OMS Friday Knight Live

1. OMS Veterans Day Assembly 11.1.24 *RSVP for Veterans and send in pics!
2. New Clubs Starting
3. Social Worker Resources
4. Choir Apparel Store Closes Monday, 11.4
5. OMS PTO News
6. Coming Up @ OMS

We are pleased to have our annual OMS Veterans Day Celebration and Assembly Monday, November 11th. We would like to include our OMS community veterans in two ways this year:

1. OMS Family and Community Members who have served in our armed forces are invited to attend our assembly. Please RSVP by Monday, November 5th on this form so we may plan for seating and refreshments (refreshments begin at 7:30 a.m. in the OMS library prior to the assembly):OMS Veterans Day RSVP 2024

2. Pictures: Each year we compile a video of current OMS students' family members who have served in the armed forces. Please email your picture by Thursday, November 7th at this email address: omsveteransday24@gmail.com including full name of veteran, name of OMS student related/connected to the Veteran(s) in the photo(s), and military branch . Students will view the video in social studies classes and the video will be sent to families November 11th.

Please call the OMS office at 913-239-5500 with questions.

Join us for Cardboard Club Mondays from 3:00 - 4:00 in Mrs. Quiason’s room. Imagine, Create, and Share your Eco-Friendly projects.

JSU Jewish Student Union starts this Thursday (then every other week) from 3:00 - 4:00 in Mrs. Quiason’s room. Learn about Jewish holidays & traditions. You don’t have to be Jewish to attend - everyone is welcome for food, fun, and friends.

2024 2025 Clubs by Day

Low Income Energy Assistance Program applications now open. Flyers in English and Spanish

Click Here for English Flyer

Haga clic AQUÍ para ver el folleto en español

Purchase choir ts or hoodies online with delivery to OMS. Store closes Monday, November 4th so order now! Parents/Guardians please use your STUDENT’S name for the Contact Info so the clothing can be given to the correct student.

Click HERE for Choir Apparel Store

Donations Needed for Veterans Day Assembly

The PTO will be providing doughnuts and drinks for the upcoming Veterans Day Assembly. Please click on the sign up link to help donate items needed: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084CACAB23A5FA7-52559644-omsveterans

Book Fair Date Change and Volunteer Sign Up

The dates for the Scholastic Book Fair have changed. It will now be held November 11-15, 2024. All proceeds will benefit the OMS library. Here is the link to set up an account for your student to purchase books without cash: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/oxfordmiddleschool3 Many volunteers are needed to make this a successful event. Please click the link to sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C48AEA72EA0F58-52668697-book

Silent Auction Volunteer Needed

The OMS PTO is in search of a volunteer who will help coordinate the upcoming silent auction. Help will be needed (on your own schedule) over the next few weeks leading up to the event, as well as on November 15th, the night of the event. Please contact Laura Phelps - LauraPhelps001@gmail.com, or Janie Snider - jmlogansnider@gmail.com for more information.

PTO Memberships & Donations

The OMS PTO needs your donation! All donations help support staff needs and student activities. If you have not already given to the PTO this year, please click this link:

https://omspto.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/156152925. We appreciate your support!

Concessions: Sign up here to be a concession volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044FAAAD28A57-51004840-weneed#/

If you have questions, please contact Debra Burgess at dhburgesskc@gmail.com Thank you!

OMS PTO Trivia Night Fundraiser!

Save the date for the upcoming PTO fundraiser. This will be a fun, adults only, event to raise funds for staff grants. Tickets will go on sale soon. Watch the newsletter for more details.

Monday, 11.1- Veterans Day Assembly

November 25-29- No School

On Nov. 14, students across the country will participate in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, an annual, commemorative event that honors the courage of Ruby Bridges who made history by becoming the first Black student to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans in 1960. Students across the country now walk to school on this day to commemorate her bravery and continue the important conversation about equality and inclusion. To learn more about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, visit https://rubybridges.foundation/. We invite our OMS families to walk to school on November 14th to participate in this nationwide event.

Some November Celebrations & Observances:

• Native American Heritage Month - celebrates the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples.

• National Veterans and Military Family Appreciation Month - honors the military family by recognizing their sacrifices and commitments.

• All Saints Day - November 1 - celebrated by some of the Christian faith, this solemn, holy day honors the saints of the church.

• Day of the Dead - November 1 - celebrated by some with Mexican heritage, a joyful time to remember and honor deceased loved ones.

• Diwali - November 1 - the festival of lights celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the human ability to overcome observed by some Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others. Some will decorate their homes with lights and rangoli art, exchange gifts, dress in colorful clothing, feast with family, and/or go to temple.

October is a busy month for the OMS Counseling Department! October is Bullying Prevention Month and all of our students are discussing the topic of bullying and learning strategies to take care of themselves and their friends, should bullying occur either in person or online. Bullying is when someone intentionally says or does something hurtful, and they keep on doing it even after someone tells them to stop or they have seen a reaction from the target.

Last year across the US, 32% of students reported having been bullied—the highest number ever recorded. 58% of middle school students reported having received a hurtful message online. At OMS, we are committed to providing a safe environment for every student. We encourage our students to report any bullying issues to a staff member or submit a Safe Schools report so we can ensure that our students are supported, and we can address any bullying issues.

OMS participated in Red Ribbon Week this past week, to emphasize making healthy choices and staying away from alcohol, vapes, or other drugs. Our students had Flex lessons this week, centered around the "Science of Joy" and choosing healthy activities that don't involve substances. We had daily announcements about resisting peer pressure and making healthy choices, as well as spirit days to emphasize our message "Free to Be Me—Drug Free!" Our Flex classes also decorated their classroom doors to celebrate this theme. Red Ribbon Week is the kickoff to our FACT lessons—where we will share information with our students about alcohol, vapes, and other substances and teach resistance skills to peer pressure. We want our students to continue to make healthy choices for themselves now and in the future.

We encourage you to talk with your student at home about these lessons and have them share what they have learned. Let's keep these conversations going and please let us know of any questions or concerns that you may have.

Jill Gouger: OMS Counselor (A-K)

Allyson DiNitto: OMS Counselor (L-Z)

Our Green Team is sponsoring a challenge to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic film to keep it out of our landfills and oceans. What is plastic film? Plastic grocery bags, soda case plastic wrap, bread bags, ziploc bags, newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags, and so much more!

Once the 1,000lb limit has been collected, it will be recycled into an outdoor bench for our courtyard!

Current Plastic Weight Turned In: 78 Pounds 10.24.24

Pull Tabs/Pop Tabs are being collected to help raise money for the local Ronald McDonald House. Pull those tabs from soda, vegetable, soup, fruit, tomato sauce cans and so many more!

Current Pop Tab Weight Turn In: 17.5 pounds 10.24.24

Click HERE for the OMS Student Made Recycling Video

ASK (Academically Successful Knights), our after-school homework program, is a great way for students to get work done and get help before they leave school Monday-Thursday. We talked with our students this week about starting 2nd quarter strong. ASK is a great way to help!

• Giving the Basics

We are opening our doors for our 2nd annual Open House, Hygiene Busters!! Come learn about our mission and our amazing partners! There will be free Kentucky Fried Chicken sponsored by KBP brands as well as drinks and cotton candy. Tour our warehouse, play games and take a picture with the Ghostbuster car, the Ectomobile! You don’t want to miss out!

Click HERE for more information

• Johnson County Christmas Bureau Holiday Shop is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting low-income families in Johnson County, Kansas, during the holiday season.

Applications can be done on-line or by phone 913-341-4342. Applications open until all shopping slots are full. Click HERE for Christmas Bureau application.

OMS families, please attach a key ring or luggage tag to the black case that contains your student’s chromebook. There are 625 identical cases in the building; help your student keep track of their case and their chromebook. Chromebook charging cords should be kept at home so devices can be charged overnight. If your student has lost their charging cord you should purchase one for home use. Any student who does not turn in a charging cord with their chromebook will be charged for it.

Parents Make A Difference: October 2024

Newsletter for middle school parents. Topics this month include: Concentration, adult guidance on social media use, activities to reinforce skills, organizational tools, and so much more!

Click HERE for Oct 2024 Parents Still Make A Difference

Middle School wrestling is an intramural activity at OMS and Harmony. Students will be coached by the wrestling staff at BVNW and will learn the basics of wrestling. There is no cost to participate but families must provide their own transportation to practices and the meet. *Students may not practice or participate without a physical and rSchool account on file.

Click HERE for 2024 Middle School Wrestling Information

Families of bus riders, please sign up for Durham Bus Services notifications. Get the information if your student’s bus is late or going to be in a different numbered bus. Click HERE for Durham’s Website and Textcaster Link

Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all our schools. We are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of situations. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns.

If you have a question or concerns, we want to help! Many times by starting at the building level, you will work with the person who is closest to the situation and will usually have the most information. If you feel further discussion is warranted, the following chart can be used as a guide for whom to call when questions arise on the most common topics.

OMS families, please make sure your child knows their home address and a parent/guardian phone number. Yes really! Over half the students who come to the office or nurse do not know a home/parent/guardian phone number. In a class project using home addresses, almost half the students did not know their home address. This is a safety issue and we want all our students to be safe!

As we begin the school year, we would like to remind you to review the updated Blue Valley Student Code of Conduct. It can be found on our www.bluevalleyk12.org under the “Student Quick Links” section at the bottom main home page. It can also be found on our school website home page.

Student Code of Conduct

OMS Families, please share any candid photos you take during the school year This is for the yearbook so:

• No blurry or out of focus shots

• Upload a few shots (but no duplicates please)

• Please put in folder associated with your grade or event

• OMS events only

• .jpg or .png ONLY (no .HEIC)

Click HERE to upload photos for the 2024 2025 Yearbook

OMS has many clubs and activities before and after school. Look at our Activities page for clubs starting next week and check back often for updates. Click HERE for OMS Activities page

Click HERE for 24 25 Club Listing by Day

OMS families, every school has procedures in place for the safety of our students and to provide the best learning environment for everyone. Each year we check and update our procedures on everything from forgotten lunches to visitors in the building. Please refer to our 2024 2025 Student Planner, our School Information or Families tabs on the OMS Website for everything including:

• Reporting an Absence

• Dropping off forgotten homework, shoes, etc

• Visitors in the building

• Outside/restaurant food

• Sports eligibility

• Lunch money accounts

• So much more!

For students who do not receive bus transportation, families may fill out this form to see if other families near them are interested in arranging a carpool. Anyone who fills the form out will want to check regularly for new additions. Families who use this form will reach out to other parents and guardians on this form to arrange any carpools.

OMS Carpool Interest Form

Please help our OMS carline move smoothly by following the OMS traffic loop. All cars enter the parking lot through the south entrance and exit through the south entrance.

Parents/Guardians may NOT drop kids off in our south parking lot. This creates a safety hazard for staff entering and exiting the parking lot before and after school. Thank you for keeping our community safe!

Bell Schedules & Calendar / Bell/Class Schedules (bluevalleyk12.org)

OMS FAQs: student handbook, lockers, etc.

Building & Traffic Flow Map

OMS Staff Directory

Want to keep up on the latest OMS announcements and information? Check out the NEWS section on the OMS website. NEWS is located under the About Us tab.

Click HERE for OMS NEWS

Attendance Number: 913-239-5505

Mrs. Domoney, Principal: cdomoney@bluevalleyk12.org

Mr. Holsapple, Assistant Principal: jholsapple03@bluevalleyk12.org

OMS Calendar

OMS School Website

OMS Library Homepage