O.H. Anderson eNews
April 15, 2021

Dear O.H. Anderson Students and Families,  

We have had a great start to MCA assessments this week. I am so proud of the hard work our students have done to show what they know.  Next week we will have Math MCA’s on April 19-20.  The Distance Learners will come in person on April 20.  We assess as a school each day from 8-9:30 so please make sure students are at school on time.

I often am asked how I can prepare my child for this assessment.  Here are some ideas.

• Talk to your child about doing their best work.  No need to stress.  This is to show your teachers what you know and what you may be next steps for your learning.  

• Good test taking tips include reading the question and all answers and eliminating answers that don't make sense.  

• Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep and eats breakfast each day.

• Minimize absences during these testing days.

• Please make sure your child has a chromebook fully charged chromebook, charger, and headphones at school each day.

Please take care of yourselves, your family, and each other.
#wecantakeithigher

Ms. Prather, Principal

susan.prather@isd832.net

Follow me on Twitter to check out what’s happening at OHA!  @prathesm  

Ramadan is April 13- May 12, 2021.  If your child needs accommodations, please contact  Mrs. McCabe pamela.mccabe@isd832.net  or Ms. Prather susan.prather@isd832.net.  We will make a plan for alternate activities.

Have an issue with your Chromebook or iPad?

1. Shut the device down (don’t just sign out).

2. Restart the device and check if the issue has been resolved.

3. If not, complete the Student Help Desk Google Form (https://bit.ly/mahtstudenthelpdesk).

Please note, you will need your child’s student ID number to complete the form.

4. A member of the District Technology Department will contact you to troubleshoot the issue.

For device guides, tips and tricks, and to reserve study spaces, please bookmark and visit the Device for Every Learner website (https://www.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us/devices) or access it under Quick Links on each of our school web pages.

Device Overview for OHA Families 

Meet: Ms. Frye

She is a 3rd Grade Teacher at OHA

Fun Fact  -  From as early as I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher.  I used to "practice" on my younger siblings and my friends and I played school all the time.

 What I love about OHA! “I love that OHA is like a big, loving family where students are enthused about learning and the staff are all so supportive"

Tech issue Student Help Desk Google Form 

Using Chromebook Message Mrs. Erlenborn in Google Classroom or email elizabeth.erlenborn@isd832.net 

Questions on Assignments Email or message your teacher

Questions on Student Supports Please contact Special Education Case Managers, English Language Teachers, SEL Specialist, Counselor, and Interventionists individually with questions.

General questions about school call office at 651-407-2300 or email Ms. Prather at susan.prather@isd832.net

Attendance  651-407-2308 or email   kristina.vaughan@isd832.net

Change Contact Information email beth.hennen@isd832.net

Tier 1/ MAC Contact Jamie O’Hara at 651-407-2350 jamie.ohara@isd832.net

COVID-19 Protocols During In-Person Learning

Quarantines: During in-person learning, students are seated three feet apart. It is important to note that quarantine guidelines have not changed. It is still a rule per the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that if you are within 6 feet of someone contagious with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more over the course of a day (24 hours) you will need to quarantine. Therefore, if we have a student who is contagious at school, students who are within a 6-foot radius of that person in class will have to quarantine. Since our students are no longer seated 6 feet apart in the classroom, we will not allow shortened quarantine for students at school. Note that there may be situations where full classrooms will need to be quarantined (i.e. such as younger elementary classrooms where physical distancing rules are more challenging to follow). 

Household Symptoms and Testing: If someone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, is symptomatic and getting tested for COVID-19, or is symptomatic and awaiting test results, ALL household members must stay home until test results are known. If symptomatic and opting not to test, & for those that test positive for COVID-19, please reach out to your Building RN for specifics on how long the rest of the household should stay home. We need families to help us keep students in-person and taking this simple step will help to cut down on the number of students that will need to quarantine at school. 

The health and safety of the Mahtomedi School community is a top priority.   Check out our COVID-19 Protocols.  Thank you for your partnership in reporting positive COVID-19 cases and quarantining.    

COVID-19 Reporting 

• We ask that families continue to report COVID-19 positive cases to our health office. By reporting positive COVID-19 cases, we are able to track accurate quarantine data and contact trace. 

• Please also let the health office know if your student is a close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. 

Activities & Athletics Quarantine Reminder- If your student is told that they are a close contact from a sports association or other activity outside of school, they also need to quarantine and not attend school. 

If your child is in an activity or athletics quarantine, please contact your Building RN to discuss the length of quarantine. We do not receive quarantine information from associations and activities, we rely on families to inform the school of these quarantine situations.

Please know that there are shortened quarantine options available, but all of these situations must be approved by the Building RN or District Nurse. You may end up having a different length of quarantine in the activity your child participates in compared to school. Please see the MDH Decision Tree for further information regarding decision making for COVID-19 related absences.

Health Office Contact Information
Marcia Senkler, Building RN O.H. Anderson School  Marcia.Senkler@isd832.net 651-407-2335 

Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector Information- The State of Minnesota has announced the launch of the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, which is a tool that helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine. Click here for more information.

Click here to access our COVID-19 Protocols for the 2020-21 School Year

Attendance COVID Guide for Families

Home Screening Tool for Families

What to Do While You Wait for a COVID-19 Test Result.  

MDH Decision Tree. 

Nutrition Services Update

During In-Person Learning, breakfast and lunch are FREE for all students at all of our school buildings on school days. Meal packs will continue to be available for distance learners, students in quarantine, and for all students on holidays and no school days.

Meal Pack Pick-Ups: April 9-June 4, 2021
Fridays from 11:00am-12:30pm
Mahtomedi High School, 8000 75th Street N., Mahtomedi

Mahtomedi Food Backpack Program click here for more information

ORIGINAL WORKS

It's back! Watch for more info soon about ordering gifts personalized with your student's artwork!

Please let me know if you have any questions! Thank you in helping us raise funds for the school!  k.whitman25@gmail.com

• Spirit wear

Gear up for spring with new Zephyr wear! A portion of the proceeds go directly to the PTO to support our elementary teachers and students. Shop today at https://apparelnow.com/mahtomedi-pto-apparel

The PTO is committed to supporting Wildwood and OHA Students and invites you to play an active part of their organization.  Visit mahtomedipto.com for opportunities to get involved and to sign up for their directory.

Camp is held at the MHS Chautauqua Fine Arts Center.
Space is filling fast. Click HERE to register.



CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
The registration deadline is May 7.

Upcoming After School Enrichment

Canvas and Clay (grades 3-5) 
Wednesdays, April 14-May 5
Register here. - 3 spots available

OHA Boys Basketball (grades 3-5)
Work on basketball skills and drills in a fun environment with the MHS Girls Varsity Basketball Coach. Each week, different skills and drills will be taught/practiced. 
Mondays, May 3-24
Register here. - 9 spots available

Gizmos and Gadgets - Gravity (grades 3-5) 
How did toys work before batteries? They relied on natural forces like gravity. Put science to work as you explore the how and whys of gravity by experimenting and building a gadget that really works.
Register here.Thursday, May 13


" CLICK HERE to register for Summer 2021! "