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PAGE 1
PRINCIPAL’S
NEWS
PAGE 9
UPCOMING
EVENTS
PAGE 3
SOCIAL
WORKER
NEWS
PAGE 10
NUTRITION
NEWSFLASH
PAGE 5
PTO UPDATE
PAGE 11-12
HOME &
SCHOOL
CONNECTION
Dear Friends and Families ,
Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up on February 9 th ( 4 : 00-8 : 00 p .
m .
) and 11 th ( 12 : 00-8 : 00 p .
m .
) .
As we near conferences , I'm reminded of the importance of our partnership between school and home .
Conferences are a time in which we get to share information about your child's academic progress and hear about your hopes and dreams for your little one(s) .
What I know is , we both have a vested interest in the success of all our children at Cedar Park .
Your time is valuable and appreciated .
Your commitment to attending your child's conference speaks volumes about how truly invested you are as a parent .
Thank you in advance for attending your child's conference and partnering with us to support your child’s learning .
Together we will build bright futures for all of our students .
Also in the month of February , we will be having Kindergarten Registration from 8 : 00 a .
m .-8 : 00 p .
m .
on Tuesday , February 9 th , and from 12 : 00-8 : 00 p .
m .
on Thursday , February 11 remember to bring your child’s birth certificate and immunization records when you come in to register .
If you have not had your child pre screened , please call Early Childhood at 651-423-7899 to schedule an appointment .
th .
Please
Warm Regards ,
John Garcia , Principal

4 th
Cedar Park 4 th grade students had the opportunity to attend a Kindness Retreat at the Apple Valley
Community Center on Tuesday , December 8 th .
This program , presented by Youth Frontiers , helped our students better understand why and how to make kind choices .
Facilitators led activities intended to enhance empathy skills and help students better understand how words and actions affect others .
Through this experience , our students acquired the tools they need to develop empathy , promote kindness , and prevent bullying!

Deployed Service Members
Do you know of a family that has a deployed service member , or do you have someone in your family that is deployed? There are services that are available to you and your family .
Please contact me at 952-431-8795.
You can also visit Beyond the Yellow Ribbon at www .
beyond theyellowribbon .
org/applevalley for more information .
Parent Involvement
Parent involvement plays a large role in children’s success in school .
There are many ways you can support your child’s learning and school .
Here are a few ideas:
Go through your child’s backpack every day .
Spend time talking about the handouts or completed work they bring home .
Ask questions about it .
Return permission slips , sign up forms , and other items in a timely manner .
If you are able to volunteer in your child’s classroom or at school , let your child’s teacher know .
If you are not available during the day , see if there are things you can help out with from home .
Make sure your teachers know that you appreciate their efforts .
Send a note or an email .
Contact your child’s teacher immediately if you see a problem .
Working together will help your child succeed .
If possible , schedule appointments for before or after school as much as possible .
Regular attendance has a direct impact to school success .
Pennies for Patients
Our Student Council will be running the Pennies for Patients campaign again this year .
A flyer and a box to collect money will go home in Friday folders on January 15 th
.
The campaign raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that fights blood cancers .
We will be collecting money until
January 30 th .
Every penny counts! If you have any questions about this , please contact me .
Need Help With Tax Preparation?
Prepare & Prosper is a volunteer income tax assistance site that offers free tax preparation services to individuals with an income of $35,000 or less and families with an annual income of $55,000 or less .
Call 651-287-0187 or go to www .
prepareandprosper .
org for more information .
Give Kids A Smile
Minnesota dental professionals are concerned about the growing number of children who don’t have access to dental care .
That’s why about 2,000 dental professionals will come together on
February 5 th
and 6 th
to provide free dental care to low income children in need .
All patients must have appointments in advance and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian .
Phone calls for appointments are being accepted now .
Please call the United Way at 211 from a landline or 1-800-
543-7709 from a cell phone for the phone number to a providing dentist in your area .
I am in school Monday – Friday from 8 : 00 a .
m .
to 4 : 00 p .
m .
If you have questions or concerns , feel free to stop in , give me a call , or send and email .
My confidential voice mail is 651-683-6969, ext .
18795.
My direct line is 952-431-8795, and my email is diane .
johnson@district 196.
org .
Diane Johnson , Cedar Park STEM Social Worker J

We would like to thank the staff and families who supported our December Culver’s Community
Day! In December , we received a check for $103.09.
Many thanks to Mrs .
Giese , Mr .
Fritz , and Mrs .
Struble for delivering food to tables .
Also , congratulations to Trey Sanders who was the winner of
“Lunch With the Prinicpal!” Trey and his friend , Dylan Johnson , really enjoyed their lunch with Mr .
Garcia .
Our January Culver’s Day is on Monday , January 11 th
.
Mrs .
Knutson and Mrs .
Van Guilder will be delivering food to tables from 5 : 00-6 : 00 p .
m .
Ms .
Durnin and Mrs .
Roth will deliver food to tables from 6 : 00-7 : 00 p .
m .
The flavor of the day is Caramel Pecan .
Please remember to say you are from Cedar Park , so we receive 15% of your purchase .
We appreciate your support of our Culver’s
Community Days!!!
Do you qualify for FREE Minnesota Zoo admission?
The Minnesota Zoo is committed to serving ALL Minnesotans .
Each year , the Minnesota Zoo provides 10 percent of our annual attendance FREE through our Zoo Access Program (ZAP) to guests with limited incomes .
ZAP provides free admission for a qualifying guest and their dependents .
To qualify for ZAP , you must be at least 18 and enrolled in one or more of the following:
• TANF
• MFIP
• SNAP
• MFAP
• General Assistance
• WIC
ZAP does not include parking or fees for any special programs or exhibits .
Valid only during regular
Zoo hours .
When you visit the Minnesota Zoo as a ZAP guest , simply show your current Minnesota ID and EBT
Card or WIC Folder at admissions .
State MCA testing for students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will take place again this year .
The testing window is March 7 th May 13 th , and students at Cedar Park will test on a number of different dates during this window .
As you plan doctor appointments , vacations , etc , please do your best to avoid this testing window .
If you know of a day your student(s) will be absent during testing , please call to let us know as soon as possible so we can try to schedule around the absence .
Thank you!
Laurie Volpano
Title 1 and Testing Coordinator

At the December Family Night , more than 100 people came to play BINGO in the gym .
Winners walked away with school t shirts , posters , Water Park of America passes , Target gift cards , and more .
By the end of the night , we raised $240.
The next PTO Family Night will be on March 4 th .
Stay tuned for more details!
The next Scholastic Book Fair is coming soon .
Stop by and check out the groovy selection of books , posters , pencils , and more during February conferences on:
Tuesday , February 9 th
Thursday , February 11
, 4 : 00-8 : 00 p .
m .
th , 12 : 00-8 : 00 p .
m .
Please sign up to volunteer at the book fair .
A large event such as a book fair requires many volunteer hours , so we hope you’ll consider helping straighten books , run the cash registers , assist families in finding books , and many other fun things! Look for an email with a Sign Up Genius link , or find it on the school’s website (coming soon) to sign up .
Upcoming P .
T .
O .
Dates
January
January
11
26
February
February
February
February
8
9
11
23
P .
T .
O .
Meeting 6 : 30-8 : 00 p .
m .
(in the library)
Chick
P .
T .
O
-
.
fil A School Spirit Night
Meeting 6 : 30-8
Scholastic Book Fair
Scholastic Book Fair
4
12
:
:
:
00 p
00-8
00-8
.
: m
:
.
00
5
(in the library)
00
:
p
30-7
p
Smashburger School Spirit Night
.
.
m
4 m
:
.
.
: 30
00-8
p
:
.
m
00
.
p .
m .
If you are interested in sharing your ideas or helping with one of the many family events the PTO coordinates , please join us at our next meeting! See you then!!!
For more information , visit our website at cedarparkpto .
digitalpto .
com or follow the link on the homepage of the school’s website .

On January 15, all third grade students will attend a performance by the Macalester
College African Music Ensemble .
The
African Music Ensemble is a thirty piece group directed by Sowah Mensah , a composer and master drummer from
Ghana , West Africa .
The Ensemble performs traditional African music using a variety of authentic instruments brought from Africa .
This amazing performance correlates with our sound science study .
All students in grades 1-5 will be improving their rhythm skills with a World Drumming Unit during the month of January .
Fourth graders are excited to begin playing recorders .
They will be working hard to acquire karate belts in
Recorder Karate .
You can view the Cedar Park Elementary
Fifth Grade Music Program anytime at: http://supetube .
district 196.
org/cedar park elementary/features/s 04 c 5 _cpc_ 3 SIid 8 _OrP .
This concert is also on District 196 TV .
The link for the TV schedule is
: http://www .
district 196.
org/District/depart ments/cabletv/Programming .
cfm .
The EVHS STEP Team performed for Cedar
Park on December 11.
They stayed for the day and danced with all the physical education classes .
Our students learned some new dance steps and performed the step routines at the end of their class!
Mrs .
Douglas/Mr .
Hartzheim
Physical Education Specialists
Mrs .
Ploeger
Music Specialist
Parents , it’s time to start thinking about summer and how you’ll help your children keep their math and reading skills sharp .
Many of you know that the GRASP workbook program , available through
Community Education , is one way to help your children during the summer .
However ,
GRASP should not be considered as a replacement for participating in summer school , if a child qualifies .
This year , GRASP registration information will be sent home with students February 16-19.
Sample workbooks will be available for review in the school office during parent/teacher conferences and the registration period .
The deadline for registration this year is March 29.
Watch for more information later this winter .
The Fifth Graders at Cedar Park are looking forward to their first band performance! They will perform on
Wednesday , January 13 th , at 10 : 00 a .
m .
and
4 : 00 p .
m .
at Cedar Park .
Shortly after their debut performances , they will play in the
Panorama of Bands Concert at Apple Valley
High School .
This family event is on Monday ,
January 18 th , at 7 : 00 p .
m .
The performance will include bands from four elementary schools , Valley Middle School , and the Apple
Valley High School Wind Ensemble .
Anja Firchow
Band Specialist

C E D A R   P A R K   E L E M E N T A R Y
S T E M S C H O O L
•
•
•
•
•
Families learning about what engineers do.
Families engaging in fun, hands-on design challenges.
Families working together, inspiring each other, and achieving success!
Families testing, failing, persevering and retesting.
Families showcasing their solution to a school design challenge.
Join us for a fun evening of family engineering. You will move from one engineering design challenge to the next, exploring specific engineering concepts that connect to real world applications. From launching parachutes, to electrical engineering with
Makey-Makeys, to tinkering with the concept of buoyancy and building boats, families will tackle problems as a team. There will also be student engineering exhibits showcasing their amazing engineering aptitudes. Attached is a family challenge to complete at home and test out on
Family Engineering Night.

Friday , January 1 st
Thursday , January 7 th
Monday , January 11 th
Tuesday , January 12 th
Wednesday , January 13 th
Thursday , January 14 th
Friday , January 15 th
Monday , January 18 th
Thursday , January 21 st
Friday , January 22 nd
Monday , January 25 th
Wednesday , January 27 th
Thursday , January 28 th
Friday , January 29 th
NO SCHOOL – Winter Break
Spotlight On Schools – 10 : 00 a .
m .
& 6 : 30 p .
m .
Culver’s Community Day
PTO Meeting – 6 : 30-8 : 00 p .
m .
Creativity Festival – 3
Physics Force – 2 nd rd / 4 th Grade YS/GT Students –
8 : 00 a .
m .-2 : 30 p .
m .
Skateville – 5 th
Grade YS/GT Students – 12 : 15-2 : 45 p .
m .
Grade Patrols – 5 : 30-8 : 30 p .
m .
5 th Grade Band Concert – 10 : 00 a .
m .
& 4 : 00 p .
m .
Somali Support Group – 6 : 00-8 : 30 p .
m .
2 nd
4 th
5 th
Grade Science Museum Assembly –
Grade Science Museum Assembly –
12
2 :
: 15
30
p
p .
.
m m .
.
Grade Eagle Bluff Parent Meeting – 6 : 30 p .
m .
3 rd Grade to Macalaster for African Drumming – 11 : 00 a .
m .-
1 : 30 p .
m .
NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King , Jr .
Day
Panorama of Bands – Apple Valley High School – 7 : 00 p .
m .
Family Engineering Night – 6 : 30-8 : 00 p .
m .
NO SCHOOL – Data Analysis & Instructional Alignment
After School Classes Begin
No After School Band Rehearsal
5 th
Grade Eagle Bluff
5 th
Grade Eagle Bluff
5 th
Grade Eagle Bluff

14, 2016
Baker Boy is a family baking company which Marvin
Moos began 1955 in Dickinson North Dakota. After Marvin
Moos’ s military service, he studied baking at Dunwoodys
Institute in Minneapolis. Baker Boy is now run by his son, Guy
Moos.
The Baker Boy plant has the capacity to produce
500,000 cases of product per week. The white whole wheat dinner roll served on January 14 will be proofed and baked off fresh at each school. There is no high fructose corn syrup in the roll.
Baker Boy works with schools across the nation to make breads that taste great and meet USDA regulations.
Baker Boy makes a wide variety of popular bakery products from bread sticks, buns, rolls, sweet pastries and pretzels, to subs and more. www.Bakerboy.com
Local Lunch Day
Baked Chicken Tenders with Whole Wheat Baker Boy Roll
Chicken-Flavored Rice
California Blend Vegetables
Dark Green Side Salad with Dressing
Which one do you reach for?
You probably have all-purpose flour somewhere in your kitchen. Allpurpose flour can be used for just about any recipe and is available as bleached or unbleached.
The term “bleaching” is a traditional baking industry term tha t describes the process of whitening. Technically speaking, the carotenoid
(yellow) pigments in the flour are oxidized to produce whiter flour.
Oxidation will occur naturally over time, with the exposure of flour to the air. Did you know that historically millers would age flour for several weeks to achieve whiter flour? As you could imagine, though, this natural oxidation required considerable time and space! Today, the bleaching process is accomplished by the use of chemical bleaching agents. The two bleaching agents are benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas. Benzoyl peroxide is used on both hard and soft wheat flours. Chlorine gas is used to modify flour proteins and starches and is primarily used on soft wheat flours (think cake and pastry flours). Both have little effect on baking performance. Flours treated with these bleaching agents must be labeled as bleached flour.
Having trouble printing the elementary menu all on one page?
From the “ menu ” page, select the “ print menu ” icon.
When the printed version pops up, DO NOT use the green “Print th is page” box in the upper right -hand corner.
USE the print function from the browser tool bar or right click, adjust the size to 80% or use the
“ shrink to fit ” option. Options for printing do vary from computer to computer depending upon which browser and version are being used.
Lunchroom Joke Corner
What’s a Loaf’s favorite carnival ride?
Treated with benzoyl peroxide and chlorine gas to speed up aging
Bright white hue
Bleached naturally as it ages
Pale and off-white color continues to dull as it ages; becomes whiter naturally as the flour is exposed to air
Takes longer than bleached flour to produce
The overall basic baking outcome is the same with either flour. Your muffins will still rise, your cookies will be delicious and your layer cake will turn out just fine. www.bellinstitute.com
and www.generalmillscf.com
Reminders for All Students and Parents:
Breakfast is FREE for all kindergarten students and students who qualify for FREE or REDUCED-price school meals.
Lunch is FREE for all students who qualify for FREE or REDUCED-price school meals.
Please try breakfast at your school. A nutritious breakfast is an important start to a child’s school day!
Parents/Guardians: FeePay has the option for you to set a low-balance reminder via email.
We don’t just serve breakfast and lunch……..we serve students!
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Employment opportunities within
Nutrition Services are available.

®
January 2016
Mr. John Garcia, Principal
Resolution:
Success!
This year, have your child make resolutions that will motivate him to do his best in school. For instance, he could pick a subject to improve in or a challenging book series to read.
Encourage him to draw a picture of himself meeting his goal and share the drawing with his teacher.
Hands-on history
Let your youngster take white paper and an unwrapped crayon on a walk around town. She can place the paper over engravings on historical markers or plaques and rub lightly with the side of the crayon. At home, suggest that she write a caption for each rubbing to tell a “local history” story.
Sick time
When your child is sick, notify the school as soon as possible that he will be absent. Then, follow school policy about how long he must be symptomfree before he may return to class.
Note: He could ask a sibling or friend to bring home his work. Or when he goes back, he can talk to his teacher about making up the work.
Worth quoting
“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress.” Charles Kettering
Q: Can you name three consecutive days without saying
Sunday , Wednesday , or Friday ?
A: Yes! Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Three kindergartners work together on a mural in art class. Several fifth graders discuss a novel they read in reading group. No matter how old your child is, being able to communicate, collaborate, and compromise is important when she works with others. Consider these ways to practice at home.
C ommunication
Group members communicate better when one person speaks at a time. Let your youngster create a
“talking stick” by covering a ruler with aluminum foil or decorating a paper towel tube. During a family discussion, pass the stick around—only the person holding it may speak. This will remind your child to wait her turn and listen to what others say.
C ollaboration
Show your youngster that when people combine ideas, they often come up with new or better ones. Pretend you’re a restaurant marketing team in charge of designing a pizza or burger.
Start by looking at menus for interesting twists (barbecue pizza, burger with fried egg), and create something different (blue cheese pizza, Caesar burger).
Then, work together to make your new menu item for dinner.
C ompromise
When group members disagree on a topic for their presentation or on who will take what role, it’s important to compromise. That means stating what you would prefer—and what alternatives you’re willing to accept. Your child can try this at home when your family makes a decision. For example, maybe one sibling wants to go sledding while another would prefer ice skating. They could agree to sled first—but the one who wanted to ice skate gets to choose the hill they’ll sled on.
♥
By staying on top of how your youngster does in school, you can support his achievements and nip any problems in the bud. Try these strategies.
● Go over papers. Look at each graded assignment your child brings home. This is an easy way to see what he’s doing well and what he needs to work on.
● Use electronic tools. If the school posts grades online, check them regularly.
● Communicate with the teacher. Contact her if your youngster says a subject is difficult or brings home low grades. You could ask about ways to help him.
♥
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

CONNECTION ®
Is your youngster’s behavior sometimes baffling?
Here are solutions to common scenarios parents face.
My child behaves in school but acts out at home. Your youngster probably feels more relaxed at home and can let his guard down more with you.
Rest assured this is normal. Remind him of the consequences for misbehaving at home, and follow through when he acts out. (And be glad that your child behaves at school!)
After school, my youngster doesn’t want to talk about his day or start homework. Your child may be
January 2016 • Page 2 struggling to switch out of
“school mode.” Try giving him a break first—he may appreciate a few minutes to unwind, just as some adults do after work. Suggest a snack and exercise, such as riding his bike or jumping rope.
My child only obeys me when I raise my voice. If your youngster knows he has to do what you ask only when you shout, he’ll probably wait for your raised voice before he listens. Tell him that you’ll ask nicely once, and after that, there will be a consequence for not listening.
♥
ACTIVITY
CORNER
Your child may wonder why some trees stay green throughout the year
( evergreens ) and others lose their leaves
( deciduous ). With this activity, she can find out.
Let your youngster cut out two green constructionpaper “leaves” and sprinkle them lightly with water. She should wrap one in waxed paper and lay both leaves in the sun for at least two hours. What happens? (The bare leaf stays dry, but the protected one remains moist.)
The science: A deciduous tree loses water through its leaves’ tiny pores, so it gets rid of the leaves to conserve water in harsh weather. But evergreen leaves have a waxy cuticle , or covering, kind of like the waxed paper that protected your child’s paper leaf. This coating keeps the water from evaporating, so leaves can remain on the tree through the winter.
♥
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
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Q
&
A
Q: My daughter says spelling is no big deal because we have spell-check and autocorrect.
How can I convince her that spelling still matters?
A: Spell-check and autocorrect are handy tools.
But they’re not foolproof, and they’re not always available.
When your child writes a school report, sit with her while she runs spell-check.
Together, look for examples of mistakes caused by relying on the computer. This often happens with homophones ( it’s and its , you’re and your ), for instance. She’ll need to know the difference to use the correct word.
Also, help her think of situations where she won’t have spell-check or autocorrect, such as taking a test or using special software that doesn’t include the feature.
And if she can’t spell a word, she may not recognize it when she reads, which can interfere with her comprehension.
Finally, point out that if she studies her spelling words, thinks carefully about how words are spelled, and proofreads her work, she’ll find that the best spell-check is in her own head!
♥
TO
PARENT
My fourth-grader,
Ryan, has ADHD, and he often loses books and papers and forgets to turn in assignments or to bring home slips for me to sign.
of sleep, about two hours more than his siblings need.
I got colorful pads of sticky notes for
Ryan, and he came up with a system for color-coding his reminders. Also, we
I talked to a fellow PTA parent whose oldest son has ADHD. She said her son puts sticky-note reminders everywhere— on his desk and binders and beside the front door. He also does better in school if he gets 11 hours are moving up his bedtime by a few minutes each night until we notice a difference. I know Ryan will still forget things from time to time, but it’s helpful to know that we have strategies to try.
♥