STEM Newsletter
January 31, 2025
A note from the principal
Hello Weaver Lake STEM families,
The weather has been so nice this last week of January. It is incredible to think that it is February already. I wish for a bit more snow for the students and us to play and use our imaginations. Still, the kids have enjoyed every minute during recess playing without full winter outfits. Still, please remind them to wear their winter outfits because we still have at least two more months of winter. During January, many of our students and staff have been sick, colds and flu mainly. I caught the flu this year. I forgot to have my flu vaccine. I usually have my vaccines, and I typically am much healthier than this January. Mistake made and lesson learned!
The school year is going well. I visit classrooms daily and I had the pleasure of seeing our students engaged in learning. This week, I saw our kindergarteners and first graders writing short stories. Some of the stories were funny, some more serious and all of them full of the joy of learning to write. I also saw practicing phonics, including playing in pairs to match words with sounds. Students were working in teams to solve mathematical equations and in some instances using manipulatives to solve for X. Students were doing science in their classrooms or with guest teachers. It is joyful to see our students learn, and our staff support them. It is more than reading, writing, science, math and media. It is about physical education and arts, it is about creating small communities and solving problems together. In short, we have a great school, with great staff and wonderful families. Thank you for your support every single day.
As most of you are aware this year we obtained the highest award from Magnet Schools of America. In the recent past, we have been a Magnet School of Excellence. This year, we are part of a more select group of magnet schools: a 2025 Top Magnet School of Excellence. Thank you for your support in helping us be a bit better every year.
I am looking forward to a bit snowier February, because we need water for our plants, lakes and rivers. Drive safely and be well.
Sincerely,
Principal Salazar
Trimester II - Questions
For trimester two, these are the big idea questions that each grade levels are learning about.
Kindergarten: What observations can I make about force and motion?
Grade 1: How do we as foley artists create sounds to match a video using different materials?
Grade 2: As a green engineer, how can we create a solar oven to help others after a natural disaster?
Grade 3: How can we show Weaver Lake families how changes in light affect how we see objects by creating a photo portfolio?
Grade 4: How can we as environmental scientists build a website and a model that shows a solution to preserve our community environment from erosion?
Grade 5: In order to get funding from NASA, how do we as colony planners design a future Mars base?
Encourage your child to come up with more questions related to their study while they're at home. Children can find answers to their questions through research, participation in different virtual or in-person experiences, and discussion with others that have the same interests. Some questions can't be answered and that's okay too - the value is in the asking!
Winter Conferences
Winter conferences will be held on the following dates and will be held in-person.
Thursday, February 27 (7:50-9:10am, 4:30-7:30pm)
Tuesday, March 4 (7:50-9:10am, 4:30-7:30pm)
Thursday, March 6 (7:50-9:10am, 4:30-6:30 pm)
Families can schedule conferences via ParentVUE. The conference window, to schedule a student’s conference, will open on February 17 at 9:00 a.m. and will close on February 21 at 4:30 p.m.
After Friday, February 21, families will need to contact their student's teacher for scheduling. If you do not have a ParentVUE account, please log into ParentVUE to create your account.
We look forward to seeing you during conferences!
Engineering Night
Different is Awesome! book order
An order form was sent home today with students with the option to buy a signed copy of the book "Different is Awesome!" by Ryan Haack. Mr. Haack will be doing an assembly at our school on Friday, February 21st. If you choose to purchase a book, please send the order form and $15 cash/check (payable to Weaver Lake Elementary) to school with your child and they will receive the book on the day of the assembly. This order form is due back to school by FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH.
Yearbooks on sale now!
Yearbook sales are now available for purchase online (click HERE) OR you can send the yearbook order form (yellow sheet that was sent home the first week of January) to school with your student. If you need another order form, please call the office. Paper order forms are due FRIDAY, MARCH 21st!
Yearbooks are $10 each. Please note that there are fees applied if yearbooks are purchased online.
ALL students will receive a Grade-Level Year End Review book, regardless of if they purchase a yearbook or not.
- The Grade-Level Year End Review book has student photos of ONLY that student's grade level. There are 2 pages of candids that are the same across the school and there is space for autographs.
- The Yearbook has ALL student photos, plus activity group photos (band, orchestra, patrol, tour Ambassadors, WVR TV NEWS crew, PBIS Ambassadors). It also contains many pages of candids and space for autographs.
Yearbooks and Grade-Level Year End Review books will be delivered to students in their classrooms during the last week of school.
Give Kids a Smile Program
DATES: February 7th and 8th
Registration is NOW OPEN!
- FREE dental opportunity for children ages 3-18. Appointments required.
- Participating clinics are now posted:
- Click on Link: MDA Dental Clinics
- Communicate to families regarding this opportunity – Discuss this with your building Principal and Administrative Assistant the best way to get this message out to families.
- Post Flyers – available in 5 languages.
- Advertise in your school’s Peach Jar, Blackboard, TalkingPoints or other communication means.
- Parent/guardian calls a participating dental office or 2-1-1 (800-543-7709) for assistance M-F between 8 am- 5 pm to set up an appointment.
- Referral specialists can assist in Hmong, Spanish and Somali in making appointments.
- Flyer information in 5 languages: Links: English Spanish Hmong Russian Somali
Weekend Food
If you’re interested in having your child bring home a FREE bag of non-perishable food every Friday, please reach out to the school social worker to sign up.
Click below for more information.
Asia New Year at Park Center Senior High
Greetings Weaver Lake Elementary Volunteers!
February is full of opportunities to volunteer at Weaver Lake!
The month of February is I Love to Read month, and the PTO is holding their annual Read-A-Thon. Students can receive prizes for fundraising and/or logging their reading minutes and we are looking for volunteers to help with those prizes. Click the link for the sign-up below and let us know when you can help!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AAA72EAAFECF8-54596053-readathon#/
The PTO is also planning to help Weaver Lake give a big thank you to all of our bus drivers on February 19, National Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Volunteers are needed to put up signs, organize small care packages and distribute them to our drivers as they drop our students off at school.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AAA72EAAFECF8-54707945-busdriver#/
Before February is over, the Scholastic Book Fair will begin! Volunteers are needed throughout the 8 day event, so please consider helping out. Kids, families and teachers look forward to our Book Fairs and it’s really fun to be a part of that.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AAA72EAAFECF8-54706611-spring#/
In addition to the great events listed above, there are several grade-level events happening. Be sure that you’re getting information about those events and register to volunteer!
https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/Nzg0OmVuLVVT
Stephanie Clark, Volunteer Coordinator/ESP
Office Hours M-F 9:15am-2:15pm
763-391-8873
Proposed Attendance Boundary Change Scenarios
Elementary and middle school attendance boundaries are being changed in order to balance student enrollment across the district. These future adjustments, set to take effect in 2026, will reassign the Osseo Area Schools elementary and/or middle school that some households are zoned to attend.
Proposed scenarios available to view online: There are four proposed attendance boundary change scenarios being presented at this time. On each of the following information pages, you’ll find an overview of the proposed scenario, a map and a search tool. Community members can use the search tool to see how the proposed scenario would impact their household.
Community input is important: Please share your thoughts on the four proposed scenarios by filling out the online feedback form or participating in an upcoming community informational meeting.
The first Community Informational Meeting is being held on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 5:45 p.m. in the Brooklyn Middle STEAM School cafe
The second Community informational Meeting is being held Thursday, Jan. 23 at 5:45 p.m. in the Maple Grove Middle School cafe
Timeline: Please share your thoughts on the four proposed scenarios by Friday, Feb. 7. After that, all community feedback will be reviewed and adjustments to the proposed scenarios considered. Likely, our community will have another opportunity to provide input on some edited scenarios in March. The school board is expected to approve final attendance boundary changes by this May.
The new attendance boundaries will go into effect fall 2026 alongside the tentative opening of the new elementary school in the northwest region of our district.
Background: It’s common for communities to experience changing student enrollment. Our district’s Enrollment and Capacity Management Advisory Committee (ECMAC) has been monitoring these enrollment shifts in conjunction with our school building capacities for the last several years. Their most recent reports have detailed that a significant enrollment imbalance exists and that it should be addressed.
ECMAC’s work helped to form 2023’s Building a Better Future referendum. A new elementary school and additions to Maple Grove Senior High School were requested to address space constraints from continued growth. It was additionally noted that attendance boundary changes were needed no matter the outcome of the election. Thankfully, our community supported the 2023 referendum request so additional facility space will help to address growth needs, which limits attendance boundary changes to elementary and middle schools and impacts fewer families.
Stay tuned: Please continue to stay tuned for updates over the coming weeks and months. Detailed information will continue to be shared on the district website, district279.org/boundaries. Feel free to reach out if something additional needs to be addressed via BetterFuture@district279.org or 763-391-8990.
English: 763-391-8900, Español: 1-855-891-8364, Lus Hmoob: 1-844-577-9549, Soomaali: 1-855-891-5322 or Tiếng Việt: 1-855-891-8365
Parent Drop off/Pick up reminders 😊
- Please continue to drop your students off at the curb (if you aren’t parking) and have them exiting the vehicle curbside. All students need to exit to the curb/sidewalk. This is a safety procedure and does apply to all students and families.
- Please have your child start exiting your car by 9:17 so we can get you cleared out in front of the busses that start to exit about 9:21.
- If you are using a parking space before or after school, please continue to walk up to the building to meet your child and return to your vehicle together using the crosswalk, or walk them through the crosswalk to the building in the morning.
- All students and parents need to use the crosswalk
- The lanes in front of the building are ONE WAY during the drop off and pick up times-please go the correct direction
- If you are parking and using the Student Drop off spots (spots are marked with a sign) please use the sidewalk that connects to the crosswalk ~this does keep pedestrians out of the parking lot and safer on the sidewalk and crosswalk area.
- Drop off bell rings at 9:30 and students arriving after that do check in through the office and are marked tardy. Our goal would be for all students to be in their classrooms by 9:30 so learning can begin.
- Students start to exit the building at 3:55 (Kindergarten is about 3:54)
- Cars cannot be left unattended in the curbside pickup line.
We very much appreciate everyone following our safety procedures-it has helped tremendously.
Please share these expectations with any family members that are also picking up or dropping off your child.
Upcoming Important Dates
February 3: No School for Students; Licensed Staff Workshop
February 17: No School for Students; Holiday
February 19: Activity Group Photos (Band, Orchestra, Safety Patrol, WVR NEWS, PBIS & Tour Ambassadors)
February 17 - 21: Scheduling Opens for Parent Teacher Conferences
February 27, March 4, March 6: Parent Teacher Conferences
April 8 & 9: grade 3-5 Reading MCAs
April 23 & 24: grade 3-5 Math MCAs
April 30 & May 1: grade 5 only Science MCAs