News and events

November 6, 2026

Dear Oxbow Creek Families,

As we step into November, we are excited to focus on our character trait of the month: Gratitude! All month long, our students will be discovering and sharing what gratitude means to them, both in their classrooms and at home.

I reflect often on how lucky I am to have a long list of things to be thankful for, and this wonderful Oxbow Creek community is always right at the top of the list! Your dedication, kindness, and partnership make our school a joyful place for our students and staff to learn and grow every single day.

Gratitude doesn't have to be a big gesture—often, the simplest moments make the biggest impact! Here are a few quick, easy ways you can share gratitude at home this month to help build a positive, uplifting rhythm between home and school:

• The Dinner Table Daily High: Share one simple thing or person you were grateful for during the day.

• Secret Sticky Notes: Leave a quick high-five or thank-you note on a bathroom mirror, in a lunchbox, or on a bedroom door.

• Say It Out Loud: Challenge each other to offer one spontaneous, specific compliment to a family member or friend each day.
  
  

Thank you for being such incredible partners in everything we do. We are deeply grateful for your support, and I cannot wait to see all the creative, heartfelt ways students express their gratitude this month!

With warm appreciation,

Mrs. Monson

• Veterans Day Flag Raising: Wednesday, November 11th, 9:45am
• Scooter World: Monday, November 16th - Tuesday, November 24th
• Food Drive: Monday, November 17th - Tuesday, November 24th
• Scooter World Open House: Wednesday, November 18th, 5:00-6:30pm
• Fall Break (No School): Wednesday, November 25th - Sunday, November 29th
• End of Trimester 1: Thursday, December 3rd
• Staff Planning and Grading Day (No School): Friday, December 4th
• Staff Development Day (No School): Monday, December 7th
• Holiday Gift Shop: Thursday, December 10th, 4:30-7:30pm
• Winter Break (No School): Thursday, December 24th - Sunday, January 3rd

Healthy eating is so important for children. At Oxbow Creek Elementary, we work hard to ensure students receive a healthy breakfast and lunch each day to support their developing brains and bodies. Research shows that children who eat regular nutritious meals are more likely to attend school and be engaged in learning.

We are excited to partner with Every Meal to offer a free weekend food program to all of our students. Every Meal is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to fight child hunger through community and school partnerships. They strive to make a difference in children’s lives by focusing on food gaps like weekends, school breaks, and summer when they can’t receive food in school. More information about Every Meal:

• Free for all families

• No qualifications required for enrollment

• Students enrolled in the program will receive a 4-5 pound bag of nutritious, nonperishable food each week

• Every Meal does NOT collect private information from families; privacy is protected

• Families may enroll in the program anytime throughout the school year

• Families may choose from a variety of different weekend meal bag options

If you wish to participate in this program, please sign up here. If you have questions regarding this program, please reach out to Ann Parisian, School Social Worker at 763-506-3825 or by email at: ann.parisian@ahschools.us.

• 3rd Grade - Mill City Museum

Friday, November 6th (3MI & 3TU)

Friday, November 13th (3JO, 3SM, 3UN and 3WH)

• 4th Grade - Gopher Women's Hockey Game @ Ridder Arena

Friday, December 11th (all classes)

• 3rd Grade - Youth Performance Company's Production of A Year with Frog + Toad

Friday, December 18th (all classes)

• 2nd Grade - Sidekick Theater's Production of Puss in Boots

Friday, December 18th (all classes)

Beginning Monday, November 16th, Oxbow Creek students will explore our annual Scooter World in Physical Education classes. This year's theme is "Toy Story Scooters" and is a highlight of the school year for most students. During Phy. Ed. class, the students will navigate their scooter through various obstacles while also doing exercises to increase physical fitness and awareness.

Back by popular demand! You're invited to our ScooterWorld Open House on Wednesday, November 18th from 5:00 to 6:30pm. This event is for the whole Oxbow Creek Community - students past and present! This is one of our most popular events of the year. Please be patient as there may be longer wait times during this open house.

Oxbow Creek's Physical Education Department

Dan Masloski, Nikki Collison and Sarah Shidell

In recognition of Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, we'll take time to honor those who have served or are currently serving our country in the military. Below is a list of activities that we have planned:

• A name tag was sent home with each student on Friday, October 30th for you to honor the veterans in your life. The students should wear the name tags to school on Wednesday, November 11th. Extra name tags will be available in the office on Veterans Day.

• If you have a digital copy of a picture of any of those people you want to honor - and you are willing to share them with us - please send them to Mackenzie Thomas at mackenzie.thomas@ahschools.us. We'll utilize these pictures to create a slideshow for our monitors in the main hallway.

• We will have our 5th graders gather outside for a flag-raising on Wednesday, November 11th at 9:45am. Veterans and those currently serving are welcome to attend the brief flag raising ceremony.

• Veterans and active serving military are invited to have lunch with their student that day as well. Lunch is on us! (Visitors must bring their license in order to check in through our security system.) Please wear your uniform as it leaves quite an impression for our students!

We'll be holding our annual food drive from Nov. 17 - Nov. 24 this year. Students are encouraged to bring in items to their classroom at any time during that time frame. This year we will be donating items to CEAP, a food shelf/social service agency that serves the cities of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Champlin (east of 169), and surrounding cities. In the month of August, they served over 1600 families with over 2000 visits, and over 14,000 pounds of food. They are mostly in need of non-perishable food items.

Our annual food drive ties in nicely with our word of the month for November: Gratitude. We are grateful for the contributions that are made from our school families for those in need. We are grateful for the compassion, kindness, caring and generosity from so many. It's a great tradition.

Hello Volunteers!

October was another wonderful month of community support at Oxbow Creek! Last month, our volunteers contributed an incredible 850 hours, helping bring classroom celebrations, field trips, and everyday learning to life. Thank you to all of our volunteers for sharing your time and helping make Oxbow Creek such a special place!

• Want to join our team of amazing volunteers? → Oxbow Creek Volunteer Application. And check out our Current Volunteer Opportunities, updated regularly.

• Scooterworld is right around the corner! Help us turn the gym into “Toy Story Scooters.” We need volunteers to put up paper in the gym and hang art created by our students! Shifts are super flexible. → Scooterworld 2026

• The 2026 Oxbow Creek Food Drive needs volunteer support this year too! The food drive runs November 17th through November 24th. The shifts are perfect for you if you are able to pop in before picking up your student for the day → Oxbow Creek Food Drive

• Oxbow Creek Holiday Gift Shop will be open on Thursday, December 10th. If you love spreading cheer, we’d love your help! → Holiday Gift Shop 2026

Oxbow Creek PTO Updates

• Thank You to the families and supporters who helped us treat the teachers to snacks and a coffee bar during conference week. The teachers are always so appreciative!

• Save the Date! The Holiday Gift Shop comes to Oxbow Creek on Thursday, December 10th from 5pm - 8pm. This evening gives students the joy of secretly choosing gifts for their loved ones right at school! Look for an informational flyer coming home soon.

Volunteers, your time and dedication make a difference every day, and we’re so grateful for all you do!

With gratitude,

Your Oxbow Creek Volunteer Services Coordinators, Jessica KC and Felicia Notvedt

jessica.kc@ahschools.us

felicia.notvedt@ahschools.us

763-506-3830

• Lost & Found: Our lost & found is already very full! Please take a few minutes to come and look through it if your student is missing anything. We will donate extraneous lost and found items over Thanksgiving break. Please consider labeling your students' outdoor gear, sweatshirts, lunch boxes and water bottles. We regularly check the lost and found items looking for student names to return lost items to their rightful owner. We also have a "small things" lost & found in our main office. If your student is missing jewelry, watches, glasses, etc.. Please check with the office!

• Oxbow Creek Spirit Wear: The opportunity to purchase Oxbow Creek spirit wear for you and your students is just around the corner. More information will be coming soon!
  

• Phy. Ed. Request: Please remember to have your student wear appropriate footwear for their Phy. Ed. class! Tennis shoes are required!! Crocs and boots of any kind are not allowed. Students will be asked to sit out if they do not have proper footwear.

• Thursday, November 19th is "Give to the Max Day" in Minnesota. You can give directly to Oxbow Creek! Remember, any donations made today until November 19th will automatically count toward "Give to the Max Day." The funds come directly to Oxbow Creek to help buy supplies and fund field trips for students in need.

• Character Strong: Our Character Strong word of the month is Gratitude. Check out the Gratitude family newsletter for more information!
  
  

• With colder weather upon us, please consider sending a complete set of extra clothes with your student. Sometimes, the little ones don't quite make it in time when removing the extra layers/ Also, during the winter months, clothing can become wet from the snow and ice at recess.

• Cold weather Guidelines: Please send your child to school dressed appropriately. Be certain your child has a coat, hat and mittens. Students go outside for recess if the temperature is above 0 degrees and the windchill is above -10. If you are in need of winter clothing, we have donations of gently used items that can be given to your child. Please contact the school office at 763-506-3800.

• Picking up your student early? Please remember to notify the office as well as your student's teacher with the early dismissal information. Our sign out procedure is the same as last year. You will come into the vestibule, where we will scan your driver's license and then send your student out to you.

Minnesota weather is shifting gears and the Anoka-Hennepin School District has plans in place for when extreme winter weather arrives.

The safety of all students is the first priority when determining if schools should stay open in adverse weather. If a determination is made to close school due to extreme winter weather, the district will alert families in a variety of ways, including:

• Text and email message from #AHSchools. (For parents/guardians only.)

• District and school websites.

• District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

• Media outlets including WCCO, KSTP, FOX 9, KARE 11, CCX Media, WCCO radio and Star Tribune newspaper.
  
  

Those responsible for activities scheduled in schools over the weekend will determine if adverse weather conditions necessitate a cancellation.

Read more about the district’s policies on extreme winter weather at ahschools.us/weather.

Calming the Chaos Parent Self-Regulation

Challenging situations for your child may turn into challenging situations for you, as the parent! Remember - when you can regulate your emotions, you’re showing your child how to manage their emotions too! Try these tips to handle tough situations:

• Validate your child’s feelings - all emotions are okay, but not all reactions are!

• Think about what may trigger you or your child.

• Don’t be afraid to take a break if you need a moment before re-engaging.

Other questions? Contact a PreK - Grade 3 Parent Educator.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District allows qualifying flyers from nonprofit groups to be distributed at school and sent home with students. These flyers have gone through the district approval process. A virtual gallery of flyers is also available. These events, classes and activities are not sponsored or endorsed by Anoka-Hennepin Schools.

Main Office: 763-506-3800

Fax: 763-506-3803

Health Office: 763-506-3804

Absence Line: 763-506-3806

Community Ed: 763-506-3812

Adventures Plus: 763-506-3813

Website: https://www.ahschools.us/oxbowcreek

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OxbowCreekElementary

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ahschools