This program began during the first quarter by

training elementary music and visual art spe-

cialists district-wide in the implementation of

an integrated arts curriculum. Mike Welch

(North Park Music Specialist) and Ariane

Smith (North Park Art Specialist) had the op-

portunity to collaborate with colleagues from

the other elementary

buildings.

The first efforts focused

on the second grade

classrooms. By discuss-

ing the ideas from the

training with the 2nd

grade teachers and

Carolyn Bang (North

Park Reading Specialist) we were able to de-

termine that the lesson would bounce off of

their science vocabulary on weather, and the

(Continued on page 2)

I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

Holiday Programs

3

Classroom highlights

4-6

Specialists News

7

PTA Information

8

Upcoming Events

9

4th Grade Wax Museum

10

Meet the ELL Staff

10

Noticias en español

11

Conferences 12

Spec ia l p o i n t s o f i n t e r es t :

• Students

celebrate the holidays with music

• Classroom

activities

• Book Fair and

Pizza Party is coming

• North Park

gets famous visitors from history

• Sign up for

Parent/Teacher Con-ferences

SPOTLIGHT: LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS

Earlier School Start Times Proposed

F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 7 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2

ISD 13

North Park Elementary

5575 NE Fillmore St

Fridley, MN 55432

763-528-4300

The newest collaborative effort at North Park

is called ‘Literacy Through the Arts’ and fo-

cuses on Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade stu-

dents. The program is an integrated curricu-

lum of music, visual arts, and literacy that

encourages students to relate to their reading

and writing experience in a new way by add-

ing the support of visual

and musical educators to

expand their understanding.

In addition, this program

allows for teachers of varied

disciplines to work together

toward a common goal of

improving the literacy of our

students and, in turn,

places more than one li-

censed teacher in the classroom at a time so

that students gain more individual attention to

guide their learning.

NORTH PARK NEWS

Jeff Cacek—Principal

Among the many new pieces of programming at North Park that pleases me most is our after-

school supplemental and enrichment services. In addition to the usual supplemental services

in reading, and the enrichment programs Destination Imagination, Future Problem Solvers, Art

Club and Choir, we have added Spanish Language classes, Math Masters, Science Club, CCC

Lab Fun, Motheread/Fatheread and Family Math. There are more after-school opportunities for

our students than ever before. If your child is not already attending any of these classes,

please get them enrolled!

Although these programs have been highly successful, they have not come without their share

of frustrations. The most common complaint I hear from teachers is that there is not enough

time at the end of the day for classes to grow as much as they could. Interestingly, the High

School Principal came to me recently with an idea that would help solve this and many other

problems resulting from our schedule. In conjunction with Matt Schoen, CHHS Principal and

(Continued on page 2)

“The Literacy

Through the

Arts program is

a great

experience for

both teachers

and the

students.”

School Start Times (continued)

Chuck Corliss, District Transportation Consultant, I have been studying the feasibility of

making the start time of the school day earlier for the North Park Community. In this sce-

nario, the high school would start later than the elementaries, a move that has a healthy

base of support in research done on adolescent learning. In turn, the elementaries would all

start earlier – probably between 7:45 and 8:00 am. While this would be a fairly drastic

change, I suspect it will be a welcome change. I am sincerely convinced that this change

would be a wonderful move for student achievement. We would have the children in learn-

ing situations when they are at their peak - in the morning. In addition, there would be

time to double the amount of support and enrichment services we currently offer. All of

this - and the kids will be home before dark in the winter.

If you are interested in learning more about this proposal there will be an informational

meeting in the North Park Media Center before the PTA meeting at 6:00 pm on February

8th. We look forward to seeing you there.

(Continued from page 1)

literacy concept of schema

or making text connections

to themselves, other texts,

and the world. We utilized

2nd grade art concepts of

seascapes and foreground,

middleground, and back-

ground, and music concepts

of high and low, steady

beat, rhythm, and dynam-

ics. One of the goals of the

program is to help students

create increased connec-

tions from the books and

the stories they read to the

visual images and the musi-

cal concepts they observe

and create.

In reflection of this pro-

gram, Ms. Olson, 2nd grade

teacher shared the following

statement:

“The Literacy Through the

Arts program is a great ex-

perience for both teachers

(Continued from page 1)

Literacy Through Arts (continued) P A G E 2

opportunity to create poems

and paintings. They also

enjoyed being able to add

instruments and music to

their work.“

“As a teacher, I loved being

able to work with both the

music and art teacher. I also

appreciated being able to

support the vocabulary they

use in their respective

rooms. For example, when I

need the kids to quiet down,

I ask them to ‘decrescendo’,

or that they need to work at

a ‘mezzo piano’. When they

are sitting on the floor, I re-

fer to them as being in the

‘background, middle ground,

or foreground’.

Carolyn Bang, literacy coach,

added, “the program created

a reciprocal relationship be-

tween the arts and the sec-

ond grade classroom. This

happened both with the con-

tent and with the connections

the teachers made with the

students.”

After returning from winter

break, the program shifted

gears into the kindergarten

classrooms. Because of the

content of the kindergarten

curriculum, music and art

are naturally integrated

throughout the day. The

Literacy Through the Arts

program enriches these

natural connections while

offering more individualized

attention by placing an ad-

ditional licensed teacher in

the classroom. The lessons

will continue to build on and

reflect what is currently

being taught in the kinder-

garten classroom and will

culminate with a display of

art work and music at the

Fine Arts Festival on March

30th, 2007.

North Park may start it’s school day earlier next year.

Students

from all

four Kinder-

garten

classes per-

formed a

variety of

songs and

poems to

celebrate the holiday season on December 7.

After many weeks of practice, the children were

very excited to actually perform in the gym in

front of a packed crowd of parents and families

armed with their cameras.

V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2

Kindergarten Holiday Program

The sounds of the holidays were echoed by the

voices of the second grade students. “Paint the

Town December” marked the second annual

holiday musical performance by the second

graders. The students portrayed the holiday

season by introducing the

different celebrations through

painted windows and songs.

The town of ‘Graysville’ became

alive with color and sound, as

the young ‘artists’ painted the

storefront windows to reflect

Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas,

and Las Posadas.

Second Graders “Paint the Town December”

The whole

experience

was a

wonderful

exposure to

new

customs and

languages,

as well as

the world of

performing

arts.

After the program was over, the families

were invited back to the classrooms for

warm apple cider and treats. The students

were proud to show off their classroom and

friends. It was a very special day for all

who attended.

The students enjoyed the whole process of being

involved in a show. They worked hard to memorize

their lines, words, and actions to the songs. They

enjoyed learning about the different celebrations

through

the music.

As one

student

stated,

“the songs

are gener-

ous, not

mean.”

The whole experience was a wonderful exposure to

new customs and languages, as well as the world of

performing arts. A special thank you to all of the

hard work that was put in

by Mr. Welch, Ms. Smith,

parents and families, teach-

ers, and of course, the

students!

P A G E 3

Mrs. Tucker - Kindergarten Every

week, a

group of

Totino-

Grace High

School

students

spends an

hour with

the kinder-

garteners in Mrs. Tucker’s room.

These students are given a fun

activity to lead which reinforces

and enhances the kindergarten

curriculum. The kindergarten

students are split into small

groups and get a chance to ro-

tate through every activity of-

fered. This allows for individual

attention and oral language

development.

Every child gets a

chance to talk and

take a turn during

the activities.

‘Study Buddy Day’

has become a high-

light for Mrs.

Tucker’s students as

they look forward to

spending the time with their high

school friends.

This is a fun and interactive way to

reinforce both literacy and math

skills. In addition, the new science

curriculum has been incorporated

into this small group learning time.

Terri Tucker is a kindergarten

teacher at North Park. She has

been teaching in Columbia Heights

for 34 years! Mrs. Tucker has a

Master’s Degree in Education from

the University of Minnesota.

Mrs. Tucker’s favorite thing about

teaching is the children. She loves

creating different activities that will

enhance each child’s academic and

social growth. According to her,

“Every day is unique and different.

My students always amaze me!”

Mrs. Lajko—First Grade Rhonda Lajko is a first grade

teacher at North Park. She holds a

Bachelor of Science degree from

Concordia College, Moorhead, MN,

and a M.A. from the University of

Minnesota. Prior to coming to Co-

lumbia Heights, Mrs. Lajko taught

1st – 6th grades in Eden, S.D.,

Bloomington and Montgomery, MN

and at a private school, Maranatha

Christian Academy.

One of Mrs. Lajko’s favorite things

about teaching is when she sees

her students “catch on” to new

skills, such as reading. She says,

“This is one of the most rewarding

perks of teaching first graders.”

What could be better than a

Publishing Party? In Room

111, first grade teacher, Mrs.

Lajko, likes to focus on

Writer’s Workshop with her

class. About once a month

they have a Publishing Party.

Prior to the party, students

choose their favorite piece of

writing. They then spend time

revising their

writing using an editing checklist.

Next, they design and illustrate an

appropriate cover. Finally comes the

Publishing Party, where the students

can share their work.

“Our Publishing Party was really

cool!” says Megan Arth. It sure

sounds like it was a lot of fun!

P A G E 4 N O R T H P A R K N E W S

After some experi-

menting and col-

lapsing towers,

they learned the

solids that were

straight, tall and

light were the best

for the top of the

tower while the

hard, heavy, flat

and wide pieces were best for build-

ing the base.

Finally, the class attached the recipe

to finish and bake the brownies with

the ribbon on top. Some students

gave the jars as gifts, some made

them with their families, and some

saved the jar for decoration! Ms.

Daniels' class really enjoyed using

measurement to make something

they could see, feel, and use!

Miss Daniels' class recently put their

math and science skills into practice.

Right before winter break, the class

used their newly learned measure-

ment skills to create "Brownie Reci-

pes in a Jar."

Students brought in all of the dry

ingredients (chocolate chips, flour,

sugar, cocoa- yum!), and at stations

measured out each ingredient ac-

cording to the recipe. They prac-

ticed using fractions, accuracy in

measuring, and following direc-

tions (while having a great

time!) to create their projects.

The ingredients were added to

the jars, which students deco-

rated with festive winter fabric

and ribbons.

Mrs. Heckman - Second Grade

Ms. Daniels—Third Grade

V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2

The students

in room 101

with Mrs.

Heckman and

Mr. Ramadan

are working

hard to learn

all about sol-

ids and liq-

uids. The

scientists in this room could tell you

that everything is made up of mat-

ter, which include solids, liquids

and gasses. Using their senses,

students have observed the charac-

teristics of solids to determine if

they are hard or soft, rough or

smooth, transparent or opaque. In

a special activity, the students be-

came engineers and constructed

towers out of solid materials.

Antonio Pena Mungia commented,

“My tower is made out of solids.

It’s exciting because I’ve never

done this!” Some students, such

as Abril Mandujano, got creative

with their tower designs, “My

tower has an elevator so people

can go down and get out. The top

has a playground for kids.” The

students in Mrs. Heckman’s class

are becoming very smart scien-

tists!

Dee Daniels has been teaching 3rd

grade at North Park for 3 of her 6

cumulative years as a teacher.

She received her Bachelor of Sci-

ence degree in Elementary Educa-

tion with emphasis in math and

physical education from Bemidji

State University in 2001. Ms.

Daniels is an experienced traveler…

she has visited 44 states and 9

different countries!

P A G E 5

Andrea Heckman is a 2nd grade

teacher who has worked at North

Park for the past 8 years. She

received her Elementary Educa-

tion degree from Bethal Univer-

sity. Mrs. Heckman enjoys play-

ing tennis and also running and

walking with her dog, Bandit.

Mrs. Radermacher-Fourth Grade

Mr. Nemerov—Fifth Grade

P a g e 6 N O R T H P A R K N E W S

A ‘Cents of Floating’ is a team

building activity In Mrs. Rader-

macher’s 4th grade room. Pairs of

students are given 10 straws and 2

feet of masking tape. With only

these items, teams are to create a

raft that holds the most pennies

before sinking. When all of the

teams test their rafts to see how

many pennies they hold, a winning

raft making team

is recognized.

The winning team

this year is Jake

Shupien and

Brashay Ander-

son.

When asked what students thought of

this activity, Alycia Monserrate re-

plied, “It was nerve racking.”

Brashay Anderson said, “It was really

terrific.”

One goal of this activity is to work on

team building skills. The class dis-

cussed how to get along with others

and how important it is to listen to all

ideas. Another goal is to

reflect back on what we

do. The class talked

about how important it

was to look back on our

ideas and see what we

could do better for next

time.

Michelle Radermacher teaches 4th

grade at North Park. She has an

Elementary Education degree from

the University of Wisconsin, Eau

Claire, with a minor in English.

She also has a Master’s degree

from Saint Mary’s University. This

is Mrs. Radermacher’s 11th year of

teaching. According to Mrs. Rader-

macher, “I love learning from the

students and having fun at my

job!”

Coleman Nemerov teaches 5th grade in Room 106. This is his sixteenth year of teaching in Columbia Heights. He

has a Master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota, with a major in Curriculum & Instruction.

Mr. Nemerov breeds and shows Akitas and is working to become an AKC Dog Show Judge for multiple breeds,

starting with Akitas and Junior Showmanship.

The students in Mr. Nemerov’s

class begin each day with a morn-

ing meeting, which is part of the

Responsive Classroom program.

“It’s an awesome way to start the

day positive!” according to Aysha

McClafin. While there are four

essential elements of a morning

meeting including a greeting,

sharing, group activity, and news

and announcements, each meet-

ing is always different from the

rest. Mr. Nemerov tries to allow

the students more control in run-

ning these meetings, hoping that

the sense of empowerment they

get will lead them to help out more in

their own communities. The morning

meeting gives the students an oppor-

tunity to greet each other and to be

personally welcomed in a creative and

enjoyable atmosphere.

Some of the favorite greetings

are the Animal Name greeting

and the Walleye greeting. The

sharing time has helped to create

a stronger sense of community

throughout the year. The group

activities let the students partici-

pate in positive interactions that

are physically and intellectually

stimulating while having a lot of

fun! Favorite games include You-

Me, Hot Potato, and Super Silent

Speed Ball. Devon Blair sums it

up well, “Our morning meetings

are the best. They are really

fun.”

Congratulations to the

winning raft making team of

Jake Shupien and

Brashay Anderson

SPECIALISTS

NEWS

MEDIA CENTER PHYSICAL EDUCATION

MUSIC ART

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

This is an exciting time of year for all who love books

and reading! February is “I Love To Read” Month

and of course we celebrate it at North Park. March 2

is “Read Across America” Day. This day is desig-

nated each year as a day for reading activities in

homes and schools all over the country. This date is

the anniversary of the birthday of Dr. Seuss. (He was

born March 2, 1904 and died in 1991.) He wrote 44

books for children, including The Cat in the Hat, and

is credited with inspiring generations of children to

learn to read! And last but not least, the Book Fair

will be held the week of February 5, beginning

with Pizza Party night on Tuesday, February 6 from

5:00 to 7:00. This is always a fun event for the

whole family. Scholastic (the book fair company) has

many exclusive contracts with publishers. This en-

ables them to offer MANY titles at prices lower than

bookstores. So come to the book fair if possible,

grab a book, and READ!

The students are in the volleyball unit right

now and the 5th grade students are looking

forward to a tournament against their

peers and also against the staff members.

Also in February, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will be par-

ticipating in Jump Rope for Heart. This is where the stu-

dents have the opportunity to collect money for the

American Heart Association. This is for a

great cause and it also helps us raise money

for our schools through donations from the

company called US games. All grades will

be participating in a jump rope unit.

Lastly, If you have tennis shoes sitting around the

house that you are not using the phy. ed. teacher cer-

tainly could use them. Any size would be great.

Students have been involved in all sorts

of exciting activities in and out of the art

classroom. Our daily curriculum contin-

ues to build students’ knowledge of the

elements and principles of art and de-

sign while giving students a place to put

the creative process to use.

Currently students are working on everything from water-

color resist Russian dream castles, to creating aliens for

the next big science fiction thriller, to patterning stained

glass window designs after Frank Lloyd Wright.

After school, 4th and 5th grade students are creating com-

munity art to beautify our school environment, while 2nd

and 3rd graders are learning to draw by observation.

Recently, fifteen 5th grade artworks were sent on the

State aviation society’s calendar competition and three

students from 3rd and one student from 5th grade had

work selected by the PTA for their state arts recognition

program. We are also looking forward to selecting works

for the Banfill-Locke center for the arts “Kids do Art” ex-

hibit and the Capitol Art Show for Youth Art Month in

March.

Third and Fourth grade students will have a short

introduction to African drumming at the end of Janu-

ary.

Fourth grade students have been working on recorder

playing in class. They have currently been working

on three note songs and recently had a performance

test on their playing. Recorders will continue through

the spring with a concert in May.

Fifth grade students have been working on African

drumming and the study of West Africa. Drumming

will continue through the month of February with a

break for a unit on Tinikling in March.

All grades will be working on a dance and movement

unit in March. This unit will combine their physical

education class and their music class for about three

weeks.

NORTH PARK PTA INFORMATION

P A G E 8

The National PTA believes that all children deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to

pursue artistic expression. The belief led to the Reflections program, started by the Nation PTA thirty years

ago. The Reflections program offers schools and PTAs an opportunity to showcase the importance of arts

in education. Each year, a theme is chosen—this year’s theme is “My Favorite Place”-- and students may

complete works in the following categories:

· Film/Video Production

· Dance Choreography

· Musical Composition

· Photography

· Literature

· Visual Arts

This year, the North Park PTA decided to participate in the Reflections program in the

Visual Arts category, working with our art teacher, Ariane Smith. The third graders have

recently completed a unit in watercolor relief, inspired by the “My Favorite Place” theme.

Additionally, the fifth graders had the opportunity to complete an extra credit pro-

ject. The artwork was judged at the January PTA meeting, and artwork by three third

grade students and one fifth grade student will be sent for judging at the Minnesota state

level.

The three third graders are: Abigail Born, Jamie Arostegui, and Mariam Sharpless

The fifth grader is: Kiley Kuether

Approximately 120 state winners (5 from each category and age division) will be recog-

nized at a statewide ceremony in the spring. The Minnesota PTA then submits entries to

the National PTA. Each year, the National PTA gives out 18 Awards of Excellence in each

arts area (three for each age division). Awards of Excellence recipients receive a $200 cash award and a

silver-plated Reflections medallion and will be notified by telephone in May. All students whose entries

reach the national level will receive a letter of congratulations in June.

Congratulations to all of our North Park artists and best wishes to our four students whose art will repre-

sent us at the state and possibly national levels!

Please mark your calendars for the annual

Book Fair and Pizza Party!

The book fair will be held Tuesday, February 6 –

Friday, February 9, with an evening pizza party for

students and families on Tuesday, February 6.

Watch your Thursday folders for

the opportunity to place your

pizza orders.

Congratulations

to:

Abigail Born

Jamie Arostegui

Mariam Sharpless

and

Kiley Kuether

North Park PTA

Third grade winners: Mariam Sharpless,

Jamie Arostegui, and Abigail Born.

N O R T H P A R K N E W S

V o l u m e 1 I s s u e 2 P A G E 9

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 3 Future Problem Solvers

mock competition at CHHS

10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

February 5-9 Book Fair LMC

February 5 Motheread/Fatheread

5:30-7:00 p.m. 1st/2nd grades

February 6 Pizza Party/Book Fair

5:00-7:00p.m.

February 8 PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m. LMC

February 12 Motheread/Fatheread

5:30-7:00 p.m. 1st/2nd grades

February 19 NO SCHOOL

February 20 Butterfly Presentation

in 1st/2nd grades

February 23 School Spirit Day -

Cultural Celebration

February 27 PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

4:30-8:00 p.m.

February 15 100 Days of School

Celebration in Kindergarten

February 1 Report cards sent home

Family Math 5:30-7:00 p.m.

February 2007 March 1 PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

4:30-8:00 p.m.

March 2 READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY

March 5-9 Iowa Testing in Grades K, 1, 2, 4

March 8 PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m. LMC

March 12-16 SPRING BREAK—NO SCHOOL

March 19-23 Leo Lara Artist in Residency

2nd grade

March 27 Kindergarten field trip to

Children’s Museum

March 28 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

5:30 p.m.

March 30 School Spirit Day—Sports Day

Fine Arts Festival 6:00-8:00 p.m.

March 2007

SCHOOL SPIRIT DAYS

FEBRUARY: 2/23 - Cultural Celebration Day

(wear your lederhosen, sari, sombrero or

longhi today!)

MARCH: 3/30- Sports Day (wear your uniform, jersey, hat or a

combination of sports apparel)

APRIL: 4/20 - Twin Day (dress the same as a friend today--

maybe wear your hair alike, too! Or maybe you're a triplet??)

MAY: Beach Day (no swimming suits, of course-- but break out

the Hawaiian shirts, sun visors and beach towels!)

FEBRUARY IS

‘I LOVE TO READ’ MONTH

COME TO THE PIZZA PARTY/BOOK

FAIR FEBRUARY 6 from 5:00-7:00

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

FOR 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR

Wednesday, March 28th 5:30 - 7pm

Please bring your child.

In order for your child to start school we will

need up-to-date immunization records, birth

certificate ( the one from the state, not the

county) and Preschool Screening records.

If you have any questions please call the

Columbia Heights Placement Center at

763-528-4426 or the North Park office at

763-528-4300.

Have you ever wanted to talk to a

famous person from the past? Well

thanks to the

students in 4th

grade you

could do just

that during

their Wax Mu-

seum event.

Students first

had to choose

a famous per-

son in history

to research.

They then

prepared both

a speech and a costume based on

the information they found.

North Park Gets Famous Visitors

Meet North Park’s ELL Teachers

Mackenzie Murray as Helen Keller

Tyler Arth as Bruce Lee

Some of the famous people we got

to know that day included Maya

Angelou, Laura Ingalls Wilder,

Thomas

Jefferson,

Thomas

Edison,

Kirby

Puckett and

Amelia

Earhart.

Thanks to

the 4th

grade stu-

dents for

all their

hard work!

With just a push of a ‘button’, the

famous people came alive as the 4th

graders gave listeners a short

speech about the life of their charac-

ter. The Wax Museum got wonderful

reviews from all who attended.

Lecas Yang and Sama Kallon as Thomas Edison and Martin

Luther King, Jr.

The English Language Learner (ELL) teachers at North Park work with students for whom English is not their primary

language. They work in collaboration with the classroom teachers to support these students in their education.

North Park currently has about 140 ELL students who speak 18 different languages.

Rachele Kreuser has taught in the

KLDM (Kindergarten Language

Development Model) for the past

4 years at North Park. She cur-

rently has a K-12 ESL Licensure

from Hamline University and is

working on obtaining her Master’s

Degree in ESL also from Hamline

University.

Mrs. Kreuser Teresa Marsten works with ELL stu-

dents in the 1st grade classrooms.

She holds a Master’s Degree from

Hamline University. Before coming to

Columbia Heights, Mrs. Marsten spent

4 years teaching English as a Foreign

Language in Taiwan and completed a

3 month teaching exchange in Camer-

oon. She enjoys doing anything active

outdoors such as cross country skiing

and mountain biking.

Mrs. Marsten Jen Natter is the 3rd grade ELL

teacher. This is her first year at

North park Elementary. She at-

tended graduate school at the

University of Minnesota for teach-

ing Second Languages and Cul-

tures. Ms. Natter enjoys travel-

ing, studying world languages,

camping, and snowboarding.

Ms. Natter

Jill Singer teaches ELL students in the 4th grade. Mrs. Singer has her Master’s

Degree in ESL from Hamline University. She likes to be a positive presence for

the students and a resource for their parents. Mrs. Singer has previous experience teaching preschool and adults.

In addition, she spent time teaching in both Spain and Peru.

Mrs. Singer

Sheri Sawyer works as a collaborative ESL Teacher in the 5th grade class-

rooms. She has worked at North Park for 6 1/2 years, and before that worked

at Highland Elementary for 3 years. Mrs. Sawyer holds both a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and ESL

Licensure. An interesting fact about Mrs. Sawyer is that she has traveled to all 50 states in America.

Mrs. Sawyer

P A G E 1 0 N O R T H P A R K N E W S

Conferencias de padres y maestros son una manera importante para quedarse informado del progreso de su hijo/a en

la escuela. Es un tiempo para preguntar las preguntas que Ud. tiene y discutir cualquier preocupación sobre la edu-

cación de su hijo/a.

Las conferencias sería martes, el 27 de febrero, 4:30-8:00 p.m. y también jueves, el 1 de marzo, 4:30-8:00

p.m.

Se puede encontrar las listas de citas en el paseo cerca de la oficina empezando lunes, el 5 de febrero, y inscribirse

allá. Las listas quedarán allí hasta viernes, el 9 de febrero. El edificio estará abierto después de las horas escolares

hasta jueves, el 8 de febrero, para que Ud. se puede venir para inscribirse.

Recuerde concertar una cita también con cualquier maestro especializado (educación especial, por ejemplo). Habla

con un maestro de ESL/ELL si Ud. necesitará un traductor para las conferencias.

Noticias de North Park

Empezando el Dia Escolar Mas Temprano

V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2

P A G E 1 1

Mr. Cacek, ha estado estudiando la idea de empezar el día escolar mas temprano para la comunidad de North Park en

el ano que viene. Con esta idea, todas las escuelas primarias empezaran mas temprano- entre las 7:45 y 8:00 de la

mañana. Este cambio seria algo bueno para nuestros estudiantes durante el día y para las oportunidades de activida-

des después de clases.

Si usted esta interesado en aprender mas, hay una reunión en la biblioteca de North Park antes de la reunión de la

PTA a las 6:00 el 8 de Febrero

INSTRUCCIÓN POR LOS ARTES El nuevo esfuerzo de colaboración a North Park se llama Instrucción por los Artes y enfoca a los estudiantes de Kin-

dergarten y grados uno y dos.

El programa anime una relación entre los niños y lo que están leyendo y escribiendo de nueva manera con el apoyo

de instructores visuales y musicales para desarrollar su comprensión. La meta del programa es mejorar la instruc-

ción para nuestros estudiantes y añade más que un maestro certificado en la aula para que ellos reciben más aten-

ción individualizado.

Los primeros esfuerzos enfocaron en las aulas del segundo grado. Según Ms. Olso, el programa fue una gran expe-

riencia para los estudiantes y los maestros. –Los estudiantes encantaron la oportunidad de crear los poemas y las

pinturas. También, disfrutaron el agregar de los instrumentos y de música con sus trabajos. Pienso que era maravi-

lloso para que los estudiantes vean cómo la música y el arte pueden coincidir con uno al otro.--

En enero, el programa cambió su foco a las aulas de Kindergarten. El programa culminará con una exhibición con

las obras de arte y música a la Feria de Arte Fino el 30 de marzo, 2007.

CONFERENCIAS

North Park Elementary 5575 NE Fillmore St. Fridley, MN 55432

Phone: 763-528-4300

ISD 13 NORTH PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Please take the time to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences

We’re on the web!

www.colheights.k12.m

n

.us/k12/np/index.htm

l

NORTH PARK NEWS

ISD 13 NORTH PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Volume 1, Issue 2

February 2007

Parent/Teacher conferences are an

important way to keep informed of

your child’s progress in school. It

is a time for you to ask questions

and discuss any concerns you

might have about your child’s edu-

cation.

Parent/Teacher conferences will be

held on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 from 4:30 –8:00 p.m. and also on

THURSDAY, MARCH 1 from 4:30-

8:00 p.m.

Conference sign up sheets will be

posted outside the office beginning

Monday, February 5.

The sign up sheets will remain up

through Friday, February 9. The

building will be open during evening

hours to come in and sign up

through Thursday, February 8.

Remember to also sign up

with any ELL or Special Educa-

tion teachers your child may

see.

The ELL teachers will arrange for

interpreters to be available during

the conferences for those parents

who need it.

Just a reminder, due to time constraints, there is only one

conference time available per

student. If parents are divorced

or separated, you will need to

contact each other so you can

sign up for the same conference

time.