeting Monday, 8/21
- Cross Country Practice Monday, 8/21 & Tuesday, 8/22
- AM Practices & 1st Period Attendance
- Social Worker Resources for OMS Community
Back to School Night Information
Here are the slides and information shared during BTSN:
Canvas Information Night for Parents & Guardians August 22nd 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Join us in the OMS library for Canvas Information night. Come and learn the ins and outs of Canvas: looking at assignments, checking grades, notifications, contact information, and more!
Elective Class Change Requests Due Wednesday August 23 at 3:00pm
Class change requests begin today Friday August 18. Change requests are for elective classes only. Please see the procedures below:
Students must pick up a change request form from the Counseling Office
Parents must sign the request form
Students must return the form to the Counseling Office by Wed August 23 at 3:00pm
Email requests will not be accepted
Late requests will not be accepted – no exceptions
Requests are processed on a first come first served basis
Schedule changes are requests and are not a guarantee of a class change
Schedule changes are made based on availability (# of students in each class)
All these steps must be followed. Please do not call the counselors for special requests. Students will be notified of course changes.
Upcoming Assessments
Students will take important assessments in the coming weeks. These assessments give
August 22nd and 23rd
Fastbridge ELA assessment:
7th & 8th grade- Tuesday, August 29th
6th grade- Thursday, August 31st
School Day Access
Visitors, including parents and guardians, are not permitted in the building during the school day unless they have a scheduled appointment or meeting. Once the school day has begun at 7:50am visitors must ring the doorbell (located to the right of the main doors). Adults who are picking up a student early must wait outside for the student to exit the building. Please see the School Policies and FAQs page on the OMS website for more information about the door entry system, item drop off, and student absences.
Cheer Information Meeting Monday August 21
There will be an information meeting for students on Monday August 21 from 3:00pm - 4:00pm in the 6th grade pod. Cheer is open for all 7th and 8th grade students. Find out about cheer for football season, practices, and performances. ALL cheer participants MUST have a completed athletic registration and doctor’s physical on file. Students will not be allowed to practice until both are completed. Click HERE for athletic information.
A.M. Practices and 1st Period Attendance
Students who attend morning practices for football, cross country, or volleyball must be on time for 1st period at 7:51am. Students who choose to go home and change clothes must be in their 1st period seats on time or they will be marked late unexcused.
OMS Social Worker Provides Resource Information
Sue Ellen Jayne is Oxford’s social worker. She can assist with connecting OMS families with needed resources and services. Ms. Jayne has a resource page on the OMS website where we post community connections. Her page can be found under Families → Social Worker Resources OMS
Helpful Repeated Information
New Family Google Slides
School Hours
Students need to be in their first hour class by 7:51 a.m.
6th & 7th grade students report to the Commons before 7:45 a.m. when they may go to lockers and classrooms
8th grade students report to the GYM before 7:45 a.m.
Students who eat breakfast will eat in the commons and then report to the commons or gym
School is dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Students who are not staying for a club or activity exit the building by 3:10 p.m.
Attendance alert options for OMS families
Every day OMS opens its doors to students for a day filled with learning. When a student does not arrive at school, or unexpectedly misses a portion of the school day, we are concerned and want to make sure you are aware that your child is absent.
Beginning Thursday, Aug. 17, families will be notified of unexpected absences through email, phone, text and optional push notifications. OMS families can expect automated attendance messages by email, phone and text at 8:40 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. if a child is absent and his/her absence has not already been reported by a parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to call the school to report an absence or reply to the automated email or phone message.
Families who would also like a push notification can download the ParentVUE app and manage their notifications. If a child has an unreported absence when a teacher submits attendance, then a push notification will immediately be sent to the parent/guardian's mobile device. Push notifications will continue throughout the day until the child’s absence is reported/excused, meaning a parent/guardian could receive multiple push notifications as attendance is typically taken with each class period.
Interested in push notifications? Simply download the ParentVUE app (iTunes app store or Google Play), enable push notifications in device settings and select attendance notifications through in-app settings.
Interested in OMS Spiritwear?
The PTO has created an online store that is open year round. 1st Place Spiritwear has a wide variety of Oxford pride clothing and accessories. A portion of each sale goes back to Oxford PTO to support our school! Mind the sizing guide as sizes tend to run small.
Preventing Game Access from Student Chromebooks: Opt-In Option for Securly Filter
The number one complaint this past year from parents has been student access to game sites during the school day. Parents can now choose to place their 3-12th grade students in the High Restrictions Filter Group by signing up here. The link has detailed information about the differences between the Default and High Restrictions Policies. The Securly update will be effective September 1.
*Educational Games sites used by curriculum will still be allowed.
Before/After School Information – No After School Care
We have had several families ask if middle school offers before or after school care (like Y-Care at the elementary schools). Middle schools do not offer any such options. There are clubs, activities, and after-school-homework help several days a week. But these options are not guaranteed every day and may be canceled if supervisor is out of the building. All families should have plans in place for their students to go home every day.
Interested in a carpool this year?
For students who do not receive bus transportation, families may fill out this form to see if other families near them are interested in arranging a carpool. Anyone who fills the form out will want to check regularly for new additions. Families who use this form will reach out to other parents and guardians on this form to arrange any carpools.
Back to School Night Aug. 17
Parents and guardians, come and meet your student's teachers and see their classrooms. Please bring a copy of your student's schedule (with classroom numbers) or have it available on a mobile phone. This event is for parents/guardians only -- no students please. 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Schedules will be viewable in ParentVue:
Welcome new OMS families!
We are looking forward to having you and your student at OMS this year. Need a place to start for Oxford information? Click HERE for OMS 2023-2024 Frequently Asked Questions
7th & 8th Graders: Is your chromebook ready to start school?
7th and 8th grade students are asked to power on their chromebooks and download any software updates before school starts. Please log a BV CARE ticket from the website for any chromebook issues before school starts.
Parents/Guardians For Your Refrigerator
We have created a Parent Reference Sheet and QR Codes for your reference during the school year. Scan the QR codes for links to reporting absences, adding money to lunch accounts, school day bell schedules, ParentVue, Canvas, bus company, and so much more!
Click HERE to download the 23-24 Parent Reference Sheet
2023-2024 School Supplies
The school supply lists for the 2023-24 school year are available on the OMS Website under the Families tab. Click HERE for the School Supply page.
Student Class Schedules
Student class schedules will be available to view on ParentVue & StudentVue Tuesday, August 15th at 1:00 p.m.
6th graders will receive a printed schedule at 6th Grade Orientation on Tuesday August 15.
7th & 8th grade students may pick up printed copies Wednesday, August 16th before school begins.
**Elective class change requests will not be accepted before school starts. Requests are not guaranteed and are based on class size availability. Please watch the Friday Knight Live newsletters once school begins for class change requests and deadlines.
Change in Lunch Account System
Blue Valley’s Food & Nutrition Services Parent Portal for online payments and monitoring student meal accounts was changed over the summer from Titan to LINQ K12 Solutions. LINKQ has an updated parent access system and app – the Titan system no longer works.
The new website https://linqconnect.com/
If you try to log in to the family.titank12.com website, you will automatically be re-directed to the new website https://linqconnect.com/
IMPORTANT! If you used the Titan Family Connect mobile app – it NO LONGER WORKS!
Parents will need to download the LinqConnect app from the Appstore or Playstore (this was communicated in the LINQ/Titan email to parents)
If you are having problems with logging into the new LINQ website or app and have requested their password reset, please look in their junk/spam folder for the reset message from LINQ(titan).
If you still don’t find the reset message or are having other issues specifically with the website/app they need to Contact LINQ at 1-888-464-5467 then choose Option 1 then Option 1. Oxford school personnel cannot reset passwords.
If parents have a question specifically about their students’ meal accounts (transaction history, transfer of funds or refund) please have them call Blue Valley’s Food & Nutrition Services at 913-239-4062.
All 2023-2024 Athletes and Cheer Team Members
All 7th & 8th grade students who want to participate in an OMS sport or cheer must complete an online athletic registration and upload a doctor’s physical form (all physicals must take place after May 1, 2023 for the upcoming school year). One registration works for all sports/cheer activities for the school year. Students will not be allowed to practice or participate in any games/meets until the registration is complete. Don’t wait – complete your registration and get your student’s physical this summer! Click HERE for the 23-24 Middle School Athletic Registration
Parents to Parents: Transitioning to the School Year
Whether your summer was full of adventure and activities or a celebration of no-schedule days, you can start now to help your child transition to a smooth start of the school year. Some tips from other parents who survived the middle school years:
Start now by adjusting bed-times and morning wake-up-times by 30 minutes every few days
Read! Get your child to read – fiction, magazines, comic books, graphic novels, non-fiction on their favorite subject
Decide as a family how to keep everyone up to day on calendars, events, practices, games/meets, and club meetings
Physical activity - some physical activity every day will prepare them for walking to and from school, around the building, PE, and sports
Discuss homework time for the school year. Would your child rather do homework first then relax/play OR relax/play then do homework? Set a time for homework and a time for playing or relaxing.
Start limiting electronics and social media
Reconnect with friends in person before school starts
Start gathering backpacks and school supplies
Have your child memorize a parent phone number and their home address! YES, really!
Label first and last name on every item your child will bring to school (don’t forget lock screens on phones) and put a keychain or luggage tag on your chromebook case
Have a plan for lunches and water bottles – it’s time for your child to be responsible for packing (and remembering) lunches and water bottles
Have one location for all items that need to go to school – uniforms, shoes, computers, homework, special projects, etc. Your child needs to be the one to bring them to school or practice.
Designate a place and time for permission slips and other school papers that parents/guardians need to sign
Plan how your child will get home from school on regular days and on days with clubs/activities. Your child should not call everyday for a ride home.
Double check that you have filled out all the registration forms, medicine releases, athletic forms, etc. before school starts
Looking for OMS Information? Try the Website!
The OMS website has most of the information you will need for and during the school year. You can find the school calendar, class and lunch schedules, links to the lunch payment system, staff lists (including email addresses), rules about cell phones, how to notify us of a student absence, candid student and event photos, sports schedules, clubs and activities, and so much more! Our website is updated multiple times a week so check here for current updates! OMS Website
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
**Cross Country Practice Monday 8/21 & Tues 8/22**
Due to predicted heat, Cross Country practice will take place @6:00am both Monday August 21 and Tuesday August 22.