April Newsletter
Dear Elementary Families,
Welcome back from break and happy spring!
Now that we’re returned and rested from spring break, it’s time to get everyone moving forward. In just over two weeks we will start our “big test” assessments, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). Students throughout Minnesota in grades 3-11 are tested in various content areas. At the elementary level, we complete both Reading and Math MCA tests for third & fourth graders. We will take the MCA tests April 15-16 for reading and April 22-23 for math. Mark your calendars. Parents, we can use your help. Please avoid appointments that might take students out of school during this time, and see that your child is well-rested, eats a good breakfast, and has both your encouragement to take their time in order to do their best on each of the tests and your reminders to take the assessments seriously. MCAs are a way for students to show what they know, as well as give us as teachers the feedback on instruction. It’s another data point and a snapshot of our learning experiences. We’ve all been working hard together, made great progress towards our school goals, and have confidence that our students are going to do well. Thank you for your help and support.
We will continue in-house activities to showcase our learning, and sprinkle in some off-campus
learning adventures with individual grade level field trips in April and May. Please consider
participating as a volunteer/chaperone as each event allows. If you haven’t completed the
background check for the 2024-25 school year yet, PLEASE DO THAT NOW before additional
field trips and school events are introduced…we would welcome your presence and help! The
background check takes time to process and needs to be done every school year. Please plan
ahead. You can start the process here: https://hlww.k12.mn.us/district/volunteer/ Watch for
details and information from your child’s respective classroom and/or grade level for different
events.
Our PTA teams are planning some fun family events as well—bingo nights, volunteer
opportunities, fundraising event to help sponsor classroom grants, and planning for 2025-26.
Both PTA groups are working hard but could also use your energy and ideas as well. Please
consider getting involved at the level you can. A strong PTA makes for greater opportunities in
our schools!
With just a quarter left of the school year, this is the time to hold true to high expectations for
all. Please continue to talk with your child about their roles at school—to be active learners,
kind citizens, to think first, and participate as LAKERS do. We will do the same. The “spring itch”
will be here soon and our goal is to finish the year as strong as we started, with respect for self
and others, by taking ownership for our choices (both good and bad), and by working hard to
be our best each day.
Thank you for your continued support in our schools through homework help, volunteering in
and out of the school day, and for your communication. We certainly appreciate and rely on
you being an active part of our school community. We look forward to seeing many of you this
spring.
Every Laker, Every Day—
Jen Olson
Mrs. Lindstrom, Grade 3, Humphrey Elementary
As we dive into spring and gear up for the end of the school year, we are reflecting on a very busy and fun winter!
In December, we enjoyed our all-school “staycation” field trip with the Bell Museums' ExploraDome. Our class got to learn about how a future mission to Mars might look. In January, we had the incredible opportunity to welcome a guest teacher from Como Zoo for a week. We learned a lot about forests and got to work on our STEM skills with engaging activities like building a freestanding tree, designing enrichment activities for the hedgehogs at Como, and completing “adaptation stations” to learn about animal adaptations. In February, we worked hard to prepare for our music program. We also enjoyed all kinds of I Love to Read Month activities, Valentine’s Day fun, as well as the Global Day of Play.
Mixed in with all of our exciting activities, we explored some fun science lessons (a highlight was our “Adopt a Lizard” activity), wrote a persuasive essay about getting a class pet (with a wide variety of very convincing ideas from a pet rock to a dragon), monthly reading challenges, and fun activities with our 2nd Grade buddies. Phew!
Maps and Geography
Teddy Paulson, First Grade, Humphrey Elementary
First graders at Humphrey Elementary are having a lot of fun learning about maps and geography! This month, they focused on their community and learned important words like "above," "next to," and "inside," which helped them describe where things are. These new words not only grew their vocabulary but also helped them understand how places relate to each other, which is important in geography and everyday life.
They also learned about addresses, which helped them find special places in their neighborhood like parks, libraries, and their own homes. Knowing about addresses is important because it connects them to their community. Plus, learning to get around helps them feel more independent and confident.
Next, they discovered cardinal directions and how to use a compass rose to find north, south, east, and west. This new knowledge allowed them to create their maps! Learning to use a compass is a valuable skill that will help them in school and life, and it encourages them to think about how to show their surroundings accurately.
As new mapmakers, they looked at different types of maps, like city maps, road maps, and world maps. They learned about symbols and map keys, which help explain what pictures on maps mean. Understanding these things is important for reading maps, and the students enjoyed this part of their learning. They even explored continents and oceans, which helped them learn about the world.
To finish their unit, each student made a zoo map using a map key and compass rose to show where different animals are. This fun project not only helped them understand mapmaking better but also let them be creative. By designing their zoo maps, they included their favorite animals and created a space that showed their interests.
The children were curious and excited throughout these activities, turning the classroom into a lively place full of exploration and discovery. They have done a great job and built a strong foundation for future geography lessons!
David Luhman, Physical Education & DAPE, Winsted Elementary
Throughout the school year, students have been participating in a wide variety of activities, games and physical activities. I have been pleased with the students being open-minded when it comes to trying new things that perhaps they haven’t experienced at Winsted Elementary in years past. For example, I like to lead classes through “Fitness Wednesdays”. It’s not something we do every Wednesday, but when I tell them we’re doing a “Fitness Wednesday” workout they are ready to go! Here is a brief outline of some of the other content we have covered so far.
We started the school year with some “fall favorites”. This included: Football, Soccer and
Volleyball. For football, students learned throwing and catching technique. They practiced using
the laces and throwing spirals to their target. They also practiced catching the ball using their
hands instead of “hugging” it with their chest. After a few days of practice, we were able to use
these skills to participate in fun games such as: “Trench Football” and “Clean the Backyard”.
The 3rd and 4th graders even got to play some small-sided 2 hand touch football towards the end
of the unit. During soccer, students learned how to control the ball with each side of their feet
and practice changing speed and direction. Students were also taught how to “trap” the ball.
Towards the end of the unit we advanced into some fun gameplay with “Pirate Soccer” and
“Sideline Soccer”. Once we moved into the gym for volleyball, students were taught the most
fundamental skills of the game. They began with the underhand serve, then passing (“bumping”),
and then even a little setting. We were able to spend a few days playing games of volleyball,
mostly with beach balls so that the students could find more success in hitting the ball up and
over the net. However, a few of the 3rd and 4th grade groups were able to play some competitive
volleyball with the real volleyballs!
As we transitioned to the winter months we started to rotate through the “winter” games and
activities. We have learned about and developed our skills in the following activities: Basketball,
Badminton, Pickleball, Floor Hockey, Jump Rope Activities (Jump Rope For Heart) and
Kickball. Students have done a great job practicing and developing the necessary skills of each
of these games in the first few days of each unit so that we are able to move on as a group into
gameplay as the unit progresses. Our winter was also highlighted by two weeks of roller skating,
in which students practiced how to start, stop and balance on the skates. We even ended with a
fun skate party with fancy lights and music!
Moving forward- students still have new games and activities to look forward to. This spring,
students will be participating in Frisbee Golf/Ultimate Frisbee, Tee Ball/Baseball/Softball,
and Track and Field. Which reminds me, our Track and Field Day is set for Friday, May 16!
