Monthly Boost

October 2026

We want to take a moment to celebrate the energy, engagement, and commitment our scholars bring to school every week! In particular, we are seeing fantastic participation during DEN Time, and we want to highlight why this block is so foundational to our school’s mission and your scholar’s success.

Every Wednesday afternoon is broken into three scheduled DEN sessions. Here is how participation works:

1. Self-Registration: Scholars register for sessions aligned with their academic needs or personal interests through Student Support Time.

2. Teacher Requests: Teachers may directly request a scholar to attend a specific session for extra support, targeted skill-building, or project completion.

3. Required Attendance: If a teacher requests a scholar for a session, accepting that request and attending that session is required. Full participation across all three Wednesday sessions is tracked and expected of every scholar.

DEN Time takes place every Wednesday afternoon from 12:20 PM – 3:00 PM. It is a mandatory, core component of our weekly schedule for all scholars—not an optional period or an early afternoon off.

DEN Time directly drives academic acceleration, leadership development, and school community in several key ways:

• Accelerating Academic Achievement: Scholars use this structured time to meet directly with teachers, receive targeted academic intervention, make up assignments, complete projects, and dive into advanced enrichment opportunities.

• Building Community & Peer Connection: Strong peer relationships are essential to academic and personal growth. DEN Time creates a vital space for scholars to connect, collaborate, and share meaningful learning experiences.

• Developing Leadership Skills: Through scholar-driven initiatives like NEWS from the DEN, our young leaders take real ownership, gain communication skills, and showcase their talents to the broader school community.

Prioritizing DEN Time attendance sets our scholars up for long-term academic excellence. Thank you for ensuring your scholar logs in, stays engaged, and makes the most of every DEN Time block!

Warmly,

Ms. Swanson, Principal

Ms. Bisson, Assistant Principal

October 6: Fall Academic Conferences - VIRTUAL

October 20: Fall Academic Conferences - VIRTUAL

NOVEMBER

November 3: Licensed Staff Workshop - No School for Students

November 26-27: District Closed for Holiday - No School for Staff and Students

Please mark your calendars for Trimester 1 Conferences. Conferences will be held virtually.

Check ParentVUE on Tuesday, September 29th at 8:00AM to see your scholars’ teachers’ available times for both conference dates. The online booking through ParentVUE will close Monday, October 5th at 3:00PM. If you will need interpreter services during the conferences, please let the teachers know.

279Online's Fall Conference Dates:

Tuesday, October 6th: 3:30-8:00pm (Grades 6-12)

Tuesday, October 20th: 3:30-8:00pm (Grades 6-12)

We highly encourage you to create a ParentVUE account if you do not have one already. Please follow these instructions on how you create an account.

Instructions on how to schedule conferences on ParentVUE: Arabic | English | Hmong | Oromo | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese

• If you are unable to schedule your conference in ParentVUE, please contact your teacher(s) directly to schedule.

• Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Webinar: Join the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Webinar and learn more about how we are partnering with families and the community for the 2025-26 school year! During the session, you'll hear about the FACE team's goals, upcoming programs and activities, and ways to connect with us and get involved. We hope to see you there. More information to come.

The goal of the Osseo Area Schools Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department is to strengthen and sustain authentic relationships within the district community. Through meaningful partnerships, FACE seeks to enable scholars to achieve their brilliance while also engaging with and holding space for the various perspectives of district families and community members.

A new school year is here, and the FACE Team is excited to be back with you! We have lots of activities, events, and opportunities planned for students and families, and we can’t wait to connect, celebrate, and build community together throughout the year.

If you have any questions, please contact Face@district279.org.

English | Lus Hmoob (Hmong) | Afaan Oromoo (Oromo) | русский (Russian) | Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) | Українська (Ukrainian) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

Each month, our school counseling team will share updates, helpful resources, and tips to support scholars and families. From academic planning and college/career readiness to social-emotional learning and wellness, our counselors are here to help scholars thrive. Be sure to check back each month for new resources and updates!

Whether you're planning for college, exploring vocational trades, or preparing to enter the workforce, our College and Career Resource Center website provides all the guidance and tools you may need in one organized place.

• Finding Your Match & Fit: Guidance on evaluating schools by academic match (GPA, test scores) and personal fit (majors, location, campus culture, and diversity).

• Search & Exploration Platforms: Links to key research tools including College Navigator, The College Tour, Niche, and the College Affordability & Transparency Center for comparing costs and programs.

• Virtual Tours & Fairs: Access to virtual campus tours (via YouVisit) and virtual college fairs, complete with sample questions to ask admissions representatives.

• Application Essentials: Tips on writing college essays and guidelines for requesting letters of recommendation (including timelines and recommender etiquette).

• Career Discovery & Options: Tools to explore personal interests, trade fields, military pathways, and local apprenticeship opportunities.

• Live Opportunities Bulletin: A regularly updated board listing local job openings, internships, and skill-building opportunities.

• Resumes & Cover Letters: Step-by-step creation guides and a customizable cover letter template for students seeking their first job.

• Interview Readiness: Practical advice on interview preparation, common interview questions, professional attire, and writing post-interview thank-you notes.

• Get Schooled Resources: Free, personalized support for college prep and workforce readiness.

*See your school counselor (Ms. Hannah or Ms. Dorn) or School Social Worker (Ms. Adelman) for referral.

Ms. Dorn, HS Counselor (dorna@district279.org, 763-391-8691)

Ms. Hannah, MS Counselor (schmiesingh@district279.org, 763-391-8815)

Ms. Adelman, Social Worker (adelmana@district279.org)

Osseo Area Schools is pleased to announce that all district high schools will begin offering a varsity letter for community service beginning this spring. This new opportunity was created by students to recognize and celebrate sustained, meaningful service to our schools and broader community.

Learn more about how the community service varsity letter program works.

Browse our school apparel and represent 279Online wherever you go.

DEN Time is a required part of the school day for all scholars and takes place every Wednesday afternoon from 12:20–3:00 PM. During this time, scholars participate in three scheduled DEN sessions focused on academic support, skill-building, enrichment, and exploratory opportunities. Attendance and participation in all three DEN sessions are expected. It is not optional and is not considered an afternoon off from school.

DEN Time supports our school’s programming by providing innovative, creative, and scholar-driven learning experiences. Scholars register for sessions through Student Support Time, and teachers may also request scholars attend specific sessions to make up work, complete projects, or receive additional academic support.

If a scholar is requested by a teacher to attend a specific session, they are required to accept that request and attend that session.

In the event that your scholar's teacher is absent and our continuous building substitute is not available, your scholar is still expected to engage in the class work asynchronously.

• When the teacher is absent, they will post a message in Schoology with instructions for the lesson and an exit ticket to complete for attendance. It’s important that your child does both the lesson and the exit ticket. If the exit ticket is not completed, they will be marked unexcused.
• If they have any questions, they can email their teacher for help or contact our main office at 763-391-8670 or online@district279.org.

Each year we ask scholars and parents/caregivers to read and sign an agreement between themselves and 279Online concerning expectations and mutual understanding about appropriate behavior and responsibilities.

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.

Our school is dedicated to ensuring that every family has timely and meaningful access to information and services. With more than 125 languages spoken throughout the district, we’re committed to providing multilingual communication that promotes the inclusive participation of all families and community members.

If you’re a parent/caregiver of a student in a public school and your preferred language is not English, you have the following rights established by law:

• School districts must have a process for identifying your language needs.

• Schools must provide information in a language you understand.

• School districts must provide effective language assistance to you, such as by offering translated materials or a language interpreter.

• Schools must provide you with language assistance even if your child is proficient in English or you have some English proficiency.

• Schools must provide translation or interpretation from appropriate and competent individuals and may not rely on or ask students, siblings, friend or untrained school staff to translate or interpret for you.

• Language assistance must be free to you.

For more information on language services here at Osseo Area Schools, please visit OsseoSchools.org/LanguageServices.

This continues to be a very trying time in our community. Many of our families and colleagues are dealing with immense feelings of fear and anxiety due to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) action taking place. Our foremost priority during this time, as always, is to create safe and secure learning environments, and to provide meaningful education to each and every student in our community.

Our district and school teams have put many plans into place to ensure the continuation of this opportunity for all of our students. Please refer to our dedicated website for the most up-to-date information, including on topics like learning options, meals and safety/security procedures.

Are you or someone you know at risk of losing your housing? The Homework Starts with Home program is grant funded and in partnership with Hennepin County and the YMCA. Here are guidelines of the program:

• Families must have a child enrolled in our school district and reside in Hennepin county.
• Families must meet income guidelines set by Hennepin county.
• Families must qualify for rent assistance of owing back rent and are at risk of eviction in order to receive utilities assistance.
• Families must provide something in writing that they owe back rent or are at risk of eviction (ledger of back rent owed, eviction notice, court date notice)
• Families must reach out before their eviction date/court date. Unfortunately we can't retroactively provide financial assistance if they have already moved.

Please reach out to Kendra Kuhlmann at HSWH@District279.org if you have questions or are interested in learning more about the Homework Starts with Home Program.

Information available in: English | Hmong | Somali | Spanish

Per the Minnesota Department of Education, Online and Homeschool families are not eligible for the Minnesota Free School Meals Program however, 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. (If you received a letter this summer stating you qualified for educational benefits, you do not need to fill out a form again this year.)

We encourage families to fill out an application for educational benefits at the beginning of each school year. The benefits of filling out an application and being approved (or qualifying) may include but are not limited to the following:

• Applications completed and approved prior to October 1st will help provide funding for the school your child attends which can be used to provide additional resources that benefit students.
• Testing fees for the ACT, SAT and AP Fees may be discounted as well as field trips and band instruments
• Reduced Internet rates with certain providers.
• Athletics fees waived or reduced.

• Online through EduTrakConnect at www.district279.org/FMA. This option will create a family account.
• Online at: bit.ly/3hWdk7Q.This option will bypass making a family account while still allowing completion of the application.
• Scan the QR code to the right of this section.

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.

• https://hungerimpactpartners.org/meals-for-kids/mobile-app-2/

The following are a variety of resources including, but not limited to, help with the following:

Food, Clothing, Mental Health, Technology, Furniture, and Other Household Items

• Community Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP)
• https://www.ceap.org/
• 763-566-9600

• CEAP offers a variety of services, such as food support, clothing, and resource referrals, to families in Hennepin County.
• Salvation Army
• https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/northern/
• 763-425-0517
• Sharing & Caring Hands
• www.sharingandcaringhands.org
• 612-338-4640
• Reach and Restore
• www.reachandrestore.org
• 952-933-1393
• Central Lutheran Church
• www.centralmpls.org
• 612-767-9214
• Sabathani Community Center
• www.sabathani.org
• 612-821-2300
• Hennepin County Community Resources
• https://caphennepin.org/community-resources/
• Hennepin County Resource Helpline (7 days a week 8:00 am to 8:00 pm)
• 612-348-3000

Find out if you qualify for either the FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit or other alternatives like Xfinity Internet Essentials. These opportunities, while they can cost something for the family, are cheaper than normal internet options and more stable connection than hotspots.

• Safety/Crisis Resource – Hennepin County

• Minnesota Mental Health Facts

• Change to Chill through Allina Health

• Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health

• Lus Hmoob, facebook.com/HmongISD279
• Oromoo: facebook.com/ISD279Oromoo
• Soomaali, facebook.com/ISD279Soomaali
• Español, facebook.com/ISD279Espanol
• Tiếng Việt, facebook.com/VietNamISD279

Community Education creates opportunities that positively impact our whole community through innovative and responsive programs and services. Find classes, programs and events for all ages — from early childhood, youth to adult. View the catalog or register at osseo.ce.eleyo.com.

This fall, Minnesota voters will consider a constitutional amendment regarding school funding via the Minnesota Permanent School Fund (PSF). This fund was created upon Minnesota’s statehood and set aside federal land for public education. Money from this land comes in the form of mining, timber and leases on approximately 2.5 million acres of school trust land, and currently 2-2.5% of the fund’s interest and dividends are paid out to public schools twice per year based on student enrollment. By constitutional design, the principal cannot be spent.

The proposed constitutional amendment asks voters whether to update the distribution formula to 4.5% of the fund’s three-year rolling average market value. Passing this measure would not increase state income taxes or local property taxes. For Osseo Area Schools, this proposed formula change is projected to generate an additional $1 million annually from the PSF.

Distributions from the fund support the full range of educational services provided by Minnesota schools, including instructional materials, curriculum development, teacher salaries, extracurricular activities, and the construction and maintenance of school facilities.

The proposed amendment was recommended by a non-partisan task force, co-sponsored by members of both major parties, and passed on a bi-partisan basis.

Osseo Area Schools, along with many other school districts across the state, is working to inform constituents about the proposed amendment. Please note that under the Minnesota Constitution, a ballot measure requires a majority of all voters casting a ballot in the election to pass; therefore, leaving the question blank has the same mathematical effect as a 'No' vote.

Here are some resources to learn more about the PSF’s constitutional amendment:

• Minnesota School Boards Association
• Minnesota Office of School Trust Lands
• Osseo Area Schools website

Get involved and make a difference at Osseo Area Schools. Many district-level advisory committees are looking for parent/caregiver volunteers who are interested in influencing the direction of the district’s instructional programs, enrollment/capacity, emergency management and financial matters. District Level Advisory Committee's include:

• Community Education Program Advisory Council (CEPAC)
• CEPAC is a volunteer advisory group that helps guide and strengthen Community Education programming in Osseo Area Schools.
• District Planning Advisory Council (DPAC)
• DPAC helps to shape the future of our students, families and community members by providing community-based input and feedback in planning for and evaluating existing instructional programs.
• District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC)
• DTAC’s mission is to provide critical input on the direction of technology within Osseo Area Schools to further the effective and equitable use of technology to support student learning and achievement.
• Enrollment and Capacity Management Advisory Committee (ECMAC)
• The purpose of ECMAC is to analyze information affecting enrollment, capacity, and building use, and to generate observations and recommendations to be communicated to district administration.
• FISCAL Advisory Team
• The FISCAL (Financial Involvement School-Community Accountability Liaisons) advisory team helps shape the future for students, families and community members in Osseo Area Schools by providing community-based input and feedback on district financial matters.
• Radically Investing in Scholars Excellence (RISE)
• RISE Committee Members serve as leaders and spokespersons, elevating the voices of our marginalized communities and combating the significant structural and racial inequities within the district.
• Security and Emergency Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC)
• The purpose of SEMAC is to continuously improve and support the execution of the district’s Security and Emergency Management Plan in order to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment in Osseo Area Schools.
• Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC)
• SEAC provides an opportunity for parents/guardians of students receiving special education services to provide their perspectives in matters related to special education.
• Student Wellness Advisory Committee (SWAC)
• SWAC reviews and advises on the results of site evaluations for measuring the implementation of the wellness policy at sites, based on wellness champion bi-annual site evaluations.

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.

The best way for scholars and families to receive technology help during school hours (7:30am-4:00pm) is to contact 279Online's main office at 763-391-8670 or email us at online@district279.org.

• We will then have a member of our on site technology team 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

• Click Here to submit a ticket via IncidentIQ.
• Once you submit the ticket, then your user information will be in IncidentIQ for the future.
• You may also call the district tech department directly at 763-391-7180.

We know it can be tricky to keep track of all the tools families use to stay connected—so here’s a quick refresher!

ParentVUE and Schoology both help you stay informed about your student’s progress, but they serve different purposes.

• ParentVUE is your go-to place for official records—think grades, attendance, schedules, and report cards.

• Schoology is where you can see learning in action—class materials, assignments, and daily updates from teachers.

Check out the chart below for a detailed breakdown of how each platform supports you and your student’s success.

*The slides will transition in the following order: English, Somali, Vietnamese, Spanish, Hmong.

ParentVUE is an application you can use to view your scholars' attendance, report cards, schedule conferences, update your contact information 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.

NEW: ParentVUE and StudentVUE have new apps, and current apps will no longer work after June 30, 2026.

Please download the new apps in your device's Apple or Android store which can be found under the names "StudentVUE (New)" or "ParentVUE (New)". The developer is Edupoint Educational Systems.

For assistance, please reach out to the district's technology support team via IncidentIQ.

Parents/Guardians can access the Schoology Parent Access Code in ParentVUE under the Lunch PIN in Student Info.

Follow us on social media:

• Facebook at 279Online
• X (formerly Twitter) at 279Online
• Instagram at 279Online_
• 279Online website

Follow Osseo Area Schools on social media:

• Facebook at OsseoSchools
• X (formerly Twitter) at ISD279
• Instagram at OsseoSchools
• Osseo Area Schools Website

• Keep your contact information current in ParentVUE. You can update phone numbers and email addresses at any time in ParentVUE. For instructions, please visit the ParentVUE Site.
• 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 Mass Notification 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.

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

Phone: 763-391-8670

Fax: 763-585-7389

Email: Online@district279.org

LANGUAGE LINE

Call if you need to be connected to an interpreter when calling your child's school or other district contacts.

Español - 1-855-891-8364

Lus Hmoob - 1-844-577-9549

русский - 1-855-891-5321

Soomaali - 1-855-891-5322

Tiếng Việt - 1-855-891-8365

Staff Contacts:

Kristin Swanson, Principal: SwansonK@district279.org

Ryan Bisson, Assistant Principal: BissonR@district279.org

Kate Rosbacka, Administrative Assistant: RosbackaK@district279.org

Hannah Schmiesing, Middle School Counselor: SchmiesingH@district279.org

Andrea Dorn, High School Counselor: DornA@district279.org

Angie Adelman, Social Worker: AdelmanA@district279.org

Lindsey Groettum, Special Education Building Coordinator: GroettumL@district279.org