Ordean East Middle School

05/29/2026

Congratulations Charlie! 👏 🎉

We couldn’t be prouder of you and all of your hard work! 

Huge round of applause for Ordean East Middle School 6th grader, Charlie Foshay! 👏👏 Charlie represented Duluth Public Schools this week on the big stage at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.! 🐝✨

Charlie was one of only 9 students from the entire state of Minnesota to qualify for the national stage this year. Though he didn't make it past the opening round after a valiant effort on a incredibly tough word ("toggenburg"), just reaching this level is an elite accomplishment! 🌟

Fun fact: Charlie is the third student in three years that ISD 709 has sent to the National Spelling Bee after winning regionals! Our Duluth students are truly shining on the national map. 💪📚

Charlie, your hard work, dedication, and courage have made your entire school and city so incredibly proud. Congratulations on a massive achievement! 🎉❤️

02/11/2026

Ordean East Middle School is excited to participate in a "One Book, One Day" event.

To learn more about this event and how you can participate as well, please read our smore newsletter linked below!

https://app.smore.com/n/4e8xc

10/03/2025

Show your Husky Spirit! Order OEMS merch now (closes Oct. 12th)!

Online ordering for OEMS PTA ends on Sun, Oct 12, 2025 (11:59 PM CDT)

09/05/2025

Mr. Froehlingsdorf's 6th-grade science students at Ordean Middle School need your help! With 36 students per class, the old lab stools are not going to work much longer. This makes it difficult for his 160 students to focus and fully engage in hands-on experiments.

By donating, you can help replace the outdated seating and create a safer, more comfortable learning environment. New, ergonomic stools will improve students' posture and focus, helping them to foster a lifelong love for science.

We need to raise $6,000 for new chairs. Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to a safer and more effective classroom. Thank you for your support! 💚

05/28/2025

UPDATE: Gemma unfortunately misspelled "levigation" in the 6th round. We are SO PROUD of you Gemma! You did a great job representing the entire city! 💕
---------------------------------------------------------
It's an amazing day for Huskies! 🎉 Our very own Ordean East 8th grader, Gemma Kim, is making us incredibly proud at the National Scripps Spelling Bee! 🐝📚 She's already passed the 5th round this morning!

Here's how she's shined so far:

Round 1: Correctly spelled "berceuse." 📖
Round 2: Correctly defined "transience." 🧠
Round 3: Passed the spelling test! ✨
Round 4: Correctly spelled "adventive." ✅
Round 5: This morning, she correctly defined "saturation." 🥳
We are absolutely thrilled for Gemma and will be cheering her on for the next rounds today and hopefully into the finals tomorrow! Go Gemma! You've got this! 💫

01/21/2025

Due to extremely cold weather, Duluth Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 21. All K-12 activities and athletics are canceled for the day, except participation in sectional or state tour­naments, unless canceled by event officials. Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) classes, preschool classes, and KEY Zone are canceled.

The National Weather Service is confident temperatures will be extremely cold until noon, which will not allow for a two-hour delay.

Duluth School Board committee meetings will be held as scheduled.

Thank you.

11/28/2024

🌟 Grateful for Our Teachers! 🌟

This week Ms. Hammond and Ms. Latscher asked students to share the names of elementary teachers they are thankful for. The kids' heartfelt responses were inspiring! Here are some photos capturing their gratitude. Let's celebrate the amazing educators who have made a difference in our lives! 📸💖

06/19/2024

Congratulations Yupeng! 🎉🥳🎊 We are very proud of you and wish you all the best in high school! 🏫

Tonight at the Duluth School Board meeting we recognized one of our exemplary students, Yupeng Chen.

Yupeng, an outgoing 8th grader at Ordean East, started his Spelling Bee journey when he participated in the district’s spelling bee where he came in second place.

In February, he competed in the regional spelling bee which was held in Mountain Iron where he walked away as the Region 3 Champion and punched a ticket to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Yupeng was one of 245 spellers at the national spelling bee and made it to the quarterfinals finishing 60th.

We couldn’t be more proud of this young man and his accomplishments. And we can’t wait to see what he does next. So congratulations Yupeng!

04/27/2024

In Duluth classrooms, educators are using technology to help students reach for the stars - literally!

The technology referendum on Tuesday, May 14 aims to sustainably support technology infrastructure in our schools. To learn more, visit FutureForward709.org.

04/26/2024

The technology referendum on Tuesday, May 14, aims to provide funding to improve and maintain a strong digital infrastructure in our schools for the next decade. Remember, if approved by voters, this levy will automatically expire after 10 years and cannot be renewed without voter authorization.

Learn more about the referendum at FutureForward709.org