District 191 Fall 2012 Newsletter

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INSIDE . . . Student an d s taff achievements — p age 2 B ook study l eads to tast y lesson — page 2 R eal-wor ld l ear ning oppor tunit y at B HS — page 3 Column: Pro gram strengthens parent ’s role as child ’s first teacher — page 4

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO 32254

100 River Ridge Ct. Burnsville, MN 55337

Curious about Kindergarten? Learn about kindergarten programs, magnet school options and factors to consider when making the kindergarten decision for your child. Sessions will be held Thursday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Diamondhead Education Center, For more, scan or go to http://bit.ly/T8Zhvv 200 W. Burnsville Pkwy. in Burnsville.

Your Schools

Your Community

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1

Fall 2012

District explores idea of expanding magnet schools The possibility of expanding magnet schools is being explored in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191. “During the past three years, we have created successful magnet programs that are popular with parents while providing unique learning for our students,” said Superintendent Randy Clegg. “The question is, do we want to move in the direction of expanding magnet school choice for families?” Clegg has suggested expanding magnet schools in a controlled way, perhaps providing choices for families within geographic clusters so that transportation could be provided in a cost effective manner. The creation of magnet schools can be done effectively and efficiently, as demonstrated by the transformation of Rahn Elementary School into an Arts & Technology magnet school, said Clegg. Principal Elaine Mehdizadeh and her staff received seed money of about $80,000 to develop

and implement the program, which opened in Fall 2011 and has attracted new families to the school. The process of creating new magnet schools could take two or more years depending on resources available and the amount of planning and work that would be needed, according to Clegg. “We are fortunate to have staff members with experience in creating, implementing and maintaining high-quality magnet schools,” he said. “Their expertise can be shared across the district.” In addition to Arts & Technology at Rahn Elementary, current magnet themes include STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) at William Byrne Elementary and Metcalf Junior High School, and Gifted & Talented at Harriet Bishop Elementary School and Eagle Ridge Junior High. Nicollet Junior High hosts an AVID college readiness program, which is expeanding to Burnsville High School and Burnsville Alternative High School.

Students at Rahn Elementary School of Arts & Technology worked on tiedyed t-shirts as part of a school-wide project.

New math curriculum teaches ‘why,’ not just ‘how’ Elementary teachers in BurnsvilleEagan-Savage School District 191 have been developing a new math curriculum over the past 18 months that better meets the learning needs of current students. As part of that process, they have selected new instructional materials that are being used in classrooms starting this fall. “Through evaluations of multiple instructional programs, teachers selected Math in Focus for kindergarten through fifth grade,” said Kathy Funston, the district’s director of curriculum. “These materials align with the Common Core and Minnesota Academic Standards and will provide a strong foundation in mathematics so that students are college-

and real-world-ready.” Math in Focus, commonly called “Singapore Math,” is the U.S. edition of Singapore’s top-ranking math program. It has produced exceptional results both internationally and within the United States, Funston said. The program emphasizes conceptual understanding: the “why” not just the “how.” It requires students to understand and explain their own thinking when they tackle problems. It is designed to deepen students’ understanding of math concepts. “My biggest reason for wanting Math in Focus is the emphasis it places on problem solving,” said Jim Condon, a Neill Elementary School teacher who was involved in the selection process. “The

level of rigor is high — much is expected of the students. That will be hard at first but good in the long run.” Math in Focus provides students with the tools they need to break down complex concepts and solve problems. Condon especially likes a process that uses visuals, such as bars, to convey concepts. “Bar modeling is not unique to this program, but it is a great tool for helping kids visualize a problem,” he said. “Once they can see the problem more clearly, they are more apt to solve it correctly.” Students in sixth grade will be moving into a middle school math program, Mathematics Grade 6, which aligns with the current instructional materials used in District 191 junior high schools.

School Board election is Nov. 6 Voters in District 191 will have the opportunity to elect four members of the Board of Education on Nov. 6. Seven candidates are vying for three four-year terms on the board. Those candidates are DeeDee Currier, Steve Dove, Ron Hill, Mark Korman, Seema Pothini, Sandra Sweep and Mark “MR. TEAK” Traikoff. A fourth candidate will be selected to a two-year term on the Board. Candidates for that seat are Joshua Matthews, Tom McCasey and Robert VandenBoom. More information about the election is available online at http://bit.ly/SlTVL2.


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