Monthly Boost

April 2024

Hello Otters!

As March draws to a close and we anticipate spring break next week, we want to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our scholars. Enjoy your well-deserved break to the fullest! When we return on April 1st, let's come back refreshed and ready to tackle new challenges with enthusiasm.

After break we will be gearing up for MCAs and ACT testing, and we want to encourage all participants to give it their best shot. Remember, every effort counts towards your success.

With perseverance and determination, you can achieve anything.

Keep up the great work, everyone!

Have a wonderful break!

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) requires that statewide assessments are annually administered in reading, mathematics, and science. They are designed to provide the state, districts, and schools with a snapshot of student learning of the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. 279Online's MCA Testing will take place at North View Middle School (located at 5869 69th Ave N. Brooklyn Park, MN 55429).

If you have any questions regarding MCA testing, please contact Kate Rosbacka at RosbackaK@district279.org or Online@district279.org.

Please mark your calendars for Spring Conferences for our 6-12 grade scholars. Conferences will be held virtually. If you need interpreter services during the conferences, please let your teacher(s) know.

Trimester 3 Conferences for Grades 6-12

• Wednesday, April 17th: 3:30-8:00pm

The April edition of the College and Career Newsletter is out now. Packed with updates, exciting opportunities, and valuable resources, it is here to guide you with your future college and career success.

This month's edition includes:

• Important FAFSA updates
• Testing information
• Tips for creating a cover letter
• Tree Trust: A summer job opportunity and landscaping career feature
• Postsecondary Enrollment information
• Our April College Feature: Tech and Trade Schools
• Top five scholarships to apply for

Check it out at this link: https://www.smore.com/n/s78mj

For more resources, visit the College & Career website.

If you are planning on attending Prom at another school as a guest and need a guest form completed, please email a copy of the form to Online@district279.org. Make sure your portion of the form is completed before sending to us to complete the rest. Please make sure to send this in advance.

For a complete list of our 2023-2024 school year community events please refer to this list. It is also included as a PDF to download for your convenience.

Coming Up:

• APRIL: Virtual Talent Show
• Got a special talent you'd like to showcase? We will be compiling a schoolwide Talent Show video with entries from students and staff in April! Stay tuned for more information.

Per the Minnesota Department of Education, Online and Homeschool families are not eligible for the Minnesota Free School Meals Program. But it is still important for families to fill out an application for educational benefits.

Fill out the Educational Benefits Application to take advantage of benefits available to families who meet income requirements, including free or discounted costs for the following:

• Field trips
• Community education programs
• Clubs, activities, and athletics
• Instrument rentals
• Fees, including for AP testing, graduation, student parking permits and more
• Sliding scale for repair costs on school-provided devices for qualified damages
• Comcast internet for home
• Xcel Energy account assistance for electricity bills

Additionally, the state of Minnesota uses a school district’s percentage of qualifying students from applications completed and approved prior to October 1st each year to calculate each district’s funding level. School district funding impacts every student:

• Class sizes
• Number of support staff the district can hire to help scholars (counselors, social workers)
• Extra programming opportunities

Please fill out the Educational Benefits Application today to make sure your family can take advantage of these and other benefits! To bypass creating an EduTrakConnect account you can simply fill out an application at the following link: https://bit.ly/3hWdk7Q.

If your 279Online student would like to attend an indistrict sporting event please scan the QR code in the attached document to get tickets. Then on the day of event, make sure they bring their student ID.

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. Email help@district279.org or call 763-391-7180.

Reminders about Attendance Practices for 279Online:

GRADES K-5

Teachers take attendance twice a day through their classroom meetings.

GRADES 6-12

• Scholars are expected to self report attendance through a Schoology attendance quiz for each class by 6:00 pm in Schoology daily
• Click here for scholar directions

• Teachers verify and submit the official attendance record in Synergy the next day.
• At 6:00 pm, School Messenger calls will go out to families for scholars with unexcused absences from the previous day
• 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.
• While attendance is taken through this quiz, scholars are still expected to attend synchronous meetings with their teachers and engage in their learning. We want them to be there and miss them when they don’t come!

Teachers will review this attendance process with scholars in advisory and their classes. If you have any questions regarding attendance please contact your scholars’ teachers or the main office (phone: 763-391-8670).

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.

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.

Click Here to view our scholar and family commitments for this school year. Please discuss these as a family, sign them, and post in a visible location. The purpose of these commitments is to be transparent about our partnership with your scholar and family.

Click Here to view our 279Online Scholar and Caregiver Handbook.

Here is the link to the 279Online school store where you can buy 279Online gear if you’d like: http://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/minnesota/brooklynpark/279Online

• Follow us on social media:
• Facebook at 279Online
• 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. If you need to update your address, please go to the Enrollment Center website for instructions.
• 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.