Oshki Ogimaag Community School
November 02, 2024
Boozhoo Oshki Ogimaag Community School Families and Community Partners,
Gashkadino-giizis - November
We have much gratitude for the beautiful and full week we enjoyed as we said farewell to October.
On Monday, Dr. Redix and a group of the educational staff from 1854 Treaty Authority, joined us to process mnoomin (wild rice). It was a blue-skied, sunny, late autumn day. We were able to process the mnoomin at Oshki Ogimaag, using our fire pit, which made the day feel even more special. Our whole school joined together at the same time, working together side-by side, including our staff. Traditionally ricing is a collective effort, to make sure each family in the Community has enough rice and to ease the effort with everyone working together. Our aim, with the unique cultural experiences we offer to students at Oshki Ogimaag, is to provide hands-on experiences based upon Anishinaabe traditional teachings, rooted in Anishinaabe language and culture, to live our school’s mission well.
Students dried the rice over a tarp, spread the rice out on a single layer and removed any debris Next, the students parched the rice over a kettle on our fire pit. Students had to use their strength, bodies and focus, to keep the rice moving over the fire. We observed some students developing their own techniques, after years of practice. Then, the boys jigged (or thrashed) the rice by dancing upon it, wearing ricing moccasins, easing off the husks. Next, the students winnowed the rice, using birchbark baskets to hand the seed coats to the wind, gently tossing the rice in the air to separate the hulls from the grain.
Ricing was a wonderful way to begin our week, an afternoons spent outdoors, on a lovely fall day, under the big blue sky, our playground facing Gichigami. spending time all together, engaged in traditional, cultural Anishinaabe teachings and hands-on experiences with Community members. Days like this fill us with good energy that we carry with us in days forward and supports students in developing strong, positive, cultural identities for generations ahead.
Oshki Ogimaag Community School's Annual Meeting
- When: Wednesday, November 13 at 5pm
- Where: Oshki Ogimaag Community School
- What: The Annual Meeting is a time for Board elections, to reflect on the past year, viewing the Annual Report presentation, and envision the future for Oshki Ogimaag!
- The dinner will be pizza provided by Oshki Ogimaag and potluck. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share!
- We hope to see you there!
A Peek Into Our Week:
Waagoshaag - In Reading, Kindergarteners continue to match letters to sounds, identify upper and lower case letters, and continued to listen to poems and identify rhyming words. In Reading, 1st graders continue to read short stories and identify sight words. In Writing, Kindergarteners are practicing writing their letters and 1st graders are studying the mechanics of sentences and practicing building sentences. In Math, Kindergarteners continue their unit exploring number sense, working to identify and write numbers, and understanding how numbers work. In Math, 1st graders continue their unit exploring addition and subtraction word problems. In Social Studies and Science, the class learned about Halloween and conducted Halloween-themed spooky science experiments!
Maakwag - In Foundational Reading Skills, students spend the first 20 minutes receiving group instruction; including a Read Aloud and lesson in foundational reading concepts (phonics, sight word exercises, sentence mechanics, etc.) and then cycle through sensory word stations, writing and word work, and 1:1 reading with Ms. Tina, reading short stories tailored to their skill level, responding to comprehension questions and developing reading fluency skills and practicing to read with expression. In Language Arts Module, students began Unit 2; Challenges in Going to School. In this Unit 2, students will engage in many close reads of Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World by Susan Hughes and exploring the challenges different communities around the world face going to school (such as weather and location) and how communities work to solve these problems. Students are developing their informational and reading skills in this unit and learning how communities work together to solve problems.
In Math, Makwag continue to study bar graphs and picture graphs, and how to generate and respond to questions about data represented in picture and bar graphs. In Social Studies, students are learning about elections. In Ojibwe, students have been engaged in watercolor painting Hollow Rock, and begin the class with sharing how they are feeling in Ojibwemowin and talking about the weather, and have been learning Ojibwe words for household items. In Social Emotional Learning, 2nd graders learned about Flexible and Stuck Thinking, learning that “being flexible” means we are thinking of everyone’s needs and sometimes that means we need to change our plan, and that when we engage in stuck thinking, the fun stops and people feel frustrated.
Migiziwag - 5th graders continue reading Esperanza Rising, Mexican American author Pam Muñoz Ryan. The text is a historical fiction novel, with themes revolving around race, class, cultural experiences, The American Dream, discrimination and determination, family, grief, loss and hope with a message that one should never give up hope, even when one is lost in darkness. Migiziwag continue to study different artists and make art inspired the artists they are studying and this week did many spooky Halloween-themed projects.
All School: On Tuesday, we had site-visits from our Special Education Director and from ou charter school authorizer, Our Osprey Wilds representative met with school leaders, special education department, teachers, Board members and students. Mr. Peter James subbed in the Makwag classroom so Ms. Tina could meet with our visitors. On Wednesday, Mr. Fish did his annual Bus Safety presentation with each classroom.The entire school celebrated Halloween incorporating Halloween themes into our work, our Annual Halloween Parade at the Community Center, followed by classroom celebrations with spooky fun-filled activities! All the classes ended the week with Forest Friday hikes, taking down scientific predictions and observations, field notes and reflections, working towards our Environmental Education goals!
November Weather is Rolling In!
Soon students will need "The Big 5" (Winter jacket, snow pants, boots, hats and gloves or mittens) each day! If your family faces barriers preventing you from providing these items for your students, please reach out!
November 04-08th
- On Monday, school is CLOSED for a Professional Development Day.
- On Tuesday, we are scheduled to begin Yoga with Ms. Carly!
- On Wednesday Ms. Jeana will be out until after lunch, Ms. Brea Boomer will be subbing.
- Thursday, After School Theater Club 3:15-4:45pm
- Friday afternoons each classroom does a Forest Friday hike! We also hope to have a campfire Friday!
A Full, Fun-filled and Engaging Week!
After School Theater Club with Sue Hennessy from The Grand Marais Playhouse, harvesting sunflower seeds with Grand Portage Community Nutrition Educator, Tess Bailey, and our Annual Halloween Parade at the Grand Portage Community Center where wonderful members of the Community (including some of our amazing Board members!) marvel at the students’ Halloween costumes and students Trick-or-Treat. Chi-Miigwech to all of the Community members who showed up for our Halloween Parade (the students love it!) and miigwech for the treats!
Chi-miigwech to Dr. Redix, 1854 Treaty Authority, Sue Hennessy, and Tess Bailey, for the hands-on community and/or cultural experiences you provide to Oshki Ogimaag students! We have much gratitude for the many Community members who support our students, staff and families!
Head Lice Policy
Please below the policy that was updated October 24, 2024 by the OOCS School Board.
It is the policy of Oshki Ogimaag Charter School Board, at the recommendation of our school nurse, that students with head lice be sent home from school (picked up by a parent/guardian) until all nits (eggs or empty shells are removed).
- Upon pick-up, parent/guardians can pick up lice treatment from Grand Portage Health Services across the street, at no cost to the family.
- Prior to readmission to school, parent/guardians will have their child checked at Grand Portage Health Services (the clinic opens at 8am), at no cost to the family. If no nits are found, student may return to school.
We Need at Least 1 More Parent of a Currently Enrolled Student to Join Our Board!
We are looking for a minimum of one more individual who is a parent/guardian of a currently enrolled student of Oshki Ogimaag Community School to join our Board of Directors! The Parent Board Members are required per MN statute. We are looking to fill these vacancies ASAP!
The Board meets 1 time per month, the 3rd Wednesday of each month (unless otherwise noted on the calendar), at OOCS at 4:30pm. Board elections will take place at our Annual Meeting on November 13th! Please reach out if you are interested!
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! Also, we have amazing Community Board members that you would get to spend time with!
Please reach out (email below) or reach out to a current Board member (see our website) if you are interested!
