Monthly Boost

June 2025

As we approach the final days of the school year, we are filled with gratitude and pride. This has been a year of growth, connection, and incredible achievement for our students, staff, and families.

Let’s finish strong—by showing up, staying engaged, and making every moment count. Whether you're wrapping up your elementary journey or preparing to graduate, your presence matters. Each class you attend, each conversation you engage in, and each celebration you join helps strengthen the fabric of our school community.

To our graduating seniors and the elementary families moving on to new adventures—thank you. Your impact on our school will not be forgotten. As we say goodbye, let’s lift one another up and celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together.

We are so proud to be part of this amazing school, and even more proud to be part of your story.

With appreciation and excitement,

Kristen Swanson, Principal
Ryan Bisson, Assistant Principal

• May 26: District Closed - Holiday

• June 5: SENIORS ONLY - Last day of school
• June 6: Chromebook Collection
• June 6: Elementary's End of Year Celebration (9:00-3:00)
• June 6: Last Day of School for ALL Students
• June 8: Commencement Ceremony

• Our Elementary staff will host several games and activities throughout the day, scholars will be able to play at the playground nearby and enjoy pizza and snacks with their peers. View the schedule of activities.
• Siblings are welcome to join us, however, we ask that parents/caregivers remain onsite at the park if they are bringing a child that does not attend 279Online.
• If your scholar is unable to attend the in-person celebration at the park, we will have opportunities for games and activities throughout the day online. A schedule will be shared with scholars the last week of school.
• We will keep an eye on the weather for this event and notify you of any changes!
• If your child may need emergency rescue medications (e.g. inhaler, epi pen, Benadryl) or other prescription or over-the-counter medication during the school day, we are required to follow district policy. This requires a current MD order and consent from the parent. A parent/caregiver may come to the park to administer the medication. If you have questions on this, please email Nurse Terri at cohnt@district279.org.

Hello 279Online Families and Caregivers,

Please follow the directions below for returning your student's Chromebook and accessories for the summer.

Who needs to return items:

• All students K-12
• Please note: if your student is attending summer programming, do not return the device at this time

When return will happen:

• Grade 12
• Friday, June 6th 1:00-3:00pm
• Grades K-11
• Friday, June 6th 3:30-6:00pm

Where return will happen:

• Osseo Area Learning Center (OALC)
  7300 Boone Ave N
  Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

What needs to be returned:

• Chromebook charged to at least 50%
• Case/Bag
• Charging cord
• Heart Rate Monitors (High School Life Fitness Scholars only)

Optional items to return if they are in good condition:

• PE Equipment

• Small foam ball
• Rubber playground ball
• Wooden paddle
• Jump rope

Once your student’s device and accessories are returned, they will be inspected by the tech department. A confirmation email detailing the returned, missing, or requiring repair items will be sent to the email(s) we have on file. Missing items will result in fees in EduTrak. If a device is returned in error and is needed for summer programming, the Help Desk will contact you to schedule a pick-up the week of June 9th.

If you are unable to return devices and accessories on the date and time above, or have any questions, contact the Technology Support Center as soon as possible at 763-391-7180.

Thank you for supporting our digital learning plan. We look forward to more great learning opportunities next year.

Please read the following for information on Senior Checkout and how to prepare for Commencement.

Seniors’ Last Day

Seniors’ last day of school will be June 5th. Seniors should attend Advisory for the remainder of the year as they will receive important end of year information.

Ceremony Information Form (REQUIRED)

In order to pronounce each scholar’s name correctly at the ceremony, we need your help! Please have your scholar fill out this form and upload a file (video or audio) of the pronunciation of their name. Please have your scholar complete this form by May 23rd, 2025.

• Commencement Information Form

RSVP for the 279Online Commencement Ceremony

Please let us know how many people will attend the commencement ceremony to celebrate your scholar by submitting an RSVP by May 23rd, 2025.

Commencement Participation Fee

Each graduating senior must pay a $20 commencement fee approved by the ISD 279 School Board. This fee can be paid online through EduTrak or in person at Senior Checkout, cash or check only. We cannot take credit card payments in person.
EduTrak

Senior Checkout Process

Seniors are required to attend Senior Checkout at the Osseo Area Learning Center (OALC) on June 6th between 1-3pm to ensure all requirements for graduation have been met, return any district textbooks and receive their cap and gown for the 279Online Commencement Ceremony on June 8th. If you are unable to attend during this time frame, please contact online@district279.org.

June 6, 2025
1-3pm
Osseo Area Learning Center
7300 Boone Ave N
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Please enter through the main entrance, Door A by the flagpole.

There will be four stations that Seniors will stop at to complete their Senior Checkout:

1. Chromebook Collection Station
   Seniors will return their Chromebooks and hotspots (if applicable). The technology department will assess the devices and assign any necessary fees for broken or missing items. You can see a breakdown of these fees here. Please bring cash or check to pay for any fees incurred at Senior Checkout. Once your device(s) have been returned, scholars will continue to the next station.
2. Fines & Fees Station
   279Online Staff will look up scholar fine/fee information and verify that all fees have been paid. Scholars will have an opportunity to pay technology fees at this time as well. If your senior has any current fees, you will receive an email identifying those fees with instructions on how to pay those prior to June 8th. Once all fees have been cleared, scholars will continue to the next station.
   If you have textbooks from another school, please bring them with you to Senior Checkout. We will return them to the other school and clear the fee associated with it. (For information on how to link your scholar to your account: EduTrak Help or call the EduTrak Helpline at 1-800-934-2621)
3. Credit Check Station
   Our counselor, Mrs. Dorn will verify if seniors have completed all required credits for graduation. Scholars who have completed all required credits will continue to the final station to receive their cap & gown.
4. Cap & Gown Station
   Seniors will receive their cap and gown to wear to their commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 8th. Along with the cap and gown, all scholars will receive a 279Online tassel and medallion to be worn at the commencement ceremony. Scholars who are eligible for and have purchased honors accessories will receive their purchased items at this time also.

We look forward to seeing you at Senior Checkout! Another email with all commencement related details will be sent out on June 6th. More information can also be found on the 279Online Commencement Ceremony website.

We are seeking feedback for our Wednesday DEN Time from caregivers. Please complete the DEN Time Caregiver Survey by clicking on the hyperlink.

DEN Time is a three-hour block each Wednesday where scholars can sign up for help sessions and/or Exploratory sessions.

• Scholars sign up on Wednesday mornings in Advisory.
• Teachers can request scholars to attend their sessions based on need.
• Scholars are expected to attend DEN Sessions weekly from 12:20 to 3 PM

Weekly Communication

We are gathering feedback from all stakeholder groups in an effort to understand scholar, teacher, and caregiver perspectives on DEN Time and in preparation for small shifts and to hand off to the Tier 1 DEN Time team for next school year. Below is a link to feedback received from scholars, as well as a link for teachers to provide feedback. Caregivers will be receiving a survey in the Boost today.

DEN Time Scholar Feedback

DEN Time Teacher Survey

• The school board approved the final recommended attendance boundary scenario this evening, which is scenario 2A with two key adjustments. These new boundaries will go into effect at elementary and middle schools for the 2026-27 school year. Please note the only exception to this will be Crest View Elementary School – incoming Crest View kindergarteners will start utilizing the new boundaries the 2025-26 school year.
• The meeting's report details the full process and approved scenario. As shared, changes were needed because of a significant enrollment imbalance. The community’s support of Building a Better Future in 2023 limited adjustments to elementary and middle schools.
• A search tool is available for families and community members to see the 2026-27 school assignments for each household via district279.org/boundaries.
• Families with 2026-27 fifth and eighth graders wanting to stay at their current school and provide transportation to/from it, will be asked to fill out a short form. This will be available via the Enrollment Center in November.
• Thank you to our Osseo Area Schools community for taking the time to share feedback on the parameters and proposed changes over the last few months. This most certainly helped to shape the final decision.
• Your flexibility with this needed change is appreciated. Please know our Osseo Area Schools team is committed to supporting a smooth transition.
• Questions? Reach out to BetterFuture@district279.org or 763-391-8990.

Mobile App: Free Meals For Kids

Created by Hunger Impact Partners, a 501(c)(3) with support from the Minnesota Department of Education to ensure children 18 and under can access nutritious meals, the sites you locate for food are updated regularly.

During the school year: The app lists information on programs that offer meals for children of low-income families. The meals are available at childcare centers and after-school programs. The app also lists weekend and holiday backpack programs, which are available at some school sites, in addition to food offered by hunger-relief organizations.

During summer: The app lists sites serving free meals during June, July, and August

Year-round: The app lists Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota locations of Fare For All, which sells fresh produce and frozen meat at up to 40 percent off retail prices.

We’re excited to remind you about MackinVIA, our online library that’s available anytime, anywhere! With a vast collection of eBooks, audiobooks, and educational databases, MackinVIA is the perfect resource to support your child’s learning and love for reading.

Access is easy and open 24/7—so whether it's for homework help or a good book to enjoy, MackinVIA has you covered. Scholars can find the link to MackinVIA in Clever.

Happy reading!

Talent Development, Academic Challenge and Gifted Support (TAG) services are available to students in third through fifth grade to strengthen interests, extend grade-level content, and apply skills and concepts in authentic ways.

Please feel free to contact our TAG Specialist, Ms. Wald, at walde@district279.org if you have any questions.

• Follow us on social media:
• Facebook at 279Online
• X (formerly Twitter) at 279Online
• Instagram at 279Online_K12
• 279Online website.

• Keep your contact information current in ParentVUE. You can update phone numbers and email addresses at any time in ParentVUE, and also report full day absences for your scholar(s). For instructions, please visit the ParentVUE Site.
• At the elementary level, please check Seesaw for daily assignments and schedules, information from your teacher, and more.
• At the secondary levels, 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 Blackboard 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.

ParentVUE is an application you can use to view your scholar(s) attendance, report cards, schedule conferences, update your contact information, enter full day absences 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.

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.

Need more technology assistance? The district tech support help desk is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on student days, and 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on non-student days.

The best way for scholars and families to receive technology help during school hours (7:30-4:00pm) 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 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

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.

More information about the Directory/Photo Release information can be found here: https://www.district279.org/info-center/media-inquiries/opt-outs

Seesaw is a digital portfolio that your scholars will use in grades K-5. Scholars can post images, drawings, videos, and other examples of classwork to show what they are learning in school and share it with their family.

For more detailed Seesaw technology tips and instructions, please click here.

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.

GRADES K-5

Teachers take attendance twice a day through their classroom meetings.

GRADES 6-12

Scholars in 279Online are expected to attend live instruction for classes every day.

• Teachers verify and submit the official attendance record in Synergy.
• At 6:00 pm, Blackboard calls will go out to families for scholars with unexcused absences from the previous day.

OTHER ATTENDANCE TIPS:

• If a scholar is unable to attend, families need to report the absence to 279Online in order to excuse the absence (email: online@district279.org or phone: 763-391-8670 option 1) OR report your student(s) FULL DAY absences in ParentVue. Click Here for directions.
• If you need to report your scholar’s absence and speak a language other than English, please email online@district279.org in your language and label your message with the name of the language. We will translate your message and record the absence.

If you have any questions regarding attendance please contact your scholars’ teachers or the main office (phone: 763-391-8670 OR email: online@district279.org)

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.

Examples of Resources included:

• Educational Benefits Application Information
• Mental Health Resources
• District Multilingual Facebook Pages
• Technology Resources
• Community Resources
• Winter Weather Gear
• Furniture, Sheets, Blankets, Dishes, Pots and Pans, Cleaning Supplies and Clothing
• Homework Starts with Home Program