2012_05_01_minutes - Minnetonka Public Schools

Scenic Heights PTA
Meeting Agenda
May 1, 2012, 6:45 – 8:00
Attendees:
Chris Vitale, Stacy Vitale, Karla Hartmann, Erin Ahola, Lisa Ramsden, Avery Scheib, Melissa
Patefield, Kirsten Pederson, Cathy Hawes, Brigid Garry, Renee Northway, Paule Hocker, Joe
Wacker
Call to order at 7:02 PM
There were no requests to modify the agenda
Secretaries Report and approval of March 2012 minutes
We did not have secretaries report so were unable to vote and approve minutes. This will need
to happen at the first meeting of the fall.
Vote on PTA Executive Board Members 2012-13
It was a unanimous vote to elect the following board members for 2012-2013
Secretary – Stephanie Nichols
Volunteer Coordinator – Kristen Fiztpatrick
Presidents – Chris and Stacy Vitale
Committee Reports
Parent’s Night Out – Jenn Ness
The Annual Parent’s Night Out event took placed on April 14 th at Spasso. Highlights include:
It was a good location, but not big enough. Looking for input on future locations.
Attendance was up from prior years.
Art work created by all grades for the silent auction was a big success.
o Postcards were made of the artwork and are on sale in the office for $12 a set.
Teacher experiences available on the silent auction were also popular.
A few remaining items are available for purchase (no bidding, just a flat price.) Items
can be seen on spreadsheet in the school office.
Had the ability to swipe credit cards using an app on a cell phone. Worked very
smoothly.
There was a net profit of around $9,000 which will go into the Enrichment fund for next
year.
Very appreciative of all the volunteers.

Next year the Parent’s Night Out Event will take place at the same time of year – mid-
April.
Let Jen Ness know if you are interested in participating on the committee.
Spring Fling – Lisa Ramsden
Highlights of the Annual Spring Fling:
Take place on June 4 th from 5-7pm
Will have Erberts and Gerberts subs, chips donated by Frito Lay, water and dessert.
Will have inflatables, a band, face painting and tattoos.
Volunteers are needed – watch for the sign up genius in this week’s scenic sailor.
Flyer will be coming out directing you to pay on RevTrack - $5 pre-sale, $7 at the door.
Book Fair will be going on at that same time.
Impact Lives will have a table and a game – raising money for next fall’s event.
Book Fair – Avery Scheib
Highlights of the Book Fair:
Annual Spring Book Fair is taking place on Friday, June 1 st and Monday June 4 th .
All kids will be able to preview the books and older kids will be able to purchase books
with money brought from home.
Book Fair will be open during the Spring Fling
Need a lot of volunteers and a sign up genius will be coming out shortly.
This is a great time to load up on your summer reading and buy teacher gifts.
Book Fair will be open on Tuesday for teachers and specialists to go shopping for books
for their classroom.
Proceeds from Fall Book Fair are used to support the Media Center and the Reading
Incentive program.
Proceeds from Spring Book Fair are put back into the classroom – allowing the teachers
to choose books for their rooms.
World Culture Day – Renee Northway/Brigid Garry
Highlights of World Culture Day:
World Culture Day Country – Kenya
The Event is being expanded to take place over 3 days on May 23 rd – 25th
Clear Springs, Groveland and Deephaven worked together to create an exhibit on Kenya,
we are borrowing all items used in that exhibit.
On May 23 rd and 24 th there will be an exhibit with four interactive stations the kids can
all visit
o Water consumption – difference between how much water they consume in
Kenya and we consume in US in a day.

o Craft station – making yarn balls out of newspapers, plastic balls and yarn
o Replica of a hut – the kids can go in and volunteers will be in there talking to
them,
o Sensory table – items from families who have been to Kenya and items on
loan from Bell Museum.
They will also have other props /displays/posters around the building.
On May 24 th – cafeteria is providing a Kenyan food offering.
On May 25 th – there will be a performance by either a group that plays music from
many African countries or a West African drumming group.
Other teachers, Mr. Maki, Mrs. Renz, Ms. Kohut have discussed adding a component
on Kenya to their curriculum during this week.
There will work with Mrs. Barry to add information on Kenya to KRTS.
A sign up genius will be coming out asking for volunteers.
Next year we plan to work with schools from the start on planning and preparing for
another country.
Teachers’ Report
1 st Grade English & Chinese
The first grade classes have just begun a science unit on ducks. We’ve learned the parts of an
egg, the incubators are ready and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our duck eggs. The
children will have the opportunity to candle eggs and watch the development of the ducks. In
about 28 days the eggs will hatch and we get to watch them grow and swim in our courtyard
swimming pool.
We have also completed our art adventure program and will be taking a field trip to the Art
Institute in May.
Our end of the year field trip will be to the Como Zoo in June.
2 nd Grade English
Hello PTA!
The second grade students are preparing for their spring music program! They are singing songs,
painting giant flowers, and learning special parts with the theme “How Does Your Garden
Grow?”
We also explored the OLC with a naturalist to examine and classify plants. Our students are
beginning a new science unit to learn about plants. They will study how plants grow bigger and
develop new structures and the needs of plants. They will use scientific processes to develop
their knowledge of plant life.

All classes will attend the Minneapolis Institute of Art at the beginning of May. We are also
busy writing book reports and learning about communities through the Junior Achievement
program. We are partners with General Electric volunteers who bring J.A. to the students.
It’s been a tremendous year! Thank you for all your support!
3 rd Grade Chinese:
Chinese language Arts: We focused on Singapore Chinese curriculum lesson 15 to 20.
Contents: friendship, environment, non-fiction stories, and we also working on the end of
the year creative writing project. We continue to teach mini-lessons about main ideas
and supporting details. Our students will take two assessments of main ideas and
supporting details , the NOELLA oral test, YCT Level 4 Chinese proficiency test, and the
Chinese quarter 4 comprehensive skills test.
Math: We focused on everyday math unit 9, 10, and Singapore Model Drawing strategies.
They are about multiplication & division, measurement, and word problems. We applied
differentiated instructions to our students. Students were grouped based on their unit
pretests.
Science: We focus on learning Stem science units: Sound like Fun and Model
Membranes. Our students will take a unit test for Sound unit.
Social Studies: Our students learned about immigrants (lesson 6-9)
Health: Our students learned about Saying No to Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs.
3rd Grade English…
We’re looking forward to our field trips to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in May. Thank you
to the PTA for funding Art Adventure and this incredible opportunity. We’re wrapping up the
final presentations by BRAVO volunteers. Again, thank you to the PTA for funding this great
program.
Students have been busy with MCA testing and doing their best. All classrooms have been busy
with reading and writing. Some classrooms will be accessing the Publishing Center soon to have
student writings published into books. Thank you to the PTA for this opportunity!
In math, students have been working on units about fractions, decimals, and percentages. In
addition, students are working to complete mastery of math facts and critical math vocabulary.
4th Grade Chinese
Math – We will be starting a new lesson- Reflections and Symmetry. We will have one
assessment after lesson 5-Use spatial relationships and attributes of two and three
dimensional shapes to describe shapes.

Language Arts –We will be learning a new story: 披着羊皮的狼 Titled: wolf in sheep’s
clothing. The story is about a wolf sneak into a flock of sheep, and tries to eat the sheep.
Unfortunately for the wolf, the farmer picks the sheep which is the wolf and kills the wolf
for money. The second story: 三借芭蕉扇 Title: Borrow a Palm-Leaf Fan three times, is
part of the story from “Journey to the West.” The apprentice tries three different ways to
borrow the palm-leaf fan from the princess.
Social Studies –Students will learn why we call the Northeast the “birthplace of our
nation.” Student will also discover why the first factories began here. In addition, we will
learn how to read a population map of the northeast. We will compare life in cities to life
in small towns and discover how population density affects people’s daily lives.
Science –Students will explore the connections between the properties of magnets, the
technological innovation of the maglev train, and the field of transportation engineering.
At the end of the lessons, student will apply their knowledge about the properties of
magnets and transportation engineering as they use the Engineering Design Process to
design their own maglev transportation system.
4 th Grade: English
It’s field trip time!!! We’ll be seeing a play tomorrow at Stages Theater & then going to
the MN Institute of Arts on Tuesday thanks to the PTA! Then on Thursday, we will be
going on our 20 th annual Dairy Queen Bike Ride which helps ensure students are safe on
bikes over the summer when kids this age are expanding their boundaries a bit more.
In reading and language arts, we will be wrapping up all essential learnings within the
next few weeks. Spelling inventories and reading fluency tests will be done in the next
two weeks as well.
Science: We are working on our Earth Materials unit where students learn about the rock
cycle. They learn to decipher the difference between a rock vs. a mineral. This unit is a
lot of fun because they conduct many experiments on various rocks and use their
deductive reasoning to determine the type of rocks they are using.
Social Studies: We are just now taking our final 50 states & 50 capitals tests. It has been
a great year of studying our 5 regions of the US. We will be going to the Mill City
Museum on June 5 th to wrap up our understanding of Minnesota history.
We will be ending our year with a STEM activity annual favorite: Toothpick Bridges.
Kids will be forming companies, designing structures, managing a large budget,
constructing and testing their bridge structures. This is always a 4 th grade highlight!
5 th Grade English:
Reading- Students will also continue to learn more in their Q4 Reading Unit-
Questioning. They are learning how to write (and answer) thin, thick and beyond the line

questions. Students have also begun a mini-inquiry research project and should begin to
take notes from April 26-May 3rd.
Social Studies: We continue to read about events that led up to the Revolutionary War.
Students are starting to learn the difference between patriots, loyalists, and neutralists.
They will read about 3 famous loyalists and 3 famous patriots and record these leaders’
viewpoints on whether or not the American colonies should declare independence from
Britain.
Science/Health: Students were introduced to the 3 different classes of levers -1st class,
2nd class and 3rd class. They also learned how to diagram levers. Next week we will be
reviewing for the MCA science test taking place on May 8th.
Math- Students will take the MCA Math test next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Writing-Students will be finishing up their W-Who Am I? poems. They will then begin
U- Unique Writing and should bring in something next week they consider unique. They
need it at school to help prompt descriptive words and sketch it.
Media Center: Mrs. Barry
26,031 books have circulated so far this year! We have such a great bunch of readers! If
you child is having a hard time finding the right book, send Melinda Barry and email and
she would be very happy to help! THANKS to our volunteers who reshelf those books.
Kindergarten: We continue to foster a love of reading by introducing new books, new
genres and new book formats!
1st Grade: We have explored the Hennepin County library site and found Tumble Books.
Tumble Books is a program accessed through the hclib.org site with a library card that
reads real literature to the children.
2nd: Second Graders have been exploring databases and learning about internet safety
including what information is private, when to get help from an adult and digital
footprints.
3rd Grade: Third Graders just finished a big information literacy unit. They have learned
about safe, reliable online sources, how to cite sources and creating a database. We are
now moving into internet safety.
4th Grade: Fourth Graders have been exploring the Minnetonka and Hennepin County
Library databases. These databases hold a wealth of scholarly information students that is
ideal for research and safe exploration. All students need to access the resources is their
Minnetonka username and password (Minnetonka Databases) or their Hennepin County
Library card number (hclib.org) databases. We have also been analyzing websites. Ask
about the tree octopus! We are moving now into our cyber bullying curriculum.
5th Grade: Fifth Graders have been focused on cyber bullying (the power of their words),
plagiarism, and have started or will soon begin a Google Site that will be an electronic
portfolio of work they want to keep when they leave elementary school!

PE: Mrs. Kohout
Mrs. Kohout’s classes are in the midst of a Track and Field unit, hopefully the weather will
continue to be nice and we can get outside! The 5th grade track meet is Friday, May 11th at
MHS. After the track unit we will do a field games unit, soccer, and backyard/picnic games to
finish out the year.
Art: Mr. Maki
What are the kids doing in the art room these days Mr. Maki? (Also, did you know that
this same information is available on Schoology? In fact it’ll be there every month!)
Kindergarten: learning about our solar system, making things near and far, and
symmetrical spaceships!
1st Grade - Picasso's Hands Holding Flowers > what can flowers be a symbol of?
2nd Grade - Non-Objective paintings inspired by Wassily Kandinsky > how can colors,
lines, and shapes tell feelings?
3rd Grade: Can we use reading strategies to comprehend stories in art?
4th Grade: Bauhaus Architecture and Google SketchUp - Can you design your own
Bauhaus dream house?
5th Grade: One Point Perspective Drawing - how can we use math to help us show depth
in our art?
Other special news: Do you like your child's artwork on Artsonia? If so, please consider
volunteering to take pictures! It's not too tough, and volunteers are the only way we can
sustain this program! Email or call Mr. Maki.
Student Activities: Mrs. Faber
New co-chairs Kyle and Kristine Weise are working hard to get the message out to students and
their families regarding the need to commit to ways to get the necessary funds for the food
without a flurry in the fall. Purpose of the assembly is to kick off next years’ service learning
day. (November 15, 2012).
Spring Fling will have two Impact Lives attractions. A market where students can sell their
wares, and a “Super soaker / or dunk tank.
Additionally, we are taking this month to focus on Environmental Responsibility. You’ll notice
signs by the restrooms, in the front hall at the world map, and in the cafeteria line. This ties in
beautifully with the Tonka Green efforts in the cafeteria.
Presidents’ report
Chris and Stacy gave a review of Mission and Goals for 2011-12 school year

o Achieved goals that were established including highest total of PTA members –
125
Re-cap of Events
o Events were successful and a lot of revenue was put back into the school
o Volunteers have been plentiful for all events
Volunteer Party
o This year the PTA will not be having the annual banquet instead will have a
volunteer recognition party
o Party will take place on May 31 st at the end of school day
o It will take place in the in Media Center
o Dessert and drinks will be provided
Treasurers’ Report
Provided a review of the budget
o Reviewed projected revenue vs actuals
Principal’s report
iPad Update
o PTA / School purchased 20 iPads, cases and money for apps
o Melinda Barry has been working with school logistics team to get apps loaded and all
iPads synced.
o Over the summer she will check them out to teachers and they can try new apps and
test things and come up with best plan to use them moving forward.
o Then will figure out how to best have all grade levels / students use them.
OLWEUS Bullying Program / Behavior Committee Updates
o Behavior Committee meets monthly
o Expectations for students and staff have been set for specific situations (i.e. Arrival
and dismissal)
Good checklist to make sure everyone is on the same page
o Have videotaped scenarios that have been recorded at other schools / our school for
how kids should behave (on playground equipment / with bullying situation)
These can be used year to year and can be used to generate discussion with
kids in class
o Have established expectations for classrooms and how Bullying Prevention
communication should occur throughout the year
Ideal is that every classroom would use 1 morning meeting aweek that they
can talk about this.
o Students will graduate after a number of Bullying Prevention lessons and they will
then get anti-bullying T-shirts. (It will likely be 7-8 weeks into school year next

year). T-shirt will have more meaning and kids will understand why they are getting
it.
Logo is being used by the committee and will be on signs around the building.
o Mrs. Faber has Bullying Prevention resources.
o Have procedures to follow when a bullying incident occurs.
First need to identify if it was a bullying incident or a behavior issue.
If it is bullying – The student will be given consequence according to severity.
Consequences increase if this is a multiple bullying incident.
Once the procedures are complete – Mr. Wacker will put together a ppt
explaining all of this and send it out to parents. (This will happen over the
summer). It will be available on the website.
o Mr. Wacker provided a demonstration of the on-line referral system.
Anytime a referral is done parents have been contacted.
Even when planning sheets are done – an entry is put into the referral system.
This allows administration to track ‘low level’ offenses to see patterns
emerging.
Only 3 people see the dashboard which shows all the names in the system.
(Mr. Wacker, Mrs. Faber, Mr. Reiter)
Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 8:10
Avery Scheib motioned and Paule Hocker Second.