In this
Edition
\
PAGE 1
PAGE 2-3
PAGE 5-6
PRINCIPAL’S
NEWS
NEW FACES AT
CEDAR PARK
SOCIAL
WORKER
NEWS
PAGE 8
PAGE 9
PAGE 10-11
UPCOMING
EVENTS
NUTRITION
NEWSFLASH
HOME &
SCHOOL
CONNECTION
News from the Principal…
Dear Parents and Friends,
Welcome to Cedar Park STEM School! We are excited to have you join us for what is sure to be
another adventurous year. We open our 2014-2015 school year with an enthusiasm for excellence.
Our momentum going into the year is strong. Last year, we received a 2014 Magnet Schools of
America School of Excellence Award. We continue to receive acclaimed recognition from visiting
school representatives, who come from across the country to tour our building. This is truly a
testament to the hard work of our staff and students. We continue to make Adequate Yearly
Progress and improve our MCA results. Cedar Park STEM is leading the way in creating a STEM
corridor to Valley Middle School and Apple Valley High School; this corridor will ensure a strong
pathway in STEM education to students who find the STEM fields exciting and important.
I want to say thank you to our parents and students. Students are arriving well prepared,
enthusiastic, and ready to learn. It has been a real joy to greet them each morning with a high five
and a handshake. As I walk the halls each day, I see our students fully engaged, our teachers
working hard, and our staff supporting students around every corner. Cedar Park is truly a
wonderful place to be, and we thank you for sharing your children with us.
Please feel free to contact me or pay me a visit if you ever have questions or concerns. My door is
always open. The families of Cedar Park are my top priority.
Have a great year!
John Garcia, Principal
New Faces at Cedar Park…
Judy Dahlke, Program Support Assistant
I will be a Para at Cedar Park and have been a Para for 12 1/2 years in District 196.
I have been in both mainstream and in CID center based classrooms. I love working
with kids! I am married and have a daughter and son-in-law that live in Apple Valley,
a son that lives in Colorado, and a son and daughter-in-law that live in Blaine. In
addition, and I have four wonderful grandkids that I love to spend time with.
Ryan Erickson, 2 nd Grade Teacher
My name is Ryan Erickson, and I am excited be joining the Cedar Park community
as a second grade teacher this year. I am joining Cedar Park after teaching in
Saint Paul for the last three years. During my time in Saint Paul, I enjoyed being the
science and engineering specialist in a science magnet school much like Cedar Park.
I am looking forward to bringing my knowledge and passion for STEM education to
my class and to the whole school this coming year.
Janet Gulden, Instructional Assistant
I am very excited to be joining Cedar Park as the Instructional Assistant. I am
returning to District 196 after having been the Assistant Principal at Minnehaha
Academy for the past four years. Previous to that, I was the magnet
coordinator at Diamond Path Elementary School of International Studies. I also
have extensive classroom teaching experience at Echo Park Elementary having
taught Special Education and grades two, four, and five. I am a graduate of
Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, and my graduate degrees are from the
University of Minnesota and Hamline University.
JaimeLyn Loewen, Special Education
I was previously at Diamond Path Elementary here in the district. This will be my
11th year in the Special Education field, and I have loved every minute of it! I
enjoy working with students, and I have a passion for seeing them succeed in
their everyday goals.
Becki Wattier, Physical Education Specialist
My name is Becki Wattier, and I will be a Physical Education Teacher at Cedar
Park this year. I have my Master's Degree in Teaching and Learning from
St. Mary's University. I have been teaching Physical Education in our district for
16 years. I have spent a majority of my teaching years in the middle schools in
our district as well as a year at Eastview High School, Apple Valley High School,
and Shannon Park Elementary. I am very excited to be back in an elementary
school!!! I can't wait to meet your children and get them excited about being
active and moving!
Katie Williams, Reading Recovery
Hi! I’m Katie Williams, and I am so excited to be joining the Cedar Park team as a
Reading Recovery teacher! I attended St. Olaf College and have been teaching
kindergarten and first grade for the past seven years in Minneapolis. In my free
time, I enjoy being with my family, walking near Lake Nokomis, singing, and
discovering fun new picture books.
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New Faces at Cedar Park…
Missy Young, 2 nd Grade Long-Term Substitute Teacher
My name is Missy Young. I graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato
in 2003 with my bachelor's degree and from St. Kate's in 2014 with my master's degree.
I have taught in district 272 (Eden Prairie) and district 191 (Savage-Eagan-Burnsville).
I went back to teaching last year after staying home with my children for eight years.
I have three children ages 10, 8, and almost 5. I enjoy teaching and watching young
minds at work. My goal is for all my students to be successful and ready for what lies
ahead of them. I strive to be a positive role model and have high expectations for all
my students. I am very excited to be at Cedar Park!
STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair
Cedar Park’s Bubble-ology exhibit at the State Fair’s Family STEM Day was a big hit with both young
and old alike. Our booth highlighted the science and engineering behind bubbles. Children could
design their own bubble wand and test out different bubble solutions. The crowd showstopper was
our “Wrap A Child In A Bubble” experiment. Our exhibit was one of 20 family friendly exhibits. This
fun-filled day was not only a terrific way to engage children and adults in STEM-focused activities
but also to educate the public on the importance and value of a strong STEM education.
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4
Social Worker News
School Social Workers provide individual, group, and classroom support for students and
consultation to parents. My goal is to help reduce/remove any barriers that are in the way of your
child being successful in the classroom. If you have questions or concerns about something your
family or child is going through, please call me on my direct line at 952-431-8795. You can also leave
me a voicemail at 651-683-6969 x18795 or email me at diane.johnson@district196.org. I am at
school Monday – Friday from 8:00 to 4:00. Feel free to stop by anytime!
September is National Attendance Awareness Month. This is a nationwide event that
recognizes the connection between school attendance and academic achievement. Here at Cedar
Park, we strongly believe that attendance is the key to success. We believe that setting good
attendance habits in elementary school will create good attendance all the way through college.
We know that some absences are unavoidable such as illness, family emergencies, or doctor
appointments. We do ask that you try to schedule appointments before or after the school day to
avoid being absent. See the flyer on the next page for some great strategies!
Want to Stretch Your Food Dollar?
Fare for All Express might be the answer. Fare for All Express offers packages of fresh produce and
frozen mean at up to 40% savings. There are distribution locations throughout the metro area
where packages are sold. There is no need to sign up in advance; come to any location and bring
your food home that day. All of the food is purchased in bulk directly from wholesalers. Utilizing
bulk purchasing power allows us to get product at a good value and pass on the savings to our
customers. Fare for All strives to offer quality and nutritional food packages. The exact content of
the packages changes each month while the value remains the same. Please contact us if you have
questions regarding the food we distribute. Fare for All Express accepts cash, credit/debit cards, and
EBT cards. We do not accept personal checks. The site in Dakota County is Diamondhead
Education Center, 200 West Burnsville Parkway, Burnsville MN, 55337. The dates are
Wednesdays, from 3:00 to 5:00: September 10, October 8 th , November 5 th , and
December 3 rd . For a complete listing of other locations, please visit www.fareforallI.
Cedar Park PTO Update
The PTO is excited to welcome Cedar Park families to another school year. Whether this is your first
year or your tenth, we'd like to extend an open invitation for you to get involved with the school's
parent teacher organization. We meet monthly to discuss PTO responsibilities such as fundraising,
school-wide events, t-shirt and school spirit items, allocating funds, and much, much, more. Our
first meeting of the year is on Monday, September 8th, at 6:30 p.m. in the library. (Treats will
be provided!) We hope to see you there!
Upcoming PTO Dates:
Monday, September 8 - 6:30 p.m., Meeting (Cedar Park Library)
Thursday, September 11 , Chip Shoppe Fundraising Kick-Off Assembly and Packets Sent Home
Tuesday, September 23, Chip Shoppe Orders Due
Monday, October 13 - 6:30 p.m. , Meeting (Cedar Park Library)
5
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Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit
in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance
will help children do well in high school, college, and at work.
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Music Notes
Welcome back to another fun-filled
musical year! I encourage students to
participate and do their best so music can be
an enjoyable learning experience!
Band Notes
Summer band students: dust off those
cases, oil your valves, and start playing
again. Don’t worry if you haven’t been able
to play much since summer lessons, we will
all start fresh together!
Also, don’t worry if you haven’t had
summer lessons. You will start your
instrument soon with Mrs. Firchow.
September is a great time to jump on the
"band wagon!”
Small group lessons, for all band
students, with Mrs. Firchow, will start the
second week of school.
Band rehearsals will begin in October.
We will meet most Wednesdays at 3:45
p.m. Big band days are listed on the school
calendar. More information about
rehearsals will be sent home later in
September.
If you have any questions, feel free to
stop and see me in the band room. I will be
at Cedar Park every Monday all day,
Wednesday all day, and Friday afternoons.
Mrs. Firchow
Band Instructor
Look for Heartbeat Chorus registration
forms in your after school class offerings.
Heartbeat Chorus will be offered to grades 3,
4 and 5 on Mondays or Tuesdays.
Mrs. Ploeger
Music Specialist
Nursing Notes
Many students in our school have severe
food allergies this year. Strict avoidance of
the specific allergens is the only way to
prevent a life threatening allergic reaction.
We are asking for your assistance in
providing our students with a safe learning
environment at Cedar Park.
We are asking that you work with your
own child to make sure his/her face and
hands are washed before coming to school,
especially if dairy, eggs, peanut butter,
sunflower seeds, nuts, wheat, or shellfish has
been eaten. Also, a friendly reminder of the
non-food birthday celebration policy for
District 196. Birthdays will continue to be
fun events for students, and classroom
teachers will recognize them in special ways
on their special day.
We thank you, in advance, for your help
and support in making this a safe school year
for all students. Please call us with any
questions you may have, we are happy to
discuss food allergy issues at any time.
Mrs. Tousignant
School Nurse
UPCOMING EVENTS
EVENTS
UPCOMING
Tuesday, September 2nd
1st Day of School!!!
Monday, September 8th
Culver’s Community Day
Monday, September 8th
PTO Meeting – 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 11th
Chip Shoppe Fundraiser Kick-Off
Thursday, September 18th
School Picture Day
Monday, September 22nd
Kindergarten Field Study To Applewood Orchard –
9:45-11:30 a.m. (Flynn, Johnson/Schooley)
1:15-3:00 p.m. (Franklin, Stenzel, Youngberg)
Tuesday, September 23rd
Fundraiser Orders Due
Wednesday, September 24th
Victor the Viking Assembly – 2:00 p.m.
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Home&School
Working Together for School Success
September 2014
CONNECTION
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SHORT
NOTES
Car kit
Make the most of the
time your youngster spends in the car
by helping her put together a learning kit. Use a plastic storage bin or
reusable grocery bag, and include
books, paper, pencils, a ruler, and
crayons. That way, your child can
read, write, and draw when you’re
on the go.
Let’s laugh
Laughter relieves stress, so try to fit
in humor on even the busiest days.
Show your youngster a funny photo
you saw, tell him something hilarious
that happened at work, post a comic
strip on the refrigerator, or read a
joke you enjoyed. Encourage him
to share humor with you, too.
Handbook review
Your child’s school handbook contains a lot of important information.
Look through it together—you’ll
both be familiar with policies about
attendance, grades, clothing, and
more. Then, keep it in a handy spot,
and refer to it if you have a question.
Worth quoting
“Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve
got a library card!”
Arthur the Aardvark
JUST FOR FUN
Q: What goes through towns, up and
down hills, and around corners, but
doesn’t move?
A: A road.
Back-to-school routines
A good day at school begins
and ends with a pleasant routine at home. Try these
ideas for establishing good
habits with your child.
A fresh start
A calm morning can help
your youngster go to school
with a positive attitude. Build
an extra 10 minutes into
his wake-up time so he
won’t be rushed if he
spills food on his shirt or
misplaces his glasses. Also,
let him think of tasks he could
do the night before, such as showering or putting his musical instrument
by the front door.
Backpack check
Use your child’s backpack to spark
conversations about school. Sit together
while he goes through it, and talk about
what’s inside. If he shows you his report
on elephants, you might say, “I didn’t
know they could eat 300 pounds of food
in a day!” or “What was the most interesting thing you learned about elephants?”
Screen-time limits
Large doses of TV, video games, and
apps can distract your youngster from
his “job”: being a student. Encourage
him to spend free time playing outside
with friends or reading for pleasure.
Note: Experts recommend no more than
two hours of screen time per day (and
many parents limit it further).♥
Communication counts
Your youngster’s teacher wants to hear
from you! Here’s how to open the lines of
communication.
● Attend events. Back-to-school night
is a great starting place for getting to know
the teacher. Introduce yourself, and tell him
something your child especially likes about school.
● Be a team player. You and the teacher have the same goal: for your youngster
to succeed. If he shares a concern about her progress or behavior, ask how you can
help. At home, make nice comments about the teacher.
● Stay in touch. Tell the teacher about any changes in your child’s life, such as
the birth of a sibling or a separation or divorce.♥
© 2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
10
Home & School CONNECTION
September 2014 • Page 2
®
The power of grit
was successful because
she kept trying, and the
same can happen here.
What is grit? The dictionary defines it
as “mental toughness and courage.” Grit
comes in handy when your youngster
needs to do something that’s difficult for
her. Consider the following advice for
helping her develop this important trait.
Reach for courage.
Learn from struggles. Is your child
having a hard time learning the times tables
or serving a tennis ball? Remind her of a past
struggle that she overcame. Maybe she fell
while learning to ride a bike or needed speech
therapy to pronounce her Rs. Explain that she
Q Talking about
&
money
A Q: How can we teach our son to
be responsible with money?
A: One way
is just to
start talking to your
son about
money. Try
making financial decisions out loud so
he can learn from you how to spend
wisely. You could say, “I want new curtains, but our car tires need to be
replaced soon, so we have to save
money for those instead.”
Also, have him practice making his
own choices about money. If he gets gift
money or an allowance, encourage him
to think through spending decisions like
you did. “These trading cards look cool,
but I’m going to keep saving for that
Lego kit.” Let him know he’s doing a
good job when he avoids an impulse
buy and plans responsibly.♥
O U R
P U R P O S E
To provide busy parents with practical ideas
that promote school success, parent involvement,
and more effective parenting.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5621
© 2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
11
ACTIVITY
CORNER
Tell your youngster
that everyone has
courage—it’s just a
matter of finding it!
When she is anxious
about something (class
presentation, science
test), ask her to name
a person she considers
brave. For example, perhaps she thinks her aunt has courage because she’s a police
officer. Then, point out that even she probably feels nervous
at work sometimes.♥
Calendar-inspired reading
Strong readers tend to do better in
s, your child will get a little
activitie
all subjects. With these
basis:
regular
a
on
practice
reading
extra
● September is National Blueberry Popsicle
Month! Encourage your youngster to find
unusual day, week, or month celebrations in
library books or online— he’ll be reading
nonfiction and doing research. He might also
look up birthdays of famous people, like his
r, too.
favorite authors and athletes, and add those special days to your calenda
s calendar
● Take turns writing a question or challenge of the week on Sunday’
baby anidifferent
for
names
other
Find
cria.
a
is
llama
baby
“A
:
square. Example
webmals.” Throughout the week, family members can read books, magazines, or
.♥
sites to find answers and share what they discover
PARENT
TO
PARENT
Fun ways to strengthen bonds
Once school
starts, our family
doesn’t get to hang out together as much
as we do over the summer. This year, we
decided to make a list of activities we
could do in 15 minutes or
less, and our goal is to
do one every day.
Our kids had fun
thinking of ideas.
For example, our
daughter wrote,
“Take silly family
photos,” and our
son said, “Have
a limbo contest.”
Other suggestions included looking for
constellations, playing hopscotch, and
making s’mores.
We posted the list on our bulletin
board, and now we take turns picking
one activity every
day. It’s motivating us to make
time for each
other. And we
are constantly
adding to the list,
so I don’t think
we’ll run out of
new things to do
anytime soon!♥