Ordean East Middle School News
December 22nd, 2025
OEMS Contra Dance
We are excited to share some upcoming school events! Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for volunteer requests to support these events.
Contra Dance! Sponsored by the PTA
January 23rd, 6:00-8:00 pm at Ordean East Middle School.
Bring your dance partner, there will be a caller and live music by the Upper Midwest Folk Fiddlers Band!
Tickets are $5 per individual and $20 per family (4+ individuals) 6th Grade and above
The PTA is selling tickets at this link: https://www.givebacks.com/causes/ordeaneast and scroll down to "Store Products"
Thank you!!!
Important Reminder: When a Student is Sick at School
Dear Parents and Guardians,
To help us keep students safe and well during the school day, please remind your student:
If they feel sick or unwell at school, they should go directly to the Health Office.
Our Health Office staff will assess their symptoms and contact you directly if your student needs to go home.
Students are not allowed to use personal cell phones during the school day, including to call home when they are sick.
This ensures your child gets care quickly and safely. Thank you for helping us keep all students healthy!
Phones Away for the Day
To ensure the success of every student at Ordean East Middle School, we wanted to put out a reminder about our no cellphone policy during the school day. Cellphones are to be put away and stored in your child's locker unless it has been approved by staff to be kept in your child's possession throughout the day.
As stated in the student handbook (pages 23-24) which can be found on the isd709 website , under the families section, "At Duluth Public Schools every school participates in Away for the Day, which means that students will not have access to their cell phones from first bell to last bell. We ask that families help by reinforcing this message at home. As always, our school has a landline phone in every class and office space so that a message can be delivered to a student during the day.
Students who have earbuds in, cellphones out of their locker or smart watches on during the school day will be asked to leave their devices at home for the remainder of the quarter."
We greatly appreciate all of your support with reinforcing this message!
Cold & Flu Season Reminder
Cold and flu season is here! Please keep your child home if they have a fever (100°F or higher), vomiting, diarrhea, or symptoms that make it hard to participate in class.
Also watch for contagious illnesses like strep throat, or pertussis (whooping cough), and let the nurse know if your child receives a diagnosis. Encourage hand washing, covering coughs, and plenty of rest to help keep everyone healthy!
For additional guidance, review the "Is My Child Well Enough to Go to School" guide on the district's website:
Thank you for helping us keep our school community healthy!
Seventh Grade Party!
February 6, 6:00-8:00 pm at Ordean East Middle School
Students are encouraged dress up and to wear school colors (white and red/pink)
The PTA will put out a call for snack and prize donations and volunteer chaperones when the date gets closer.
Winter FAST Testing
Three times a year, OEMS participates in a universal screening assessment to get a gauge on how our students are doing in regard to meeting grade level benchmarks in reading and math. Our district has chosen FASTbridge as our tool for these assessments. Our Winter FAST testing is coming up soon! On Tuesday, Jan. 7 students will take the reading FAST test during social studies class. The math test will be on Tuesday, Jan. 14, also in social studies. It is helpful to remind your student to do their best on these tests. Teachers look at these scores to determine how to best help their students. Scores on these tests help place students in interventions or enrichment classes for AREA. An accurate picture of what your child knows is important for proper placement. Thanks for your support!
Christmas Music From the Orchestra Concert
Linked below are some musical pieces that were played during our Orchestra concert held on December 16th.
Amazing performance orchestra students! 👏
Ordean Snow Club
The Spirit Mountain Snow Club is an after school ski and snowboard program for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels. Ordean will participate in two sessions of Snow Club this year. The first session of Snow Club will be on the following Tuesdays: January 13th, January 20th, and January 27th. The second session will be on Tuesdays on the following days: February 10th, February 24th, and March 4th. The Snow Club bus will leave the lower school parking lot at 3:30 and return to the school at 7:30. There will be no Snow Club during the school break in February. You can choose to sign your student up for one session or both sessions.
Snow Club offers two ways to participate:
- Option A (Bus+Equipment) is to participate in lessons with a qualified instructor from Spirit Mountain. This option is best for beginners or students who don’t have a lot of experience on the slopes.
If students pass a short ski or snowboard ability test, they can move into the “Free Ski or Snowboard” group. This test is offered at the beginning of the first session. Students that pass will not be placed in a lessons group. The cost for this is $90 which includes rentals, lessons, and lift ticket. (The cost is $90 even if students have their own equipment.) Students in the “Free Ski” program must ski with a buddy.
- Option B (Bus Only) is for students who would be considered “Transportation Only” students. These limited spaces are reserved for students who have a season pass AND their own equipment. The cost of the “Transportation Only” students is $30. This will cover their portion of the cost of the bus.
Sign ups for Snow Club will open tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. on the Community Education website. (You won’t see Snow Club as an option on the website until tomorrow morning.) Registration and payment will be made through Community Education. Scholarships are available through the Community Education website.
SPACE IS VERY LIMITED!
If you have any questions, please contact Leah Gagne at leahgagne@gmail.com. If you would like to volunteer to chaperone students on the hill, please let Leah know. Parent volunteers will receive rentals and lift tickets for the night(s) they volunteer.
History Day Club
History Day Club will be going on a field trip to the Minnesota History Center and The University of Minnesota Wilson Library on January 22nd. Permission Slips will be given out at the beginning of January.
Ordean East Middle School - December Basketball Schedule
Join Ordean's Swim Team!
Swim Season starts soon! The Ordean East Swim Team is for all 6-8 grade students. Practices are twice a week after school, and there will be four meets. The first practice is January 8th and the final meet is March 12th, so it is a short season.
More information can be found on the swim team website. Here is a direct link to the sign up form Questions can be directed to any of the coaches: Holly Bowen-Bailey, Julie Teichroew, or Brook Krafthefer.
January 13th - PTA Meeting
January 23rd - Contra Dance
January 27th - High School Prep at East High School
February 6th - Seventh Grade Party
March 10th - Orchestra Concert
May 12th - Orchestra Concert
Ordean East Middle School
Email: ordeaneast@isd709.org
Website: https://ordeaneast.isd709.org/
Phone: 218-336-8940