OVA Connector

Here are the 3 important news items you need for this week!

1. The new semester started January 6. Please make sure you start strong and stay on top of all assignments. It's easier to stay on top of things when you work on all classes each day or stay on top of assignments each week.
2. Be sure to keep up with your communications with your mentor each week! Remember that this is how we take attendance.
3. In person support is available each week Tuesday and Thursday 9:15-1:00. Check out the information below.

Study hard & dream big!

Feb 12-Mar 12 Count Month for OVA

Mar 7 No School

Apr 4-11 Spring Break

What: Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) is an important life skill! Tasks that fall under this category include: self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship building. Research shows that people who have mastered these four skills do better in school, careers, and relationships. OVA is now offering a twice-weekly resource for students who want practice in these areas. We know life for students can be challenging, we’d love to help. Some examples of topics would include:

• Empathy: possibly doing a community service project

• Mindfulness: Learning our body cues for anxiety and ways to cope

• Being Kind To Yourself: Learning about our unique qualities and celebrating them!

• Stress Management: How can we deal with the stressors of everyday life?

• Goal Setting: What is important to us in and out of school? How can we get there?

Who: This opportunity is for students in 5th - 12th grade.

When: Tuesday/Thursday 9:15 am-1pm

Where: OVA Room is located in the back of Otsego Middle School. Coming from downtown Otsego, go West on M89. Turn left on Grant street. This street empties into a parking lot. The middle school is across from the tennis courts. Our room has an exterior door right near the green dumpsters. We will be outside to greet you!

Details:

Mr. Matt Eldred, retired middle school teacher, will be the teacher on-site. He will interact with students, help them set goals and help with work completion.

Mrs. Anna Starr is the District Behavioral Health Coordinator & School Social Worker. She will be onsite to help social/emotional learning groups.

Both Mrs. Starr & Mr. Eldred are so excited to have fun with OVA secondary education students!

Lunch will be provided (for free) from our food service department. If you child does not want a school lunch, feel free to have them bring their own lunch!

Questions? Feel free to contact Anna Starr at astarr@otsegops.org.

Every OVA student is assigned a mentor teacher. Every Wednesday, the mentor teacher will reach out to the students they are working with with a short assignment. Students are expected to communicate back with their teacher or mentor. Each week, each student must respond to at least two communications with their teacher or mentor. The week starts on Wednesday and ends on Tuesday. This is a requirement and how attendance is taken at OVA. Attendance plays an important role in the success of the student in the OVA program. Please be sure to communicate with your teacher and/or mentor teacher.

On May 6, 2025, Otsego will ask district voters to consider a ZERO mill increase Bond Extension proposal that will allow the district $46.5 million to address facility, program and infrastructure needs. This future-focused, student-centered, community-driven plan has projects that will impact every student and every building in our district while creating new, exciting opportunities for our students and community.

The proposal highlights include an Innovation Center, renovating our old pool site, upgrading and improving our facilities, expanding our preschool, addressing parking/traffic flow, athletic improvements, enhancing safety and security measures & much more!

Please take some time to check out the details on the Bond Extension website: https://www.ourfuture-ourstudents-ourcommunity.com/

And please mark your calendars to attend one of our Community Conversations to get involved and be informed!

March 13th, 6pm, Otsego District Library

March 18th, 6pm, Alamo Elementary Media Center

March 19th, 6pm, High School Media Center

Who would you call an Outstanding person for education at OPS? Nominate them today!!

Nominations are now being taken for the Outstanding People for Education award. This award is sponsored by the Allegan County School Boards Association and each district within AAESA can select up to 3 winners!

Award recipients can be ANYONE involved in making an impact on our students, buildings or district. It can be a teacher, custodian, bus driver, administrator, volunteer, support staff, etc.! (Nominations should give specific examples of their impact.)

The deadline to submit a nomination is March 1st!

Enjoy a special evening at this year's Father/Daughter Dance "Love You to the Moon and Back", Saturday, March 1st at OHS! Dancing, cookies, pictures and more! Just $15 if you sign up by February 24th! Don't miss out! Register today at https://tinyurl.com/FatherDaughterDance25

• For anything in an online course you have questions about, please contact the online teacher of the course.
• For questions about two-way communication or how to log-into courses, please contact your OVA mentor teacher. For K-8 students, please contact cmcevoy@otsegops.org. For HS students, please contact either cmoore@otsegops.org or mscott@otsegops.org.
• For problems with your OPS email address or your Chromebook, please contact our director of technology, Michelle Triemstra, at mtriemstra@otsegops.org.
• If you are a high school student and have questions about your credits for graduation, dual enrollment or tech center, AP exams, or post-high school information please contact your school counselor. See picture for information on who your counselor is.
• For any other questions, you may contact the OVA coordinator, Ms. Maxwell, at tmaxwell@otsegops.org.