April 12, 2024

MCA Testing - Next Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16 and 17, we will be taking the Reading MCAs. Please be sure your child gets a good night's sleep, brings a water bottle, and eats a good breakfast. They can also bring any mints or gum if that helps them concentrate.  Math MCA’s are on April 23 and 24th and Science is on April 30th.

Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony - The next thing we want to share is that 5th grade students have the opportunity to participate in the Bayport American Legion Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony on Monday, May 27, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Please read more about it from Mrs. Wilcek here or see the blue letter in your Friday Folder today. 

Save the Dates

May 20th - Band and Orchestra concert in the afternoon.

May 24th - 5th graders will be performing The Three Little Pigs in the afternoon. We will communicate specific start times as we get closer to these events. Both events will be in the Andersen gymnasium and we’d love to see you there if you are able!

End of Year Celebration - Today in your Friday Folder you should have received information from Mrs. Wilcek about the end of the year celebration for 5th grade. We are looking for a few volunteers to help plan this celebration for May 30th.  You can read her letter here for more information. Please let us know if you are interested in helping. 

February 2, 2024

Science Unit 2 Test  - We will be taking our engineering and design test on Wednesday, February 7th.  Students completed a study guide on Thursday.  A  copy of the study guide can also be found in their yellow science folder in Schoology.  Feel free to contact me with any questions carlsonh@stillwaterschools.org.   There are some fun pictures from this unit below!

Valentine’s Day - We will be celebrating on Wednesday, February 14th.  Children can bring a Valentine's Day box beginning Monday, February 12th,  if they would like to.  We will have brown bags available for those who do not wish to make a box.  We ask students who want to participate to please bring cards for all students in their home base.  Lists were sent home today and will be available in the classrooms. Thanks! 

This week in Math: Ask your student to explain what it takes to be a MATHLETE! Mikey Anderson of the LA Kings was kind enough to agree to be our new 5th-grade math mascot. Click below to see the video he made for the students. If your student comes home with a Mathlete wristband it means they were caught demonstrating excellent Mathlete traits- and it’s a big deal! 🙂 

January 26, 2024

Read -a -thon Starts on Monday!  Please take time this weekend to register your child on FundHub.  Our school identifier is 63a373b98c56a.  We will have a kick off assembly on Monday and we will begin recording reading minutes from school.  Please add your home reading minutes each day.  Wednesday is also wear crazy socks day.     

Friday Fun Ticket for Next Week:  To get us back on track as a reading community  and in celebration of the READ -A- THON the ticket to Friday Fun on 2/2 will be 5 (20 minute) home reading sessions recorded on their reading logs between (1/26 and 2/1).   This is a  reminder that reading is our only nightly homework in 5th grade and it is so important for reading success.  Thank you so much for supporting  your child with this work. If your child needs an accommodated plan,  please email me to confirm their home reading by Friday, February 2nd at 8:00 AM.  

 January 19, 2024

Oakland Middle School Counselors came today.  The students all filled out registration forms for Oakland Middle School today.  They should have brought one home to show you what they registered for today.  The only choice students have is in  the area of music.  If you don’t agree with what your child selected, you may email the 6th grade counselor, Mary Adamle at adamlem@stillwaterschools.org If your child is not attending Oakland Middle School you can let  Mary Adamle know that as well.  Here is the presentation your students heard today.

Goodbye Mrs. Johnson, Hello Mrs. Barsness:  Today was Mrs. Johnson’s last day with our students and we wish her well.  On Tuesday, January 23 Mary Barsness will be here to welcome our 5th grade students.  

Andersen's Community Night is January 25!  Please come back to school on Thursday, January 25th from 5-7 PM.  Students and families will have a chance to move through the building to explore a variety of activities.  A pizza dinner will be available for purchase.  There will not be a science fair this year.  Thank you to the many students who have signed up to help out.  They will be trained on Tuesday, January 23rd in the afternoon with Mrs. Balfanz. Watch for an email from Mrs. Schmalz confirming shifts to be coming soon.

Read- A- Thon is coming!  Your child brought home more information today.  Thank you to our amazing APG for supporting this fundraiser for our school.  

January 12, 2024

Andersen's Community Night is January 25!  Please come back to school on Thursday, January 25th from 5-7 PM.  Students and families will have a chance to move through the building to explore a variety of activities.  A pizza dinner will be available for purchase.  There will not be a science fair this year.

DaVinci Fest DaVinci Fest this year is January 27th, 2024 at Stillwater High School. Some of our 5th graders will have art on display there. Check out the Partnership Plan’s website for more information. 

Choice Boards Students brought home Choice Boards to keep on hand in the event of a snow day in the future. Please put these somewhere safe. You can find more information and electronic copies of the Choice Boards here. 

BizTown Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers for helping us make BizTown a huge success this year! The students had a great time and we could not pull off this field trip without the adults who helped both that day and with the interviews. If you want to see more, here are the voting results from the BizTown election and a copy of the BizJournal (the newspaper our students published the day we were there).

January 5, 2024

Happy New Year and New Teacher to 5th grade: We were so excited to welcome the students back after winter break.  Mrs. Johnson will have her last day with the 5th graders on Friday, January 19th.  We will miss her but are very excited to announce that Mary  Barsness will be joining our team on January 22nd. She will come in and shadow Jes and meet the students sometime that week before.  Mary has had many different experiences in education including classroom teaching,  administration, and most recently as an educational strategist with Bluum technology. 

BIZ TOWN is next week!:  Thank you to the many volunteers who will be meeting us at BIZ Town.  We appreciate you!  If your child did not request a school bag lunch please be sure to send a bag lunch from home on Tuesday, January 9th.   

Oakland Middle School Counselors to Visit: On Friday, January 19th the Counselors from OMS will meet with the 5th graders to talk about middle school.  This is always a VERY exciting day.  The only class choice the students have is in the area of music.  Students will select from band, orchestra, choir, or general music.  

Same Day Changes in Dismissal Plans - We wanted to remind you to notify the office if your child has an end of day plan that changes.  We don’t always see email until the end of the day.  Thanks for your help with that. 

December 8, 2023

Weekly Reviews:  As we prepare for Mrs. Johnson’s exit from 5th grade we are discontinuing the emailed weekly reviews.  Moving forward each teacher will create their own plan for how to help ensure that students finish their assigned work.   

BIZ town field trip Payment:  Please pay by December 22 if possible.

Fee Pay is now open for you to make the $15.00 payment  You can also send cash or a check made out to Andersen Elementary if you prefer.  Scholarships are available if needed; please don’t hesitate to let us know if that would be helpful for your family.  

BIZ town Interviews:

Interviews will be taking place on Tuesday, December 12th.  Students were given the questions they will be asked in order to prepare.  They are welcome to dress up for the interviews if they so choose.  

Special Guest, Monday December 11:  Sara Wagner, former Andersen teacher and Bayport community member will be coming to 5th grade to share a visual thinking strategies art lesson .  Sara is a docent at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and we are so excited to learn from her.

Math Structure Change: In addition to adjustments to our Weekly Review emails, we are also shifting the structure of our math block slightly in preparation of a new math teacher in the coming months. We are now working on Unit 2 on Algebra and in this unit we will moving together through the lessons (versus self-paced). There is still differentiation happening, just in alternative ways. Students have a choice between three practice options and for now still have the opportunity to take a Level-Up Check if they want. In addition, there are still some aspire-to-do lessons for early finishers, as well as a menu of math options as they complete the lesson. This week students should have all finished lesson 2.1 or should have brought home a blue practice sheet to complete for lesson 2.1. Please ask your child if they have math work to do this weekend. Next week I will email families individually if students have work to catch up on. 

November 21, 2023

BIZ town field trip:  The students are learning more about this field trip and what it takes to run a city for a day.  Soon they will begin to apply for jobs at BIZ town.    The Interview Day for Biz Town is Tuesday,  December 12th from 1:10 - 2:50.  If you are able to volunteer on that date please let us know.  We are still in need of 3-4 volunteers to ensure that all students have this special 1-1 opportunity. You don’t have to be a BIZ town parent volunteer on January 9th to help with interviews, but you do need a current background check.

Band Concert:  We had such fun seeing our 5th grade band students in action on November 14th.  Be sure to check out some of the amazing photos from this special night.

November Reading Calendar:  Students will turn these in on November 30th.  Here is the reflection sheet students will be using to assess this work.  In December Students will move to using a Reading Log to track both school and home reading.  If your student wants to also use the calendar  tool to help them they may, but it won’t be required for December.

Special Visitor - On Friday, November 17th Cornelius Rish, our district cultural liaison spent time with our 5th grade students.  He shared several activities focused on community building and listening skills.  The students worked hard and had fun.  Take a look at the photos from this event!

DaVinci Fest:  Students have an opportunity to attend and present at the January 27, 2024 DaVinci Fest.  This is an amazing event and we would encourage students to take a look to see how they might want to be involved.  These links can give you more information and  bring you to the registration pages for each event.  Registration must be completed by December 31, 2023.

Art Fair

Science Fair

Upcycling Fair

Film Fest

Science Challenge

November 11th, 2023

Science Update: We are wrapping up our first Smithsonian Science Unit, where students have been learning about what they need to understand in order to answer the question, "How can we predict change in ecosystems?" Students have been working with group members, participating in class discussions, and recording several observations in their science notebooks (which they will be able to use for their test) during this unit.  By Thursday they will have completed a review to help them study.  They will not be able to use the review for the test, but they will be able to use their science notebooks.  The information in the notebooks may help guide them in their response, but will not contain direct answers to the questions.  Wednesday is a band and orchestra day in our week, so students will take their test on November 16th.  There is also a study guide posted in Schoology in the science course if you would like more information and to help your student study.

5th Grade Student Directory - We sent the updated 5th Grade Student Directory home in Friday Folders this week. This is the directory that includes the updated information families submitted after the previous “draft” version was sent home.

Andersen Volunteer Interest Form:  Please complete this attached form if you are interested in serving as a volunteer at Andersen! There are many ways to make a positive difference by volunteering in our school, and we would be grateful to welcome you to our team. Flexible hours and training provided! All volunteers must complete a Background Check prior to working with our students. The background check form will be provided to you. Please note that this is a schoolwide form and not specific to 5th grade. 🙂

BIZ town field trip:  Many students have turned in their permission slips for this January 9th field trip. If we don’t have your permission slip yet, we put an additional one in your Friday Folder today.  Fee Pay is now open for you to make the $15.00 payment  You can also send cash or a check made out to Andersen Elementary if you prefer.  Scholarships are available if needed; please don’t hesitate to let us know if that would be helpful for your family.  Interview Day for Biz Town is December 12th from 1:10 - 2:50.  If you are able to volunteer on that date please let us know.  You don’t have to be a BIZ town parent volunteer to help with interviews, but you do need a current background check (See information above).

         Preschool Helping, Diggy's Dash, Halloween, and More!  (Posted 11/3/23)

October 4th, 2023

Just a few important midweek reminders…

Diggy’s Dash was postponed due to weather until Friday, October 13th! This will be great for our 5th graders because they will now still get their normal band and orchestra lessons and whole group time. Students will receive their Diggy’s Dash shirt (thank you to Orchin and Orchin for donating shirts) and can bring them home after the event. In addition, remember it is not too late to register and gather some donations- here is that information:

MAKE SURE TO SIGN UP YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR OUR PLEDGE SITE FOR OUR DIGGY'S DASH EVENT! 

https://app.99pledges.com/fund/diggysdash2023/addme

CASH AND CHECK CAN BE HANDED IN TO YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER

Thank you for considering supporting your child and Andersen Elementary in this fun event!

October Conferences~ The sign-up for October conferences is now up and open until Sunday, October 15th. This year, conferences will be on Monday, Oct. 23rd from 11:45 a.m. - 7:45 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 26th from 3:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Please sign up for a time that works for BOTH you and your 5th Grader, as they will be leading their own conferences this year. Here is information on how to sign-up:

To sign up for a conference, login to PowerSchool and schedule a time with your child’s homeroom teacher that works for you. Please be sure you are using a computer (or internet browser if you are trying to login using your phone). Unfortunately, the PowerSchool app doesn't have the ability for families to access Forms to sign up for a conference.

Having trouble registering? Please click here to watch a quick, 2-minute video showing you how to register for a conference. If you need assistance logging into your PowerSchool account or signing up for a conference, please contact Online Family Tech Support at familyhelp@stillwaterschools.org or (651) 351-8404.

If you would like to connect with any of our specialists during Fall Conferences, please email them directly to set up a time to connect.

September 22, 2023

Family Information Night - Monday, September 25th from 6:30-7:15 is our family information night. This night is only for adults and will be held in Mrs. Johnson’s classroom. We hope you are able to join us here at Andersen!

Picture Day Monday, September 25th - Flyers detailing how to order pictures were in your child’s Friday Folder last week and again today. 

Spirit Week - This upcoming week is Spirit Week for Stillwater Homecoming. Students are invited to participate if they want. Here are the theme days:

• Monday - PICTURE DAY - Dress Your Best Day!

• Tuesday - Pajama/Wacky Accessory Day

• Wednesday - Jersey Day

• Thursday - Pony Pride Day

• NO SCHOOL FRIDAY

Diggy’s Dash - October 6th is Diggy’s Dash.  This is a wonderful fundraiser for our school.  This year we are trying to raise money for flexible seating in our classrooms. 

5th Grade Student Directory - We sent the 5th Grade Student Directory home in Friday Folders this week. The APG has asked that if families would like to add or correct any information, or add a student that did not attend RSG, please encourage them to do so by September 30th using this link: https://forms.gle/U5WqxFT41PffH5ek8  Updated directories will be sent out in early October once all additions and corrections have been made. 

Reminder~ There is NO School this coming Friday, September 29th. 

September 8th, 2023

We have so enjoyed our first week with your children.  They are working hard to learn the routines of 5th grade and have been a delight!  Each student is bringing home a self-reflection sheet about how they felt the first week of school went.  In a week or two this reflection will come to you in the form of an email sent from your student.

Here are a few highlights from our week:

*Students have gotten into Schoology and are learning how to use it

*We are working on our class hopes and dreams for the school year,

*Students are working mathematically on vertical spaces (There is great brain research about this!)

*They wrote First Day of School poems

*They are finding their first book to read.  We have an amazing library, but students are also always welcome to bring a book from home if they wish.

*They are starting science work with our new Smithsonian Science Curriculum

Tonight (Friday, Sept. 8th) the APG is planning a back-to-school event from 5 pm-7 pm.  So head back to the school playground for some fun.  Food will be available for purchase.

Next week your student will be taking both the aReading and aMath Fastbridge screener to provide us with more information about how your child is doing and what next steps we can take academically to meet student needs.  

Band and Orchestra is on Monday so all students need to bring their instruments.

REMINDER: Please be sure to call the office with same-day or last minute dismissal changes. We often don’t get to email during the day or if your student is with another teacher, the office will be sure we get the message. Thanks!

Physical Education: Mr. Hoff (our new PE teacher) asked that you please be sure to either have your child  wear gym shoes or have a pair to keep in their locker here. Many students have been going to PE in other shoes (Crocs, sandals, Hey Dudes, boots, etc.). If they don't have gym appropriate shoes they will be asked to borrow an extra school pair.  Johnson homeroom has PE on Days 1 & 4 and Schmalz has PE on Days 3 & 6. Thank you!

Save the Date!

We will be holding an In-Person Parent Night on Monday, September 25th from 6:30 - 7:15.  This is an adult-only event that will give you a chance to learn a bit more about 5th grade at Andersen and ask any general questions you may have.  We will meet in Mrs. Johnson’s classroom for this meeting.