May Newsletter - Highland Park Elementary

Highland Park Elementary
Globe
A monthly newsletter for Highland Park parents, staff, and
students.
May 7, 2015
Principal’s Letter
Calendar of Events
May
7
Dear Families,
While I don’t know if there is an
official “Volunteer Appreciation”
day, week or month, we are very
grateful for all that our volunteers
do for us EVERY DAY of the year!
We certainly couldn’t accomplish
what we do, offer what we do, or
have so many of the materials that
we do without the generous support
of our volunteers.
Kindergarten Roundup
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
12
Rhythmic Movement Program
6:30 – 8:00 p.m., HP Senior High
14
Volunteer Recognition Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
25
Memorial Day Holiday
NO SCHOOL
June
4
All-School Picnic
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
THANK YOU…
th
5
5 Grade Skyzone Field Trip
9
5 Grade Celebration
10:30 a.m. – Gym
9
Kindergarten Graduation
2:00 p.m. – Gym
9
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
th
In This Issue
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
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Principal’s Letter
1
Family Involvement Events
2
Update from the Art House
3
News from the Library
4
Inquiry Update
5
Phy Ed Update
6
to volunteers Judy Williamson and
Iver Beck who are here every day
working closely with our young
students….to Kris Beedle and Jenny
Stevens, along with all of our other
PTA members, who work tirelessly
to raise money for the school so that
students can experience the
fabulous art residencies and field
trips…..to Tarah Koch who
coordinates all of our volunteers for
PTA events, and to all the
volunteers who make the events
possible….to Melissa Doumbia who
publishes our newsletter every
month……to all of our parent
volunteers who spend countless
hours in the classroom, at the
copier, at the paper cutter, and are
at our beck and call for field
trips.....to our parents who provide
dinners for us during conferences,
breakfasts and lunches during
teacher appreciation week, and
treats just because…and to our
parents who volunteer to tend to our
gardens.
We honor and appreciate all of our
volunteers who honestly make
Highland Park Elementary the
wonderful school that it is. Our
official Volunteer Appreciation
Breakfast is Thursday, May 14 at
8:30 AM. All HPE volunteers are
invited to attend this breakfast,
whether you’re here every day or
every so often. And some of our
volunteers work behind the scenes,
too, so if that’s you, please join us
for the breakfast. We value all that
you do!
We are now looking for volunteers
for next year to work with our
students in enrichment areas such
as Junior Great Books, Spelling
Bee, Geography Bee, Wordmasters,
Lego League, Collector’s Corner,
and Destination Imagination, just
to name a few possibilities. If you
are interested in working with our
students in any of these areas of
enrichment, please let us know. If
you have other ideas, we’re
certainly open-minded to other
possibilities as well.
THANK YOU for all you do
for Highland Park!
Sincerely,
Nancy Flynn
Highland Park Elementary, 1700 Saunders Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 (651) 293-8770
Highland Park Elementary Globe · May 7, 2015
Page 2
Family Involvement Activities Continue
Opportunities for family involvement for the final weeks of the 2014-2015 school year
37th Annual Rhythmic Movement Program – Tuesday, May 12, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Highland Park
Senior High Gymnasium. This is an exciting event showcasing all of Ms. Ryder’s physical education classes
performing rhythmic movement routines to entertaining music.
SPPS Facilities Planning Meeting – Saturday, May 16, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Expo Elementary, 540
Warwick Street South, Saint Paul. This is the second and final Facilities Master Plan (FMP) workshop.
Parents, students and staff met for the first workshop in March to establish facility priorities for HPE’s
building site. Conceptual floor plans and designs that reflect HPE’s FMP vision will be presented at the
second workshop. All HPE families are invited to attend and join the conversation. Snacks will be provided.
Meeting to Update HPE’s Family Engagement Plan (FEP) – Wednesday, May 20, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
HPE is committed to student growth and achievement through the collaboration of staff, parents/guardians,
students and community members. HPE is also a Title 1 school that receives federal funding to help every
child receive a high quality education and to achieve the high standards set by the State of Minnesota. The
U.S. educational law requires Title 1 schools to develop a FEP to document how the school builds the
capacity of parents to be involved in their child(ren)’s education. HPE’s 2014-2015 FEP can be found in the
Family Handbook or on the school’s website in the Parent Groups section. If you need a copy of the
current FEP, please contact Kara Kipfmueller at 651-293-8770 or kara.kipfmueller@spps.org.
Annually, HPE works jointly with parents/guardians to review and revise the FEP. This month a meeting will
be held in the school library on Wednesday, May 20 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. to review and revise the FEP
for the upcoming school year. All HPE parents/guardians are invited to attend this meeting to participate
in this important process. If you are unable to attend the meeting you are welcome to review the 20152016 FEP and submit your suggestions for plan modifications to Kara Kipfmueller by Wednesday, May 27,
2015.
End of Year School Picnic and Raffle – Thursday, June 4, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Bring your own picnic
dinner and family to the HPE playground to spend time celebrating the end of the school year with other
HPE families. Dessert will be provided by the PTA and students and families will have a final opportunity to
purchase tickets (5 for $1) for a chance to win some exciting prizes. The evening will culminate with the
raffle drawing.
5th Grade Celebration – Tuesday, June 9 at 10:30 a.m. in the gymnasium. Families of all 5th grade
students are invited to the celebration to honor the hard work and accomplishments of their students as
they transition to middle school.
Kindergarten Graduation – Tuesday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. This is a special
celebration for the Kindergarten students and their families to recognize the completion of their first year at
HPE.
As always, I look forward to seeing you at these events as we wrap up the 2014-2015 school year.
Kara Kipfmueller
Parent Liaison
Highland Park Elementary
651-293-8770
kara.kipfmueller@spps.org
Highland Park Elementary, 1700 Saunders Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 (651) 293-8770
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ElementaryGlobe
Globe· ·April
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Life in the Art House
Hello Highland Park Families,
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who helped out during art night; without you, it truly
would not be possible. I would also like to thank everyone who attended as well. We had
over 300 people there. It was so special to see everyone having fun and enjoying the
activities. It really shows me how great and supportive our families at Highland Park are.
The Fourth Grade Animation Projects are now on YouTube. If you would like to view it you
can go to the following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg3Li2zeoW0, or you can view
it from my blog http://followhighlandart.wordpress.com/. If neither of these work for you, you
can get to it from the link I posted on the school webpage at http://highlandel.spps.org/Art.
Kindergarten has been doing an amazing job. In fact I sometimes show their artwork to the
older students, and try to have them guess which grade made them (kindergarten is never
their first guess). The students are just about to finish their Jellyfish unit where they’ve
learned about Transparency and Opacity as Art terms and how to use the techniques to add
interest to their artwork.
First Grade has really made some huge improvements to their artwork in the last few
months. We are just finishing up our Monet Lilypad paintings, and they are looking awesome.
Second Grade has just finished a blow painting project. I like to do this project right after the
perspective unit because where perspective is very structured and disciplined, the blow
painting allows students to loosen up and be a little more free with their artwork, while still
teaching them an interesting new technique.
Third Grade is also learning about jellyfish. The third graders, however, are also learning
how to combine value and transparency in their jellyfish.
Fourth Grade is creating a watercolor that they had to show two forms of the water cycle.
They are imagining they are concept artists and they have to create a place that does not
exist.
Fifth Grade is in the home stretch on their way to Middle School. Near the end of the year of
fifth grade I allow the students to make requests for what they feel like they need to learn how
to do. We just finished up a unit on Mythical creatures where the students had to learn how to
show value in their drawings. Their next project will be about Graffiti, and how it connects
with Calligraphy styles of the past.
If you are interested in how these projects turned out, please take time to look at my blog
where there are examples of student work and their process. I hope you enjoy Life in The Art
House at http://followhighlandart.wordpress.com/
Highland Park Elementary, 1700 Saunders Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 (651) 293-8770
ark
Highland Park Elementary Globe · May 7, 2015
Page 4
News from the Library
Minnesota Youth Reading Awards (MYRA) & The MN Book Award - The Winners!
April was book awards month in MN! HPE rankings first, and then the statewide MYRA winners:
Star of the North Picture Book Award (HPE and the statewide MYRA places matched!)
3rd - I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
2nd - Jangles: A Big Fish Story by David Shannon
1st - Moo! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
HPE Maud Hart Lovelace Div I Award
3rd - Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
2nd - Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings
1st - Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
MYRA Maud Hart Lovelace Award
3rd - Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings
2nd - Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehert
1st - Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
2015 MN Book Awards
Children’s Lit - Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen
Young People’s Lit - West of the Moon by Margi Preus
Star of the North and Maud Nominees for 2015-16 will be given to kids & can be seen on the HPE Library
web page.
Poem in Your Pocket Days - 4/30 &5/1
210 kids and a few adults (and a couple classes) participated this year in Poem in Your Pocket Days.
Some shared found poems. Most had written their own (and more than one). Some were simple, some
were simply amazing. All were a joy! Thank you for supporting a poetic spring at HPE!
At HPE May 13th 2:45pm
Max Brallier, Author of Galactic Hot Dog: Cosmoe’s Weiner Getaway
Students in grades 3-5 will get a welcome post-testing visit from Max Brallier, author of the
Galactic Hot Dog series - a digital online comic. He’s in town with his first print Galactic Hot
Dog book (New!), and he’ll be at HPE! It’s going to be awesome. Kids can read the digital
comics online FOR FREE at: http://www.funbrain.com/galactichotdogs/
Order form attached with this newsletter; copies will go home Thursday 5/7 !
They are due MONDAY 5/11 to guarantee copied from author host Addendum Books.
Summer Reading
Before a Summer Reading program is launched, I would like your input, and your kids’ as well. There’s
a link to a survey on the library’s web page. Please share your thoughts via the link at:
http://highlandel.spps.org/welcome_to_the_hpe_library Survey closes 5/15.
Universal Due Date
As mentioned last month, the last week for book check out will be the week of May 18th.
All Library Materials and Fines are DUE MAY 27th.
Bookish Things - http://highlandel.spps.org/welcome_to_the_hpe_library
Your kids know I love books. I’ll share bookish things on the HPE Library page all summer….
Highland Park Elementary, 1700 Saunders Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 (651) 293-8770
Highland Park Elementary Globe · May 7, 2015
Page 5
Inquiring Students Want to Know…
Kindergarten: As the weather finally warms,
students will have the opportunity to explore
the changes in the plant and animal world
around our school. They will also be outdoors
mapping and working with gravity, motion, and
water. Most of these concepts and activities
will be introduced, or further explored through
the use of the National Science Foundation
videos called “Peep and the Big Wide World.”
Most of these videos are also available through
YouTube and could easily spark some great
home adventures.
1st Grade: As we wrap up our study of
microbes, we will begin exploring the many
varied properties of air. Students have already
used air to move a sailboat and windmill
during our engineering unit with simple
machines. Now they will have chances to learn
using air bags, balloons, gliders, pinwheels,
and bubbles. Air has mass, takes up space,
exerts a pushing pressure and can do work.
Therefore, it is amazingly fun to explore.
2nd Grade: Students, who have spent months
learning about animal groups and their
characteristics are making connections to their
plant unit by studying food chains and food
webs. All animals depend on plants for
survival. We will also explore methods nonflowering plants use to reproduce, such as
bulbs, cuttings, runners, and spores.
3rd Grade: Students have been exploring sound
energy. All sound passes through matter with a
pitch (tone) and amplitude (volume) that can
be shown as a wavy line on a graph. After
mastering sound energy students will learn
about light energy. Unlike sound, light travels
through empty space before the light energy is
reflected, bent, or absorbed by matter.
4th Grade: Fourth graders will conclude their
study of the water cycle (evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, percolation and
collection) soon and are beginning a
bioengineering unit. In this unit students will
learn how nature has inspired engineers, as well
as practice the engineering process of
imagining, planning, creating, testing and
improving a membrane to assist in maintaining
an appropriately wet habitat for a frog.
5th Grades: The fifth graders have been patient
as we try to complete our MCA science testing.
We were scheduled to take the science test the
day the state shut the system down for repairs.
During inquiry students have made terrariums
and are making connections between those and
the effects human actions are having on natural
systems and climate change. Our year will
conclude with a hands-on study of motion and
energy.
Mr. Bollom’s Plans: I have enjoyed being the
inquiry science teacher at HPE for the past five
years. Alas, I will not be returning to HPE in the
fall. I have accepted a fifth grade teaching
position at the Frankfurt International School in
Frankfurt, Germany. I will miss the staff and
families of HPE but am very excited to fulfill
several lifelong dreams by teaching overseas,
cycling throughout Europe, and learning a new
language. Thank you for allowing me to be a
part of the HPE family and teach your child(ren)
these past years.
David Bollom
Science Specialist
Highland Park Elementary, 1700 Saunders Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 (651) 293-8770
Highland Park Elementary Globe · May 7, 2015
Page 6
Physical Education – REMINDER!!!
***** IMPORTANT *****
The 37th Annual Rhythmic Movement Program is this upcoming Tuesday evening, May 12th,
6:30 PM, in the Highland Park Senior High School gymnasium (Edgcumbe and Snelling
Avenues).
ALL HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS are participants in this fun
event. Students will sit with their classroom teacher before/after their performance.
Please have your child at the high school no later than 6:15 PM.
PROGRAM :
KGN (Rust, Hansen) - "Limbo Rock"
KGN (Abenth) Gr. 1 (Apel-Christianson) - "Come Play the Stick Game"
Gr. 1 (Strecker, Jannett) - Marching Ball Relay
Gr. 2 - "Chicken Dance" (our version!)
Gr. 3 - "Conga"
Audience (Adults only please) - "Conga"
Gr. 4 (Palewicz) - (Original) Irish dancing
Gr. 4 (Kruger) - "The Stroll"
Gr. 5 (Napierala) - (Original) Jazzercise to Chinese pop song
Gr. 5 (Winther) - (Original) Jazzercise to Muslim Dance Music
Staff - Marching Ball Relay
SEE YOU THEN!!!!
Judy Ryder, Physical Education Specialist
Highland Park Elementary, 1700 Saunders Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 (651) 293-8770