25-26 Welcome Back OHS Newsletter

• I hope all of our students and staff are having a fantastic summer. I can't wait to see everyone again energized and refreshed after their summer break. It gets far too quiet here in the summer!

  
  

  We have a few new faces this fall at the high school. We are excited to welcome the following:

  • Ms. Hillary Kuehnl - Math

  • Ms. Cortney Oates - Science

  • Mr. Austin Rohan - Band

  
  

  We invite and encourage you to help us keep the lines of communication between home and school open throughout the school year. We know that strong partnerships between the school and families help students succeed. Please contact any of your child(ren)’s teachers any time you have a question, concern, or want more information on your child(ren)’s progress.

  
  

  Special shout-out to our Buildings and Ground staff for all their hard work over the summer to get our buildings ready for this school year. Everything looks fabulous!!

  
  

  A big THANK YOU also goes out to many of our staff for spending some of their summer break training and preparing for another great school year. We had quite a bit of professional development as well as training that will help us to support our students this upcoming school year.

  
  

  Please keep in touch with us through our OHS newsletter throughout the school year for important information and to see the wonderful things that are happing in our school.

  
  

  I hope everyone has a wonderful 2025-26 school year!

  
  

  • Mrs. Kathy Cady, OHS Principal

  
  

• Aug. 19

  • Freshmen Orientation 2 pm
  • Open House; 4-6 pm

  Aug. 21

  • First day of school

  Sept. 3

  • Senior Parent Meeting 6 pm

  Sept. 5

  • Picture Day 7:45 am - 10 am

Due to families feedback, new this year, we are providing a class supply list for high school courses to help students be better prepared for the upcoming school year. We encourage families to review the list and compare it with their child's class schedule to determine which items may be needed for each course. Please note that if a teacher is not listed they do not require anything more than general supplies of notebooks, highlighters, pens, pencils, and folders/binders. Please also have your student bring one box of Kleenex that they can drop off to their first hour class. This year we will be using a digital pass system (as you may remember, we piloted this last spring), so if your student would benefit from a planner, you might want to put that on your back to school list as well. We will have a few planners available for purchase in the office as well.

OHS SCHOOL SUPPLIES LIST 25-26

Thank you to the many families who have already completed registration for their child(ren). If you have not, please complete this important step prior to the start of school. Important notes regarding registration:

• Please refer to directions when completing online registration to ensure your registration is complete and submitted correctly.

• You must enter your child’s full legal name, this includes their full middle name (not just an initial).

• Your child’s online registration MUST be completed prior to the first day of school.

• All required fees have been added to the student’s fee management account. Student fees can be found on the last page of directions.

• If you need your login and password please contact the office (ndobb@omro.K12.wi.us).

On August 19th from 2-4 pm we invite our Freshmen students to Freshmen Orientation put on by the OHS Sources of Strength. The purpose of this orientation is to help build a strong connection between the Freshmen, the Upperclassmen, and the school community as a whole. This experience will help your child make a smooth transition into Omro High School. This event is for students only. Parents may join students for Open House which starts at 4 pm.

As part of the district's approved referendum improvements, we are excited to announce changes to the main office and student entrance at Omro High School designed to enhance safety, security, and accessibility for our students, families, staff, and visitors.

Beginning this school year, the main office will be relocated to the west side of the building in the area formerly occupied by the Guidance Office. With this move, the primary entrance to the school will also change.

Students, families, and visitors will enter the building through the west parking lot doors. The entrance located on Fox Trail will no longer be utilized as a school entrance.

To maintain building security, the west entrance doors will remain locked until 7:30 a.m. each school day. As Wisconsin weather can be unpredictable, we encourage families and students to plan accordingly and avoid arriving before doors open.

We are excited about these improvements and the positive impact they will have on the safety and functionality of our school. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we transition to our new main office location and entrance procedures.

Family and Student Guide for OHS Grading

What will you see?

• You will notice that the grades in Skyward are "live". Grades will be calculated as the semester goes to give you a better understanding of how your child is doing at that moment. We hope this will give a greater clarity to students and their families on what the child is earning for a grade.
• Students will still have the opportunities for retakes/reassessments, but we will have all retakes/reassessments for summatives completed prior to the end of the semester (no additional week after the semester is completed). Please see the teacher syllabi for details on their reassessment procedures. You can find these in the teacher's Google Classroom

Stay in touch with how your child is doing in class by checking Skyward and Google Classroom. Here are some resources from the Family Resources page to help you:

• Grading for Learning: Vision and Overview

• Parent's Guide to Google Classroom

• Parent's Guide to Skyward: Family Access

Just a reminder: As we communicated when students were scheduling, student schedules were determined based on what students requested and parents approved. The master schedule, staffing, and budget for this year utilized these choices. Schedules will only be adjusted if there is an error, such as an empty class period or a required course not on their schedule. If a schedule change is needed and approved, it may only be done within the first 3 days of the semester. A student has 10 days to drop an elective class only if the student does not have a study hall and drops a class to pick up a study hall. Please contact the school counselor, Mrs. LaFleur, if needed: hlafl@omro.k12.wi.us

Please follow these drop off procedures at OHS.

Parent/Guardian Drop-Off and Pick-Up:

Please help us make our parking lot safer by dropping off and picking up your student(s) on Fox Trail in front of the building rather than the high school parking lot. Parents/guardians can use the entire sidewalk along Fox Trail to drop off or pick up their students. Please do not drop off or pick up your student by coming into the parking lot at the high school.

Student Drivers:

The access road behind the school will continue to be prohibited from use in the morning and after school. Please use the parking lot entrance and exit on Fox Trail to get in and out of the parking lot.

Thank you for your assistance!

New this year! Senior parents: we would like you and your senior to attend a meeting on Wednesday, September 9rd at 6pm in the High School Commons. This meeting will cover some important information on what to expect for seniors and their parents during this last school year. There will be time to meet as a parent group for planning activities for the seniors as part of this meeting.

Picture day for OMS/OHS students is Sept. 3rd. All students will have their picture taken, regardless if parents order a picture package or not. We ask that students avoid scheduling appointments for that morning. Picture retake day will be on the morning of Friday, October17th.

25-26 Order Form - Omro School District

Omro Middle / High School Prepay Website

Violations of these expectations will result in disciplinary consequences, such as a warning for a first offense. Subsequent offenses may include confiscation of the personal communication device(s) until a parent picks it up, checking the personal communication device(s) into the office during the school day, detentions, or suspensions. In some cases, a confiscated device will require a meeting with the student/parent/administrator before a device is returned. Please realize that this might not happen on the same date if the administrator’s schedule does not allow it. If a student refuses to hand over the device, they are subject to disciplinary actions including suspension.

Students still have access to their personal communication devices at passing time and at lunch. If you need to get in touch with your child - call the office. We'll get them very quickly if it's an emergency. If their employer needs to call them - tell them that they don't want their employees on cell phones at work and we don't want our students on cell phones during their classes.

I have included several introductory articles for you to look at and share with your kids regarding "why" we need to take these steps. You can find hundreds more that share the same thoughts with a simple internet search.

Thank you for helping us to be a part of the solution for healthier minds, less anxiety, depression, stress, and re-gaining some of our mental focus and clarity.

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7012622/

• https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/research/research-areas/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/sultan-lab-mental-health-informatics/research-areas/smartphones-social-media-and-their-impact-mental-health

• https://www.edutopia.org/article/cell-phone-bans-schools-principals-weigh-in

• https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/cellphones-in-school-what-to-know

• https://www.foxnews.com/media/social-psychologist-urges-parents-keep-smartphones-away-kids-protect-mental-health

• “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by Jonathan Haidt

Every year, families are encouraged to complete a Free and Reduced Price Meal Application—even if you’re not sure you’ll qualify. In addition to meals, qualifying families may also be eligible for waived or reduced school fees. Completing the application helps support your child and our school community. Online and paper applications are available. If you have questions, we’re here to help! **A new application must be filled out every year.**

Helpful Links:

• Letter to Households/FAQs- includes Federal Eligibility Income Chart for the 25-26 school year (Spanish version)
• Directions for F/R Meal Application (Spanish version)
• Free and Reduced Meal Application form (Spanish version)
• Sharing Information with Other Programs form "Fee Waiver" (Spanish version)

It is imperative to read over all sections. If you have any questions, please reach out to Darann Morgan, School Nutrition Director (email: dmorg@omro.k12.wi.us or phone: 920.303.2314).

The School District of Omro will continue to use the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) that Winnebago County is utilizing in emergency situations. Many communities and organizations in our county, and throughout the state, have adopted this as a means to have a common vocabulary and procedures in these situations. We will still be utilizing A.L.I.C.E (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate) as our response to active intruder situations. All of our staff has been trained in this model and we also review this with our students during the school year. Our first safety drill will occur the first week of school.

SRP Parent Information

SRP Parent Information (Spanish)

More SRP Information (iloveyouguys.org)

ALICE Information

Part of us keeping our school safe and secure is utilizing the main entrance for visitors. If you are visiting the school, before or during school hours, please come through the main entrance. Don't be surprised if we ask you for your name and reason for your visit prior to entering the building.

Fox Time is a time each day that students can schedule for a variety of academic help or activities. Students can schedule to get support from a teacher, work with a tutor, do an assessment retake, work with others on group projects, participate in enrichment activities, get help with college and scholarship applications, career exploration, ACT prep. support, participate in club activities, attend guest speaker presentations, and many other activities.

Fox Time fits into many of the core areas of our Continuous Improvement Plan:

Learning & Academics:

• Better equity for all our students to have access to support (academic, career, social emotional), tutoring, get support on college applications or scholarships, collaboration on projects, guest speakers, etc. (removes barrier for students with transportation that doesn’t allow them to come early or stay after school to have access)

• Minimize stigmas for struggling students as they get the support they need

• Decrease the loss of instructional time due to class meetings, pep rallies, early release for athletics, etc.

• Continue opportunities for career exploration as well as ACT prep

Safe & Healthy Schools:

• Opportunities for students to build connections and positive relationships with fellow students and staff.

• 11/12th graders who qualify can apply for Merit Release

Communication & Engagement

• Increases student engagement and involvement in clubs and activities; opportunities to participate in enrichment activities

• Advisory teacher homebase on Wednesdays that can help monitor grades as well as provide support to student in making selection choices as they schedule themselves for Fox Time

• Increase supportive relationships between students and teachers

• Increase of student choice and voice by allowing students to self-schedule for where they want or need to go with support from their teachers.

We love our Fox Time program as a way to support our students and help them grow, as well as give them more opportunities to be involved.

How can you help? We know that it is not always possible to plan for illness, funerals, and many of life’s unexpected situations; however, there are a few things families can do to ensure that their child attends school as much as possible:

• Schedule doctor, orthodontic, dentist, and chiropractic, and other appointments outside the school day whenever possible. If it can’t be avoided, have the child attend school prior to and after the appointment to miss as little school as possible.

• Take vacations on non-school days or during school breaks

• Schedule college visits on non-school days or during school breaks.

If you can't avoid planned absence, please pick up a pre-arranged absence form to have filled out at least 48 hours prior to the absence.

Students MUST be CALLED IN EVERY DAY that they are absent (unless they have a pre-arranged absence form filled out). Please call the attendance line and leave a message so we are aware that your student will not be in school. If the absence is illness related, please also note any symptoms they are having. Appointments may also be left on the attendance line. Call (920) 303-2300, extension 8. Thank you!

The wellness of our students is very important to their ability to learn. Many health services are available at school including free appointments/sports physicals with our Physician Assistant from Aurora, and dental cleanings with Bridging Brighter Smiles. For more information click on the links or contact any school office or health services.

Omro High School Athletic Season Passes are sold online only. A reminder that passes are good for all home athletic events, excluding WIAA Tournament events. Family passes are available for $60, and single adult passes are available for $30. Omro High School Students will be able to use their school ID's to get into all home games (show your proof of enrollment by logging into your Skyward account until you receive your student ID's later in September.) You can purchase your Athletic Season Passes, as well as individual game tickets here. Please contact Mr. Tomaszewski with any questions. jtoma@omro.12.wi.us. This site also has some helpful tips.

Events Calendar for upcoming events and meetings

rSchool for athletics

Facebook

Email: ndobb@omro.k12.wi.us
Website: http://www.omro.k12.wi.us/
Location: 455 Fox Trail, Omro, WI, USA
Phone: (920)303-2300