What's Up Wednesday

April 5, 2023

NO SCHOOL REMINDERS....

Friday, April 7 - No School (Conference release day)

Monday, April 10 - No In-Person School (E-learning day)

On Monday, students will stay home for their learning. Teachers will provide assignments for students via SeeSaw and/or hard copies sent home tomorrow. All teachers will have office hours on Monday between 9 – 11 AM so that children can reach out to their teachers with questions about assignments.

All teachers will send student devices home tomorrow since there is no school on Friday. Devices are for school work only and should not be used for personal use. Please remember to send all devices back to school on Tuesday!

If students have technology questions, they can email helpdesk@district279.org rather than contacting the teacher. Please watch for communication from your teacher regarding a Google Meet link, etc.

Deadline Extended to Thursday, 4/6: Bobcat Bash Coloring Contest & Classroom Silent Auction Basket Contributions

Did April sneak up on you, especially with spring break and the continued winter weather? If you missed yesterday's deadline to have your student return their carnival-themed coloring page and/or contributions to their classroom themed silent auction basket (see themes in flyer below), we've extended the deadline to tomorrow. Please remind your student to write their name and grade level on the picture and turn it into their teacher.

Calling for Additional Bobcat Bash Silent Auction Items

In addition to the classroom themed baskets, we are still looking for additional contributions to round out the silent auction. If you have a talent, a business, or a crafty side, PTO welcomes your creative ideas and submissions. For example, gift certificates for services such as babysitting, piano lessons, yardwork, and cleaning. We'd also like to showcase your talents if you have crafts, artwork, photography, woodworking, or others hobbies that would be of interest to bidders.

Please email Ashling Gilligan, Volunteer Coordinator, at GilliganA@district279.org and drop off your contributions at the school by Tuesday, 4/10.

Advance Wristband Sales...

Save yourself time and purchase your Bobcat Bash wristband online now through Sunday, April 9th by scanning the QR code below or using this link (PayPal and credit card accepted). Wristbands are $20 each and available for pick-up at Will Call the night of the event. While entry to the carnival is free, either an unlimited games wristband or individual tickets are needed for games and activities.

Wristbands are good for unlimited access to carnival games, five entries to the kids raffle drawing, one face painting session, one crazy hair styling, and one visit to the Cedar Island Hospital. You will also be able to purchase wristbands and individual tickets at the door the night of the event with cash or credit card. All proceeds go to the PTO to further invest in Cedar Island students and faculty.

Volunteers Still Needed for Bobcat Bash!

We rely on the support of over 100 volunteers to pull off the Bobcat Bash for everything from selling wristbands/tickets and snacks to running games and dolling out awesome prizes to tearing it all down at the end.

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO SIGN UP NOW!!!!

Most shifts are 1.5 hours long from either 5:15-6:45 PM or 6:30-8 PM, so you'll still have plenty of time to enjoy all the carnival has to offer. PTO appreciates your help!

Bobcat Bash Volunteer Sign-Up

Recess Clothing Reminders

The forecast is calling for warmer weather (FINALLY!) which means the playground will be VERY wet in the coming weeks. Please consider sending rainboots, extra socks, or keeping a spare outfit in your child's backpack in case the get wet while at recess.

STOPit Reporting Tool

Dear parents and caregivers,

Osseo Area Schools is pleased to announce the launch of a new districtwide reporting tool, called STOPit.

STOPit is an online reporting tool designed to deter and mitigate bullying, cyber abuse, and other inappropriate behaviors. It consists of an app and a back-end incident management system for school administrators. STOPit will take the place of the district’s current reporting system, Speak Up-See It-Hear It-Stop It, as of April 3.

Our students will have access to the STOPit mobile app and 24/7 phone support.

Specifically, the program educates students to:

● Recognize the signs of at-risk behaviors

● Report concerns anonymously through STOPit app/web or 24/7 incident response center

● Submit photo or video evidence (app/web only)

● Alert designated administrators to issues and risks early, before they escalate

No personal information is needed to use STOPit, and no personally identifiable information is accessible through the program unless a requester voluntarily includes it within the content of their message. You can rest assured that both our district and STOPit are committed to protecting the privacy of student data. STOPit is a signatory to the Student Privacy Pledge, spearheaded by the Future of Privacy Forum and the Software & Information Industry Association. You may review STOPit’s Privacy Policy for details, including more information on how anonymous reporting works.

Students have the power to help put an end to harmful and inappropriate behavior they see online through social media and other means. They can use STOPit to reach out for help if they or a peer are facing a personal crisis or experiencing bullying, abuse, or are otherwise in need of assistance. Our goal with STOPit is to create safer and kinder school communities, both online and off.

Elementary students will receive training on the new STOPit reporting system in their classroom the first week of April. For secondary students, training will take place in their advisory class between April 3 and 28. At that time, your child will be invited to download the STOPit app from the app store on his or her smartphone or tablet at no charge.

We encourage you to download the STOPit app and search for your student’s school using the directory. For a video on how to use STOPit, go to: Student Training Video. The program can also be accessed with this link.

Together, we can make sure everyone in our community gets what they need to thrive.

Thank you,

David Moredock, assistant director of risk management