Mino Bimaadiziwin - We live in a good way.

Boozhoo Oshki Ogimaag Community School Families and Community Partners!

Boozhoo to our new students and families as well as returning students and families! We are so excited to begin the school year with you all!

The staff at Oshki Ogimaag Community School have been busy this week! Teachers have been getting their classrooms ready for the first day of school, working to create spaces that are welcoming, inclusive, and calming. We've spent a lot of time over the summer focused on creating environments that enhance learning. Teachers are excited for students to explore all of their new spaces!

Oshki Ogimaag staff have had a full week of workshops. This week of meeting, collaborating, planning and learning together is the foundation of which we will build our school year upon. Much of the work we do together mirrors the work we will do with students and is informed by the same philosophies. We begin with team building activities so that we can learn about each other, especially with many new members on our team! We tour the school, Community Center, and grounds together, introducing everyone to the spaces. We want for everyone to feel welcomed and included. As a Team with everyone from Administration, to Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Transportation Director, Nutritional Services Director, engaged in meaningful dialogue about the school's mission, what it means and what our collective vision for this school year is. We then established our Community Expectations of each other, how we will show up for each other, what our promises are to each other, in this awesome endeavor of educating the students of Grand Portage together. We then signed this agreement and will keep it posted so that we see it daily.Teachers will do the same with their classrooms during the first weeks of school as part of establishing their classroom community.

Much of our workshop week was spent with Ms. James and Ms. Tina meeting with staff individually to ensure everyone feels supported in their roles, setting expectations for the school year, mapping our plans of events and activities, collaborations on curriculum mapping and lesson planning, required educator and safety trainings, Special Education training, reviewing our updated Environmental Education goals, and Responsive Classroom training. Staff continued to clean and prepare all spaces in the building, and Teachers met with families for Back-to-School In-Take Conferences. It was a very busy week! We wish for all of our deidcated educators and staff to have a restful weekend!

On Tuesday, our full team went to Grand Portage State Park. John Morrin, Grand Portage Elder, OOCS School Board Treasurer, and longtime supporter of Oshki Ogimaag, presented to us an overview of the history of the Anishinaabe people, the history of Turtle Island, and local history (including the history of Oshki Ogimaag Community School). John Morrin is a presenter and trainer on racial inequities and diversity, he travels the country educating groups on the history of racism. John taught us about Mino Bimaadiziwin, meaning we live a good life or we live in a good way; referring to Anishinaabe traditions of equality, justice, love, respect, truth, natural order, collective identity, democracy, a spiritual way of life; and how this was disrupted by colonization and historical trauma that has lasting generational effects. Maya Angelou said, "You can't really know where you are going, until you know where you have been." In order for us to honor the mission of this school, including preservation of Anishinaabe language and culture and contributing to the wellness of future generations; we must first work to understand the complex histories of the generations that came before us.

After meeting with John, staff hiked through the beautiful forests of Grand Portage State Park. Which, some staff learned for the first time, during our training; is the only state park in the U.S. managed jointly by Tribal Lands, and the only state park not owned by the state.

Following our hike, Travis Novitsky; Community Member, photographer, former OOCS Board Member and Park Manager at Grand Portage State Park, gave a presentation entitled; Working Together in Partnerships and Respectful Collaboration with Native Nations. Some of the most powerful messages that Travis conveyed to us were, first, Native people are not a thing of the past but "a continuation of a history of a beginning," as inscribed on the exhibit walls of Grand Portage State Park, in Ojibwemowin and English. Travis also spoke about how balance not only requires conflict, but how conflict is the maintenance of balance, which was a profound reframing of perspectives that for some of us that will most definitely inform our practices with each other and guiding students. Travis ended by conveying hope that each of us finds a path forward with respect, humility, and accountability.

We are grateful for the time John and Travis shared with us to help us deepen our understanding of the mission of Oshki Ogimaag. These sessions helped us connect with and be even more inspired by the meaningful work we do at Oshki Ogimaag. It was a beautiful day we shared together!

This week we welcomed many new staff members! Look for their bios on our website (coming soon) and introductions in the next few newsletters! Boozhoo to our new staff members! Please welcome them when you see them! We are thrilled to have so many staff members from the Grand Portage Community serving the mission of Oshki Ogimaag Community School!

Oshki Ogimaag is almost fully staffed! We are still seeking a Cultural Home-School Liaison. See job description below. Please share!

Oshki Ogimaag Community School Staff 2024-2025:

• Director and Ojibwe Language and Culture Instructor, Cherie James (Ms. James)
• Assistant Director and Special Education Coordinator, Tina Gatzke (Miss Tina)
• Business Manager, Pam Zahn (remote)
• Administrative Assistant, Yanne Spry (Miss Yanne)
• Transportation Director, Larry Deschampe (Fish)
• Nutritional Services Director, Stella Morrison
• 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Teacher and Environmental Education Coordinator, Jeana Van Dyne (Miss Jeana)
• 2nd Grade Teacher, Tim Pratt (Mr. Tim)
• Kindergarten and 1st Grade Teacher, Kelsey Knollmueller (Miss Kelsey)
• Lead Paraprofessional, Kat Sherer (Miss Kat)
• Paraprofessional, LeeAnna Deschampe (Miss Nans)
• Custodian, Terrance Lightfeather

You should have received your child's pick-up and drop-off times at your in-take meeting and via email.With changes that occur the first week of school, there may be some variances in pick-up and drop-off times. Please have your student ready 5 minutes prior to their scheduled pick-up time.

If your child will be going to the Community Center or you would like them to be dropped off at a different place than they are normally scheduled, please email or call Oshki Ogimaag (if possible by 2pm) so we have plenty of time communicate the message. Miigwech!

We chose Open Up Resources K-5 Math, as our new math curriculum. Some of the reasons we have identified as to why we chose this curriculum for our school are; 1) the ways in which the content of the units are aligned with standards, using research-based learning trajectories; 2) Lessons are academically rigorous and will support development of perseverance; 3) Creating math communities is part of this curriculum; providing space for students to incorporate their own lived experiences into their work, have daily classroom discourse within the context of the math community promoting reasoning skills, and see themselves reflected in the mathematics and materials. Seeking out curriculum that is inclusive was a significant factor as we researched curriculums and we are excited to begin working with Open Up Resources.

Read more about Open Up Resources K-5 Math here: https://www.openupresources.org/math-curricula/k-5-math/

Oshki Ogimaag Community School will provide all necessary classroom school supplies for all students!

Students should bring to school the following, daily:

• a backpack
• shoes appropriate for outdoor play and hikes
• weather appropriate clothing for outdoor play and hikes

If you need assistance providing any of the above, please reach out!

We are looking for a minimum of two individuals who are parent/guardians of a currently enrolled student of Oshki Ogimaag Community School to join our Board of Directors! The Board meets 1 time per month, the 3rd Wednesday of each month, at OOCS at 4:30pm.

Participating on the Board is a great way to serve Oshki Ogimaag Community School and use your voice to play an instrumental role in supporting OOCS in meeting the goals of our mission!

Please reach out (email below) or reach out to a current Board member (see our website) if you are interested!

September

• 03 - 1st Day of School!
• 18 - OOCS Board Meeting, 4:30pm, OOCS Conference Area

October

• 14 - Indigenous Peoples' Day
• 16 - OOCS Board Meeting, 4:30pm, OOCS Conference Area
• 17-18 - NO SCHOOL, Fall Break
• 21 - NO SCHOOL, Professional Development Day
• 31 - Halloween