
Oswego Schools believe that many of the quarantine, exposure and positive COVID cases we experienced during Christmas Break were actually the result of Thanksgiving Break. With that, we theorize that similar experiences are quite possible this January/February coming out of this past Christmas Break.
In addition, we would like to remind everyone to be particularly mindful of COVID symptoms and to avoid sending students to school if they exhibit two or more of those symptoms. Also, please keep students at home until testing results on them or others in the household have been returned. If those results are positive, the student would be expected to begin quarantine.
Overall, our experience first semester at school was extremely positive and safe. We would very much like our second semester to mirror and continue that trend as much as is possible. Please do what you can to keep yourself, your household as well as others in the school and community as safe as possible by avoiding unnecessary contact and remaining out of contact when exhibiting symptoms. Thank you all very much.

STREAMING BASKETBALL GAMES: We plan on providing streaming services for all of our JH and HS basketball games. For our home games, this will be provided for both gyms.
The streaming links will be available in two locations:
1) In "Events" on both our phone app and website (note this is on the OJSHS building tab)
2) Live feed will also post the links on both Facebook and Twitter (again through the OJSHS option)
These services will be provided for all games, home and away. A second gym coverage for away games cannot be guaranteed.

We would like to clear up some misinformation that may be going around. As a district, it is not our intention to close schools. However, as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, we would be doing your students a disservice if we were not ready for the possibility of having to shift to remote learning. We have asked our teachers to be ready in the case we would have to transition to remote learning. Please know if this happens, it will not be our choice. We are all aware that students learn best in person rather than in a remote situation. This is the same message we have given our teachers since August. We will continue to release information as we have it. As of now, this is all the information we have.

We will send home school pictures as soon as we receive them. Retakes have been moved to November 20th.

Reminders:
No After School Program this week
Parent-Teacher Conferences Tues/Wed
Halloween parties Thursday (bring costume)
No School Friday!

Friday's (10/9) football game with Marmaton Valley has been cancelled due to low numbers on their part. The next home game will be Friday, October 23rd with Cedarvale/Dexter.

Our story in third grade last week was called, Pop’s Bridge. It was a historical fiction story about the Golden Gate Bridge. For our STEM project Friday afternoon, the kids built their own bridges! They were given 8 straws and tape. The goal was to construct a bridge that would hold a container of salt without falling. Lilli and Darryan were successful with their builds! Everyone else did a great job too, and we had lots of fun! 🌉

Picture Day has been rescheduled for October 9th! This is for students in preschool-4th grade. 📸

Oswego USD 504 COVID-19 Visitor Protocol
Under normal circumstances The Oswego USD 504 school district welcomes visitors to all campuses. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time for all of us and times have changed dramatically due to the virus. Safety is our number one priority, and we must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this disease and protect our students, faculty, and staff. To minimize risk, visitors will not be allowed during the school day.
Students are discouraged to leave campus for appointments during the school day:
Doctor appointments and other off campus appointments are encouraged to be scheduled outside the school day when possible.
Parents of PK-6 students who must leave for an off-campus appointment will be required to follow this process: Parents will park out front of the building and call the office and the student will be taken to the front doors to meet their parent.
Jr./Sr. High School students (grades 7-12) needing to leave campus during the day for an appointment will be required to sign out with the office and an Administrative Assistant will see them to the front doors to be picked up. All students returning to campus after an appointment will be required to sign in at their designated check in point, have their temperature checked, and sanitize hands before proceeding back to the classroom.

Developmental Screening Scheduled in Oswego
Developmental screening will be available for all preschool children from age 3 to age 5 who may be in need of special education and related services in the school districts of Oswego and Chetopa on Friday, August 28, 2020 at the Early Childhood building at 646 Wisconsin in Oswego.
Vision, hearing, speech, and developmental screenings will be conducted for children from age 3 to age 5 at no cost. This free screening is sponsored by the Southeast Kansas Interlocal #637 and the local school district serving Oswego and Chetopa.
Appointments are necessary and can be arranged. To schedule an appointment for children ages 3-5, please call Ann Banzet at (620) 795-2792 or Shandi Morey at (620) 820-4018.

Teachers and staff met today to discuss our plans for continuing the education of our students. We will be working hard this week to prepare packets and any virtual learning activities. Your child’s teacher will be in contact with you this week to give you some details and answer questions you may have so far. Thank you for being patient with us through this process. Stay safe and tell those kids we miss them! 💗

Yesterday, the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) cancelled all spring activities and festivals for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
The removal of those items from the school calendar DOES NOT imply that events currently remaining on the calendar have not or will not be cancelled. Many events will need to be cancelled and those cancellations come from different sources.
We realize that this is a difficult time for everyone. Please be patient as decisions are made by the many organizations and entities involved.

We’ve had a few questions about the beef stick fundraiser. Here is a note from Linseh, our PTO President:
We have the following options for parents/guardians that owe money, need to turn in beef sticks, or have extra orders to pick up.
1. Commercial Bank in Oswego has set up as a designated drop off location for money only. They ask that all customers please use the drive thru. When they go to the drive thru, please ask tell them the money is for Neosho Heights PTO. They will then ask for the student's name in which to credit the funds to. They are keeping track for us at the bank, and we are ever so grateful!
2. For students that have sticks to turn in OR have extra orders of sticks to pick up, please have them text us at 620-423-1411, message us on Facebook, or email us at nehipto@gmail.com to make arrangements. We have already had parents starting to reach out (or stopping by my house to ask) and so we are slowly going to get things turned in.

USD 504 Special Announcement In response to COVID-19 safety measures, Gov. Kelly announced today that all school buildings across the state of Kansas will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Learning will continue. USD 504 will continue to be closed this week in accordance with the recommendation by Dr. Randy Watson - Kansas Commissioner of Education which was made at the beginning of the week. Spring break will be the week of March 23rd through the 27th. Beginning on Monday, March 30th, small groups of teachers in cooperation with the administration will begin developing a plan to carry learning through the remainder of the school year. It is the intent of USD 504 to finalize the plan and communicate it to parents by April 6th.

Free Grab and Go Kids Meals (breakfast and lunch) Available for Pickup March 18th, 19th & 20th Closed for Spring Break (Will resume March 30th if needed) Locations: Neosho Heights Parking Lot, 100 Oregon, Oswego AND Assembly of God Family Life Center, 1323 4th Street, Oswego Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Available to anyone ages 1-18 years old. For more information contact USD 504 Board Office 620-795-2126

Based on the “strong recommendation” of the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Randy Watson, USD 504 will be closed this week. Next week is Spring Break and we will remain closed. We will return to school Monday, March 30th.

There will be no After School Program this week. It will resume after Spring Break on Monday, March 30.

The Archery Tournament at Pittsburg this Saturday March 14, 2020 has been cancel.

The third quarter Awards Assembly will be held Friday, March 13th. It will be at 9:00 in the NeHi gymnasium. You are welcome to attend!

REMINDER: The 3-6 Spring Music Concert will be at OJSHS on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00. Students should be there at 6:45.

March 7, 2020
Outdoor Academy Archery Tournament
Location: MSSU
Elementary flight times are 9:00 and Middle School flight times are at 10:00. There will be a concession stand available.
DEPARTURE TIMES
Students will need to be at NeHi by 6:30.
Students will need to be at SVCA by 6:45.
RETURN TIMES
SVCA 12:30
NeHi by 12:45.
Remaining Tournaments for the 2020 season.
$9.00 FOR THE PITTSBURG QUALIFIER NEEDS TO BE TURNED IN TO THE OFFICE BY MARCH 6TH.
$15.00 FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT NEEDS TO BE TURNED IN MY MARCH 9TH.
If your child is not one of the top 24 archers the money will be refunded.

Today is Discovery Day at Neosho Heights!! If you see/hear emergency vehicles down that way, the school is fine! It's just our kids learning about their emergency services station! 😁

Kansas Day fun in 1st and 2nd 🌻

Reminder: No school tomorrow due to teacher inservice. See you Tuesday!

Good morning! There is no After School Program this week. The program will resume on Monday the 13th. Also, there are some available spots for K-3 students. If you would like to enroll a child this semester, contact the school at 795-4541.

There will be no school tomorrow, December 17th, due to road conditions. Stay safe and warm!

The music/band concert that was scheduled for tonight has been postponed due to inclement weather. The rescheduled date will be determined as soon as possible.

First grade has been learning about Christmas’ around the world. 4 OJSHS students are participating in the exchange program this year and they came and shared with first graders about how and when they celebrate Christmas. Shalini from India, Ludo from Italy, and Anunya and Ingorn from Thailand share about their home and traditions.

‼️Second grade parents!!! Look for your child’s “How to Cook a Turkey” in today’s (Wednesday) edition of The Parsons Sun!! 🦃

3rd graders have been learning about snowflakes this week! Yesterday and today they were able to make their own snowflakes using hot water, borax, and pipe cleaners. After their snowflakes were ready, they measured the diameter in centimeters and put their data on a line plot with everyone’s snowflake information on it as well. It was a fun day in 3rd grade!

2A made their own musical instruments after reading Ah, Music! They used cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, rice, and other household items. They were so creative!

2A sharing the instruments that they made

2A made their own musical instruments after reading Ah, Music! They used cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, rice, and other household items. They were so creative!

2A’s STEAM lesson to go with the story Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type was to make their own barn using LEGO’s, Lincoln logs, play doh, and craft sticks

REMINDER: Scholastic Book Orders are due tomorrow!

Neosho Heights Thanksgiving Lunch will be Wednesday, November 20th. The cost is $5 per adult. If you are planning to attend, we need your reservation by 3:00 on November 15th. No late sign-ups will be accepted. This will help us know how much to prepare, and we need to make sure we have enough room. Thank you!
Please call the NeHi office at 620-795-4541 to RSVP.
**K-2 lunch will start at 11:10. 3-6 will begin at approximately 11:30.

Halloween at NeHi
- Bring costumes to school. Do not wear costume in the morning.
- Kids will change at approximately 2:00.
- Parents are allowed in the building at 2:00 to help.
- Students will parade around the gym at approximately 2:15.
- Students will return to class after the gym parade where they’ll celebrate with classroom parties.
- Students will need to change out of costume before leaving.
- Costumes must be school appropriate. No weapons and no face or hair paint.
If you have any questions, feel free to call the school at 795-4541. Thank you and Happy Halloween!

School pictures are coming home today!! Retakes are scheduled for this Wednesday, October 30th.

NeHi Book Fair Information
The Book Fair will be open TODAY from 3:30-7:30 in the NeHi library.
If you are coming to conferences tonight, please stop by the library!
The Book Fair WILL NOT BE OPEN TOMORROW NIGHT.
Unfortunately, we only have one night of the Book Fair. If your conferences are tomorrow night, it will have already closed. You will have to come up tonight if you would like to look at books with your child.
THURSDAY MORNING the Book Fair will be OPEN for a little bit before it is packed up. If you were not able to make it Wednesday, you may send money to school and students will be allowed to make purchases at that time.
Thank you for supporting our school and your child’s love of reading!

JOB TITLE: Substitute Teachers
JOB DESCRIPTION: U.S.D. 504 is currently accepting applications for substitute teachers. This opening may be for any one or up to all three of our district buildings including Service Valley Charter Academy, Neosho Heights Elementary, and Oswego Jr./Sr. High.
Individuals interested in this position should submit the following:
1. Application
2. Substitute License
Please direct all correspondence to:
Debbie Schneeberger
Substitute Coordinator
PO Box 129
Oswego, KS 67356
dschneeberger@usd504.org
620-795-2126

Nathanial, the fireman, came to visit Miss Ann’s morning and afternoon preschool classes. He talked to the classes about fire safety. He brought the fire truck too!

Congratulations to McKayla for finishing her first 5K race. She finished third in her division. Great job McKayla!

Don’t forget to wear your new red Oswego shirt tomorrow!

Please have your child wear their White's Tax Service red shirt on Friday, October 11th. The students will be using this day as an opportunity to thank White's and get a group picture with them. Thanks! Neosho Heights PTO

4A enjoyed watching the homecoming parade today!

Today was Stem Friday for 4th grade! They created circuits, experimented with coding using the robot mouse, and also had a couple of stem goals they had to complete using building blocks and pipe cleaners! It was a fun morning in 4th grade!

1B students Maicee Wimp and Tateum Johnston completed their number writing to 1,000. They happily claimed their prize.

Johnny Appleseed Day in 1B celebrated with homemade applesauce.

First of all, we would like to congratulate ALL of our spellers that competed in the Neosho Heights Spelling Bee today. Everyone did a great job! After 39 rounds and 115 words spelled, we had a winner! Alex Hellwig, sixth grader, won the school spelling bee and will be representing Neosho Heights in the Labette County Spelling Bee on October 9th. Sixth grader, Jaya Fiscus was the runner up. Again, good job and we are proud of all our spellers today! (Visit our Facebook page for more pictures from the Bee!)

Picture Day today!! 📸

First graders Rylan Littlepage and Kameron Kepner wrote to 1,000! Keep up the hard work.

REMINDER: NeHi school pictures are this Wednesday, September 25th!

The Neosho Heights Spelling Bee will be held Thursday, September 26 at 10:00 am. The bee will be held in the NeHi gymnasium, and parents and friends are welcome to attend! The following students will be representing their classes:
3rd grade - Jayden Dobbs and Claire Baker
4th grade - Logan Gatewood and Casey Manning
5th grade - Kimberly Littlepage and Hayden Hanna
6th grade - Jaya Fiscus and Alex Hellwig

THIS IS JUST A DRILL!!
Tomorrow morning at 9:00 am, Neosho Heights will be conducting a crisis drill. If you see or hear of students evacuating, alarms sounding, law enforcement responding, please know this is only a safety drill.

Kindergarten has been reading books about kindness, accepting others, and filling each other's invisible buckets. Kindergarten visited every student and adult at Neosho Heights this morning with a little treat from their kindness cart. The smile on their faces as they passed out treats showed the joy they had by giving to others.

Today the 4th graders built friendship towers! They wrote fun facts about themselves on index cards and worked in groups to see which group could build the tallest tower using those cards. After their tower was built they picked 5 cards from their tower and tried to guess who the card belonged to! These 4th graders had a blast! More pictures on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/146445425941466/posts/459885197930819?sfns=mo

We started practicing for our Pacer Test in PE. The Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity 20 meter shuttle run fitness test. The test is progressive in intensity-it is easy at the beginning and gets more difficult at the end. The test is set up to allow a period of warm-up running and helps kids learn about pace. Our method of testing in the past has been a long distance run. We replaced that method of testing with the Pacer test around 5 years ago. On the first day of practice MaKayla Farrow-Getman broke the 5th grade record of 50 laps. Kaitlyn Williams held the previous record. Makayla ran 54 laps. Congratulations, Makayla! You did a great job. I also need to give a shout out to her classmates. When I took her picture they all clapped for her and were sincerely happy for her to get the record. Great job 5th grade!

On the first couple days of school, fourth graders wrote poems using the 5 senses- see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. They first filled out a graphic organizer with their ideas, and then they put those ideas into lines of a poem. The next day, they typed their poems using their Chromebooks and were able to experiment with font types, size, and color. They also learned how to insert an image in their document. Finally, we printed their poems and hung them in the hall for others to read!

The 1st Nehi PTO meeting for this school year will be held Thursday, September 19th from 6-7PM in the Nehi cafeteria. We hope to see you there!
*Please, note the date change from September 10th to September 19th. We will not be meeting on the 10th.

The After School Program will be starting September 9th! Sign up sheets were sent home this week. The After School Program is a safe, academically enriching, and fun environment for students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Students that participate receive a healthy snack, two 30 minute sessions focusing on vocabulary, comprehension and fluency, as well as “Healthy Kids” where they will have a fun physical activity. The program runs Monday - Thursday from 3:30-5:15. Space is limited, so prompt sign up is encouraged!

A Message From Your NeHi PTO
The RedWheel kickoff has been changed to Wednesday, September 18th at 2:45PM in the Nehi gym. RedWheel sales will begin this day instead of the 20th. RedWheel sales will still end October 7th and pick-up will be October 16th from 3:30-6PM in the Nehi cafeteria. Please mark your calendars.

SAVE THE DATE! NeHi will be celebrating Grandparents/Grandfriends Day on Friday, Sept 13th from 2:00-3:15 for K-6 students. This year we will begin with an assembly in the gym, followed by a short classroom visit, and refreshments. Notes/sign up forms will be coming home today!

Mr. Gilpin welcomed students and staff back to school yesterday during our morning assembly. Everyone was excited to be back, and students were GLOWING with a little help from NeHi PTO. They were at school handing out glow sticks as students arrived and had decorated the entry way and gym for the first day! We’re ready for a bright year at Neosho Heights!
Visit our Facebook page for more pictures!
https://www.facebook.com/146445425941466/posts/454933001759372?s=658520782&sfns=mo

We’re thrilled to announce Oswego USD 504‘s new app! It’s everything Oswego USD 504, in your pocket. Download the app on Android: http://bit.ly/2ZorUcz or iPhone: https://apple.co/2GyF0fZ.

Don't forget we will be having enrollment Thursday August 8th from 7am to 6pm. We can't wait to see everyone there and get this school year kicked off.