Monthly Boost

January 2025

As we embark on the second trimester, we want to extend a warm welcome to all the new scholars and families who have joined 279Online. We are excited to have you with us and look forward to working together to achieve great things this school year.

Winter break will begin on Monday, December 23rd; This is a time for rest, reflection, quality moments with loved ones and we hope it brings you joy, relaxation, and plenty of cherished memories. We look forward to seeing everyone recharged and ready to continue this journey of learning and growth in the new year.

We wish you all a wonderful winter break and a happy new year!

-Ms. Swanson and Ms. Bisson

December 2: Start of Trimester 2

December 9-13: Secondary Advisory Challenge

December 20: Last Day of School before Winter Break

December 23-31: Winter Break - No School for Students

December 24-25: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Staff or Students

January 1: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Staff or Students

January 2-3: Conference Release Days - No School for Students

January 6: First Day of School after Winter Break

January 17: Student Asynchronous Day - Licensed Staff Instructional Planning

January 20: Holiday - No School for Students

January 22: Elementary Activity Night at the OALC

January 30: Tri 2 Elementary Conferences VIRTUAL

January 30: Secondary Registration Conferences - for students CURRENTLY in 6th-11th grade - at OALC

February 3: Licensed Staff Workshop - No School for Students

February 17: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Staff for Students

Save the Dates!

Mark your calendars for these fun activities planned for the 2024-2025 school year!

JANUARY

• Elementary Night: Wednesday, January 22nd from 6:00-7:30pm
• Kindergarten-5th Grade Activity Night

FEBRUARY

• I Love to Read Month
• Join us for virtual events during this time to celebrate all things reading.

MARCH

• Secondary Night: Thursday, March 6th from 6:00-8:00pm
• Middle and High School Activity Night
• Advisory Challenge: March 18th-22nd.

APRIL

• Virtual Talent Show: Monday, April 28th-Friday, May 2nd
• Whether you sing, dance, juggle, or have a unique talent, this is your time to shine. Show off your skills at our Virtual Talent Show!

MAY

• Teacher End of Year Choices
• Teachers may choose to celebrate the end of the school year in their own special ways.

Congratulations to all the scholars who achieved honor roll for Trimester 1 for the 2024-25 school year! Your scholars all put in a lot of hard work - you certainly earned it this trimester!!!

If you would like a certificate emailed to you, please contact our main office at Online@district279.org.

*If your name is not listed, it may be due to data privacy selections. Please reach out to your advisory teacher with any questions.

Last week, our Secondary Advisory classes competed in another thrilling installment of Advisory Challenge. The competition was fierce as classes competed to earn points in games all week from tangram puzzles to a version of Pacman.

The top three scoring Advisory classes from both middle school and high school were declared the winners and will get to pick from a variety of treats and prizes to have mailed to them.

The winning Advisories were: Flam, Hotz, Bridgette, Beal, Merlis, Jin, and Windfeldt.

The competition will pick up again this spring with the next Advisory Challenge!

The December-January edition of the 2024-2025 College and Career Newsletter is live, and it’s packed with everything you need to navigate your future! Whether you’re exploring financial aid options or prepping to apply for your first job, we’ve got you covered with essential resources and opportunities.

📚 In this edition, you will find:

• Information about the Page Grant Scholarship Program
• Upcoming FAFSA sessions offered by MN Office of Higher Education
• And More Financial Aid Support!
• Comprehensive Resume and Cover Letter resources
• Information on upcoming learning opportunity: Genesys Works Paid Internship and the Get Ready! Program - Brooklynks' Work Readiness Training
• The Wastebasket Revue - Local Scholarship for students to apply to

Click this link to access the newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/2x51ty

Our 279Online scholars will participate in ACCESS for ELLs testing at the Osseo Area Learning Center. MCA testing will take place at North View Middle School.

ACCESS for ELLs Testing Dates: **testing will take place at the Osseo Area Learning Center.

• Grades 11 and 12: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
• Grades 9 and 10: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
• Grades 6, 7, and 8: Thursday, February 27, 2025
• Grades 4 and 5: Tuesday, March 4, 2025
• Grades 1, 2 and 3: Wednesday March 5, 2025
• Makeup for ALL Grades: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
• Kindergarten: TBD. Please connect with your EL teacher to schedule this session

If you have any questions about ACCESS testing, please contact Nancy Martinsen-Holt at MartinsenN@district279.org.

MCA Testing Dates: **testing will take place at North View Middle School

• Monday, April 7th: MCA Reading and Math - Grades 3, 4, 5
• Tuesday, April 8th: MCA Reading and Math - Grades 6, 7, 8
• Thursday, April 10th (AM): MCA Science - Grades, 5, 8 and 10-12
  **High School students who are taking or retaking Biology or Life Science are required to take the Science test
• Thursday, April 10th (PM): MCA Reading - Grade 10, MCA Math - Grade 11
• Friday, April 11th: MCA Make Up Day - ALL GRADES AND SUBJECTS

If you have any questions regarding MCA testing, please contact Tara Gravelle at GravelleT@district279.org.

Please mark your calendars for Trimester 1 Conferences. Conferences will be held virtually.

Trimester 2 Family/Teacher Conferences for Grades K-5

• Thursday, January 30th: 7:15-8:15am AND 3:30-8:00pm
• Thursday, February 6th: 7:15-8:15am AND 3:30-8:00pm

Trimester 2 Family/Teacher Conferences for Grades 6-12

• Thursday, February 6th: 3:30-8:00pm

Check ParentVUE on Thursday, January 23rd at 8:00AM to see your scholars’ teachers’ available times for both conference dates. The online booking for conferences through ParentVUE will close Wednesday, January 29th at 3:00PM. If you will need interpreter services during the conferences, please let the teachers know.

We highly encourage you to create a ParentVUE account if you do not have one already. Please follow these instructions on how you create an account.

For ParentVUE Conference Scheduling Instructions, please visit our district’s ParentVUE page. If you scroll down to Frequently Asked Questions and then expand the “How do I schedule conferences” section, you will see links to directions in various languages.

If you are unable to schedule your conference in ParentVUE, please contact your teacher(s) directly to schedule.

If you have any other questions, please contact our main office at online@district279.org OR 763-391-8670.

279O Registration Conferences - for students CURRENTLY in 6th-11th grade

• Thursday, January 30th: 4:00-7:00 IN PERSON at the Osseo Area Learning Center (7300 Boone Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428)

More information coming soon!!

We’re excited to remind you about MackinVIA, our online library that’s available anytime, anywhere! With a vast collection of eBooks, audiobooks, and educational databases, MackinVIA is the perfect resource to support your child’s learning and love for reading.

Access is easy and open 24/7—so whether it's for homework help or a good book to enjoy, MackinVIA has you covered. Scholars can find the link to MackinVIA in Clever.

Happy reading!

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

Tiếng Việt: 1-855-891-8365

After further review, the school-based health center mentioned as part of Crest View’s repurposing is going to be placed at Park Center Senior High School instead. There are a variety of reasons for this change, including easier access for more scholars and their families and a more district-centralized location.

Why it matters: A school-based health center is a great way for our schools to help with day-to-day needs of our scholars so that the focus can be on classroom learning.

Your feedback is needed to ensure that the services offered are the most fitting for our district community today and in the years ahead. Please take two minutes to share what you and your family would be most interested in utilizing the clinic for via this anonymous Google Form.

Partnership is making this possible: Our school district was awarded a grant to plan from the Minnesota Department of Health. These dollars will cover start up costs and exploration of the scope of services.

What is expected in the months ahead: The thoughts you share in the Google Form will help our district health team and community partner, Park Nicollet/Health Partners, with next steps. Expect to see the clinic up and running, ready to serve any community member in the Osseo Area Schools attendance area, by fall 2026. Stay tuned to district279.org for the latest on the process.

Each year we ask scholars and parents/caregivers to read and sign an agreement between themselves and 279Online concerning expectations and mutual understanding about appropriate behavior and responsibilities.

Talent Development, Academic Challenge and Gifted Support (TAG) services are available to students in third through fifth grade to strengthen interests, extend grade-level content, and apply skills and concepts in authentic ways.

Please feel free to contact our TAG Specialist, Ms. Wald, at walde@district279.org if you have any questions.

• Follow us on social media:
• Facebook at 279Online
• X (formerly Twitter) at 279Online
• Instagram at 279Online_K12
• 279Online website.

• Keep your contact information current in ParentVUE. You can update phone numbers and email addresses at any time in ParentVUE. For instructions, please visit the ParentVUE Site.
• At the elementary level, please check Seesaw for daily assignments and schedules, information from your teacher, and more.
• At the secondary levels, please check Schoology for current grades, daily assignments, and overall progress. Mid-trimester grades and Trimester grades are posted in ParentVUE.
• Review our current and past newsletters on our website for important information.

Check your email regularly for Blackboard and Schoology emails from us. If you aren’t seeing them, please look in your junk folder or check your setting to make sure you don’t have emails blocked.

Need help logging in to an account, checking in for an online meeting with a teacher, or setting up a device? Check out the technology resources in the Parent and Family Toolkit.

Need more technology assistance? The district tech support help desk is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on student days, and 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on non-student days.

The best way for scholars and families to receive technology help during school hours (7:30-4:00pm) is to contact 279Online's main office at 763-391-8670 or email us at online@district279.org.

• We will then have the technology department reach out to you as soon as they can.

The best way for scholars and families to receive technology help outside of school hours is to submit a ticket for technology assistance through our new ticketing system, IncidentIQ

• Use the following link to submit a ticket via IncidentIQ. https://district279.incidentiq.com/guest/5K9FRZD3/help-desk-kiosk.
• Once you submit the ticket, then your user information will be in IncidentIQ for the future.
• You may also call the tech department directly at 763-391-7180.

We would love to partner with you to build our parent/caregiver community.

If you'd like to share ideas, feedback, or connect with other parents and our administration team, please contact Assistant Principal, Ryan Bisson at BissonR@district279.org or 763-391-8682.

Volunteering is an opportunity for you to:

• Show your children or the youth of our community that you are interested in their school life and their future
• Show your commitment to the community
• Help others and develop new skills
• Meet new and interesting people and develop friendships
• Share your time and talents
• Open communication between you and your child when you’re involved and know what is going on at school
• Give your child a boost -- studies show that parent and community involvement and volunteering enhances student success
• It’s fun!

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities for 279Online, please contact us at online@district279.org

ParentVUE is an application you can use to view your scholar(s) attendance, report cards, schedule conferences, update your contact information and more. We highly encourage you to create an account if you do not have one already. Please follow these instructions on how you create an account.

You may also visit our ParentVUE page for more step-by-step instructions on how to access and change things in ParentVUE.

If you have any questions regarding your ParentVue account, please submit a ticket to our technology department via Incident IQ.

Families will need to complete the Back-to-School Annual Verification form in ParentVUE before accessing their accounts for information regarding students in the new academic year. Please review the information thoroughly to make any necessary changes to you or your scholars information.

In the back-to-school forms process, families have the ability to deny the release of all directory information (including a student’s image) or to specifically deny the release of a student’s image only. Families who wish to change their student's opt out preferences can do so at any time in ParentVUE.

What is the difference between denying a release of a student's photograph and denying a release of directory information?

• If you deny the school district the ability to release your child’s photo only, the school district will not include a photo or a video/audio recording of your child in yearbooks, school/district websites, school/district social media pages or other school/district publications accessible outside of school.
• If you deny a release of all of your student’s directory information (which includes the student’s photograph), the school district will not include your child’s name, image, voice, school of attendance, awards, participation in officially recognized activities/sports, or any other directory information in any school/district publication that is accessible outside of school.

More information about the Directory/Photo Release information can be found here: https://www.district279.org/info-center/media-inquiries/opt-outs

Seesaw is a digital portfolio that your scholars will use in grades K-5. Scholars can post images, drawings, videos, and other examples of classwork to show what they are learning in school and share it with their family.

For more detailed Seesaw technology tips and instructions, please click here.

For families who use Schoology, we created this handy reference guide to help you navigate what you’ll see in Schoology, how Schoology is different than ParentVue, and how to get support for accessing the parent side of Schoology.

Click here for the reference guide.

Parents/Guardians can access the Schoology Parent Access Code in ParentVUE under the Lunch PIN in Student Info.

GRADES K-5

Teachers take attendance twice a day through their classroom meetings.

GRADES 6-12

Scholars in 279Online are expected to attend live instruction for classes every day.

• Teachers verify and submit the official attendance record in Synergy.
• At 6:00 pm, Blackboard calls will go out to families for scholars with unexcused absences from the previous day.

OTHER ATTENDANCE TIPS:

• If a scholar is unable to attend, families need to report the absence to 279Online in order to excuse the absence (email: online@district279.org or phone: 763-391-8670 option 1) OR report your student(s) FULL DAY absences in ParentVue. Click Here for directions.
• If you need to report your scholar’s absence and speak a language other than English, please email online@district279.org in your language and label your message with the name of the language. We will translate your message and record the absence.

If you have any questions regarding attendance please contact your scholars’ teachers or the main office (phone: 763-391-8670 OR email: online@district279.org)

Rather than posting numerous resources each week, we are compiling them in a Google Doc that will be updated accordingly. Please click here for assistance regarding things like mental health, food and clothing support, and Internet access.

Examples of Resources included:

• Educational Benefits Application Information
• Mental Health Resources
• District Multilingual Facebook Pages
• Technology Resources
• Community Resources
• Winter Weather Gear
• Furniture, Sheets, Blankets, Dishes, Pots and Pans, Cleaning Supplies and Clothing
• Homework Starts with Home Program