The Middle Matters

OMS Parent Newsletter - February 12, 2024

August 12, 2024

Inspiring Excellence. Every Learner. Every Day.

Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year!

Hello OMS Families,

It's August and that means it's time to start getting excited for the school year to start! We hope that you have all had a great summer full of the summer activities, down time, and events that you enjoy.

We are so excited to welcome back our returning and new students to OMS. In just a few short weeks, on Thursday, August 29, we will kick off the school year with our annual Open House Day. This is the day to pick up your class schedule, take your school picture, and tour the building. There will be time to fully explore, ask questions, and get familiar with your teachers and support staff. Please read the section below for more information on this important school year kick off day.

On the middle school calendar below, returning students and parents will notice a change in our SOAR Day schedules. This year we are trialing a new approach to the SOAR schedule to focus on academic skills. [Don't worry, there will still be some fun activity SOAR days- including baby goats in the spring!] We will run a SOAR schedule every Wednesday for one skinny period starting in October. Students will be scheduled/assigned to SOAR groups per academic area and team which will keep their schedules consistent and easier to manage. SOAR will be dedicated to academic support for students and will include time for reteaching, retakes, homework support, large project work time, and/or enrichment depending on student need. Every quarter we will offer a Fun SOAR when students can sign up for enrichment activities of their choice and no students will be pulled for reteach/retakes. This change should help to alleviate some of the inconsistency in schedules and allow all students to have the opportunity to engage in academic work and fun activities equally.

As you are looking at the calendar, please remember that the first day of school for 6th graders is Tuesday, September 3. This day is set aside for 6th graders to have the chance to practice their lockers, get familiar with their schedules, and get to know the building on their own. Our 8th grade WEB student leaders will be here to help 6th graders acclimate to OMS. The first day of school for all students is Wednesday, September 4.

We are looking forward to a great school year. Please check out all of the information below so you and your student are ready for a successful start. Have a wonderful last few weeks of summer! See you soon,

Mrs. Mattson

OMS Calendar

Thursday, August 29

Parent Student Information Day - 7:30 am-5:00 pm (Open House Format)

Picture Day - 7:30 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday, September 3

6th Grade Orientation Day (First Day of School for 6th Grade ONLY)

Wednesday, September 4

First Day of School Grades ALL OMS Students

24-25 OMS Calendar

School Supply Lists

Parent/Student Information Day

Kona Ice Visit

PE Apparel

Court Sports will be selling PE Apparel at our Parent/Student Information Day on Aug 29. If you are not able to attend the Parent/Student Information Day, you can also purchase the apparel at Court Sports (1414 S Oak Ave, Owatonna).

PE Apparel Pricing:

T-shirt - $10

Boy's shorts - $10

Girl's shorts - $15

Picture Day

Fall Picture Day - Aug 29 - 7:30am-5:00pm

Re-Takes - Sept 26 - 7:50-11:00am

Owatonna Bus Company

The Owatonna Bus Company will be at our Parent/Student Information Day on August 29. They will hand out bus passes and answer any questions you may have.

Mayo Mobile Clinic

Let's Smile, Inc.

Learn more about Let's Smile, Inc. at our Parent/Student Information Day on Aug 29. The next clinic is Tuesday, October 22.

Highlights From the End of the 23-24 School Year

Kyle DeKam Leadership Award Ceremony

On the last day of school, we honored the great leadership at OMS with the Kyle DeKam Leadership Award Ceremony.

2024 KDLA Recipients

left-right: Emma Hess, Mohamed Osman, Jodie DeKam Valentine, Greta Veldman

2024 KDLA Finalists

Row 1: Emma Hess, Greta Veldman, Mohamed Osman. Row 2: Thomas O'Donnell, Annika Wilke, Graham Wiste. Row 3: Kiah Clauson, Samantha Meier, Owen Halverson.

2024 KDLA Nominees

Damaris Borkenhagen, Avery Born, Kiah Clauson, Thor Dotson, Chloe Eastman, Camryn Fox, Owen Halverson, Danika Hanson, Jae Herzog, Emma Hess, Leah Leckner, Samantha Meier, Raegann Mitchell, Thomas O'Donnell, Mohamed Osman, Megan Skala, Kaia Swenson, Greta Veldman, Annika Wilke, Graham Wiste

Congratulations to Mrs. Coudron, the 2024 Teacher of the Year!

Not only were our students recognized, but our teachers as well! Mrs. Coudron was named Owatonna's 2024 Teacher of the year! Owatonna Middle School's Mrs. Bae and Mr. Heinz were also recognized as finalists!

Husky Pride Day Was a Success!

Attendance Line

If your student is absent please call the attendance line, 507-444-8705.

We have limited staff members available to deliver release passes to students on short notice, so we ask that any early releases be communicated to the attendance line in advance.

Peachjar

Don't forget to check out Peachjar! Flyers that would have been sent home in the past are now housed here: https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/all/schools/92591

Important Information

Pick Up & Drop Off

Parent/Guardian pick up and drop off happens at Door 13 via the staff parking lot. 15th Street is for bus parking ONLY. When you arrive to drop your student off in the morning, please pull all the way around to the furthest available space near the parking lot exit. Students can walk along the sidewalk safely to enter the building. This allows all the cars behind you to pull forward and avoid backing up in the street. When everyone stops directly in front of the door to drop off their student(s) we are blocking traffic along the road for all other vehicles.

The same process is helpful during pickup time at the end of the day. Please pull all the way around to the parking lot exit to wait. You may fill in any parking spots that are unused in the lot as well. If we all pull around and avoid waiting directly in front of the doors, the process will go much more smoothly for everyone.

Reminders

Every student must bring their Chromebook to school every day, fully charged. This does affect students' PAW scores under Work Habits! Teachers will be using these on a daily basis; it is crucial your child brings their computer to school every day!

Cell Phones are "AWAY FOR THE DAY". No cellphone usage between 7:50-2:20. Phones must be put away in lockers and not on their persons.

Visitors

All visitors must enter through Door #1 on 15th St NE. All visitors must have a scheduled appointment or be here under special circumstances. You will need to present a valid ID in order to enter. Please let our security officer know who your meeting is with and he will call them down to the security office to escort you to and from your meeting.

Preventing Class Disruption

Learning is taken very seriously at OMS; therefore, we try to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum:

Please do not bring or arrange deliveries of bouquets, balloons, stuffed animals and the like to students. They will not be accepted.

Encourage students to remember their Chromebooks, lunches, gym clothes, musical instruments, etc. We do not have staff to deliver these items, nor do we call the classrooms to have the students come down and pick up the items.