OWL Weekly Email
November 9, 2026
In an effort to increase communication with our students and families, we send a weekly email on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings highlighting upcoming school events. This information will also be shared with students in Schoology and in Crew on Mondays. Events are listed in chronological order.
Give to the Max Day 2026 is Thursday, November 19!
Mark your calendars for our one major fundraiser at OWL. We have been very lucky in the past to be able to raise so much money for our students and we need everybody’s help again this year! We have 3 goals:
Raise $30,000
Achieve 45% participation from families
Add 10 new recurring monthly donors
Every donation makes a difference. Even $5 helps with both our dollar and participation goals. And $5/month helps with both our dollar and recurring monthly donor goals. There are ways to help other than money: help spread the word, comment and like the facebook posts, ask grandparents & friends, contact alumni, check on employer-matching at your work, etc.
Every donation made through the givemn.org website on Give to the Max Day 2026 will be entered into lottery-style drawings for a chance to win additional prizes for our PTO. We have been lucky to receive over $3,000 in prizes over the past few years this way.
We also will be running a participation contest between crews: the two crews that have the highest participation rates will win money from the PTO to use however they choose. $200 for first place and $100 for second place.
https://www.givemn.org/organization/Open-World-Learning-Community-Pto
We are looking for large grant match donor(s)
In the past we have been very lucky to have some parents sponsor matching large grants of $1,000 - $10,000. They are a great way to build momentum and enthusiasm for the fundraiser. It appears on the website that there is an anonymous match going on that will match each donation up to the limit of your choice. People who donate during that time of the active match will double the impact of their donation. We already have a $2,500 grant waiting and it would be great to have a couple more to fill up throughout the day. If you are interested in making a large matching grant, please contact Mitch.
Any questions at all about Give to the Max Day or the PTO, contact Mitch: treasurer@owlpto.org or 612-618-8904
https://www.givemn.org/organization/Open-World-Learning-Community-Pto
OWL Math Teacher Tom Totushek wins EL Education National Teacher of the Year: Tom received the prestigious Klingenstein Teacher Award at last month’s EL Education National Conference in San Francisco. He is the first OWL teacher to win this award. See his short acceptance speech HERE.
Seeking meal donations for the teacher potluck buffet during Fall Student-Led Conferences: OWL families will be providing a potluck buffet for the teachers in the afternoon and evening of Wed. Nov, 18 2026 during Student-Led Conferences. Please show your support by signing up to bring a food item or two to donate to the meal. Click Here for the SignUp Genius link–MAIN DISHES, SALADS and SIDES still NEEDED.
PTO Volunteer Coordinator Opportunities: Family members can CLICK HERE to volunteer to organize PTO activities this school year. Lots of fun ways to get involved!
Last day of Quarter 1 is Thursday, November 12: Be sure to get all your work completed and submitted!
No School on Friday, November 13: Staff Professional Development Day
Student-Led Conferences will be on November 18 and 19: If you have not signed up for a conference time, please refer to the email you received from your child’s Crew leader.
OWL will host a flu clinic for all ages on 11/20: You do not need to have insurance to get a flu shot. Students under 18 will need a parental consent form signed. Bring your family to get their free flu shots! We will begin at 1 pm and be open to family and the community after school! Please protect yourself and your family this year.
If you have any questions email me at lrounds001@stpaul.k12.mn.us
If you are planning on coming, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM so I can confirm your information.
SAVE THE DATE! The FALL PLAY will be a rendition of William Shakespeare's As You Like It! Mark your calendars for the performance dates on Thursday, December 10th and Friday, December 11th at 7pm in the OWL auditorium.
OWL Family Directory: As a citywide magnet school with families living all around St. Paul and beyond, the OWL Family Directory is a great way to connect with the OWL community. It includes contact information that you choose to share. You have the choice to opt into the directory; therefore, your information will not be included if you do not provide it to us.
If you would like to have your family’s contact information included in the directory, please click on this link to complete THIS FORM.
Deadline is Friday, November 20.
NOTE: You do NOT need to complete this form if your information is already included from fall. Current directory is LINKED HERE for your reference. If any of your information has changed, please complete the form.
Your information will remain in the directory each year until your student graduates unless you request to be removed by contacting Tammy in the OWL office at tammy.plaman@spps.org.
If you have any questions, please contact parent volunteers Anna Gorton (awgorton@gmail.com) and Ellie Beaver (ellierbeaver@gmail.com)
This month in Crew, students are exploring the OWL HOWL (habit of work and learning) of responsibility through games and discussions and preparing for student-led conferences on November 18 and 19. Students, use your Crew time and the template provided in Schoology to prepare a fantastic presentation. Use this link to access the November Crew slides. Crew leaders will reach out individually with conference sign-up information.
Archery Open Shoots are on Tuesdays from 3-5 PM in the OWL Gym: Open Shoots are:
a. A “drop-in” style of archery practice for all levels (just show up!)
b. Run Tuesdays after school 3pm to 5pm (until 11/17)
c. Free, with all equipment provided
d. No commitment to the team is required
e. Busing is NOT available. All students need to make sure they have a ride home
Have questions? Please email all archery related inquires to openworldarchery@gmail.com
Weekly High School Athletic Update: Go HERE to learn about what is happening this week in high school sports
Sports Schedules: CLICK HERE for directions on how to find athletics schedules for Humboldt/OWL teams.
Middle School Sports Update:
Middle School Winter 1 season begins this week!
MS girls Basketball, MS Girls Wrestling, and MS Boys Wrestling
Begins Monday, November 9, 2026
Eligibility Requirements:
Sports Physical (valid for 3 years)
Sports Fee 45/15
Bound Registration Completed
Academic Requirements
Attendance Requirements
Conduct Requirements
See Middle School Sports Expectations Link Below
Enrolled in Flipside (recommended)
Enrolling in Flipside will ensure your students get a snack after school and transportation home after practices if needed.
Link to Flipside Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQjZRYeU51VDNqpauZN8MFVRfuW6NEzqQA4AHsYpNKayh8fQ/viewform
Practices are Monday-Thursday until 5PM
Season: November 9, 2026 - January 16, 2027
WINTER SEASON REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Winter 1 season is Monday, November 9, 2026 - January 16, 2027
Girls Basketball, Co-Ed Wrestling
Winter 2 season is Monday, January 19, 2026 - March 13, 2027
Boys MS Basketball
Directions for setting up a family account in BOUND and registering for a sport
Here are the directions on how to set up a BOUND family account and how to register your student for a sport. If you already set up a family account, you only need to register your athlete for their sport.
Go to Saint Paul Public Schools Bound page at
https://www.gobound.com/mn/districts/stpaulpubs
Click "Registration" on the top of the page (do not use the "create account" button)
Create a family account
Once on family dashboard, click "Add Your First Child"
Enter student information and click next
Search for and click on the "Open World Learning" organization and click next
Most students have been entered into the database, so they should show up on the site next page, click on them to confirm that it's your student and click next. Confirm addition of student to your family
Click on "Register for Activity" under student's name on family dashboard
Make sure "2026-2027" school year is selected
Select the activity you would like to register for and complete the registration processes
When registering, it may ask you to upload a physical. If your student already has a physical on file, you can skip this step.
If it doesn't let you continue without uploading a file, please just upload a blank document. We are trying to fix that so it is not a required step.
If your student does NOT have a sports physical, you can also upload a blank document to get the student registered but they will not be able to begin until we have a sports physical on file.
Middle School Sports Expectations: HERE
If you have questions or need assistance setting up an account or registering a student, please contact Barbara Lawrence, Middle School Athletic Director, at Barbara.Lawrence@spps.org
Host a Foreign Exchange Student: If your family is interested in hosting an exchange student for the second semester starting in January, please contact Tim at timothy.leone-getten@spps.org for more information.
OWL has a trip to Peru planned for April 1st-9th, 2027 and because they have made a bigger bus available we have 3 spots we can fill: This itinerary is 6-12 friendly, and parents/grandparents/siblings are welcome. Explore breathtaking sites like Machu Picchu, immerse yourself in rich Incan history and culture, and create memories that will last a lifetime — all with the support of a dedicated tour team every step of the way. For full itinerary details, pricing, and to enroll, visit our tour website: https://www.eftours.com/tour-website/2840131HK. Questions? Reach out to Tom Totushek at tom.totushek@stpaul.k12.mn.us. Can't make it for this trip? We are already looking at Spring Break 2029, stay tuned for more information!
AVID Schoolwide: As we reach the end of quarter 1, be sure to stay organized. Try using this end-of-quarter to-do list to prioritize your work.
Service spotlight: Thank you to all the students, families, and staff who made OWL Dia de los Muertos Family Culture Night a success at OWL. We appreciate you!
Application for Educational Benefits (Very Important to Complete!): While all in-person students will receive free breakfast and lunch under Minnesota’s Free School Meals program, it remains critical that all families complete an Application for Educational Benefits each school year. Educational Benefit Form These applications determine how much funding your child’s school receives for educational programs and supports. Additionally, eligible families can qualify for other benefits. The application can be completed online at schoolcafe.com/spps. Paper applications are available at school. We need 100% of OWL families to complete this form, even if you do not believe you will receive benefits. We have achieved 100% completion on this for the last five years at OWL.
One proven way to live a happy life is to express gratitude. Is there a staff member at OWL that has done something you are grateful for? Shoot them an email! An alternative and way has been made available by filling out this link. (This form requires an email but is sent anonymously.)
Important Reminder about Attendance:
If your child is going to miss school, please call, email owlattendance@spps.org or write a note to explain the reason for the absence. If we do not hear from you, the absence is documented as unexcused. After 3 days of unexcused absences, you will receive a letter from the school reminding you to please communicate with us so the absence(s) may be documented accurately. If your child continues to miss school, unexcused, he/she will be referred to the SAM (School Attendance Matters) Program for intervention.
The following reasons for absence qualify as an excused absence; illness, doctor, dental or therapy appointment (please be sure to obtain a note to give to the school), extreme family emergency or religious holiday not already recognized by our school district. When a student misses 3 or more class periods in one day, this is considered to be a full day of absence. Please call us if you have any questions/concerns.
HERE IS GUIDANCE on when to send your child to school and when to stay home.
Community Announcements:
Minnesota Toy Library: Do you need service hours for school? Volunteer at the Minnesota Toy Library. More information HERE.
The University of Minnesota Math Center for Educational Programs is getting ready for our Saturday Morning Math enrichment courses starting this November: This program for 5th-7th grade students lets math loving students learn and explore mathematics through games, crafts, and fun! We are offering courses this year on voting theory, origami, game strategy, and more. Each class encourages students to explore advanced mathematics and its scientific applications from a different perspective. It's a great way to keep excited young mathematicians engaged and spark a love of math in curious students. A complete list of this year's session dates and topics can be found on our Saturday Morning Math page.
University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program: Registration for the entrance exam is now open! UMTYMP is our five year program where students can complete the high school curriculum and take advanced college mathematics courses at the University. I will be sending out entrance exam reminders at the beginning of the calendar year. This year we are providing online information sessions in December and January. You can RSVP here to receive the meeting link. More information is available on our website. Questions to Max Manzo mathcep@umn.edu