The Oriole Newsletter
News from the Nest
A Message From Mrs. Berling
We’ve kicked off the 2025 -2026 school year with Excellence, and each day I am honored and humbled to witness the greatness of our students! I am so proud of them and their commitment to the school year so far. Homecoming week was a spirit-filled celebration of all things Osseo – from animal prints to Dress for Success, our Orioles had the best week - including our pep fest, Homecoming game and school dance!
As we move through mid-trimester, we remain committed to our new cell phone policy. Our scholars have adapted well – thank you students! It has been exciting to see the benefits of the policy in action. We are seeing an increase in collaborative discussions in class, more participation in learning and a decrease in technology disruptions! We’re grateful for the courageous partnership families have provided in ensuring each of our students is showing up focused and ready to learn. I challenge the student body to additionally focus the same energy on timely arrivals to school! School starts at 7:30 a.m. each day and our learning is bell to bell. Please partner with us by reminding your students that on- time arrival is vital to their academic success!
I look forward to the second half of trimester one. Students, continue working hard academically and continue showing your school spirit during our activities and events! Your school pride is definitely showing!
Finally, please remember…”I believe in you!”
Important Dates
- October 14: Academic Conferences - Virtual (3:00pm-7:00pm)
- October 16 & 17: NO SCHOOL, Conference Release Days
- October 22: Academic Conferences - In Person (3:00pm-7:00pm)
- October 31: NHS Blood Drive
- November 4: NO SCHOOL, Teacher Workshop
Did you know - OSH NHS runs one of the most successful blood drives in the state?
See the attached image for more information on the upcoming drive!
Homecoming 2025
We just wrapped up our homecoming week - did you follow along on Facebook? Our innovative and hard working Social Media Scholar Interns Jonathan Irmiter & Asad Farah documented and recapped spirit days sharing some of the best of our Oriole spirit! Check out their awesome recap HERE!
Our annual NHS Homecoming Dodgeball Tournament finished with Team Chipotle Bowl securing a decisive & courageous 2025 victory! Champions Carter Simon, Eli Richards, Noah Seibert, Austin Olson, and Cole Johnson won 6/7 games to take home this year's title!
Our LatinX club scholars celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a dance performance at our Homecoming pepfest, wowing our community with their skills and beautiful clothing!
We wrapped up the week with football, dance team and Marching Band performances under the Friday Night Lights! Happy Homecoming Orioles!
Activities Updates
We are so excited to welcome Brandon Morris to our Activities team! As our new coordinator, Brandon has courageously hit the ground sprinting - connecting with coaches, scholar-athletes and community members! He comes to us with 5 years of school activities experience including serving 3 years on MSHSL committees. His experiences as a middle school activities director, a high school assistant director, as well as roles supporting college students and student-athletes at Saint Louis University, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and the University of Arkansas have prepared him to jump right in at OSH. Brandon shares that he is “looking forward to supporting student-athletes, assisting in enhancing programs through connections with families, youth organizations, and booster programs and contributing to the continued success in academics, activities, and athletics. Throughout my career, I have been involved in developing programs that emphasize teamwork, discipline, and personal growth”.
Welcome to the team, Brandon!
Interested in learning more about the 30+ innovative clubs & activities at OSH? From Chess club, to Girls Rugby - there is connection and community available for each scholar! Our scholars perused options at our recent activities fair held during lunches! Our clubs and activities represented and generated interest - check them all out on our OSH Activities site!
Educational Benefits Application
The application for educational benefits takes just a few minutes to complete, and it unlocks valuable support for families who qualify. Benefits include:
Lower college exam and AP fees
Summer grocery support (Sun Bucks)
Discounted home internet and utilities
After-school and summer programs
Tutoring and academic help
Low-cost community transit
Free or discounted admission to museums, theaters and local events
How to apply:
Online through EduTrakConnect at www.district279.org/FMA. This option will create a family account allowing online access to view meal accounts.
Online at: bit.ly/3hWdk7Q This option will bypass making a family account while still allowing completion of the application.
Our school offers healthy meals each day. Breakfast and lunch will be available to students attending school in person at no cost for school year 2025/2026. Although no application is required to receive this free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is still important! 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.
REMINDER - Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Device Policy
Effective immediately: Class time = Device-free time.
To support a focused learning environment, all cell phones and personal electronic devices must be turned OFF and put AWAY during instructional time.
Devices should not be visible.
Listening to music, texting, calling, social media, gaming, or other non-academic use is not permitted during class.
Students who fail to follow this expectation will be asked to surrender their device and then conference with school administration.
Why this matters:
We value your learning time. Every minute matters and removing distractions helps create a classroom where everyone can focus, engage, and succeed.
Cell Phones OFF. Devices AWAY. Focus ON.
*Our new policy reflects district standards and compliance with Osseo Area Schools district policy 505.