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Edition
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PRINCIPAL’S
NEWS
FOURTH
GRADE FIELD
STUDY
SOCIAL WORKER
NEWS
PAGE 5
PAGE 7
PAGE 8
CEDAR PARK
PTO UPDATE
UPCOMING
EVENTS
NUTRITION
NEWS FLASH
News from the Principal…
Dear Families and Friends,
I’m delighted to share that our STEM program is stronger than ever. We continue to improve our
teaching and learning around STEM education, and our popularity is at an all-time high. I have the
first-hand privilege of observing our students actively engaged in the STEM experience on a daily
basis. True, authentic learning is taking place at Cedar Park. With STEM, we are finding that our
students are teaching us as much as we are teaching them. Thanks to all of you for sharing your
child(ren) with us. Together we are training tomorrow’s leaders.
With all the acronyms that determine hundreds of different areas of education, it is easy to confuse
them all. Since 2001, the letters STEM have been a normal part of educational vocabulary. The
acronym STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This program was
started by Judith A. Ramaley, the former director of the National Science Foundation’s education
and human resources division. This approach to education is designed to revolutionize the teaching
of subject areas such as mathematics and science by incorporating technology and engineering into
regular curriculum by creating a “meta-discipline.”
There is more; STEM Education attempts to transform the typical teacher-centered classroom by
encouraging a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, website that reinforces the
value of STEM education in our country. It feels wonderful to be on the front end of this important
work. Please take a moment to check out the following website that reinforces the value of STEM
education in our country: http://drpfconsults.com/understanding-the-basics-of-stem-education/.
Sincerely,
John Garcia
From the Instructional Assistant…
Cedar Park fourth grade students have been selected to participate in the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) test on February 19. NAEP is administered through the U.S.
Department of Education, and it provides a common measure of student achievement across the
country.
Ninety randomly chosen fourth graders have been selected to take a ninety-minute assessment in
mathematics, reading, or science. Parents of these students were notified by letter earlier in
January.
NAEP is different from other commonly used assessments such as the MCA test because no
individual student or individual school results are given. Test results are used for statistical
purposes only. Information is released as The Nations Report Card, and it provides information
about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.
More information can be found at http://nationsreportcard.gov/parents.asp.
LEGO Challenge
The Science Museum of Minnesota LEGO
Challenge is a design competition that
promotes the creative and original use of LEGO
bricks.
Design finalists will be exhibited at the Science
Museum of Minnesota March 14 to April 19,
2015.
We would like to thank the staff and
families who supported our January
Community Day at Culver’s. We received a
check for $126.41!!! Many thanks to Mrs.
Varner and Mrs. Velasquez for delivering
food to tables from 5:00-6:00 p.m. and Mr.
Fritz and Mr. Schank for delivering food to
tables from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Our February
Culver’s Day is on February 9th. The flavor of
the day is Chocolate Eclair! Mr. Garcia and
Mrs. Gulden will be delivering food to tables
from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Mrs. Christiansen, Ms.
Durnin, and Mrs. Roth will be delivering
food to tables from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Don’t
forget to mention you are from Cedar Park,
so we receive 15% of your order total! We
hope to see you there!!!
Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2015
Who can compete?
Anyone is eligible to participate but all finalists
must be able to transport their designs to and
from Science Museum of Minnesota on the
designated dates. Judging will be based on the
following age categories:
• 4 – 7 years old
• 8 – 12 years old
• 13 – 17 years old
• 18 and older
• Groups/Families (multiple people
working on one design such as a class or a
family)
For more information, check out the following
website: http://www.smm.org/lego.
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Meet Our Awesome Cedar Park
Substitute Teachers
Linda Meyer
I am Linda Meyer, aka Mrs. Meyer, Mom, Grandma, Mrs. ____ and Teacher. I answer to a lot of
names when working as one of Cedar Park’s substitute teachers. I started teaching in District #196 at
Westview Elementary in 1967. I moved to Parkview Elementary when it opened in 1972. I have been
teaching at Cedar Park since it opened in 1977 until 1999 when I retired. While at Cedar Park I taught
grades 1, 3 and 4. I have been at Cedar Park so many years that I am now teaching the children and
grandchildren of some of my former students.
I graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College and Mankato University with Bachelor degrees in
elementary education. I have a Masters degree in Learning and Human Development Technology
from the University of St. Thomas.
My husband died in 1999, soon after I retired. I have one son, Corbett, his wife, Meredith, and 3
granddaughters, Madeline (10), Morgan (9) and Isabelle (7). Last year we all took a trip to Disney
World in Florida. We love visiting Mickey and friends. I love playing with my grandchildren when
they are not in school. One of them is learning to cook and another is learning to sew. We have a lot
of fun playing with our American girl dolls, swimming in my pool, visiting attractions around the
metro area, and doing crafts.
When I’m not teaching at Cedar Park, I might be vacationing in California and Mexico in February
and March. I love to travel. I have been to all 50 states and a dozen or so countries in Europe, Asia,
South America and Africa. Once a month, I could be playing Bunco or out for lunch with former
Cedar Park staff members. We have an active and close-knit group. My other hobbies include sewing
and knitting, cooking and entertaining, watercolor painting, scrapbooking and other crafts.
Because I substitute in every grade, I feel like I know more students now than when I was a
regular teacher at Cedar Park. I love working with all your children at Cedar Park STEM.
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Meet Our Awesome Cedar Park
Substitute Teachers
Denise Metzger
My name is Denise Metzger and I have
been a substitute teacher at Cedar Park for 14
years. My four children all went to Cedar
Park, so I have a special fondness for this
school! I choose to teach only at this building
and you will see me here almost every day. I
grew up in the tundra of Fargo, North
Dakota and got my bachelors degree in Social
Work at MSU-Moorhead. After working for a
few years, I chose to stay home to be an athome mom for the next 13 years. When my
youngest went to first grade, I decided to go
back to work and got into teaching
elementary school. I have four grown
children, ages 27, 25, 21, and 19. The two
youngest are in college at MSU-Mankato. I
love working with kids of all ages. One of my
interests is college preparation, so I teach
community education classes for both
parents and high school students in that
area. Other interests include writing (I want
to write books!), reading, and gardening.
Sandy Spitzner
I graduated from the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1974 with a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary
Education and a concentration in Science.
That fall I started teaching kindergarten at
Northview Elementary. Then I taught at
Rosemount Elementary for two years and
was excited to be on the first staff at Cedar
Park. After six years as a kindergarten
teacher, I moved to third grade and stayed in
third grade for twenty-five years! My last
three years were spent teaching fourth
graders. I received my Master's Degree in
Learning and Human Development
Technologies from St. Thomas University in
1987. I retired from full time teaching in
2008 and have been a substitute teacher at
Cedar Park for the last six and half years.
My hobbies include crocheting, knitting,
photography, and taking classes to learn
watercolor painting. My husband and I love
to travel to New York City to visit our
daughter and the Dallas area to see our son
and his family. We especially love adventures
with our four grandsons.
I love working with the staff and students
at Cedar Park. They are the best!!!
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Meet Our Awesome Cedar Park
Substitute Teachers
Norm Nelson
I am known as the puppet man to many at Cedar Park. I am also known as Norm Nelson and
started working with children by coaching youth, serving as playground director, and working with
the mentally challenged for the City of Bloomington. I started teaching in 1973, after receiving my
degree from Mayville State College in Mayville, North Dakota, by subbing in Bloomington,
Burnsville, and Apple Valley/Rosemount schools. I then went to the western part of the state to
teach fifth grade, where I also coached high school football and baseball.
I started teaching in Apple Valley/Rosemount at Diamond Path in 1977 and continued teaching
there until 2007. During my 30 years at Diamond Path, I taught second, fourth, and fifth grade. I also
organized the annual Wolf Ridge ELC trip for 16 years. After retiring from full-time teaching at
Diamond Path in 2007, I started subbing at Cedar Park where I have exclusively been since, totally
over 41 years of teaching.
My wife, Dawn, also works at Cedar Park as a Title One teacher. We have one son who is 26 and
graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies from UofM Morris. When my wife decides to
retire, we still plan to sub – when we are not fishing, hunting, or traveling around the US camping
and visiting National Parks.
I have enjoyed working with the children and staff of CP. Since I work with all grades, I have
developed a rapport with the students. I enjoy working with the fantastic staff at Cedar Park, whom
I have known for many years.
5
Family Engineering Night
Family Engineering Night on
January 23rd was a fun night of
designing, engineering, and testing a
variety of challenges. Families
participated in four solve-at-home
design challenges before the event,
including designing and engineering
a Pinewood Derby car, bike helmet,
pinball machine, and/or paper critter
with moveable parts. We rented the
huge Pinewood Derby racetrack and
students had a chance to test out
their designs. Families also
participated in three mystery
engineering design challenges when
they arrived in the Cedar Park
gymnasium. The mystery challenges
included Spinning Tops, Catapults,
and Zipline Vehicles.
6
Social Worker News
News from your Social Worker
Children and Sleep
An average child gets one hour less of sleep today than children did 30 years ago. A survey from the
National Sleep Foundation found that 90% of parents believe their children get enough sleep, but
in reality 60% of students report extreme sleepiness during the day. Dr. Sadeh of Tel Aviv
University did a study of 4th and 6th graders. For three consecutive evenings half of the 4th graders
and half of the 6th graders were told to go to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal; the remaining
were told to stay awake 30 minutes later than normal. When tested on the fourth day, students
who had gotten less sleep, showed a performance gap of two years behind where they scored before
the study. Sleep helps kids shift what is learned during the day to more efficient parts of the brain.
One other study reported high school students who received A’s averaged about 15 minutes more
sleep than B students. They in turn averaged 15 more minutes of sleep than C students. Besides
lower grades, lack of sleep can also lead to weight gain, and irritable moods. Any parent knows that
fact. How much sleep do they need?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 – 4 weeks old, 15 to 16 hours per day
1 – 4 months, 14 to 15 hours per day
4 – 12 months, 14 to 15 hours per day
1 – 3 years old, 12 to 14 hours per day
3 – 6 years old, 10 to 12 hours per day
7 – 12 years old, 10 to 11 hours per day
12 – 18 years old, 8 to 9 hours per day
What better reason to send the kids to bed and have some quiet adult time? Sleep tight; you need it
too!
Adult Literacy Hotline
If you or someone you know is looking for information on ESL classes, GED preparation and testing
sites, citizenship classes, adult high school diploma programs, or family illiteracy programs, please
call 1-800-222-1990. The Minnesota Literacy Council will help adult learners find convenient
programs in the Twin Cities or across the state.
Tax Preparation & Credits
Call Prepare + Prosper at 651-262-2150 for information and appointments for tax preparation. Call
CLUES at 651- 379-4200 for appointments for tax preparation for Spanish speaking families.
For a complete list of tax credits, visit the Claim it! Website here:
http://www.youclaimit.org/creditstoknow.
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@district196.org.
Diane Johnson, Cedar Park STEM Social Worker 
8
The snow might be falling, but that doesn’t mean the P.T.O. is hibernating. In fact, we are busier than ever
planning fun events for the whole family!
* Everything is set for Cedar Park Family Night at The Works Museum. Join us for a night of hands-on science,
engineering, and technology fun!
Thursday, February 5th, 6:00 - 8:00pm
$3 per person at the door (cash only)
If you signed up to ride a bus, they will leave the Cedar Park parking lot at 6pm and will return by 8:30pm. If
you’re driving, the address for the museum is 9740 Grand Ave., Bloomington, MN 55420.
See you all there!!
* The next Scholastic Book Fair is coming soon! Explore an Ocean of Books during February conferences:
Wednesday, February 11th, 4:00-8:00pm
&
Thursday, February 12th, 12:00-8:00pm
* And just around the corner is Family BINGO Night! Round up the kids and come to the school gym on
Friday, March 6th, from 6:00-7:30pm. Play to win posters, books, gift cards, school t-shirts, and more! Just $1
gets you a BINGO board and a bag of popcorn. Look for more information coming home soon in your
student’s Friday Folder.
Of course, none of these great events can happen without our fabulous parent volunteers. Please contact us
at cedarparkpto@gmail.com to sign up. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you’ll be setting a great example for
your kids, too!
This month the P.T.O. continued its mission to support Cedar Park financially:
- $1,200 to The Works Museum for family night
If you are interested in sharing your ideas or helping with one of the many P.T.O. family events, please join us
at our next meeting! See you then!!
Upcoming P.T.O. Dates:
Feb. 5
Cedar Park Family Night at The Works Museum 6:00-8:00pm
Feb. 9
P.T.O. Meeting 6:30-8:00pm in the library
Feb. 11
Book Fair 4:00-8:00pm in the front hallway
Feb. 12
Book Fair 12:00-8:00pm in the front hallway
Mar. 6
BINGO Night 6:00-7:30pm in the gym
Mar. 9
P.T.O. Meeting 6:30-8:00pm in the library
For more information, visit our website at cedarparkpto.digitalpto.com or follow the link on the homepage of
the school’s website.
9
Music Notes
Cedar Park was filled with the sound of
drums during the month of January. Students
in grades K-5 tried their hand at drumming
during music classes! We have many talented
percussionists in our midst! Third graders
enjoyed a trip to Macalaster to hear an African
Drumming Ensemble.
Gym Shorts
Cedar Park was awarded a $3,850 grant to
promote healthy food choices with nutrition
education and the One Hundred Mile Club at
recess. Please encourage your child to
participate in FuelUpToPLay60 and log on
to their website. Encourage your child to make
healthy food choices, be active, and get 60
minutes of exercise each day.
Fourth graders are practicing recorders in
order to achieve recorder karate belts. The
recorder Recital will be at 10:00 on March 18.
Third graders are preparing for their upcoming
program, A World of Music, on March 19 at
2:30 and 6:30.
Mrs. Ploeger
Music Specialist
Mrs. Banwart/Mrs. Wattier
Physical Education Specialists
Box Tops for Education
Band Notes
Cedar Park recently received a check for
$1,905.80 from Box Tops for Education. We
would like to thank all of our amazing families
and friends who send in their box tops for us
to redeem! Also, a very special thank you to
Oksana Hanushchak for cutting, counting, and
organizing all of Cedar Park’s Box Tops for
Education prior to submission.
BAND NOTES FOR FOURTH GRADERS:
Mrs. Banwart/Mrs. Wattier
Physical Education Specialist
Fourth graders will be attending the Apple
Valley High School Wind Ensemble Concert on
March 6th at 10:00 a.m. at Apple Valley High
School. They will be able to see and hear many
different instruments at this exciting
concert. Shortly after that, in March, the 4th
graders will get to choose their band
instrument for 5th grade. Mrs. Firchow will
help each student select their "just right"
instrument. The students will get their
instrument at their first lesson. Some students
will begin lessons in the summer on July 27th or
July 28th. Some students will begin lessons in
September. Check out Mrs. Firchow's moodle
page for lots of BAND INFORMATION.
(http://learn.district196.org/course/view.php?id
=3303)
Mrs. Firchow
10
UPCOMING EVENTS
EVENTS
UPCOMING
Thursday, February 5th
P.T.O. STEM Night at The Works – 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Site Council Meeting – 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Monday, February 9th
Culver’s Community Day
P.T.O. Meeting – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 11th
Kindergarten Registration – 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
EVHS Step Team Performance – 9:45 a.m.
Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Scholastic Book Fair – 4:00-8:00 p.m.
NO AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES
Thursday, February 12th
NO SCHOOL
Kindergarten Registration – 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Parent Teacher Conferences – 12:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Scholastic Book Fair – 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Friday, February 13th
NO SCHOOL
Monday, February 16th
NO SCHOOL – President’s Day
Wednesday, February 18th
2nd Grade Field Study at Lebanon Hills
9:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Benson, Klinger, Youngberg
12:40 – 3:20 p.m. – Demmert/Tompkins, Erickson
Friday, February 20th
3rd Grade Bowling at Farmington Lanes
9:40 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. –
12:40 – 3:00 p.m. –
Wednesday, February 25th
2nd Grade Field Study at the Science Museum –
9:40 a.m. – 3:25 p.m.
Thursday, February 26th
I Love to Read Night – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
11
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All Students and Parents Reminder:
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12
Home&School
Working Together for School Success
CONNECTION
®
February 2015
SHORT
NOTES
What could it be?
Use magazine pictures
to sharpen your child’s powers of observation. Cut a small circle from the center of a photo. Have him look closely
at the circle. What does he think it’s
showing? Let him glue the circle to
paper, draw a scene around it, and
compare his picture to the original.
Appreciate thoughtfulness
Encourage your youngster to consider
the thought that goes into gifts she
receives. Example: “Aunt Lisa must
have noticed your dollhouse didn’t
have patio furniture. How thoughtful
of her to give you some.” This will
help her know what to say in a thankyou note—and how to make others
happy when she gives gifts.
Talking about current events
If a scary event is in the news, you
may wonder whether to discuss it
with your child. In general, wait for
him to bring up the topic. Concerned
he’ll hear about it in school? Try starting a conversation by asking what
people are saying. Then, stick to the
facts, and talk about what you’re
doing to help him stay safe.
Worth quoting
“There are many little ways to enlarge
your child’s world. Love of books is the
best of all.”
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
JUST FOR FUN
Q: What does a
snail say when
it’s riding on a
turtle’s back?
A: “Whee!”
© 2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
13
Conversations about school
When you think of parent
involvement, do you picture
moms and dads volunteering in classrooms? That’s
one way to help—but
research shows that supporting your child’s education at home is even
more important. Here
are four conversations
that will help you stay
involved.
“Let’s see what you
brought home.”
Look at completed work to find out
what your youngster is learning and how
well she’s doing. You could comment on
her geography report or pottery project,
for instance. (“You know a lot about our
state’s history!”) Also, respond to notes
from her teacher, and sign her weekly
folder or daily planner if required.
“Show me what you have for
homework.”
It’s your child’s job to do her homework, but you play a role, too. Make
sure she knows what she’s supposed to
do by having her explain the assignments to you. After she’s done, glance
over the work to see that it’s complete.
“Describe a book you enjoyed
today.”
This gives you an idea of what your
youngster prefers to read. Then, build a
daily reading habit by asking what she’d
like to read tonight. Encourage her reading and listening skills by reading aloud
to her and letting her read to you.
“Tell me what you learned that
you’d like to know more about.”
Use her interests as jumping-off
points for activities to share. If she
likes geometry, you might do tangrams
together. If she’s fascinated by how animals adapt to winter, take her to the
library to research the subject or to the
zoo to see live animals.♥
After-school questions
Asking “How was school today?”
might not get you very far. Instead,
try these questions for a better picture
of your youngster’s day:
● “What’s the coolest thing that happened? What wasn’t so cool?”
● “Pretend you’re the teacher —how
would you describe the day?”
● “What made
you laugh?”
● “What was
the most
creative thing
you did?”
● “How
were you
kind or helpful today? Was
anyone kind or helpful to you?”
● “What new word did you hear
today?”♥