The Woodland Brag Blog

11/5/09

Good morning!  I have a lot to share today!

First, I am very excited to tell you that this morning our licensed staff met for an hour in their PLCs (Professional Learning Communities).  As I walked through the building I saw teams of teachers (classroom, ELL, special education, and support) reviewing student achievement data, talking about strategies to address learning needs, planning for leveled reading and math, and consistently focused on implementing best practices to insure student achievement growth.  Some teams were working with district "consultants" to learn about best practices or develop strategies for instruction.  It was SO impressive!  Woodland teachers are working VERY hard to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of the children! 

Woodland is one of four schools in Minnesota to receive the "Family-Friendly School Award"!  Yay!  Parents were invited to nominate schools based on parent involvement, family friendly events, a school climate that is inviting, and communication that keeps families informed.  It is an honor to receive this award!  We can all take credit - it truly does take a "village to educate a child".

Our Behavior Task Force has been working hard to review and revise our building behavior plan.  One change that has been implemented is that all children will now participate in the Eagle Celebration.  In the past, those receiving a white slip attended the assembly in the gym and then went to required study hall.  Effective yesterday, all children are invited to participate in the Eagle Celebrations.  The purpose of the celebration is to bring our school community together and celebrate the great choices our students are making (95%+ of our students don't have behavior issues resulting in a white slip).

At the end of this blog is an update about Woodland entering the Norton Cyber Safe Challenge!  Thanks to all who have entered the contest!  If you are one of the 9 parents mentioned below, please go back in and make sure your entry is complete!

Great things continue to happen at Woodland!

Have a terrific weekend!

Linda

Here is the email from Norton:

We are excited about your school’s entering the Norton Cyber Safe Challenge, but wanted to bring an important issue to your attention.  Our systems are showing us that 9 of the parents from your school have not fully completed the set up and installation of the product, which means your school’s actual count would be that much higher should they complete the process – schools don’t get credit for the subscription until the “Norton Safety Minder” is installed.  There are still almost 2 weeks left of the contest and this amount could make all the difference!

The step that these parents haven’t completed is the installation of the “Norton Safety Minder,” (step 7 below).   We suggest you send out a communication to all the parents at your school reminding them that they need to complete step 7 in order to complete registration.  Unfortunately, due to privacy policies we can’t specifically tell you which parents are affected.  In order to check to see if installation has been completed, parents simply need log onto their account.  If the little black and yellow dog print is in the system tray, all is good.  If it isn’t, parents need to go to step 7 where they left off and click the button to download the Norton Safety Minder.    I’d be happy to jump on the phone with you to walk you through the process.

 Basic Instructions:

1G  Go to onlinefamily.norton.com

2.       Hit the green “get started” button

3.       Fill in the blanks (you can walk them through what to fill in)

4.       MOST IMPORTANT – enter the promo code xx-xx-xxxx

5.       Click the grey “set up account” button on bottom of page

6.       Enter the info about you and your kids

7.       VERY IMPORTANT– click on the “safety minder” button at bottom of page.  Until you do this, you aren’t officially registered.  The Safety Minder sits in the system tray (bottom right hand corner of your computer and looks like a dog paw)  of your child’s computer and watches over them so you know what they are doing.  It’s also a good idea to have separate Windows accounts for each member of your family if you share one computer.  This way your adult info is kept separate from your kid’s.  This also allows the OF.N product to know how much time each individual child spends online so that you can monitor that.

 

 

Th

 

 

 

10/28/09

Hello!  Conferences have just ended and I want to thank all of you for attending and supporting your child(ren).  I am confident that by working together with the teachers each child will reach their target growth goal for reading and math.

A huge thank you goes to our teachers who have worked hard to prepare for conferences.  Our goal was to present each parent/guardian with an accurate picture of how their child is performing academically and socially and to build a partnership to support the child.  Our teachers have worked so hard this year to assess student achievement, review all the data possible, and then use that data to inform their teaching and work with students.  Teachers, licensed support staff, and ESPs have worked very hard to develop interventions that meet the learning needs of EVERY child.  There is rarely a night that I drive by Woodland and don't see several cars still in the parking lot.  That is because the teachers are working collaboratively and passionately to implement strategies that are research based best practices and have the best chance of reaching all students.  We are SO lucky to have such a talented, professional, and dedicated staff at Woodland!

A huge thank you again this year to Bryan Boesen and Craig Wietzel, the owners of the Noble Mobil service and gas station across the street from Woodland.  They have generously donated $750 to Woodland through the Exxon Mobil Corporation's "Educational Alliance" program to support math and science in schools.  The funds will be used to support our Fastt Math program which builds math fact fluency and is a program in which all first through sixth graders participate.  We are seeing very positive results from student participation in this program.

Here is an invitation to attend a fundraiser coordinated by a student from our school district:

My name is Juhee Kwon, and I currently attend Maple Grove Senior High as a senior. This autumn, for my Girl Scout Gold Award, I will be organizing a classical music concert called the Notes for their Notebooks on Friday, November 20th from 7 to 9pm at the Maple Grove Senior High Auditorium, promoting education and awareness about child soldiers in Africa.

I would like to extend an invitation to you and others who may be interested to the night of music featuring Minnesota Orchestra's Helen Chang and Aaron Janse, along with vocalist Steve Staruch and the Pipidae Woodwind Trio. Tickets are $15 for adult & $10 for students and may be purchased on our website or by email requests to notesfortheirnotebooks@gmail.com. The night offers a great enrichment opportunity to explore not only music, but also a humanitarian world crisis such as the child soldier situation in Africa. The concert aims to support this cause by donating children's books and supplies to Schools for Salone, a child soldier rehabilitation school in Sierra Leone.

 

Have a terrific weekend!

 

Linda

10/20/09

I meant to include in my last blog information from PTA regarding an internet safety contest through Norton.  Families can register for this internet protection for their children by going to  https://onlinefamily.norton.com/familysafety/ 

Please enter "Woodland Elementary" under school name.

Promotion Code:  PR-MN-23-9412

10/20/09

It is amazing to think that we are already over half way through October and we are having a terrific school year!  Here are some of the AMAZING highlights:

• All staff have taken the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and we have begun to analyze strategies to build our intercultural competency.
  

• Two "Diversity Listening Sessions" were held with parents to gather information about our work and learn what we can focus on to build a more inclusive community and eliminate the achievement gaps.

• Leveled Reading has changed to be an hour each day.  During this time the kids move to reading classes that are at their instructional level.  All groups are working hard to ensure that each student meets or exceeds their growth target in reading this school year.

• Team Time started yesterday!  This year Team Time has a math focus.  Team Time allows those kids needing additional instructional support to receive it while the kids who understand the concepts being taught in math receive instruction to build deeper understanding or enrich their thinking/learning.  In math, as in reading, we are working hard to make sure learning targets are met or exceeded.  Both Team Time and Leveled Reading allow us to address those kids needing additional time and support to learn a standard/concept and those kids who already know it.

• Project Copernicus is up and running soon!  This program allows students to bring their own computing devices to school to use as a collaborative learning tool.  We are one of three schools in our school district to be involved in this program, and, I am proud to tell you, that we are the only school in which two entire grade levels (fifth and sixth) are participating.  We have just received 27 beautiful pink netbooks (HP Minis) that will be distributed, three per classroom, to supplement the program.  Project Copernicus is managed by Mrs. Rojanne Brown.  Click here to view her blog and learn more about this fabulous pilot program sponsored by our school district.

I could go on and on about the great things happening at Woodland!  I have visited classrooms each week and I am continually impressed with the focus on learning in each classroom, the positive rapport between the adults and students, and the high level of engagement the students have in their learning.  I can't tell you how lucky I am to work with such a high quality group of professionals - licensed and non-licensed!

Conferences began this morning and will continue tonight and into next week.  We are looking forward to sharing your child's progress with you and developing a partnership that is focused on making sure he/she reaches the projected learning growth in both reading and math this year.  Wouldn't it be great to have EVERY student achieving at or above grade level by the end of the year!  I know that, together, we can eliminate achievement gaps and ensure that all students reach those growth targets.

Have a great rest of your week!  Thanks for all you do to support Woodland!

Linda

9/17/09

Happy Mid-September!  It is so great to be back!  The first weeks have gone so smoothly and the staff and students are very engaged in teaching and learning.  Plus, recess has been fabulous with our wonderful fall weather!

I'd like to start this blog by telling you a little bit about myself!  I am thrilled to be married to my husband, Bob, who is the principal at Osseo Senior High!  Together we share five fabulous children and two grand children.  The two oldest are both married and live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; which is where our two grandchildren live (who are 4 and 2). The three youngest live in Minneapolis and are single.  All five are adults and either working or in college.  Bob and I love to golf; we can often be seen at Edinburgh, USA.  We also enjoy traveling throughout the world.  This past summer we were in China with a delegation of 400 American educators.  This is my 31st year in education, my 27th in the Osseo Area School District, and my 19thas an elementary school principal.  I'm old!  But I am very lucky to lovethis district, my work, and the people with whom I work!

If you received the Sunday Star/Tribune, and still have it, please look at the flier that was in the Sunday, September 13th Rainbow Foods advertisement and cut out the "Campbell's 100 Bonus Points" certificate and send it to school.  These certificates could add up to a lot of points for Woodland; which allows us to receive free school supplies. It's amazing what we've been able to do with the points from this collection!  Many thanks to Connie Maier, our parent volunteer, who coordinates the Campbell's soup label collection!

Remember, we also collect General Mills' Box Tops for Education, Tyson "Project A+" labels, Kemps milk caps, and used inkjet cartridges.  All funds or points from these collections are used to support our students.

That's it for today!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Linda

9/1/09

Wow!  It is hard to believe that it is already September!  The staff has been busy getting ready for Open House and the return of our students!  We are excited for the start of the 2009-2010 school year!

Our workshop content this week has included a review of district policies, our building procedures, our student achievement data, and an inservice regarding building each staff member's cultural competency.

This year we will be working on two Site Improvement Plan goals (though we have many goals within these).  The first is to assure that every student reaches their growth expectation in reading and math, as determined by MAP testing.  The second is to close the achievement gaps, specifically between our Black and Caucasian students.  These are very high goals and we can achieve them if we work together, parents and teachers, to support each student and his/her learning.  Together, we WILL make a difference!

Here are a few announcements as we begin our school year:

• We have added a sixth first grade classroom and a fifth fifth grade classroom to alleviate high class sizes.

• We have had a large increase in enrollment and have just over 1000 K-6 students and 30 4 Star Express students.

• We have had over 32 changes in staff positions since last fall!  We have many new faces and many returning faces in different positions!

• Our Lead Building Engineer, Mr. Wally Libby, has accepted a position at Osseo Senior High as their Lead Building Engineer.  We will miss him greatly and thank him for his great work these past 7 years!  We welcome Mr. Jeff Oakland, who will join us during the first week of school.
• We welcome Mrs. Toni Beckler, our new assistant principal!
• All of our newsletters are now on line.  We no longer have hard copies available.  Please look for monthly newsletters on our website (for our school and each grade level) on the first Wednesday of every month.  We will send a Connect Ed phone message on those days to remind our families!
• Remember to sign up for the Target's "Take Charge of Education" program, and indicate Woodland as the school to receive payment from every charge or debit you make.
• Collect those General Mills Box Tops for Education, and send them to Woodland before March 1st!  With "The Big Clip" sweepstakes, Kimberly-Clark and Box Tops are giving away a total of 1,000,000 Bonus Box Tops!!  You can enter every day at TheBigClip.com to win up to 500,000 Bonus Box Tops for Woodland, which is over $50,000 worth of change!!  Let's do it!
• Again, congratulations to Mrs. Rojanne Brown!  She was chosen among hundreds of educators to become a Google Certified Teacher.  She attended training in August in Colorado and is fired up to implement strategies at Woodland!  She is one of fifty world-wide who were selected for this training!  She is the only Google Certified Teacher in our school district and one of a handful in Minnesota!  We are very proud of her!  Here is a link to her youtube video which was part of her online application to become a Google Certified Teacher.

Okay, those are the most current updates! 

My goal is to blog weekly this year!  Don't hold me too that - as some weeks just get away from me!

Enjoy these last few days with your children!  We can't wait to have them back on Tuesday!

Linda

8/12/09

Hello!  I hope you are having a great summer!

Our office is now open and we are busy getting ready for the 2009-2010 school year!  It will be wonderful to have the staff back in the building on August 31st!  Then on September 2nd, we will welcome families to school at our Open House (5:30-7:00 PM) and on September 8ththe kids return :)and we start our 8th school year!

Tomorrow, I am meeting with a group of teachers to analyze our student test score data and make recommendations/plans for this year.  Woodland continues to shine in student achievement data, however, we still have a lot of work to do to close the achievement gaps and get all children to be proficient in reading and math.  I am confident that this great staff, in partnership with our fabulous parent group, will continue to see student achievement growth and standards being met by all.

I have some fabulous information to share with you!  Mrs. Rojanne Brown, our Technology Integration Collaboration Teacher, was selected from educators across the world to be one of 51 "Google Educators"!!  This is a big deal.  Here is the press release:

Google recognized Rojanne Brown as a Google Certified Teacher, joining a select group of outstanding educators through its Google Teacher Academy, hosted at the Google offices in Boulder, Colorado on August 5th.

The Google Teacher Academy is a free professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. Each Academy is an intensive, one-day event where participants get hands-on experience with Google's products and technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies and receive resources to share with colleagues. Upon completion, Academy participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local regions and beyond.

Google Certified Teachers are exceptional K-12 educators with a passion for using innovative tools to improve teaching and learning, as well as creative leaders and ambassadors for change. They are recognized experts and widely admired for their commitment to high expectations for students, life-long learning and collaboration.

The Google Certified Teacher program was launched in 2006 with the first Academy held at Google headquarters in Mountain View. The program has since held several academies across the US, expanding the ranks of Google Certified Teachers. The Google Teacher Academy is produced by Google, in collaboration with CUE and WestEd, both educational non-profit organizations.

Way to go, Rojanne!!

Have a great weekend!

Linda

6/08/2009

Hello!  Wow!  Where has this school year gone?  It is hard to believe that the kids and non-licensed staff are off on their summer vacations and today is the last day for the licensed staff members!  It has been another great year!

Here are some of the highlights:

• Second and sixth graders put on two fabulous musicals showcasing their numerous talents.
• Student Council led many service projects to support our community and world and coordinated our talent shows.
• Our test scores continued to show that our students are making growth in reading and math that is above the district average.
• The Woodland staff members continued to put a strong focus on doing whatever it takes to support each student so that they could "achieve their dreams; contribute to community; and engage in a lifetime of learning" and SOAR (succeed, outshine, achieve, reach).
• Our PTA continued to support  our work and our community at a very high level.  Highlights included Turkey Bingo, Carnival, the reading incentive program DREAM, the Cultural Festival, and the funding support of classrooms and building-wide technology to impact student learning.  Thanks to our school community for supporting PTA, their fundraisers, and the wonderful activities they sponsored.  A big thank you to those who served on the Board, attended meetings, and/or chaired the many wonderful events.
• We had THOUSANDS of volunteer hours that supported our school programming, teachers, the office staff, and, most importantly, classroom teachers and student learning.  Many thanks to our corporate volunteers from Target who came weekly to tutor students and to everyone who volunteered!
• Woodland parents did a fabulous job monitoring student planners, maintaining a reading and homework time at home every day, supporting and partnering with classroom teachers, and guiding their children to be the best they can be!
• Our first kindergarten class graduated from sixth grade!
• There were many, many more highlights - all making Woodland a wonderful place!

It is with great sadness that we have said good-bye to many staff members who are transferring to other employment opportunities within the district or retiring.  We wish the very best to our two retiring cooks, Joyce DeMeyer and Kathy Thompson, and Brenda Zimbrick, who is retiring from her ESP role and all those "family" members moving to new positions.

Another year has come and gone!  Next year we will be starting our 8th year as a school!  Amazing!  We have built a wonderful school community, working together to help every child receive the best education possible!

I wish you all a fabulous summer!  Relax, enjoy time with your family and friends, and have fun!  Please encourage your children to read, read, read and practice their math skills!  Our website is a great place for them to find games to maintain, build, and enrich their skills.  (Click on Kid Sites to Browse and Learn, go to the MAP Reading or Math section, then click on your child's RIT score band and skill building games will be appropriate to their learning level.  RIT scores were sent home in the report card envelopes.)

I will begin to blog again in August with a goal to do it more frequently next year!

All the best,

Linda

5/18/09

Hello!  I hope you are enjoying this week of more like May weather!  It is great to see the kids out playing at recess without jackets.  Personally, I am anxiously awaiting a return to the game I love - golf - and a return of my golf game (which has taken a longer vacation than usual!).  :)

I am thrilled to announce in this blog that Toni Beckler, currently working as the BIT at Osseo Senior High, will be joining the Woodland faculty in the fall in the role of Assistant Principal.  We were very lucky to have many highly qualified candidates apply for the position.  After a rigorous application screening process, eleven candidates participated in screening interviews with Dr. Kate Maguire, Assistant Superintendent for the Department of Leadership, Teaching, and Learning, and me.  From those interviews, five candidates moved on to interview with a stake holder group made up of district and building staff members and parents (some serving in both roles).  From there, candidates were interviewed by two of our Assistant Superintendents and the finalist emerged.

I want to welcome Mrs. Beckler to our school family!

On another note, our MAP testing is showing nice gains for many of our students.  Results will be coming home in report card envelopes on June 5th.  The stories associated with great team work between parents and teachers and strong efforts by students are many and show that together we really can make a difference for our kids!

Here are some notes from substitute teachers:

• "The students were a polite and well-behaved group to work with.  They were focused and on task most of the time.  They were very mannerly and respectful.  The were a fun group to work with  these past two days.  There were no major discipline issues or concerns."

• "Students were well behaved, helpful and respectful.  I enjoyed the day!"
• "Great afternoon!  It is always great to sub here!"
• "Well mannered students.  Staff members are welcoming and very cooperative."
• "Wow!  Woodland has terrific ESPs that really care about the kids!"

Have a great day!  Thanks for all you do to support your child's learning and Woodland!

Linda

5/6/09

Wow!  It seems like a very long time since I have posted!!  We have been extremely busy at Woodland as you will see in the letter coming home today (Wednesday, 5/6) to explain the numerous staff changes for the 2009-2010 school year.  However, I am confident that every class of students will have a dedicated, hard working, and student focused teacher and learning will continue to happen at a high level.

Our initial MAP testing (formerly NWEA) is showing great growth in reading and math for many students!  While we have spent a great deal of time on testing the past two months, we are confident the results will continue to show what smart and capable children we have at Woodland.

Here is a copy of the letter being sent home with the children today.

May 6, 2009

 

Dear

Woodland

Families:

 

It is hard to believe that we are already in May and the 2008-2009 school year is coming to a close!  With that comes the preparation for the 2009-2010 school year.  We have just completed the teacher “staffing” process for next year and it has involved several changes for

Woodland

.  All of the changes have followed the teachers’ contract and the terms and conditions outlined between Education Minnesota-Osseo and our district. 

 

 

Here are the changes occurring:

• Kindergarten:  no changes.
• First Grade:  Mrs. Lien will be moving from fifth grade to first grade.  Ms. Hansen will be transferring to

  Rice

  Lake

  Elementary School

  .
• Second Grade:  Mrs. Hodsdon will be moving from fourth grade to second grade, teaching Mrs. Goodrich’s classroom in the fall.
• Third Grade:  Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Goodrich will be teaching third grade, moving from sixth grade and second grade, respectively.  Due to a reduction of one teacher in third and fourth grade, Mrs. Deans will be staying in third grade, thus won’t be looping with her classroom to fourth grade.  Mrs. Kust has chosen to move to the

  Osseo

  Secondary

  Transition

  Center

  to work with 18-21 year olds who have special needs.
• Fourth Grade:  no changes, except for Mrs. Deans’ departure mentioned above.
• Fifth Grade:  Mrs. Drake has moved back to fifth grade.  Mrs. Tammi Provart will be joining the fifth grade team.  She has been our teaching coach for the past three years.  Mrs. Winikoff will be transferring to Birch Grove Elementary
• Sixth Grade:  Ms. Sanchez has accepted a position teaching gifted education at Weaver Lake Elementary;  Mrs. Voigtlander will be teaching Ms. Sanchez’ classroom next year.  Mr. Greg Lucas will be moving to

  Woodland

  to teach Mrs. Lee’s sixth graders.

 

Other changes: 

• Mrs. Leslie will be our teacher for gifted education next year.  Her position will be combined with facilitation of building-wide intervention.
• We will no longer have a Behavior Intervention Teacher.  I have converted the position (adding other funding) into an assistant principal position for which we are currently in the selection process.
• Mrs. Laura Smith will be teaching ELL (.5).
• Mrs. Tollas will move from a .5 contract to teaching special education full time.

 

It has been a VERY busy spring!

 

 

I would like to remind you that we will continue our looping philosophy, so children who are currently in first, third, and fifth grade will move to the next grade with their current teacher or the new teacher assigned to that classroom.  In the case of fourth grade, the students in Mrs. Deans’ classroom will be placed on the class lists of the other fourth  grade teachers.  We will follow our building class list protocols for making these placements (no teacher requests can be honored).  During the last week of school the parents of those children will be notified of their child’s teacher assignment and transition activities will occur.

 

The grade level teaching assignments are included below, to help provide clarity to the many changes that have occurred. 

 

Thank you for your continued support of

Woodland

!  I am confident that, as parents, you will positively support your child if he/she is impacted by a teaching change and you will also support the teachers impacted.

 

It is with a very sad heart that we say good-bye to Ms. Hansen, Mrs. Kust, Mrs. Lohn, Mrs. Russell-Flowers, Ms. Sanchez, and Mrs. Winikoff.  We thank them for the contributions to our

Woodland

family and wish them the very best in their future endeavors!  We welcome Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Smith to

Woodland

!

 

If you have questions or concerns about the changes, please feel free to contact me (763-315-6400).

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Linda Perdaems

 

 

 

Kindergarten:  Mrs. Morningstar, Ms. Richter, Mrs. Schulzetenberg (full day)

First Grade:  Ms. Heer, Ms. Helms, Mrs. Lien, Mrs. Wagner, Mrs. Walz

Second Grade:  Ms. Bedford, Mrs. Gute, Mrs. Halvorson, Mrs. Hodsdon, Mrs. Levy, Mr. Lund

Third Grade:  Mrs. Deans, Mrs. Goodrich, Mrs. Lee, Ms. Snell, Mrs. Throndson

Fourth Grade:  Mrs. Ewing, Mr. Gruber, Ms. Ness, Mr. Sawatzke

Fifth Grade:  Mrs. Drake, Mrs. Provart, Mrs. Otto, Mrs. Wagenman

Sixth Grade:  Mrs. Landers, Mr. Lucas, Mrs. Tollefson, Mrs. Voigtlander

 

Gifted Education:  Mrs. Leslie

ELL:  Mrs. Gunderson, Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Wood

Special Education:  Mrs. Bushy, Mrs. Olson, Mrs. Rasmussen, Mrs. Tollas

Strategies:  Mrs. Sikka, Mrs. Stimac

 

All other licensed assignments will remain the same for next year.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Linda