OMS Friday Knight Live
November 3, 2023
New Information In This Newsletter:
- Annual Veterans Day Assembly next Friday, November 10th
- Book Fair Nov. 13-17
- PTO Open Meeting November 15
- Auditions for Rock of Ages- OMS Spring Musical
- Reminder: 8th grade fieldtrip Wednesday, November 8th
- Counseling Corner for 6th & 7th Grade
- Parents Still Make the Difference November newsletter
- Harvesters Food Drive Nov. 6-10
Coming Up @ OMS
November 8- 8th grade field trip to BVW for Outsiders play
November 10- OMS Annual Veterans Day Assembly *more information in next week's newsletter
Interested in always knowing what is going on? Check out the OMS Website: Oxford Middle School / Homepage (bluevalleyk12.org)
OMS Veterans Day Assembly November 10th
Friday, November 10th is our Oxford Veterans Day Assembly. This assembly is a time-honored tradition for the entire OMS community to recognize and thank our veterans for their service. Family members of OMS students who have served or are currently serving in the Armed Forces are invited to attend. The assembly begins at 8:00 a.m. Veteran guests are invited to come to a Donuts & Coffee reception in the OMS library beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Please RSVP for OMS Veteran Guests on this link so we may plan for food and appropriate seating: OMS Veterans Day RSVP Form 2023
OMS wants to celebrate and recognize your family's Veterans in our OMS Veteran's Day Slideshow.
Please email your family's Veterans' photos to omsveteransday@gmail.com
Be sure to specify the following in your email:
- Who is in the picture(s) (the Veteran)
- The Veteran's military branch of service
- The name of the student for whom the photos are uploaded (the name of the OMS student related/connected to the Veteran(s) in the photos)
We kindly request each family limit the amount limit their shared photos to a maximum of 5 photos to ensure all families' photos have a chance to be shown at our assembly.
Please have your photos uploaded by Wednesday, November 8th to guarantee their place in the OMS Veterans Day slideshow.
Book Fair November 13 - 17
Students will be going with their classes to the book fair during school hours. The book fair is open from 7:45am - 3:15pm with the exception of Wednesday November 15. Please talk to your student to find out when their class will be going to the book fair — the office cannot accept cash for students!
Join us for Family and Literacy Night on Wednesday November 15. The book fair will be open from 3:00pm - 6:00pm and you can visit with our literacy specialist, librarian, and ELA teachers. Stay for the PTO meeting at 6:00pm. Click HERE for more information
PTO Hosts Open Meeting Nov. 15
Auditions for Spring Musical “ROCK of AGES”
See the schedule below for all grade level students interested in participating in the spring musical: ROCK of AGES. The meeting will be for cast, crew, costume, lighting, sound, and sets.
Auditions: Nov 6 & 7 3:00pm - 4:30pm in Commons
Auditions: Nov 8 3:00pm-4:30pm in Choir Room #28
Play performance: January 23 - Potential Matinee during School Hours
Play Performance: January 25 & 26, 2024 7:00pm
8th Grade Field trip to BVW on Wednesday November 8
The 8th grade class will be going on a field trip to Blue Valley West High School to see the theatre presentation of "The Outsiders". Buses will be provided for transportation.
Students will leave OMS at 9:00am and return at approximately 12:30pm. Students will not be able to be checked out until after 12:30pm. Students who have appointments and will not arrive until after 9:00am should NOT come to OMS until 12:30pm as there will be no classes for 8th grade students during that time.
The 8th graders will not have lunch at their normal times and must either bring a sack lunch from home or order a sack lunch from the cafeteria. Sack lunch order forms must be returned to the Cafeteria by 8:00am on Monday November 6. Click HERE for the sack lunch order form.
Counseling Corner for the 6th & 7th Grades
Next week, November 6-8, OMS counselors will be coming into 6th and 7th grade classrooms to discuss suicide prevention with our students. We will be using the Signs of Suicide program to deliver this message. Through this program, we discuss warning signs to watch for and ways to support friends who might be at risk. When we talk to our students about suicide prevention, we teach our students to ACT: Acknowledge – Care – Tell, if they have concerns for a friend. We encourage our students to identify trusted adults that they can talk to – inside of school and outside of school – if they have a concern for themselves or for a friend.
If you have any questions about this lesson, please contact your student's counselor: Jill Gouger (last names A-K) or Allyson DiNitto (last names L-Z).
Parents Still Make A Difference Newsletter
This month's newsletter for middle school parents is now available. Read articles about body image, evaluating online information sources, social media responsibility, school counselors, community service, and so much more!
Click HERE for the November 2023 Newsletter
Harvesters Food Drive Nov. 6-10.
The OMS Community Service Club and OMS Student Council are sponsoring a food drive for Harvesters Food Pantry next week at OMS! Harvesters is one of the KC metro area food pantries that provides food assistance to families in the Kansas City area. Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 760 nonprofit agencies including emergency food pantries, community kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes and others. They also offer education programs to increase community awareness of hunger and teach about good nutrition.
In 2022, Harvesters provided 61,326,143 meals to area families and fed 9,900 children through their BackSnack program. For more information on Harvesters, please visit their website at https://www.harvesters.org/about-harvesters.
We will be collecting the following items during our food drive:
canned fruits and vegetables
canned soups
canned meats—chicken, tuna, salmon
brown rice
pasta
peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter
dried or canned beans
cereals—whole grain or low sugar
We will also be having a grade level competition to see which grade (6th, 7th, or 8th) can fill their barrels first!!
Thank you for your support of our Harvesters Food Drive Nov. 6-10!!!
Helpful Repeated Information
Some November Celebrations & Observances
Native American Heritage Month - celebrates the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples.
Military Family Appreciation Month - honors the military family by recognizing their sacrifices and commitments.
Day of the Dead - November 1 - celebrated by some with Mexican heritage, a joyful time to remember and honor deceased loved ones.
All Saints Day - November 1 - celebrated by some of the Christian faith, this solemn, holy day honors the saints of the church.
Diwali - November 12-16 - 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.
Resource for Families: Johnson County Christmas Bureau
Johnson County Christmas Bureau offers a 9-day Holiday Shop during the month of December. At the Holiday Shop pre-qualified clients shop by appointment. All clients are below 150% of the poverty level and reside in Johnson County, Kansas.
Johnson County Christmas Bureau- 2023 Holiday Shop
To apply- https://jccb.org/apply2023
Students who are ill? They need to stay home
OMS Families, we are seeing a marked increase in the number of students who are coming to school when ill and then having to go home. All students sit in close proximity to each other during classes and lunch. We are trying to reduce the transmission of coughs, colds, influenza, covid, strep throat, etc. Students may not come to school unless:
They are fever free (without tylenol, advil, etc.) for 24 hours
They have not vomited or had diarrhea in 24 hours
They are not coughing or have uncontrolled runny noses
Reminder – students should not text or call parents directly if they are not feeling well. Students need to go to the nurse’s office. Please direct your child to go to the nurse’s office if they contact you.
PTO Grade Level Socials
Our wonderful PTO has scheduled Grade Level Socials for each grade level. Come for an hour of fun, games, snacks, and your friends!!
Wednesday November 8 6th Grade 3:00pm - 4:00pm in the Gym
Monday November 13 7th Grade 3:00pm - 4:00pm in the Commons & Gym
Tuesday November 28 8th Grade 3:00pm - 4:00pm in the Commons & Gym
Fall OMS Student Newspaper
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The OMS student newspaper is now available. Click HERE for the Fall 2023 edition.
All Choir, Band, and Orchestra Students
If your student is taking a music course this year, please complete the registration information in rSchool No physical is needed (unless participating in athletics), but completion of the registration will allow us to access emergency information/use as a permission slip when traveling to festivals and field trips.
When signing up, the system will say “Athletic Registration”. Please click ‘Continue’ as band, choir, and orchestra are KSHSAA sponsored activities. There will be a section for you to select band, choir, or orchestra for your student (and any other athletic/activity that pertains to your student).
Link to rSchool registration website is linked here: https://bluevalleysd-ar.rschooltoday.com/oar
Boys Basketball for 2024 (8th grade)
Boys Basketball is tentatively scheduled to begin January 8th, 2024 (first full week back from Winter Break).
All students who are interested must have a KSHSAA Physical Packet on file with the school by uploading this document to the rSchool website. You will need to create an account and upload these pages here. Be sure to have all pages signed by both a physician and parent/guardian before uploading. Students will not be allowed to participate in any capacity until the Physical Packet is signed and on file with the school.
If your student has already participated in another sport, please sign in and make sure that BOYS BASKETBALL is also selected in the system as one of their activities.
Sign-Ups to gauge interest will come in early December.
Winter Cheerleading (7th & 8th grade)
If your student did not cheer in the fall, but would like to begin this winter, please be sure to register your student in the rSchool Website and contact Coach Burns and Coach Erker (contact information below).
Like all athletics, any student who is interested must have a KSHSAA Physical Packet on file with the school by uploading this document to the rSchool website. You will need to create an account and upload these pages here. Be sure to have all pages signed by both a physician and parent/guardian before uploading. Students will not be allowed to participate in any capacity until the Physical Packet is signed and on file with the school.
For questions, please contact Coach Burns (dburns@bluevalleyk12.org) and Coach Erker (lerker@bluevalleyk12.org) for details.
YARD SIGNS FOR SALE
OMS yard signs are for sale for $20 each! They are made from corrugated cardboard and come with a yard stake. Proceeds go toward OMS PTO teacher and student supplies/events. Payment can be made through Venmo @Oxford-MiddleSchoolPTO, or by cash/check when picking up the sign. Porch pick up is located at 9519 W 116th St, Overland Park, KS 66210 (grey house with yellow front door). Signs will be on the porch available for pick up today through 10/29 or until they are sold out - whichever comes first! Inquiries can be sent to Janie Snider, jmlogansnider@gmail.com.
ASK- After-School Homework Help
6th Grade
McBride rm. 12 WEDNESDAY
Mullin-Mall rm. 6 THURSDAY
7th Grade
Brown rm. 27 TUESDAY
Rindom rm. 20 THURSDAY
8th Grade
Savage rm. 39 MONDAY
Evans rm. 40 WEDNESDAY
Spanish
Harris rm. 26 WEDNESDAY
Parents Still Matter - October 2023 Newsletter
There are great articles this month on self-reliance and persistence, key areas for writing, activities and stress, effective study habits, and so much more!
Click HERE for the October 2023 edition
UPDATED Directions to prevent game access on student chromebooks
Preventing Game Access from Student Chromebooks: Securly Filter Request
The number one complaint in past years from parents and teachers has been student access to game sites during the school day. Parents can now choose to place their 3-12th grade students in Seculy’s "High Restrictions Filter Group" by logging a BVCARE Technology ticket. *Educational Games sites used by curriculum will still be allowed.
To log a BVCARE Technology ticket, click here: Select your user type to login to BV CARE (bluevalleyk12.org)
Course Fees Now Applied
Course fees have been added to student accounts. Not all courses have a fee associated with them. Please check in ParentVue to see if a fee applies to your student’s classes. You must use a computer browser to log into ParentVue to pay with a credit card (payments will not work via cell phone access). Fees may be paid in cash or check (exact amount for cash and checks made out to Oxford Middle School) at Oxford. Any questions may be directed to Christina Fowles, OMS Bookkeeper, CLFowles@bluevalleyk12.org
Securly at Home
1st Semester Clubs and Activities
Want to know what clubs and activities are available first semester? You can Click HERE for 1st Semester 2023 Clubs spreadsheet or go to the Activities page on the OMS website. See start dates, sponsors, and schedules for each club on the Activities page.
Order Yearbooks NOW
If you want a 2023 2024 yearbook for your student please order it now. Go to ParentVue → Fees → Optional Fees and select the 23-34 YRBOOK for $25. Extra yearbooks are not available at the end of the year. Avoid end of the year tears and order today!
OMS Social Worker Provides Resource Information
Sue Ellen Jayne is Oxford’s social worker. She can assist with connecting OMS families with needed resources and services. Ms. Jayne has a resource page on the OMS website where we post community connections. Her page can be found under Families → Social Worker Resources OMS
School Day Access
Visitors, including parents and guardians, are not permitted in the building during the school day unless they have a scheduled appointment or meeting. Once the school day has begun at 7:50am visitors must ring the doorbell (located to the right of the main doors). Adults who are picking up a student early must wait outside for the student to exit the building. Please see the School Policies and FAQs page on the OMS website for more information about the door entry system, item drop off, and student absences.
Important Travel Outside of the USA Information
This important message is for any family or staff that will travel out of the United States during the school year. Please click here to read the restrictions and recommendations for Out of the Country travel. Blue Valley resources such as Canvas, Classlink, and school email are not accessible out of the country unless you have a personal device with a VPN on it.
School Hours
Students need to be in their first hour class by 7:51 a.m.
6th & 7th grade students report to the Commons before 7:45 a.m. when they may go to lockers and classrooms
8th grade students report to the GYM before 7:45 a.m.
Students who eat breakfast will eat in the commons and then report to the commons or gym
School is dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Students who are not staying for a club or activity exit the building by 3:10 p.m.
Interested in OMS Spiritwear?
The PTO has created an online store that is open year round. 1st Place Spiritwear has a wide variety of Oxford pride clothing and accessories. A portion of each sale goes back to Oxford PTO to support our school! Mind the sizing guide as sizes tend to run small.
Preventing Game Access from Student Chromebooks: Opt-In Option for Securly Filter
The number one complaint this past year from parents has been student access to game sites during the school day. Parents can now choose to place their 3-12th grade students in the High Restrictions Filter Group by signing up here. The link has detailed information about the differences between the Default and High Restrictions Policies. The Securly update will be effective September 1.
*Educational Games sites used by curriculum will still be allowed.
Interested in a carpool this year?
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.
Parents/Guardians For Your Refrigerator
We have created a Parent Reference Sheet and QR Codes for your reference during the school year. Scan the QR codes for links to reporting absences, adding money to lunch accounts, school day bell schedules, ParentVue, Canvas, bus company, and so much more!
Click HERE to download the 23-24 Parent Reference Sheet
Looking for OMS Information? Try the Website!
The OMS website has most of the information you will need for and during the school year. You can find the school calendar, class and lunch schedules, links to the lunch payment system, staff lists (including email addresses), rules about cell phones, how to notify us of a student absence, candid student and event photos, sports schedules, clubs and activities, and so much more! Our website is updated multiple times a week so check here for current updates! OMS Website
For the Latest Announcements and Information
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.
Contact Us! We Are Here To Help!
Attendance Number: 913-239-5505
Mrs. Domoney, Principal: cdomoney@bluevalleyk12.org
Mr. Holsapple, Assistant Principal: jholsapple03@bluevalleyk12.org