OWL Weekly Email

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.

Fall Retreat Fees Due: Please use THIS LINK to pay for fall retreats. We need everyone who is able to contribute as these experiences are costly. That said, we offer full and partial scholarships to any families that need them. Contact Principal Dave dave.gundale@spps.org to request a scholarship.

Fall Retreat Week—September 22-25 (September 28-October 1 for 12th grade trip): We will have a big week of learning, service and adventure. We have some great experiences planned. If you did not complete forms at goal-setting conferences, we will be sending them home with your students the first day of school.

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.

No survey today in Crew: Surveys will begin September 28.

Join robotics! For grades 9-12, you could build the robot, code, drive, 3D-print, make TikToks, fundraise, and more! We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:00 to 5:00, in Tim’s Room (2205). Our season starts in January and ends in April, but we do have pre-season and postseason practices on Mondays starting 9/14. Sign up here if you are interested!

Middle School Athletics began Monday, September 14: Other than Ultimate Frisbee and Archery, OWL middle school athletics are run cooperatively with our neighbor school, Humboldt.

Note: Students will need a current sports physical to participate in the fall season; please make an appointment with your physician or visit one of our SPPS Health Start Clinics.

Fall Middle School Sports Available:

Flag Football

Soccer (boys and girls)

Volleyball

If you have questions, please contact OWL Athletic Director Andre Williams andre.williams@spps.org

No School on Monday, September 21: Staff Professional Development Day

Archery Open Shoots begin Tuesday, October 6 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, except for 11/3, see full calendar here)

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

OWL Community Group Meeting—Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30 PM in the OWL Cafeteria: We invite students, parents, guardians and staff to learn about how you can help contribute to a rich learning environment, support our fantastic staff & build community. The OWL Community group combines the functions of our former Site Council and PTO. In addition to the school governance advisory role of the site council, the group works to enrich student learning by continuing PTO functions that provide funding for fall retreats, spring interim courses, program grants for teachers to enhance classroom expeditions, transportation for fieldwork, MCA snacks, and more. In addition, we support opportunities for community building at the Fall Family Gathering, the annual Potluck for Teachers, teacher appreciation week, working in the OWL gardens, selling OWL spirit wear, and more. If you have questions, contact Dave: dave.gundale@spps.org.

NO SCHOOL—Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16: State Teacher Convention (MEA weekend)

After School Programming Begins: Monday, October 19: Flipside is the fun & free afterschool program for Humboldt and OWL. This program is open to all grades and will begin on October 19th. Classes meet from 3-5 pm either on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. The class options and registration form will be available here in the coming weeks.

SAVE THE DATE! The OWL Fall Family Gathering will be Thursday, October 22, 5:30-8 pm, at the Harriet Island Pavilion: Come together with the OWL community for food, fun and friendship in a beautiful location. Look for more information in future weekly emails.

Spirit week is October 19-23: Show your school spirit by dressing up. The daily themes will be announced later this fall.

Homecoming Dance is Friday, October 23 in the OWL Cafeteria: Middle School dance is from 5:30-7PM. High School Dance is 7:30-9:30. Tickets will be for sale in October.

Homecoming Game is Saturday, October 24 at 4PM: OWL’s annual Homecoming Game features the high school Ultimate Frisbee team playing one of our rivals at the Humboldt Stadium. All students and families are encouraged to come cheer them on!

Dia de los Muertos Celebration at OWL is Thursday, October 29 at 6 PM: Come celebrate Latinx culture at OWL with this family friendly event with lots of fun and great food. Contact: Tim timothy.leone-getten@spps.org

Picture Re-Take Day is Wednesday, November 4 from 8:30-10:30 AM: If you did not get your picture taken in September or would like a retake, this is your chance.

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

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.

Weekly Athletic Update: Go HERE to learn about what is happening this week in sports

Service Spotlight: Thank you to all the family members, school service students, and OWL seniors who contributed to fall retreats! Your set-up, cleaning, mentoring, and chaperoning work made a huge difference. OWL could not have fall retreats without your valuable work.

OWL Crew Parliament and Better Crew Bureau: Each Crew may send up to 2 representatives to join the OWL Crew Parliament Club, where students learn to lead Crew and influence schoolwide Crew plans and policies. Better Crew Bureau (BCB) is the OWL think tank devoted to making Crew more welcoming and inclusive for all students. If you want to join OWL Crew Parliament or BCB, select one of the clubs on your club registration survey Wednesday, September 30. Reach out to Connie (cvangenderen001@stpaul.k12.mn.us) and Megan (megan.hall@spps.org) with questions.

Update on Technology Use from Principal Dave:

I am writing today with an update on technology use at our school. Saint Paul Public Schools is responding to family and staff feedback about screen time, social-emotional effects of technology, and the continued need for hands-on learning. There are many new and continuing technology safeguards in place for students in the 2026-27 school year. More information is available at spps.org/digital-support.

Here is a list of ways we are keeping our secondary students safe and engaged.

• Secondary access to YouTube access will be reviewed later this fall in collaboration with teachers and administrators.

• Students carry iPads from class to class and bring home to do homework.

• Google Gemini and other Artificial Intelligence is disabled in grades 6-8.

• Digital Citizenship is a requirement for Saint Paul Public Schools. All students PreK-12 complete Digital Citizenship, Online Safety / Privacy, Online Behavior and Cyberbullying lessons in class each fall. Teachers review lessons with students periodically throughout the year.

Additional student iPad security and restrictions are being enabled to keep students safe and focused. Among these changes:

• No mass e-mailing. There is a 35 recipient maximum for emails on student Gmail accounts.

• Students are unable to sign into their personal Google Account.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Google search results have been limited and reduced from student access.

What you can do at home:

Families can use the free Securly app to manage your student's school iPad when it is at home. You can pause internet access, block specific websites or schedule offline time. In the Securly app, enter your Campus Parent email then tap “get instant access” to set up your account.

Families can also use iPad “Screentime Reports” (inside the Settings App) for similar controls and usage information.

Please reach out to me directly with any concerns about iPad or technology use.

Meal Information: All students are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch under the Minnesota Free School Meal program. As students arrive at school, they can grab their breakfast and eat in class. Hot and cold breakfast options are available.

Single Item Purchases and Second Meals: Second meals, incomplete meals, and single items, such as milk only, must be purchased. The 2026-27 meal and milk prices are:

• Student Second Breakfast: $3.50

• Student Second Lunch: $5.75

• Milk Only: $0.50

• For a complete list of prices, visit spps.org/ns

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.

Community Announcements:

Minnesota toy Library: Do you need service hours for school? Volunteer at the Minnesota Toy Library. More information HERE.

2026 Girlhood Summit: Community Starts with Us: Hosted by the Anne Bancroft Foundation, this wonderful event is November 7 from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm at St. Paul College. More information HERE.