
Falcon Newsletter

January 2025
Paper Lanterns
On December 19th, 2024, Fair Oaks Elementary 5th grade students enjoyed a presentation from high schoolers who attend Maple Grove High School.
5th Graders
Ms. Brown's 5th grade class with their 1st grade buddies
Winter art during morning buddy classes
Mrs. Frei's class with their 5th grade buddy room
DENTAL CARE RESOURCE
Give Kids a Smile program - February 7 & 8
Find a Participating Clinic
https://www.mndental.org/events/give-kids-a-smile/find-a-participating-clinic/
(some clinics may offer an alternative date)
1. Parent/guardian – locate a clinic and call to make an appointment.
2. Patients generally have to be 18 years of age or younger.
3. Patients must be accompanied by parent/guardian.
4. Assistance: Families who need help with finding a clinic/scheduling an
can call United Way 2-1-1 (800-543-7709) Monday-Friday 8 am– 5 pm.
5. Translation services: Referral specialists can assist in scheduling via 3-way call to dental clinic and
making an appointment for those who speak Hmong, Somali, & Spanish.
UPCOMING BOUNDARY CHANGES
Proposed attendance boundary changes to be shared in January; feedback opportunities include informational meetings Jan. 15 and 23
As shared this fall, elementary and middle school attendance boundaries are being changed in order to balance student enrollment across the district. These future adjustments, set to take effect in 2026, will reassign the Osseo Area Schools elementary and/or middle school that some households are zoned to attend.
Proposed scenarios to be presented with feedback opportunities: Proposals are currently being created using the community-built parameters developed earlier this fall. These will be finalized over the next few weeks and shared online at district279.org/boundaries the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 14. Families and community members will be welcome to provide feedback on these proposals via an accompanying feedback form.
Additionally, Community Informational Meetings are scheduled for Jan. 15 and 23. These evenings will start with a half-hour presentation detailing the proposals and then transition to small groups, where community members will be able to share their thoughts and ask questions with district leaders.
Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 5:45 p.m. in the Brooklyn Middle STEAM School cafe. Please fill out this Google Form if you’re planning to attend.
Thursday, Jan. 23 at 5:45 p.m. in the Maple Grove Middle School cafe. Please fill out this Google Form if you’re planning to attend.The presentation portion of the meetings will also be livestreamed via the Osseo Area Schools YouTube Channel.
Timeline: The school board is expected to approve final attendance boundary changes by May 2025. The new attendance boundaries will go into effect fall 2026 alongside the tentative opening of the new elementary school in the northwest region of our district.
Background: It’s common for communities to experience changing student enrollment. Our district’s Enrollment and Capacity Management Advisory Committee (ECMAC) has been monitoring these enrollment shifts in conjunction with our school building capacities for the last several years. Their most recent reports have detailed that a significant enrollment imbalance exists and that it should be addressed.
ECMAC’s work helped to form 2023’s Building a Better Future referendum. A new elementary school and additions to Maple Grove Senior High School were requested to address space constraints from continued growth. It was additionally noted that attendance boundary changes were needed no matter the outcome of the election. Thankfully, our community supported the 2023 referendum request so additional facility space will help to address growth needs, which limits attendance boundary changes to elementary and middle schools and impacts fewer families.
Stay tuned: Please continue to stay tuned for updates over the coming weeks and months. Detailed information will be shared on the district website, district279.org/boundaries. Any questions or concerns can be directed to BetterFuture@district279.org or 763-391-8990.
English: 763-391-8900, Español: 1-855-891-8364, Lus Hmoob: 1-844-577-9549, Soomaali: 1-855-891-5322 or Tiếng Việt: 1-855-891-8365
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR STUDENTS ARE ARRIVING TO SCHOOL ON TIME!
WE HAVE HAD A BIG INCREASE OF STUDENTS ARRIVING LATE TO SCHOOL (AFTER 9:30AM).
THIS DISRUPTS LEARNING FOR YOUR STUDENT AS WELL AS OTHER STUDENTS. THIS ALSO DISRUPTS THE MORNING FOR OFFICE STAFF, KITCHEN STAFF AS WELL AS OTHER STAFF. PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO ENSURE YOUR STUDENT IS ON TIME FOR SCHOOL EACH MORNING.
ABSENCES AND EXCUSED LATE ARRIVALS CAN BE CALLED IN TO OUR ATTENDANCE LINE AT 763-549-2353. UNEXCUSED LATE ARRIVALS ARE TRACKED AND REPORTED TO THE COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!
Do you need a code for ParentVue or the bus tracking app?
YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR STUDENT'S ID NUMBER AS WELL AS THEIR FIRSTVIEW (BUS TRACKING) ACCESS CODE IN PARENTVUE.
SEE THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER FOR HELP TO SET UP ANY OF OUR DISTRICT APPS.
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR DEVICE-FREE FAMILY FUN NIGHT!
ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 30TH WE WILL HAVE A DEVICE-FREE FAMILY FUN NIGHT HERE AT FAIR OAKS FROM 5:00PM-7:00PM
Are you having issues with a student's device or need help with district apps?
Important Dates
01/13 - After school Kickers Soccer 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
01/14 - After school basketball 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
01/14 - 5th grade band concert 6:00pm @ OMS
01/17 - Asynchronous learning day - watch for more info from teachers
01/20 - No school for students
01/21 - After school basketball 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
01/24 - 4th grade field trip to Mill City Museum
01/27 - After school Kickers Soccer 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
01/28 - After school basketball 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
01/30 - Device Free Family Fun Night 5-7pm
01/30 - 5th grade silver orchestra demo concert 6:30-7:30 @ OSM
01/31 - 4th and 5th grade field trip - fishing
02/03 - No school - Staff workshop day
02/04 - After school basketball 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
02/10 - After school Kickers Soccer 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
02/11 - After school basketball 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
02/17 - No school for students
02/19 - Winter conferences
02/24 - After school Kickers Soccer 4:10-5:10 (only for those signed up)
02/25 - Winter conferences
02/27 - Winter conferences
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD IS PREPARED WITH WARM OUTDOOR CLOTHING AT SCHOOL
Colder weather is coming and the temps are often unpredictable from day to day at this time of year. Please make sure that your student has a warm jacket, a hat and gloves or mittens for school. It is helpful if they have a spare set that they can leave at school. Once snow starts, students will also need snow pants and boots to wear outside for recess some days. Fair Oaks will have some items available for families in need later this month. We will let all families know when these items are available.
DO YOU NEED WINTER GEAR FOR YOUR STUDENT?
- WE HAVE A LIMITED SUPPLY OF COATS, SNOWPANTS, HATS AND GLOVES FOR FAMILIES IN NEED. IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF WINTER GEAR FOR YOUR STUDENT(S) PLEASE REACH OUT TO SARAH PINKERTON AT PINKERTONS@DISTRICT279.ORG OR LET YOU CHILD'S TEACHER KNOW.
MCA/MTAS AND ACCESS TESTING REPORTS
MCA and MTAS
Parents and caregivers,
Individual Student Reports (ISR) for students that completed the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) or the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) tests in spring of 2024 are now available in ParentVUE, under the documents tab.
The report includes your student’s overall score and performance level in each test subject and the average scores for students at the school, district and state level. A video report is available by scanning the QR code on the ISR. Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments are taken by students in all public schools in grades 3-8 and 11 on mathematics, in grades 3-8 and 10 on reading and grades 5, 8 and once in high school on science. To learn more about your students’ results review the document, What Families Need to Know about Using MCA and MTAS Results.
Login to ParentVUE to access your student’s ISR. More information about ParentVUE can be found online at district279.org.
Parents are encouraged to communicate with their students' teachers regarding questions about their student’s academic progress.
ACCESS
Parents and caregivers,
Individual Student Reports (ISR) for students that completed the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs English language proficiency test in spring of 2024 is now available in ParentVUE, under the documents tab.
The ACCESS for ELLs tests are based on the WIDA English Language Development Standards and measure students’ progress in learning English. The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs assessments are taken by students in grades K-12 who are identified as English Language Learners in Minnesota public schools. To learn more about this assessment review the document, What is the ACCESS for ELLs Assessment.
To learn more about your students’ results review the following documents:
Login to ParentVUE to access your students’ spring 2024 score report. More information about ParentVUE can be found online at district279.org.
Parents are encouraged to communicate with their students' teachers regarding questions about their students' academic progress.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR DECEMBER AND JANUARY CARES CHAMPIONS!
THESE STUDENTS WERE NOMINATED BY STAFF FOR SHOWING C.A.R.E.S. QUALITIES!
Reina Moua
Phil Porte
Luke Xiong
Avianna Walker
Alona Maita Gonzalez
Bijou Desoto
Musa Donzo
Dafne Condor Silva
Silas Yang
Zeke Rosefelt
Sophia Layna Espinosa
Priscillia Abbey
Amadou Keita
Kelly Kromah
Leo Alvarez Alvarez
Lillian Xiong
Alberto Villanueva Tapia
Camila Carrera-Corral
Mayte Huerta Rios
Yareny Adame Huerta
Israel Selegajallah
Chadus Copeland
Daleyza Adame Ramirez
Isaias Joya
Oscar Lantz
Nick Vang
Sonnie Gbollie
Muria Mohamed
Jamar Duo
Israel Rotimi
Olivia Roberts
Karim Youssry
Ja’Hari Myers
Giselle Kollie
Domenica Coronel Chalco
Kellen Yang
Ivan Vang
Adelyn Vang
Leonardo Lee
Kinsley Munoz
Elaina Abdur-Suttles
Desmond Vue
Noah Brown
Amaya Yates
MarjorieDiaz
Mayte Torres Neave
Mar’Tell Williams
January CARES Champions
Ahmed Darboe (C. Orton)
Taylor Wilson Brown
Kash Wren-Christen
Arleth Toapaxi Simbana
Julieta Lopez Magana
Khaleesi Tep
Mumin Idris
Sekou Kamara
Jaynielle Barclay
Hannah Kang
Yuna Rang
Ella Link
Damian Calvario Lopez
Wennie Selegajallah
Camille Vang
Edwin Kollie
Valerie Sam
Arianna Banuelos
Royce Lee
Gaby Castruita
Remy Thao
Dujuan Williams
Anthony Pedersen
Jada Nguyen
Kevin Xiong
Adriana Deras Alvarez
Roderick Hill
Perla Noyola Colon
Wyatt Yang
Ares Desoto
Lexey Johnson
Joel Cholango
Julian Cole
Evelyn Yang
Christopher Olivera-Marin
Uziel Munoz Andarade
Owen Moua
Yasser Fuentes Campos
Jairo
Aliza Washington
Cornelious Zedekiah
Yalitzy Adame Huerta
January CARES Champions
Ahmed Darboe (C. Orton)
Taylor Wilson Brown
Kash Wren-Christen
Arleth Toapaxi Simbana
Julieta Lopez Magana
Khaleesi Tep
Mumin Idris
Sekou Kamara
Jaynielle Barclay
Hannah Kang
Yuna Rang
Ella Link
Damian Calvario Lopez
Wennie Selegajallah
Camille Vang
Edwin Kollie
Valerie Sam
Arianna Banuelos
Royce Lee
Gaby Castruita
Remy Thao
Dujuan Williams
Anthony Pedersen
Jada Nguyen
Kevin Xiong
Adriana Deras Alvarez
Roderick Hill
Perla Noyola Colon
Wyatt Yang
Ares Desoto
Lexey Johnson
Joel Cholango
Julian Cole
Evelyn Yang
Christopher Olivera-Marin
Uziel Munoz Andarade
Owen Moua
Yasser Fuentes Campos
Jairo
Aliza Washington
Cornelious Zedekiah
Yalitzy Adame Huerta
***December and January CARES Champions will be celebrated at the January All-School-Morning-Meeting on Friday, January 31st. Parents of these students will receive an invite via Talking Points and email to join our assembly.
Congratulations to all of our CARES Champions!
OPT-OUT INFORMATION FOR UNIVERSAL SCREENING
The purpose of this communication is to inform you that students in grades 2-12 will take the mySAEBRS assessment this fall and again this spring. The mySAEBRS assessment, which stands for Minnesota Student Academic Behavioral Rating Scales, is student self-evaluation. It provides valuable insights into areas such as social skills, emotional well-being, and behavioral strengths and challenges. This assessment helps us gain a more comprehensive understanding of your child's needs, allowing us to better support their growth and development. For more information about assessment items and questions asked click here. If you would like to opt your child out of this assessment, please complete the Parent/Guardian Refusal for Student Participation in Districtwide Assessments/Testing linked on https://www.district279.org/academics/assessments.
Volunteer corner
Our volunteer coordinator is Sophie Castruita. She can help you with any and all questions regarding volunteer work at Fair Oaks. There are many events though out the year that we need volunteers to help make a success! If there is a chance that you will chaperone your student's field trips at all this year, we ask that you please fill out this application as well. You can reach Sophie at: CastruitaS@district279.org
Free Little Library!
Did you know Fair Oaks has its own Free Little Library! Students and community members are welcome to grab a book to enjoy. We are grateful to the Impact Library Program for donating the Free Little Library to our school community! Take a book or leave a book!
A MESSAGE FROM OUR T.A.G. TEACHER
Hello Fair Oaks families! My name is Molly Traynor and I am the T.A.G teacher here at Fair Oaks. I am so happy to have joined the Fair Oaks community this year! Please click the link below and SAVE it to check out the website for Fair Oaks TAG. You will find information on all the different aspects of academic challenge and can see what types of activities we have been working on. Updates will be made to the website regularly. It also has my contact information should you want to reach out with any questions.
https://sites.google.com/apps.district279.org/fair-oaks-tag/home
In partnership,
Ms. Traynor
A note from our school social worker and counselor
Consistent school attendance is important for student learning! Even missing 2 days of school per month impacts a student’s ability to learn at their fullest potential. Fair Oaks wants to support our students in getting to school as much as possible. If it’s been difficult to get your child to school, please contact the school social worker or your child’s teacher for more help. To learn more, check out this flyer from AttendanceWorks: Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early
If your student will be late for absent for any reason, please call our attendance line at 763-549-2353. You can leave your voicemail in either Spanish or English. Thank you!
A Note From Nurse Lila
VACCINATION ANNOUNCEMENT
Important Health Announcement: Protect Yourself and Your Community!
Due to recent outbreaks of measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and chicken pox, it's more important than ever to make sure you and your loved ones are vaccinated. These diseases can be dangerous, especially for young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect against these serious illnesses. If you or your children are due for vaccines, now is the time to act!
Contact your healthcare provider or local health department today to schedule your vaccination and help prevent the spread of these outbreaks. Let’s work together to keep our community safe and healthy!
INCREASE IN ILLNESS AT SCHOOL
We have been experiencing an increase of illness at school. Below are helpful tips for when students should remain at home to help avoid the spread of illnesses.
Please consider keeping your child home if they show signs of: (consider calling your child’s primary physician’s office to assist you with any questions or concerns)
· Earache, ear drainage
· Stomachache, nausea
· New or Persistent cough
· Runny nose and/or nasal congestion
· Unidentified/Suspicious skin rash
· Headache
· Sore throat
· Pink eye (conjunctivitis) in one or both eyes, especially if they are unable to remember to not touch their eye and to wash their hands after touching their eyes
Students must stay home if they are experiencing:
· Vomiting, or diarrhea (must be vomiting or diarrhea free for 24 hours before returning to school)
· Oral temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher (your child must be fever free for 24 hours, without the use of medication (Tylenol or Ibuprofen) before your child returns to school)
· If diagnosed with strep throat, your child may return after taking the prescribed antibiotic for 12 hours and has been fever free after 24 hours (if they had a temperature over 100.4)
· Live Lice, students cannot return to school until treated for lice (medication can be purchased at any Target, Walmart, Walgreens, etc.) When your child returns to school, the nurse must check your child’s hair for any signs of live lice
Helpful Tips for Parents
· Healthy children learn better, please keep in mind the basics of healthy living and teach your child life- long health habits
· Be sure your child gets plenty of sleep each night
· Encourage healthy foods: Offer lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains; limit junk foods such as sweets and chips; have regular mealtimes; encourage water for thirst instead of soda pop or juice
· Be sure your child gets DAILY exercise out in the fresh air whenever possible
· Avoid exposing your child to second-hand smoking, either in the house or in the car
· Teach your children to keep their bodies and hair clean (daily showers/shampoo), use deodorant as needed, to brush their teeth twice a day, and to wash their hands often
Medications in the school health office
All medications (prescription or over the counter) that need to be administered during school hours, must have a physician’s order and a signed medication administration consent form. Medications received without this documentation cannot be administered by the nurse and it will be sent home.
**Please contact the nurse prior to sending any new medication. The nurse will assist you will all the necessary documentation needed for your student’s new medication.
Important reminders for families
Here are a few important reminders from our Fair Oaks staff....
Attendance Reminders
If your student(s) are ever late or absent from school for any reason, please be sure to call our attendance line at 763-549-2353 (this is different than our main office number). You can leave a voicemail in either English or Spanish, 24 hours a day on this line. We ask that you please let us know about your child's absence or late arrival by 10am whenever possible to avoid receiving one of the automated calls from the district about your student's attendance.
Updated Contact Information
It is very important that we have updated contact information for all students. Lately, we have had outdated address and phone numbers for several students. It is important for the nurse, teachers and other staff to be able to reach parents and guardians during the school day. Please report any new work/home/cell phone numbers to the main office immediately.
It is also very important that we have updated addresses for each family. Addresses can be updated on ParentVue or at the district enrollment center.
Follow us on Facebook to keep up with everything Fair Oaks!
Hmong families are also welcome to follow our Hmong FB page!
KOU VANG
ML Community and Communication Specialist
Educational Equity Department
Osseo Area Schools
11200 93rd Ave N. Maple Grove, MN 55369
Work Cell: (612) 394-3358
Brooklyn Middle School (T/W/F)
Fair Oaks Elementary (TH)
Palmer Lake Elementary (M)
Helpful links
ParentVUE access instructions
https://mn-oas-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login.aspx
- Takes you to the login screen - do not enter anything here.
- Scroll down to activate account - click and accept user agreement.
- Enter your name (has to match what we have in our system)
- Enter activation key - this is case sensitive and is all caps.
To get started using ParentVUE if you do not yet have an active account, follow our Getting Started guide HERE.
- Getting Started SOMALI
- Getting Started VIETNAMESE
- Getting Started SPANISH
- Getting Started OROMO
- Getting Started HMONG
FIRSTview bus tracking
The FirstView mobile app helps you to keep track of school buses going to and from school each day. Support is available Monday - Friday from 7:00 am - 5:00 pm ET for existing FirstView users with app-related questions or concerns.
Email:support@firstviewapp.com Phone:1(888) 889-8920
**Click blue button below to get started with set up.
Important contacts
Principal - David Freeburg - FreeburgD@district279.org
Resource Manager - Chris Marinac Marinacc@district279.org
Administrative Assistant - Heather Hausladen Hausladenh@district279.org
Counselor - Caitlin Carlson CarlsonC3@district279.org
Social worker - Krysta Sather Satherk@district279.org
Psychologist - Megan Lipps Monettem@district279.org
Nurse - Lila Neumann - NeumannL@district279.org
Volunteer Coordinator - Sophie Castruita Castruitas@district279.org
Behavior Intervention Teacher - Brian Thul ThulB@district279.org
Fair Oaks Main Line - 763-533-2246
Fair Oaks fax number - 763-549-2350
Attendance - 763-533-2246 (press 1) and leave your child's name, grade, parent's name and phone number and the reason for your child's absence.
Transportation - 763-391-7244 or Busquestions@district279.org