August - September 2025
|
Dear Nisswa Warriors,
Welcome to Nisswa Elementary! 💙 Whether you’re returning for another year or joining our school community for the very first time—welcome. This year is especially meaningful as, for the first time in 20 years, we have Pre-K through Grade 5 all under one roof. We are truly one house, one community, one team. 🏠💙
Our theme for the year is GRIT = Growth—because we know that perseverance, effort, and a positive mindset open the door to incredible learning and personal success. We’ll be encouraging our students (and ourselves!) to face challenges with determination, learn from every experience, and keep moving forward together.
The first day of school never gets old, and we can’t wait to see our hallways and classrooms filled with those bright, smiling faces again. Below, you’ll find a few key back-to-school dates to help you get ready, but remember—our 🔗Nisswa Elementary Events Calendar with updates, additions, and changes is always available on the 🔗Nisswa Elementary website and in the ParentSquare app. Please check often and add events to your calendar while they’re fresh.
We hope your summer was filled with great memories, and we’re excited to start this year with energy, purpose, and a whole lot of Warrior pride. Let’s make it an amazing year—together!
Sincerely,
Molly Raske
Principal, Nisswa Elementary School
🌟 GRIT = Growth 🌟
Gratitude • Resilience • Integrity • Teamwork
|
📅 Important Dates - Nisswa Elementary💙
|
|
✉️ Nisswa Welcome Back Teacher Letters: Your student’s teacher assignment letter for the 2025–2026 school year will arrive in your mailbox late this week or early next week. Inside, you’ll also find the 🔗School Supply List 2025-26 📝.
🎈 Open House & Nisswa PTO Pride Charter Event – A Historic Celebration!🦁
📆 Wednesday, August 27, 2025 | 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
PTO will serve a special treat 🍦 on the playground (or in the cafeteria if raining).
Bring your school supplies to your student’s classroom and explore the halls.
Meet your teachers — they can’t wait to see you!
🦁 Nisswa PTO Pride Charter Event – A Historic Celebration!
📆 Wednesday, August 27, 2025 | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Playground (Gym if raining)
Celebrate the launch of our new Lions Club chapter!
🎒 First Day of School
📆 Grades 1–5: Tuesday, September 2, 2025
📆 Kindergarten: Thursday, September 4, 2025
📆 Pre-School: Monday, September 8, 2025
💙 Let’s kick off the year with GRIT – Generosity, Responsibility, Integrity, Teamwork!
 📌 Stay Up to Date on Events
Find the latest school event dates on the 🔗Nisswa Elementary Events Calendar.
District-wide dates are available on the 🔗Brainerd Public Schools Calendar. For the easiest access, we highly recommend downloading the ParentSquare app 📲 — it puts the full calendar right on your phone.
District Communication Tools (Parent Square and Skyward): Flier LINK
The new District website is live at isd181.org For new families/guardians or for those who have forgotten their password: Go to the Family Access registration link and complete the Family Access form. If families/guardians need to update contact information, these changes must be made in Skyward Family Access, which opens on 8/22/25, using the directions in this LINK -
Reporting Attendance…
Enter the absence in Skyward at least 2 hours in advance-Family Access Attendance Call the Nisswa Elementary Office (Jill Ostendorf is our building Secretary) at 218-961-6860.
📣 ParentSquare & New Website 📣
We’re excited to share that our new district website is live at isd181.org!
ParentSquare is our primary communication platform—download the app or check messages from your Skyward-connected email.
|
If you haven't activated your ParentSquare account yet, please do so by taking the following steps. Check your email or text messages for your invite
2. Download the free app or visit www.parentsquare.com
3. Log in using the email address we have on file for you at school
|
|
🌐 Skyward Family Access
Skyward is our go-to tool for student information, attendance, grades, and school communication. Please take a moment to make sure your contact info is up to date!
| 🚌Drop-off, Pick-Up & Busing Information🚌 |
|
🚌 Transportation
Families will receive busing info soon. If you have not received transportation details by Open House on August 27, please contact our transportation coordinator at 218-454-6920.
⚠️ Students may not ride the bus until they have received their official bus card.
Pick-up & Drop-off Procedures
Morning Drop-Off:
Doors open at 7:30 a.m., but the preferred drop-off times are 7:55 a.m. for students eating breakfast and 8:10 a.m. for students heading directly to class. For safety, drop-off will take place curbside in front of the main entrance (by the big letter B) until 8:10 a.m. This is a drop-off zone only—no parking is allowed.
Please pull forward past the flagpole, in line with the library, to keep traffic moving and allow more vehicles to unload. To promote independence, parents/guardians should not walk students into the classroom. Students arriving after 8:15 a.m. must enter through the main doors and be checked in at the office by an adult.
Afternoon Dismissal:
Bus Riders: Escorted to their buses, which depart at 2:50 p.m. Walkers: Guided to the sidewalk areas by school patrol.
Nisswa Outgoing Busing:
Buses depart at 2:50 p.m.
Any changes must be communicated to the office by 2:00 p.m.
*If you haven’t received your bus pass, contact the District Transportation Coordinator at 218-454-6920. Students need bus cards to ride. For concerns or issues with the bus, please contact Reichert’s Bus Company at 218-829-6955.
Fifth Grade Activity Bus:
An activity bus will transport fifth graders enrolled in activities to Forestview. More information will be provided soon. When registering for activities, families will receive instructions on how to indicate that their student needs transportation from Nisswa Elementary to Forestview, along with the departure time from Nisswa.
Guardian Pick-Up:
All pick-ups are curbside through the Nisswa parking lot. Pull forward as far as possible—students will exit through the library doors. Pick-up begins at 2:50 p.m. and all students must be picked up by 3:00 p.m. Students not picked up by 3:00 p.m. will wait in the office and must be signed out there.
Changes to Pick-Up Plans:
Call the office at 218-961-6860 before 2:00 p.m. Provide the first and last name of the adult picking up the student. For pick-ups before 2:50 p.m., an approved adult must check in at the main office with an ID to sign the student out.
|
🍎Breakfast, Lunch & Nutrition Services🍎
|
|
Nutrition Services
Here is a link to the forms for the 2025/26 Application for Education Benefits. Our school offers healthy meals each day. Starting in 2023-24, we joined Minnesota’s Free School Meals Program. All students can get one breakfast and one lunch free of charge each day at school. Although no application is required to receive this free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is still important! Your child(ren) may qualify for other benefits like reduced fees at school. Your application may also help the school qualify for education funds, discounts, and other meal programs.
🔗DISTRICT NUTRITION SERVICES LINK
Nisswa PTO: We’re beyond lucky to have the most awesome and engaged guardians! Our PTO is simply the BEST—always going above and beyond to support those special “Only in Nisswa” moments and creating tons of fun ways to get involved through their events. Since we’re all part of this amazing group, here’s a link to the NISSWA PTO REGISTRATION FORM. Please take a moment to fill it out and join in on the fun!
School Supply List 📚✏️
Many stores no longer allow paper supply lists, so we’ve linked it here for your convenience, and it will also be included in the welcome back teacher letters you’ll receive late this week or early next will include the School Supply List 2025-26. If you’d like to spread a little extra kindness, we’re always grateful for donated supplies—they can be dropped off right in the main office. 💙 If you have a need—supplies or anything else—please reach out to the Nisswa Elementary main office at 218-961-6860. We’re here to help make sure every student starts the year feeling ready and excited! 🎒✨
|
💙 Visitors & Volunteering 💙
|
|
Visitors
All visitors will need to provide a government-issued ID (state ID card, driver’s license, or passport card) when they enter the building as part of our new Raptor security system. The Raptor system scans and processes visitors against a national criminal database to ensure all visitors are safe to visit. The term “visitor” is intended to identify parents/guardians or community members who participate in large group events, classroom parties, drop off materials in the school office, etc.
Volunteers
The school district requires all to follow the Volunteering Guidelines, and Application Forms are completed annually.
Please complete these two steps if you want to be a classroom volunteer, field trip chaperone, book fair worker, or other type of volunteer.
Step 1: Complete the Volunteer Application
Step 2: Read the Volunteer Guidelines and then complete the Verification for Reading Volunteer Guidelines
*Applications take 5-7 business days to be processed by the district.
|
🔗DISTRICT NUTRITION SERVICES LINK
|
| SITE-WIDE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES |
|
 Visitors
All visitors will need to provide a government-issued ID (state ID card, driver’s license, or passport card) when they enter the building as part of our new Raptor security system. The Raptor system scans and processes visitors against a national criminal database to ensure all visitors are safe to visit. The term “visitor” is intended to identify parents/guardians or community members who participate in large group events, classroom parties, drop off materials in the school office, etc.
Volunteers
Volunteers
The school district requires all to follow the Volunteering Guidelines, and Application Forms are completed annually.
Please complete these two steps if you want to be a classroom volunteer, field trip chaperone, book fair worker, or other type of volunteer.
Step 1: Complete the Volunteer Application
Step 2: Read the Volunteer Guidelines and then complete the Verification for Reading Volunteer Guidelines
*Applications take 5-7 business days to be processed by the district.
|
⭐NISSWA STUDENT COUNCIL ⭐
|
|
🏆 Meet our Student Leaders! 🏆
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
⭐ WARRIOR WAY & GRIT = GROW ⭐
|
|
|
🎉 Each month, we shine a spotlight on an important character trait! Let’s learn, practice, and celebrate these qualities together!
⭐ Two students from each class are honored for living that word!
🍎 September – 🤝 Helpful 🌟 Lend a hand, be a team player, and make a difference!
🎃 October – 🔒 Trustworthiness 🛠 Be honest, keep promises, and show you can be trusted!
🦃 November – ✨ Respect 💬 Use kind words, listen to others, and treat everyone with dignity!
🎄 December – ✅ Responsibility 💪 Own your actions, do your best, and follow through!
❄ January – ⚖ Fairness ⚖ Play by the rules, share, and treat everyone equally!
💖 February – ❤️ Caring 💌 Show kindness, empathy, and compassion for others!
🌱 March – 🎤 Leadership 🚀 Set a great example, inspire others, and be a role model!
🌸 April – 🎨 Creativity 🖌 Think outside the box, use your imagination, and try new ideas!
☀ May – ⏳ Patience 🕰 Stay calm, take your time, and understand that good things come to those who wait!
|
|
💙 THE WARRIOR WAY 💙
At Nisswa Elementary, we live the Warrior Way—by showing respect, kindness, and responsibility every day! And guess what? We celebrate our Warriors in BIG ways!
🎟 Warrior Way Tickets
🌟 How do students earn them? By showing the Warrior Way throughout the school day!
🎟 What happens to the tickets? They go into the classroom’s Warrior Way bucket.
🏆 What’s the reward? At our monthly rally, we pull tickets for awesome prizes!
💥 PLUS! Weekly “Shout Outs”
Each week, students who show great character & effort get special recognition! 🎤👏
🏆 The Traveling Trophy
🚀 The ultimate class prize! A class that shows the most Warrior Pride in our hallways, lunchroom, playground, and other common areas is the Traveling Trophy! 🏆
💪 Why is it special?
It’s a highly sought-after trophy—so classes work together to earn it!🎉 Monthly Warrior Rally
🎟 Warrior Prizes—Drawn from the Warrior Way Ticket buckets!
🏆 Traveling Trophy—Awarded to a class!
🎤 Character Awards—Recognizing students for exceptional character!
💙💛 The Warrior Way Chant!—We celebrate as a school!
💡 Let’s live out these traits every day and make our school a place of kindness, respect, and leadership!
|
🌟 GRIT = Growth 🌟
Gratitude • Resilience • Integrity • Teamwork
This year’s theme reminds us that strong character helps us learn and thrive.Each month at our Warrior Way Rally, we’ll celebrate one student from each class who shows outstanding GRIT! 💙 |
|
|
|
|
Nisswa PTO: We’re beyond lucky to have the most awesome and engaged guardians! Our PTO is simply the BEST—always going above and beyond to support those special “Only in Nisswa” moments and creating tons of fun ways to get involved through their events. Since we’re all part of this amazing group, here’s a link to the NISSWA PTO REGISTRATION FORM. Please take a moment to fill it out and join in on the fun!
PTO Board Members:
PRESIDENT: Shae McKibbon
VICE PRESIDENT: Molly Dammeir
TREASURER: Briana Sanow
SECRETARY: Sarah Waletzko
TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES:
Andrea Parrington & Emma Peterson
email: nisswapto@gmail.com
|
Daily Attendance Matters! Regular school attendance is required by the State of Minnesota and plays a crucial role in your student's success. If your student will be late or absent, please enter that absence on Skyward Family Access (preferred) two hours in advance, email Jill Ostendorf at jill.ostendorf@isd181.org or call 218-961-6860.
📌 Emails or phone messages should include:
✅ Your student’s full name
✅ Their teacher’s name
✅ The reason for the absence
📌 Appointments? Please email Jill Ostendorf or send a note with your child when they return.
📌 No communication or note? The absence will be marked as unexcused.
For family trips, we encourage you to check the district calendar on the Nisswa School Website when planning. Attendance is especially important during statewide testing weeks, so please ensure your child is well-rested and present.
See BPS Policy 504 for full attendance requirements & details. Thank you for helping us support student success! 🎓📚
|
|
🤒 When Should My Student Stay Home from School? Keeping our students healthy helps everyone! Here’s when your child should stay home and rest: 💊 Antibiotics: ➡️ If your child starts an antibiotic, they should wait 24 hours before returning to school.
🚽 Diarrhea: ➡️ Please keep your child home for at least 24 hours after the last episode.
🏥 Doctor’s Recommendation: ➡️ Always follow your doctor’s advice.➡️ If your child requires a doctor’s visit, please ask for a note to bring to school.
🌡 Fever: ➡️ If your child’s temperature is 100°F or higher, they should stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
💙 Let’s work together to keep Nisswa Elementary healthy!💙
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to School—Be Ready for Recess! 🍂💙
As we head into the school year, please remember that students go outside for 30 minutes of recess every day, unless there’s soaking rain, thunder, or visible lightning.
Be sure to check the daily forecast and send your child to school dressed for the weather. On cooler or wet days, an extra pair of pants, socks, or rain boots can help keep them warm, dry, and ready to play! 🧥👖🧦
If getting the right gear is tricky, we’re here to help! Please reach out to office staff at 📞 (218) 961-6860.
Thanks for helping us keep our Warriors comfortable and ready for fun—rain or shine! 🌞🌧❄️🍁 |
|
|
| HOMEWORK & HOME CONNECTION |
|
Building GRIT—Together! 💙
At Nisswa Elementary, our theme this year is GRIT = Growth. One of the best ways to help your student grow is by making sure they come to school prepared each day. Your support at home builds strong work habits, fosters resilience, and sets them up for success.
Take a few minutes each day to ask your student about what they’re learning and celebrate their progress. These conversations strengthen connections and encourage a positive mindset—helping them tackle challenges with confidence.
Together, guardians and staff can make this a year of growth, perseverance, and success! 🍎📚 |
|
|
 GETTING TO & FROM SCHOOL |
|
🏫 Start of Day Arrival Procedures
📌 School Start Time: 8:15 A.M.
- Students should be in their classroom ready to learn by 8:10 A.M.
🚗 Drop-Off Guidelines (8:00 - 8:10 A.M.)
-
Recommended arrival time: By 8:00 A.M.
-
Drop-off location: Curbside at the main entrance (by the big letter B).
-
Important reminders:
✅ Drop-off zone only—No parking allowed.
✅ Keep the line moving—Pull forward past the flagpole, near the Library.
✅ Independence encouraged—Parents/guardians cannot walk students to class. (Exception: New students & kindergarteners on the first day.)
⏰ Late Arrivals (After 8:15 A.M.)
- Enter through the main doors.
-
An adult must check in the student at the office.
🚌 Bus Information
- Buses begin dropping off at 8:00 A.M.
-
Students must have a valid bus card to ride.
➡️ Need a bus pass? Contact the district transportation coordinator at 454-6920.
-
For bus-related issues, call Reichert’s Bus Company at 218-829-6955.
👋 Volunteering or Visiting?
-
Volunteers must:
✅ Complete a background check & online volunteer application. (You’re cleared unless notified otherwise.) Application Forms
✅ Bring a state-issued ID.
✅ Have the visit scheduled with the staff member you’re assisting.
✅ Check in at the office upon arrival.
|
|
🏫 End-of-Day Dismissal – 2:50 P.M.
🚌 Bus Riders
- Buses depart from Nisswa at 2:50 P.M.
-
Students will be escorted to their buses by staff.
-
No bus transfers this year! 🎉 – Plus, buses will now transport only elementary students.
-
Need a bus pass? Contact the district transportation coordinator at 454-6920.
-
For bus-related issues, call Reichert’s Bus Company at 218-829-6955.
🚶♂️ Walkers
-
Escorted by school patrol to designated sidewalk areas after buses leave.
🚗 Pick-Up (2:50 - 3:00 P.M.)
-
Pick-up is curbside through the Nisswa parking lot.
- Students will exit through the library doors.
-
Please pull all the way forward to keep traffic flowing.
- All students must be picked up by 3:00 P.M.
-
Late pick-ups (after 3:00 P.M.): Families must go to the office to sign out their student(s).
📞 Need to Change Pick-Up Plans?
- Call the office at 218-961-6860 before 2:00 P.M.
-
Provide the first & last name of the person picking up your student.
-
Early pick-ups (before 2:50 P.M.) require an approved adult to check in at the main office with an ID to sign out the student.
|
|
|
|
|
 📞 Ready to Join the Pack?
Call the Nisswa office to schedule your day as a Watch D.O.G.!
218-961-6860
🐾 One day can make a BIG impact—sign up today! 🐾
|
|
| WATCHDOG VOLUNTEERS WELCOME |
|
|
🐾 Become a Nisswa WATCH D.O.G.! 🐾
What better way to give back than by spending a day at your student’s school?
We’re looking for Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)—dads, step-dads, grandfathers, uncles, or other positive male role models who want to make a difference at Nisswa Elementary!🐶 What Do Watch D.O.G.S. Do?
✔ Spend the day volunteering at school.
✔ Interact with students and be a positive role model.
✔ Visit classrooms, help out at lunch, and even enjoy recess fun with your little Warrior!🎉 A Day in the Life of a Watch D.O.G.
🐾 Arrive at school and be welcomed by the one and only Mrs. Jill Ostendorf—our famous & fabulous secretary!
📸 Take a photo with your student for our Watch D.O.G. Wall of Fame!
📚 Assist in classrooms, engage with students, and make a lasting impact!
🍽 Eat lunch with your student and join in on recess fun!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
