Principal's Update
February 3rd, 2023
This month we are focusing on the Kindness. Next week I will be reading the book, A Little Spot of Kindness, by Diane Alber to all of our students. Today at our All School Meeting, our 5th grade Caring Coaches from Ms. Bostrom's class presented our upcoming service learning project. Our students will be writing letters to the Forward Deployed Naval Forces service members that are stationed in Japan. We will be writing these letters during Kindness Week, which is February 13th-17th.
Included in this newsletter are highlights of January and this past week, information and upcoming events. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. There are so many great things happening at Redtail Ridge!
Thank you for your support and partnership.
With gratitude,
Mrs. Yetzer
CAUGHT CARING MVP's
January 26th MVP's:
Kindergarten- Norah (Bartusek) & Harry (Tuerk)
1st grade- Emma (Hanson) & Nahomi (Schnackenberg)
2nd grade- Yuliana (Skjoiten) & Landon (Hansen)
3rd grade- Maggie (Hatchett) & Brass (Ward)
4th grade-Mia (Simon) & Harlow (Losure)
5th grade- Kira (Bostrom) & Ella (Veldman)
February 3rd MVP's:
Kindergarten- Isabel (Bartusek) & Octavia (Alpaugh)
1st grade- Omar (Hanson) & Dean (Schnackenberg)
2nd grade- Olivia (O'Halloran) & Claire (Hansen)
3rd grade- Emmett (Hatchett) & Claire (Kodada)
4th grade- Addie (Simon) & Colin T. (Hough)
5th grade- Reed (Sullivan) & (Jorie) Veldman
Missing from picture: Isabel
Attendance Matters
From our Dean of Students, Mr. Brandell
Policy Highlights
Students are allowed up to 10 total absences a year, or 5 days in a row, due to illness. A doctor’s note must be provided if there are more than 10 illness days.
5 Days vacation are allowed
Five unexcused tardies are equal to 1 day unexcused absence.
Students under 18 years of age who have any combination of 7 unexcused absences will result in a referral to Scott County Human Services for educational neglect.
Classroom teachers will be letting you know if there is a concern via a phone call home. The reason teachers call you about attendance is to inform you of your child's attendance status, and to see if there is anything we can do to support you in getting your child to school. We very much want to partner with you in this and know that making the decision to keep your child home is not an easy one.
If your child has missed 10% or more days in a given time period you will receive a letter in November, January, and April. This letter is informational and meant to keep you up to date as to the status of your child's attendance.
Call the Dean of Students, Adam Brandell, at 952-226-8058, if you have any questions or concerns about your child's attendance.
Tackle Attendance
Congratulations to 3rd grade for winning our Tackle Attendance Award for January-AGAIN.
This is their 3rd time winning this award!
- September - 3rd grade at 98.23%
October - 5th grade at 97.03%
November - 2nd grade 98.97%
December- 3rd grade 96.47%
January- 3rd grade 96.32%
Report Cards
Today, February 3rd, all students will be bringing home their report cards. Students in grades 1-5 will also be bringing home their FastBridge Learning Assessment Family Report. Fastbridge reading and math assessments are one tool used to help teachers improve instruction by showing what skills a student has mastered and which ones still need to be learned.
Conferences
Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for: February 7th, 9th and 16th. Many of you have already signed up for conferences. If you have not, please schedule a time to meet with your child's teacher. It is a critical time to connect to set goals for the remainder of the year.
Our percentage of conference attendance in November was 97%. We typically see between 98%-99% of families participating in conferences. If an in-person conference does not work, schedule a time to talk to your child's teacher either via phone or google meets. Below is a link to sign-up if you haven't already done so.
Reminder: If your child receives Special Education Services, Special Education staff will not be available during Parent/Teacher Conferences. If there are specific questions or concerns that you may have for your student’s case manager, please reach out to them either by phone or email.
PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE: PLSAS School Finance Meeting
The first Town Hall Meeting on School Finance was held on Wednesday, January 25 at Prior Lake High School in an effort to engage stakeholders and help drive our budget conversations. Another meeting will soon be scheduled for April.
To watch the recording, click here. If you'd like to view the presentation slides, click here.
Do you have input on social finance as we build our budget for 2023/24? Email us at info@plsas.org.
I LOVE TO READ MONTH
"Chill Out With A Good Book!"
The goal this year is for our PTC to raise $30,000 and they also have a "stretch goal" of $35,000. These funds (along with their other fundraising events) are invested back into building student, teacher, staff and parent relationships and learning. Some items they fund are: enhancing and maintaining outdoor learning areas, family fun nights, teacher appreciation and staff funding requests (examples: fieldtrips, scholarships, author visits, subscriptions for RazKids, Reflex) and so much more.
Here is a breakdown of the goals and rewards/experiences provided by our PTC!
- $10,000 Winter Blast - Feb 14
- $15,000 Author Visit - Feb 16
- $20,000 Reading Rooms Feb 24
- $25,000 Movie in gym (k-2 and 3-5)
- $30,000 Bounce House Party (grade levels go together)
- $35,000 SUPER Stretch 2 Days of Bounce House Party (each class gets their own time)
Please sign up your student on Fun Hub. The largest percent of donations come through that platform.
Flannel Friday & Buddy Reading
2023 Come Celebrate With Me!
Redtail Ridge Choir
If you have a 4th or 5th grade student that would like to join choir for the 2nd half of the year, contact Amy Zbikowski or Diana Fornshell, who are both music teachers at Redtail Ridge.
World Wednesday-Lunar New Year
Redtail Ridge PTC
Thank you to our PTC who continue to support our students and staff at Redtail Ridge. Please mark your calendars for the following PTC sponsored events.
Meetings and events:
- PTC Meeting: Monday, February 6th from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Media Center.
Recess and Lunch Volunteers
If you are volunteering frequently, please sign up to be a substitute noon supervisor through our district's Teachers on Call and you will be able to select any vacancies and get paid!
Here is the link to the Teachers On Call information.
Job Openings at Redtail Ridge
PLSAS is hiring!! We have several openings at Redtail Ridge.
We have the following openings:
- Noon Supervisors (3 positions)- Job ID 5213
- Resource Paraprofessional (Setting I/II)- Job ID 5452
Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested in working in a fun, caring and supportive environment!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me (Barb Yetzer, Principal)- byetzer@plsas.org
Around Redtail Ridge
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
There have been two changes from district and school calendar events: our Redtail Ridge Choir Concert and the March Early Release Day. Updated dates are below.
Friday, February 3rd: Report Cards and Fastbridge Learning Family Report sent home
Monday, February 6th: PTC Meeting- 6:00-7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 7th: Conferences 3:15-5:15 pm
Wednesday, February 8th: 2 hour Early Release Day
Thursday, February 9th: Conferences 3:15-7:15 pm
Thursday, February 16th: Conferences 3:15-7:15 pm
Monday, February 20th: NO SCHOOL
Thursday, February 23rd: 2nd grade music program- 1:30 pm
Tuesday, March 7th: PTC Meeting- 6:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, March 16th: 2 hour Early Release Day (Change)*
Tuesday, March 21st: 1st grade Music Program-1:30 pm
Friday, March 31st: NO SCHOOL (Teacher Workday)
April 3rd-7th: SPRING BREAK
Tuesday, April 11th: PTC Meeting- 6:00-7:00 pm
Tuesday, May 2nd: PTC Meeting- 6:00-7:00 pm
Monday, May 15th: Incoming Kindergarten Open House- 4:30-5:30 pm
Tuesday, May 16th: Redtail Ridge Choir Concert- 7:00 pm
Monday, May 29th: NO SCHOOL
Thursday, June 1st: Kindergarten Graduation and Music Program- 1:30 pm
Friday, June 2nd: 5th grade Graduation- 1:30 pm