June 2012 - Northfield Public Schools

Dear Families,
It’s been a great year at Greenvale Park! I would like to officially say good-bye to our 5th
grade students, and thank their families for all the support they have given us through the
years. We know that over the years, our 5th grade Geckos will do great things for their families and their country! Once a Gecko! Always a Gecko!
June 2012 Gazette
David Craft,
Principal
507.645.3500
Attendance Line
507.645.3506
Next Year: Classroom assignments for next year have been shared with staff. Please keep in
mind that sometimes assignments change over the summer. The following is a tentative list
of classroom teacher assignments:
AM/PM Kindergarten: I’d like to welcome Jessica Jessen to Greenvale Park. Jessica comes
to us from Northfield Public School’s Hand-in-Hand Preschool Program at Longfellow
School.
All Day Kindergarten: Kathy Flicek and Stephanie Hagberg
ESL Kindergarten: Elizabeth Ziemann and Michelle Morales
1st Grade Contemporary: Mary Beth Youngblut, Anne Morrissey and Sari Zach
1st Grade Compañeros: Deb Bakke
2nd Grade Contemporary: Cheryl Dueffert and Anne Larson
2nd Grade Compañeros: Danielle Amundson
3rd Grade Contemporary: Leslee Swenson, Nicole Papke and Lisa Nelson
3rd Grade Compañeros: I’d like to welcome Lily Trelstad to Greenvale Park. Lily comes to
us from Owatonna where she was an elementary school teacher.
4th Grade Contemporary: Sonia Johnson and Briana Bulfer. I’d like to welcome Briana to
Greenvale Park. Briana comes to us from Faribault where she was an elementary school
teacher.
4th Grade Compañeros: Robert Garcia and Tony Seidl
5th Grade Contemporary: Jacalyn Harding, Michelle Sickler and Abby Swanson
5th Grade Compañeros: Amy Tacheny
Speech Teacher: I’d like to welcome Ann Burkhardt back to Greenvale Park. Ann has
been a speech Pathologist with Goodhue County Education District. Ann is Greenvale
Park’s new speech Pathologist.
RtI Coaches: I’d like to welcome Heather Ryden back to Greenvale Park. Heather has
been one of Northfield Public School’s district curriculum coordinators. She returns to
Greenvale Park as one of our building RtI Specialists along with Diane Torbenson. Diane
has been our Academic Coach for the past year. She will share in the responsibility of being
an RtI Specialist with Heather next year. Working with Heather and Diane will be Ashley
Northrup, our School Psychologist. Ashley has been the half-time School Psychologist for
Greenvale Park. Next year Ashley will work full time at Greenvale Park. Ashley, Heather,
and Diane will be our RtI team and they will support Greenvale Park students and staff as we
continue to find more ways to meet the instructional needs of our students at their instructional levels.
Good-Byes: We are saying good-bye to some staff, as well: Amy Franklin, Emily Waage and,
Lourdes Harris-Maldonado. Thank you to all of our colleagues, for their commitment and
their love of the profession, who are moving on to other endeavors.
(Mr. Craft’s letter continued on page 2)
(Mr. Craft’s letter continued from page 1)
Retiring: One of my favorite quotes is, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” As many have heard by now, we
are losing a number of staff to retirement. When I consider the interpersonal relationship skills of each of these individuals, I am
saddened at their departure because I know that they have had significant relationships with Northfield Public Schools students for
many years. Their love and inspiration alone will be missed. That said, we also wish them blessings in their new endeavors as they
open another chapter in their lives.
They are: Mary Dickson--4th Grade Teacher , Mary Vellani—Speech Teacher and Angie Nielsen, Educational Asst.
Meet the Teacher/Open House: will be on Thursday, August 30th, 2012 from 3:30-5:30pm. This will give students and families
an opportunity to meet their teacher and drop off school supplies. We will also have our Child Nutrition Staff on hand to collect
money for hot lunch and milk, and answer any questions you may have.
The Greenvale Park office staff will leave for their summer break, after the finish of their day on Thursday, June 21st, and will return on Thursday, August 2nd with summer office hours from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. If you are in need of
student information or are new to the Greenvale Park neighborhood and wish to register your students at Greenvale Park during
the period when the Greenvale Park Office is closed, please call the District Office at 507-663-0629.
Have a wonderful summer with your families!
Queridas familias,
¡Ha sido un gran año en Greenvale Park! Me gustaría decirles adiós de una forma oficial a los estudiantes de quinto grado y
agradecer a las familias todo el apoyo que nos han dado a lo largo de estos años. ¡Sabemos que con los años, nuestros Geckos de
quinto grado van a hacer grandes cosas para sus familias y nuestro país! ¡Una vez que un estudiante es un Gecko! ¡Siempre es un
Gecko!
El próximo año: Los maestros asignados para el próximo año son los siguientes. Pero tengan en cuenta que pueden cambiar a lo
largo del verano. A continuación les informamos de la lista provisional de maestros:
AM/PM Kindergarten: Me gustaría darle la bienvenida a Jessica Jessen a Greenvale Park. Jessica llega a nuestra escuela desde el
sistema de escuelas públicas de Northfield desde el programa de Hand-in-Hand en la escuela de Longfellow.
Kindergarten todo el día: Kathy Flicek and Stephanie Hagberg
ESL Kindergarten: Elizabeth Ziemann and Michelle Morales
1er Grado Contemporáneo: Mary Beth Youngblut, Anne Morrissey y Sari Zach
1er Grado Compañeros: Deb Bakke
2˚ Grado Contemporáneo: Cheryl Dueffert y Anne Larson
2˚ Grado Compañeros: Danielle Amundson
3er Grado Contemporáneo: Leslee Swenson, Nicole Papke, Lisa Nelson
3er Grado Compañeros Me gustaría darle la bienvenida a Lily Trelstad a Greenvale Park. Lily viene de Owatonna donde Lily era
maestra de escuela primaria.
4˚ Grado Contemporáneo: Sonia Johnson y Briana Bulfer. Me gustaría darle la bienvenida a Briana a Greenvale Park. Briana
viene de Faribault donde era maestra de escuela primaria.
4˚ Grado Compañeros: Robert Garcia y Tony Seidl
5˚ Grado Contemporáneo: Jacalyn Harding, Michelle Sickler y Abby Swanson
5˚ Grado Compañeros: Amy Tacheny
Mr. Craft’s letter continued on page 3
2
(Mr. Craft’s letter continued from page 2)
Logopeda: Me gustaría darle la bienvenida a Ann Burkhardt a Greenvale Park. Ann ha sido una logopeda en el distrito educativo
del condado de Goodhue. Ann va a ser la nueva logopeda de Greenvale Park.
Tutores RtI (Reacción a la intervención): Me gustaría darle de nuevo la bienvenida a Heather Ryden que regresa a Greenvale
Park. Heather ha sido una de las coordinadoras del curriculum del distrito escolar de Northfield. Regresa a Greenvale Park como
parte del equipo en nuestra escuela de especialistas RtI junto con Diane Torbenson. Diane ha sido la tutora académica durante este
año. Va a compartir la responsabilidad de ser una especialista de RtI con Heather el próximo año. Junto con Heather y Diane
trabajará Ashley Northrup, nuestra psicóloga. Ahsley ha sido la psicóloga de la escuela de Greenvale Park a tiempo parcial. El
próximo año Ashley va a trabajar a tiempo completo en Greenvale Park. Ashley, Heather y Diane van a ser nuestro equipo de RtI y
van a apoyar a los estudiantes de Greenvale Park y al resto del personal como parte de nuestros esfuerzos para lograr modos de
satisfacer las necesidades de nuestros estudiantes y sus niveles educativos.
Adiós: Les tenemos que decir adiós a varios empleados: Amy Franklin, Emily Waage, Lourdes Harris-Maldonado y Angie
Nielsen. Muchas gracias a todas nuestras colegas, por su compromiso y su amor a su profesión que siguen su camino hacia otros
horizontes.
Jubilaciones: Una de mis citas favoritas es, “No puede darse un aprendizaje importante si no hay una relación importante”. Muchos saben ya
que varios trabajadores se jubilan este año. Cuando me paro a pensar en las capacidades para las relaciones interpersonales de todas
ellas me apena mucho que ya no vayan a estar con nosotros porque sé que han tenido relaciones importantes con muchos
estudiantes de las escuelas públicas de Northfield durante muchos años. Vamos a extrañar su amor e inspiración. Pero también les
deseamos mucha suerte en sus nuevas metas ahora que abren un nuevo capítulo en sus vidas.
Se jubilan: Mary Dickson—Maestra de 4˚ Grado; Mary Vellani—Logopeda y Angie Nielsen, Educational Asst.
Conozca a los maestros/Jornada de puertas abiertas: Será el jueves 30 de agosto de 2012 desde las 3:30 a las 5:30 PM. Esta
jornada les va a dar a los estudiantes y sus familias la oportunidad de conocer a los maestros y dejar en la escuela el material escolar.
Ese día también estarán en la escuela el personal de Nutrición para recibir el dinero para los almuerzos y leche de los niños y
responder a cualquier pregunta que puedan tener.
El personal de la oficina de Greenvale Park se va para sus vacaciones de verano después de que terminen el día de trabajo el jueves
21 de junio y regresarán el 2 de agosto con horario de verano de 7:00 AM a 3:30 PM, de lunes a viernes. Si necesitan información
para los estudiantes o han llegado nuevos al barrio de Greenvale Park y quisieran inscribir a sus hijos en Greenvale Park durante la
época en la que la escuela está cerrada, por favor, llamen a la oficina del distrito escolar al 507-663-0629.
¡Les deseo que pasen unas maravillosas vacaciones de verano con sus familias!
KidVentures...Lacey Neuman Bissonnette
There’s still time to register your child for SummerVentures, an exciting day camp program for children entering grades 1-7. For kids entering grades 5, 6 and 7, we have TweenVentures, designed especially for older
youth. We will again be offering our extremely popular Field Trip Fridays.
SummerVentures has many enrollment options to choose from. Families can register for one day or all summer! Registration forms
may be found in the KidVentures room or online. (http://nfld.k12.mn.us/communityservices/venture/)
Information about KidVentures is available by calling Mary Hansen at (507) 664-3750, Greenvale Park KidVentures at (507) 6453532, or by asking your KidVentures Site Leaders.
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Jamie Wiebe, Social Worker
Top 10 Really Great Things to Say to Your GVP Student This Summer
Some new lines for a new season . . . pick at least one you haven’t used in a while and work it into an upcoming conversation.
1. I can wait. We have time. You don’t have to hurry this time.
2. Tell me about it. I’d like to hear more. And then what happened? I’ll listen.
3. Please and Thank you. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?
4. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together.
5. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it. Let’s see. I’ll help if you need it. I think you can do
it.
6. I’ll help you. I heard you call me, and here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this
done. I know you can do it by yourself, but I’m glad to help since you asked.
7. I’m sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.
8l You did the right thing! That was scary/hard. Even though it wasn’t easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you
should be, too.
9. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like
you. No one!
10. I love you! There is nothing that will ever make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will
ever change that.
Enjoy your time together. See you in the fall.
Safety Patrol, Donna Hall
Safety Patrol members had a great end of the year celebration which included a balloon relay, awarding of American Legion pins to our fifth grade Safety Patrol and recognition certificates to all the hard-working patrol members and concluded with an ice cream sundae bar.
This summer the opportunity for Legionville Camp again not available for Northfield students, we will be joining
with St. Dominic’s School, Sibley Elementary and Bridgewater Elementary for the Second Annual Captains’ Campus Camp
on August 23rd. The captains will help our School Police Liaison Officer Thad Monroe train the other safety patrol members
next fall. If your child will be in fifth grade next year and would like to be a member of the Safety Patrol Team, have them
stop and see Mrs. Hall at the Open House in August or during the first few days of school.
Pictured below are the Greenvale Park Safety Patrol Captains for the school year 2012-2013 who will be attending
the Captains’ Campus Camp in August.
Safety Patrol Captains for SY 12-13
Front Row (l-r): Madison Murphy, Caroline Peterson, Lida King
Back Row: Coltin Fessler, Sam Pratt, Logan Denny
Have a wonderful, relaxing and safe summer with your families!
4
Notes from Our Nurse, Julie Ochs
Happy Summer,
Parents have an enjoyable summer with your children. Some reminders: please pick up any medicine whether prescribed or
over the counter at the end of the year. Letter was sent home with the fifth grade regarding immunizations needed for middle school and to update any health concerns.
Summer safety tip
Isn't the Fourth of July great? In addition to being a celebration of America's independence as a nation, there's no school, lots
of families have barbecues or cookouts, and you can go see a fireworks display at night.
The safest way to enjoy fireworks is at a professional display. Some people light sparklers at home or even set off their own
fireworks, but this is dangerous. Some of the people hurt each year aren't the ones setting off the fireworks, but people who
are nearby.
It's best to stay away from areas where nonprofessionals are setting off fireworks. Fireworks can cause serious eye injuries,
including blindness, if the eye tissue gets damaged or torn. Other common injuries from fireworks include burns to the hands
and face, which can leave scars. Someone could even lose one or more fingers if fireworks go off the wrong way. Fireworks
can also start fires, which can hurt even more people.
If you know someone who plans to set off fireworks at home, here are some safety tips to share:
Only adults should light fireworks.
Never use fireworks indoors.
Be prepared to put out a fire by having a hose or water nearby.
Light fireworks one at a time.
Stay away from a firework that has not gone off and never try to relight it.
Sparklers may seem less dangerous than fireworks, but they get extremely hot — as hot as 1,800° Fahrenheit (982° Celsius).
Sparklers can light clothes on fire and can cause kids to get badly burned. That would take the fun out of a great holiday!
News from Physical Education!!
What a great year we have had!
This was our first year for participating in the Presidential Fitness Tests and our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders did a
great job as did K, 1 and 2! We qualified 9 students (3-5) for the Presidential award which is attaining 85%
on all 5 fitness tests! Great job! We also had a total of 84 students (3-5) attain the National Level of fitness
which is attaining 50% in all five tests! Way to go Geckos!
We also had a great year with so many activities including before school rope jumping and cup stacking! We
again participated in our Fuel Up To Play 60 activities for eating healthy and achieving 60 minutes of exercise
daily. We look forward to an active, healthy and happy summer for all of our Geckos!
We're proud of our Geckos!
Warmly, Mrs. Wojick and Mr. Driscoll
5
Blended Families Group Meeting
Open to anyone experiencing the rewards and challenges of blended family (aka step-family) life
June 26th, 7pm-8pm
Secure Base Counseling Center
570 Professional Drive, Northfield, MN
Laura Berdahl Honored
Laura Berdahl, Greenvale Park’s Volunteer Coordinator/Parent Liaison, has
been recognized by the Minnesota Campus Compact as a 2012 recipient of
the Presidents’ Community Partner Award.
Each year, the Minnesota Campus Compact accepts nominations from participating college campuses for this award. Laura was nominated by the ACT
Center, a part of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE),
at Carleton College.
The Presidents’ Award gives recognition to effective community leaders in the
development of campus-community partnerships. Laura has been an integral
partner in the support of collaborative work between Carleton College and
the Northfield School District.
Laura was honored at an award ceremony on June 5 at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Northfield Public Schools Community Services
Summer fun awaits you!
Join a summer program offered by Northfield Community Services!
Sign up today for any of the following activities for elementary-aged children:
Youth Recreation Classes:
tennis, little league softball, little league baseball, basketball, football, track, volleyball, lacrosse, SUPER Kids, soccer, tae kwon do, gumdo, karate, swimming lessons, fishing, trap shooting, archery and many, many, more!
Youth Enrichment Classes
JAM Camp, magic class, beginner guitar, princess camp, GEMS (Girls Excelling in Math and Science) Camp, yucky
science favorites, summer arts sampler, Eric Carle creations and clay and canvas creations.
SummerVentures Camps (entering grades 1-3)
These day camp programs offer weekely themed activities, recreational games and snack time. Theme weeks include Lego Challenge, Board Games Galore, The Hunt is On, Minnesota Sports and Around the World and Back.
To register or learn more about any programs offered by Northfield Public Schools Community Services Division, please visit our
website, www.nfld.k12.mn.us and follow the Community Services links, or call 507-664-3649. Scholarships are available for all programs.
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Transformational Technology Public Information
Meeting
June 2012
Newsletter
Main Office
507.663.0600
Chris Richardson,
Superintendent of Schools
507.663.0629
Donita Delzer,
Admin. Assistant to the
Superintendent & School Board
507.663.0629
Buildings & Grounds
507.663.0610
Business Office
507.663.0626
Community Services Division &
Community Relations
507.664.3650
Curriculum Office
507.663.0622
Food Service
507.663.0618
Health Services
507.645.1205
Payroll Office
507.663.0628
Personnel Office
507.663.0627
Northfield Public Schools will hold a public information session regarding the progress of
the district’s transformational technology proposal at 6 p.m. on June 7 in the Northfield
High School auditorium. The proposal considers the use of tablet computers by teachers
and students.
The agenda will include presentations about the vision of the use of tablet computers by
students and teachers, the potential implementation process, the cost of the project, and
the method being considered to fund the implementation district-wide. The public will also
be able to ask questions about the proposal. Please view the district’s transformational
technology blog for more information, at:
http://northfieldtechtransformation.blogspot.com.
Please contact Matt Hillmann with any questions at [email protected] or
507.645.3458.
New Director of Teaching and Learning
Northfield Public Schools is pleased to announce that the district has hired Mary Hanson,
currently principal at Madelia Elementary School, as the new director of teaching and
learning beginning July 1, 2012.
Hanson brings a wealth of experience, including 13 years as a building principal and 16
years as a classroom teacher. She was recently selected as one of three finalists for the
National Distinguished Principal award by the Minnesota Elementary School Principals
Association (MESPA). Her experience includes work with Professional Learning
Communities, Response to Intervention (RTI), curriculum revision and professional
development.
Student Services
507.645.3410
Technology Services
507.645.1260
Northfield High School Ranked Among Top 5% in
the Country
Northfield High School has been listed among the top high schools in the state and nation
in a recent rating of high schools conducted by U.S. News and World Report. Almost 22,000
high schools in the United States including 786 high schools in Minnesota were reviewed
by the national news magazine. Factors such as standardized test results, performance on
advanced placement tests and graduation rates are used to determine the annual ranking.
In the U.S. News Best High Schools 2012 rankings, Minnesota has 7 gold medal schools
and 42 silver medal schools. Northfield High School ranked 27th in the state and received a
silver medal rating. Northfield High School’s ranking places it in the top 4% of the total
786 Minnesota high schools that were reviewed. For the complete article, follow this link:
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/minnesota.
DISTRICT NEWS
Northfield Youth Organizations
5th Bridge
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Bowling
Boy Scouts
Cannon Valley Youth Orchestra
Carleton ACT Center
Check it Out Singers
Community Resource Bank Junior Board
Dance 'N Fitness
Girl Scouts
Healthy Community Initiative
Jr. Curator Program
Just for Kix
Leo Club Advisor
Library Teen Advisory Board
Making Waves Swim School
Northfield Area Family YMCA
Northfield Arts Guild
Northfield Basketball Association
Northfield Community Chinese School
Northfield Dance Academy
Northfield Fastpitch Softball Assoc.
Northfield Gymnastics Club
Northfield Hockey Association
Northfield Lacrosse Association
Northfield Library
Northfield Mentoring Coalition
Northfield Police Dept Explorers
Northfield Skating School
Northfield Soccer Association
Northfield Swim Club
Northfield Tennis Association
Northfield Union of Youth
Northfield Volleyball Club
Northfield Youth Baseball Assoc
Northfield Youth Choir
Northfield Youth Wrestling
Project Friendship
Rainbow Saddle Club
Reaching Our Goals - St. Olaf College
Rice County Extension - 4 H
St. Olaf Volunteer Network
Candy Taylor
Robyn Goldy
Terry Heilman
Sam Trebnick
Deonne Gray
Laura Riehle-Merrill
Todd Thompson
Christina Jerome
Colleen Day
Nicole Anderson
Zach Pruitt
Nfld Historical Society
Liz Rohach
Alice Nasby
Kathy Ness
Cindy Varley
Virginia Kaczmarek
Sheryl Joy
Kevin Rodgers
Gao Hong
Kristin Lauenstein
Mark Pritchard
Melissa Bernhard
Marietta Ruppe
Natalie Marfleet
Kathy Ness
Zach Pruitt
Sgt. Mark Murphy
Carey Tinkelenberg
Paula Manor
Troy Nystuen
Andy Ringlien
Amy Merritt
Tim Wilgohs
Roger/Kim Thompson
Liz Shepley
Shaun Murphy
Kathy Lansing
Nancy Becker
Education Dept.
Kelly Chadwick
Kris Vatter
507.663.1505
507.414.0308
507.645.8322
651.254.9120
507.645.7189
507.646.4028
507.645.5397
507.645.3125
507.663.7814
507.645.6603
507.664.3524
507.645.9268
507.271.3316
507.645.7398
507.645.1804
507.645.4623
507.645.0088
507.645.8877
507.664.9108
612.385.3893
507.645.4068
507.645.1365
507.663.7772
507.645.7310
507.645.4035
507.645.1804
507.664.3524
507.645.4475
508.887.2551
507.645.8577
507.663.1926
507.301.3581
507.663.0715
507.645.5860
507.301.9746
507.645.4194
507.645.2326
507.645.6762
507.645.4336
507.786.3245
507.332.6163
507.786.3999
www.5thbridge.org
www.bbbsofsouthernmn.org
www.joincubs.com
www.cvyomn.org
www.carleton.edu/campus/act
www.girlscoutsrv.org
www.northfieldhci.org
www.justforkix.com
http://npl-info.blogspot.com
www.makingwavesswimschool.com
www.northfieldymca.org
www.northfieldartsguild.org
www.northfieldsports.com
www.northfielddance.com
www.northfieldfastpitch.leag1.com
www.northfieldgymnastics.com
www.northfieldhockey.net
www.northfieldmn.info
www.northfieldhci.org
www.northfieldskating.com
www.northfieldsoccer.org
www.northfieldswimclub.org
www.northfield.usta.com
www.unionofyouth.org
www.northfieldvolleyballclub.org
www.northfieldsports.com
www.northfieldyouthchoirs.org
www.northfieldwrestling.com
www.rainbowsaddleclub.org
www.oleville.com
To update contact information, please call 507.645.3406 or email [email protected] with changes.