Bobcat Bulletin December 19, 2024

December 19, 2024

December 20: No School for Elem and Middle School - Staff development

December 23: No School - Winter break

December 24-25: No School - Holiday/District closed

December 26-27: No School - Winter Break

December 30-31: No School - Winter Break

January 1: No School - Holiday/District closed

January 2: School in session, digital day 2

January 16: incoming 9th graders parent night at Andover High School, 6:00p-7:00p

January 17: No School for Elem and Middle School - Staff development

January 20: No School - Holiday/District closed

January 22: 8th graders must enter their 9th grade Andover HS registration during P.R.I.D.E.

AH District School calendars

• Parents of current 5th graders will receive communication the week of January 6, which will outline the process for registering for 6th grade at Oak View.
• Current 6th graders will receive registration information during their ELA class on Wednesday, January 8. Students will bring the registration form home to complete with their parents and return the document to the ELA class on January 15 to enter into the system.
• Current 7th graders will receive registration information during their ELA class on Thursday, January 9. Students will bring the registration form home to complete with their parents and return the document to the ELA class on January 16 to enter into the system.
• Current 8th graders will receive 2025-2026 high school registration information from Andover High School on Monday, January 13 during P.R.I.D.E. The 8th grade parent/guardian/student Welcome & Exploration Night is scheduled for Thursday, January 16, 6:00p-6:30p presentation, and then open for questions until 7:00p, at Andover High School. Registration for current 8th graders is due on January 22.

Please work with your student to make careful decisions as they select classes for next school year. Schedules are built and staff are hired based on the number of students who enroll in individual classes. For these reasons, changes to registration selections are not possible after the registration process is completed.

Our goal is to ensure the safety of all students. In order to do so, we have specific procedures in place for drop-off and pick-up. The student school day is 8:25a-3:05p.

For morning drop off, the doors to the school are open for students at 7:45a to wait in the foyer until the building/hallway doors and cafeteria open at 8:00a. Please do not drop your student off before 7:45a (especially in the upcoming cold months) unless it is prearranged for a club, class or activity. For these scheduled items, the instructor will meet the students for entry at the front entrance per the arrangement.

Due to the large number of vehicles and foot traffic, please understand that the drop-off/pick-up process will take time.

• Please patiently wait in the vehicle line to drop-off/pick-up your student.
• Use the entire curb area, at the main entrance, for pick-up and drop-off. (The first vehicle in line should be almost to the stop sign, not in front of the main entrance.)
  
• Students need to exit the passenger side of the vehicle onto the sidewalk.
• Do not cut through the middle of the parking lot.
• Students are not to cross traffic to get to vehicles or out of vehicles. (Do not let your student cross the parking lot.)

Several vehicles are able to pick-up or drop-off students simultaneously when utilizing the whole curb, which speeds up the process for everyone.

Here are some important Winter Transportation Safety tips for students:

• Please dress in warm winter clothing such as a hat, mittens and boots - bright colors if possible.
• Please be on time at the bus stop.
• Please wait for the bus several feet further back off the road in a safe place.
  

• Please use the handrail when boarding and exiting the bus to prevent slips and falls on icy steps.
• Please move away from the bus to a place where you and the driver can see each other after you exit the bus.
• Please cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus after getting the “all clear” signal from the driver before leaving the curb.
  

• Please keep all school materials in a backpack.

Here are some hazardous conditions to watch for:

• Please do not stand or play on snow piles at the bus stop to avoid sliding into the street in the path of oncoming traffic.

• Please do not attempt to retrieve your books or lunch box from around or underneath the bus until after it has cleared the unloading zone.

• Please do not push or shove when getting on or off the bus.

• Please do not chase after the bus or attempt to grab the rear bumper.

Oak View will host a Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 16th, in the Oak View Room for 6th-8th grade students who qualified from the pretest given in all ELA classes. Invitations to the spelling bee were sent to the qualifying students during their ELA classes the week of December 9th. The Bee takes place from 3:10p to approximately 5:00p. Parents/Guardians may come to watch the competition after 3:05p (the end of the school day). The School Bee Champion will qualify for the semifinal online test - from there, the top 50 qualifiers are notified to participate in the Regional Bee.

We encourage students and parents to closely monitor student progress throughout the year. This year, the only official grading periods will be the end of trimester reports. Directions to access gradebooks for Student and ParenetVue are outlined below. If you have questions related to login and password support, please call 763-506-4357 for assistance. If you have questions specific to grades or assignments in a particular class, please contact the teacher directly.

Parent AH Connect login directions

Student AH Connect login directions

Oak View Students have a place, after school, to:

• Work on homework
• Get help from a teacher
• Get caught up from being absent

Bobcat Den is located in the Media center

• The Den began in October and ends Thursday, May 29. (No Den on conference nights)
• The Bobcat Den runs Mondays through Thursdays from 3:10p to 4:15p.
• On Tuesdays and Thursdays there is an activity bus students can take home - the bus doesn't depart until 5p (students remain in the media center under supervision). On Mondays and Wednesdays, students will have to arrange their own pick up/transportation home by 4:15p (for safety reasons, students will not be allowed to linger in the building after the Den).
• The purpose of the Bobcat Den is to provide a safe, organized place for students to receive additional academic support. Students who are off-task and/or disrupt the opportunity for others will be removed from the Den and may lose the privilege of future participation.

(Students should bring all necessary materials when they report for help.)

View Bobcat Den Flyer

• I need to pick my student up during the day, what is the process? Please call the Attendance line at least 1-2 hours in advance or send a note with your student the morning of the appointment. (Attendance, Absences, Early Dismal and Late Arrival policy)
• Do I need to come in to pick up my student? Yes, a parent/guardian must sign the student out. (Attendance, Absences, Early Dismal and Late Arrival policy)
• Do I need my identification to enter the building during the school day? Yes, all visitors/parents/guardians must scan their identification, typically a driver's license, before entering the building.
• How do I report if my student is going to be absent, will be picked up early, or arriving late? Please call the attendance line at 763-506-5606. (Attendance, Absences, Early Dismal and Late Arrival policy)
• Can I report my student's attendance online? Yes (Directions to report student attendance online)
• How do I add money to my student's Lunch Account? (Directions to add money to student lunch account)

7th Grade Orchestra

Thursday, December 19, 7:00p

6th Grade Orchestra

Tuesday, January 7, 7:00p

6th Grade Choir

Thursday, January 9, 6:45p (group 1), 8:00p (group 2)

8th Grade Orchestra

Thursday, January 16, 8:00p

Grade 6: Sydney Giergielewicz, Jenna Cranston, Carley Bergh, Harrison Scholl, Kieran Williams, Lucas Kacer

Grade 7: Cullen Kestner, Ella Fleming, Gavin Pietsch, Jack Larson, Antja Muehlenhaus, Isabella Larkin

Grade 8:Teh Thao, Taylor Perrin, Malia Wefenstette, Ryan Weinhold, Kacey Collins, Ben Vang

Montgomery: Brody Lindholm, Estella Pearson

Whiteford: Leah Jongekryg, Owen LeBeau

Fedder: Cody Lavigne, Josephine Romportl

OVMS is excited to share that the Student Senate campaign for Hope 4 Youth raised $2611! Thanks to those of you who sponsored our team and/or helped spread the word!

We had about 80 participants between OVMS students and Andover HS's Leo Club. Students were able to learn more about Hope 4 Youth through a short video, read real-life success stories of H4Y clients and listen to Director Nikki Kalvin give an inspirational message. Of course, kids were able to just be kids as they played yard games and enjoyed hot dogs & hot cocoa trying to stay warm!

Community Education Opportunities for OVMS students are after school and evenings.

Please view the district wide Community Education offerings online at https://ahschools.ce.eleyo.com/

If you have questions or need registration assistance, please contact Community Education Secretary Ruthi Bratsch Landaeta at 763.506.5642 or ruthi.bratschlandaeta@ahschools.us

Oak View Middle School has many volunteer opportunities throughout the school year. We look forward to working with you. Please visit our volunteer webpage to find the two required volunteer forms (Volunteer Application and Criminal Record History Release form). Once you sign up to be an OVMS volunteer, you will receive regular email notices for current and upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Please direct volunteering questions to Volunteer Services Coordinator, Cindy Roerig at 763-506-5730 or Cindy.Roerig@ahschools.us

To find your student's bus information follow these step-by-step directions. Contact the transportation department at 763-506-1125 with questions.

Real-time bus information through FirstView app

Anoka-Hennepin families can check where their bus is — live — through a transportation app, called FirstView. The app monitors regular school bus routes in real-time. Best of all, it’s free for parents/guardians and students to use.

MS Parent/Student Technology Resources

For help with your Chromebook, send an email to:

Michele.Dunleavy@ahschools.us and Lisa.Cole@ahschools.us

or call

Michele Dunleavy 763-506-5726 or Lisa Cole 763-506-5639

** Remember to try a Hard Reset before asking for help.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools offers 12 schools that provide in-demand educational options such as the arts; science, technology, math, engineering and biomedical sciences (STEM/STEAM), as well as International Baccalaureate (IB).
Specialty and magnet school options are available to all students at no additional cost, designed to provide family choice. Students who live within the Anoka-Hennepin boundaries are eligible to apply to any of the specialty or magnet schools. The magnet schools belong to Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) which provides transportation. Students may join the specialty programs using an in-district transfer process without transportation.
Six sites offer specialty programs, which students can access via in-district transfer; and six sites are magnet schools, available choices for families through the NWSISD. View the full article to learn more about Specialty and Magnet School options available to all families in Anoka-Hennepin Schools.
The specialty and magnet schools are hosting information nights/open houses for parents to learn more about the programs offered. These events range from November - mid January. For specific open house dates and more information on each of the specialty and magnet schools and the application/enrollment process, visit ahschools.us/specialtymagnet.

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board endorsed a $26 million budget reduction and reallocation plan at its November 25 meeting, a decision that completes a process that unfolded over the past several months and allows planning for the 2025-26 school year to remain on schedule.

A number of factors converged in early 2024 that led to the need to reduce district expenditures. Read about the impact to Anoka-Hennepin Schools.