Congratulations to 4 Oswayo Valley volleyball players for being named to the District IX All Star Team as voted on by the coaches of the District! Senior Avaree Kellert and Junior Olivia Cook were named to the First Team. Senior Trinity Lundy and Junior Praylan Perkins were named to the second team. This is a tremendous accomplishment, ladies!
Category: DistrictNews
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.
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/
District IX Class “A” Champions!
Special Board Meeting
The Oswayo Valley School District in Shinglehouse, PA hereby gives notice that the Oswayo Valley School Board of Directors will hold a special meeting for general purposes. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in room 146/148 of the Oswayo Valley Elementary School located at 277 S. Oswayo St., Shinglehouse, PA 16748.
Accepting Bids for Tractor and Accessories
The Oswayo Valley School District in Shinglehouse, PA is accepting sealed bids for a 2002 Kubota L3010 4-wheel drive tractor (approximately 2854 hours) with the following accessories:
LA481 Loader Attachment
Land Pride FDR2572 pull behind finish mower
Curtis 7’ snowplow blade mounts on loader
Curtis Fast-Cast 2000 spreader
If you have any questions or wish to view the items up for bid, please contact Mr. Trent Bryant at 814-260-1701 to make the necessary arrangements.
Bids must be received in a sealed envelope and marked as a “Sealed Bid” on the outside of the envelope. Bids will be received at the Oswayo Valley District Office and may be mailed to the Oswayo Valley School District, 277 S. Oswayo St., Shinglehouse, PA 16748. Sealed bids must be received by 1:00 p.m.on Friday, November 11, 2022 at which time they will be opened and read aloud in the District Office located at 277 S. Oswayo St., Shinglehouse, PA 16748.
The District reserves the right to reject or refuse any and all bids.
Veterans Day Assembly
The Oswayo Valley Elementary School is busy preparing for their annual Veterans Day Assembly. If you wish to have a veteran recognized and have not already submitted the following form, you can get one from your child’s school or print from this page.
Stop Youth Addiction Before It Starts
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
Updated COVID 19 Guidance from CDC
Please click on the links below to view the most current CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 and isolation and precautions for people with COVID-19.
Comprehensive Plan
At their August 19, 2022 meeting, the Oswayo Valley School Board of Directors approved the Comprehensive Plan for 30-day public review, Superintendent approved revisions, and submission after 30-day review. To view the Comprehensive Plan, please click on the link below.
OV Wellness Committee
The Oswayo Valley Wellness Committee is looking for new members! Over the past few years, the Wellness Committee has had several of their active committee members retire and they are now in need of additional volunteers. Membership is open to school board members, administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members to ensure a well-rounded committee. The committee usually meets once a month in the Elementary School Library. The group supports a variety of activities in both the Elementary and Middle/High School. In the past, they have sponsored grant funded employee wellness activities as well. The Wellness Committee is looking forward to many planned activities as well as fresh new ideas from committee members. If you are interested in joining, they would love to have you! If you have any questions or would like to volunteer on the Wellness Committee, please contact Ms. Nicole Matthews or Ms. April Mashensic at 814-260-1702.
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.
Updated ESSER Health and Safety Plan
At their September 13, 2021, the Oswayo Valley School Board of Directors approved the updated ESSER Health and Safety Plan. To view the plan, please click on the following link.
Potter County Mental Health Services Available
Please click on the following links for contact information regarding mental health services available for youth and adults.
Potter County Mental Health Services for Youth
Potter County Mental Health Services for Adults
