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April 15, 2015
Newsletter for Wenonah and Keewaydin
A Message from Principals Ness & Spriggs:
Spring is a time of growth and transition.
Everyone is excited about the 2nd graders
moving up to the 3-8 campus in the fall. We
have been talking about all of the wonderful experiences you’ve had at Wenonah and
Keewaydin is eager to get to know you and your families in the fall. Our 8th graders will
embark upon new beginnings too . We are proud of our 8th graders accomplishments from
History Day and AVID service projects to the successes of our sports teams and the Poetry
Slam. Our 8th graders are very special and have made a positive impact on our school
community. We wish them all the best as they continue to learn and grow and make this
world a better place. Thank you families for your amazing support of LNCS!
Congratulations to the following students who will compete in the State History Day
Competition at the U of M on May 2, 2015! Kathleen G., Emma C., Megan S., Molly R., Jordan
M., Kary V., Aaron P., AJ and TJ. The entire LNCS community is rooting for you!
PTA night is next week: Tuesday, April 21st. The PTA invites you to our April 21 meeting from
6:45 to 7:45~ Wenonah Media Center. We will have speakers from the district Talent
Development and Advanced Learners department and will discuss the May 15 Carnival.
5th Grade mathematicians use music to “Shape
Up” Geometry skills! Go to LNCS website to view
their incredible performance.
Later this spring, 5th graders will go the Bell
Museum to study the life cycle of bees and their
importance to our ecosystem.
4th Graders Experience “The Works”
by Ava & Alana
All 4th graders went on a field trip to a place called “The Works.” The Works is a fun place where students experience the
engineering and design process which is a big part of STEM learning goals. Every kid got to build a maze in a pizza box
and worked with a choice of materials like: wooden popsicle sticks, cloth, pipe cleaners, marbles and other cool
materials. Students were asked to follow these steps as they created their maze, ASK, IMAGINE, PLAN, CREATE,
IMPROVE. Another part of The Works is a museum. Fourth graders explored science stations like the laser maze, the
electricity room, the air harp and more. All the kids loved this field trip and learned a lot while having fun!
Keewaydin’s Debate Team
Coach Adam Paltrineri
Keewaydin’s Debate Team is in its second year, and we’ve seen some amazing results this year in competitions against
other middle schools across the Twin Cities in the Minnesota Urban Debate League. Our team practices after school on
Wednesdays throughout the fall and winter. At tournaments, debaters compete 2-on-2, and experienced high school/
college debaters and volunteers judge debate rounds. The topic for our competition debates this year has been U.S.
regulation of offshore aquaculture. Our last few tournaments have seen our rookie debaters make great progress, and
our JV and Novice teams win several rounds against tough opponents. On March 26th, two of our top teams competed in
the MNUDL Championship Invitational and finished in the top half of the rankings. Way to go Keewaydin Eagle debaters!
Be an UpStander! And more…
Sophia L. Elissa T. and Lillee B
During the month of March, Keewaydin students have been practicing being UpStanders. An UpStander is a person who
stands up to bullying and practices the following ways to stop bullying. Tell an adult, let the person being bullied know
they have a friend by inviting them to play or be a part of your group, tell the bully what they are doing is “Not Cool!”
and help the person being bullied to have courage and stand up to the bully. We also learned that if you are a
ByStander, there are many opportunities to change into an UpStander at school and in your community. We want
bullying to STOP! On a more cheery note, 3rd and 4th graders will soon start to work together on a mural for the MN
Valley Wildlife Refuge. The theme for the mural is Seasons. Also, watch out Minnesotans, our state is under the close
watch of our 4th graders, who will be making Minnesota state reports this spring!
Thank You
Connor, Gwyneth and room 111
Thank you for donating food to the food shelf. We have
336 items. We will bring all of the food to the Minnehaha
Food Shelf on April 14.
7th and 8th grade math students, with the help of Ms.
Perkins, work together to create the Sierpinski Tetrahedron!
Keewaydin Celebrates Student Poets
By Hannah H.
The 7th and 8th grade Poetry Slam was held on March 24, partly because some students like me, told Mr. Homan how the
poetry slam holds a great deal of importance to us as a way to express ourselves. As a 7th grader last year, the Slam was
mandatory and this year I really wanted our current 7th graders to have this unique opportunity to learn writing skills
with a focus on presenting an original piece to an audience. Mr. Homan worked hard and got an amazing spoken word
artist, Crescent Moon (Mr. Casselle) to come to our Language Arts classes and share his writing and performance
expertise. After many revisions, the Poetry Slam participants took the stage and were incredible! Judges, Cresent Moon,
Ms. Monroe and Mr. Homan, watched and carefully listened to each poet’s work of art. The results were: 3rd place Shay
S., 2nd place TJ and I was lucky enough to finish in 1st place! The final thank you goes to parents and teachers who were
so supportive of the poetry slam. I hope next year as a 9th grader, I can come back to watch amazing student artists
perform in the unique venue like a poetry slam.
First Graders posed with a giant minion from Despicable Me as
they prepared for the Wenonah Volunteer Tea. Students were
given scraps of yellow, blue, black and white paper and they
created engaging little paper minions- each has its own unique
personality. Come on in the foyer of school and see some of
them hanging from the ceiling. Thanks a minion volunteers- you
are one in a minion!
Volunteer Tea- Wenonah April 22nd at 2:30 pm.
Volunteer Breakfast- Keewaydin on April 23rd at 8 am.
Camp Skeeter is coming….Camp Skeeter is coming!
Watch for details about the 2015 Session of Camp Skeeter. For the past 9 years Wenonah teachers have
come together to create a creative and fun curriculum for our students on that last week of school.
Students in k-2 arrive at their cabin (classroom) each day, sing around the “campfire” and learn about
camping, backpacks and of course mosquitos. Each student will keep a log for their memories.
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony- June 4th in Keewaydin Auditorium
All families are invited to come and celebrate our students as they conclude their time with us.
Questions: contact Anne Tank 612-668-4689
PTA- May 15 is the LNCS Carnival and Plant Sale sponsored by
the PTA. The Carnival will be at Wenonah from 5-8 pm. From a
food truck to face painting, bouncy house to basket auction and
lots of games and prizes! Carnival tickets will be on sale in the
school offices soon. Watch for more information in your child's
backpack on tickets and plant sale order forms. Plant Sale order
forms are on website now- www.LakeNokomis.mpls.k12.mn.us
The carnival can only be a success with your help! Please watch for
our sign up genius link to sign up for a volunteer shift. There will
short shifts, so there will be plenty of time to visit the carnival
Both Keewaydin and Wenonah will have Reading Corps positions open for the 2015-16 School Year. If you
enjoy tutoring and wish to make a difference in the future of our students visit www.minnesotareadingcorps.org to
learn more and apply with either Beth Ness or Martha Spriggs.
Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA) is
holding it’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 28th, 6-8
PM at Crosstown Covenant Church. There will be free
food from Dominguez, an update on NENA activities,
volunteer recognition and elections of the Board of
Directors. There are 7 seats open for election: one from
each neighborhood and three at-large positions. This is a
REALLY important and exciting time to get involved. The
Board has worked with an exceptional interim director to
begin getting back on its feet. We have determined that
NENA has 1.8 Million Dollars to spend on
programs/projects/staff/etc. The Board of Directors will be
determining, with input from the community, how this money
is spent and this amount of money can have a real impact
on the neighborhood.
LNCS MCA 2015 SCHEDULE
April 14--‐16 3rd & 4th Grade Reading
April 17--- Makeups
April 20--‐21 7th & 8th Grade Reading
April 22--‐23 5th & 6th Grade Reading
April 24--‐27 Makeups
April 28--‐30 3rd & 4th Grade Math
May 1--- Makeups
May 4--‐5 7th & 8th Grade Math
May 6--‐7 5th & 6th Grade Math
May 8 --- Makeups
May 11--‐12 8th Grade Science
May 13--‐14 5th Grade Science
Your Hoodie Misses You! Next week, April 20-24 Lost and Found
will be moved to front hall- please take a moment to look one last
time. On May 1, our winter lost and found piles will be donated.
Kindergarten Registration May 12th
6:30 pm.-7:00 pm.
For parents and incoming kindergarten students that are assigned
to Wenonah. Please bring birth certificate and immunization
records. Arrive by 6:30 so that your child will be able to visit a
classroom and ride a school bus.
Wenonah’s Camp Skeeter needs duct tape- any color, any pattern,
even half rolls. Drop off in the office Camp Skeeter box.
Update on our Book Fair totals. We sold $4287.08 of books and school supplies. Our profit is about $2143.54 to be
used for our library books at Keewaydin & Wenonah! Our profits are the highest they've been in 3 years, so we earned
an additional $428 from Scholastic for library books! Yay!
Afterschool reminder: Families are always welcome to play on the playground after they pick students up from school.
Please take a moment to become familiar with the playground expectations at Wenonah:
 Use playground equipment correctly. (i.e.down slides feet first one at a time, no climbing up equipment that is not
meant to be climbed)
 Keep tire chips and snow on the ground
 Tag or chasing games should be played off of the equipment
 Games with violence or mimicking violence are not allowed
 Be Respectful, Responsible and Safe on the playground
Thank you LNCS Families for designating Wenonah and Keewaydin on your Target Take Charge
of Education card. 1% of your charges for groceries and other purchases comes directly to our
school. So far this year LNCS, has received over $5,000 from this program.
2nd Grade Parents- join us for a quick conversation as we gather ideas for an end of 2nd grade activity. We are hoping to
start a simple and meaningful tradition for our students as they move on to Keewaydin. Tuesday, April 21st at 4:15pm.
The PTA is exploring the idea of adding a small performance stage to the carnival events on May 15th. If you have a
children’s singing, dancing or other performance group that would like to do a short piece please contact Erin Brown at
[email protected]
Pennies for Patients: the Wenonah Student Council raised $2,241.83 Joseph from room 106 brought in the most
contributions. Thank you for your support- this is such a great little effort with great educational components as they
count the money, watch it add up and feel a great sense of school service pride.
It' not too late to sign up for Spring Session of Community Education! We meet Mondays and Wednesdays April 13thMay 13th. We still have many classes still open! Glee Club, Cub Scouts, Crafts, Active Solutions, In the Library, Wenonah
Helpers, Roots and Shoots still have spaces available. Soccer is FULL.
Compost! Your children have been composting all year long and now we reap the rewards! This spring we will get
another load of potent organic compost delivered to Wenonah. Keep a box ready and watch for notices- it will go fast!
We expect delivery in mid-May.
Dr Alfonzo office hours- Dr. Alfonzo is available for translation services Monday-Friday from 9:30-10. He is in class with
students during the rest of the school day. If you need translation services at another time of the day, please come on
into the school office and we will work with our Minneapolis Public Schools Language Line.
The Woodlawn Walk is Back!
We will once again walk the ½ mile route
together on Friday mornings. Our hike to
school is an effort to increase student
health, raise academic achievement, build
community, and foster environmental
awareness. Walking to school gives
students a concentration boost that lasts
more than half the school day! Kids arrive
happier too!
April 10th- First walk of the spring!
April 17th- Woodlawn walk
April 24th- Storybook Walk with
Nokomis Library- book pages presented
in Spanish and English along the course!
May 1- Woodlawn Walk
May 8- Neighborhood Walk – a fire truck,
police officers and Mayor Hodges will be
hiking with us!
May 15- Woodlawn Walk
May 22- Woodlawn Walk
May 29- Final walk of the year!
Leaders representing Keewaydin @ Dare 2 B Real Summit
2015 with Ruby Bridges, America’s 1st Student Civil Rights
Leader!
Is everybody at Wenonah and Keewaydin
working towards their goal levels in on
their ST Math? We do spend some time in
the program every week in school, but
your student can make more progress
from home. If you need direction to log in
at home we can’t print it here, but stop in or call the
Wenonah office. (612) 668-5040
Ms Lander’s classroom is getting up from their desks and hiking
around the property everyday as they participate in Walk Our
World Project. Students take turns wearing the class pedometerat the end of the walk they multiply the number of steps by the
number of walkers and record their progress. This online
program connects 70 classrooms around the world. These
classrooms are trying to walk a combined 87,653,456 steps, which
equals the distance around the world! As of April 7, the class has
walked 1,401,013 steps. We hope to connect a classroom in
another country in the next week.
Our Minnesota Wildlife Refuge Partnership includes an art show! Third and fourth graders are learning about
the seasons on the refuge and are creating an oak tree collage made of recycled materials. The finished piece
will be displayed in Bloomington at the Refuge's Art Gallery from May 19 through the end of June. Student
artists and their families are encouraged to attend the Artists’ Reception (date and time to be determined).
Also, our Refuge mural from last year's third and fourth graders (2013-2014) will be on display at Keewaydin
during our Annual Fine Arts Night Event on May 21st from 6:00 - 7:30pm. Please join us!
Important dates:
Friday, April 17
Tuesday, April 21
Wednesday, April 22
Thursday, April 23
Friday, April 24
Saturday, April 25
Thursday, April 30
Friday, May 1
Saturday, May 2
Wednesday, May 6
Thursday, May 7
Friday, May 8
Tuesday, May 12
Thursday, May 14
Friday, May 15
Tuesday, May 19
Thursday, May 21
Friday, May 22
Monday, May 25
Thursday, May 28
Friday, May 29
Monday, June 1
Tuesday, June 2
Thursday, June 4
Friday, June 5th
Coffee with Principals 8-9am Wenonah
Woodlawn Walk
Parent Idea Meeting for marking the end
of 2nd grade 4:15 Wenonah Media
Site Council 5:30-6:30 at Wenonah
PTA 6:45 at Wenonah
Volunteer Appreciation Tea at
Wenonah 2:30 pm in gym
Progress Reports sent home grade 6-8
Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast at
Keewaydin 8am
History Day Family Dinner 5:30pm
Music concert grades 3 and 4 6:30pm at
Keewaydin Auditorium
Woodlawn Walk this week is a Dia de los
Ninos Walking Storybook
Dia de los Niño’s Celebration
at Nokomis Library
5th Grade Math Competition- North High
Student of the Month- 9:45 grades 6-8 10:30 grades 3-5
Citizen of the Month 10:15 grades k-2
Woodlawn Walk
GEMS/GISE Competition
State History Day Competition at U of M
National Bike and Walk to School Day
MPS Middle School Double Dutch Competition 5-7pm
at Roosevelt High School
LNCS Screen Free Event 4:30 Meet at Hiawatha Park &
walk to watch Double Dutch
Woodlawn Walk
Kindergarten registration 6-7:30
Wenonah State of the School 7:15
Progress Reports sent home for Grades 6-8
6th Grade talent show 3pm
Carnival and Plant Pick up at Wenonah
Middle School Dance at Keewaydin
Woodlawn Walk
Site Council 5:30-6:30 PTA 6:45 at Keewaydin
Keewaydin Fine Arts Night 6-8pm
Woodlawn Walk
Memorial Day NO SCHOOL
Citizen of the Month 10:15
Final Progress Reports sent home for Grades 6-8
Last Woodlawn Walk of the year
Opening Ceremony for Camp Skeeter at Wenonah
Provider Pals grades 3&4
Field Day at Bossen Field –Wenonah
Patrol field trip to MOA
End of Year Awards- grades 3-7
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony at Keewaydin 10:30
Last day for students
7th and 8th graders to Valleyfair