september - schoolwires · 763-497-8025 [email protected] september everyone can learn! 11...
TRANSCRIPT
Families,
The staff and I welcome you
to Big Woods. We are com-
mitted to working with you
to create a positive and
respectful learning environ-
ment.
Thank you for attending
Open House. We had
94% attendance. If you
were unable to register for
ParentVue, contact the of-
fice staff. If you need to sign
up for November confer-
ences, contact the class-
room teacher.
On September 4th, we
opened our doors for the
fifteenth year and greeted
642 students.
1st Grade: seven sections
ranging from 20-22 stu-
dents
Girls: 75 Boys: 78 (153)
2nd Grade: eight sections
ranging from 19-21students
Girls: 90 Boys: 85 (175)
3rd Grade: six sections with
26 students
Girls: 76 Boys: 75 (151)
4th Grade: six sections rang-
ing from 27-28 students
Girls: 76 Boys: 87 (163)
Total Girls—317
Total Boys—325
If I can be of assistance to you,
contact me at work by tele-
phone, by email, or in person.
I look forward to another suc-
cessful school year.
Lee Brown, Principal
763-497-8025
September Everyone Can Learn!
11 Picture Day
Bus Evacuation Practice
12 CHARACTER COUNTS:
Wear RAINBOW colors.
17 PTO @ 6 PM
School Board @ 7 PM
19 PTO DQ Night 6-9 PM
25 Hearing/Vision Screening
October My Brain is Like a Muscle That Grows
OCTOBER 1-4
Grandparent & Guest Week
OCTOBER 1-5
Homecoming Week
1 Kindness in Chalk
School Board @ 7 PM
3 Wear ORANGE for Unity
October 8-12
STMA Mental Health Week
Fire Prevention Week
8 Wear LIME or NEON
GREEN for Mental Health
Awareness Week
9 Picture Retakes
Grade 2 Field Trip
10 TRUST WORTHINESS: Wear
BLUE
12 Midterms & Locker Clean-
Out
15 PTO @ 6 PM
School Board @ 7 PM
16 Critters & Company
October 17-19
NO SCHOOL
23 Mix It Up Lunch
24 Wear ORANGE for Unity
26 Fall Parties
31 Grade 4 Field Trip
November 1 & 4
Conferences 3-7 PM
Big Woods Newsletter
September & October 2018-19
Big Woods Homecoming Days
1st
PRIVILEGE DAY:
Grades 2 & 4 Extra Recess!!
Grades 1 & 3 Free Seating (cafeteria)
2nd PRIVILEGE DAY:
Grades 1 & 3 Extra Recess!!
3rd
PRIVILEGE & NEON:
Wear neon.
Grades 2 & 4 Free Seating (cafeteria)
4th JERSEY DAY:
Wear team jerseys.
5th
SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY:
Wear blue & gold.
No cameras, hats, head wear, hair color, or face
paint
Tuesday, September 11th.
Information was sent home
at Open House.
Retakes: Tuesday, 10/9.
All guests who join students
for lunch will be seated at a
guest table with their own
child. Only children who
have guests may sit at the
guest table.
Please read the truancy letter
from Wright County Attorney
Thomas Kelly.
PTO Meetings on MONDAYS at 6 PM:
September 17 October 15
November 19 December 10
January 7 February 11
March 18 April 15
May 20
The STMA district calendar
is incorrect.
Page 2
Blue—Support Staff, Ms. Brown—Principal
Mrs. Cate—Health Office, Mrs. Jacobs—Office
Mr. Kelley—Dean of Students, Mrs. Laney—Planning
Room, Mrs. Newman—Office
Mrs. Blenkush: EL; Mrs. Berning: Media
Center; Mrs. Casperson, Mrs. Ontjes:
MN Reading Corps; Mrs. Brown, Mrs.
Dewey, Mrs. Fiecke, Mrs. Reilly, Mrs.
Urai: Reading Response
Mrs. Acker: Counseling;
Mrs. Carlson & Mrs. VanBeusekom:
Music; Ms. Griffin: EL; Mr. Hanson
& Mr. Rasch: PE; Mrs. Jerpseth:
High Potential; Ms. Ohmann: Art;
Mrs. Smith: Media;
Mrs. Zeidler: Reading
Response
Big Woods staff welcomed four
new teachers
Mrs. Clutter—special education
Mrs. Eull—special education
Ms. Thinesen—2nd grade
Mrs. Westom - 4th grade
Page 3
Deputy Erickson is the SRO for Big Woods. As an SRO, she
acts as a liaison between the Wright County Sheriff’s Office
and the STMA schools. Before her SRO assignment, she
worked as a patrol deputy for five years. She responds to
medical situations, out-of –control students, theft, bullying,
damage to property, and other behaviors.
At Big Woods, Deputy Erickson visits with students whose
behavior is below the line or bottom line. She generally
deals with the following situations:
•threats • theft •bullying •traffic
•damage to property •harassment •racist remarks
In addition to helping with discipline, Deputy Erickson is
available to educate students about bullying and other
topics.
STMA fans attending home football games are asked to remain on the “home” bleacher side.
The bleachers on the far side of the field are intended for visiting fans.
All students are reminded of the following expectations: 1). Students in grades K-4 should be
accompanied by an adult. 2). Students should walk, not run, between the concession area and
the bleachers. 3.) Students are not allowed to bring footballs or other balls to the game.
For safety and security, it is important for parents to accompany their children to the football
games. Parents are highly discouraged from dropping off children without proper supervision.
Student Football
Game Conduct
1200 Club Recess & Lunch
Page 4
Hearing and vision screening is scheduled for Tuesday, September
25th. Students who do not pass the initial screening will be re-
screened two to four weeks later. If your child does not pass hear-
ing or vision re-screening, you will receive a letter by November.
Vision screening checks distance vision. We do not screen compo-
nents of vision such as near vision, eye teaming (ability of the eyes to
work together), eye focusing (ability of eyes to focus and shift focus
on near and distance points), or comprehension of what the eye
sees.
If you have concerns regarding components of vision or you notice
any of the following symptoms of eye and vision problems, you may
want to have your child’s vision evaluated by an eye doctor even if
your child passed vision screening at school.
places head close to the book or desk when reading or
writing
has poor hand-eye coordination
complains of double vision
has unexplained, frequent headaches
blinks or rubs eyes excessively
turns or tilts head to use one eye only or closes or co-
vers one eye
has reddened, watering eyes, encrusted eyelids, fre-
quent styes
We need parent volunteers to assist with hearing and vision screen-
ing. If you are available on September 25th and have or will have a
district background check, please contact the Big Woods PTO.
If you have questions regarding hearing and vision screening,
please call me at 497-6520. Julie Winkelman, School Nurse
Octobr 1-4
1: Monday
Grades 2 & 4
Childs, Gavic, Skon,
Sukalski
Bakken, Neururer,
Westom
2: Tuesday
Grade 2 & 4
Hermes, Klein, Peters,
Thinesen
Barrett, Breuer,
DeLozier
3: Wednesday
Grades 1 & 3
John, Patterson,
Totzke, Zattoni
Fritz, Hinkemeyer,
Mashek,
4: Thursday
Grade 1 & 3
Abendroth,
Christensen, Olson
Baker, Curran,
Tibbetts
Registration in September 7th Friday Folder
If school is cancelled, the digital day becomes a
zero and days are adjusted.
School menus are on the Big Woods web page.
Click on School Menus.
Page 5
Approximately 215 students enjoyed an extra
recess and a patio lunch to celebrate reading
1200+ minutes over their summer break.
1200 Club Recess & Lunch
Page 6
Mrs. Laney and Mrs. Zeidler were recognized by their
peers for excellence in education. Both are invited to an
awards banquet in St. Cloud at River’s Edge Convention
Center.
Mrs. Laney has worked in the Planning Room at Big
Woods and St. Michael Elementary since 2000.. Mrs. Zeid-
ler has been a reading specialist at Big Woods since 2012.
Big Woods staff and students appreciate their profession-
alism, dedication, and positive attitudes. We are fortunate
to have them on staff!
The following acronym may be used to
help remember that people with good
character are TERRIFIC!
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
During October, our character focus will
be trustworthiness. We will learn that
trustworthy people show integrity and
honesty. They stand up for their beliefs
and tell the truth. Trustworthy people
are also very loyal and reliable. They
keep their promises, honor their commit-
ments, and are dependable. They stand
by and protect their family, friends,
school, and country.
Think true blue.
Students and staff are encouraged to
wear blue on Wednesday, October 10th.
Headwear, hats, face paint, and hair dye
are not allowed.
The Big Woods staff is excited to roll out
GROWTH MINDSET building-wide. People
who operate with a growth mindset tackle
challenges with self-confidence & compo-
sure and are unconcerned with making
mistakes or being embarrassed. Instead,
they focus on the process of growth.
We will have a GROWTH MINDSET focus
each month.
SEPTEMBER
Everyone can learn!
OCTOBER
My brain is like a muscle
that grows!
Please send a note with your child to notify the teacher. Be aware that teachers
may not watch the clock, and it might take up to 10 minutes for your child to ap-
pear in the office. Therefore, please arrive 10 minutes early or call the office 10 to
15 minutes prior to arriving. The office staff will make every attempt to have your
child waiting. All students must be “signed out” in the office by parents or guardi-
ans. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Please do not call the office after 1:00 to change transportation arrangements.
If you drop off or pick up your children at Big Woods, use Frank-
fort Parkway. For safety purposes, please adhere to the follow-
ing guidelines:
∙ Enter Big Woods in a single drop-off lane.
∙ Pull forward as far as possible. The drop off lane extends to the
stop sign near the ball fields.
∙ Use blinkers to indicate whether you are pulling in or leaving.
∙ Yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk between the parking lot
and the front of Big Woods.
∙Park in the visitor parking area if you plan to enter the building
or wait with your child for longer than 30 seconds.
A crossing guard is stationed in front of Big Woods on Frankfort
Parkway from 7:20 to 7:40 AM and from 2:15 to 2:25 PM.
Bike racks are located in the front and back of Big Woods. Bicy-
clists are encouraged to use the bike paths and follow bike safety
guidelines.
Your child has been assigned a specific bus for transportation to
and from school. Because busses may be at capacity, school
personnel are not authorized to let students ride alternate bus-
ses.
If your address changes, please notify the school office and the
bus company at your earliest convenience. Transportation
changes must be in writing and take at least one week to go into
effect. Please call Don’s Bus at 763-497-2585.
Occasionally, we bus students within district boundaries for ac-
tivities. For in-district transportation, parent permission is not
required. When students leave the district for field trips and oth-
er functions, permission forms are required. In both circumstanc-
es, parents will be notified.
We welcome student/parent communi-
cation and use a variety of methods.
Big Woods Buzz
Staff and students broadcast live morning
news each day at 7:42. The news in-
cludes the forecast, student & staff birth-
days, the lunch menu, and school infor-
mation.
Conferences
Conferences are scheduled in November
and February.
Daily Planners
Expect your child to bring home a plan-
ner each day. Please take time each
evening to review and sign it. Planners
are a great home-to-school communica-
tion tool. Teachers check them daily for
parent notes and comments.
All staff has school email which is
checked daily.
Friday Folders
Friday Folders (white envelopes) will be
sent home at the end of each week.
They contain newsletters, corrected tests
and papers, PTO information, and other
Big Woods communications. Please re-
view the envelope’s contents with your
child, sign the front, and remind your
child to return the empty envelope to his/
her teacher on Monday.
Newsletters
Classroom teachers send home weekly or
monthly newsletters; the art, media, mu-
sic, & PE specialists write trimester news-
letters. The principal sends home a
monthly newsletter.
ParentVue (parent portal)
Parent Portal is an on-line tool to access a
variety of school information about your
child. Information includes attendance,
discipline, and grades.
Telephone
Most staff have a private extension and
check their voice mail daily.
Web Pages
Classroom web pages include a syllabus,
a schedule, resources, and general infor-
mation. The BW web page includes a
variety of information, resources, and
links to calendars, curriculum, family
newsletters, media center, photos, PTO,
resources, staff directory (email links),
student handbook, and student projects.
The STMA district is proud to report that we rank in the top 10% of
MN public schools as determined by combined Minnesota Compre-
hensive Assessment math and reading results from last year (2017-
18).
District 3rd and 4th grade state rankings based on MCA III:
Grade 3 Math~ Top 9% Grade 3 Reading ~ Top 3%
Grade 4 Reading ~ Top 10% Grade 4 Math ~ Top 10%
Big Woods, STMA District, and State results for 3rd and 4th grade
reading and math are in the MCA table to the right. The results are
used to identify the strengths and limitations of STMA’s educational
programming.
Despite the fact that STMA ranks 330 out of 331 school districts in
state funding, we continue to outperform the majority of MN pub-
lic schools.
MCA Results Big Woods District State
Grade 3 Math 90% 85% 67%
Grade 3 Reading 86% 79% 56%
Grade 4 Math 84% 84% 65%
Grade 4 Reading 79% 72% 56%
This table shows
how STMA students
who were proficient
in reading and math
ranked when
compared to other
MN students.
For example, STMA
3rd graders ranked
in the top 2.8% of
the state for MCA
reading proficiency.
STMA 4th graders
ranked in the top
10% of the state.
State Accountability Assessments include MCAs, MTAs, and ACCESS
results.
MN Comprehensive Assessments (MCA): includes most students in
grades 3 & 4 (including EL students)
MN Test of Academic Skills (MTAS): includes special education stu-
dents in grades 3 & 4 who meet eligibility requirements, an alternative
to MCAs
Assessing Comprehension & Communication in English State to State
(ACCESS): determines if students in grades 1-4 have attained lan-
guage proficiency, includes only English Learner (EL) students
The STMA district ranked in the top 12% of the state for
reading and the top 7% of the state for math. When
math and reading are combined, STMA ranks in the top
10% of the state.
The STMA School District has a District Advisory Committee (DAC) to ensure members of the public and educators work together to
improve the quality of education for all children. The American Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee is a sub-committee of the
DAC charged with providing parents the information and opportunity to express their views concerning all aspects of American Indi-
an education and the educational needs of the STMA American Indian children.
The committee is composed of parents of children eligible to be enrolled in American Indian education programs and secondary stu-
dents eligible to be served, along with district personnel, and representatives from community groups. The committee meets two
times per school year, and reports once a year to the DAC informing them of areas of strength and areas of improvement in regards to
programming for American Indian students.
During the 2018-2019 school year, the American Indian Education Advisory Committee will be meeting in the District Staff Develop-
ment Room located in Middle School WEST at 7 PM on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 and Tuesday, January 29, 2019.
If you are a parent of a student who is eligible to be enrolled in American Indian education programs and are interested in serving on
this committee, please contact Teri Johnson, Director of Teaching & Learning, for more information. She can be reached via e-mail at
13470 Frankfort Parkway NE
St. Michael, MN 55376
Phone: 763-497-8025
Fax: 763-497-6563
Principal Email: [email protected]
Student Hours 7:40-2:15
Office Hours 7:00-3:30
www.stma.k12.mn.us
Background Checks
Most school volunteers and chaperones need to have a one time $15 district
background check.
Email the following information to Welcome @stma.k12.mn.us
•Full legal name •Email address • Phone number
A link to a web site that accepts credit card payments will be emailed to you.
Words of the Week
Each week, the specialists dress in character and introduce one essential testing word. Throughout the week, classroom teachers reinforce
the Word of the Week. The words were selected by teachers to increase the knowledge of vocabulary used on standardized tests.
Use the Words of the Week with your child as often as possible:
September: compare & contrast, conclude October: character, sequence, setting
November: plot, main idea, theme, cause & effect December: predict, explain, infer
January: describe, tone, mood, personification February: idiom, onomatopoeia, simile, synonym & antonym
March: condense, support, metaphor, paraphrase, foreshadowing April: prefix & suffix, genre, point of view, headline
May: author’s purpose, summarize
The St. Michael Dairy Queen is sponsoring a monthly fundraiser for
Big Woods. DQ will donate 10% of their total sales to the BW PTO
from 6:00-9:00 PM one Wednesday per month.
September 19, October 17, November 14, December 19, January 16,
February 20, March 20, April 17, May 15
President Stacey Anderson Vice President & Volunteer Coordinator Robyn Holmberg
Secretary Erin Byboth Treasurer Jerian Lind Fundraising Coordinator Sarah Sieve
Voting Board Meghan Gutzwiller, Stephanie Kilmer, Melissa Petite, Sarah Pritchard, &
Alexandra Verville Committees Mary Behn, Bre Butler, Katie Eull, Janet Hofmeister, Sara Hu-
sak, Courtney Smith, & Brandi Reames
Find PTO on Facebook at Big
Woods PTO and “like “ them
for updates.
Contact PTO at
stma885
Grades 1~4
Enrollment 640
Big Woods PTO Volunteers