Kooth

We are excited to announce that Kooth is now available for ALL students ages 11-18! Students under the age of 13 will need parental consent and the parental consent process is now integrated directly into the platform.

Kooth will be offering a series of Parent/Caregiver Webinars for our school families in which Kooth’s Engagement team will introduce Kooth, walk parents through account set up, and answer any questions they might have. We encourage parents to attend one 30 minute session. Listed below are some upcoming sessions. Please click on the link to register for a session.

Thursday, March 16 at 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, March 22 at 5:00 p.m.

Monday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m.

Monday, March 27 at 5:00 p.m.

Change in Procedure

Vaping is a problem that is plaguing school districts across the nation, including Oswayo Valley. To help combat the problem, sensors were installed in our restrooms which is a common place where students use vapes. When an alert is issued and students are identified as potential users, a search is conducted. With the devices being small and easily concealed, we were not finding any on the students. As a result, the District has moved to a no tolerance policy. If a sensor goes off and there are multiple students in the restroom at the same time, we will follow the discipline matrix in the handbook for all students that were in the restroom at the time of the alert. If a student wants to talk and disclose who was using and who was not, we will take that into consideration and take action from there. The sensors that are installed have a .03 false reading potential and administration is instantaneously notified when they have been initiated, therefore the chances of a false reading are very slim. Possession and use of any vaping product on school property violates School District Policy and individuals who are determined to be in violation will be held accountable. Recently a vape cartridge was found on campus that contained a drug serum, so please be advised that if that is found, charges will be filed with the magistrate and will include drug and drug paraphernalia which are much worse charges.

Vaping, tobacco, and drug use continue to be problems with our youth. We are encouraging parents to discuss with their children the risks associated with the use of these substances and make them aware of the consequences of not only using these drugs, but also what can and will happen if they are discovered to be brought onto school grounds. The only way we can resolve this issue and help our students is by working together.  


Winter Coat Drive

The Knights of Columbus in Eldred, PA have generously donated winter coats for Oswayo Valley children in need. If your child is in need of a new coat, please complete the following form and the District will contact you. There is no charge for families to participate in the coat drive.

We would like to thank the Knights of Columbus for their generous gift and for helping keep our children safe and warm.

2022 Coat Drive

New Mental Health Counseling Service for Students

We are pleased to announce our partnership with Kooth, a leading digital mental health platform to provide accessible counseling for students in the Middle/High School. This is in addition to our multi-tiered systems of support.

Students will have immediate access to self-help content, anonymous safe, moderated forums, journaling, goal setting, and therapeutic activities from their smartphones and computers. The app will be available soon for students to download and create an account.

The service has been made available to the district at no cost to students, parents, or the school thanks to a grant funded by the state budget.

Superintendent Jed Hamberger – “We have seen an increase in demand for mental health services since the onset of the pandemic. We have attempted to provide multiple in-person services and are struggling due to a shortage in certified mental health service staff. This is an added layer of support for us to communicate in students’ language through technology with the Kooth platform to address our student and family needs.”

According to CDC data:

• Of American youths aged 12-17, 1 in 3 have persistent feelings of sadness

• 4 in 10 have issues that are going untreated

• and 1 in 6 have made a suicide plan

“For too many young people, counseling has been out of reach and we see them struggling with increasing rates of mental health challenges,” said Kooth US General Manager, Kevin Winters. “Students are facing unique issues, and Kooth knew we needed to create a unique solution. We’re so proud to offer this product to Oswayo Valley School District and other schools across the state of Pennsylvania.”

About Kooth:

Kooth is a leading digital mental health platform. Our mission is to provide accessible and safe spaces for everyone to achieve better mental health. Our platform is clinically robust and accredited to provide a range of therapeutic support and interventions. All our services are predicated on easy access to make early intervention and prevention a reality.

To learn more about Kooth, please visit their website at https://us.kooth.com/

OVES Named 2022 National Blue Ribbon School

On September 16, 2022, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 297 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.  The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. The National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing an entry or flying overhead is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.

Out of approximately 131,000 schools nationwide, Oswayo Valley Elementary is extremely proud to be one of those 297 schools chosen due to our academic excellence! Congratulations to the dedicated students, staff, and community of Oswayo Valley Elementary School!

You can read about the Oswayo Valley Elementary School and the National Blue Ribbon School Program by visiting https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/winning/22pa121pu_oswayo_valley_elementary_school.html

Potter County Drug and Alcohol Program Survey

Potter County Drug and Alcohol Program is conducting a community survey of adults residing in Potter County in order to assess levels of use and community attitudes about key issues related to alcohol and drug use. The results of this survey will help us address those issues that are most concerning to people in our county.

The survey is to be completed by county residents 18 yrs. of age and older and it is important that we are able to have as many survey responses as possible. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions in the survey – it should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Your responses will be extremely helpful to us as we strive to improve our services.

You may access the survey by clicking on the link below. You can complete the survey from any computer, tablet, or other device that is connected to the Internet. The link to the survey is:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PotterAdultSurvey

Substitute Teacher Shortage

Check out this article from our friends at WPSU featuring our very own Ms. Emerick, Mr. Schlosser, and Mr. Sherrard. The article addresses the ongoing substitute teacher shortages that our schools are facing. This is a problem that all districts across the nation have faced for years and is continuously growing.
In response to the crisis, Governor Wolf signed Act 91 into legislation. It adds temporary flexibilities for the use of certain teaching permits and creates a new Classroom Monitor Permit for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. Classroom monitors provide coverage and deliver preplanned assignments in classrooms.
The requirements to be a classroom monitor include the following:
* 60 semester hours or the equivalent of courses at a regionally accredited college or university located in Pennsylvania or have at least three (3) years’ experience working as a paraprofessional in a school entity and is currently working as a paraprofessional in a school entity.
*Met requirements for background clearances, citizenship, and good moral character under the School Code and Child Protective Services Law.
*At least 25 years of age
*Completed training on classroom management
If you meet the state’s requirements and are interested in participating in the necessary training and obtaining your Classroom Monitor Permit, please contact Mrs. Christi Stedman in the District Office at 814-260-1700.
Oswayo Valley School District (c) 2022