4350 Johnny Cake Ridge Road
Eagan, MN 55122
(651) 683-6970
www.district196.org/or
“Educa ng our students to reach their full poten al”
Dear Oak Ridge Families,
The 2015-16 school year at Oak Ridge is underway
and if the start of the year is an indicator of how the
remainder of the year will be…we are in great shape!
Our Assessment Days were well a&ended and
provided teachers and students a chance to get to
know one another as well as for staff to gather
informa)on about each child’s literacy skills. Open
House and PTO Fall Fes)val provided yet another
opportunity for families and school staff to connect.
The turnout was fantas)c and the excitement was
evident as children proudly showed families their
school and introduced them to school staff.
I am sharing with you informa)on about the
upcoming elec)on on November 3rd School District
196 bond referendum and School Board elec)on. If
approved, the bond referendum would provide safety
and security improvements at all district schools,
addi)onal space needed for learning and increased
access to technology for all students. If you have any
ques)ons on the Oak Ridge impact from this bond
please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to
answer or find answers.
Specifically at Oak Ridge, the bond would provide:
A modified main entrance/office to route visitors
directly into the office;
Updated security cameras, exterior door controls and
emergency response bu&on in the office;
Addi)onal space gained from magnet school
addi)ons/enrollments and a&endance-area
adjustments for a new elementary school;
Upgraded technology infrastructure and interac)ve
classroom equipment, and
A district-owned mobile learning device for all
students in grades 4 and 5, and a 3-to-1 ra)o for
students in pre-K through grade 3.
Addi)onal informa)on about the bond referendum is
available in videos and text at www.District196.org/
Bond2015.
October 2015
and won’t have to worry about finding )me to vote at
their precinct polling place on Elec)on Day Tuesday,
Nov. 3. As of last year, voters no longer need a reason
to vote early by absentee ballot.
A fillable and printable absentee vo)ng applica)on is
available on the bond referendum website listed
above and paper copies are available in our office. To
vote absentee by mail, simply complete and sign the
applica)on and give it to a school office employee to
send to the District Office or mail it yourself to: ISD
196 District Office, 3455 153rd St. W., Rosemount,
MN 55068.
Once an absentee vo)ng applica)on is received and
processed, an absentee ballot will be mailed to the
voter along with instruc)ons for comple)ng and
returning their ballot in the postage-paid envelope
that is provided with the ballot.
Voters can also absentee vote in person, during
regular business hours, at the District Office or one of
the Dakota County government centers located in
Apple Valley, Has)ngs and West St. Paul.
To vote in person on Elec)on Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, go
to your school district precinct polling place. Go to
www.mnvotes.org to quickly find out where you
should vote. For more informa)on about vo)ng by
absentee ballot or on Elec)on Day, call the District
Office at 651-423-7725.
In Partnership,
Cindy Magnuson
Principal
Vote early by absentee ballot
Voters can cast their votes on the bond referendum
and School Board elec)on now, by absentee ballot,
Students in Mrs. Nordstrom’s Beta Classroom using iPads.
Page 2
Important Dates
Parent/Teacher Conference Sign Up
Oct. 5
Fire Safety Week Presenta)ons by
Eagan Fire Fighters—Gr K-2
Oct. 8
PTO Chuck E Cheese Family Night 4:00—8:00 p.m.
Oct. 9
NO SCHOOL—Data Analysis &
Instruc)onal Alignment Day
Oct. 14
Picture Retake Day
Parent/Teacher conferences will be on
Wednesday, November 4, from 4-8 p.m. and
on Thursday, November 5, from 12-8 p.m.
Beginning Wednesday, October 7, at 8:00
a.m., parents may register online for their
conference .me by going to the Oak Ridge
website at h1p://www.district196.org/or
and clicking on the “conferences” link located
on the right side of the home page.
Oct. 15-16 NO SCHOOL—Teacher’s Conven)on
Oct. 28
Makeup Bus Evacua)on Drills
Nov. 5 & 6 Parent/Teacher Conferences
PTO Scholas)c Book Fair
A6er School Classes Star.ng Soon
Watch for registra)on packets for aNer
school classes coming home in your child’s
backpack on October 8. ANer school classes will be offered on Mondays and Tuesdays
star)ng on November 9 and going through
December 8. Registra)ons will be due October 19. Some classes fill up quickly so turn
in your registra on soon.
PTO “Around the World At
Oak Ridge” Date Change
In order to have more planning )me and to
offer a family ac)vity in the spring, the PTO
has decided to postpone this year’s “Around
the World at Oak Ridge” to April 21.
Volunteers that had submi&ed their forms for the
October 22 date will be contacted. Mark you
calendar for April 21!
If you have more than one child at Oak Ridge,
we recommend you do not schedule conferences back to back just in case a teacher may
not be exactly on schedule. We want to
make sure you have a full 20 minute )me to
talk with your child’s teacher.
If you do not have access to a computer, you
may call the office at 651-683-6970 for assistance with scheduling. On October 21,
teachers will assign conference .mes to
those who are not scheduled. Parents who
are assigned conference appointments will
receive no)fica)on from teachers on a blue
note that will be sent home with students on
Friday, October 23 in Friday folders.
Our online scheduling system will also be open
for parents who wish to change their appointment )mes. You may also call the school
office to change your conference )me.
February Conference Date Change
District 196 has changed the dates for
Parent/Teacher Conferences and Kindergarten Registra)on in February. New dates are
Tuesday, February 9 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
and Thursday, February 11, from noon to
8:00 p.m.
Oh, no! Kindergartners lost their
Gingerbread man. Where did he
go?
Page 3
Magnet School Update
Oak Ridge will be a Leadership, Health & Environmental Magnet School star)ng the fall of
2016! During this school year we will work on
the research and development of our K-5 programming.
The beauty of the work ahead is that we get
to build from the ground up innova)ve programming for kids related to our magnet
themes. In order to do this we will need to
do a bit of research through readings, site visits, and pilo)ng, as well as through thoughRul
collabora)on between our staff and the community. Our ini)al research has shown us
possible ways we can combine the environmental and health sciences to create studentcentered, meaningful learning experiences for
kids.
Dona.ons of Playground
Equipment Welcome!
We are seeking dona)ons of new
or gently used playground equipment (balls,
jump ropes, etc.) for our children to use at recess. If you have any items you are willing to
donate, please bring them to the Oak Ridge
Office.
Fire Preven.on Week
Fire Preven)on Week is this week, October 410. The theme for 2015 is “Hear the Beep
Where you Sleep.” The Eagan Fire Department will visit Oak Ridge students in grades K ,
1 and 2 on Monday, October 5. The fire department encourages all families to develop a
plan for escape from a home during a fire, and
to remember to check smoke detectors on a
regular basis.
We will keep you posted about our work and
ways you can be involved moving forward!
Pet Visits Outside Only
Due to the increasing number of students
with allergies to pet dander, Oak Ridge does
not allow pet visits inside the school. Frequently during pet visits, animals are present
in shared spaces (hallways, office) where students with allergies may come in contact with
the pet dander. Some of these students experience harsh coughing and wheezing when
exposed to pet allergens.
We are commi&ed to providing a safe learning environment for all students at Oak Ridge.
Elimina)ng pet visits inside the school will reduce the risk of exposure for our students
with pet allergies. Thank you for your understanding of this policy.
Girls on the Run Program Begins at
Oak Ridge
The Girls on the Run aNer school program has
started at Oak Ridge. This program is a part
of the Twin Ci)es Girls on the Run that includes a running program as well as ageappropriate discussion topics of such things
as friendship, peer pressure, gossip, healthy
ea)ng, emo)onal awareness, etc. Girls meet
aNer school on Mondays and Wednesdays
with Oak Ridge Teacher Coaches Ka)e Siekmeier and Dianne Brost and Girls on the Run
Coach Jessica Presley. The culmina)ng
event will be the Girls on the Run 5K celebra)on on Saturday, November 14, at Harriet
Island in St. Paul.
Page 4
School Social Worker News
Information shared on the parent resource board (located in the hallway between the
office and the lunchroom, outside of the nurse’s office) includes: FREE meals for each night of the
week held at various places in the community, other food resources, support groups or educational
opportunities held in the community regarding parenting, grief, divorce, and ADHD, etc. If you can
not make it to the school to see this information for yourself, please call me and I can send the information home.
Winter will be here before we know it. If your children need winter wear and you are
unable to purchase it for them at this time, Coat for Kids can help you out! This program is open
to everyone in Dakota/Scott County. Please bring a picture ID, a bill with a current address and an
ID for each person receiving a coat (social security card, school ID, or a medical card will work for
children.) You may pick up your winter wear on Thursday, Oct. 29th 9am-6pm (while supplies last)
at Easter Lutheran 4545 Pilot Knob Road in Eagan. If your child is in need of winter wear (coats,
snowpants, mitten, boots, etc.) this is a wonderful resource!
Don’t forget that our school has a free/reduced lunch program. You need to complete a
new application each school year. Beginning this year, students who qualify for “reducedpriced” meals will receive free breakfast and lunch. Your children can get free meals if your household income is within the certain guidelines. For more information or to apply online visit
www.district196.org. I’m available if you need help filling it out. If you haven’t completed a new
application for this school year, your benefits will be ending soon and you’ll be on “full pay”, so
please complete a new application. Your application helps our school qualify for additional education
funds and discounts.
The cost of heating our homes during a MN winter can add strain to any family’s budget. MN’s
Cold Weather Rule offers families some flexibility when utility bills become difficult to pay during
the coldest months of the year. From Oct. 15 to April 15th the Cold Weather Rule protects residential utility customers from utility shut-offs and disconnections if the customer meets program requirements and has a payment plan in place with the utility company. Another resource for families
struggling with heating bills is the Energy Assistance Program. Energy assistance gives grants that
are applied directly to the energy bill. Both renters and homeowners can apply. Funding is limited.
Contact the CAP Agency at 651-322-3500 or visit their website at www.capagency.org.
This year our school has a partnership with The Sheridan Story. It’s an opportunity for
your family to discreetly receive a free bag of non-perishable food each Friday. If you are interested in registering for this, please call or email me.
Alisha Kaul, School Social Worker alisha.kaul@district196.org
651-683-6970 voicemail extension 94822 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Page 5
The “Giving Tree” Returns
As the new school year begins, teachers are
in need of certain supplies that they oNen
purchase themselves. The Oak Ridge Advisory Council saw a chance to help in the
classrooms through you, the school community! So, several years ago we created the
“Giving Tree”, a wish list of things needed
by teachers and specialists at Oak Ridge.
Students and their parents can help by purchasing and dona)ng the supplies to our
school—it’s the easiest way around to
“volunteer!” Help us help the Oat Ridge
staff by par)cipa)ng in the 12th annual
“Giving Tree.”
How to Par)cipate:
(1) Take the apple of your choice from the
tree in the hallway by the school office.
(2) Purchase the item listed.
(3) Write your name on the apple and tape
it to the item.
(4) Place the item in the “Giving Tree” box
in the office.
It’s that easy! Happy Pickin’s!
Safety First for Students
With the school year off to a great start, we
would like to remind parents and students
that safety is a high priority at Oak Ridge.
Safety procedures to remember for arrival
and departure include:
Walkers
• Patrols are sta)oned at Johnny Cake
Ridge Road and Clemson Drive
• Bikes, scooters and roller blades are acceptable but skateboards and roller shoes
are not allowed.
• Bikes should be chained and locked outside and scooters stored in lockers in the
school. Roller blades need to be removed
once on school property.
Bus riders
• Please do not arrive early at the bus
stop!!
• Stay out of the street and off neighbor’s
yards while wai)ng.
Parent drivers
• Students should arrive aNer 9:10 a.m. (or
at 9:00 a.m. if ea)ng breakfast at school)
• Drop off and pick up students in front of
the school.
• Pull as close to the curb as possible.
• Do not leave your car una&ended (no
parking in front of school from 9:00—9:25
a.m. and from 3:30—3:50 p.m.).
• Remind your child to remain on the curb
un)l it is safe to enter the car when
geTng picked up.
• Please drive slowly, be pa)ent and respect others who are in line wai)ng for
their child.
• Please wait pa)ently for cars to move forward.
GeTng to and from school should be enjoyable and if we follow these reminders it will
also be safe for everyone involved.
Mrs. Siekmeier’s kindergarten class celebra)ng Johnny Appleseed Day.