Oshki Ogimaag Community School
September 08, 2025
Aanin Oshki Ogimaag School Families and Community Partners,
Welcome to Week Two at Oshki Ogimaag!
We hope you had a restorative weekend. After an exciting first week, it’s natural for students to feel both energized and tired. In these opening weeks, our focus is simple and powerful: build safety, predictability, and Community so every child is ready to learn.
Our Approach: Responsive Classroom
Oshki Ogimaag utilizes the Responsive Classroom approach—an evidence-based K–8 framework that integrates academic, social, and emotional learning. It emphasizes:
• Engaging academics
• Positive community
• Effective management
• Developmentally responsive teaching
In practice, that means we nurture strong relationships, teach routines explicitly, and create classrooms where every student feels seen, safe, and capable.
The First Six Weeks: Start Slow to Go Far
During the first six weeks of school, we intentionally “go slow to go fast.” Teachers use Interactive Modeling to show, practice, and reinforce how to do the important things: arriving and settling in, moving through transitions, using materials, asking for help, collaborating, and solving problems. We co-create shared expectations, building a classroom culture where students understand what success looks like and feel ownership of it.
Daily Anchors: Morning Meeting & Closing Meeting
Each day begins with Morning Meeting—a brief, structured time to greet one another, share, enjoy a short activity, and preview the day. This builds belonging and helps students know what to expect. We end the day with a Closing Circle, a few minutes to reflect on our learning, celebrate effort, and look ahead to tomorrow. These bookends create calm, consistent rhythms students can count on.
How We Talk to Children Matters
Teachers and support staff are intentional with teacher language—using reinforcing language to name strengths, reminding language to cue prior learning, and redirecting language that is brief, clear, and respectful when students need support. This builds skills and confidence while protecting dignity.
What You’ll See in These Early Weeks
• Predictable routines and structures that lower anxiety and increase time on learning
• Interactive Modeling and lots of practice—noticing, naming, and celebrating growth
• Review and bridge work that helps students transition smoothly back into academic thinking
• Community-building that centers kindness, responsibility, and collaboration
How Families Can Help
Your partnership makes a real difference. You can support your child by:
• Prioritizing on-time, daily attendance so they experience Morning Meeting and key routines
• Asking, “What did your class practice today?” or “How did you help our classroom Community?”
• Reviewing the Go Home folder
Together—through culture, tradition, and community—we’re laying a strong foundation for the year ahead. Miigwech for trusting us with your children and for walking alongside us during these important first weeks.
Our hearts are with the Minneapolis Community in the wake of the recent tragedy.
Such events touch all of us, and some in our school Community in very personal ways. We extend deep gratitude to our Director of Special Education, Sam Zimmerman, for offering strength and service as part of the MDE Crisis Response Team. Miigwech, Sam, for showing care and strength in the most challenging of times.
Each student has a red Go Home Folder that will travel to and from school daily in their backpack (please remember to send your student to school each day with their backpack).
In the front, the folder contains the school calendar, classroom work, and important notes. In the back pocket, you’ll find documents that may require a parent/guardian signature or need to be filled out and returned.
Please complete and return to school any paperwork you’ve received, this week!
👉 Please check your child’s Go Home Folder every evening, and be sure they bring it back to school each morning in their backpack. Miigwech!
At Oshki Ogimaag, all classroom materials and supplies are provided for students.
Families are asked to ensure that students bring a backpack each day and wear weather-appropriate, comfortable shoes and clothing for outdoor learning, hikes, and play.
Oshki Ogimaag was founded as a “school without walls,” where children learn from the magnificent natural environment just outside our doors. We go outdoors in all kinds of weather—chilly, wet, and snowy—so students can experience the richness of every season.
If your family needs assistance with any items, please reach out. We are here to support you and can connect you to local resources. Together, we make sure every child is ready to learn and thrive—indoors and out.
For safety, each student will go home on the bus to their designated stop unless a parent/guardian notifies the school of a change. We cannot accept changes directly from students or other adults.
Parent/guardians may notify the school in several ways:
• Send a note in your child’s Go Home Folder
• Email Ms. Tina
• Call the school office
• If texting is your best option, please let us know and we will make arrangements.
If you would like to make a standing change to your child’s Go Home Plan (for example, going to the Center daily), please reach out and we will provide a new transportation form for you to complete.
Thank you for helping us maintain strong safety protocols for our elementary students
Ms. Megan Is Teaching Literacy, Social Studies and Art. Please read Ms. Megan’s bio below:
I graduated with a B.A. in English, and an Art minor, from Santa Clara University. I am licensed in Elementary Education Kindergarten-6th grade, and received my teaching certificate from Hamline University. OOCS is attuned with each individual’s needs, this is aligned to how I teach students as well. I love living in Cook County and spend a lot of time outdoors, and look forward to exploring literacy, art, culture and the outdoors with each student at OOCS!
Please reach out to me with any questions!
So far, our new food program is a big hit with students!
They are finishing their meals, enjoying seconds (and sometimes thirds!), and we’re seeing less waste.
Mr. Drew is committed to providing healthy meals that truly fuel student learning. Whenever possible, ingredients are organic and items are made from scratch. Menus are crafted with care to include proteins that balance out carbohydrates—preventing the sugar rush and crash that can leave students tired and hungry. The goal is simple: food that is delicious, nutritious, and sustaining for active, growing learners.
Chi-miigwech to Mr. Drew and his wife Marideth for their dedication to nourishing our students with whole foods, prepared with intention.
Pictured below: Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad featuring organic spring greens, grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, ranch dressing, and bread on the side—a meal that students loved so much, nearly all went back for more!
At OOCS, being **in school every day—and on time—** helps students build community, stay on track academically, and feel connected to caring adults.
When students arrive late, they miss the morning routines that set expectations and belonging; when they miss days, it’s harder to catch up on instruction and classwork. Research shows that chronic absence (typically missing 10% of the school year—about two days a month) is linked to lower reading proficiency by third grade and increased risk of not graduating on time. Strong daily attendance supports learning for the whole class and is associated with higher grades and stronger school connectedness.
Key research: Attendance Works (definition and impact of chronic absence), U.S. Department of Education summaries on reading and graduation, Balfanz & Byrnes on achievement sensitivity to attendance, and CDC findings that school connectedness relates to better attendance and academic outcomes.
Each learning group at OOCS embeds Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into the day.
Ms. Tina teaches the Noodin group after lunch; last week’s focus was identifying feelings (a foundation for emotion regulation), clarifying what’s expected at school, and exploring what community means—all to help students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.
Why this matters: high-quality SEL supports both belonging and academics. Large meta-analyses show that students in SEL programs demonstrate improved skills, behavior, and higher academic performance—about an 11-percentile-point gain compared with peers, with benefits that last months to years.
Learning to name and understand emotions is a key building block of self-regulation and school success. Studies link children’s emotion knowledge to better peer relationships, stronger classroom adjustment, higher academic achievement, and fewer behavior problems.
These skills travel with students into every subject: executive function and self-regulation (attention, working memory, flexible thinking) are essential for learning, and SEL routines strengthen them.
Together—through daily SEL, clear expectations, and community-building—we’re helping students feel safe, regulated, and ready to grow.
Links to research below:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28685826/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6728230/?utm
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resource-guides/guide-executive-function/?utm
Please send a set of spare clothes in your child’s backpack each day.
Accidents, spills, and messy play happen—and having extra clothes ensures your child can stay comfortable and ready to learn. This applies to all students in grades K–5.
We are also in need of gently used clothing donations. If you have spare clothes in good condition for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, we would greatly appreciate your contributions to help keep our extra clothes supply stocked.
Miigwech for supporting our students in feeling cared for and prepared!
Oshki Ogimaag Community School is seeking 1–2 parent/guardian representatives to serve on our Board of Directors.
Per our bylaws, we are required to maintain a non-majority board structure, and at least one more parent/guardian member is needed to remain in compliance.
Serving on the Board is a meaningful way to support our students and Community. Parent/guardian board members play a vital role in the stewardship of the school, helping guide decision-making, ensuring cultural integrity, and shaping the future of our learning environment. It is also a powerful opportunity for parent/guardians to have a direct voice in the governance of Oshki Ogimaag and to contribute to the well-being and success of all children we serve.
If you are a parent or guardian of a currently enrolled Oshki Ogimaag student and are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact our Board Chairperson, Tesha Dickenson at tdickenson@oshkiogimaag.org or our Board Secretary, Tina Gatzke at tgatzke@oshkiogimaag.org.
Your perspective and commitment can make a lasting difference!
Next Board Meeting: Wednesday, September 17, at 4:30pm, located in the OOCS Conference Room.
In accordance with new state requirements, Oshki Ogimaag Community School has established a Finance Committee to review school financials and provide recommendations to the Board. The committee is advisory (non-voting), meets at 4:00 p.m. prior to each regular Board meeting in the OOCS conference room, and is subject to Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
We warmly welcome parents, families, community members, and partners to participate. Serving on or attending the Finance Committee is a meaningful way to support transparency, stewardship, and the long-term strength of our school. Parent involvement is especially valued, as it ensures family voices are at the center of financial decision-making.
Please contact OOCS Board Secretary, Tina Gatzke at tgatzke@oskiogimaag.org if you have any questions or join at the next Finance Committee Meeting Wednesday, September 17 at 4pm, located in the OOCS Conference Room to learn more!
