The Oriole Newsletter

February 2025

February at OSH is the time of year when we really pick up speed - hurtling with increased momentum toward the finish line! As always, we celebrate Black History Month, Snow Daze, mid tris and the official halfway point of the academic year this month, and look forward to longer days, cultural celebrations and continued academic achievements.

As we continue our focus on 100 Years of Excellence, we recognize and reflect on the contributions of those who came before us, those who currently walk our halls in greatness and those still to come from our local feeder elementary and middle schools. Being an Oriole means showing up in Excellence regardless of physical location - Excellence is a state of being for our scholars, both past and present.

Thank you to our scholars and staff for your collective commitment to our collective community!

Next week we celebrate our 8th annual Osseo Speaks: A Black History Month Showcase. This celebration of Black excellence emerged as a celebration of the contributions and impact of our Black community. Now in its 8th year, Osseo Speaks remains a time to share space, share truth and share community with one another. Our scholars, led by the OSH BSU, are courageously and conscientiously working on performances highlighting both East and West African traditional dances, the OSH Dynasty Drill team, majorette, skits, spoken word, musical performances and the highly anticipated yearly fashion show!

Tickets are limited, so check with your scholar on how to secure your spot.

• February 17: No School - Presidents Day
• March 6: Last Day of Trimester 2
• March 7: No School - Marked Reporting Day
• March 24-28: No School - Spring Break

Congratulations to Osseo Senior High senior Tate Brink for having his ceramic work selected for the 28th Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition in Salt Lake City, UT from 03/26/2025 to 03/28/2025.

Tate has two pieces in the show -- Birch Tea Set and Blue Slip Vase were selected by the juror for inclusion. His innovative work will be seen by thousands of visitors from all over the world, many of whom will be in Salt Lake City for the NCECA conference. The National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition occurs while the NCECA conference is in session.

The decisions of the juror were based upon and examination of 1032 entries for this year's exhibition. The work will be included among the best from our country. Congratulations Tate, on your exceptional work!

As usual, the line stretched out the door of our cafeteria as we celebrated 1000+ conscientious and focused scholars at our Excellence Breakfast - recognizing scholarly achievements from trimester #1! Scholars making the A Honor Roll, as well as those nominated by teachers for their exemplary accomplishments spent their Advisory period enjoying doughnuts, juice and accolades from admin & staff. Keep up the great work, Orioles -- you ARE Osseo Excellence!

Each year, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) honors two seniors at each school throughout the state who have a 3.0 or higher-grade point average and who focus on League-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities with the Triple A (Academics, Arts, and Athletics) Award.

The 2024 OSH Triple A Award winners are Brendan Kranz and Emily Wong.

It requires incredible focus to achieve these accomplishments as an OSH scholar! Please join us in celebrating our courageous and dedicated 2024 Triple A Award scholars!

The team is made up of students in the OSH Health Sciences Magnet Program, drawing participation from Maple Grove, Osseo and Park Center Senior High schools as well as the Osseo Area Learning Center.

The HOSA mid-winter competition is an introduction and warm-up for the State Leadership Conference and Competition in April. The HOSA competitive events fall into three categories— tests, skills, and presentations. Some competitions are individual and some require a partner or group -- covering every aspect of the healthcare world, from Veterinary Science to Health Career Photography and Job Seeking Skills. This year's competition saw an increase in attendance, making the stakes higher than ever! The OSH HOSA team courageously competed in a multitude of events and landed 9 top 10 finishes!

Congrats to our scholars pursuing innovative learning opportunities both in and out of our classrooms!

Our OSH BPA scholars courageously competed in this year's Regional Competitions to kick off the new year. Please congratulate our BPA scholars on their outstanding performance. All 39 competitors placed in the top 10 of at least one of their events! 35 students advanced onto the State competition this March. This is the highest percentage of State qualifiers we've had in BPA! Congratulations on a job well done!

Osseo Senior High School hosted a celebration at halftime of the boys basketball game against Maple Grove Senior High School on Jan. 24 honoring the 2001 and 2012 Minnesota State Championship Boys Basketball Teams. The celebration included special recognition of both teams at halftime, along with the opportunity for fans, alumni and community members to connect with players and coaches from these legendary teams at a local restaurant after the game.

Before the game, both teams and their families gathered in the cafeteria to eat dinner and socialize. During halftime, each team member and coach had their names read out and they gave a quick summary of the season. Over ten players and many coaches were present from each team including a heartwarming video montage with highlight clips from their seasons.

Read more about our courageous & legendary Boys Basketball legacy HERE.

It's never too late to courageously try something new! There is still time this winter to consider a new hobby or build upon an existing skill set! District 279 Community Education opportunities can be the perfect place to "test the waters", meet new people, and have fun in a comfortable, low pressure environment. There are even online options!

Click HERE to check out the nearly 212 upcoming class sections by category from culinary courses to mindfulness and art offerings or browse & register for we have to offer you in 2025!

Please refer to the Community Resources webpage (under family support) for information on immigration-related procedures within the district and external resources that may be helpful to staff and/or families.

For more on the district's procedures, refer to this frequently asked questions document.