Past issues of the eNews are available at www.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us/enews

Click Here for the OHA Calendar

Check out National Reading Month Events for March.

Come to the free PTO Family Movie Night at OHA tomorrow, February 27, starting at 6 pm.

The optional Family Input Form  is available to complete by March 31.

Each month, Principal Susie Prather spotlights learning happening at our school.

This month, the Principal's spotlight focuses on Well-being and Wellness.

Dear OHA Students and Families,

At O.H. Anderson, student and staff well-being is a priority because we know children learn best when they feel safe, supported, and cared for.

Each Thursday morning, all 680 students participate in Second Step, a research-based social-emotional learning program.  Through Second Step, students build essential “human skills” such as managing emotions, showing empathy, solving problems, practicing kindness, and making responsible choices—skills that support both academic success and lifelong wellbeing.

We also recognize that meeting basic needs includes movement, especially for children ages 8–10.  Students receive structured movement through 50 minutes of physical education each week, 22 minutes of daily recess, and regular unstructured movement breaks throughout the day.  Teachers also incorporate brain and movement breaks, such as GoNoodle and MeMoves, to help students refocus, regulate, and feel ready to learn.

We are proud to have a strong support system in place for our students.  Ms. McCabe, our school counselor, and Dr. Hokanson, our SEL specialist, work with students daily to support their social, emotional, and behavioral needs.  Students receive targeted social-emotional learning supports that may include Zones of Regulation, conflict resolution, organizational skills, coping strategies, social skills, classroom success skills, and executive functioning.  These supports help students build confidence, resilience, and skills they can use both in and out of school.

Together, these practices help create a joyful, balanced learning environment where every child can thrive.

susan.prather@isd832.net

Our school-wide goal is that every student is forming a reading habit and is reading, or being read to, for 20-30 minutes a night.  Research shows that this habit makes a huge impact on vocabulary acquisition and standardized test scores.  Here is an article that shows the benefits.

What school events will we have?

How can we support this at home?  

Although teacher requests are not considered, if you have specific information about your child that should be taken into consideration, please complete the Family Input Form.  This form is optional.  Previous family input forms do not carry over from year to year.  

Additionally, information that comes in after the deadline will be more difficult to consider since the placement process will have already started.  Please consider sharing academic interests and abilities, emotional and behavioral development, e.g., social awareness or interpersonal skills, and any additional information you think would help us plan for your child.

This is due March 31, 2026.  Note that all of this information is confidential and only shared with Mr. Briske and Ms. Prather.

If you are moving or not planning on attending Mahtomedi schools, please complete this Student Unenrollment Form for us to update our coming school year records. 

Please contact Beth Hennen, beth.hennen@isd832.net if you have any questions.  Thank you.

Keep reading!  The book challenge continues through the end of the school year.

Click here to learn more about the OHA 20 Book Challenge.

Lunch/Recess Para

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30-2pm. 

Click here to apply.

We are still seeking businesses and community organizations to participate in our career event on April 10 for Mahtomedi High School students.  The event is hosted by Mahtomedi Community Education and Mahtomedi Public Schools.  Click here to Sign Up

We hope to add more professionals in the fields of Medical/Healthcare, Law/Public Safety, and Marketing/Sales to meet career interests identified in a recent student survey about the event.

Mark your calendars! The Community Education Summer catalog is coming soon. Registration for classes and events opens on March 17 at 8 am!

How to view the Summer catalog:
Stay tuned: a virtual edition of our catalog will be available on Eleyo soon for you to get a first glance at the hundreds of opportunities coming your way this summer.

Print catalogs will be mailed to Mahtomedi families and the community in early March before Spring Break!

This week’s Ticket Bucket Wall of Fame winners.

Check out the OHA Kindness Service Stations. 

Our students shared kindness beyond our school through special service projects.  They decorated placemats and lunch bags for Meals on Wheels, created artwork and placemats for seniors at St. Andrew’s Village, and made kindness messages and friendship pins for the Wild Bean and Wildwood Tavern.  Students also assembled thank-you treat bags for our guest teachers and bus drivers, and created Hennepin Healthcare Hearts—baby blankets for NICU infants to help families feel connected. 

Thank you to our volunteers for making these meaningful acts of kindness possible.

Students did a great job sharing about their learning at student led conferences.

Thank you for donating items for our food drive.

1,121 lbs of food collected!

Check out the creative sculptures at OHA.

A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to making the teacher buffet, book fair, and spirit wear events a success! Your hard work, kindness, and commitment bring so much joy and community spirit- We are truly grateful for each and every one of you. 

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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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

All OHA families and staff are subscribed to this newsletter.

651-407-2300
www.ohanderson.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us/
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