Email: kellis@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Website: Click Here
Location: 7700 Old Carriage Court, Shakopee, MN, USA
Phone: 952-496-5952
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Twitter/X: @RedOaksters

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Teacher Appreciation

5: Spring/K&5th gr graduation pictures

12: Field Day (1st & 5th grades)

19: Field Day (2nd, 3rd, 4th grades)

22: 5th Gr. Band + General Music Concert, May 22nd, 6:30 pm in the Red Oak Gym

26: No School (Memorial Day)

30: Kinder Field Day

3: Kindergarten Graduation (invitations to come!)

5: Last Day of School for ALL students

5th grade clap out + Graduation (invitations to come!)

6: 🔅 SUMMER BREAK 🔅

A Special School Board Meeting has been added to the calendar on June 4th from 6:00 - 7:30pm at Shakopee High School (Thrust Stage). An informational finance presentation and Q&A will be led by Superintendent Mike Redmond and Director of Finance & Operations, Bill Menozzi.

There will be an extended public comment opportunity. Sign up for public comment can be made until 5:00pm on June 4th by emailing Communications@shakopee.k12.mn.us.
No action will be taken at this meeting.

Greetings families!

It's hard to say, this will be the final full month of the year. Believe it or not, we have many upcoming events on our calendar from now until the end of the year. Please watch for announcements to get those events on your calendars. Events like track and field days, field trips and so much more are planned between now and the end of the year. Your child(ren) would love to see you at these events, if it works in your schedule. Many of our grades also have several fun activities planned for the final 26 days of the year, following the ABC countdown. They will be sending out that information to you.

While our weather doesn't show it consistently, our students definitely know it's spring! Your support and reminders from home for students to show the Saber Way and meet school expectations would be very helpful in making the final month as smooth as possible. Our Saber Way expectations are for students to be: Safe, Kind, Respectful and Responsible. Examples of this are keeping our bodies to ourselves, using kind words, following directions from staff and taking care of our school work.

Our 3-5th graders did a great job with their stamina and focus on their MCAs in April. Great job to all of them for trying their hardest every day!

I just wanted to remind you that the week of May 5-May 8th, is Teacher Appreciation Week. Our amazing teachers do wonderful and creative things to help our students learn and grow each and every day. This year, the PTO decided to shower them with appreciation all month long rather than just one week. Once per week for the month of May, the PTO will provide gifts or treats to the staff, showing them how much we appreciate everything they do.

Thank you for all your support with your child's education and your dedication and trust with Red Oak.

Thank you for sharing your children with us.

Have a wonderful month!

Your partner in education,

Krysten Ellis, Principal

All students K-5 will take spring pictures. These pictures will not be in the yearbook, they're just an opportunity to see how much your child has grown over the year! They will be available to purchase through the Lifetouch website.

KINDERGARTEN AND 5th GRADE students ONLY will partake in graduation photos. We had such a great turn out and positive response last year, we will continue to have kindergarten and 5th grade graduation ceremonies at the end of the year.

If you would like to order pictures, please note that there are two separate order forms—one for each photo. Be sure to return the completed order forms by Monday, May 5th if you wish to make a purchase.

Information regarding both photo events were posted on SeeSaw.

To keep a continuous dialogue and feedback loop within the Shakopee Public Schools community, a 2025 community conversation/survey will be available Thursday, May 1, 2025 through Friday, May 23, 2025.

All district families, taxpayers, businesses and community members are encouraged to participate. Staff and secondary students are also welcome to share their thoughts.

Similar to past district feedback opportunities, the conversation will help define areas of growth and improvement alongside the district's vision, mission and overall priorities.

ThoughtExchange, the survey platform, offers two-way engagement and transparency where participants can view and rank others' thoughts during the survey period. Responses are anonymous, but feedback is available to the public.

Feedback will be presented to the Shakopee School Board in June 2025.

Nineteen years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world, they're back on an extraordinary new adventure – this time, joined by a brave new generation that has just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Shakopee is one of only two school districts in the state that is able to perform this special high school edition! Look for an upcoming behind-the-scenes spotlight from WCCO and get your tickets now!

Save the Date: August 12 & 13, 2025

FREE, Two-Day Camp Experience in August at Each of Shakopee’s Five Elementary Schools! Click below to learn more and register today!

Find a friend and dress the same OR...wear your favorite MN Twins Baseball Shirt!

Be a part of Shakopee Public Schools First Reading & Literacy Community Event!

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Open-House Style, 5:00-7:00pm

Host Site (central location): Sun Path Elementary

Great for all families in Shakopee and our greater community with children ages 3-12. All are welcome! Rain or shine, with indoor and outdoor activities. NO RSVP required. Free for all families.

Join us for an exciting celebration of reading at Shakopee Public Schools spring literacy event! Dive into engaging activities, discover our K-5 foundational skills curriculum and take home fun and easy ways to support literacy at home. Whether you’re looking for great book recommendations, interactive reading strategies or just a fun way to kick off a summer of stories, this event is for you!

Free Giveaways • Food Trucks • Games & Activities • Readmobile and More!

The Shakopee Elementary Summer Learning Adventures Program is designed for rising 1st - 5th grade students. This free, targeted program will provide an extra boost for success moving into the upcoming school year. Targeted students will receive a special invitation and registration form starting on April 24, 2025. Registration can be completed via the hard copy form sent home/in email or online by May 9, 2025. Additional key dates can be found via the below link.

Consistent school attendance is foundational to a student's overall success. Shakopee Public Schools is dedicated to partnering with families to ensure all students have the opportunity to fully participate in their education and maximize student learning outcomes.

This below guide includes attendance resources that are also listed in each school’s online handbook. School Board Policy 503 outlines additional elements related to student attendance.

Together, we can cultivate a supportive environment that prioritizes daily school attendance, empowering each and every student to reach their greatest potential.

Online Attendance Submission: Families can also enter absences into Infinite Campus.

Red Oak Attendance Line: 952-496-5953

Click here for more information and instructions.

Red Oak students who arrive after 9:05am will need to be walked into the office by their caregiver.

Red Oak Learning Commons Newsletter May 2025

Mrs. Hilgers and Mrs Bober, Media Specialists

A Note from the Media Specialists:

It has been our pleasure to teach your child in Media class this year! Next year, STEM classes will take the place of Media classes.

For the remainder of the school year:

Grade K and 1 will be creating Lego creations and Magnatile 2D and 3D shapes in upcoming lessons.

Grades 2 and 3 will be creating Magnatile creations and working on simple beginning Snap Circuit engineering in upcoming lessons. Grades 4 and 5 are finished their Minecraft worlds where they solved a problem and will be talking about cyberbullying and creating Snap Circuit engineering projects!

Overdue Notices will go out to students weekly in the month of May and will be sent home twice a week in the last two weeks of the school year. If your child is missing his/her books, the price to replace the books is listed on all our overdue notices. Exact cash or checks written to Red Oak are the two methods of payment for lost books. Please send in payment for any lost books. Last day of book checkout is May 23 with all books due by May 27, 2025.

Kindergarten - Grade 2 PDF

Grades 3 - 5 PDF

Grades 6 - 8 PDF

Do you use your virtual library card to use SORA books from the Scott County Library? You need the SORA app on any device from home!

User ID: 720+student number

PW: last 4 digits of your student number!

Scan this QR code for a link to ELibraryMN!

Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North Winners:

We are still waiting for the winners of the Star of the North book award for Minnesota and the Maud Hart Lovelace Award Winner for this year!

Hello Red Oak families from the gym,

Students have been practicing so hard in PE class to get ready for track and field days! Each student will choose three events, field, running, and fun, and participate in the class versus class Tug of War. Students should bring water bottles, sun screen, and a towel to sit on if they want.

Parents and special guests can bring a chair to sit on while they watch. Don’t forget to wear your tennis shoes. We are asking that siblings stay with their classroom teachers since they would miss out on valuable learning time. We would prefer siblings take their regular method home, however, if you would like to take any siblings home at the end of the day there will be a sign out procedure.

Field Day Schedule:

1st Grade: Monday, May 12th at 9:30

5th Grade: Monday, May 12th at 1:30

2nd Grade: Monday, May 19th at 9:30

3rd and 4th Grade: Monday, May 19th at 1:15

Kindergarten: Friday, May 30 at 2:15

After our field day students will be doing the mile run, practice batting from tees, and participating in backyard games.

We are looking forward to a great end of the school year.

That is all from the gym, we are excited for a fun filled 4th quarter.

Mrs. O’Brien and Mr. Gotto

🎼MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE MUSIC DATES

5th Gr. Band + General Music Concert, May 22nd, 6:30 pm in the Red Oak Gym

Kindergarten Graduation Performance, June 3rd, 2:30 pm in the Red Oak Gym

🎼WHAT WILL BE OUR LEARNING FOCUS IN MUSIC CLASS IN May?

Grade 5 General Music–We are preparing for our May 22nd performance.

Grade 5 Band- Working on Band Karate and learning new songs for our May 22nd performance.

Grade 4 – Playing the ukuleles.

Grade 3 – Learning how a story can be told through music.

Grade 2 – Composing an original piece using the rhythms and melodies we know.

Grade 1 – Identifying the instruments in the musical story, Peter and the Wolf

Grade K – Identifying opposites in music by playing and singing a variety of songs.

🎶 Mrs. Altringer

When: May 12th

There is an open house style reception for students who have artwork featured in the art show from 5:00-6:30 on Monday, May 12th

(The artwork will be on display from May 12th- May 23rd)

Where: Shakopee Public Library (the artwork will be displayed throughout the library). Certificates for students will be available for pick up in the conference room on the first level of the library.

Our teachers need your help! We have many opportunities throughout the year where we need volunteers like you! If you're interested in volunteering or have some questions about volunteering, please reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Jessica Schmidt. Jschmidt@shakoee.k12.mn.us

As the rain creates mud, please consider sending extra pants and socks with your child in case they get dirty on the playground.

Also, if your child likes to wear Crocs or similar style shoes to school, please be sure you are sending in socks for them to wear with their tennis shoes for gym class.

The Health Services office has a very limited supply of extra clothing and socks to loan out to students. If your child borrows clothing from the Health Office, please be sure to wash it and return it for another child that may need it.

Did you know Red Oak is working on building its own Saber Nation Station? This is an area where families in need can come to get donated clothing, shoes, coats and toiletries that their child(ren) may need throughout the year.

NEED HELP? We have a small collection of clothing items right now as well as winter coats, snow pants, hats and mittens! To set up a time to come and check it out please contact our Social Worker, Katie Smith at 952-496-5956 or ksmith@shakopee.k12.mn.us

WANT to help? If you want to donate anything to our Saber Nation, you can also reach out! We will take gently used or new pants, shorts, leggings, short or long sleeves, sweatshirts, underwear, socks - boy or girls. Any size from 5T-Adult L. Sizes most used are 10-12. Please contact our Social Worker, Katie Smith at 952-496-5956 or ksmith@shakopee.k12.mn.us

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students. A daily menu is available online in various languages

Do you need food on the weekends?

If you need help with meals on the weekend, please sign up for free meals. There are 5 different types of meals to sign up for. Students who sign up for these meals will take them home on the last day of the school week. For more information, please email our Social Worker, Katie Smith: ksmith@shakopee.k12.mn.us

A few reminders worth noting to the beginning and end of the day structures and procedures:

• All doors open at 8:55 a.m. (walkers and bikers, door E unlocks at 8:55). Students should remain in their cars or on the Saber Paw prints outside until the doors open.

• Early Pick Up: If you need to pick your child up early, please call the office and let your child's teacher know. Children will not be called to the office until their guardian is in the office.

• Visitor Reminders:

  All visitors are required to check-in at the front office and must be screened through the Raptor system during normal school hours.
• Change in PM tTansportation: If your child has a change in how they are getting home, please call the office (952-496-5952) no later than 3pm so we can get the correct information to the classroom teacher on time.

• Drop off/pick up will continue to be in the upper lot. We ask that parents/guardians remain in the car for a more safe and efficient process. There are adults to help get students out of cars in the morning and into cars in the afternoon. Please pull forward to help keep the line moving. Please do not park and get down to drop off your children. This is for their safety.
• Our drop off/pick up line is secondary to getting the busses in and out of the lower lot. Please be mindful of where you line up to allow for large and small busses to maneuver through.
• Families arriving after 9:05 MUST walk their child(ren) into the building and sign them in.
• Students are dismissed from class between 3:38-3:43, which means students will not be called for the car line until approximately 3:45.

• Please have your car sign displayed in the window so we can call your student(s).
• It's also helpful if carseats and boosters for children are on the passenger side. If your child needs help buckling, please pull forward out of the line to help them
• Have younger siblings seated on the driver's side so school-aged students can enter through the passenger side

* Again, please remain in your car in the line and we will help get your child in the car.

Thank you for your attention to detail on these for the safety of our children.

Red Oak (and other Shakopee sites) have a critical need for special education paraprofessionals and substitute teachers!

If you're interested (or know someone who might be interested or would be a good fit) in working at Red Oak (or in Shakopee Public Schools), feel free to call me, Principal Ellis at 952-496-5952 so we can talk about options for various jobs. We would love to have you join our team and support our students. Training provided, job share responsibilities and weekend/summer/school breaks off.

Do you love working with kids? Do you need a job that will work around your schedule? Click here for a list of positions and to apply.

Have a wonderful May!