Park Center Pirate Newsletter

February 2026

No school Monday, February 2 for a staff workshop day

No school on Monday, February 16th because of Presidents Day.

Congratulations to our Fall Robotics FTC (First Tech Challenge) Team who have qualified for the STATE competition for the second time in school history! However, the first time the team qualified was during COVID - so this is the first time the team will be physically in the arena to compete (as COVID year was virtual). The State Competition will take place on February 13th - 14th at Burnsville High School. Go Pirates!

Good luck to our Competition Cheer team as they set their sights on Nationals in Orlando, FL once again! Your community is rooting for you!

Follow PCSH on Instagram (@pcshpirate) and Facebook to see what we're up to day to day!

Head to EduTrak to register online for your upcoming season. Please keep close attention to updated information that can be found here regarding the sports you may be interested in and their PAC meeting dates. Get involved today!

Winter Activities Playoffs are upon us. Follow along here in order to stay up to date!

On March 11, 2026 we will be participating in the MN tradition of a cold water plunge! The Cool School Mobile Plunge gives schools the opportunity to rally around inclusion while participating in a unique and wildly fun fundraiser!

The concept is simple: staff and students register and fundraise money for both Special Olympics Minnesota and their school, teams, clubs or groups. In the process, participants earn awesome rewards and get the chance to jump into freezing cold water. The day of the event, Special Olympics MN will bring the Polar Plunge directly to Park Center with the Plungester, a custom-designed mobile Plunge pool!

Students, Staff, Teams, & Clubs will learn more information in the first weeks of January to register & fundraise. Students under 18 will need their parent/guardian’s permission to participate. We would love to have community members join us! This is also an opportunity to have community businesses & sponsors get involved!

Questions? Reach out to Suzanne Blum Grundyson - blumgrundysons@district279.org

It's time to order your Class of 2026 Senior yard sign!

Senior All Night Party organizers are selling Class of 2026 yard signs for $25. Use this form or QR Code to order yours today! https://bit.ly/SANPYard26

Minnesota dentists are offering free dental care for children in need on February 7 and 8, 2026. Appointments can be booked now. The Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) has hundreds of dental professionals volunteering at clinics across the state for Give Kids a Smile.

• Finding a clinic with open appointments is as easy as visiting www.mndental.org or contacting the United Way – simply dial 2-1-1 on your phone or text your zip code to 898-211.
• Appointments can then be scheduled directly with the dental office. No eligibility questions are asked in an effort to remove any possible barrier to care.
• Patients must be 18 years or younger and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• Specific services provided at each location will be outlined when an appointment is scheduled.
• Volunteers speaking multiple languages are available at several locations to help with language barriers.

Why visit the dentist?

• Tooth decay is one of the most chronic diseases in children and adolescents.
• Children from low-income families are twice as likely to have untreated cavities as higher-income children.
• Well over half of Minnesota children enrolled in Medicaid have not received dental services in the past year.

For more information about the Minnesota Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile, visit mndental.org.

• Horatio Alger Scholarships ($10,000-$40,000) various due dates

• Poet Never Satisfied Scholarship ($5,000) due Feb 13, 2026

• Dell Scholars Program ($20,000) due Feb 15, 2026

• McDonald’s HACER Scholarships (up to $1000,000) due Feb 17, 2026

• Gucci Changemakers Scholarship ($25,000) due Feb 19, 2026

• DCU for Kids Scholarship ($1,500-2,500) due Feb 28, 2026

• DAV Scholarships for Student Volunteers (up to $30,000) due Feb 28, 2026

• The Dream US Scholarship for Dream Students (up to $33,000) due Feb 28, 2026

• Latinas First Foundation Scholarship (various awards) due Feb 28, 2026

• DAV Auxiliary Education Scholarship ($2,500) due Mar 20, 2026

• Humanity Rising Scholarship ($2,500) due Mar 31, 2026

• Superpower Scholarship by Unigo ($2,500) due Mar 31, 2026

• IKE Foundation Scholarship ($2,500) due Apr 1, 2026

• Empowering Education Scholarship ($500) due Apr 10, 2026

This school year, three Community Conversations are going to be held to better understand from family and community members what is going well and what needs improvement as well as ensuring all feel valued and heard. District leadership and school board members will host the events, which are set for Feb 3. and May 12.

Your help is needed to start the planning process. If you could please take five minutes to let us know your thoughts on our schools via this Google Form. The themes arising from your responses will help inform the topics chosen for the Community Conversations. Additionally, if you’re interested in participating in a conversation, please share your name, contact information and the dates that work best for you in the space provided on the form.

Minnesota winter is off to a strong start for the 2025-26 cold season, and Osseo Area Schools will continue to carefully monitor emerging weather patterns to determine whether adjustments are needed to the regular school schedule due to extreme weather.

If such a change is necessary, all families will receive notice via email, text message and automated call. Information will also be available on the district website, district social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and X) and via local television news stations.

At Park Center we expect every student to demonstrate P.R.I.D.E.

• Participate in your education
• Respect yourself and others
• Inspire others
• Do the right thing
• Excel in all you do

For all Park Center rules and expectations, refer to our Student and Family Handbook