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

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We have no school Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 1.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!   We will also have a professional learning day on December 1 to continue our literacy learning.

Bring in toys or puzzles for the Zephyr Service Project.  They are due Dec. 5.

There is a PTO Movie night tomorrow at Wildwood at 6:05 pm.  Bad Guys 2 will be shown. It is free, but donations are accepted to pay for the movie license.

Each month, Principal Susie Prather spotlights learning happening at our school.
This month, the Principal's spotlight focuses on Staff Expertise.

Dear OHA Students and Families,

Our teachers are in their second year of professional learning in the Science of Reading through a program called LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). LETRS provides educators with in-depth knowledge about how children learn to read, write, and spell. It focuses on the "how, what, and why" of effective literacy instruction, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

This two-year program began with a focus on word recognition and spelling, and now, in our second year, it emphasizes oral language, comprehension, and writing. Each week, teachers meet in collaborative groups on Wednesday mornings and during professional learning days to study, reflect, and apply new strategies in their classrooms. Our work includes reading, viewing classroom examples, practicing instructional strategies, and completing assessments to deepen our understanding.

On November 7, our staff met with our Literacy Coordinator, Ms. Scanlon, to reflect on our learning and strengthen our classroom practices. These learning opportunities have sparked meaningful conversations about how to best support all students. Teachers have shared many positive impacts, including stronger foundational reading instruction and increased confidence in meeting diverse literacy needs.

In Mahtomedi, we are dedicated to providing students with rigorous academics and real-world skills—and that begins with our own continuous learning. I am incredibly proud of our teachers’ commitment to this work and their dedication to providing high-quality, research-based literacy instruction for every student. Our staff have expertise in research and best practices with literacy.  

Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education.  

Take care of yourself, your family, and each other.

Ms. Prather, Principal of O.H. Anderson

susan.prather@isd832.net

Ms. Scanlon, K-12 Literacy Coordinator

When cold weather arrives in Minnesota, we want to ensure you have the information you need about weather emergency communications related to closings, delays, and early dismissals. Click here to read the email shared with our school community to learn more about the three types of weather-related messages you may see during emergency weather. Be sure to check your Infinite Campus account to ensure your contact information is up to date. If your phone or email contact has recently changed, please contact Tonya Voight at tonya.voight@isd832.net

Our district-wide service project runs through December 5, 2025 and supports Mahtomedi students in need. Each Mahtomedi school contributes to holiday gift packages filled with books, toys, clothing, gift cards, and more. All items are wrapped and combined to create complete, personalized packages for students. See below for your school’s collection list.

OHA students and staff are collecting collecting toys and puzzles. Read the email shared with our school community here.

Families can apply for gift assistance through the Google Form until December 5. Gifts will be distributed on December 18 and 19.

Dec. 15-17, we will be taking our Winter a aReading, aMath, and MySAEBRS assessments to monitor growth and determine supports or extensions students may need. Here are some tips to help our students do their best:

Please do not drop kids off early to OHA or have them walk early in the mornings. We have adult supervision from 8:55-9:15 prior to school. No one should be playing on the playground. 

Starting Monday, November 24, Chromebooks will be sent home only when learning needs to continue after school hours or in preparation for e-Learning Days. e-Learning Days will be used when severe weather prevents in-person learning.

If your child has a personal device that can access Google Classroom, you may complete the opt-out form so a school Chromebook is not sent home. Please note, each child will need their own device during e-Learning Days. If extended weather closures are expected, chargers will also be sent home.

During e-Learning Days:

For more information, review the O.H. Anderson e-Learning Day Plan.

It is the season of giving. If you would like to donate to OHA, here is a wish list that will be updated periodically. Thank you for supporting OHA! OHA Amazon Wish List

Mark your calendars! The Community Education Winter/Spring catalog is coming soon. Registration for classes and events opens on December 9 at 8 am!

How to view the Winter/Spring catalog:
Stay tuned–a virtual edition of our catalog will be available on Eleyo later this month for you to get a first glance at the hundreds of opportunities coming your way this winter/spring. 

Print catalogs will be mailed to Mahtomedi families and the community in late November!

What happens when students write poetry in a forest instead of a desk?
“You can tell how hard they’re working and how engaged they are with it. It’s a lot more hands on.” Watch this video and go on a nature walk with Ms. Grace Ochoa, fifth-grade teacher at O.H. Anderson Elementary School.

During this activity, students observed what they see, hear, touch, or smell and they use that to write haikus. Once they write their haikus, they revise them and write it down on paper and draw the nature they saw with watercolors.

O.H. Anderson Elementary School is home to 10 acres of woodlands, including a nature trail, and is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Designated School Forest.

This week’s Ticket Bucket Wall of Fame winners.

Nature Trail Day created hands-on learning experiences while outdoors! 3rd graders painted, planted, and made leaf art. 4th graders learned about animals and looked for camouflaged animals on the Nature Trail. 5th graders learned about birds from the Raptor Center and dissected owl pellets. Thank you parents for continuing to support the MPTO so our schools can continue to provide rich learning opportunities! 

We recently celebrated National Community Education Day, a time to recognize the power of community and the amazing people who make our programs possible.

In Mahtomedi Community Education, we are proud to create spaces where people of all ages can grow, try something new, and connect with others. Click here to hear our staff describe what they love about Community Education and thank our community!

Follow OHA on Instagram to see more photos of what we've been doing this week!

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.

Your gift to MAEF’s Fall Fund Drive (now through Nov. 23) helps foster innovative learning & celebrate student success in our schools. Because of supporters like you, Zephyr students are discovering new opportunities, sparking curiosity in the classroom, & building bright futures.

Click here to make your gift today!

Together, we can make a difference for Mahtomedi students!

MPTO hospitality is putting together a Teacher Holiday Buffet on Thursday, December 11 in the teacher lounges at Wildwood and OHA, and we need your help to make it merry and bright!

We are gathering snack and beverage donations to treat our amazing teachers this season. If you’d like to help, just click the link to sign up and add a little extra sparkle to their day! 

Thank you for helping us celebrate and appreciate our wonderful staff!

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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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www.ohanderson.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us/
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