We’re personal
During small-group time, students receive instruction in groups of 1 - 6
Relationships are at the heart of our work as we nurture, challenge and encourage our students to be engaged and curious lifelong learners.
Kindergarten centers
At Mounds View Public Schools, a personalized kindergarten experience is provided in two buildings – Snail Lake Education Center in Shoreview and Pike Lake Education Center in New Brighton. Both sites are exclusively focused on students in the earliest stages of their educational journey.
Students who live within the Island Lake or Turtle Lake attendance areas attend kindergarten at Snail Lake Education Center. The following year, students attend their home elementary school which serves grades 1-5.
Academic curriculum: We provide a standards-based curriculum with clear learning targets and assessments to ensure students are progressing along the learning continuum. Teachers intentionally craft learning opportunities that include exploration, hands-on learning and use of digital resources. Our students receive developmentally appropriate instruction focused on standards as well as individualized attention and growth goals which are customized according to their unique achievements. We offer a standards-based curriculum in the following core academic disciplines:
• Reading
• Math
• Science
At Snail Lake Education Center, there are 16 kindergarten classrooms.
Academic and Social Emotional Learning
We are passionate about providing a solid foundation for all students as they embark on their educational journey and believe that social and academic learning go hand in hand.
• Art
• Music
• Physical education
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): We believe that taking time to teach, model and practice social and emotional competencies will help establish a culture of respect, allowing students to take risks needed to succeed. Students start each day by promising to practice selfcontrol, empathy and cooperation, which are the three competencies we focus on as a school. Staff members provide direct instruction and embed these competencies into all areas of the day. Students have opportunities to practice social skills during formal academic lessons and through play.
Schedule
Mounds View’s full-day kindergarten program offers families the advantages of a challenging, responsive and fun school experience.
• Morning Meeting
• Math
• Learning centers
• Literacy
• Lunch/recess
• Play/choice time
• Specialist class (music, physical education, art, science)
Safe & supportive
We provide an all-day kindergarten experience which is both challenging and nurturing.
We provide a safe, joyful learning environment where students are valued as individuals and embraced as community members. Staff and students work together to create a strong school community. To meet the needs of our students, we have an array of support services available.
Nutrition services
We provide breakfast and lunch daily. All menus meet nutrition requirements established by the USDA.
Before-school/after-school care
Mounds View Public Schools offers before-school and afterschool care to kindergartners through a fee-based School Age Care program run by the YMCA, available on site at Snail Lake Education Center. In addition, all home elementary schools host on-site partnerships with School Age Care programs, offering before- and after-school care for students in grades 1 – 5. Considerations are made for families with kindergarten and elementary school students attending school at multiple sites.
Nutrition services
Snail Lake Education Center teaches healthy eating habits by introducing students to a wide variety of food choices. Students can enjoy breakfast and lunch daily at no cost thanks to the Minnesota Free School Meals Program. All menus meet nutrition requirements established by the USDA.
Student support and engagement
Mounds View Public Schools is committed to ensuring that our students are able to come to school feeling safe, healthy and ready to learn. Dedicated school staff, Districtlevel support and strong community partnerships allow us to remove barriers and set each of our students up for success, including:
• School health services staff who care for students with chronic health conditions or students who become ill or injured while with us.
• Cultural liaisons who help bridge communication and build supportive relationships with schools and families.
• Multi-language supports to help facilitate communication with our multilingual families.
• Mental health specialists and a chemical health and prevention specialist to help students and families access supports, find resources and increase mental health literacy and prosocial behaviors.
• Ralph Reeder Food Shelf provides food, basic needs and connections to other services for any school district family as well as any low-income, food-insecure neighbor requesting assistance.
We are passionate about providing a solid foundation for each of our students as they embark on their educational journey.
• Relationships with community partners like the Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative and the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative that assist families with access to resources to help support basic needs such as housing, food, transportation, therapeutic services and more.
• A welcome center where new families can register and begin learning about what our schools have to offer and receive support through the enrollment process.
Connectedness
Feeling connected to school is a key to academic success.
School connectedness:
Our kindergarten center emphasizes student connectedness through a variety of efforts.
• Monthly kindergarten spirit day
• Monthly all-school assembly
• School-wide celebrations (bingo, special activities and more)
• Family bingo and book fair
• Morning announcements
• School song
• Snail Lake Promise cheer
Communication hours
The kindergarten center offers proactive communication time during which teachers reach out and connect with families regarding student progress.
In 2024, for the 12th consecutive year, Mounds View Public Schools was one of a handful of school districts in Minnesota to earn the Best Communities for Music Education designation.
Download the free app for customizable, mobile-friendly access to…
Transitions
We work closely with the home schools of Island Lake and Turtle Lake to help students make a smooth transition to first grade. In the spring, students take a field trip to the home school to meet the teachers and spend time in first-grade classrooms.
While we have a strong school community of our own, we are closely tied to our home schools of Island Lake and Turtle Lake.
Join us
Registration requirements
Screening: State law requires that students entering kindergarten must have completed an Early Childhood Preschool Screening prior to the start of kindergarten. Early Childhood Screening is a quick and simple check of how your child is growing and developing. Between the ages of three and four, screening can detect possible health or learning concerns, so that children can get help before they start kindergarten.
At the screening appointment, a licensed school teacher checks vision, hearing, height and weight, immunization status, large and small muscles, thinking, language and communication skills and social and emotional development. Visit mvpschools.org/ECscreening to learn more and to schedule your child’s free screening.
Age: Children must be five years old on or before September 1 to register for kindergarten. Registration for the following school year begins in January.
Registration packet: Resident students new to Mounds View Public Schools must complete registration into the District. Please call Snail Lake Education Center for registration information.
Immunizations & proof of residency: In addition, a record of all student immunizations and proof of residence within the school attendance area (driver’s license, utility bill, rental/lease/purchase agreement) must be provided. We request that families also provide a birth certificate. Contact Snail Lake Education Center for additional information, or to set up a time to register.
Open enrollment: Applications for non-resident enrollment are being accepted for limited openings in kindergarten and elementary schools for the 2024-25 school year. Visit mvpschools.org/enroll for more information and to apply.
mvpschools.org/snaillake
Enrollment events
Kindergarten Kick-off
Each February we provide information for families to begin the registration process for the upcoming school year. For more information, visit the kindergarten website at mvpschools. org/snaillake
Kindergarten Open House
The week before school starts, families are invited to an open house to meet the teacher, visit the classroom and get to know the building. Details will be posted on the website and will be included in a summer mailing.
Registration support services
Hmong/Asian Bao Thao
651-272-0972 bao.thao@mvpschools.org
Yog xa tau kev pab thiab hais ua l us Hmoob thov hu rau Mee Yang ntawm
Spanish/Latino/Hispanic
Angel Toro
651-724-0396 angel.toro@mvpschools.org
Para asistencia en traducciones ó ayuda como intérprete, por favor comuníquese con Angel Toro al 651-724-0396.
Somali
Muna Mohamed 651-262-4577
muna.mohamed@mvpschools.org
Haddi aad ubaahantahay faahfaahin dheerad ah ama turjumaad, fadlan kala soo xiriir Zeynah Abdulrazak, taleefanka 651-724-4577.
FAST FACTS
2024-25
• We are committed to providing a solid foundation for each of our students as they embark on their educational journey.
• We provide an all-day kindergarten experience that nurtures and challenges students.
• Social-emotional learning is taught weekly with a school-wide focus and is embedded throughout each day.
• Balanced literacy and balanced math instruction are based on state and national standards, tailored to the individual and development needs of our students.
• All kindergarten students are provided free busing and free breakfast.
Who we are:
Diversity of student population
or more categories 11.5%
Board-approved Class Size Ranges: (K/1): 22-27
Mounds View Public Schools enrolls 80% of the students in our attendance area.
Enroll:
Snail Lake welcomes students who live within the Island Lake or Turtle Lake attendance areas. To enroll, call 651-621-8000.
Demographics and enrollment data were compiled in November 2024.
During small-group time, students receive instruction in groups of 1 - 6
After English, the top three languages spoken by families:
Snail Lake Education Center serves: students in kindergarten 270
Take a virtual tour of Snail lake! mvpschools.org/toursnaillake
While we have a strong school community of our own, we are closely tied to our home schools of Island Lake and Turtle Lake.