279Online Boost
November 2021 Newsletter 279Online
Hello, 279Online families and caregivers! Thank you so much for what you do every day to assist your scholar with engaging in school. Please read the newsletter thoroughly each month, as we will provide updates about our school community, helpful resources, important dates to remember, events and much, much more.
Feel free to take a moment to learn about our admin and office team with our 279Online Office Family Album!
November Days Off
- Thursday, November 25th - Thanksgiving Holiday
- Friday, November 26th - Thanksgiving Holiday
Second Trimester Coming Soon
Other School Event Guest Forms
Picture Day
279Online scholars will have the opportunity to get school pictures taken on October 29th from 4-7pm at Osseo Senior High School (317 2nd Ave NW, Osseo, MN 55369) in the Main Gym lobby. Families will enter through door 2 and look for the sign that indicates your scholar’s grade level, then wait in the corresponding line until the photographer is ready for your scholar.
Please know that your student’s safety and the safety of our community is our first priority. We will do everything we can to ensure that picture day is done in the safest way possible. Here are a few things to know about the day of picture day:
- Students need to complete a health screening before coming to school.
If your student (or anyone in your family) has symptoms of Covid-19, please do not attend. - We will follow state guidelines around social distancing and everyone will be required to bring and wear a face mask.
Picture day is optional for all students.
If you are not able to attend picture day, there will be an opportunity to upload a photo of your student to update their student file. Please Click Here to complete the google form to upload your picture. We are also working on scheduling a picture retake day. We will share more information on retake day once it is scheduled.
To order pictures, please visit mylifetouch.com with your student's school ID number or use the picture day ID code: EVTZRWW8Q. If you have questions about your order, or are having trouble ordering, please contact Lifetouch Customer Care at 800-505-9496.
Please email Online@district279.org with any questions.
Weather-Related e-Learning Days
The weather outside isn’t quite frightful yet, but in the event that snow or cold affect in-person schools and they shift to an e-learning day, 279Online would continue as normal. Classes will still be offered as scheduled, and scholars will be expected to attend as normal.
Look at some of the great things happening at 279Online during our Wednesday Bonus Block!
We have been actively working with scholars to gather their interests in what they would like to explore on our Wednesday Bonus Block. Popular interests were Anime, Art (and specifically drawing), Sports, Games/Gaming, College and Career info, and Cultural Exploration. If there are areas your scholars are interested in that you’d like to share, please let us know on the Family Feedback Form. Below are some of the great things happening at 279Online during our Wednesday Bonus Block!
Spanish Heritage Class- Wednesdays 1:15pm-2:05pm
Please take a few minutes to tell us how we are doing and let us know if there is anything else you'd like to see featured in the monthly Boost by completing the 279Online Fall 2021 Family Feedback form below!
279Online Scholar/Staff Spotlight
Please nominate a student or a staff member for a spotlight in the weekly newsletter.
District and Community Resources
Schoology Guide for Families
For families who use Schoology, we created this handy reference guide to help you navigate what you’ll see in Schoology, how Schoology is different than ParentVue, and how to get support for accessing the parent side of Schoology. Click here for the reference guide.
Technology Assistance
Need help logging in to an account, checking in for an online meeting with a teacher, or setting up a device? Check out the technology resources in the Parent and Family Toolkit.
Need more technology assistance? The district tech support help desk is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on student days, and 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on non-student days. Email help@district279.org or call 763-391-7180.
Attendance/Absence Reporting
Reminders about Attendance Practices for 279Online:
GRADES K-5
Teachers take attendance twice a day through their classroom meetings.
GRADES 6-12
- Scholars are expected to self report attendance through a Schoology attendance quiz for each class by 6:00 pm in Schoology daily
- Teachers verify and submit the official attendance record in Synergy the next day.
- At 6:00 pm, School Messenger calls will go out to families for scholars with unexcused absences from the previous day
- If a scholar is unable to attend, families need to report the absence to 279Online in order to excuse the absence (phone: 763-391-8670 or email: online@district279.org)
- While attendance is taken through this quiz, scholars are still expected to attend synchronous meetings with their teachers and engage in their learning. We want them to be there and miss them when they don’t come!
Teachers will review this attendance process with scholars in advisory and their classes. If you have any questions regarding attendance please contact your scholars’ teachers or the main office (phone: 763-391-8670 or email: online@district279.org).
Device and Materials Distribution Reminder
District Issued Device
If your student has not received their district issued device, please email the HelpDesk (Help@district279.org) to set up an appointment to pick up your scholar’s device at the Educational Service Center (ESC).
Curricular Materials
279Online has two materials distribution hubs for the 2021-22 school year, Elm Creek Elementary and Oakview Elementary. If you were unable to pick up materials at the initial distribution, please go to the location you would like to pick up these materials from between 8:00AM and 4:00PM
- Elm Creek Elementary
9830 Revere Ln N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
- Oakview Elementary
6710 E Fish Lake Rd
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Materials will be available at the distribution hubs listed above throughout the year. If your scholar requires any additional physical materials, their teacher will communicate that to you.