“Educa ng Our Students To Reach Their Full Poten al”
September 2015
Principal’s Comments
Dear Oak Ridge Families,
Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year! Our year is off to a fabulous start thanks in part to your commitment to bringing your children for
our Summer Literacy Assessments. It is a great gi) to be able to start the year with such important informa+on allowing for learning and
teaching to start so early in the year. We thank you for suppor+ng our work and allowing us to work with your child. Thank you for
sending such amazing children to Oak Ridge every day.
Welcome, New Staff
Please join me in welcoming the following new staff members to Oak Ridge:
Connec+ons Preschool:
Catherine Gubbels: Connec+ons Preschool Teacher
Brenda Powell: Connec+ons Preschool Assistant
Lisa Malloy: Connec+ons Preschool Assistant
Abby Herman: Kindergarten
Bethany Carroll, Physical Therapy
Bridget Coleman: EL
Julie Zandstra: EL
Molly Chapman: Special Educa+on
Cathleen O’Donnell: Special Educa+on
Bev DeWi:e: Long Term Subs+tute Grade 1
Linda McDonnell: Food Service
Instruc onal Assistants at Oak Ridge
I would like to share updates with you about the Oak Ridge administra+ve team. Mr. Backner worked as an Instruc+onal Assistant last
year. He has been hired to be an Assistant Administrator here at Oak Ridge. Mrs. Karla Bisco was a 5th grade teacher at Oak Ridge last
year. She has been hired as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) to assist our staff and parents in planning for Oak Ridge’s transi+on to
a magnet school. Both of these outstanding educators are dedicated to suppor+ng students, staff, and families in working towards
mee+ng the goals of Oak Ridge Elementary.
Safety
Your child’s safety is our top priority. Students have been learning rou+nes and expecta+ons that contribute to a safe and orderly learning
environment. We will be comple+ng a fire drill, and a lockdown drill within the first few days of school. Bus safety and evacua+on drills
are scheduled for September 22nd.
Important Events
Mark your calendar for our first PTO mee+ng on Monday, September 21, at 6:30 p.m. All are invited to a:end. Your ideas and input are
welcome.
Oak Ridge Fall Fes+val and Open House is September 17 from 6-8. Please see the sec+on in this newsle:er for more detailed informa+on.
Oak Ridge Parent Advisory Council Mee+ng: Monday, September 28, at 6:30 p.m. (All are welcome to a:end this mee+ng)
Magnet School Parent Planning Team: If you are interested in this group please contact Karla Bisco or Mrs. Magnuson. We have a group
of parents excited and willing to be on this team. There is room for more!
Parent teacher conferences on November 4 and 5. Please see our school website for a complete Google calendar at:
www.district196.org/or.
In Partnership,
Cindy Magnuson, Principal
Page 2
Oak Ridge Daily Schedule
Repor ng All Absences
7:30 am
8:00 am
9:00 am
Oak Ridge has an absence telephone line available for
calling in student absences. You may call 651-6836969, mailbox 92764, before 9:30 to report your child’s
absence or email us at orabsence@district196.org to
report your child’s absence. Please give your child’s
name, teacher, reason for the absence, date of absence and your name.
9:10 am
9:25 am
3:40 pm
3:45 pm
3:50 pm
4:00 pm
4:30 pm
Office opens
Teacher day begins
Breakfast service begins; students who
par+cipate in school breakfast enter
building
Doors open for walkers, bus riders,
and students who have rides to
school.
Start of school day; classes begin.
Dismissal for kindergarten students,
walkers, and students who have
rides from family members
Dismissal for bus riders in grades 1-5
Busses leave
Teacher day ends
Office closes
School Nurse’s Hours
Oak Ridge’s School Nurse is available each school day
from 9:00 a.m. un l 4:00 p.m. You may reach her on
her direct telephone line, 651-683-8593. If you get
her voice mail during the school day, she is not available at that moment but will return your call as soon as
possible.
Sign-Out Policy
Students who are transported by bus on a daily basis
must be signed out in the office if they are being
picked up instead of riding the bus. Students who
are walkers or who are being transported by parents
on a daily basis do not need to be signed out in the
office each day.
School Lunches
Parents of students who par+cipate in the school
breakfast and/or lunch program are reminded of the
following school lunch +ps:
When sending checks in payment of student breakfast
or lunches, please write the student’s name and PIN
number in the lower le) corner of the check. Please
do not put checks in envelopes. The cost of a student
lunch is $2.40.
When submiNng cash for student breakfast or lunches, use an envelope and write the student’s name, PIN
number, and teacher’s names on the envelope.
No+ces will be sent home with students when a child’s
account reaches zero. Your child’s account balance
can be checked by calling the Oak Ridge Food Services
Department at 651-683-6975 or by accessing your
child’s Schoolview account.
The school cafeteria is open for breakfast every day
from 9:00-9:25 a.m. Students who par+cipate will go
directly to the cafeteria upon arrival at school and eat
breakfast before repor+ng to their classroom. The
cost of breakfast is $1.45. Students who are eligible
for a free or reduced lunch are eligible for a free
breakfast.
No ce to Parents and Guardians
As the parent or guardian of a student in our school,
federal law gives you the right to request specific informa+on about your child’s classroom teacher and to
receive a response in a +mely manner. You may request the following informa+on:
• Whether the MN Department of Educa+on has
licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades
and subjects the teacher teaches, or has decided
that the teacher can teach in a classroom without
being licensed or qualified under state regula+ons
because of special circumstances.
• The teacher’s college major and any advanced
degrees, and the subject of advanced degrees;
and
• Whether any teachers’ aides or similar
paraprofessionals provide services to your child
and, if they do, their qualifica+ons.
For more informa+on contact your school principal.
District Does Not Provide
Accident Insurance
District 196 does not provide accident insurance for
injuries that happen to students at school or during
school ac+vi+es.
Parents who wish to have this type of accident protec+on are encouraged to contact an insurance company.
Page 3
Home Alone? ? ?
Directory Informa on
Dakota County Social Services Department has developed some supervision guidelines that need to
be communicated with all of our families:
1. Children 7 years old or under cannot be alone
for any period of +me.
2. Children 8-9 years old can be alone for up to 2
hours.
3. Children 10-13 years old cannot be alone for
more than 8-12 hours.
4. Children under 11 years old cannot baby-sit
younger children.
The school district designates some of your student’s
personal informa+on as “directory” such as name, sex
and grade level. Directory informa+on does not include parent name, address or phone numbers. If
you do not wish to have your child’s name listed in
school programs, newsle:ers or yearbooks, please
contact the school office to complete a form called
“Denial of Release of Directory and Yearbook Informa+on”.
All of these guidelines assume that children know
how to reach a parent or adult, are not afraid to be
alone, and have average behavior, health and maturity levels for their age. Occasionally other circumstances are considered on a case by case basis.
School Safety Drills in 2015-16
A1endance Guidelines for Parents
We want students to be at school every day and we
want them to be on +me. Good a:endance helps children reach academic, social and personal success. In
the State of Minnesota, it is the parents’ legal responsibility that all elementary age children a:end school.
Elementary age students who miss 7 unexcused days of
school or more, according to the MN Statues regarding
educa+on, are considered at risk for educa+onal neglect
and their parents are in viola+on of the state law on
compulsory educa+on.
The following are excused absences: illness, extreme
family emergency, funeral, religious holiday, doctor’s
visits including mental health, that cannot be scheduled
outside of the school day.
The following are unexcused absences: parents forgot
to wake their child, parents did not know the school
schedule, child missed the bus, child overslept, cold
weather, child did not feel like going to school, child was
sleepy, child thinks school is boring, child is not immunized, child is staying home to babysit.
Excessive absences and/or tardies may result in a le:er
of concern from the school. It should also be noted
that 3 unexcused tardies may be considered as one unexcused absence.
Any ques+ons regarding this set of state mandated
guidelines or the procedures for repor+ng your child’s
absence, please contact Alisha Kaul, School Social Worker at 651-683-6970.
The safety of students, staff and visitors to our
school is a top priority that is under constant review.
One of the ways we stay prepared for possible emergencies is by conduc+ng annual drills like fire drills,
tornado drills and lockdown drills.
Beginning in 2007-08, a revised Minnesota law requires that all schools statewide conduct at least five
fire drills, one tornado drill and five lockdown drills
during the year. The changes in this law increase
the number of required lockdown drills from one to
five each year and decrease the number of required
fire drills from nine to five.
In our school district, all five required fire drills will
involve students and will be held throughout the
year. The tornado drill will also involve students
and will be held during severe weather awareness
week in April. Three of the five lockdown drills conducted this year will involve students and staff, and
the other two will involve staff only. The three lockdown drills involving students will be held in September, March and the last one during summer
school in 2016.
All of the lockdown drills will involve our school’s
emergency planning team and staff working in close
coopera+on with the Eagan Policy Department. The
purpose of these drills is to help students and staff
prepare to respond appropriately in the event of an
emergency such as an intruder in the building. Students will be informed in advance when a lockdown
drill is scheduled to be held and will be reminded
that it is an important drill for us to prac+ce.
If you have any ques+ons about the emergency drills
planned at our school this year, please call Cindy
Magnuson, Principal, at 651-683-6970.
Page 4
Bond referendum addresses safety, space and technology needs
Our school district is conduc+ng an important bond referendum elec+on this fall to address facili+es and equipment needs at Oak Ridge Elementary and all 32 other schools and learning centers in District 196.
It has been more than 10 years since the last bond referendum elec+on in District 196, in 2004. A lot has changed
since then in terms of expecta+ons for school security, our needs for learning space and the importance of technology as a learning tool. The annual funding for technology that our district received from the 2004 bond referendum expired last year, leaving the district with no dedicated source of funding for ongoing technology needs.
Safety and Security
The proposed improvements to safety and security align with recommenda+ons of the District Emergency Team,
which conducted a comprehensive review of safety procedures and building security following the tragedy at
Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. As a result of that review, the team developed and implemented new safety procedures for building intruder scenarios, conducted police-led training at every school and recommended the following security improvements that are included in the referendum:
Modified entrances at all schools to improve control of visitor access;
Upgraded security equipment in all schools (cameras, exterior door controls and emergency response bu:ons),
and
Improved pedestrian safety and traffic management at 16 sites with iden+fied needs.
Space for Learning
A review of enrollment projec+ons and building capacity for every school in the district revealed growing pressure
for addi+onal space at the elementary level due to the addi+on of full-day kindergarten last year; the expansion of
targeted, school-based preschool for students with the greatest need, and housing growth in the southern part of
the district.
The proposed improvements include:
A new elementary school to relieve overcrowding and free up space at exis+ng elementary schools;
Addi+ons to the elementary magnet schools to relieve overcrowding and increase school-choice op+ons;
Expanded and renovated space for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educa+on at all six middle
schools, Cedar Park Elementary STEM School and Apple Valley High School, and
Renova+on of substandard space and replacement of worn-out student furniture to meet district standards.
Technology for Learning
Proposed technology improvements are intended to provide all students with a dynamic learning experience that
is enhanced by technology. They include:
Increasing access to technology by providing a district-owned device to all students in grades 4-12 (phased in over
three years) and a 3-to-1 student-to-computer ra+o for pre-K through grade 3, and
Upgrading technology infrastructure districtwide (telephone system, WIFI capacity and interac+ve classroom technology).
If approved, the referendum would cost the owner of the average-value home in District 196 approximately $12
per month. The school district por+on of local property taxes on the average-value home is less this year than it
was seven years ago in 2008.
The bond referendum and School Board elec+on will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Voters can cast their ballot
that day or can vote early by absentee ballot. For vo+ng informa+on and short videos about the bond referendum,
go to www.District196.org/Bond2015 or call the bond referendum informa+on line at 651-423-7776.
Page 5
PTO Fall Fes val & Classroom Visits
School Picture Day
The Oak Ridge PTO and school staff would like to invite
you to come to Oak Ridge on Thursday, September 17,
from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for our Fall Fes+val and a chance
to see your child’s classroom and learn more about their
daily schedule and rou+nes.
School picture day is Tuesday, September 15.
Photos will be taken of all students for the
yearbook. There is no charge to have your
child’s photo taken. If you would like to order pictures, please return the order form
sent home in Friday folders today with your
payment before picture day or order online
by going to mylifetouch.com and placing your
online order.
Our Picture Day ID is
MI255042Y0.
The PTO will host the Fall Fes+val outside on the playground area. There will be apples for a snack and the
chance for children to do an art project with staff from
the Eagan Art House. The Boy Scouts of America will
also be available to talk with parents about scou+ng.
You are welcome to stop by the classrooms between 67:30 to visit with teachers and see your child’s classroom. Most grade levels will have a presenta+on of
classroom informa+on for parents. Teacher will only
present once but will be in the classrooms to visit with
families before and a)er their presenta+on. At 7:30 all
staff will be outside enjoying the PTO Fall Fes+val with
families.
Orders must be placed before the photo is
taken.
There will be a retake day on October 14 for students who are absent on September 15 or would like a retake.
New Playground Equipment
Kindergarten
•
•
•
6:00-7:00 Classroom Open House
7:00-8:00 Outdoor with families.
Kindergarten will email and have available
a digital presenta+on for parents.
Grades 1-5 Classroom Open House 6-7:30
•
•
•
•
•
1st grade mee+ng 6:15
2nd grade mee+ng 6:30
3rd grade mee+ng 6:45
4th grade mee+ng 7:00
5th grade mee+ng 7:15
Magnet School Informa+on Presenta+ons at 6:10 & 7:10
in cafeteria.
Specialists will be in their areas (gym, art, music, library)
from 6:30-7:00 to meet families.
You should plan on having your student with you for
their classroom presenta+on.
Have you checked out the new playground
equipment at Oak Ridge? Many thanks to
Easter Lutheran Church for their dona+on of
$25,000 and to the Oak Ridge PTO for their
contribu+on of the remaining funds of approximately $5,000. Students will be very
Page 6
Oak Ridge is on Facebook!
Important Dates
Sept. 15
Sept. 16Oct. 23
Sept. 17
Sept. 21
Sept. 22
Sept. 28
Oct. 8
Oct. 9
School Picture Day
MAP Tes+ng Window—Grades 2-5
PTO Fall Fes val and Classroom Visits
PTO Mee+ng—6:30 p.m.—IMC
Bus Evacua+on Prac+ce Drills
Advisory Council Mee+ng—6:30 pm
PTO Chuck E Cheese Family Night
NO SCHOOL—Data Analysis &
Instruc+onal Alignment Day
Oct. 14
Picture Retake Day
Oct. 15-16 NO SCHOOL— State Teachers’ Conven+on
Keep up with the latest Oak Ridge events and
news. “Like” us on Facebook. Search for Oak
Ridge Elementary (not Oak Ridge Elementary in
Eagan) and see what we are up to!
Tes ng Dates for 2015-2016
The following table details the tes+ng ini+a+ves many Oak Ridge students will be involved in during the
2015-2016 school year. If you are scheduling a family vaca on for next school year, please try to
schedule your trip around the following dates:
Test
MAP (Fall Administra+on)
Who
Grades 2-5
Date(s)
September 16—October 23
NNAT2
CogAt
ACCESS
MCA Reading
Grade 1
Grades 3 & 5
ELL Students, K-5
Grades 3-5
December 1-17
December 1-22
Begins February 1
Begins March 7
MCA Science
MCA Math
Grade 5
Grades 3-5
Begins March 7
Begins March 7
Defini ons
MAP:
Stands for Measures of Academic Progress. These computerized tests show academic growth in
reading and math over +me.
MCA:
Stands for Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. These state mandated tests measure student performance rela+ve to state-defined standards in reading, mathema+cs, and science.
NNAT2:
Stands for Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (second edi+on): NNAT2 uses progressive matrices to
allow for a culturally neutral evalua+on of students’ nonverbal reasoning and general problem
solving ability, regardless of the individual student’s primary language, educa+on, culture or socioeconomic background.
CogAt:
Stands for the Cogni+ve Abili+es Test (CogAt) measures students’ learned reasoning abili+es in
the three areas most linked to academic success in school: Verbal, Quan+ta+ve and Nonverbal.
ACCESS:
Stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communica+on in English State-to-State for English
Language Learners. This large-scale test addresses the academic English language proficiency
(ELP) standards at the core of the WIDA Consor+um’s approach to instruc+ng and evalua+ng the
progress of English language learners.