February 2025 Bulletin

February 2025

February is here and with it, the halfway point of our school year. There is a lot happening at Birch Grove this month and I hope you have the opportunity to engage with us. February activities at Birch Grove include conferences, the Scholastic Book Fair, Black History Month activities, Siamas Congo Roots Music group visit, Power Up Taste-testing and Challenges, and even more.

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is celebrated on Wednesday, February 19th. This is a great time to revisit bus safety expectations with your student. Our bus drivers work tirelessly to keep our students safe and they deserve all the thanks we can offer. A note of appreciation, or a small gift goes a long way to showing that gratitude and we encourage you to do just that - show our drivers gratitude!

We are here to serve you and your family and make every effort to create the absolute best place to learn, work and visit.

Your administrative team,

Margo Kleven & Lindsey Patterson

KlevenM@District279.org

PattersonLindsey@District279.org

Birch Grove is participating in the HealthPartners PowerUp Challenge again in February! Your student will receive a Power Up Challenge booklet to bring home. All students will have the opportunity to taste test different vegetables and fruits on February 11th. The taste-testing will be hosted by Methodist Hospital and will include a visit from the PowerUp mascot, Chomp the Carrot!

If you have questions about the PowerUp event, please contact Emily Wenz at WenzE@District279.org.

The cast of Alice in Wonderland Jr. has been hard at work learning lines, songs, and choreography during rehearsals before and after school! They, along with Mr. P, Mrs. Holsen, and our wonderful volunteers and interns would love to invite you to see the show next month! Tickets go on sale February 21st - more information will be sent out closer to the on-sale date.

Performance Dates

Friday, March 7th at 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 8th at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Sunday, March 9th at 2:00 pm

Birch Grove's amazing arts team has planned a monthly building-wide initiative that focuses on community and equity building through the arts. January's theme was We Dream in Color, a combination of New Year goal-setting, hopes and dreams, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech.

Each grade level was assigned a color. Each student created a handprint in their grade's corresponding color (either paper cut-out or with paint) and wrote their goals/hopes/dreams on it. You can see this wonderful collaborative work in the school's front hallway.

February's theme is Art at the Heart, with a focus on on arts at the heart of all we do at Birch Grove. Each week there will be a school-wide Friday Fun activity to go along with the theme. Ask your student what their Friday Fun activity is at the end of each week!

Recently, students in 2nd grade have been learning about Greek Myths. One of the myths they learned about was the story of Arachne the Weaver and how spiders were created. The 2nd grade teachers integrated the arts into this lesson by having students create their own weaving project out of colorful paper.

The PTO was so excited to host their very first solo fundraiser in January! Students raised money and earned prizes for their classrooms at different tiers. Overall, students raised a total of $9329.19! WAY TO GO BOBCATS! Mrs. Olson's 4th grade class raised the most money and won a pizza party and a Squishmallow for each student in the class. Squishmallows were donated by fabulous Birch Grove volunteers Carrie and Olivia!

The Birch Grove gym was decked out in colorful lights and neon decor for the Glow Run! This took place during each grade level's specialist time. Ms. Brown was an awesome emcee! Kids and staff both had a great time running, dancing, and having fun!

100% of the money raised from this event goes directly back to Birch Grove to fund school events, field trips, classroom supplies, and more to support our scholars.

Through the collaboration with MPR Class Notes, Birch Grove welcomed Steam Machine as a guest artist! Steam Machine performs bluegrass and old-time music from the Midwestern US. Steam Machine performed for kindergarten and 4th grade classes.

Learn more about Steam Machine and check out a video of their work!

Winter electives started in January! A new elective this session for 2nd and 3rd grade is Cultural Dance taught by Ms. Taylor, one of Birch Grove's amazing ESPs. She teaches a variety of dance styles from Hispanic cultures as well as some African step dancing.

Students in Ms. Stone and Ms. Emily's Makerspace class created their own colorful tie-dye t-shirts! Makerspace is one of the classes offered for Targeted Services, which meets twice a week after school. Students in Makerspace have done a variety of activities surrounding creating and building. Other projects they've done include designing their own bridges and boats, and testing their designs with weights to see how well they hold up.

Several students were recently recognized at the monthly assembly for showing outstanding cooperation during the month of January, which is the "C" in BG CARES. Way to go, Bobcats! Students will have the opportunity to earn BG CARES Awards for showing Assertiveness, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control at future assemblies. Ask your student for examples of what it means to show BG CARES at Birch Grove!

Pre-K students did a fun art project with Ms. Brown using something we're very familiar with here in Minnesota - snow! The students used water dyed with food coloring to create their own pictures and designs on a canvas of snow.

Band students from multiple schools across the district came, including Birch Grove, came together to perform their first concert on January 14th!

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 3rd for a teacher workshop day. School resumes on Tuesday, February 4th.

February's PTO meeting will be held on Thursday, February 13th. Meetings occur the second Thursday of each month in the Birch Grove media center and online at the link below.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Thursday, February 13th

Time: 6:00-7:00 pm

Location: Birch Grove Media Center

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 17th in observance of President's Day. School resumes on Tuesday, February 18th.

In partnership with several sponsors and organizations, Maple Grove Parks & Recreation is hosting a free introduction to ice fishing event at Weaver Lake Community Park called the 10,000 Ice Anglers Project. One of the sponsors, Elpis Enterprises, had members come to Birch Grove in December to work with 4th grade students to create their own birdhouses and learn about backyard birds. The ice fishing event is open to youth ages 4-18. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The event is free but you must register to attend. Learn more and register at the link below.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Monday, February 17th

Time: 10:00-11:00 am

Location: Weaver Lake Community Park

8401 Maple Grove Pkwy

Maple Grove, MN 55311

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

Hennepin County Public Health is hosting free immunization clinics for children. COVID and flu vaccines will be available for adults. Visit the link below for dates and locations of upcoming immunization clinics in Hennepin County.

In partnership with the Minnesota Dental Association, several clinics around the state are offering free dental care for children in February, including Park Dental Edinbrook in Brooklyn Park. Visit the link below for more information, including dates, services provided, and participating clinics.

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. We believe good vision is essential for students to maximize their learning potential and for staff to work efficiently and comfortably. See below for more information.

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.