Michaabikizi - There is a full moon.

Mdaamiin giizis - Corn Moon.

Boozhoo Oshki Ogimaag Community School Families and Community Partners!

We are filled with excitement to begin a new school year! For Teachers and Staff this is the last week of summer break. Next week, we will have Back-to-School Workshops Monday-Thursday and Back-to-School In-Take Conferences Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It is not too late to enroll your student for grades Kindergarten through 5th grade! Please reach out with any questions!

Now is the time to prepare your students at home for a new school year! Below are some tips to get started:

1. Now is the time to adjust bedtime routines and waking routines to match your school year schedule. I know, for my own kiddos, this is the toughest adjustment to beginning a new school year. Two weeks before school starts (right about now), is a good time to re-establish the school year bedtime routines (shower/bath before bed can encourage calmness), no screens at least an hour before bedtime can help prepare your child's brain for rest, getting to bed at their normal school year bedtime (consistent bed times help students get into the rhythm of their schedules) and encouraging a calming activity, such as reading, before bed can be effective in supporting good sleep hygiene. Waking your child up and having them get dressed when they would be getting ready for school can help students acclimate so they are ready for school mornings (for my kids, this helps get some of their morning grouchiness out so that when school starts it is a little less of a battle).
2. Visiting your child's classroom and setting some goals/intentions for the school year can help students mentally prepare for a new school year. The In-Take Conference is a perfect time for this! If your child is not with you during the conference, you may want to take a picture of their classroom to show them and talk to them beforehand about what their goals for a new school year are.
3. Prepare students emotionally by talking to them about their feelings regarding starting a new school year. This week is an excellent time to do this! Ask your child what they are excited about and what they might be nervous about. This is great information to share with your child's teacher, so we can welcome them back and meet them where they are at. Reading books about starting a new school year is another awesome way to help students mentally prepare for a new school year!
4. Setting up a designated space at home for homework and/or quiet reading is a great way to encourage students to read! At my house, we have limited space, but it doesn't take much space to do this.Some cozy blankets, pillows, a lamp, and a book shelf or a basket with books, creates the perfect book nook. Lap desks in these areas are perfect for when you don't have enough space for tables and desks.

For more tips, check out the article below:

Over the summer, a small group of staff (all licensed teachers) teamed up to research curricula for reading and math. In the spring, we met with a curriculum specialist who provided some guidance specific to our needs and we knew that we wanted to opt for Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) approved literacy curriculum.

We decided on Open Up Resources (OUR )EL Education K-5 curriculum for literacy. OUR EL Education was developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Outward Bound USA over 25 years ago. One of the components that drew us to this curriculum was that social justice is part of the mission and the curriculum. The mission of Open Up Resources involves creating an equitable, just and sustainable society through their pedagogy in practice. The philosophy guiding this curriculum is that when students leave school that they won't be judged by their basic skills, but by the quality of their work and the content of their character. The three dimensions of Open Up Resources philosophy are mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high quality work.

The curriculum is divided into modules that last 8 weeks (except Module 01 for K-2 is 6 weeks, so that the first 6 weeks of school can be focused on establishing classroom community and routines). The curriculum focuses on being equitable and inclusive. Units begin with Week 1- Learning the background of the topic (including academic language and vocabulary), Week 2-Research and Reading, Week 3-Extended Writing, culminating in a final performance task, scaffolded with models, drafts, critique and revision. The curriculum is designed to build mastery of the academic standards.

We searched for a curriculum that works within the framework of our mission and works to support us in furthering our mission while increasing academic rigor and providing a strong, solid foundation of learning for students. We believe this curriculum does exactly this!

Learn more about Open Up Resources here: https://access.openupresources.org/curricula/el-k5-2017

We are aiming for all families to sign-up for an in-take conference for each student!

At the In-Take Conference families will have a chance to meet with their child's teacher, fill them in how the summer months went, address any questions/concerns, and collaborate on goals for your student for the new school year.

Students are welcome to join for the in-take conference but are not required to attend.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade - Ms. Kelsey Knollmueller

2nd Grade - Mr. Tim Pratt

3rd, 4th and 5th Grade - Ms. Jeana Van Dyne

Please sign-up for an In-Take Conference with your child's teacher, for each student. Use the sign-up below. Please reach out to Ms. Tina with any questions!

Oshki Ogimaag Community School will provide all necessary classroom school supplies for all students!

Students should bring to school the following, daily:

• a backpack
• shoes appropriate for outdoor play and hikes
• weather appropriate clothing for outdoor play and hikes

If you need assistance providing any of the above, please reach out!

We are looking for at least one individual who is a parent/guardian of a currently enrolled student of Oshki Ogimaag Community School to join our Board of Directors! The Board meets 1 time per month, the 3rd Wednesday of each month, at OOCS at 4:30pm.

Participating on the Board is a great way to serve Oshki Ogimaag Community School and use your voice to play an instrumental role in supporting OOCS in meeting the goals of our mission!

Please reach out (email below) or reach out to a current Board member (see our website) if you are interested!

August

• 21 - OOCS Board Meeting, 4:30pm, OOCS Conference Area
• 27, 28 and 29 - Oshki Ogimaag Community School Back-To-School In-take Conferences starting at 3:30pm

September

• 03 - 1st Day of School!
• 18 - OOCS Board Meeting, 4:30pm, OOCS Conference Area