News and events - November 15, 2022
November 15, 2022
A message from the principal
We met our Boosterathon goal! As a reward 5th graders slimed the principals. Thank you everyone for your donations! Thank you RAFT for all your hard work with Boosterathon.
Our sincere thanks to all our veterans and a special thank you to those who were able to attend our program today. A special shout-out to Andover Fire Department for bringing the ladder truck with the huge American flag! View a video from our Veterans Day program.
"Share the Warmth" project
The 4th graders are collecting fleece (1 ½ yard by 1 ½ yard pieces - print and matching solid), fleece blanket “kits”, and cash donations to purchase fleece. This Rum River 4th grade tradition has provided warm blankets to help our community through many different organizations over the years including Alexandra House, The District Welcome Center, children’s hospitals, the Sheriff’s Department, and nursing homes.
A message from our district’s Welcome Center:
The fleece blankets from the amazing 4th grade students, their teachers, and their families have helped our new students to Anoka-Hennepin Schools feel truly welcomed. There may be anxious, uneasy feelings when going to a new school, but the blankets bring so much joy and reassurance that our schools are a safe, caring space. Our team at the Family Welcome Center, who meets many new students from around the state, the country and around the world, is incredibly grateful for your generosity. We recognize a continuous need to support our communities particularly during these cold, chilly months; therefore, any donation of items is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
You can help “Share the Warmth” by donating fleece, cash to purchase fleece, or by volunteering to help cut the fleece at home to prepare for our 4th graders tying them here at school. Students will be tying blankets on Dec. 22.
Please send in any cash donation (in an envelope marked “Share the Warmth”) or fleece donation by December 12th. If you are interested in volunteering to cut blankets at home, please email Shelly Zenner at Michelle.Zenner@ahschools.us or call 763-506-8230.
Any questions?
Contact a 4th grade teacher:
Angela.Landry@ahschools.us Cory.Moore@ahschools.us
Brad.Kasper@ahschools.us Krista.Fink@ahschools.us
THANK YOU for helping us SHARE THE WARMTH this season!
Rum River 4th grade students and staff
News from Rum River Association of Families and Teachers - RAFT
Multicultural family night
Rum River Elementary hosted its first ever Multicultural Family Night on Thursday, Nov 3rd. The event was filled with many engaging and educational activities. Students could listen to stories and play musical instruments from cultures around the world. Cultural displays were set up around the school with artifacts from across the globe. Rum River Art brought art projects for students to do, including African Senufo Animals, Aboriginal Dot Painting, Sugar Skulls, Frida Kahlo Heart Paintings, and Jamini Roy Animals. Rum River families were an important part of making the night a success! Several families created displays and shared arts and crafts projects with students, including a South Korean Drum, Scandinavian Ornaments, and Norwegian Welcome Signs. The Anoka African Dancers stole the show with two dance performances during the night!
The event was put together by the Rum River Association of Families and Teachers (RAFT). RAFT looks forward to continuing to offer this event in the future and would love to see it grow into a huge celebration of the many heritages and cultures at Rum RIver Elementary.
Students completing a Frida Kahlo art project provided by Rum River Art.
The Anoka HS African dancers and their advisor, Megan Marcy.
The Anoka High School African dancers.
From the health office
Rum River has seen an increase in illnesses this fall. Most recently, Influenza A, also known as
the flu — is a contagious viral infection that attacks your respiratory system. There are three
types of Influenza, however, Type A is what has been most prevalent for students and staff.
Unlike a common cold, the flu typically occurs with a sudden onset of symptoms. Common
signs of an influenza infection include coughing, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat,
fever, headache, fatigue, chills, and body aches. Another illness is that of Strep Throat This is a
bacteria called group A Streptococcus (group A strep). Most common symptoms are throat
pain, painful swallowing, red and swollen tonsils, tender lymph nodes, fever, headache, and
sometimes a rash.
Please report any communicable disease to the health office (i.e. Influenza, Covid, Strep) at
(763) 506-8204
When to stay home
Ensuring schools are safe and healthy for all students is a priority for Anoka-Hennepin. If your
child does get sick, keep them home from school so they do not share their illness with others.
Reference school district guidelines to help with this decision:
- If a student has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student must stay home for 24
hours after the temperature returns to normal without fever reducing medication. - If a student has vomited or had diarrhea, the student must stay home until 24 hours after
the last episode. - If a student has had any rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown,
check with your family physician before sending the student to school. - If a student is ill, please call the school daily to report the illness.
Thank you for helping to keep our students and staff healthy!!
Welcome new Rum River staff members
Child nutrition update
Meal prices for the 2022-23 school year
Breakfast $1.50
Lunch $2.55
Mega-Bite extra charge $2.75
Attendance
Reminders
Regular attendance in school is essential to the success of our students. Students who are well should be at school every day that school is in session. Students who are ill should not be in school. Generally, students don't miss more than six days of school a year from illness. If there are chronic health concerns, consult Rum River's school nurse, Gail Goss at Gail.Goss@ahschools.us
- A parent/guardian should use the ParentVue app to report an absence or call 763-506-8206 to report student attendance. Please spell the students last name, indicate the teachers name and report the reason for the absence.
- Use the pickup notes from your open house folder if you will be picking your student up early and for end of the day pick up if it’s different from your normal routine.
- If someone other than a parent/guardian will be picking up, please indicate that on the pickup note.
- If an unexpected appointment or end of the day pick up changes, please call the office by 3:00 pm. We can then notify the teacher of the change.
Minnesota Statute, Section 120A.22 - Compulsory Instruction - This statute defines the specifics of the Compulsory Education Law as outlined by the state of Minnesota.
Additional information is outlined in the Rum River Parent/Calendar Handbook on page 3. If you need more information, please contact the office at 763-506-8200.
Reminders from the school office
- Our lost and found has moved from the front hallway into it's own room. Parents are welcome to come look through items during school hours from 9:30-4:00. Please check-in with the school office if you would like to check for items in the lost and found. Last call for current items in the lost and found is December 9th.
- Please drop off your student between 9:15-9:30 am when staff are supervising the sidewalks.
Upcoming events
Picture retake day: Tuesday, November 29
Winterfest: Thursday, December 8th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Volunteer news
Volunteers have been busy at Rum River this past month! We are truly grateful for all of their support!
If you're interested in becoming a volunteer at Rum River, simply complete the steps below and you will start receiving information about volunteer opportunities. Feel free to reach out to Shelly Zenner via email (michelle.zenner@ahschools.us) if you have any questions.
Before you can volunteer this school year, please:
1. Complete the Rum River Elementary volunteer application.
2. Update or complete your contact information, student information, and general interests.
3. Complete your Criminal Record History Release (CRHR) for the 2022-2023 school year.
Another way to get involved is by attending the Rum River Association of Families and Teachers (RAFT) meeting on Thursday, November 15th from 6:30 to 8:00pm at Rum River. If you would like to be on the board or join a committee, there is a pre-meeting on the 15th starting at 5:30pm. Pizza will be provided during the pre-meeting.
Transportation update
Please call Kottkes at 763-506-1125 for late bus information after school hours.
Winter weather reminders
Minnesota weather is shifting gears, and the Anoka-Hennepin School District has plans in place for when extreme winter weather arrives.
The safety of all students is the first priority when determining if schools should stay open in adverse weather. If a determination is made to close school due to extreme winter weather, the district will alert families in a variety of ways, including:
Phone, text or email message from AHlert system (for Anoka-Hennepin parents/guardians only).
District and school websites.
District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
Media outlets including WCCO, KSTP, FOX 9, KARE 11, CCX Media, WCCO radio and Star Tribune newspaper.
Those responsible for activities scheduled in schools over the weekend will determine if adverse weather conditions necessitate a cancellation.
Read more about the district’s policies on extreme winter weather at ahschools.us/weather.
This e-newsletter is published by Rum River Elementary School. Questions, comments or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.