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O.H. Anderson Elementary School |
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The eNews is the official electronic newsletter of O.H. Anderson Elementary School. |
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Dec. 23: Creativity Day- Dress creatively or dress like a creative person
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Dec. 24- Jan. 2 Winter Break: OHA is closed
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Dec. 31: Last day for early bird pricing for 25/26 yearbook
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Jan. 5-9: Missoula Children’s Theatre
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Jan. 6: After School Art Adventure Begins at OHA Sign Up Here
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Jan. 7: MPTO Meeting at OHA 7 pm
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Jan. 9: Student Council Spirit Day- Teacher- Student Swap Day. Teachers dress up like students, and students dress up like teachers.
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This Issue's Top Highlights |
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There is no school Dec. 24- Jan. 2nd for Winter break. Enjoy the time with friends and family. We will see you all back on Jan. 5, 2026. The school will not be open during the break so make sure kids bring all items home needed during break. |
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Talk with your child to think of a creative way they can dress up or like a creative person on Dec. 23 for the Student Council Sponsored Dress Up Day “Creativity Day” Have fun and let your creativity go wild! |
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Check out all of the lost and found items and claim them. |
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Principal’s Spotlight on Learning |
Each month, Principal Susie Prather spotlights learning happening at our school.
This month, the Principal's spotlight focuses on Community and Global Impact. |
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Dear OHA Students and Families,
At O.H. Anderson, our students want to make the world a better place—and we are proud to nurture that passion. It is developmentally natural for 8–10-year-olds to crave independence, seek ways to help others, and feel the power of making a difference. We talk often with students about how their actions matter, and we work hard to provide meaningful opportunities for service all year long.
Below are some of the ways our OHA students give back to their school, community, and world:
September: Students take pride in helping clean the lunchroom and bathrooms each day.
October: Unity Day: We wear orange to stand up against bullying, Nature Trail Day: Students care for our environment by removing buckthorn and planting native species, Safe Routes to School: Promotes physical activity, pedestrian safety, and bike safety, and Positive Peers: Hosted a teacher breakfast and created thank-you notes and gift bags for Mahtomedi bus drivers.
November: Veterans Day: Students honored special veterans at a Zephyr Time celebration and enjoyed time together afterward. They also wrote thank-you cards for veterans at the Minneapolis VA Hospital and Thank you notes: Students shared gratitude throughout the month by writing thank-you notes to people who make a difference.
December: Zephyr Service Project: Student Council led a collection of toys and puzzles to be given to families in need.
February: Kindness Day is a schoolwide day of service featuring activities such as: making placemats and lunch bags for Meals on Wheels, creating friendship pins and notes for local businesses, designing art for St. Andrew’s residents, assembling treat bags for bus drivers and guest teachers, and creating Hennepin Healthcare Hearts for NICU families, and a food drive led by student council.
April: Earth Day: Students clean the school grounds, plant trees, and help care for our school forest.
May: Student Council Service Project: Each year, students design and lead a project of their choice. In the past, this has included craft sales benefiting community organizations.
June: National Anthem- Our school choirs proudly sing the National Anthem at Twins games, sharing music and patriotism with our broader community.
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Individual classrooms also connect learning with service, and we welcome student-led ideas that emerge throughout the year. Our strategic plan calls on students to “take action for the greater good,” and O.H. Anderson is living that mission every day.
I am incredibly proud of our OHA students, staff, and the Mahtomedi community for the way they model generosity, empathy, and action. Thank you for making service an important part of who we are.
Ms. Prather, Principal of O.H. Anderson
susan.prather@isd832.net
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Please submit an absence request in Infinite Campus for each day your child is sick. When submitting the absence request please indicate the symptoms your child is experiencing. The health offices need to track illness rates and report to the MN Department of Health if illness rates reach a certain threshold so it is important that families report illness information when submitting the absence request.
Your child must stay home from school if they have any of the following:
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- If your child has a fever of 100°F or higher, they must stay home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
- If your child has vomited or has diarrhea, they must stay home for 24 hours after the last episode.
- If your child has any rash of unknown cause, check with your family physician before sending your child to school.
- If your child has been diagnosed with Strep Throat, they must stay home for 12 hours after antibiotic treatment has started.
- If your child has an uncontrollable cough that prevents them from engaging in learning, your child must stay home.
- If your child has tested positive for infectious disease such as influenza, RSV, or COVID-19, they must stay home until they are fever free for 24 hours, and feel well enough to participate in school. Please contact the health office for further direction for any diagnosed communicable diseases.
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We need everyone to check out the lost and found, as items will be donated in January. |
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Substitute Teachers Needed |
Mahtomedi Public Schools partners with Kelly Education to provide substitute teachers throughout our district. If you or someone you know is interested in supporting our students and classrooms as a substitute teacher or paraprofessional, Kelly Education would love to connect with you.
To learn more or start the application process, call 800-713-4439 or visit the Kelly Education website
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Please Welcome New Office Staff |
Beth Hennen has returned to OHA as the administrative assistant. She has worked at OHA for over 10 years and we are excited to have her back in the OHA office. Katie Malek is the new receptionist at OHA. She comes with experience in the business world and school settings. |
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Please know you can only enter absences in Infinite Campus for the current day. Click here for instructions. If you want to update an absence from a prior day, please call 651-407-2300. Please note that all absences are unexcused if we do not hear from you. Please click here for more attendance information from our handbook |
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Cross Country Skiing Volunteers Needed |
We are looking for volunteers for our cross-country ski gym unit. We begin skiing on January 9th and continue through January 26th. Please sign up here to volunteer. Please note all volunteers are required to complete an application and background check annually. Click here for our background check process or contact Beth Hennen or Katie Malek at 651-407-2300 if you are unsure if you have one on file. |
- 3rd-grade students will be participating from 11:30-12:20 or 12:20-1:10
- 4th-grade students will be participating from 1:55-2:45 or 2:45-3:35
- 5th-grade students will be participating from 9:45-10:35 or 10:35-11:25
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Winter/Spring Registration is Live |
Registration is now open for our Winter-Spring 2026 classes and programs through Mahtomedi Community Education! Browse opportunities on Eleyo to explore your passions and connect with your community this season! |
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The Teacher Holiday Snack Buffet at Wildwood and OHA was a HUGE success! We couldn’t have pulled it off without all the parents who donated snacks and the Hospitality Committee for organizing, purchasing snacks, setting and cleaning up! We also couldn’t forget our elementary bus drivers, custodians and kitchen staff who were gifted Pine Tree Apple Ciders courtesy of the MPTO and our Principals and Admins were gifted Pine Tree Apple pies courtesy of the Hospitality Committee! A big thank you to a great bunch of apples for making this event a success! |
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This week’s Ticket Bucket Wall of Fame winners. |
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If you want to celebrate a teacher or staff member please fill out this Zephyr Celebration Form. It makes a staff member's day for going the extra mile. We will deliver the kind wishes to them and we will celebrate how they make a difference in the lives of a child. |
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Career Day Volunteers Needed |
The 2026 Mahtomedi Middle School Career Day will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The event is intended to foster career awareness for students and support them in learning from local professionals.
The commitment for career presenters will be 12:45-2:40 pm on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Volunteers will present their career slideshow to three different sessions of students, each lasting approximately 25 minutes, including time for student questions. More guidance will be provided closer to the event.
If interested, please fill out this form by December 19th. If there are more volunteers than spots, presenters will be randomly selected through a lottery system. All volunteers will receive an email by early January. Questions? please contact Counselor, Christian Kolb, at christian.kolb@isd832.net
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The School eNews contains information about our students, staff, and programs. The School eNews is published once a week and archives are available at www.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us/page/enews |
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