Panther Newsletter

January 20: No School (MLK Day)

January 24 and 27: Vision and Hearing Screenings

January 28: Family Science and Engineering Night (5:30-7:00pm) see flyer below

February 14: Kindergarten Circus (please arrive around 5:30, show starts at 6:00)

February 17: No School (President's Day)

March 7: No school (report card marking)

March 24-28: No school (spring break)

April 21: Asynchronous Learning Day

We are seeing an increase in Norovirus at Palmer Lake. Osseo Area Schools is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment for all our students, staff, community, and visitors.

Ensure Sick individuals are sent home from school

Individuals who have a fever of greater than 100.4 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea or are not well enough to participate in learning while at Osseo sites will be sent home. These individuals may return when they have had no episodes of diarrhea, vomiting or fever for 24 hours without the use of medications and are well enough to participate in learning.

If your student becomes too ill to remain in school, school personnel will attempt to notify you immediately. It is your responsibility to make arrangements for the proper care and transportation of your child. In the event we are unable to reach you your designated emergency contacts will be called. Emergency contacts can be added in ParentVue or by completing an emergency form and submitting it to your child’s school.

Ensure sick individuals stay home when not feeling well

Staff, students, and families will be informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of many potential infectious diseases as listed on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website. Individuals with symptoms, even when mild, should remain home until they are well enough to be in the learning environment to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. For those at increased risk of complications, individuals should reach out to a healthcare provider, even when symptoms are mild, for consultation.

These symptoms include but are not limited to; consistent cough, fever over 100.4 degrees, difficulty or trouble breathing, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, muscle pain, excessive fatigue, severe headache, nasal congestion, or severe runny nose.

Individuals who test positive for any infectious disease such as: COVID-19, Influenza or RSV, should:

• Notify their child’s school or childcare

• Follow exclusion periods from schools which can be found on the district website under Communicable Diseases.

All staff and students who are ill should remain out and return to sites when their symptoms are improved, and they are well enough to attend. Staff should follow their sick leave procedure as is laid out in their contract and families should call the attendance line

School nurse:

Tammy Bauer, RN

BauerT@district279.org

763-549-2401

Our annual vision and hearing screenings are coming up! This year, students in grades 1, 3 and 5 will get screened on either January 24 or 27. If you student has glasses, please make sure they wear them for their screening!

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.

• 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.

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 continue to be shared on the district website, district279.org/boundaries. Any questions or concerns can be directed to BetterFuture@district279.org or 763-391-8990.

The purpose of this charitable outreach program is to provide free care to low-income children in need. Thousands of dental professionals volunteer their time to this program because they understand the pain and embarrassment many children experience due to untreated dental problems. Since the program’s inception in Minnesota in 2003, 86,000 children have received free care through Give Kids a Smile.

Click here to learn more or find a clinic.

Students will be going outside for recess unless the "feels like" temperature is -5 degrees or colder. Students are expected to bring winter gear to wear outside. If you need assistance with winter gear, please call Palmer Lake. A doctors note is required if you do not want your student(s) to go outside.

Last year was a learning curve for us with our Year End Reviews and Yearbooks. This year we want to make things easier to understand.

Year End Review: this is what each student will receive for free. These do NOT include photos of all students. The Year End Review is specific to the students grade level. For example, a third grade student will receive a Year End Review showing photos of only third grade students.

Yearbook: Available by order and payment only. These will include photos of all students. There will be an order deadline. We will not have extra Yearbooks available for purchase. If you do not order a Yearbook, you will NOT receive one. An email was sent on Monday directly from Kemmetmueller photography to order! Orders are due by 4/11/2025.

Please make sure the only beverage your student has at school is a bottle of water. Beverages like hot chocolate, lemonade and soda easily spill in lockers (and on floors!) and leave a sticky mess.

Click here to learn more!

We are looking to expand our partnership with local businesses. Partnership could include:

• prize donations for Family bingo
• monetary donation for field trips, guess speakers, family events, supplies, etc
• volunteering with students or preparing classroom materials
• donation of meals for teachers during conference nights
• donation of treats, meals, etc for Teacher Appreciation Week

If you have a connection with a local business who might want to sponsor Palmer Lake, please reach out to:

Sarah Schmidt @ schmidtsarah@district279.org or 763-561-1930 OR

Jen Zipf @ zipfj@district279.org or 763-561-1930

As in previous years, some teachers will have snack time during the day and others will not. New this year, any class that has snack time will have community-provided snack only; no individual snacks from home. Teachers may ask families for snack donations for the whole class. Candy, cookies, chips and soda are not allowed. Watch for communication from your child's teacher at the beginning of the year.

We suggest that cell phones and other non-district devices not be brought to Palmer Lake. If brought to school, cell phones and SmartWatches should not be seen or heard in the school building, or when outside. Staff will collect cell phones at the beginning of the day, lock them in a secure place, and return them at dismissal time.

If a staff member sees or hears a phone or SmartWatch, it may be taken from the student. The first time a phone or SmartWatch is taken, parents will be notified and the device will be returned at the end of the school day. Any occurrences after that, parents will be notified and an adult will need to come pick up the device. If it becomes a chronic concern, PL staff will work with the student and parents to make a plan. Any device brought to school is the responsibility of the student. Palmer Lake will not be involved if a cell phone, SmartWatch or non-district device is lost or stolen.

If a parent ever needs to send a message to their child(ren) during the school day, please call the office and we will communicate the message to your student. Thank you in advance for partnering with us to ensure students are focused on their learning rather than distracted by their device.

Our #1 job is to ensure the safety of everyone at Palmer Lake. If your child will be picked up by a parent or other adult at dismissal, please follow the Parent Pick Up expectations.

• Students will be dismissed for pick up at 3:15pm. Please be on time and ensure students are picked up by 3:30pm at the absolute latest.
• Drive slowly and pay attention!
• Cross at the cross walk. Wait for the adult to signal it is your turn to cross.
• Handicap parking spaces are only for drivers who have a valid handicap permit. The permit MUST be easily visible each time you park there.
• Parents are encouraged to pick up their student(s) at the fence along the sidewalk in front of the building. You may also park and meet your child near the cross walk.
• Follow the expectations on the Parent Drop Off/Pick Up map (below and linked). Drivers who do not follow the expectations create unsafe situations and/or back up traffic.
  

The arrival bell rings at 8:35am. Students may line up outside of the front doors beginning at 8:30am. There is not supervision before 8:30am, so that is the earliest students should arrive. Students who arrive to school after 8:50am are considered tardy and the student(s) will need to check in at the office to receive a pass.

Dismissal of students who are walkers or parent pick up is at 3:15pm. Students who ride a bus are dismissed at approximately 3:20pm.

AM VPK: 8:35am-11:20am

PM VPK: 12:50pm-3:20pm

It is very important that we have accurate information for all students, especially phone numbers for parents and emergency contacts. Please take a few minutes before school starts to update Back to School Forms. They are available online through ParentVue.

Unfamiliar with ParentVue? Please click the link to get started: https://mn-oas-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login_Parent.aspx?regenerateSessionId=True

Safety is our number one priority. ANY person wishing to enter Palmer Lake will be expected to wait in the vestibule and speak with office staff via doorbell camera and microphone. Please have your ID ready for office staff to scan. Forgotten items (lunch boxes, instruments, etc.) can be left on the table in the vestibule for a more efficient drop off. Again, ANY person wishing to enter Palmer Lake will be expected to wait in the vestibule and speak with office staff via doorbell camera and microphone.

If you would like to speak with an administrator or teacher, you are strongly encouraged to call ahead to schedule an appointment.

January

Family Science and Engineering Night: 28 (5:30pm-7:00pm)

February

Spring parent/teacher conferences: 19, 25, 27*

March

Spring break: 24-28

April

Panther Den parent meeting: 22 (5:00pm-6:00pm)

May

All school BBQ: 9

Multicultural Celebration: 15 (5:00pm-7:00pm)

*Conferences will be scheduled by your student’s teacher on one of the above conference dates for each season.

Why should I fill out the Educational Benefits Application if my child(ren) now automatically qualify for free meals?

Families who qualify may be eligible for a variety of other benefits. These include free or discounted prices for the following:

• Field trips
• Some Community Education programs
• Clubs, activities, and athletics
• Instrument rentals
• Fees, including for AP testing, graduation and more
• Device protection plans on school-provided devices
• Comcast internet for home
• Xcel Energy account assistance for electricity bills

Additionally, the state of Minnesota uses a school district’s percentage of qualifying students from applications completed and approved prior to October 1 each year to calculate each district’s funding level. This is incredibly important for Palmer Lake. School district funding impacts every student:

• Class sizes
• Number of support staff the district can hire to help scholars (counselors, social workers)
• Extra programming opportunities

Please fill out the Educational Benefits Application today to make sure your family can take advantage of these and other benefits!

https://pl.district279.org/

Transportation Office: 763-391-7244
BusQuestions@district279.org

Office hours-

School in Session: 6:00am-5:00pm
Non-Student Days: 6:00am-4:30pm

https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/OsseoISDElementarySchools