Curriculum Conversations

Ozark has a long tradition of teaching cursive starting in second grade for as long as any of our residents remember. In 2016, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education changed the Grade-Level Expectations to include cursive for all Missouri public school students. In both second and third grade the standards read: Write legibly (print, cursive) in written text. 

You can help your child with cursive by writing notes for their lunch box, birthday cards, or just the daily chore list using cursive. Students and adults alike remember best through doing.

As students start every single day of their Ozark pK - 12 experience, they recite the pledge of allegiance. A teacher cannot force a student to say the words, but all students are taught the appropriate way to stand with their hands over their hearts. Although Ozark has always stressed reciting the pledge and teaching students about patriotism, in 2016 the state legislature passed House Bill 1750 which requires all publicly funded schools to recite the pledge daily. There are flags displayed in each classroom. Social studies curriculum includes identifying the flag as the symbol of our nation, understanding the significance of the Pledge of Allegiance, explaining how the National Anthem symbolizes our nation, and understanding the historical importance of national symbols associated with historical events and time periods.   

Can the school force my child to say the pledge? According to the 1943 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, West Virginia V. Barnette, no school or government can compel someone to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or salute the flag. 

Leading up to Constitution Day, Tiger Paw students work to learn and

recite the Pledge of Allegiance and to recognize U.S. symbols. 

At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year Ozark switched to a new student information system named PowerSchool. In doing so, this meant parents/guardians were required to create a new parent portal to access registration forms and see their student's schedule and grades.

You can find the link to the Parent Portal by visiting the District website and clicking Parent Portal under District Quick Links or by copying and pasting https://ozarksd.powerschool.com/public directly into your URL on your browser.

To set up your portal you will need the unique Access Code and Password for EACH child. You can get this information by contacting your child's school directly or by emailing powerschoolhelp@ozarktigers.org. Click here for detailed instructions to set up your new PowerSchool Portal. 

Check out this video on how to log in to the PowerSchool SIS Parent Portal:

You can find the above video and more frequently asked question by clicking the button below: 

New and Returning Students