The CL Courier
December 1, 2023
Principal's Post
Crooked Lake Families,
We have just wrapped up our first trimester on November 30, and we saw some great success in our learners. Grade levels will recognize student learning (Citizenship winners, perfect attendance, great individual growth, etc...) in their teams at our all school celebration in the gym this month.
Report cards are going to be available online, please see the information below for more information.
This coming month our character trait that we are focusing on is Empathy. We define empathy as, "Understanding and connecting to other people's feelings." Every month the classroom teacher chooses a citizenship winner who stood out in this area.
On December 21, and 22 we will be headed over to Coon Rapids High School again to see "Winter Comes to Neverland." Grades 3 - 5 will be go on Thursday, December 21, and grades k - 2 will head over on December 22. A special thank you to our PTO for paying for the busing. (Please let your teacher know if you do not want your child to go to the play with their class.)
A special thank you to all of our volunteers and PTO for putting on our movie night. "The Bad Guys" was a hit, and helped raise funds for our 4th grade Kindness Retreat. The donations that you brought in helped raise over $900 dollars to put toward this special day for our students. Thank you.
We go outside for recess when it is cold, so please come dressed and prepared for the weather. We go outside when the temperature is 0 and above. And, we also go outside when the wind chill is -10 and above.
Our Student Council was able to put together some great donations for Alexandra House with your help. Thank you for donating those items to someone's holiday wish list, it made a difference. And, thank you Sarah Brezinka for supporting our student leaders with this effort.
Take care
Sam Anderson
Crooked Lake Principal
763-506-2101
New: Report Cards Are Only Online This Year
New for the 2023-24 school year, elementary school report cards will be available online and will no longer be sent through postal mail or student’s backpacks. Families will be able to access report cards by logging into A-HConnect or viewing it on the ParentVUE mobile app.
The switch to online report cards means that information is available to review at the conclusion of each trimester. Schools will notify families when the report cards are available to view. Parents, guardians and any person with educational rights to a student will be able to access the student’s report card online.
To ensure access to the report cards when available at the conclusion of Trimester 1, families are encouraged to make sure they have their login information now. Currently, report cards from last school year are available for viewing.
How to view report cards from A-HConnect (view detailed instructions):
- Login to A-HConnect.
- Click on the ‘My Student Information/ParentVUE’ icon.
- Select a student from the dropdown menu.
- Select ‘Documents.’
- Select and view the applicable report card from the ‘Documents’ window.
- The report card will open in a new tab where the capabilities to download or print will be available.
View from the ParentVUE app (view detailed instructions):
- Go to the AppStore or Google Play and search for the ParentVUE app.
- Enter your zip code when prompted, and select “Anoka-Hennepin School District” from the menu options.
- Confirm ‘yes’ and select ‘Already Activated,’ if prompted.
- Use login/password to login.
- Select a student from the student list.
- Select ‘Documents.’
- Select and view the applicable report card.
- Click the share button to save or share the PDF.
If you need assistance logging in or forgot your password, call 763-506-HELP (4357) or email 506help@ahschools.us. For questions about the report cards, please contact the main office.
Upcoming Events
- December 1- No school/Staff Planning
- December 4-No school/Staff Development
- December 7-Eagle Choir Field Trip (all day)
- December 7-All School Assembly
- December 18-21- 4th Grade Math MAP Testing
- December 25-January 2nd- Winter Break
Follow this link for more upcoming events:
https://www.ahschools.us/Page/16#calendar11/20231203/month
You can also find more information when you visit the Crooked Lake Elementary website here:
Reedy's Report
Hello Crooked Lake Community!
The first trimester is a wrap! Now on to the holidays and winter fun. This is the time of year we need to come together and support each other as a community. If you happen to have any extra winter gear (hats, gloves, scarves, coats, snow pants, etc.), please consider donating them to the school. We are in constant need for students who forget their gear and for families who are not able to provide the clothing themselves.
If you are one of the families who need support in obtaining weather appropriate winter clothing, please let someone at the school know and we will help you locate what you need.
Finally, this time of year can be extremely joyous for many people, as they gather with loved ones and participate in holiday traditions. For others, this can be an extremely challenging time. We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and social isolation, and many people suffer more during this time as they find themselves alone while others gather. This year, please consider reaching out to neighbors or others who you might suspect of being lonely. It might be an awkward conversation at first but could make all of the difference in the world for another person. In addition, it will show your children how to treat others.
- If you have immediate concerns for the physical safety of a friend, a family member, or yourself, call 911.
- Dial **CRISIS from your cell phone to be connected with county mobile crisis services.
- Anoka County Mobile Crisis: 763-755-3801
- Hennepin County Children (up to 18): 612-348-2233
- Hennepin County Adults (18+): 612-596-1223
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (English) or 1-888-628-9454 (Spanish)
- Crisis Text Line: “HOME” to 741741
Tyler Reedy
MSW/LICSW
763-506-2164
tyler.reedy@ahschools.us
Nurse's News
Our beloved health para Jolene Dorf, is retiring January 31st. She has been at Crooked supporting student's health needs and spreading love for 2 years. Please communicate all health needs to Katelyn Salwey, our school nurse, until we know who will be filling her position. And feel free to send well wishes and thanks to Jolene over the next two months before she leaves!
Katelyn Salwey
Licensed School Nurse, PHN, BSN, RN
Jolene Dorf
RN, School Nurse
Cook's Corner
The state’s Free School Meals program begins in 2023. Families will still need to apply to qualify for more educational benefits. Starting Sept. 5, 2023, every student may receive one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school year. The state’s Free School Meals program will cover the cost of one breakfast meal and one lunch meal for every student daily, however the cost of a la carte items, such as milk, other drinks, or extra meal items will not be covered. Students will need to have funds in their meal accounts to purchase any additional food items. If your family needs access to any other educational benefits available to your student, please visit ahschools.us/freereduced to complete an application.
The enrollment window for the 2023 Applications for Educational Benefits begins Aug. 1, 2023. Anoka-Hennepin asks that all families complete an online application to provide additional school funding to support all students in the district. By filling out this application, your school can earn funding and you can save money. Educational benefits include:
- Athletics fees: Eligible students may qualify for fees to be waived or reduced.
- SAT, ACT, AP Fees: Students may be eligible for discounted fees for academic tests and some lab fees.
- Other high school activities: Students may qualify for discounts on speech, debate, theater, band and others.
- Additional benefits and cost savings: Chromebook device protection, Comcast Internet Essentials discount, Amazon Prime membership discounts, discounted bus fares with Metro Transit, Xcel Energy account assistance, discounts at museums and theaters.
Thanks!
Lauren Green
Child Nutrition Site Supervisor
Library's Latest
Hello Crooked Lake Families!
I’m so excited to share that our Crooked Lake students have checked out over 7,000 books so far this school year! Amazing!
Our Maud Hart Lovelace challenge is going strong, and our collection of MHL books rarely makes it to the shelves as students are quick to check them out. Our challenge is to have grades 3-5 read a certain number of MHL books by or before March 1. Grade levels who complete their challenge will earn a prize. The prize this year is…..drum roll, please….a popcorn party! So exciting! We encourage students to continue reading as they have a long way to go to earn this prize!
We want to thank Crooked Lake Elementary’s PTO for generously donating MakerSpot supplies and activities to our library to give our students unique opportunities to collaborate, create, discover, explore, move, play, share, tinker, and try. Thank you so much for your support!
Thank you, also, to our Crooked Lake community for your continued support and generous donations to our consumable supplies wish list. We are still in need of various items listed below. All donated supplies can be delivered at Door 1 in the box provided. Thank you so much for your consideration!
Best,
Ms. Z and Mrs. Kocak
MakerSpace & MakerSpot Supply List:
Cardstock - white & assorted colors
Tissue Paper of any color - USED IS OKAY
Toothpicks
Disposable straws
Pipe cleaners
Aluminum foil - 2 rolls of 75 feet or longer
Play dough - 2 packs of the 4 or 5 color containers
Fishing line
Plastic stretchy string - for beading
Hot glue sticks
Decorative duct tape 3-6 rolls
2 rolls of masking tape of any color
Home recycle products: egg cartons, toilet paper & paper towel cardboard rolls, Gatorade size bottle tops
Kristin Zelazny
Media Specialist/Core/ITT
Volunteer Voice
Thank you to all the amazing volunteers at Crooked Lake! Your willingness to help our students and staff is greatly appreciated. Whether you're helping students with reading support, organizing fundraisers, hanging artwork, chaperoning field trips, working on projects at home, or supporting staff in the workroom you have made a significant impact.
December Volunteer Opportunities:
- At Home Volunteer
This opportunity allows volunteers to help from home. Job duties include cutting, pasting, hole punching, etc. - Artwork Hanging
Volunteers will display artwork on tack stripes and/or walls. Volunteers must be comfortable using a step stool. - Media Organizer
Volunteers will straighten and organize the bookshelves. Volunteers must be okay with working around students. - Workroom Volunteer
Volunteers will help teachers and support staff with projects such as coping, laminating, stapling, etc.
ALL volunteers are required to complete/update the 2023 - 2024 Crooked Lake Elementary Volunteer
Application form and Criminal History Record Release form.
Melissa Hayek
Volunteer Services Coordinator
763-506-2130
Crooked Lake PTO
Thanks for joining the 4th Grade + PTO Movie Night!
The 4th grade class and PTO teamed up to bring CLS families movie night at Crooked Lake on Thursday, November 30th. We sold candy, popcorn, snacks, drinks, and other treats to fundraise for the 4th grade. The proceeds from movie night goes towards the fourth grade Kindness Retreat. The retreat focuses on values such as kindness, respect and courage. It helps students enhance empathy skills to understand how words and actions affect others while developing conflict resolution strategies to be used in response to unkind actions. We featured Universal Pictures, "The Bad Guys," simultaneously in the cafeteria and gym. We had an excellent turn out as always. Families brought blankets, pillows, and stuffies, enjoyed snacks, and a show with their families and friends. Thanks to everyone for coming on out to the show and supporting the 4th grade!
Next Event: Showcase Night 1/25/24 from 4:30 - 6:00 PM
Students will showcase their work and projects they are going to be working on. Pizza dinner will be sold in the cafeteria with support from the Student Council. Stay tuned for more info!
PTO Meetings - They're for you!
No PTO meetings scheduled in December. Enjoy the Holidays and we'll see you in January!
Crooked Lake PTO
Angie Siddons - Chairperson
Nicole Rutt-Livgard - Co-Chairperson
Sandra Anderson - Treasurer
Jen Melsha - Board Member
Community Education
New Class: Ninja Warriors
Starting 12/5: Fencing
Weekend Opportunity 12/9: Ninja Warriors
One Day Class 12/14: Holiday Wooden Ornaments
Holiday Wooden Ornament Registration
Register for these classes at https://ahschools.ce.eleyo.com/
See you in class!
Rachel Smith
763-506-1712
Late Arrivals & Absences
Bus Information
What if my child's bus doesn't come in the morning and/or my child doesn't get off the bus in the afternoon and I am unable to reach the school? This is rare, but if this does happen, please call your child's bus company. The bus company will assist you in the morning and also take the lead and contact you in the afternoon when they locate your child.
Kottkes' 763-755-3100
Busses: 08 68 87 501 533 535 544
First Student 763-421-3199
Bus: 301
Transportation App: FirstView
Attention Crooked Lake Families! There is an app called FirstView! This app enables families to get real-time information on regular bus routes - in the palm of your hand! Features include email, push, and text notifications of any route changes.
Simply download FirstView from your device's app store. On-screen directions walk first-time users through the easy set-up process. Choose Minnesota and then Anoka-Hennepin from the drop-down menus. After doing so, the app will direct you to A-HConnect. Log in with your parent/guardian username and password (if you've forgotten your parent/guardian username or password, please call 763-506-HELP), the app will then automatically populate your student's information.
Crooked Lake Elementary is on Facebook! Get the latest news by following:
@https://www.facebook.com/crookedlake/?ref=bookmarks
Follow Crooked Lake's PTO too at:
Crooked Lake Elementary School
2939 Bunker Lake Blvd. NW | Andover, MN 55304 | P: 763-506-2100 | F: 763-506-2103 | crookedlake@ahschools.us | Translate
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