The Oriole Newsletter

February 2026

As the final weeks of trimester 2 come to a close, the halls of OSH are carrying a different kind of energy—one shaped by scholar leadership at every level. From organizing Osseo Speaks, competing in end of season athletic/activity competitions, planning a spirit week and creating a "You Belong Here" poster to using their voices to make positive change, scholars have stepped forward with confidence and purpose. The trimester was not simply a stretch of academic time; it became a showcase of what young leaders can accomplish when they are trusted with responsibility and united by a shared vision.

Just as powerful was the spirit of scholar success and pride that defined these months. Academic achievements were celebrated at our Excellence breakfast alongside personal growth milestones. Classrooms exude engagement with determination as scholars support one another through challenging projects and exams. Thus, recognizing that success is often a collective effort. The pride filled handshakes, congratulatory hugs, and every reflective conversation about how far each scholar has come has started. The trimester will be coming to an end, not with exhaustion, but with a deep sense of accomplishment and individual belief in self. This is success and what makes us most proud!

Our Black Student Union (BSU) put on a show and a show it was - Osseo Speaks Spoke! Our scholars poured their hearts into creating a show that beautifully showcased their culture, race, and ethnicity while honoring the past, fostering pride, and illuminate their brillance! Their leadership, dedication, talent, and perseverance were truly inspiring to witness. Our scholars lead all aspects of this celebration and it is powerful watching them shape the culture of Osseo Senior High!

At a time when historical narratives are increasingly challenged, our scholar leaders did an exceptional job preserving and sharing inclusive history to affirm our shared present and future. This show allowed participants and observers to gain a deeper understanding of contributions of our black community. The event included dance performances, poems, singing, scholar-written skits, and the fan-favorite tradition, fashion show. Kudos to BSU!

• March 5 - Last day of trimester 2
• March 6 - No School (Marked Reporting Day)
• March 13 - National Honor Society's Blood Drive
• March 17 - ACT/PreACT day
• March 20 - No School (Conference Release Day)
• March 23-March 27 - No School (Spring Break)

Osseo’s National Honor Society is proud to host another upcoming blood drive on Friday, March 13th. Last year, Osseo joined the 200 Club after donating over 200 units of blood. So far this school year, they have already donated 88 units, with the potential to impact up to 234 hospital patients! Every donation can help save lives, and we invite students and staff to consider signing up and making a direct difference in our community.

Osseo Senior High School will begin offering a varsity letter for community service beginning this spring. This student-created opportunity aims to recognize and celebrate sustained, meaningful service to our schools and broader community.

Learn more here!

OSH hosted their first Registration Fair during lunches to support scholar registrations. Scholars were able to learn from upperclassmen about courses they may be interested in taking. At the fair, there were 21 elective classes represented, 13 spring activities, and scholars answering questions about required courses as well.

It was a huge success! Fun to see the scholars presenting so excited to share information about the classes/clubs they were a part of and encourage others to join. The baby chicks for Animal Behavior were a hit along with the microscope looking at hair for Forensic Science. Videos and presentations of classes and activities, artwork, a baby, an engine, and several graphic illustrations provided an opportunity to learn about the offerings at OSH. True Osseo EXCELLENCE on display!

The competition One Act competed at their subsection tournament and was one of three teams that qualified for the section tournament. Oh, hold on, these students not only qualified, but they got FIRST PLACE! This is a HUGE accomplishment for these kids and our Osseo Drama Department as they have not qualified in more than 10 years. At the section tournament, Osseo Drama brought home second place which made them state alternates.

Congrats Osseo Drama!

OSH HOSA - Future Health Professionals demonstrated outstanding performance at the Region 1 Mid-Winter Conference on January 5. The conference serves as preparation for the Minnesota HOSA State Competition in March.

HOSA is an integral part of OSH's Health Science Career & Technical Education (CTE) and magnet program, preparing students for a variety of careers in healthcare. The Health Science Magnet Program is designed to support and build future leaders in Health Science and Medical fields. The program provides authentic learning experiences that prepare students to achieve their future goals in medicine. Students develop practices through hand-on, project based experiences in a professional work setting. Health Science students graduate with college credits, professional certifications, internship experiences, and memories for a lifetime. Students across the district can attend health science classes at OSH.

CTE Month occurs each February and celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of technical programs and scholars in these programs who are preparing to look at post-secondary options and enter the workforce.

Osseo Area Schools students achieved success in multiple events at the competition:

Please note, some students have been removed from this list due to photo and data privacy restrictions.

Biomedical Equipment Technician

• 2nd Place - Benjamin Her-Vang

CPR/First Aid

• 1st Place - Mia Scott and Lily Dennis
• 4th Place - Natalie Madan and Hannah Hemiadan

Dental Science

• 4th place - John Mai

Emergency Medical Technician

• 4th Place - Natalie Madan and Hannah Hemiadan
• 5th Place - Mia Scott and Lily Dennis

Medical Assisting

• 6th Place - Kenna Fleming

Medical Terminology

• 1st Place - Sarah Alsultani
• 9th Place - Benjamin Her-Vang

Nursing Assisting

• 2nd Place - Sumaya Mumin
• 4th Place - Rahma Abdullahi

Pharmacology

• 10th Place - John Mai

Pharmacy Science

• 1st Place - Benjamin Her-Vang
• 3rd Place - John Mai

Respiratory Therapy

• 4th Place - Samir Ibrahim

Surgical Technologist

• 4th Place - Olaide Miriam Ajala

Additionally, congratulations to Nawal Ahmed, Ciara Akinnola, Zahra Ali, Helen Alsultani, Sonnah Barry, Fenet Etefa, Asa Himes, Sureya Ibrahim, Cecelia Kuebelbeck, Trang Nguyen, Idman Nur, Sierra Schuster, Majengbeh Sesay and Olivia Skov for participating in the competition.

Osseo Wrestling did not let the freezing cold weather stop them from holding their inaugural Girls Grit & Grace tournament on Saturday! Osseo Wrestling has been making history for over 60 years, it's no surprise the team continues to build on that legacy by embracing girls wrestling, the fastest growing sport in America. The Osseo Girls Grit & Grace tournament had a record number of 23 teams registered, with team rosters totalling over 200 girls. This was a highly competitive tournament, with nearly every school bringing top 10 ranked girls from around the state to get in on the action. Despite losing a few teams to weather closures, Osseo notably hosted state level matches between top ranked girls in the 235, 155, and 136 brackets, putting this tournament on the minds of teams across Minnesota as they plan for next season.

Osseo had 8 girls competing on Saturday. Let's see how they did:

• Osseo's own Nora Noeldner at 106, faced off against ranked Milaca-Faith Christian Academy and took home a 3rd Place title.
• Amavi Awanyoh placed 4th in the 118lb bracket after going against both Milaca-Faith Christian and Willmar, both powerhouse schools.
• Senior, Piper Douglass wrestled at 136 and took home another 1st Place title, after winning her final match of the day against the #3 ranked girl in the state, Sam Hinman of Minneapolis Roosevelt.
• Josepha Awanyoh and Makenzie Abdullah both took home 5th place titles.

Please help us congratulate this year’s Osseo High School Scholastic Art Award winners! The Osseo Art Department is excited to share that our students had an outstanding showing at the Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards. This year, Osseo students earned 24 awards across 7 media categories, including Mina Hirdler whose photograph was nominated for an American Visions Award; an honor given to only five students statewide.

Students from across Minnesota competed in 28 different categories of art, with more than 4,000 submissions entered overall. Awards are presented in three tiers: Honorable Mention (top 25% of entries), Silver Key (top 10%), and Gold Key (top 3%). Gold Key winners will advance to represent the state of Minnesota in the regional round of judging.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious creative competition for teens in the United States, as well as the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers. Founded in 1923 by Maurice R. “Robbie” Robinson, creator of Scholastic Corporation, the program has been administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers since 1994. Its remarkable legacy includes past winners such as Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Joyce Carol Oates, and many others.

Please take a moment to view the work and congratulate these amazing kids when you see them!

Senior Renee Oh was recently awarded a $2,500 Honorable Mention Prize in Sphere Education Initiative’s scholarship competition! This highly competitive program sought out essays which demonstrated strength in articulating the relationship between civil discourse and upholding the principles of liberty outlined in the Declaration. Students of teachers in Sphere’s alumni educator network were eligible to apply; Renee is in Megan Thompson’s Advanced Placement Government & Politics class, and Mrs. Thompson is on Sphere’s Content Advisory Board. Renee’s essay presented a strong argument and impressed Sphere’s panel of judges, and they will be featuring her essay on their website to celebrate the Semiquincentennial on July 4th!

The Northwest Suburban Conference Music Festival strives to provide studetns the opportunity to pursue excellence in music performance, listen to music with understanding, and celebrate the artistic achievements of other student-musicians. The festival also includes organization and performance of All-Conference ensembles including band, choir, and orchestra. The very existence of the music festival reflects the commitment of the NWSC member schools to promote student opportunities in the Fine Arts.

During the festival, each school's most accomplished band, choir, and orchestra students present a concert for other student-musicians. This concert is also reviewed and critiqued by a guest conductor-clinician. The All-Conference ensembles are select ensembles organized in October and they rehearse in January to prepare the ensembles for their dress rehearsal with the guest conductors at the end of February.

Fantastic work by our OSH elite musicians!

On Feb. 20, Osseo Senior High School hosted their 15th annual mock interview event in the new forum room and career center. Over 750 interviews were conducted by 100+ volunteers and community members. During the mock interviews, scholars sat down with individuals from a variety of different fields, who asked them questions about themselves, their greatest weaknesses and strengths, their proudest achievements, what motivates them, how they spend their free time and what their career goals are. The mock interview is an important part of their job search unit in their English class. Scholars were evaluated by the interviewer on their opening, handshake, answers to questions asked, listening, questions they asked the interviewer, eye contact and confidence.

This is an OSH highlight for all! Volunteers once again shared positive praise about our scholars and how they exude our OSH 5 pillars - Innovative, Courageous, Focused, Reflective, and Conscientious

Osseo Senior High wrestlers had many place in the Section 5AAA tournament. Ten wrestlers placed for the Orioles. Piper Douglass won her weight class, earning a trip to the Minnesota State High School League State Wrestling Tournament. Douglass is a fierce competitor and will be a force to be reckoned with at the state tournament. Set your sights on a state title, Piper! We believe in you!

Other wrestlers who placed in the section tournament are:

Amavi Awanyoh - 3rd place

Nora Noeldner - 3rd place

Paul Solberg - 4th place

Bandu Kanneh - 5th place

Addisyn Marshall - 5th place

Makenzie Abdullah - 6th place

Levi Aitkin - 6th place

Keith Dennis - 6th place

Paul Solberg - 6th place

Raleigh Rundquist is no stranger to competing on the last possible day of a high school season no matter if it is rainy, snowy, or sunny. For the second year in a row he participated in the State Nordic Skiing Tournament.

Raleigh continues to dominate and display his Osseo EXCELLENCE! Congratulations!

Ella Hagelin finished 10th all-around at the MSHSL State Tournament. She is a dynamic, high-performance athlete who combines exceptional strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, power, and mental focus into routines that look almost effortless. There are no weak events for her - finishing 6th on the beam, 6th on the vault, and 8th on the floor. This is the product of years of relentless training, physical precision, and mental toughness. Ella isn't just talented; she is operating at a level where execution, discipline, and resilience converge and she becomes one of the elite.

Congratulations, Ella!

The adapted floor hockey state tournament was held on February 27th and 28th. Both the CI and PI teams attended the tournament representing Maple Grove Crimson. Both adapted teams are composed of students from both the middle and high schools. The PI team won their first game Friday night to put them in the semifinals on Saturday. They won their semifinal game to put them into the championship game. The PI team played a great game in the championship game, but did receive 2nd place trophy and medal.

The CI team played a late game on Friday evening, but unfortunately they did not win. On Saturday morning, they played a great game. Prince Norgbean got a hat trick in the second period. The CI adapted team received a participation plaque. Both teams worked very hard during their regular season to make their way into the State Tournament. Their softball season is fast approaching, as both teams will represent the Osseo Orioles this spring.

Congratulations to both the PI and CI team for their great accomplishments.

Piper Douglass was impressive throughout the entire wrestling season. She continued to soar in the post-season. Piper was crowned section champion and earned a trip to the MSHSL State Wrestling Tournament. She won her first two matches of the tournament convincingly prior to falling to the the eventual state champion. Piper won her final two matches to take third place in the state tournament.

Great season, Piper!

"Value anyone who supports you with nothing to gain. This quote speaks to our student sections at Osseo Senior High. As our cheerleaders chant "show out, show out, show out", our students are certainly showing up and showing out for one another. We are grateful to our students who participate is athletics and activities and are just as impressed with the way in which our students support one another. This is Osseo EXCELLENCE! We are Osseo Proud! Thank you to our STUDENT SECTIONS!"

Megan Thompson, social studies teacher at Osseo Senior High School (OSH), has been named a recipient of the Teaching America250 Award by the Jack Miller Center. Thompson is among 51 educators across the United States selected to receive this honor in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The 51 teachers selected represent each state and Washington, D.C.

At OSH, Thompson teaches crime and justice, AP Government and Politics, and dual enrollment courses in world history and government. She is a James Madison Fellow, a Sphere 100 Fellow, and a member of the National Constitution Center’s Teacher Advisory Board as well as Eastern State Penitentiary’s Collaboratory for Justice Education. She leads professional development on social studies, civil dialogue, and mindfulness in the classroom and has developed and consulted on curriculum development regarding America 250, the Constitution and justice education.

“The Teaching America250 Award winners are introducing the next generation to the essential ideas, stories, and documents of America’s civic tradition,” said Hans Zeiger, president of the Jack Miller Center. “Through their projects, these amazing educators will make America’s 250th birthday a memorable experience for thousands of students across the country.”

The award will fund the work, materials and scholarships for a Declaration of Independence essay competition resulting in four $1,000 scholarships for OSH students. In their essays, students will choose one ideal from the Declaration of Independence and explain why that ideal was important to the Founders when they stood up for something or took action in a way that reflected the same ideal.

In addition to the funding, the Jack Miller Center will also sponsor Thompson’s attendance at the National Summit on Civic Education in Philadelphia this spring.

Officer Missy Parker of the Maple Grove Police Department was named the 2025 Officer of the Year. Recognized for her leadership with youth as a School Resource Officer at Osseo Senior High, she gained popularity for creating personalized handshakes with basketball players. She focuses on building positive relationships and trust with students.

Key Details About Officer Missy Parker:

• Award: 2025 Maple Grove Officer of the Year.
• Role: School Resource Officer (SRO) at Osseo Senior High.
• Recognition: Honored for her leadership with youth at the I-94 West 1st Responder Awards in 2023.
• Impact: Known for creating handshakes with students, attending school sporting events, and fostering positive, trusting relationships with teens.
• Philosophy: Focuses on being a positive, human connection for students rather than solely focusing on enforcement.

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.

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.