Welcome back from Winter break!

We have started the scheduling process for next school year this week and you can find information in this newsletter when your child has or will receive their Academic and Career Planning Guide as well as their schedule selection sheet. This is a great time to talk with your child about what their goals are and what classes they might want to take next year.

Also, you will find some information regarding a CESA 6 series of parent webinars to learn about Inspire WI. Inspire WI provides students and educators the opportunity to explore options, prepare for experiences and secure placements in future careers with local community and industry partners. You can find links within the newsletter below if you are interested in learning more.

Each month a student in the senior class is chosen to be the OHS Student of the month. The student is selected based on scholarship, citizenship, leadership, and co-curricular activities. The January Student of the Month is Marisa Percey. Congratulations Marisa!

Congratulations go out to the following students and staff member for being chosen as this week's Fox Friday winners! Thank you for demonstrating characteristics of the Fox Four and for being such great role models!!

Mrs. Cieszynski

Congratulations to the following juniors who have been selected by the OHS faculty to attend Badger State in June!!

Kayannah Luther

Madelynn Poppy

Alternate: Sadie VandenLangenberg

Liam Horton

Keefer Stapleton

Alternate: Jacob O'Connell

Omro High Schools Engineering and Invention Class in has been named one of 300 State Finalists in the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, receiving a $2.5K prize package.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a national competition designed to empower students in grades 6-12 to leverage the power of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) to create innovative solutions addressing critical issues in their local communities.

The competition empowers public middle and high school students to catalyze change by applying Problem-based Learning (PBL) principles, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurship to address some of society's most pressing challenges.

This year students have selected dementia as their community problem to solve. Students are planning on developing an AI (Artificial Intelligence) platform to help support people with dementia and improve their quality of life.

50 State Winners will receive a Samsung Video Kit to assist in the development of their “STEM solution pitch video,” as well as $12K in Samsung technology

For more information on the competition, go here.

Got a hankerin' for some good ol' chili AND you would like to help support Omro's K-12 music programs? Well you're in luck, partner! OoMPA is sponsoring a Chili Supper on Thursday, January 25, 2024 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm in the High School Commons!

Menu includes Chili or Macaroni & Cheese, Breadsticks & Beverage... pie will be available for an additional cost.

Come on down and we'll serve you up a good meal for only $6.00 in advance for Adults/ $7.00 at the door, Children 4-10 years is $4.00 in advance and $5.00 at the door...children 3 years and under are FREE! Tickets are on sale now in the school offices or at the door!

Our Local Scholarship kick off sessions will take place on Thursday, February 1st in the Media Center. Seniors who plan to continue their education after high school should plan to attend one of these sessions (during their study hall) in order to get money for college and technical college. The local scholarship applications will be due on Thursday, February 29th. Seniors who are selected for any of the local scholarships will be recognized at our Senior Scholarship Night on Wednesday, May 22nd at 6 p.m.

Questions? Please contact Rachel Williams, HS Counselor, at rwill@omro.k12.wi.us or (920) 303-2319.

CESA 6 will be hosting a series of parent webinars on the following three dates to learn more about Inspire WI:

• Jan 16th, 5:30 - 6:15 p.m. - Inspire WI: Connecting your student to career experiences Register HERE
• February 15th, 5:30 - 6:15 p.m. - Inspire WI: Learn how to boost college and employment outcomes Register HERE
• April 25th, 5:30 - 6:15 p.m. - Inspire WI: Connecting your student to career experiences this summer Register HERE

Within the next couple of weeks, Ms. Williams, OHS Counselor, will be going into classrooms for grades 8-11 to start the scheduling process for 2024-2025. We encourage you to help your child during this process to make sure they are requesting classes that will make the most of their high school experience. The students will receive a scheduling sheet that will need to be signed by a parent/guardian before we accept their requests.

These are the dates that each grade will be discussing scheduling and receiving the scheduling form:

11th grade - January 4th

10th grade - January 9th

9th grade - January 10th

8th grade - January 15th

Students will have one week to review the Academic and Career Planning Guide (ACPG) and complete the scheduling form. You can find the ACPG on our Omro School District website.

Go to Omro High School, Menu, Guidance, and you will see it listed under General Resources.

Click here for the Safe Routes to School January Newsletter January Safe Routes to School (Spanish version)

Time is running out to be a part of the fun!

Join the Omro Foxes community on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at "Omro Foxes Night at The Herd."

Details are listed on the attached flyer.

Order tickets online at fevogm.com/Omrofoxes.

For ticket information: scan the code or visit fevogm.com/Omrofoxes

Attendance matters and SO DO YOU!! Missing just two days a MONTH can add up to losing an entire year of school by graduation. Be an Attendance H.E.R.O! Here Everyday, Ready, On time!!

Students MUST be CALLED IN EVERY DAY that they are absent, unless they have a pre-arranged absence form filled out. Please call the attendance line and leave a message so we are aware that your student will not be in school. If the absence is illness related, please also note any symptoms they are having. Appointments may also be left on the attendance line. Call (920) 303-2300, extension 8. Thank you!

A parent can access the the work permit site using these instructions. Payment is made directly to the department through the application, using a credit or debit card or by ACH direct withdrawal. Once the permit application process is complete, the Department mails a paper copy of the permit directly to the employer. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact by email at workpermits@dwd.wisconsin.gov.

Looking for health forms? Bus pass/ change request forms? Skyward help? There is all kinds of information on our Family Resources page on the district website! Resources for Omro High School students and families can be found here!

SKYWARD/GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Stay in touch with how your child is doing in class by checking Skyward and Google Classroom. Here are some resources from the Family Resources page to help you:

• Parent's Guide to Google Classroom

• Parent's Guide to Skyward: Family Access

Take a look at all the fun things happening in the library this January! There is a new candy guessing game, trivia contest, reading challenge, exciting things happening at the Public Library this month, and more!

January Library Newsletter

Check out the School District of Omro App. We have made some improvements recently as well to include our daily announcements, newsletters and lunch menus now right at your fingertips!

Download for Android https://bit.ly/3Vi7WxT

Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3LF4wC5

The Student/Parent Handbook which includes our Extracurricular Handbook states that:

ATTENDANCE POLICY - PRACTICE & COMPETITION

Students must be in attendance for the entire school day in order to practice or compete in an event. Special circumstances may merit exception with prior approval from the Principal/Dean of Students, or designee.

• Step 1 - Parent notification to office at least 24 hours prior to absence

• Step 2 - Student picks up signed Excused Slip from office

• Step 3 - Student gives signed Excused Slip to coach/advisor to participate the day of the absence

If an absence is deemed unexcused it will result in ineligibility for participation in extracurricular activities until the next full day of attendance.

Special circumstances that would be acceptable would be dentist appointments, medical appointments (students should bring their medical provider's note in order to pick up the "Excused Slip" for their coach in the office). However, things like sleeping in, haircut appointments, or getting their favorite coffee are never approved to miss classes and would result in the student not being able to participate that day. If you have any questions about what may or may not be accepted, please ask the office in advance to ensure they are in full compliance of the extra curricular activity policy. We hope this clears up any confusion.

Just a reminder that our school store is available ALL YEAR LONG! The school store will be on the Omro School District webpage. When you order you can pay right on the website and orders are shipped directly to you. There is a shipping and handling fee of $8.95 for any order.

There is so much to choose from. Please take time and look at the store catalog.

https://www.omro.k12.wi.us/families/school-store.cfm

Happy Shopping!

Health Office Newsletter for January. Please Click HERE for important Current Illness information for our area!

Care Solace helps you find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. They're available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in our community. You can:

● Contact your child's school counselor, to ask for assistance for a referral

● Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.

● For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care

providers at https://www.caresolace.com/site/omro

Care Solace is available at no cost to our students, families, and staff members. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. All information is completely confidential and securely stored.

Please note: This service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory to use. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider. In the event of a life-threatening emergency:

Dial 911 or the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or

Dial 988 - for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

If you are interested in counseling-related services for your child, yourself, or another family member, please contact Care Solace directly, or reach out to your school's counselor:

● HB Patch/OES : Tracy Rees, trees@omro.k12.wi.us , 920-685-3100 ext.2683

● Omro Middle School : Carrie Sabel, csabe@omro.k12.wi.us , 920-303-2301 ext.2207

● Omro High School : Rachel Williams, rwill@omro.12.wi.us , 920-303-2319

Well Badger Resource Center is an information and referral (I&R) service for Wisconsin individuals and families. Information and referral services create and maintain databases of programs and services, and then make sure, through a variety of channels and outreach, that you and others in your community know about those services.
Well Badger is a one-stop connection to community, social, health, and government programs and resources — so you can find what you need, when you need it.

The Navigator is a free, confidential, online tool designed to help parents, caregivers, and professionals navigate mental and behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 21! Just answer a few questions about the child, and the Navigator provides a customized guide to connect the child with the resources and support they both need and deserve.

Children’s Mental & Behavioral Health Resource Navigator (Navigator)

"It’s difficult for us to think about our kids struggling — especially when we may be struggling ourselves. However, it’s important for us to know that we can make a difference." Click on this link for some helpful information about checking in with your child regarding their mental health from the Wisconsin DPI Student Services/Prevention and Wellness team and DPI ConnectEd.

An opportunity for teens to build skills and make positive connections that will assist them in overcoming adversities. Individuals will have the chance to learn coping skills, how to better understand their emotions and build healthy relationships. Emphasis will be put on empowerment of strengths and finding healthy supports in order to foster growth and change. Mondays from 4-7pm at 206 State St., Oshkosh. 920-232-3320

Click HERE for the flyer.

Collaborative Wellness offers in-school counseling services for all ages as well as in-clinic. For information click HERE.

Please call 911 IMMEDIATELY in the event of a medical emergency, fire, disaster response, reporting a crime or any life-threatening situation.

Please call 211 if you need contact information for community resources such need of food, housing/ shelter, utility assistance, healthcare services or government services, substance abuse or mental health resources, transportation, legal services, counseling, support services or disaster aftercare.

Please call 988 for help with thoughts of suicide, mental health crisis, substance use crisis, or emotional distress or you need support handling a crisis.

Upcoming College and Military Visits

Please sign up in Edficiency if you are interested in learning more about what they have to offer you after high school.

January FoxTime:

January 18th, FVTC

25th, US Marines

January 18, 2024- Fox night with The Herd, 6:00pm

January 18, 2024- End of 2nd Quarter

January 19, 2024- No School for Students

February 1, 2024- Scholarship Kick-Off

Find the School Calendar here.

Find the rSchool sports schedule here.

Find the HS/MS Lunch menu here.