Monthly Boost

December 2025

As we begin Trimester 2, we want to extend a warm welcome to all the new families joining our 279Online community. We’re excited to partner with you and support your student as they begin their learning journey with us.

This season naturally brings reflection and gratitude, and we want to express our sincere appreciation for our families. Thank you for your ongoing partnership, for supporting your online learner, and for the encouragement you give both at home and through your connection with our staff. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference.

As we head into the new trimester, we encourage all students and families to embrace this fresh start with a positive outlook. New opportunities, new goals, and new successes await.

Wishing you a wonderful December and a strong start to Trimester 2!

-Ms. Swanson and Ms. Bisson

December 1: Start of Trimester 2

December 3: 279Online Virtual Bingo

December 23: Last Day of School before Winter Break

December 24-31: Winter Break - No School for Students

December 25 & 26: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Staff or Students

January 1: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Students

January 2: Conference Release Day - No School for Students

January 16: Student Asynchronous Day

January 19: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Students

January 29: 279Online Registration Conferences

February 2: Licensed Staff Workshop - No School for Students

February 5: Winter Conferences - 3:30-8:00PM VIRTUAL

February 16: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Students

To celebrate the end of Trimester 1 and the start of Trimester 2, we have virtual Bingo coming up on December 3rd! Students will have the chance to join in on virtual Bingo during Den Time, with separate sessions for middle school and high school.

Exciting prizes will be mailed out to our big winners, and there will be fun Trimester 1 celebrations throughout the event. Don’t miss this opportunity for students to have some festive fun and connect with their school community!

On November 13, a group of 10 high school scholars visited the University of Minnesota for a special campus tour. The trip helped students see what learning at a college campus can look like in real life.

During the tour, scholars explored several important places on campus. They visited Coffman Student Union and learned how students use the space to study, eat, meet friends, and attend events. They also saw a collaborative classroom, where college students work together on projects and ideas. The group toured the health and fitness center, which supports students in staying active and healthy while in school.

In addition to the tour, scholars heard from an admissions representative. This speaker explained what the University of Minnesota looks for in student applications, including strong effort in school, involvement in activities, and personal goals. Students also learned how the university is organized into different colleges and programs, and they heard about student life, clubs, and campus activities.

This visit gave scholars a chance to picture themselves in a future college setting and start thinking about their path after high school. We are grateful for this opportunity and proud of our students for being respectful, curious, and engaged throughout the day.

Welcome to Counselors’ Corner!

Each month, our school counseling team will share updates, helpful resources, and tips to support scholars and families. From academic planning and college/career readiness to social-emotional learning and wellness, our counselors are here to help scholars thrive. Be sure to check back each month for new resources and updates!

Don’t miss out on great opportunities to pay for college. Please have your scholar visit our scholarship page to learn more. These will be posted on a rolling basis until spring.

Application opens December 1st. Check the website on or after December 1st to apply.

Applications must be submitted no later than 2:00pm on January 20, 2026

* See your school counselor (Ms. Hannah or Ms Dorn) or School Social Worker (Ms. Doris) for referral.

Andrea Dorn, HS Counselor (dorna@district279.org, 763-391-8691)

Hannah Schmiesing, MS Counselor (schmiesingh@district279.org, 763-391-8815)

DEN Time supports our school’s programming by providing innovative, and creative scholar-driven opportunities. Scholars register for sessions through Student Support Time; scholars can also be requested by teachers to make-up work, finish projects, and get extra support as needed.

Scholars in grades 6-12 are expected to attend three DEN sessions, and if scholars are requested by a teacher, scholars are expected to accept that request, and attend.

We are excited to celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, and experiences of our 279Online community!

We invite you to complete this Google Form to share your perspectives, traditions, and stories about your culture or heritage. Some responses may be highlighted on our school’s social media pages as part of our celebration of diversity. Please note that while your words may be shared publicly, names and personal identifying information will not be shared without your permission.

Your voice is an important part of our 279Online community, and we would love to include it in our celebration! Thank you for helping us honor and celebrate the diversity that makes 279Online so special.

Each year we ask scholars and parents/caregivers to read and sign an agreement between themselves and 279Online concerning expectations and mutual understanding about appropriate behavior and responsibilities.

In the event that your scholar's teacher is absent and our continuous building substitute is not available, your scholar is still expected to engage in the class work asynchronously.

• When the teacher is absent, they will post a message in Schoology with instructions for the lesson and an exit ticket to complete for attendance. It’s important that your child does both the lesson and the exit ticket. If the exit ticket is not completed, they will be marked unexcused.
• If they have any questions, they can email their teacher for help or contact our main office at 763-391-8670 or online@district279.org.

We would love to partner with you to build our parent/caregiver community.

If you'd like to share ideas, feedback, or connect with other parents and our administration team, please contact Assistant Principal, Ryan Bisson at BissonR@district279.org or 763-391-8682.

Volunteering is an opportunity for you to:

• Show your children or the youth of our community that you are interested in their school life and their future
• Show your commitment to the community
• Help others and develop new skills
• Meet new and interesting people and develop friendships
• Share your time and talents
• Open communication between you and your child when you’re involved and know what is going on at school
• Give your child a boost -- studies show that parent and community involvement and volunteering enhances student success
• It’s fun!

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities for 279Online, please contact us at online@district279.org

Follow us on social media:

• Facebook at 279Online
• X (formerly Twitter) at 279Online
• Instagram at 279Online_
• 279Online website

We’re excited to launch a new social media campaign to keep our school community connected and inspired! Each weekday will have its own theme:

• Motivation Monday – uplifting quotes, shoutouts, and milestones to kick off the week.

• Tech Tip Tuesday – quick tips, tricks, and tools to support digital learning.

• Wisdom Wednesday – academic spotlights, study skills, and college/career readiness.

• Thriving Thursday – celebrating school culture, wellness, and community connections.

• Future Friday – family engagement, enrichment ideas, weekly highlights, and upcoming events.

Follow along to see the amazing things happening at our school and join the conversation!

• Keep your contact information current in ParentVUE. You can update phone numbers and email addresses at any time in ParentVUE. For instructions, please visit the ParentVUE Site.
• Please check Schoology for current grades, daily assignments, and overall progress. Mid-trimester grades and Trimester grades are posted in ParentVUE.
• Review our current and past newsletters on our website for important information.

Check your email regularly for Mass Notification and Schoology emails from us. If you aren’t seeing them, please look in your junk folder or check your setting to make sure you don’t have emails blocked.

Need help logging in to an account, checking in for an online meeting with a teacher, or setting up a device? Check out the technology resources in the Parent and Family Toolkit.

The best way for scholars and families to receive technology help during school hours (7:30am-4:00pm) is to contact 279Online's main office at 763-391-8670 or email us at online@district279.org.

• We will then have the technology department reach out to you as soon as they can.

The best way for scholars and families to receive technology help outside of school hours is to submit a ticket for technology assistance through our new ticketing system, IncidentIQ

• Use the following link to submit a ticket via IncidentIQ. https://district279.incidentiq.com/guest/5K9FRZD3/help-desk-kiosk.
• Once you submit the ticket, then your user information will be in IncidentIQ for the future.
• You may also call the tech department directly at 763-391-7180.

We know it can be tricky to keep track of all the tools families use to stay connected—so here’s a quick refresher!

ParentVUE and Schoology both help you stay informed about your student’s progress, but they serve different purposes.

• ParentVUE is your go-to place for official records—think grades, attendance, schedules, and report cards.

• Schoology is where you can see learning in action—class materials, assignments, and daily updates from teachers.

Check out the chart below for a detailed breakdown of how each platform supports you and your student’s success.

ParentVUE is an application you can use to view your scholars' attendance, report cards, schedule conferences, update your contact information and more. We highly encourage you to create an account if you do not have one already. Please follow these instructions on how you create an account.

You may also visit our ParentVUE page for more step-by-step instructions on how to access and change things in ParentVUE.

If you have any questions regarding your ParentVue account, please submit a ticket to our technology department via Incident IQ.

Families will need to complete the Back-to-School Annual Verification form in ParentVUE before accessing their accounts for information regarding students in the new academic year. Please review the information thoroughly to make any necessary changes to you or your scholars information.

For families who use Schoology, we created this handy reference guide to help you navigate what you’ll see in Schoology, how Schoology is different than ParentVue, and how to get support for accessing the parent side of Schoology.

Click here for the reference guide.

Parents/Guardians can access the Schoology Parent Access Code in ParentVUE under the Lunch PIN in Student Info.

Rather than posting numerous resources each week, we are compiling them in a Google Doc that will be updated accordingly. Please click here for assistance regarding things like mental health, food and clothing support, and Internet access.

State and District assessments for the 2025–2026 school year are now underway. If you are considering opting your scholar out of any testing, please visit the following resources for detailed information and guidance.

The Osseo Area Schools assessment plan is posted on the Osseo Area Schools website under Academics - Data and Assessments.

If a parent/caregiver chooses to opt-out their child/children from assessments, they will need to complete the Parent/Guardian Decision Not to Participate form. Universal screening opt-out forms will automatically be sent to parents/caregivers, data and assessment coordinator, and assistant principals and school assessment coordinator (SAC).

In the back-to-school forms process, families have the ability to deny the release of all directory information (including a student’s image) or to specifically deny the release of a student’s image only. Families who wish to change their student's opt-out preferences can do so at any time in ParentVUE.

What is the difference between denying a release of a student's photograph and denying a release of directory information?

• If you deny the school district the ability to release your child’s photo only, the school district will not include a photo or a video/audio recording of your child in yearbooks, school/district websites, school/district social media pages or other school/district publications accessible outside of school.
• If you deny a release of all of your student’s directory information (which includes the student’s photograph), the school district will not include your child’s name, image, voice, school of attendance, awards, participation in officially recognized activities/sports, or any other directory information in any school/district publication that is accessible outside of school.

Per the Minnesota Department of Education, Online and Homeschool families are not eligible for the Minnesota Free School Meals Program however, your child(ren) may qualify for other benefits like reduced fees at school. Your application may also help the school qualify for important education funding. (If you received a letter this summer stating you qualified for educational benefits, you do not need to fill out a form again this year.)

We encourage families to fill out an application for educational benefits at the beginning of each school year. The benefits of filling out an application and being approved (or qualifying) may include but are not limited to the following:

• Applications completed and approved prior to October 1st will help provide funding for the school your child attends which can be used to provide additional resources that benefit students.
• Testing fees for the ACT, SAT and AP Fees may be discounted as well as field trips and band instruments
• Reduced Internet rates with certain providers.
• Athletics fees waived or reduced.

• Online through EduTrakConnect at www.district279.org/FMA. This option will create a family account.
• Online at: bit.ly/3hWdk7Q.This option will bypass making a family account while still allowing completion of the application.
• Scan the QR code to the right of this section.