As we enter the second month of the school year, October, I want to take a moment to highlight the importance of family partnerships at Obsidian. Your involvement is crucial to your child's success and well-being. Coming up on October 24th and 25th we will be hosting parent/teacher conferences, where you can connect with teachers, learn about our programs, and share your insights on how we can better support our students. Together, we can create a supportive environment that allows our children to thrive academically and socially. That being said, we want to connect early. If your child needs help, is confused, or you see them falling behind, please don’t wait to reach out. We are here to serve you!

Academic readiness for high school is a top priority for us at Obsidian. On October 16th we will be publishing our mid-trimester A’s, B’s and 93’s all-stars. Keep your eyes open for our list of students that have met our school-wide goal of achieving grades of A’s and B’s with 93% or better attendance. As we have shared before, students who meet that metric in middle school have 95% odds of graduating high school on time! Our educators are implementing a robust curriculum with a focus on quality classroom instruction that not only meets state standards but also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential for high school success. 

We are excited to announce that our after-school tutoring programs are in full swing, providing additional support for students who may need extra help. Here is the SCHEDULE for the support run by OMS staff. 

In our classrooms, we have been witnessing some incredible lessons. From hands-on science experiments to practice the metric system in 6th grade science, to learning about the geographical features of Oregon in 8th grade social studies, our teachers are dedicated to creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences. We encourage families to ask your children about their favorite projects and lessons in school. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work together to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students to be High School Ready, Life Ready!

Go Wolves!

Evan Grant

Principal, Obsidian Middle School

One of the most impactful ways you can support your student is to frequently check their grades and check for missing work. At Obsidian we use two platforms to share grades and feedback. 

Canvas - Check grades, see missing work, and see specific feedback on assignments.

ParentVUE - Student grades and report cards

Please call the main office if you need assistance with either of these platforms.

Our goal at OMS is to increase our average daily attendance and decrease our chronic absenteeism. The State of Oregon defines chronic absenteeism as any student who misses 13.5 or more days in a school year. We know that attendance better than 93% is a very accurate predictor of both middle school success and high school graduation. A student's grades and attendance are tightly linked. We want all students to aim for 93% or better attendance. Please do your best to support your student by helping them get to school each and every day. If you are planning vacations, please do your best to plan those to match our designated school breaks to minimize time out of the classroom. Here is a short VIDEO created by OMS students that was sent out earlier this year about the importance of attendance. We have some things to celebrate for attendance through September - 92.4% attendance rate schoolwide, and 93 students had perfect attendance! Keep up the great work Wolfpack!

Our fall athletic seasons are off to a great start! We have record turnout and it has been amazing to see all of our student athletes engaged in our programs after school. We encourage you to come out and support our Wolves as they compete against the other local middle schools.

We are so excited to welcome our Wolves in and want to ensure that we have the best learning environment possible for our amazing students. In order to support that mission, we continue to discuss expectations and review how to be a positive contributor to our school community. We ask that you please support your student by encouraging them to meet our community expectations and follow our school expectations. LINK TO STUDENT HANDBOOK

-All students are required to have an updated immunization record on file

-7th grade students are due for a Tdap. 

According to Oregon law, your 7th grade child is required to have one additional vaccine. An official medical or nonmedical exemption is also acceptable. 

Tdap offers adolescents and adults protection against three serious diseases: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (whooping cough). Pertussis is a highly contagious, acute bacterial respiratory tract infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. 

If your child has not yet had the Tdap vaccine, contact your child’s doctor or call your county health department to make an appointment. It is important to get an early start on updating your child’s immunizations this fall. Please give all updated immunization information to the OMS office as soon as your child receives Tdap. 

Thank you,

Debbie Willitts BSN, RN

School Nurse

Obsidian Middle School