The Middle Matters
OMS Parent Newsletter February 4-17, 2023
Inspiring Excellence. Every Learner. Every Day.
From the Principal
Actvity Night: Our next Activity Night is coming up on Friday, February 17 from 7:00-9:00. For our last event, we used students' PAW score for Appropriate Conduct to determine eligibility for attendance. For this next Activity Night, we are using both the Practicing Kindness and Appropriate Conduct scores to determine eligibility. Any student receiving a score of 1 in either of these categories so far for quarter 3 will NOT be allowed to attend. We believe a student's character in how they treat others and how they act in our school setting is important.
Kindness: The month of February across the nation places a special emphasis on kindness and how we treat one another. Our motto at school, which is displayed in various locations and discussed with students, is, "In a world where you can be anything, be kind." Middle school can be a tough time for many; we appreciate your continued attention with your own child(ren) about this topic. Is your child nice to others? Do they include others in conversations at school? Do they go out of their way to be nice to others? Are they respectful toward the adults they see in and out of school?
With our new phone policy, we have seen a significant decrease in social media bullying and drama here at school. However, we know it still happens. We encourage you to keep open dialogue with your child(ren) about kindness and respect through their phones and computers as well as in-person actions.
Calendar
Saturday, February 4:
Saturday School 8-11 am
Band Solo Ensemble 8-1:00 pm
Monday, February 6:
A Day
Morning Choir - Soprano
Pledge of Allegiance - 8:10 am
Tuesday, February 7:
B Day
Jazz Band - Band Room - 7:00 am
Play Practice - 2:40 pm - Performance Platform
Wednesday, February 8:
A Day
College Wear Wednesday
AVID - Walk-in Wednesday - 7:30 pm - Rm 101
Spark - Virtual - 7:45 am
Stage Crew & Snow Day Make up for Play - 2:40 pm - Performance Platform
Homework Help 2:45 pm - East Learning Commons
Thursday, February 9:
B Day
Morning Basketball - 7:15 am - Big Gym
Play Practice - 2:40 pm - Performance Platform
Friday, February 10:
A Day
Chamber Orchestra - 7:00 am - Orchestra room
Morning Basketball - 7:15 am - Big Gym
School Store Open - All four lunches
Monday, February 13 :
B Day
Morning Choir -Alto - 7:00 am
PJ Day
Pledge of Allegiance - 8:10 am
Superintendant's Advisory Council - 10 AM Learning Stairs
FFA Visit - All Four Lunches
School Board Meeting - work session - 5:30 pm - OHS
Tuesday, February 14:
A Day
Jazz Band - Band Room - 7:00 am
Small Group Orchestra - 7:25 am
Color Competition - see below
SST - N209- 1:30 pm
Play Practice - 2:40 pm - Performance Platform
Wednesday, February 15:
B Day
College Wear Wednesday
School Pride Day
AVID - Walk-in Wednesday - 7:30 pm - Rm 101
SOAR DAY
Stage Crew & Snow Day Make up Day for Play- 2:40 pm - Performance Platform
Homework Help - 2:45 pm - Learning Stairs
Thursday, February 16:
A Day
Morning Basketball - 7:15 am - Big Gym
Jersey Day
Shrek Musical Performance - 8:45 am - Performance Platform
Play Practice - 2:40 pm - Performance Platform
Friday, February 17:
B Day
Chamber Orchestra - 7:00 am
Morning Basketball - 7:15 am - Big Gym
Neon/80's Theme
Activity Night 7-9 pm
Student Council Dress up Days for Students and Staff
February 13-17
Monday - PJ Day
Tuesday - Color Competition
6th grade - red
7th-grade - pink
8th-grade - white
Wednesday - College/School Pride Day
Thursday - Jersey Day
Friday - neon/80s theme
OMS Activity Night
- Admission: $5.00
- Must have a valid ID.
- Students must be present in school on this day in order to attend this evening.
- Students must have no unserved detention or ISS in order to attend.
- If a student leaves during the Activity Night, they will not be allowed back in.
- Student must be picked up promtly at 9:00 pm
- Students must not have a score of 1 in either of the following PAW categories: Practicing Kindness or Appropriate Conduct so far for quarter 3.
Fri, Feb 17, 2023, 07:00 PM
Owatonna Middle School, 15th Street Northeast, Owatonna, MN, USA
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.
Inclement Weather Day/Emergency E-Learning Day Plan
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. 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: Call the attendance line before 9:00 and leave a message with the reason they are 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. Hunt to get a pass to class.
For early dismissals: Call the attendance line. 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. There is no E-learning offered on days when your child stays home.
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.
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.