The Husky Bulletin 8/8/2025

8/8/2025

Dear Oak View Community,

What an exciting summer it has been up at The Oak! From our new library and swing classrooms to outdoor learning spaces and furniture upgrades, the energy and transformation on campus have been inspiring to witness. We’re in the home stretch, and we anticipate most of the work will be completed before the first day of school. I can’t wait to see the wonder and joy on our students’ faces as they take in all the incredible changes.

As we welcome students back, we also welcome the next generation—Generation Beta. Most of our current students belong to Generation Alpha (born 2010–2024), a group growing up in a world vastly different from those before them. They are digital creators shaped by mobile devices, social media, and even a global pandemic. These unique experiences make them complex, creative, and resilient young humans—and we have the profound honor of educating and supporting them.

Here are a few defining traits of Generation Alpha:

• High Digital Fluency – Tech-savvy from a young age
  
• Shorter Attention Spans – Impacted by constant digital stimulation
  
• Strong Multitasking Abilities – Navigating multiple platforms and inputs
  
• Adaptability – Especially with emerging technology
  
• Mental Health Awareness – More open conversations, yet increased digital pressures
  
• Early Exposure to Content – Including material beyond their age
  
• Entrepreneurial Spirit – A mindset of innovation and independence
  
• Flexible Work Outlook – Less bound to traditional career paths
  
• Social Media Influence – Shaping identity and interaction
  
• Environmental Consciousness – Awareness and advocacy for sustainability

These characteristics shape how our students learn—and how we serve them. At Oak View, we are committed to meeting this moment with intentionality, compassion, and innovation. Here's how we plan to support our learners this year:

• High-Quality Core Instruction – Now in year two of our Science of Reading-aligned literacy curriculum, we’re seeing meaningful gains in student achievement.
  
• Student Voice & Agency – We’re elevating opportunities for students to reflect, collaborate, and lead their learning experiences.
  
• Culturally Responsive Teaching – Centering students’ identities, cultures, and interests to deepen engagement and connection.
  
• Outdoor Learning – Our new spaces will support nature-based learning, shown to boost achievement, memory, and well-being.
  
• Community Partnerships – Families are essential partners. This year, we’re expanding opportunities for caregivers to engage in meaningful, joy-filled learning alongside their children.
  
• Mindfulness in Action – Our partnership with Movemindfully continues to support emotional regulation and joyful learning for all.
  
• Brain-Aligned Learning – Emphasizing engagement, reflection, challenge, and feedback—all supported by neuroscience—to promote curiosity and joy.
  

I am deeply honored to serve the Oak View community in my second year as principal. This year, and every year, we will keep our students and shared humanity at the center of everything we do. Together, we are the builders of hope—working side by side to create the kind of world where every child can thrive and reach their fullest potential.

With gratitude and excitement,

Ryan Gibbs

Principal, Oak View Elementary School
We are ALL here, ALL the time, for ALL children!

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! We are excited to meet our new students and families while welcoming back our returning students and families! There is A LOT of information below, please take the time to read over all the important information.

Please join us at our back-to-school Open House on August 27th! This is an open house style event, so come any time between 4:00pm-5:30pm. Here is what we have in store for you...

• Meet your teacher and other staff
• Pay for school supplies-- amount due (usually $35) and more information will be sent out next week.
• Pick up you family number for when you do parent pick-up
• See your classroom
• Gather information from various community and school organizations in the gym

Enjoy a sweet treat from PTO!

Teacher assignments will be posted in ParentVue after 3:00pm on Tuesday, August 26th. Staff and administration work hard to create balanced and healthy classrooms. For this reason, please respect that we do not make changes to classroom assignments.

New families, please click the button below to create a ParentVue account.

Returning families, all back to school forms MUST be completed and/or verified to enter ParentVue for the first time each school year. ParentVue will prompt you to do this when you login. You will have to verify ALL CHILDREN in your home, even young siblings! Your ParentVue account is the same as last year and will work for all of your students in the district. Use the button below to access more information about ParentVue

Bus information (Bus number, bus stop location, pick-up and drop-off times) will be available in ParentVue on Thursday, August 21st. Transportation information will also be emailed to families from the District Transportation Department on Friday, August 22nd

Oak View will not have access to transportation information before Friday, August 22nd. Please wait for the Transportation Department communication.

If your child's bus information is not posted in ParentVUE on Friday, please inquire with transportation at 763-391-7244.

As a reminder, transportation is only available to students who live within the Oak View attendance boundaries. To find out if your address, daycare address, etc. is in our boundaries, please click here.

If you have further transportation questions, need to make changes to your student's bus information, etc. please visit https://www.district279.org/services/transportation or email transportation at BusQuestions@district279.org.

Parent Pick-Up Procedure:

If your student(s) will be parent-pick up at the end of the day, at any point throughout the school year, please read carefully. If you are a returning family, you will use the same number as last year.

• Each family will be assigned a number and receive that number on a laminated piece of paper. (please pick this up at open house)
• When you pick your student(s) up at the end of the day (3:55), please show your number to the staff member out front.
• Your number will be communicated to staff members inside and your student(s) will come to your car!

If your family has moved over the summer, you will need to update your address. You can update your address in ParentVue, go to the enrollment center, or fill out the attached form and send it into the Enrollment Center. If you could also e-mail to let me know as we are finalizing class lists.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Enrollment Center- Enrollmentcenter@district279.org

It is important that all families fill out the Educational Benefits Application every year. Families who qualify may be eligible for a variety of benefits, which may include free or discounted prices for the following:

· Field trips

· Some Community Education programs

· Clubs, activities, and athletics

· Instrument rentals

· Fees, including for AP testing, graduation and more

· Device protection plans on school-provided devices

· Comcast internet for home

· Xcel Energy account assistance for electricity bills

Additionally, the state of Minnesota uses a school district’s percentage of qualifying students from applications completed and approved prior to October 1 each year to calculate each district’s funding level. School district funding impacts every student:

· Class sizes

· The number of support staff the district hire to help students (i.e. counselors & social workers)

· Extra programming opportunities

Please fill out the Educational Benefits Application today to make sure your family can take advantage of these and other benefits!

8/27- Open House 4:00pm-5:30pm

9/2- First day of school

9/17- Picture Day

9/26- Fun Run

Ryan Gibbs, Principal: GibbsR@district279.org

Jody Seppala, Assistant Principal: SeppalaJ@district279.org

Angie Passehl, Secretary: PassehlA@district279.org

Melody Hahn-Merges, Social Worker: hahn-mergesm@district279.org