CGB Elementary News
May 3, 2024
The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA)tests assess students in content specific areas on Minnesota Standards. Students take the MCA Science test in grade 5 and 8 and once in high school. Math and reading MCA tests are given in grades 3–8 and high school (students in grade 10 take the Reading MCA, and students in grade 11 take the Mathematics MCA).
At CGB we also give STAR tests that help teachers assess students learning and progress throughout the year in the areas of math and reading. This test data helps staff identify growth in standard areas of math and reading.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-10
Next week is an exciting week to celebrate our teachers. Please welcome me by thanking a teacher next week. I am amazed and humbled by what our CGB teachers do each day for students. Teaching content area is a fraction of what they do each day. They are collecting and reviewing data, recording scores, differentiating instruction, providing interventions for behavior and academics, communicating, motivating, planning, and much more. We have a great staff and I appreciate all they do.
Mrs. Syverson (Mrs. Tina)
PreK 1 Classroom
Mrs. Martig (Mrs. Mel)
PreK 1 Classroom
Mrs. Arndt
PreK 2 Classroom
Mrs. Cardwell
Kindergarten
Ms. Carlson
Kindergarten
Mrs. Kellen
1st Grade
Mrs. Cardwell
2nd Grade
Mrs. Huselid
3rd Grade
Mr. Dreke
4th Grade
Mrs. Andrews
5th Grade
Mrs. Costello
ADSIS - Interventions
Mrs. Baxter
Special Education
Mrs. Olson
Music
Mr. Adelman
Physical Education
Mrs. Sigler
Social Worker
Accelerated Reader
Please review the presentation below that was created by CGB staff. Many staff collaborated on this project and presented at the school board meeting giving details about the AR program and how it supports the science of reading and the development of young readers.
Elementary reading stats from the month of April
See our district reading stats from March
AR (Accelerated Reader) Book Finder
Here is a link to the AR book finder. This allows anyone to look up any book to determine book level and quiz points.
https://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx?RedirectURL=%2fdefault.aspx
5th Grade D.A.R.E. Graduation
Julia and Ashton also gave a speech about what they learned in the D.A.R.E. program. They did a great job sharing about decision making, anti-drug choices, and actions against bullying.
Pictured to the right is Cachi and Officer Maatz. Cachi's poster was selected as a winner and will be displayed on the state D.A.R.E Facebook page.
Ashton giving D.A.R.E. speech. Great job!
Nice job Julia giving your D.A.R.E. speech.
Elementary Concert
The spring elementary music concert will be held at 6:30 on Tuesday, May 7 in the Clinton Elmentary gym. We are looking forward to another evening of great music and energy from our students.
Grant for Play
We recently received great news that we received a large grant that will give students an opportunity to participate in a play. See the flyer below. A paper flyer was sent home students to encourage students to participate in this great opportunity.
Legionville
We are excited to send Chase and Peyton to Legionville Camp this summer. Legionville camp is a long standing tradition of teaching students leadership and school safety. We are proud of Chase and Peyton's initiative in writing an essay, being awarded to go, and representing CGB in this experience.
Thank you to the Clinton Legion, Graceville Legion, Clinton Auxillary, and Graceville Auxillary for generously sponsoring these students to go.
Robotics
We wrapped up our coding and robotics unit with K-5 students last week. Students were engaged in 10 lessons for each grade level over several months during science class. The goal of robotics is get students hands-on experience with coding/computer programming while developing skills in science, technology, and math.
A few kindergartners below are solving their "around their partner" challenge. Here, students were tasked with programming their robot to drive around a group member. The Indi robot uses a color sensor to determine the color and program of each colored tile. Students here used 3 pink 90 degree turns to drive around a partner.
Below, two third grade students are working on thinking and problem solving the "marathon challenge" in which they needed to plan their marathon route by using all 18 tiles successfully. This was challenging as students had to use a lot of problem solving and math. The tiles include:
- 3 green (go or increase speed)
- 2 yellow (slow down)
- 3 pink (left, 90 degree turns)
- 3 blue (right, 90 degree turns)
- 3 orange (left, 45 degree turns)
- 3 teal (right, 4t degree turns)
- 2 stop and 1 celebration (spins)
Fifth graders below are proud of their successful marathon program and demonstration.
Where to Find CGB Construction Updates
Please check out our website for updates on the construction project.
Paws Ticket Drawing For the Month of April
At the end of each month we have a highly anticipated drawing for the 4 monthly prizes. For each PAWS ticket, students enter their ticket in one of the four choices. We draw one K-2 student and another 3-5 student for each prize. We hold other various prizes for every Friday's drawing.
See below for winners from the April drawing last week.
Steal Mr. Huselid's Chair for the Day - Hector and Rylann
Gopher Theatre Movie Ticket and Treat - Axel and Jaxon
(Thanks to Gopher Theatre for donating tickets)
15 minutes of extra recess - Paul and Jonah
Class Picnic - Gisselle and Exander
Picking Up Sticks
I caught 4th grade students volunteering and helping out the maintenance crew by picking up sticks in front of the school. There were quite a few piles of sticks. It is amazing how much work can be done quickly with 29 hard working 4th graders.
School Lunch Hero Day
Thank you to Sandy and Chelsea for serving us great meals each day. We celebrated them and honored them on Friday, May 3rd. Thanks to Janine who leads us in our food service - I certainly enjoy eating the meals at school. We appreciate these heroes that feed students both breakfast and lunch each and every day.
Lunch Menus
Below is a link to the weekly lunch menus. Please refer to the link on the website for menus for the remaining weeks of school. The screenshot shows where the menu exists on the home page of the CGB website.
Message for Parents: Supporting Positive Behavior in the Last Month of School
As the school year winds down, maintaining positive behavior and routines is essential for a smooth finish. Here are some tips to support your child's behavior in the last month of school:
Consistent Routine: Stick to a consistent daily routine to provide structure and stability for your child. This includes regular bedtimes, meal times, and study times to help them stay focused and organized. This is a challenge as the days get longer.
Encourage Persistence: With the end of the school year in sight, it's important to encourage your child to stay focused and persistent in their studies. Remind them of the importance of finishing the year strong.
Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate your child's accomplishments, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement boosts their confidence and motivates them to continue putting in effort.
Open Communication: Maintain open communication with your child about their school experiences. Encourage them to share any concerns or challenges they may be facing as the school year comes to a close.
Support Transition: Help your child prepare for any transitions, such as moving up to a new grade or saying goodbye to teachers and friends. Offer reassurance and guidance to ease any anxiety they may be feeling.
Set Realistic Goals: Work with your child to set realistic goals for the remaining weeks of school. Break tasks into manageable steps and celebrate progress along the way.
By fostering a positive and supportive environment at home, you can help your child finish the school year on a high note. Encouraging good behavior and maintaining open communication sets the stage for a successful end to the academic year.
May Events
May 3
Lunch Hero's Day
Last day of 5th grade Science MCA Test
May 6-10
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7
Elementary Spring Concert at 6:30 in Clinton Gym
May 8
Ms. Tina & Mel’s Preschool Graduation 1pm in gym
May 9
Last Day of Preschool
Mrs. Arndt’s Pre K Graduation 1pm in gym
Ms. Tina & Mel’s Class Field Trip
Fastbridge Testing
May 14
3rd Grade Field Trip to Bonanza
May 16
5th Grade DARE Twins Game
May 17
1st Grade Field Trip to Bramble Park to Zoo
2nd Grade Field Trip to Terry Redlin Art Museum
May 21
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Field Trip to Brookings Children’s Museum
May 22
School Patrol Rollerskating 12:15-3:00
May 23
Kindergarten Graduation at 2pm in gym
May 24
Track & Field Day
May 27
No School - Memorial Day
May 28
Unity Square Field Trip - we earned enough tickets.
May 29
Last Day of School