279Connect-Jan. 7

Jan. 7, 2025

As part of the Osseo Area Schools operational plan and strategic direction, the district's communication team is working together with schools and departments to help create improved communications between the district and its staff, families and community members. Our new e-newsletters are more accessible and translatable, and they can be easily shared in a variety of formats. We hope you enjoy catching up with the latest district news and information in this new format.

Two Minneapolis fire chiefs visited Brooklyn Middle STEAM School (BMS) shortly before winter break began to share about their career and fire safety with students during a STEAM Explorers class, where BMS students can sign up to learn more about different careers from local professionals. The STEAM Explorer visits allow time for the visitor to share about their career, which often includes a related activity for students, time for questions and a pizza lunch.

Each day, the dedicated transportation department at Osseo Area Schools works to get students to and from school safely despite the rain, snow and ice so common in Minnesota. One key member of the transportation team is Jim Greeley, assistant director of transportation.

“My favorite thing about my job is how the service we provide in transportation benefits families and students,” Greeley said. “We can get caught up in the day to day grind of our jobs and it can be frustrating, but when it all comes down to it what we do is pretty impactful, helping students get to and from school safely.”

In the latest “Holding Space with Dr. Hiel” video, Dr. Hiel sits down with students at Park Center Senior High School to talk about authenticity and how they see it at their school. Students shared the importance of being authentic at school and how it is promoted and supported by school staff.

Before the winter break, students at Osseo Middle School (OMS) worked with American Indian Education Culture and Language Specialist Jill Lindl to learn about how in many Indigenous cultures, including Ojibwe and Dakota, blankets are given to honor someone so that they may feel the collective warmth and embrace of their family, friends, and community. Their Ojibwe word of the day was “Waabooyaaniked,” or s/he makes a blanket.

Students at OMS worked together to make two fleece tie blankets that were later smudged and donated to a homeless shelter that serves the native community, so that the unsheltered relatives may feel the warmth and embrace of their native community at OMS.

Students in Community Education’s Kidstop at Oak View Elementary School and Basswood Elementary School didn’t let winter break stop them from having fun as they participated in a bowling field trip on Dec. 27. The crash of bowling pins and cheers from the students echoed through the alley at Sundance Bowl as the students put their skills to the test. The trip was filled with laughter and friendly competition.

Over winter break, we highlighted some of our top moments from 2024 on our district Facebook page! Check it out!

Osseo Area Schools offers Preschool and Prekindergarten programs for children who will be three or four years-old on or before Sept. 1, 2025. Visit district279.org/preschool-prek to explore each program and learn about the 2025-26 school year, including how to apply, lottery dates, transportation, Early Childhood Screening and more.

Early Childhood & Family Education (EC&FE) Preschool and PreK programs
Registration open online Jan. 15, 2025 at 8 a.m. through Feb. 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Lottery date: Feb. 28.

Four Star Express prekindergarten + care
Registration open online Jan. 15 at 9 a.m. through Jan. 31, 2025. Lottery date: Feb. 3.

Free, Half-Day, Every-Day Prekindergarten

Apply by Jan. 15.

2025-26 Free, Half-Day, Every Day Prekindergarten attendance area school application

2025-26 Free, Half-Day, Every Day Prekindergarten open enrollment school choice application

• Jan. 7: School Board Organizational Meeting and Work Session
• Jan. 15: Community informational meeting on proposed attendance boundary changes
• Jan. 15: In-district transfer application deadline and open enrollment application deadline
• Jan. 17: Student asynchronous (remote) learning day
• Jan. 20: No school for students
• Jan. 21: School Board Regular Business Meeting
• Jan. 23: Community informational meeting on proposed attendance boundary changes
• Feb. 1: FACE Black History Month Celebration
• Feb. 3: Licensed Staff Workshop (No school for students)
• Feb. 7: District 279 Foundation's "A Night Out"