The Oriole Newsletter

October/2023

As part of the Osseo Area Schools operational plan and strategic direction, the district's communication team is working together with schools to help create improved communications between the district and its families and community members. Our new e-newsletters are more accessible and translatable, and they can be shared easily in a variety of formats. We hope you enjoy catching up with the latest Osseo Senior High news in this new format.

• October 17th: Conferences (In-person) 3:00-7:00pm
• October 19th: No School
• October 20th: No School
• October 25th: Conferences (Virtual) 3:00-7:00pm

We've gone digital! Check out our attendance instruction guide for details on reporting scholar absences via ParentVue. You can still call our Attendance Line at 763-391-8511 or email Kathy Williams (scholar last names A-L) or Lori Mayer (scholar last names M-Z).

We closed out the first week of school with an all-school Pepfest, and celebrated Homecoming as September wound down. Many of our Activities and Clubs are underway - there truly is something for everyone at OSH! As a staff, we often use our five pillars of Osseo Excellence to engage scholars in building community within our classrooms and hallways. As Orioles, we are Innovative, Courageous, Focused, Reflective and Conscientious members of the OSH community as we work toward collective Excellence.

Our Link Crew Leaders have been hard at work welcoming freshman and other new scholars to the OSH community. They led our Orientation activities and continue to show conscientious leadership this school year, helping new Orioles navigate our maze of hallways, block scheduling and Advisory activities!

We celebrated Homecoming Week with daily dress up days, a spike ball tournament, a Osseo Hall of Fame celebration, a Homecoming Pep-fest where we crowned our royalty, and finally wrapped it up with the Homecoming dance!

Our science department won the staff spirit jug GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP for their participation in the Spirit Week theme days!

We've had a great start to the 2023-24 academic year. We commend our scholars for courageously showing up ready to learn. Kudos to our staff for their innovative lesson design and teaching practices. Learning happens in each space of OSH, and we love seeing the responsive and creative ways our educators facilitate instruction.

If you are returning OSH community members, you may be aware that our daily schedule has changed from prior years. We approached this change with reflection and care - gathering feedback from staff and system stakeholders on meeting the needs of our scholars more completely with our daily scheduling. Our hope is that we can support each and every scholar academically and emotionally as well as strengthen their relationships with instructors. One advantage this scheduling shift allows for is time in addition to our regular Advisory activities. Starting this month (October) we are adding Focus Hour to our weekly lineup. Focus Hour is designed for scholars who:

• Would like to extend their learning
• Need additional academic support
• Partake in multiple opportunities to assess
• Engage in after school obligations such as sports, clubs or employment

Scholars who do not need to utilize this time will remain in their assigned Advisory class to focus on schoolwork or engage in 45 minutes of reading. We're starting Focus Hour this month (October) so check in with your scholar and encourage them to use the time well!

So what happens if the school building funding request - Building a Better Future, Phase II - is not approved by voters?

• School building projects to improve safety/security would not proceed.

• Crowded conditions and large class sizes would continue. Attendance boundary adjustments would be required at the elementary, middle and high school levels to provide relief, which is estimated to move 6,000 students from their current schools. Such changes would be recurring because of continually growing student enrollment, resulting in increased service costs and longer bus rides.

• School buildings and learning spaces would continue to age and become less relevant. This would limit learning resources demanded by our students and families, particularly in math, science and career learning spaces, specialized learning spaces and library media centers.

• Inconsistent learning experiences would continue.

• Budget cuts would be required. These cuts are projected to be at least $31 million or approximately 300 jobs.

Learn more by attending a Community Informational Meeting. One is being held at 6 p.m. TOMORROW at Osseo Senior High School’s forum room and at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at Maple Grove Senior High School’s cafeteria. You’ll hear details on why a bond referendum is being held and the school building needs that would be addressed if the Phase II plan is approved by voters. Continue to stay tuned to district279.org/BetterFuture.