May 2025 Bulletin

May 2025

May is here, and with it comes the excitement of wrapping up another school year together. In the coming weeks, our calendar is full of end-of-year celebrations and performances. Please review the schedule carefully—you won’t want to miss any of these special events!

Throughout the year, your students have engaged in a wide range of arts-centered learning experiences. Teachers have integrated the arts into math, reading, and science instruction, enriching lessons with creativity and critical thinking. Students in grades one through five also had the opportunity to participate in troupes and electives focused on building specific artistic skills and boosting engagement.

As we begin planning an even more dynamic and enriching academic and arts-filled year ahead, we want to hear from you. Just below this message, you’ll find a link to our Parent/Caregiver Survey and Testimonial form. Your input is essential in helping us shape the future of our school community.

As we close out the year, thank you for being such an important part of what makes Birch Grove so special. Your partnership and support mean the world to us. We wish you a safe and restful summer and look forward to welcoming your students back for the 2025–2026 school year on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Until then, we remain here to support your family and continue creating the very best environment for learning, working, and visiting.

Warmly,

Your Administrative Team

Margo Kleven & Lindsey Patterson

KlevenM@District279.org

PattersonLindsey@District279.org

Birch Grove is hosting several events in June to wrap up the school year. More information will come on these events closer to the dates. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions!

• Tuesday, June 3rd: Mrs. K's Preschool Celebration
• 11:00 am - morning class
• 3:00 pm - afternoon class
• Thursday, June 5th: Ms. Diane's Preschool Celebration
• 11:00 am - morning class
• 3:00 pm - afternoon class
• Thursday, June 5th: 5th Grade Celebration from 5:30-7:00 pm
• Food trucks will be on site and 5th grade students will receive a certificate from their teacher
• Friday, June 6th: Last Day of School and Bobcat Blastoff
• Track and field activities and outdoor games to celebrate the end of the school year!
• Ms. CC will be looking for volunteers for this event - watch your messages for a sign up link!

Theater Mu in St. Paul is offering summer camps for students in grades 3-9. Each camp is led by professional theater artists, and through activities and physical games, students will dive into performance strategies and stage skills, learn about the Asian American experience, and have fun along the way!

Duniya Drum & Dance performed in the Birch Grove media center for all grade levels in April. Students had the opportunity to listen to West African African drumming and participate in drumming and dancing themselves! Duniya Drum & Dance consists of Fode and Whitney, who also happen to be BG parents, with two students attending Birch Grove.

Learn more about Fode and Whitney here!

Ms. Emily's Targeted Services class used old magazines to create their own vision boards! A vision board is a collage of pictures, words, or other symbols that represent someone's interests, goals and dreams, intending to serve as inspiration or motivation.

Mrs. K's class got a special visitor - Princess Belle! Mrs. K promised to dress as Belle and read to her class as her Coin Wars pledge for raising $200. She and the students had a great time!

Birch Grove welcomed Imagination Theater for a performance of "The Peacemaker". Imagination Theater uses blacklights and puppetry in their shows to create illusions. The show took place in the Black Box theater in Mrs. Holsen's drama room for students in PreK, Kindergarten, and Connect.

Learn more about Imagination Theater and their shows at the link below!

Students in Ms. Torres's elective showed what they learned in the 4th and 5th grade Electives Showcase! Ms. Torres taught students to combine boxing moves in rhythm with music.

Recently, PreK students have been learning about different types of bugs and insects. They read the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and made their own hungry caterpillars out of construction paper scraps. They also counted ladybugs!

For the past few years, 5th graders have been able to create a design in Tinkercad that can printed on our Makerbot 3D printers. We started by reading the book, “The Most Magnificent Thing” where students learned about the design process and how to take “failures” and turn them into an important step in the process of learning how to put things together. Students were tasked with creating something from scratch, not just putting in the pieces already available in the Tinkercad program to create their project. Our students got very creative! Here are just few of their wonderful designs.

April 22nd was Earth Day! Students learned about taking care of the planet we live on. One way students demonstrated this was by helping pick up litter on the playground.

BG students gathered for another CARES assembly at the end of the month. Students got to participate in a sweet potato race - whoever could use a spoon to roll their sweet potato the finish line the fastest won! It was more challenging than it looked! Students were also recognized for showing Responsibility and Empathy - the R and E in BG CARES.

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 5th for a teacher work day. School resumes on Tuesday, May 6th.

Birch Grove silver orchestra students will perform their spring concert with several other schools on Wednesday, May 7th. Please be aware that only 5th grade silver orchestra will perform at this concert, and the rest of the orchestra will perform at a later date. Email Mrs. Pim (pime@district279.org) or Mr. Krueger (kruegerj@district279.org) if you have questions.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Wednesday, May 7th

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm

Location: Osseo Middle School

10223 93rd Ave N

Osseo, MN 55369

May's PTO meeting will be held on Thursday, May 8th. Meetings occur the second Thursday of each month in the Birch Grove media center and online at the link below.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Thursday, May 8th

Time: 6:00-7:00 pm

Location: Birch Grove Media Center

Troupe students have been hard at work rehearsing and creating! They are excited to show off their hard work to their friends and family at Spotlight on the Arts! Your child's Troupe leader has communicated with you about program rehearsals. If you have questions, please contact your child's Troupe leader directly. Please see the dates below to know when your child will perform!

If you have a student in Choir Troupe, they will perform BOTH nights regardless of grade.

This event is for Troupe students only. Electives students do not participate in the Troupe show.

DATES:

Friday, May 9th - 4th and 5th Grade Spotlight

Friday, May 16th - 2nd and 3rd Grade Spotlight

TIME: 6:30-8:00 pm for all dates
LOCATION: Birch Grove Elementary School

Birch Grove 3rd, 4th, and 5th orchestra students will perform their spring concert at Birch Grove on Tuesday, May 13th. This concert is all Birch Grove orchestra students. Email Mrs. Pim (pime@district279.org) or Mr. Krueger (kruegerj@district279.org) if you have questions.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Tuesday, May 13th

Time: 7:00-8:00 pm

Location: Birch Grove Elementary School Gym

Families of next year's kindergarten students are invited to Kindergarten Orientation on May 20th! Students and families will have the opportunity to learn about the kindergarten schedule, meet the teachers, tour the school, and more. Representatives will be on site from KidStop, health services, nutrition services, transportation, and more. Be sure to stop by their tables to ask any questions you may have, and kids can pick up a goodie!

This event is for students who will start kindergarten in fall 2025, NOT current kindergarten students.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Tuesday, May 20th

Time: 5:30-7:00 pm

Location: Birch Grove Elementary School

Birch Grove 2nd graders have been hard at work rehearsing songs and skits for their spring concert, "Bob the Duck Goes to the MN State Fair"! You are invited to attend their show on Wednesday, May 21st. Enjoy silly songs such as "If it Walks Like a Duck" and "Awesome Animals"! Please contact music teacher Mr. P if you have any questions. You can reach him at PogatshnikB@District279.org.

Be sure to stick around after for the PTO Spring Fling event - scroll down for details!

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Wednesday, May 21st

Time: 4:30-5:15 pm

Location: Birch Grove Elementary School

You are invited to the Spring Fling on May 21st! Join the PTO for Bingo, food trucks, and the Scholastic Book Fair. Be sure to take a look at the Peeps Diorama Gallery, featuring fun scenes and sculptures created by 5th grade students out of Marshmallow Peeps.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Wednesday, May 21st

Time: 5:30-7:00 pm

Location: Birch Grove Elementary School

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 26th, in observance of Memorial Day. School resumes on Tuesday, May 27th.

The Wide Mouthed Frog is about a Mother Frog whose babies hatch from eggs. They grow into tadpoles and then into frogs. Mother Frog realizes she needs to feed her babies so she hops along to find food. She meets many animals along her way such as a giraffe, lion and elephant to ask what they feed their babies. In the end she runs into a crocodile who tries to catch them! Do you think Mother Frog will be able to escape? Come support our kindergarteners and find out!

EVENT DETAILS

When: Friday, May 30th

Time: 3:15 pm

Location: Birch Grove Gym

• The district uses the STOPit Solutions tip line designed to deter and mitigate bullying, cyber abuse, threats of violence, identity based harm, and other inappropriate behaviors.
• Students, parents/caregivers, and community members can access STOPit 24/7 multiple ways.
• Visiting the STOPit website
• Download the STOPit app from the APP store or Google Play store.
• Call 763-265-3636
• Tips can be submitted anonymously
• Concerns that need immediate attention for the safety of individuals involved should be reported to 911.
• Within the STOPit app students have access to the Crisis Text Line
• Crisis Text Line supports students that may be experiencing or witnessing difficult emotions like bullying, negative peer pressure, or anxiety.
• Students can SMS message with trained volunteer Crisis Counselors to receive help for themselves directly.
• Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, high-quality anonymous text-based mental health support and crisis intervention.

Please read the following information about District 279 security protocols and visitor requirements. This is for visiting any school in the Osseo Area Schools, including Birch Grove. It is important to follow this protocol to ensure the safety of students and staff.

It is highly recommended to complete the volunteer application to make signing into the school a quicker and easier process. Please make sure to bring your ID with you anytime you come to the school.

Margo Kleven, Principal: KlevenM@District279.org

Lindsey Patterson, Assistant Principal: PattersonLindsey@District279.org

Elise Dorgan, Administrative Assistant: DorganE@District279.org

Abbie Lecy, Counselor: LecyA@District279.org

Megan Ruhland, Social Worker: 763-549-2335 / RuhlandM@District279.org

Emily Wenz, Psychologist: WenzE@District279.org

Nurse: 763-549-2308 / WackerT@District279.org

Birch Grove PTO: PTOBirchGrove@gmail.com

Maple Grove Eye Care is a local business owned by a family with students in the Osseo Area Schools. Maple Grove Eye Care has free vision screenings year round in order to monitor everyone's vision fluctuations at their convenience. Call the Maple Grove Eye Care office at 763-264-5100 to schedule an appointment or learn more about free vision screening.

Exciting news for Minnesota families! Discover the new Child Tax Credit offering $1,750 per child under 18. Don't miss out—check eligibility and claim your credit when you file: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/child-tax-credit.

Minnesota Residents, discover the benefits of the Working Family Credit! You could qualify for a refund, even if you don't owe taxes. Check eligibility details, especially if your income is below $35,000 (joint filers). If you're a part-year resident, adjust your income accordingly for Minnesota taxes. Learn more at https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/site-search?site_search_text=m1nr

The Minnesota Department of Revenue offers two valuable tax benefits for caregivers who purchase school supplies for their K-12 students: the K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction. These benefits can reduce caregivers’ taxes to increase their refund, but is only available for those who keep their receipts. Purchases for most school supplies, field trips, and musical instruments for school band are eligible. Most Minnesota caregivers qualify for the K-12 subtraction, which reduces their taxable income. Caregivers under certain income limits may also qualify for the K-12 credit, which can refund up to 75% of their costs – even for those who do not owe any taxes. Visit Revenue's website for details.

Are you or someone you know at risk of losing your housing? The Homework Starts with Home program is grant funded and in partnership with Hennepin County and the YMCA. Here are guidelines of the program:

• Families must have a child enrolled in our school district and reside in Hennepin county.
• Families must meet income guidelines set by Hennepin county.
• Families must qualify for rent assistance of owing back rent and are at risk of eviction in order to receive utilities assistance.
• Families must provide something in writing that they owe back rent or are at risk of eviction (ledger of back rent owed, eviction notice, court date notice)
• Families must reach out before their eviction date/court date. Unfortunately we can't retroactively provide financial assistance if they have already moved.

Please reach out to Kendra Kuhlmann at HSWH@District279.org if you have questions or are interested in learning more about the Homework Starts with Home Program.

Information available in: English | Hmong | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese

Download the Box Tops for Education App and start earning money for Birch Grove by scanning your shopping receipts.

Learn more about Box Tops for Education!

Osseo Area Schools ISD279 offers varies meaningful job opportunities! Learn more by completing the ISD279 Job Interest Form and our recruitment & retention team will connect with you or by visiting www.district279.org/careers.