The Woodland Brag Blog

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

3/30/09

Wow!  The end of March!!  Happy Spring! 

I am looking forward to the warmer weather and hoping that the Red River will subside, as my parents and sister have homes very near the river.  So far, the sandbags are holding!

It has been a fantastic year thus far!  Thank you for all each of you has done to support your child's teacher, your child and his/her learning, and our school. 

Right after spring break, our 3rd through 6th graders will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments.  I believe that the kids are ready to show the state how smart they are!  We are confident that our interventions to support ALL kids are working.  Whether the test results show that or not is yet to be determined (the bar gets raised every year), but one thing is very true:  teachers are working harder than they have ever worked to support all children and their achievement.  Our parent-teacher partnerships are very strong and focused on helping non-proficient children make above average gains. Team Time, a partnership between support staff and classroom teachers, is having a positive impact on all children.  PLCs are meeting regularly to discuss student achievement data, deconstruct grade level math standards, and then implement classroom instructional strategies to optimize learning.  It has been a stressful year, but also an exciting one as we continue to improve our practice to maximize student learning and socialization.  I couldn't be prouder to work with such dedicated staff members, parents who are partners in this work, and kids who work hard and want to be here and learn.  Woodland is a GREAT place!

Our staff has selected two individuals to receive the annual District 279 Investment in Youth Recognition/Award.  Our student award recipient is Lali Shupare, a sixth grader who has shown strong dedication to her own learning and that of others.  Lali volunteers to serve in many capacities within our school and works hard to achieve at high levels.  Mrs. Jennifer Leslie is our adult award recipient.  Mrs. Leslie has shown a strong commitment to education and supporting student learning.  She leads the Swingin' Educator choral group, is very active in Wastebasket Revue, and  participates in many activities at Woodland and in the district.  Her passion for children and District 279 is amazing!

The following link will lead you to a Subway program that will provide $5,000 to the winner's school!  Subway Program

Have a wonderful rest of the week and a fabulous spring break!!

Thank you for being the wonderful Woodland supporter that you are!  Together, I have no doubts, we ARE making a difference in each student's life!

Linda

3/5/09

Good morning!  There is a new box top promotion!  You can enter every day!!

Have a great weekend!

Linda

3/4/09

Hello!  Can you believe it is the middle of March?  Remember, we don't have school on Friday, as it is a report marking day for the teachers.  Report cards will come home nextWednesday, March 11th.

Here's a note from a sub:  "Subbing at Woodland is wonderful!  Students remained focused on learning and were very respectful."  Yay!   We are SO lucky to work with your children!!

Please be sure to attend our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, March 10th.  We will be meeting at Brooklyn Junior High at 7:00 in their media center.  The BJ staff will share information about the great things going on at their school and answer any questions you may have.  We have held our March PTA meeting at BJ in the past and it has been a very informative and productive evening for all who attend.  Please join us!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Linda

February 27, 2009

Good afternoon!  Happy Friday!

Did you know that Minnesota is phasing in requirements that students take Algebra I in 8th grade, rather than in 9th?  This has required our district, and districts across the state, to revise curriculum and course outlines for our elementary through high school students.  Our math curriculum includes algebraic concepts and problems much more prevalently than any past curriculum we have had.   

Education policymakers at all levels are struggling with why students have difficulty learning and understanding algebra and what can be done to support their learning at all levels.   The belief is that students who overcome challenges and complete introductory algebra earlier in school have much greater opportunities and a higher skill level and understanding of math concepts.

We are working hard at Woodland to help build student understanding of algebraic concepts and thinking starting in kindergarten!  I'm sure you have seen some of this coming home in the "Homework and Remembering" sheets or student assignments. Some strategies for parents to implement at home might include:

• helping children see that the equal sign doesn't always come at the end of an equation; for example x = y or 3+7=19-9
• guiding children to sort through problems and provide explanations of answers and strategies on their own

• playing math games at home that are based on research about how young children develop math skills and understanding of concepts

• looking for math concepts in our world; for instance the geese flying in a V formation, if a perfect V, how many end up flying on each side?  How did you figure out the answer?

Working hand in hand, as parents and educators, we can AND WILL make a difference for EVERY child and help all students become ready for Algebra I in 8th grade!

On another note, please check out the link below and consider putting a "Box Tops for Education" collection bin in your workplace, with the box tops collected coming to Woodland!  The funds we raise through this program support supplies for our enrichment room and technology purchases.  Click here for further information. 

Have a terrific weekend!

Linda

2/13/09

Hello!  Happy Presidents' Weekend!  In this blog I have three exciting programs to share with you.

First, we were lucky to receive a $3000 grant from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) to study our behavior plan, research best practices around behavior planning, and visit other metro area schools who are known for their behavior procedures.  The grant was titled "Sharing the Dream" and the committee was comprised of Woodland staff and parents.   While we know that our current plan works well for over 90% of our students, we are always looking for strategies to strengthen and improve our work.  This group has developed a proposal that will be presented to our staff this afternoon and then revised and refined over the next several weeks before being presented in its final form.   This is an exciting opportunity for Woodland!

DREAM at Woodland!

A group of creative and efficient Woodland Elementary parents and staff members have teamed up with the MN Swarm Lacrosse team and have given

Woodland

students grades K-6 a challenge to read 1 million minutes by May first.  This reading incentive program is called DREAM which stands for dedicated readers equals a million.  The goal of the DREAM committee is to encourage kids to read more at home.  Students can read anything including books, magazines and newspapers.  Students will log their minutes and when they have read their first 1000 minutes they will receive free tickets to a MN Swarm game.  Students will be working on grade level goals as well as the school goal of 1,000,000 minutes.  The DREAM committee members have some exciting incentives and surprises funded through the Woodland PTA (and possible grants) planned throughout the rest of the school year.  

The kickoff for the program was Wednesday, Feb 4th.  Students were visited by MN Swarm officials and their mascot Buzz and, on the morning announcements, they saw a creative program set to music prepared by Colleen Dwight, the media specialist, which captures

Woodland

staff reading in all sorts of crazy places. 

We are also

 planning on getting the community involved in the DREAM program through some special events and activities such as “celebrity readers” and “celebrities” coming to

Woodland

to encourage kids to read more and show their support with their presence.

 Students will be updated on their progress through WDTV.

 DREAM is a way the PTA in partnership with the Woodland staff and families can reach out to all students at

Woodland

and show the children that we care about their future, we support reading, and that reading is an important life long skill no matter what career or life path you take. We hope this is the first of many years of Woodland PTA’s support of a school wide reading incentive program.

Jump Rope for Heart!

Our Physical Education Department is coordinating the Jump Rope for Heart program.  Last week, students from Park Brook Elementary helped kick-off this initiative.  These great jump ropers demonstrated their skills and tricks for jumping rope.  They were great!

Today I jumped rope for 20 minutes hoping to raise $400 for the American Heart Association from the staff.  Whew! Next week the kids will be jumping for 20 minutes to also raise funds from family and friends.  Our hope is that this initiative will not only raise funds for the American Heart Association, but will increase awareness regarding juvenile diabetes, obesity, and activities to promote a health heart and healthy life.

Wow!  Great things are happening at Woodland to promote student social skill development, reading, and physical health!!

Thanks to our school community for working together to make this all happen!

Have a wonderful weekend!  Remember, no school on Monday!

Linda

 

2/5/09

Good afternoon!  Did you know that Woodland is the first elementary school in the district to pilot a "Zero Hour" Community Education program for our students?  The Woodland staff members will be teaching several great classes beginning February 23rd.  Classes will start at 8:00 AM.   At 9:05 the children will go to breakfast before heading to class at 9:20.  The classes are very reasonable in cost and breakfast is included!!!  There are classes for 5th and 6th graders that include orchestra practice with Ms. Barhorst combined with homework help/work time.  Spanish for grades k-6 will be taught by Mrs. Rasmussen and Ms. Prekker.  A wide variety of fun enrichment classes will also be offered for all grade levels.  Classes will be on Mondays and Thursdays for 6 weeks.

This is an exciting opportunity for our school and for our children!  I hope you will look at the brochure distributed at conferences or access the information online at  www.CatchtheEnergy.org through the "Online Registration" - Find Classes/Zero Hour Classes.  You can also go to http://www.osseo.k12.mn.us/perficio/online/events/search.aspx 

I am hoping that our school community will support this exciting Zero Hour program and we will be able to continue to offer it in an expanded form in the years ahead.

Through our partnership with our Community Education department great things continue to happen at Woodland!

Have a great evening!

Linda

1/29/09

Good morning!  It's hard to believe it is already the end of January and our mid-year conferences are upon us.  In this blog I'd like to tell you about our January "Late Start" and the work our teachers are doing to impact student learning in math.

During the January 14th "Late Start", our licensed staff spent time learning about inter-cultural communication, completing a self-assessment, and applying the information to our work at Woodland.  We will continue this focus throughout this year and into the future to continue to build our cultural competence.  The license and non-licensed staff continued to learn and practice ENVoY strategies; which are non-verbal behaviors to strengthen classroom management.  Then, while the licensed staff worked in their PLCs (Professional Learning Communities), focused on student achievement, the non-licensed staff met to discuss lunch and recess behavior management interventions and issues.

This year our PLCs have been focusing on identifying state and district learning standards and "deconstructing" them.  This means developing outcomes or learning targets under each standard and then writing them in terms/goals easily understood by the students.  These are the "I Can" statements.  Teachers also are creating common formative assessments to track and determine levels of mastery of the learning targets for every student.  This work, while very time consuming and rigorous, allows teachers to focus instruction and inform their practice.  It allows students to understand what they need to learn and analyze and set goals for their individual learning; which results in greater ownership.

Conferences are off to a great start this morning!  Thanks to all for your commitment to attend conferences and partner with your child's teacher to support his/her learning and development.  It makes all the difference in the world!  Together we ARE doing great things for our children!

Be sure to check out the PTA Book Fair!  They have a terrific selection of children's books and books for all ages!  Plus, the funds earned come right back to Woodland to support our media center and programs at our school.

Have a great weekend!

Linda