Eagles Newsletter

August 2024

Sincerely,

Terri Jackson

Principal

Your classroom teacher will be visible in ParentVue after 4:00PM on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

All back to school forms MUST be completed to enter ParentVUE to see your student's teacher. ParentVUE will prompt you to do this when you login.

• Your child’s teacher is listed in ParentVUE. Log into your ParentVUE account (https://www.district279.org/family-access/parentvue and click on the access link) and first complete the Back to School Forms so we have the most current contact information in our system.

• Once you are in ParentVUE, select the student at the top drop down and select class schedule to view the teacher assigned to your student.

• If you have any questions, contact the office or refer to the FAQS at https://www.district279.org/family-access/parentvue.

Please Complete Your Back-to-School Form With Your ParentVUE Account:

• Log into your ParentVUE account (https://www.district279.org/family-access/parentvue) and complete the Back to School Forms so we have the most current contact information in our system. If you have any questions, contact the office. ParentVUE holds a variety of student information, including grades, and transportation assignments.

• Our Open House will be held on Wednesday, August 28th, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

• Families will be able to meet and greet the Principal, teachers, fill out forms with support, and enjoy being back together again.

• You are encouraged to bring your child’s school supplies (See attached school supply list). If you purchased a School Kit last spring, those will be on your student's desk in the classroom.

• The first day of school this year is Tuesday, September 3rd. Buses often run late to and from school the first few days of the school year. Please expect this and thank you for your patience and understanding.

• If you are planning to accompany your child on the first day, please note, due to the safety and security of our students, we will not allow parents to walk your child(ren) to class on the first day of school. Staff will be available to escort students to their classrooms.

• **If you will be driving your child to school on the first day, but your child will be riding the bus home, please let your child’s teacher know. We encourage all students to start their regular rituals and routines from day one to promote consistency, however, if there is any changes, it is imperative that you let your child’s teacher know for the safety and well being of our students.

• After the first day of school, parents must call the office with any transportation changes before 3:00 PM. Do not leave phone, text or email messages with your child's teacher as they may not see them until after the end of the school day.

The Minnesota state legislature passed a Free School Meals for Kids bill into law this spring, which takes effect in September and allows all in-person K-12 students to receive a free school breakfast and lunch each day, excluding a la carte/special menu items.

However, it’s still important for households to fill out the Educational Benefits application (formerly the free/reduced lunch application) on EduTrakConnect (formerly SmartSchoolK12). Depending on income, families who apply may receive free or discounted prices for:

· Field trips

· High school parking permits

· Clubs, activities and athletics

· Band instruments

· ACT, SAT and AP fees

· Home internet rates with certain providers

· Xcel Energy account assistance for electricity bills

Additionally, our school receives critical funding based on the number of families that qualify for free and reduced lunch. If you think your family might qualify, please apply at the link here.

We are happy to announce that Woodland will be partnering with St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development to provide community-based mental health services this year. We are thrilled to welcome our new therapist, Stacey Bornoldt, who will be joining us full-time and will have an office space here at Woodland. Stacey brings a wealth of experience and expertise, and we’re confident that she will be an invaluable resource for our students and families.

Below is her bio:

Stacey Bornholdt (she/her), is a Mental Health Practitioner, MSW, LGSW, who is currently pursuing her LICSW. Stacey has 10 years of experience working with children and youth in various settings (nannying, child care programs, schools, mental health facilities). Stacey is a graduate of the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) at the University of Denver, where she concentrated in Children and Youth.

While completing her master’s, Stacey earned an Animal-Assisted Social Work (AASW) certificate through the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC). Stacey earned a BA in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, where she also minored in Neuroscience.

Stacey’s background and passions include: social and environmental justice for all living beings; human-animal-environment relationships/interactions (One Health); humane education; children and youth; special education; social and emotional learning; mental health; mindfulness; neuroscience; animal behavior/ethology; and animal welfare. Stacey loves nature photography, music, singing, pizza, coffee, traveling, going to movies, games, playing sports, spending time with loved ones and much more

Welcome to a new school year, Woodland families!

We have a fun year of events planned and we can’t wait to see you there. Please stay connected with us by following our Facebook Page (Woodland Elementary PTO), Instagram (@woodlandptomn) and website (woodlandpto.org).

Fun Run

Sept 9th will be our kickoff for our largest fundraiser of the year, The Fun Run. The Fun Run will take place on Oct 4th. Dollars raised from this event are used for great things such as new equipment, classroom materials, student learning incentives, and staff appreciation. You still have time to get your student registered and collect those final donations!

Upcoming Events:

Sept 10: PTO Meeting at 6:30pm in the Media Center

Sept 18: Meet and Eat with Woody-Food Trucks and learn about the PTO

Oct 4: FUN RUN

You are WARMLY INVITED to join in the FUN! PTO Meetings are held monthly in the Woodland Media Center and everyone is invited to attend and participate. Our first meeting is on Sept 10th at 6:30pm and you are welcome to attend in person in the Media Center.

We would also love to CONNECT with you in whatever format works best. We send out regular emails, have an active Facebook page, and post on our website (woodlandpto.org).

2024-2025 Board
President: Jenna Maurer
President Elect: OPEN- Seeking Volunteer
Secretary: Megan Fordice
Communications Chair: Rachel Johnson
Marketing Chair: Jennifer Broden
Treasurer : Brianna Johnston
Treasurer Elect: Christine Haglund
Teacher Reps: Scott Lund and Jody Levy