Dear parents and students of Independent School District 761, I would like to welcome our stu- dents, parents and staff to the 2014-15 school year. Each school year brings the anticipation of new opportunities for our students and teachers. A great deal of time and effort was spent dur- ing the summer months with teachers working on curriculum and establish- ing common assessments for grade levels or subject content areas. ese efforts will provide better instructional practices for our teachers and better ways to measure our students’ perfor- mances in the classroom. This coming school year will be the beginning of all-day kindergarten for all students in the District. A lot of preparation during the last school year has been completed in order for this new opportunity to have a suc- cessful start. We all are excited for the opportunity to have our youngest students spend more time with their classroom teachers and have more time for learning. We will start this school year with- out having to discuss budget reduc- tions or ask our community for more funding. We are very thankful for the support given last November to pro- vide more revenues for our schools. For the next several years, we should be able to manage our finances without the significant reductions we have had in the past and to provide our students great educational opportunities. ere will be some new faces work- ing in our classrooms this school year. Each year it is difficult to have people retire or move on and then replace them. We feel very fortunate to have hired some great new talent for our classrooms or to provide support for our teachers. We look forward to hav- ing new people bring their experiences to our schools and to help us improve. Starting last spring and through the summer, many District employees have been working on creating a new strategic plan. A strategic plan is the road map for our future to make sure we are delivering the best education we can to our students. Our goal has been to establish a plan we can explain to the public in a clearly defined manner and one that provides measurable out- comes for all of us to understand. is strategic plan process will include an opportunity for the public to comment on before the Board makes official ap- proval of it in October. School will begin on September 2, 2014. We anticipate a student enroll- ment of 4,800 entering our schools. As you start to prepare your students for another school year, remember that the first week is quite hectic. You will be getting your family schedules re-aligned and we will be doing ev- erything we can to help make that first week be successful. Look for bus schedules coming to your home if your child will be riding a school bus. Be sure your child knows the safest di- rection to walk to school. Being safe at crosswalks to and from school is critical. Please work with us to help pro- vide the best education we can for your children. We cannot do it alone and we need your help for this to be a suc- cessful year. Submitted by Peter Grant, Super- intendent A welcome from the superintendent Peter Grant BACK-TO-SCHOOL CHECKLIST ✓ School Immunizations ARE YOUR CHILD’S SHOTS UP-TO-DATE? To go to school in Minnesota, students must show they’ve received immunization against a number of diseases or file a legal exemption with the school. Documentation of immunization or exemption must be submitted to the school before school begins on September 2nd. Required Immunizations: Kindergarten — Age 6: 5 doses of DTaP, 4 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B and 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine) Age 7 — 6th Grade: At least 3 diphtheria and tetanus, 3 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B and 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine) 7th Grade: At least 3 diphtheria and tetanus (including 1 Tdap), 3 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B, 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine) and 1 Meningococcal 8th Grade — 12th Grade: At least 3 diphtheria and tetanus (including 1 Td/ Tdap), 3 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B and 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine) Beginning 9/1/14, newly required immunizations are in bold. August 21, 2014 Education Edition Volume 13 • Edition 1 Independent School District No. 761
Transcript
Dear parents and students of Independent School District 761,
I would like to welcome our stu-dents, parents and sta� to the 2014-15 school year. Each school year brings the anticipation of new opportunities for our students and teachers. A great deal of time and e� ort was spent dur-ing the summer months with teachers working on curriculum and establish-ing common assessments for grade levels or subject content areas. � ese e� orts will provide better instructional practices for our teachers and better ways to measure our students’ perfor-mances in the classroom.
This coming school year will be the beginning of all-day kindergarten for all students in the District. A lot of preparation during the last school year has been completed in order for this new opportunity to have a suc-cessful start. We all are excited for the opportunity to have our youngest students spend more time with their classroom teachers and have more time for learning.
We will start this school year with-out having to discuss budget reduc-tions or ask our community for more funding. We are very thankful for the support given last November to pro-vide more revenues for our schools. For the next several years, we should
be able to manage our � nances without the signi� cant reductions we have had in the past and to provide our students great educational opportunities.
� ere will be some new faces work-ing in our classrooms this school year. Each year it is di� cult to have people retire or move on and then replace them. We feel very fortunate to have hired some great new talent for our classrooms or to provide support for our teachers. We look forward to hav-ing new people bring their experiences to our schools and to help us improve.
Starting last spring and through the summer, many District employees have been working on creating a new
strategic plan. A strategic plan is the road map for our future to make sure we are delivering the best education we can to our students. Our goal has been to establish a plan we can explain to the public in a clearly de� ned manner and one that provides measurable out-comes for all of us to understand. � is strategic plan process will include an opportunity for the public to comment on before the Board makes o� cial ap-proval of it in October.
School will begin on September 2, 2014. We anticipate a student enroll-ment of 4,800 entering our schools. As you start to prepare your students for another school year, remember that the � rst week is quite hectic. You will be getting your family schedules re-aligned and we will be doing ev-erything we can to help make that � rst week be successful. Look for bus schedules coming to your home if your child will be riding a school bus. Be sure your child knows the safest di-rection to walk to school. Being safe at crosswalks to and from school is critical.
Please work with us to help pro-vide the best education we can for your children. We cannot do it alone and we need your help for this to be a suc-cessful year.
Submitted by Peter Grant, Super-intendent
A welcome from the superintendent
Peter Grant
BACK-TO-SCHOOL
CHECKLIST✓
School ImmunizationsARE YOUR CHILD’S SHOTS UP-TO-DATE?
To go to school in Minnesota, students must show they’ve received immunization against a number of diseases or � le a legal exemption with the school. Documentation of immunization or exemption must be submitted to the school before school begins on September 2nd.
Required Immunizations:Kindergarten — Age 6: 5 doses of DTaP, 4 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B
and 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine)
Age 7 — 6th Grade: At least 3 diphtheria and tetanus, 3 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B and 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine)
7th Grade: At least 3 diphtheria and tetanus (including 1 Tdap), 3 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B, 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine) and 1 Meningococcal
8th Grade — 12th Grade: At least 3 diphtheria and tetanus (including 1 Td/Tdap), 3 Polio, 2 MMR, 3 Hepatitis B and 2 Varicella (chickenpox vaccine)
Beginning 9/1/14, newly required immunizations are in bold.
August 21, 2014
Education EditionVolume 13 • Edition 1 Independent School District No. 761
PAGE 2 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
118 N. Oak Ave., Owatonna 507-451-3072
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EDUCATION EDITIONAUGUST 2014
A special project of the Owatonna People’s Press
135 W. Pearl St., Owatonna, MN 55060www.owatonna.com
PublisherRon Ensley
Advertising DirectorDebbie Ensley
Managing EditorJe�rey Jackson
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Media ConsultantsSteve Arnold, Betty Frost,
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Education Edition 2014 is distributed to the subscribers and readers of the Owatonna People’s Press at no additional charge.
The Owatonna School District is committed to having a positive learning and working environment for students and employees and prohibits harassment or violence by or against students or employees on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation or disability. The school district encourages students, parents and employees to work together to prevent acts of harassment of any kind as well.
Any person who believes he or she has been the victim of harassment or violence or any person with knowledge or belief of conduct which may constitute harassment or violence should report the alleged acts immediately to the building principal or to the school district’s human rights o�cer(s).
Director of Human ResourcesDirector of Special Services515 W. Bridge St.Owatonna, MN [email protected] school district takes such matters very seriously and will conduct a
prompt and thorough investigation of reports of harassment. Students or employees who engage in harassment in violation of the school district’s policies will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion/exclusion or termination of employment. A complete copy of school district Policy 413 (Harassment and Violence) may be found on the district website: www.owatonna.k12.mn.us or may be obtained at the District O�ce.
District Harassment Policy
All Elementary Schools 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Willow Creek 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.Owatonna Jr. High School 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.Owatonna High School 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Rose Street ALC 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 3
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
COUNCIL
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Registration accepted beginning August 21 at the Owatonna Public Library and
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Across the DistrictOwatonna Public Schools 2014-2015 Calendar JULY AUGUST August 18-21 ......................... New Teacher Workshop
August 25-28. ................................ Teacher Work Days August 27 ........................................... OJHS Orientation August 28 ............................... Home/Child/School Day September 1 ............ Labor Day/School District Closed September 2 ............. First Day of School, Grades 1-12 September 30 .................................... ALC Conferences October 3 .. Homecoming Parade/2-Hour Early Release October 6 ........................................... OHS Conferences October 13-14.................................. OJHS Conferences October 13-15......................... Grades K-6 Conferences October 15 .............................................. No School K-6 October 16-17 ............. Ed. MN Conference/No School October 31 ......................... End of First Quarter at OHS November 3 ........... No School 9-12/Teacher Work Day November 25 .............................. End of First Trimester Nov. 26 .......... No School K-12/Staff Development Day Nov. 27 & 28 ......... Thanksgiving Break/District Closed December 1 ............. No School K-8/Teacher Work Day December 8 ....................................... OHS Conferences December 9 ....................................... ALC Conferences December 24-January 2 ........ Winter Break/No School January 15..................... End of Second Quarter at OHS January 16.............. No School 9-12/Teacher Work Day Jan. 19 ........... No School/MLK Day/Staff Development Jan. 27, 29 & 30 ...................... Grades K-6 Conferences January 30............................................... No School K-6 February 12...................................... OJHS Conferences February 16........................................ OHS Conferences February 17........................................ ALC Conferences March 3..................................... OHS Registration Night March 5.................................. End of Second Trimester March 6.................... No School K-8/Teacher Work Day March 19 ..................................... End of Third Quarter March 20 ............... No School 9-12/Teacher Work Day March 30-April 3 ......................Spring Break/No School April 9 .............................................. OJHS Conferences May 4 ................................................. OHS Conferences May 5 ................................................. ALC Conferences May 22 ..................... No School K-8/Teacher Work Day May 25 ...............Memorial Day/School District Closed June 3................................................. Last Student Day June 4............................................... Teacher Work Day June 5 ...................................... Staff Development Day June 7 ......................................................... Graduation School Not in Session School Not in Session K-6
School Not in Session K-8 School Not in Session 9-12 School District Closed – Designated Holiday
August 18-21New Teacher WorkshopAugust 25-28Teacher Work DaysAugust 27OJHS OrientationAugust 28Home/Child/School DaySeptember 1Labor Day /School District ClosedSeptember 2First Day of SchoolSeptember 30ALC ConferencesOctober 3Homecoming Parade/Early ReleaseOctober 6OHS ConferencesOctober 13-14OJHS ConferencesOctober 13-15Grades K-6 ConferencesOctober 15No School K-6October 16-17Ed MN Conference/No School
November 3No School 9-12/Teacher Work DayNovember 26No School K-12/Staff Develop. DayNovember 27-28Thanksgiving Break/District ClosedDecember 1No School K-8/Teacher Work DayDecember 8OHS ConferencesDecember 9ALC ConferencesDecember 24-January 2Winter Break/No SchoolJanuary 16No School 9-12/Teacher Work DayJanuary 19No School/MLK Day/Staff De-velop.January 27, 29 & 30Grades K-6 ConferencesJanuary 30No School K-6February 12OJHS Conferences
February 16OHS ConferencesFebruary 17ALC ConferencesMarch 3OHS Registration NightMarch 6No School K-8/Teacher Work DayMarch 20No School 9-12/Teacher Work DayMarch 30-April 3Spring Break/No SchoolApril 9OJHS ConferencesMay 4OHS ConferencesMay 5ALC ConferencesMay 22No School K-8/Teacher Work DayMay 25Memorial Day/School District ClosedJune 3Last Student DayJune 7Graduation
PAGE 4 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
Music • Equestrian • Visual and Fine Arts
Dance • Sports • Role Playing Games Study Hall • (One -on-one Tutoring, Ice Hockey
Student TransportationTransportation is provided by the Owatonna Bus Company.All students eligible for transportation and those who have arranged for transportation
with a private contract will receive a letter in the mail the week before school starts.Any parent with daycare information, even if the daycare has stayed the same from the
previous year, needs to contact the bus company immediately.The times for pickup and drop-o� of students in the letter is approximate. Please be
patient and �exible for the �rst couple of weeks until everything settles down into a routine.
We look forward to transporting the students of Owatonna to and from school this coming school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at the Owatonna Bus Company.
Our phone number is 451-5262.
Student Transportation
Safety Procedures:1. Student will be at bus stop on time.2. Student will wait for bus o� roadway.3. Student will cross road only in front of
bus.4. Student will never use the emergency
door except in case of physical emergency or when directed by the driver.
Student Rules:1. Student will obey the bus driver at all
times.2. Student will sit where directed by the
driver.3. Student is expected to be at the bus
stop on time and display proper conduct at the bus stop.
4. Student will keep head and arms inside
bus at all times.5. Student will not use profane or vulgar
language.6. Student will not throw things.7. Student will not litter bus.8. Student will not shout out of the bus or
in the bus.9. Student will not mark with any pen,
pencil or marking device on the bus interior or exterior.
10. Student will be held �nancially responsible for any damage done deliberately or through rowdiness.
11. Student will report any damage at once to the driver.
12. Student not following these rules is subject to suspension from the bus.
RULES OF THE ROAD
Lincoln Elementary School 444-8100Mary Hawkins, PrincipalSara Klecker, Principal’s Secretary
McKinley Elementary School 444-8200Bob Olson, PrincipalLorri Harrison, Principal’s Secretary
Washington Elementary School 444-8300Beth Svenby, PrincipalTricia Fisher, Principal’s Secretary
Wilson Elementary School 444-8400Julie Sullivan, PrincipalNancy Benson, Principal’s Secretary
Willow Creek School 444-8500Jim Kiefer, PrincipalSusan Peterson, Principal’s Secretary
Owatonna Jr. High School 444-8700Jason Hunt, PrincipalWendy Cirksena, Assistant PrincipalPam Krenke, Principal’s Secretary
Owatonna Alternative Learning Center 444-8000Melodee Ho�ner, Assistant PrincipalKim Gaalswyk, Secretary
Owatonna High School 444-8800Mark Randall, PrincipalCheryl Summer, Principal’s SecretaryJe� Miller, Assistant PrincipalNicole Adams, Assistant PrincipalRyan Swanson, Activities Director 444-8989Rene Olson, Activities Secretary 444-8988
Roosevelt Community School 444-7900Deb McDermott-Johnson, Director 444-7901Deb Karaus, Adult & Family Enrichment 444-7921Betsy Wilker, CE Program Specialist 444-7922Sean Hughes, Youth Programs Coordinator 444-7923Renee Compton, EC Team Leader 444-7926Kids First Activity Line 444-7905Kim Reyant, Adult Learning Center 444-7925
District O�ce 444-8600Pete Grant, Superintendent 444-8601Amy LaDue, Director of Teaching & Learning 444-8603Director of Human Resources 444-8612Tom Sager, Director of Operations & Finance 444-8615Shari Mensink, Special Services Coordinator 444-7801Mike Halverson, Director of Information Tech. 444-8609Rachel Valesano, Director of Food Services 444-8607Dave Ihrke, Director of Buildings and Grounds 444-8606Nancy Brandel, Health Services Coordinator 444-8804
Numbers to Know
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 5
1820 Hartle AveOwatonna451-2885
www.omch.org
OWATONNA MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE
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Across the DistrictThe Owatonna Public
School’s Special Services has three programs for students that have challenges to learning: Special Education, Title, and English Language Learners.
Special Education services are provided to over 600 stu-dents birth to the age of 21. Students qualify for special education in one or more of 14 different educational dis-abilities. Students qualifying for special education receive specialized instruction that will allow them to make prog-ress in the general curriculum. �is support is provided by a special education teacher or a related services specialist such as Speech/Language Patholo-gist or Occupational �erapist. In addition to licensed staff, Paraprofessionals support the learner by providing behavioral and academic support while the student is in the general educa-tion classroom. Special Educa-tion is based upon a partner-ship model in which decisions about the student’s program are made by the parents, school professionals, and other pro-viders working together.
Students need to qualify for Special Education and must go through an evaluation to deter-mine eligibility. �e District has been working to implement a Multiple Tiered System of Sup-ports to provide academic and behavioral support to students within the general education classroom prior to making a referral for evaluation. This tiered system of support focuses on di�erentiating instruction based on student need, taking frequent informal measures
of the e�ectiveness of the in-tervention and having a team of teachers reviewing student performance data to make in-formed decisions on student programming. If a student continues to not make progress within the general curriculum, then a referral for evaluation may be made.
In addition to the services provided in our Kindergarten through grade 12, Special Ed-ucation Services are provided for students birth through 5 years old (also known as “Early Childhood Special Education” or “ECSE”) and for students 18 to 21 years old (also known as “Transition Plus”).
Early Childhood Special Education services are divid-ed into two age groups: Birth through 2 years old and 3 to 5 years old. �e emphasis for Birth to 2 is on assisting par-ents and care providers with tips and tools to address early developmental needs. Special Education Teachers and Re-lated Services Support staff typically go to the child’s home and work with parents on how to use daily routines and toys in the home to promote language, motor, and cognitive develop-ment of their child.
The services for students aged 3 through 5 years old is provided in a variety of set-tings: home, day care (private and home-based), and school. Whereas the emphasis in the Birth to 2 services was work-ing with parents, for 3 to 5, the teachers work directly with the child to address areas of con-cern and need. Much time and energy is directed toward get-
ting the child school ready and working on both pre-academic skills and social skills that are necessary for success in school.
At the other end of the spe-cialized instruction services spectrum is programming for students ages 18 to 21 who continue to have special edu-cation needs. While many of our students graduate at 18 (or the end of 12th grade) a small percentage of our students con-tinue to have special education needs that require specialized instruction and support. �ese students are served in the community, at OHS (in the Ag Building) or at supported adult work centers.
Title services are provided to learners who are struggling within the general education classroom and are in need of additional intensive support, usually for a short period of time. These students do not necessarily qualify for special-ized instruction but are in need of more intensive instructional support. Students usually re-ceive their Title services in a small group setting that might be within the classroom or in another room. Students’ eligi-bility for Title services is based upon a variety of sources such as performance on standard-ized tests, teacher observations, and parental consent. Title ser-vices are available to students in schools with Free and Reduced populations greater than the District average (currently 41 percent of our students, dis-trict-wide, qualify for Free or Reduced lunch).
English Language Learners are students whose first lan-
guage might not be English or whose exposure to English has been limited. Student eligibil-ity is determined by multiple measures, including perfor-mance on a standardized as-sessment of the English Lan-guage, classroom observation, teacher judgment, parental in-put, and other developmentally appropriate assessments. �e emphasis of instruction is on learning “academic English” or the words that assist students in the classroom. Students are eligible for services until they are able to demonstrate pro�-ciency on a nationally normed assessment.
All three programs have
parent advisory groups. For Special Education, there is a District-wide Special Education Advisory committee comprised of parents, special ed and regu-lar ed teachers, and interested community members. This committee meets quarterly with the Special Education District Administration to provide in-put on programming and issues facing the Department.
Title I parental involvement is primarily at the local school, though there is a District-wide committee that meets twice per year to provide consulta-tion and feedback to school and district administration.
Parents of EL students have
regular meetings at the neigh-borhood school. Topics include how to support homework, how to access community re-sources, and how to best sup-port their child’s learning. �ere is a District-wide committee that meets twice per year to advise District administration on policy and programming concerns.
Parents having questions about the supportive services available to their child or to become involved with the Ad-visory groups should contact their child’s building principal or by contacting the District’s Special Services o�ce at 507-444-8614.
Owatonna public schools special services help students overcome challenges
PAGE 6 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
105 N Elm Ave.507-444-2460
www.owatonna.info
Owatonna Public Library
September is Library Card Sign Up Month!Your library card: the most valuable school supply.
Download the app for your Android or iPhone!
Serving the area musical community since 1990Band instruments • Orchestra instruments • Guitars Amplifiers • Sheet music • Harmonicas • Percussion
Pursuant to applicable law, Independent School Dis-trict No. 761 gives notice to parents of students currently in attendance in the school district, and eligible students currently in attendance in the school district, of their rights regarding “directory information.”
“Directory information” includes the following infor-mation relating to a student: the student’s name; address; telephone number; date and place of birth; grade level; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; degrees, and honors and awards received. “Directory information” also includes the name, address and telephone number of the student’s parent(s). “Directory information” does not include identifying information on a student’s religion, race, color, social position or nationality.
(Student photographs are not directory information, but are published annually in the school year book.)
a. The information listed above shall be public informa-tion which the school district may disclose from the educa-tion records of a student or information regarding a parent.
b. Should the parent of a student or the student so desire, any or all of the listed information will not be dis¬closed without the parent’s or eligible student’s prior writ¬ten con-sent except to school officials as provided under federal law.
c. In order to make any or all of the directory informa-tion listed above “private” (i.e. subject to consent prior to disclosure), the parent or eligible student must make a written request to the building principal within thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice. This written request must include the following information:
(1) Name of student and parent, as appropriate;(2) Home address;(3) School presently attended by student;(4) Parent’s legal relationship to student, if applicable;(5) Specific category or categories of directory informa-
tion which is not to be made public without the parent’s or eligible student’s prior written consent.
Public notice about protection, privacy of pupil records
Infinite Campus is the Owa-tonna Public School student man-agement system as well as a tool for parents and students to access timely individual student informa-tion. We encourage parents to use this program as one way to stay current on their child’s school in-formation.
The system is for students in grades K – 12, however, the type of information will vary depending on your child’s grade level. Informa-tion for students in K – 3 includes attendance, immunizations, school calendar, and contact information. In upper grades, this information also include grades, report cards, transcripts and assignments.
If you have already registered for In� nite Campus Parent Portal, you do not need to register each school year. It is important, however, for parents to log-in annually to verify contact information such as phone numbers and emergency contacts to ensure they are up to date. � e phone numbers listed in In� nite Campus are the ones that are used for the district messenger system, which is used to call parents when there are school closings, emergency situa-tions, or other important reminders. Follow the steps in the parent portal to update your information. Once completed you will receive a notice con� rming your changes.
If you have not registered for an account or are new to our District, you can go to your child’s school o� ce to set up your account. To set up an account, parents need to pro-
vide a photo identi� cation.There is an Infinite Campus
app that parents with accounts can download for iPhones or android phones. Directions are available
through the District website, www.owatonna.k12.mn.us. Once at the website select the info and links tab, in� nite campus portal and follow the directions on the front page.
Parents encouraged to update contact information for infi nite campus parent portal
Across the District
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 7
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Across the DistrictStudents wil l be returning to
school soon and the Food & Nutri-tion Services Department is ready to serve them healthy and nutritious meals to help them be at their best in the classroom. We plan to continue our focus of serving up lots of fruits and vegetables to our students along with more scratch cooking in our kitchens. All students are required to take at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable along with two other food groups to make their lunch meal com-plete. New for the 2014-2015 school year, students will also be required to take a fruit or vegetable with their breakfast meal along with the other required items each day.
Food & Nutrition Services wishes the best to all of our students as the new school year begins. Our sole pur-pose is to keep our customers happy and healthy and we want students’
bodies and minds to have the energy needed to feel and perform their best.
Be sure to check out our Food & Nutrition Services area on the district website at www.owatonna.k12.mn.us for a wealth of information on our program at your fingertips.Student meal prices for 2014-2015
All kindergarten students receive their breakfast for free.
All free and reduced pay students receive breakfast and lunch for free.
Elementary, Willow Creek and OJHS full pay breakfast price is $1.20 and OHS is $1.35.
Elementary full pay lunch price is $2.35, Willow Creek and OJHS are $2.40 and OHS is $2.50.
Did you receive your Application for Educational Benefits in the mail? It came in a green packet earlier this
summer. If you did not receive yours, or you have questions on filling it out please call Food & Nutrition Services at 444-8616. As a reminder, a new ap-
plication needs to be submitted each school year.
Do you have special dietary con-cerns for your child? Please check out
our website at www.owatonna.k12.mn.us for the necessary forms you will need to have filled out and returned to the Food & Nutrition Services Depart-ment. New forms need to be filled out each school year and returned prior to Aug. 15. If you need forms mailed to you or you have questions about spe-cial diets, please call 444-8629.Managing meal accounts
Do you ever wonder what your child’s meal account balance is or what items they are purchasing on any given day? Be sure to register on mypaymentsplus.com to see account history, make payments and manage email notifications that can alert you when your child’s meal account bal-ance is getting low. For more informa-tion on this or if you have any other questions about Food & Nutrition Ser-vices, please call 444-8616.
Owatonna public schools food and nutrition kicks o� another school year
PAGE 8 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
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Owatonna Community Education
Adult Learning Center Opens for Registration on Aug. 18
The Adult Learning Cen-ter is for adults to receive personal and confidential attention to their educa-tional needs. Instruction is offered in the subject areas of reading, writing, vocabulary, English, spelling, math, ESL, career and college readiness, on-line learning and prepa-ration for work and a tran-sitioning into a job search. The Adult Learning Center is located in the Roosevelt Community School. Adults can choose between tradi-tional class formats, small group, individual tutoring or learning in our state-of-the-art computer lab. A variety of web-based software is avail-able for community use both in the Center and at home.
Many classes this fall will be new or reformatted in our class schedule. New class schedules will be mailed to all current and former students. New stu-dents are welcome to stop into the Adult Learning Center at Roosevelt Community School to pick-up a class schedule, or call Kim at 444-7925 to have a schedule mailed. Advance registration for Adult Learning Center classes is recommended to ensure a seat.
Adult Learning Center ser-vices are free of charge. Any-one interested in growing their basic academic skills for career advancement, transitioning to work or a college program will �nd value in Adult Learning
Center services.Classes begin on Septem-
ber 8th.GED Preparation and Test-
ing Services Available in the Adult Learning Center
Adults needing to com-plete their GED can prepare and test at Roosevelt Commu-nity School. Call 444-7925 to receive a copy of the fall class and testing schedule.Early childhood screening available
Appointments are now be-ing accepted for families with children ages 3-5. Early Child-hood screening is mandated
by the State of Minnesota prior to public school kinder-garten entry. �e purpose is to con�rm for families that their child is developing normally and ready for the school ex-perience.
Families with children be-tween the ages of 3 and 5 will alphabetically receive a post card notice to schedule an appointment. Families may also call 444-7900 to schedule an appointment at any time. Screenings are held Thurs-day a�ernoons and evenings, with one Saturday morning a month available for appoint-ments. Screenings take ap-
proximately one and one half hours to complete.
Families new to Owatonna with a kindergarten student
who has not previously been screened, can call Commu-nity Education right now to get their child’s screening
completed. Appointments �ll quickly, so call today.
Owatonna Community Education o�ers options for everyone
Continued on 9
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 9
Owatonna Community Education Owatonna Community EducationOwatonna Community Education o� ers options for everyone
730 South Cedar Avenue | Owatonna 507-446-2300
www.stmarys-owatonna.org
Partnering With Families In Faith & Learning
Come Join Us
Fall Community Education brochures to mail Sept. 2
Fall Community Educa-tion Brochures will be placed in the US Mail Service the week of Sept. 2 and will be delivered to every household within the Owatonna school district. Online registration for adults and youth pro-grams will begin on Sept. 3 at 6 a.m. On-line registration at www.owatonnacommuni-tyed.org is a fast and efficient way to get registered for the classes you want. Many classes begin the week of Sept. 22 with several others, including trips and work-shops scheduled through-out the months of October,
November and December. Most offerings have a limited number of slots available, so register early. Registration is on-going until all class seats are filled. As soon as a brochure copy is ready for viewing, it will be posted to the community education website listed above. Check back often for a preview of special programs and events planned with you and your family in mind.
Families not receiving a fall program publication are encouraged to call Commu-nity Education at 444-7900 to have a copy sent. Copies are also available at Roos-evelt Community School, Owatonna Public Schools District Off ice, and the Owatonna Public Library
for pick-up.Call 444-7900 with ques-
tions or assistance in com-pleting registration for all C om mu n it y E du c at i on learning opportunities. We are happy to help in any way we can.Preschool learning for children ages 0-5
The Early Chi ldhood brochure featuring parent and child together learning opportunities will be direct mailed to families with chil-dren 0-5 years of age. Bro-chures will mail the week of Aug. 11. Registration begins on Aug. 28. The online reg-istration feature is now avail-able for ECFE registrations and will go live on Aug. 21 at 8 a.m. Families are also
welcome to call 444-7900 beginning 8 a.m. on Aug. 21, or stop by Roosevelt Com-munity School with your registration requests.
Registration for early childhood programs remains open until class slots are filled. Families are encour-aged to select the waiting list option if preferred classes are full. New class offerings will be built for those classes with full waiting lists as space and instructors are available.Kids First/OJHS athletics
Owatonna Community Education is pleased to an-nounce their continuing sup-port for OJHS KIDS FIRST Athletics. The Fall Sports Parent/Athlete Meeting was
held Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. at OJHS.
Practice for fall sports be-gin on August 25th. For more information on the KIDS FIRST Athletic Program, contact Sean Hughes, Youth Coordinator with Owaton-na Community Education. Phone 444-7923. Coaches are still needed. Please check the school district website for employment opportunities, or contact Sean Hughes at 444-7923.
A reminder to families, KIDS FIRST will no longer be a part of the district ac-tivities fee cap. A scholarship program is available to any family requesting assistance with the activity fee. Infor-mation will be available at all of this year’s Parent/Athlete
meetings about the scholar-ship opportunities, or check our website for updates.
The following web links will provide families with valuable updates on Kids First vAthletic programs: www.owatonnacommuni-tyed.org click on Kids First/OJHS Athletics tab or www.owatonna.k12.mn.us click on OJHS link. Fall game sched-ules can be downloaded at www.big9.org Enrollment for fall sport participation is available on line at http://owatonna.feepay.com. To register for fall sports, par-ents will need their student’s ID number and a current MSHSL physical. The sys-tem will alert families if the current physical on file for a student needs updating.
From Page 8
PAGE 10 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
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By MELODEE HOFFNER
I hope this article �nds you enjoying your summer. My name is Melodee Ho�-ner and I am the new Assistant Principal at Owatonna Alternative Learning Cen-ter (ALC). I am very excited and thrilled at the opportunity to be part of this com-munity. My background consists of work-ing as a K-12 school counselor, mental health, drug and alcohol counselor, and health promotion specialist. I have ad-ditional training in Positive Behavior In-structional Supports (PBIS), Response to Intervention (RtI), AVID (Advanced via Individual Determination) and many other educational related experiences. I am looking forward to working with you as a partner in education to ensure your
student’s success.Along with our sta�, I would like to
welcome you to the Owatonna Alter-native Learning Center. The ALC is a program option for students who are in need of a di�erent learning option rather than the traditional high school setting. If you feel your student needs a smaller environment, more individualized help, or access to online curriculum to recover credits, the ALC may be a program that will meet your student’s needs. Our stu-dents graduate with an Owatonna High School Diploma and are required to pass the same testing requirements like other Owatonna High School students.
Students who attend the ALC have the opportunity and are encouraged to participate in high school activities and
sports. The ALC and Owatonna High School (OHS) work closely together to provide the best educational supports and, when possible, partial OHS and ALC schedules are also available for stu-dents. In addition, the ALC has student leadership opportunities with our MAAP STARS (Minnesota Association of Al-ternative Programs) organization led by Don Hettinga, our Social Studies teach-er. We have onsite support for chemical health with our licensed Drug and Alco-hol Counselor, Sandy Ogle. We also have an onsite licensed Social Worker, Chely Flores, available as a valuable resource for parents and students.
We offer core courses, a variety of specialized classes such as Physical Edu-cation, Health and an online curriculum
through Odysseyware. Odysseyware has multiple learning levels, ranging from foundational to honors classes and pro-vides several credit recovery options. We have an Advisement period where we focus on 21st Century Career, Academ-ic and Personal/Social skills. �e ALC continues to build on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly E�ective People to guide behavior and decision making for both students and sta�.
�e Owatonna Alternative Learning Center may be the option you’re looking for and we welcome the opportunity to visit with you and your student. Please join us for our Open House, Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at 130 E. Vine St., Owatonna for more information. Refresh-ments and snacks will be served.
If you are an Owatonna High School student, you may attend the Open House to �ll out ALC paperwork. Please attend the Open House if you are currently an ALC student to complete your 2014-15 paperwork and to receive your class schedule. For all other enrollment ques-tions, contact the Owatonna School Dis-trict O�ce at 507-444-8640.
The entire Owatonna Alternative Learning Center sta� are committed to building relationships, facilitating stu-dent community service, creating an en-vironment based on respect and trust and focusing on student growth. We strongly feel that all students have value and can succeed. We look forward to partnering with the community, parents and stu-dents for the 2014-15 school year.
Owatonna Alternative Learning Center offers options for success
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 11
Ages 5-8 • Saturdays • 10:00 AM to 10:45 AMAges 9-12 • Saturdays • 11:00 AM to 11:45 PM
At Owatonna Cheer!, Our goal is to teach the fundamentals of cheerleading to provide a solid foundation to build on. Kids will learn cheers, dances and jumps while focusing on technique.
New material taught at each session. Classes meet at Dynamic Fitness, 606 Hoffman Dr., Owatonna
ElementaryRegistration
If you recently moved to the community, students in all grades register at the district o� ce. � e o� ce is located at 515 West Bridge Street, and appointments can be made by calling (507)444-8640. Due to high enrollment at some schools in certain grade levels, we will not be able to honor all enrollments in boundary-de� ned schools. � e main o� ce line for each school is listed below.
If your family has moved with-in the community, please notify the district o� ce at the same con-tact information listed above. If you move to a di� erent attendance area during the school year, please contact your school principal.Home/Child/School Day
� is very important event will be held Aug. 28, 2014, at all of the elementary schools for students in grades one through � ve. � is is an opportunity for parents and chil-dren to meet their new teachers and set the stage for a successful year of learning. This day does count as your child’s � rst day of school and attendance will be taken. If your family did not receive a mail-ing with information regarding Home/Child/School Day, please call your neighborhood elementary school. Due to all-day kindergar-ten, the Home/Child/School Day for kindergar-ten students will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the � rst day of school for 1-12 students. Kindergarten students will start Sept. 2 with half of the students reporting on the s econd and the other half reporting on Sept. 3. All kindergarten students will report on Friday, Sept. 5. You will receive a letter from your respective school indicating which day your child attends for his/her � rst day of kindergarten.
Willow Creek Orientation
Willow Creek will have its or ient at ion on Thursday, Aug. 28. We are suggesting that families attend during time frames below:
Thursday, Aug. 28
9-10 a.m. Students with the last name in the Q-Z range
1 1 a . m . -noon Students
with the last name in the H-P range1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Students
with the last name in the A-G range
� e orientation will be a dif-ferent format from past years. � e
orientation will begin promptly in the gymnasium. An overview will be covered. Then, students and parents will visit with staff members at tables that are set up for student activities. Parents may also stop at the food services table to set up a lunch account for the student. Activity tickets will be available for purchase. Also, the nurse will be present for any par-ent needing to drop o� medica-tions for their student. Our PTSO will have some of the executive committee in attendance to en-courage parents to join the PTSO and share the many projects the PTSO supports during the year; PTSO will also collect PTSO classroom dues. Students will take their school pictures during this time as well.
After visiting tables, students will have an opportunity to drop o� their school supplies and meet informally with their teacher and tour the school. Parents should � nd
lists of school supplies at Wal-Mart, O� ce Max, and other stores in the area.Attendance
School attendance is impor-tant for students in order to ensure a consistent, quality education. Regular school attendance directly impacts success in academic work,
bene� ts students socially, provides opportunities for important com-munications between teachers and students and establishes regular habits of dependability important to the future of all students. Please be sure to call your child’s school o� ce to report if your child will be late or absent and include why your child will not be in school. � is in-
formation is particularly important in tracking childhood illnesses. Our schools are working closely with the district attorney’s o� ce and Steele County Human Services to stay on top of student attendance and give assistance if needed to fami-lies who are struggling with getting their children to school regularly and on time.
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERSLincoln School 444-8100Attendance Line 444-8105McKinley School 444-8200Attendance Line 444-8205Washington School 444-8300Attendance Line 444-8305Wilson School 444-8400Attendance Line 444-8405Willow Creek School 444-8500Attendance Line 444-8505
In just a couple weeks, students will � ood back into the halls of local schools, including Wilson Elementary, pictured above. (People’s Press � le photo)
PAGE 12 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
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Junior HighWe hope that you’ve been
having a wonderful summer, but our hallways have been empty for too long and we are greatly anticipating the return of our students. If you are an incom-ing 7th grader – welcome. We really enjoyed bringing you over for tours at the end of the school year and had wonderful conver-sations with your teachers about the great things that you’ve been doing. We have heard that you are an amazing class and look very forward to meeting you in a few weeks. Incoming 8th grad-ers – we welcome you back. Look forward to an amazing year, full of all sorts of learning, challenges and activities. We hope that both grades are ready for a year of pushing your limits. We hope to take learning to a whole new level and to challenge you in ways that you’ve not been challenged be-fore. We’ve worked really hard on our curriculum (things we’d like all students to know) this last year and have developed a number of ways to provide feedback to you about your progress and support to help you master and push past our standards. We’ve also worked very hard on building a schedule that best supports student needs. Within the next week or so you’ll be receiving more information about our next school year.
� is year we begin the second year of our school’s direction, which focuses on literacy, learn-ing and leadership. We’ve also been spending quite a bit of time with other sta� from around the district on the development of the district’s strategic direction. While this is currently in rough dra� form, we are quite excited about the clarity it will provide for the whole dis-trict and the “raising of the bar” that we’ll be doing to ensure all are prepared for career and college.
Physically, you may see some changes around the building. We installed new tiling along with ta-bles and chairs in one of our tech-nology rooms. We’ve added color
throughout the building thanks to the great help of our summer painting sta� . We’ve added four large murals, dramatically in-creased wi-� service, signi� cantly increased the number of student laptops and have spruced up the school in a number of other ways. We hope that as you come back you’ll like the changes.
Again, with great anticipation we await Sept. 2.
Fast facts about OJHS• About 680 7th and 8th Grade
Students will attend OJHS next year
• The student day begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
• Th e building opens for stu-dents at 8:07 a.m. each day.
• Offi ce Hours: 7:30 am to 4 pm
• Th e building is ran by about 75 total sta� members, including 43 teachers, a Spanish and Somali liaison, a full time resources offi -cer, a full time community service offi cer, an assistant principal, two social workers and other support personnel.
• Student schedules are com-plimented with a full array of courses including technology en-gineering education, art, family and consumer science, Spanish, health, orchestra, band, and choir.
• We off er a wide array of co-curricular and extracurricular ac-tivities, including but not limited to student council, Leaders for Life, YSHOC, drama, yearbook, Jazz Band, WE club, newspaper, and all the major sports.
• To stay up to date, please visit our school’s website or “like” us at www.facebook.com/owatonnaju-niorhighschool.
• If you’d like to visit our school, please enter through the main entrance on 15th St. NE and sign in at the security desk.Orientation for all students, parents
All seventh and eighth graders will attend orientation sessions
on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at the Owatonna Junior High School. We invite and encourage parents to attend with their child. As a parent, if you cannot attend, your child can still successfully com-plete the orientation program, so please ensure that they � nd a way to attend.
Our front doors will open for all 7th grade parents and students at 8:20 a.m. Students and parents will report to their designated Home Base classroom. � e day will start with a welcome and in-troductions and students and par-ents will then be given a speci� c plan for the day’s activities. � e 7th grade orientation runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
The front doors will again open at 12:05 p.m. for our eighth grade parents and students. � e eighth graders and their parents will report to their Home Base rooms at 12:15 p.m. to begin their orientation session which runs from 12:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Orientation Day is also Pic-ture Day. If desired, students may want to take their school photo prior to the orientation meeting. Please enter through the athletic entrance if you would like to take your picture prior to the actual orientation. All students will have their picture taken by Life Touch Studios for their student ID cards and the OJHS yearbook. To avoid long picture lines, Life Touch photographers will be ex-tending photo hours to include an early morning session. Life Touch photos will be available in the old gym prior to the seventh grade orientation from 7:30 to 8:20 a.m. and again from 9:15 to 3:30 p.m. (please enter through the Athletic Entrance-north side of building)
In addition to pictures, stu-dents and parents will have time to go through class schedules and meet their teachers follow-ing the Home Base meetings. An information fair will be set up in the cafeteria where students will receive information regarding
OJHS student support services and co-curricular activities. Stu-dents may purchase activity stick-ers that activate the student I.D. card for $40. Th ere will also be an opportunity for students to make payments on their lunch accounts based on the Food and Nutrition Services information given to them in their Home Base classes.
� e Owatonna Bus Company will send you bus transportation information. � e Bus Company will be at orientation to answer your questions and to hand out the student bus passes. If you have any questions regarding transpor-tation, please call the bus com-pany at 451-5262.Health information updates
Please provide all information
regarding immunizations, as well as athletic physical information to Health Services at orientation or send to the school prior to the beginning of the school year. � e clinics do not provide that in-formation. It must be provided by parents to the school. Health Services will have a table set up outside the OJHS media center to answer any questions on orienta-tion day.
Your child will be required to have a current athletic physi-cal on � le with the school prior to participating in any Kids 1st Athletic Programs. In addition, all students participating in the Kids 1st Sport Program must provide a waiver of insurance coverage. A family may choose to use their current medical family coverage, or they may choose to purchase
a Student Accident Insurance Policy. � ese forms are available at the OJHS Offi ce.
Calendar of eventsAugust18 — Kids 1st Fall Sports Mtg.
7pm OJHS — IMC25 — Kids 1st Fall Sports Prac-
tices Begin27 — OJHS Student/Parent
Orientation8:30am-10:30am 7th Grade12:15pm -2:15pm 8th GradeAlso: Student picture daySeptember1 — Labor Day/No School2 — First Day of School9 — First Day of RE (Religious
Ed Release Time)12 — OJHS Teen Night,
7-9 p.m.
Owatonna Junior High School gets ready for a new year
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 13
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP
STEELE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH507-444-7650
Give them regular Child and Teen Checkups at your clinic and dentist.
Steele County Public Health Nursing Service
Child & Teen Checkups Program
with transportation, interpreters or making an appointment for dentist or doctors visit call ChristineChristine
•MedicalAssistance•MinnesotaCare
• SouthCountryHealthAlliance•BluePlus
Child and Teen Checkups are available to children from birth through age 20 who are children from birth through age 20 who are
covered by Minnesota state health plans such as:
Call your clinic to schedule an appointmentCall your clinic to schedule an appointment
For optimal performance on the court and in school, make sure to:
Need shots? You can also call Steele County Public Health
Owatonna High SchoolWelcome to another school year
at Owatonna High School. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE. � is is our theme for this year as we con-
tinue to place an emphasis on preparing stu-dents for life af-ter high school. Speci� cally, our expectat ions for students is to focus on the following: 1 . ) C o l -
lege and career Readiness 2.) High Student achievement 3.) A Safe and engaging learning environment.
� e aforementioned expecta-tions are extremely important in helping our students succeed and for our sta� as they prepare to o� er our students an outstanding educa-tional experience.
At Owatonna Senior High School, we provide our students with many avenues to help prepare them for graduation and success a� er high school. For instance, we o� er rigorous college preparation classes with close to 20 AP and honors courses. In partnership with Minnesota State, Mankato and Southwest State, students have the opportunity to earn college credit and save on the rising costs of college tuition by taking college courses right here at Owatonna Se-nior High School. We also o� er a variety of pre manufacturing and other career focused courses with opportunities in our agriculture and industrial technology depart-ments. This is in addition to the three foreign languages (Spanish, French, German) we o� er and the many opportunities for students to explore career possibilities with the mentorship programs at OHS and our partnerships with local busi-nesses. � e well-rounded education also includes culinary, family and consumer science, business, physi-cal education, and music courses that are focused on building life and career skills.
We continue to strengthen our advisement program where we work on high school and post-secondary planning for each stu-dent. � is program also provides an opportunity to personally connect with every student at Owatonna Se-nior High School. Additionally, we plan to have our 2nd annual college and career fair this fall. Last year, we had over 20 colleges and universi-ties visit OHS in addition to several of our local businesses. We are also looking forward to the addition of AVID (Advancement Via Individ-ual Determination) which provides all of OHS with researched-based strategies and curriculum that fo-cuses on critical thinking, literacy, writing, and many other skills to help promote academic rigor and college and career readiness. � e opportunities for students are un-like any school in the area as there truly is something for everyone.
At Owatonna High School, we appreciate the support we get from our parents and community. � is partnership is another key com-ponent in providing our students with the education they need and deserve. We look forward to a great school year. If you see an OHS stu-dent, remind them to KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE.
Mark RandallPrincipal
SafetyThe safety of students, staff,
and guests at Owatonna High School is essential. We have spent much time and e� ort to improve our safety policies and procedures over the past three years and we continue that process of continu-ous improvement into this year as well. We want to thank students, sta� , and our community for their support throughout this process.Police liaison, community service o� cers
As a result of a collaborative e� ort led by the Owatonna Po-
lice Department, Owatonna High School is extremely fortunate to have two community service of-� cers along with a police liaison o� cer in the building on an ev-eryday basis. To provide perspec-tive, OHS is a small community that occupies approximately two city blocks and houses nearly 1800 people when school is in session. When you include four parking lots and athletic facili-ties, the size is nearly four city blocks. � is reality represents a large challenge and the addition of the CSO’s has had an immedi-ate positive impact.
� e police liaison works close-ly with school personnel to en-sure that our security practices are sound. � ey provide insight and direction for CSO’s and their daily work as well as developing and implementing crisis plans, evacu-ations, and day to day operations involving building security and safety.
Keep your eyes on the prize: OHS prepares students for success
Principal Mark Randall
Continued on 14
Safety and student success are two of Owatonna High School’s main goals. (People’s Press � le photo)
PAGE 14 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 21, 2014
Supporting and advocating for music and music education as essential to the life-long learning of our students and community.
• A healthy arts curriculum enhances the science, technology,
engineering and mathematics curriculum.
• Students who participate in high quality music programs score 22% better in English and 20% better
on math standardized exams.
• Other results show that playing an instrument can help your IQ
increase by 7 points. Symphony Orchestra
Join MBO and help us promote the value of a healthy music program. Any questions? Contact us at the address above.
Owatonna High SchoolAdditionally, the liaison will
receive and investigate student conduct in which a law may have been broken. CSO’s perform a va-riety of tasks that include oversee-ing the visitor registration process and monitoring our parking lots, hallways, and student commons. �ey do these tasks and more with a high level of professionalism and e�ectiveness.
Most importantly, you will �nd the police liaison and CSO’s connecting positively with stu-dents on an everyday basis. �ey are approachable, friendly, stu-dent centered and play a major role in ensuring a safe and orderly building that is essential to maxi-mize student learning.Visitor parking, registration
Owatonna High School wel-comes all visitors to the building. However, in order to maintain a safe environment, we ask that all visitors follow procedures begin-ning with parking. Visitor park-ing stalls are available in the south lot – adjacent to the tennis court complex. Stalls are marked and are located just inside the lot en-trance facing north. Once parked, please use the main entrance fac-ing Grove Avenue. to enter the building – all other doors are locked during the school day.
Once inside the main doors, we ask that all parents and other visitors register at the Visitor Reg-istration and Information Desk located in front of the auditorium doors. Visitors will be asked to verify their identification and will then be directed and/or es-corted to their intended location within the building. Whenever possible, we are requesting that prior to any visit you set up an appointment with the party you intend to meet with. If you need to come to the main o�ce, please set up this meeting by phone @ 507.444.8800.
Former students are always welcome to visit staff members either before or a�er school with an appointment. Please do not
schedule these visits during the lunch periods.
Please understand that these procedures are designed to en-sure that we know who is in our building and why they are there. We understand that there will be occasions when you are unable to set up a prior appointment. When that is the situation, please come to the school, park in the visitor parking in the south lot, enter through the Main Doors and register with the Visitor and Information Desk. �ey will work with o�ce sta� to assist you with conducting your visit.
Student drop-o�, pick-upLast year, changes to parking
along Grove Avenue were institut-ed in order to improve the safety and e�ciency of student drop o� and pick up. Those changes re-main in e�ect for this school year.
We wish to emphasize that when picking up or dropping o� students before school, that you use either the Grove Avenue and/or Harriet Street zones. If you will be dropping o� or picking up a student during the school day, and you plan to use the Grove Avenue location – please ap-proach the drop off zone from the south and use the east side of the avenue – school side only. �e zone starts just north of the park-ing lot entrance and continues to the intersection of Grove Avenue and School Street. Use the entire length of this zone. We continue to request that in the best inter-est of student and sta� safety, that you not enter the South Lot with your vehicle for this purpose.
School Street will continue to be designated as a bus load-ing zone and violators who enter this area with their vehicles may be ticketed. On school days, this street remains closed to through tra�c from approximately 7 a.m. until 8 a.m. and from 2:15 p.m. until 3 p.m. for safety purposes.
By: Je� Miller, Assistant Prin-cipal at OHS
OHS welcomes new sta�• Brynn McConnell — Coun-
selor (alpha chunk F-K)
• Suzanne Jokela-Moskovits — German
• Jennifer Jeno — special ed• Beth Fink — special ed• Lisa Beschnett — art• Tyler Hannigan — social
studies• Aleksardr Prafke — social
studies• Gail Tratz — language arts
(transferring from OJHS)• John Scheil — physical edu-
cation• Sandra Justice — orchestraCongratulations to Ella Rasp
for receiving recognition in the 2015 National Merit Program.
From Page 13
The commencement ceremony is the destination of every Owa-tonna High School student. (People’s Press �le photo)
Your town.Your news.Local news you can’tget anywhere else.
Owatonna.com
Thursday, August 21, 2014 OWATONNA SCHOOL DISTRICT PAGE 15
![TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT [761]](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/61858e8b3fae02595c6f5634/transportation-department-761.jpg)
