Monthly Boost

November 2024

Can you believe it? We’re already halfway through Trimester 1! 🎉We’re proud of the progress everyone has made so far, and we want to encourage you to keep up the hard work as we approach the end of the trimester. Now is the time to stay focused, give your best effort, and finish strong!

We’re also excited to remind you about our upcoming Virtual Bingo Night on November 21! It’s a perfect way to have some fun and take a well-deserved break.

Trimester 2 will kick off on December 2, so make sure to rest, recharge, and be ready to continue your academic journey.

Keep up the great work, and remember, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

-Ms. Swanson and Ms. Bisson

November 20: 279Online School Picture Retake & Make-Up Day from 1:30-4:00pm at the OALC

November 21: Virtual Bingo from 6:00-7:00pm

November 27: Mark Reporting Day - No School for Students
November 28-29: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Staff and Students

December 2: Start of Trimester 2

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

NOVEMBER

• Virtual Bingo: Thursday, November 21st from 6:00-7:00pm
• Have fun with our school staff and classmates!

DECEMBER

• Advisory Challenge: December 9th-13th

JANUARY

• Elementary Night: Wednesday, January 22nd from 6:00-8:00pm
• 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.

We will be hosting our 279Online Picture Retakes on Wednesday, November 20th from 1:30-4:00PM. Please sign up for a time slot using this link: 279Online Picture Retake Sign Up

After you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email as the make up/retake day approaches with further information including parking, where to enter the building, etc.

If you have any questions, please contact us at online@district279.org or 763-391-8670.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Get ready for an evening of excitement, connection, and fun at our Virtual Bingo Night! We’d love for you to join us and enjoy a lively hour of Bingo, where you can play, laugh, and even win some great prizes—all from the comfort of home.

📅 Date: Thursday, November 21st
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Virtual (we’ll send the link closer to the date after you've completed the RSVP)

Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/trHSgA3gxdy5xCWq8

Whether you're a Bingo veteran or trying it for the first time, we promise a fantastic experience for all. Gather the family, grab some snacks, and get ready for a memorable night with our school community!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Please consider attending the Virtual MTSS Advisory Council Meeting on Monday, November 25th from 3:30-4:30.

If you are interested in attending the MTSS advisory council meeting, please complete this form to receive an invite to the event!

DEN Time supports our school’s programming by providing innovative, and creative scholar-driven opportunities. Scholars register for sessions through Student Support Time; scholars can also be requested by teachers to make-up work, finish projects, and get extra support as needed.

Scholars in grades 6-12 are expected to attend three DEN sessions, and if scholars are requested by a teacher, scholars are expected to accept that request, and attend.

Starting Nov. 6, caregivers will be receiving an email summary of their scholar’s afternoon schedule. This email keeps caregivers informed of the opportunities for support and extension scholars signed up for, or were requested for.

We are excited to share that the November edition of the 2024-2025 College and Career Newsletter is now available! This resource is designed to support your scholars as they navigate their futures, whether they're preparing for college applications or exploring career options.

📚 In this month’s edition, you will find:

• Exciting DEN Session opportunities for 279Online Scholars
• Comprehensive College Application Process resources
• A helpful Planning Guide provided by Get Schooled
• Access to a Free College Application Essay Review opportunity
• Valuable Career Exploration resources
• Information on upcoming learning opportunity: BrookLynk's STEM Panel
• The Top Five Scholarships your students should consider applying for

We encourage you to review this month’s newsletter and engage with your scholars about the resources and opportunities available to them. Together, we can help them succeed!

Click this link to access the newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/j3c5p6

Osseo Area Schools School Choice Fair is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the various schools and programs for all grade levels in the district, including early childhood, preschool, elementary, middle, high schools, magnet and online programs.

Whether you have enrollment questions, need information about kindergarten, are new to the district, or looking to learn more about your child’s school or specialized programs, this event is the perfect chance to get everything you need in one location. RSVP online today at district279.org/school-choice-fair.

EVENT DETAILS

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 | 9a.m.to noon

WHERE: Osseo Senior High School, 317 5th St NW, Osseo, MN 55369

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. I’m looking forward to working with your child.

• 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.

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