OMS The Middle Matters
The Veterans Day program will take place on Monday, Nov. 11 at 8:00 a.m. at the Owatonna Middle School. The event will include presentations on the American flag and a multimedia presentation incorporating pictures of veterans of Owatonna Middle School family members as well as Keynote Speaker, Owatonna native and Army veteran Robert Mollenhauer. Selected students will also read their selected essays titled “My Voice in America’s Democracy.” The event is open to families and Owatonna Veterans.
In seventh grade, students have the opportunity to view a live performance of the classical story A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater. This field trip will support students’ learning in English class, as they will be reading this play this year. Attending the play provides an opportunity to build comprehension and background knowledge. While the play is set at Christmas time, its focus is on the universal themes of kindness and generosity.
The date of this field trip is Thursday, November 14, 2024. The cost is $12 per student and needs to be paid on Infinite Campus by Thursday, November 7, 2024. Students were given a letter about this field trip to take home and share with their families. The bottom portion of this letter needs to be signed and returned to your student's English teacher after you have paid the field trip fee on Infinite Campus.
Closer to November 14th, your student's English teacher will provide students more details about this field trip such as the schedule for the day and theater etiquette. Students have already filled out a form indicating if they would like to order school lunch or bring lunch from home on this day. Please check with your student about which option they selected.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your student's seventh grade English teacher.
Please call the Attendance Line (not the main line) for ALL attendance matters.
It is critical to call in advance when your student needs to leave early. You can even call days ahead or after school hours and leave a message. It is challenging to locate your student and get them to you quickly, especially when they are in lunch, their class has gone outside or to a different room, or they are in PE and need to change before leaving. When you call ahead, we can get a pass to your student earlier in the day, and they will be waiting for you at Door 1 when you arrive.
There are currently 403 overdue books. Email reminder notices are sent to students and families every Monday morning. Please stop by the IMC to renew your book if you are still reading it or return it by putting it on the brown Return Cart at the end of Mrs. Smith's desk. Students can stop by before/after school, during passing time or with the permission of a teacher. It only takes a second!
Hey OMS! Did you know you can submit your pictures to be considered for inclusion in the OMS yearbook? If you go to OMS sports or activities and have a picture you would like to submit, use this link https://photos.jostens.com/JTBKW3 or the QR code to upload your pictures for consideration!
Lifetouch
You can order school pictures at mylifetouch.com . Use code: EVTC6MZ93
Any questions can be directed to the Lifetouch Customer Success Line: 800-736-4753
OMS Yearbook
The yearbook staff is working hard on this year’s yearbook. We will have a limited number of books available for sale at the end of the year.
Order your 2025 yearbook at www.jostens.com or call 1-877-767-5217.
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 off your student 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.
Students will not be admitted into the building in the morning until the doors open at 7:35 am.
Students must be picked up by 2:30.
Chromebooks
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!
Having troubles with your Chromebook?
Please call the Parent/Student Technology Hotline: 507-444-8630
"AWAY FOR THE DAY"
Cell phones are "AWAY FOR THE DAY". No cellphone usage is allowed between 7:50-2:20 pm. Phones must be put away in lockers and not on their persons.
From the Parent & Student Handbook:
If a device or cell phone is seen and taken by an adult during the day, it will be turned into the office. For the first infraction, a parent must pick up the phone at the end of the day. For a second infraction, a parent/guardian will be required to pick up the phone or device from school and additional consequences may be assigned including but not limited to a Suite 360 lesson and detention. Any student who incurs three phone infractions will be required to check his/her phone into the office at the beginning of every day; the student may pick up the phone at the end of the day.
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 Campus Greeter know who your meeting is with and she will call them down to the vestibule to escort you to and from your meeting.
Preventing Class Disruptions
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 students come down and pick up the items.
- Make afterschool arrangements with your student before school, if possible. We do not interrupt classrooms for these types of messages.
