Dear Families of Oshki Ogimaag Community School,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! It is such a joy greeting the smiling faces of our students as they excitedly enter the school building each morning! It has been a beautiful first week of school, with students exploring their classrooms, establishing classroom communities, new friendships blossoming, adventuring in the woods and getting into the rhythm of a new school year.

We begin each week and end each week with a smudging ceremony. We burn one of the sacred medicines, we typically use sage. Smudging is most often lead by Ms. Kat or Ms. James, discussing the significance of and respect for this tradition and asking students questions to check for their understanding. We journey into the week bringing good energy into our minds, bodies and spirits and end the week reflecting on all that we have learned together and go into the weekend renewing our positive energy and thoughts.

Chi-miigwech to our families for entrusting Oshki Ogimaag Community School with the education and care of your children. Families are the first and most important educators to students and we deeply value each family in our school community. We look forward to continued partnership with you to provide students exceptional academic and social/emotional education and learning experiences within the context of preservation of Anishinaabe language and culture, providing hands-on community-based projects, and contributing to the wellness of future generations.

We feel deep gratitude for the dedicated staff we have. Each person on our team finds their work at Oshki Ogimaag to be extremely meaningful and rewarding. We feel honored and privileged to educate the students of Grand Portage and serve the mission of this school. We look forward to sharing a wonderful year together!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Ms. James or Ms. Tina! We would love to hear your feedback at any time about how things are gong for your family and your student at Oshki Ogimaag, and are always available to answer questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Miigwech!

Oshki Ogimaag utilizes the Responsive Classroom approach. This is an evidence-based approach to teaching, learning, classroom management and discipline that focuses on the strong link between academic learning and social-emotional learning (SEL). Following the Responsive Classroom approach; the goals for all grades the first week of school include:

• Each student should feel a strong sense of belonging at school. Each classroom forms a learning community, where students should feel secure, included, safe, and valued.
• Begin building and/or re-establishing social connections. Students should begin to connect with one another socially and positively, feeling included in their classroom community. Students learn about each other especially during Morning Meeting and Closing Circle, where teachers present questions for students to respond to, encouraging prosocial discourse, setting the tone for the day and reflecting on their time together and learning experiences at the end of the day.
• Establishing key routines. Students understanding expectations and knowing what to expect in their daily schedule supports setting them up for successful learning experiences.
• Experiencing a sense of joy, excitement and competence about the academic work and learning experiences ahead. Teachers work to assess student capabilities so they can meet each student where they are at on their learning journey and foreshadow learning experiences to come, so that students feel both motivated and excited about learning all year long!

I am Ms. Stella, the new Nutritional Services Director! I studied Medical Coding and Billing at DBU, and at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, I studied Business. I worked in the restaurant business for a number of years and most recently I worked at Gene's Foods, in Grand Marais. I feel that Grand Portage, and Oshki Ogimaag Community School, specifically, is the right place for me, because I have roots and history here. I went to school in Grand Portage through my 6th grade year. The strong connections and relational ties I have here make me feel at home. I am excited to cook for students recipes that have been passed down by individuals that many students have relational ties to!

I am Ms. LeeAnna, the students call me "Miss Nans," and I am the paraprofessional in the Kindergarten and 1st grade classroom! I am from Grand Portage. I graduated from Cook County High School in 2002. I have three children of my own. I am excited to be working with our children, in our community of Grand Portage, only a hop, skip and a jump (or roll 😀) from home versus a 70+ mile commute! I am excited to share my talents and the knowledge I was taught, with our next generation. This is going to be an amazing change for me! Chi-miigwech!

On Wednesday, September 11th, we will be off-site ricing for most of the day! Mr. Redix will be guiding us. We will leave school at 9am, heading to Swamp River. We will bring bag lunches with us and will be back to school by about 2:45pm. Please make sure your student is dressed to spend the day outside and at school on-time, so they are in their classroom to hear instructions and expectations for the day. Miigwech!

Please let us know if you would like to join us!

The Grand Marais Playhouse will hold an After School Theater program at Oshki Ogimaag Community School (grades 2-5 can sign-up!) on Thursdays from 3:15- 4: 45, beginning September 19th and will meet every Thursday until November 21st (except for days when school is not in session). The instructor will be Sue Hennessy, Playhouse Director with assistance from Kat Sherer.

Miigwech to Miss Tess for all the ways she supports students at Oshki Ogimaag Community School!

We are looking for a minimum of two individuals who are parent/guardians 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, at OOCS at 4:30pm.

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!

September

• 11 - Ricing - We will leave school at 9am and return by 2:45pm
• 12 - Vision and Hearing Screening
• 18 - OOCS Board Meeting, 4:30pm, OOCS Conference Area
• 19- After School Theater Class 3:15-4:45pm
• 26 - After School Theater Class 3:15-4:45pm

October

• 03 - After School Theater Class 3:15-4:45pm
• 10 - After School Theater Class 3:15-4:45pm
• 14 - Indigenous Peoples' Day
• 16 - OOCS Board Meeting, 4:30pm, OOCS Conference Area
• 17-18 - NO SCHOOL, Fall Break
• 21 - NO SCHOOL, Professional Development Day
• 24 - After School Theater Class 3:15-4:45pm
• 31 - Halloween