Nov. 2009

Dear Nokomis Families,    

THANKS to all of the parents and staff members who volunteered to help our Open House & PTA Fall Festival be a SUCCESS!  Families enjoyed participating in the activities together.  THANKS to Club’s Choice for providing the popular inflatable play structures at our PTA Fall Festival.  Thanks to the 51 ROTC student volunteers from Harding High School.

THANKS to all families and staff members who purchased food items from the Club’s Choice CH & E1 Fundraiser!  Families will pick up their Club’s Choice orders on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. 

We’re looking forward to parent-teacher conferences this month.  Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled on these dates:

·        Tuesday, November 10 from 5-8 p.m.

·        Thursday, November 12 from 5-8 p.m. & PTA Potluck Dinner for teachers

·        Friday, November 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. & No School for students

If you are unable to come at your scheduled time, please call your child’s teacher at 293-8857 to reschedule.  Thanks to Carol Stramer for organizing a Scholastic Book Fair in the library during conferences! 

Families are invited to our annual Hmong New Year Celebration on Friday, November 20 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  We planned a variety of learning activities to explore Hmong culture.  THANKS to Senator Mee Moua and Yee Chang for being our guest speakers!  THANKS to Mai Houa Thao, E2 Teacher, and Bao Yang, ELL Teacher, for preparing our Hmong CLAnD After School dancers to perform at our Hmong New Year Celebration!

THANKS to PTA for allocating $300 for food and paper products for our annual Hmong New Year Family Celebration!  Our school Title I budget is providing $800 for food for this popular family event.  THANKS in advance to all families and staff members for volunteering to bring food or help with our annual Hmong New Year celebration!  We are encouraging students to join the “Ball Toss” contest by making your own Hmong ball before the event.  Directions for making balls for the “Ball Toss” game are written on the enclosed blue Hmong New Year flyer.

Minnesota winter weather will be arriving soon.  All students need to dress appropriately for our Minnesota weather as we go outside for recess daily.   Students only stay inside if the temperate or windchill is below zero.  Please have your children wear warm clothing including hats, mittens, boots and snowpants. 

Sincerely,

Melissa McCollor, Principal

NNAT (GT identification)

Testing News

Saint Paul Public Schools will be using the Second Edition of the Naglieri Non-Verbal Test (NNAT2) to identify students in grades K-5 for gifted services elementary programs, including eligibility to apply to Capitol Hill Magnet School. 

Students who previously qualified for gifted services will continue to receive services at Nokomis Montessori.  We have a high percentage of students identified gifted and talented.  Differentiated instruction is embedded in Montessori methodology.  Please talk with your child’s classroom teacher during November conferences about ways instruction is differentiated for your child. 

The NNAT2 will be administered to ALL Kindergarten students.  In second grade, Saint Paul Public Schools will test all students who have not previously been identified for gifted services.  Not testing all second grade is a new procedure this year.  Students in grades 1,3,4 and 5 who exhibit need for gifted services may be nominated to take the NNAT2.  These students must have evidence that they can, or show potential to, work above their grade level.  This process uses multiple indicators and allows input from teachers and parents.  Teachers, parents or community members may nominate students to take the test. 

Evidence of student’s potential need for gifted services may include one or more of the following:

• High test scores from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) or MCA-lls
• School work samples that show work above the student’s current grade level
• Outstanding report cards
• Parent or teacher observations

Some students may not have been tested in previous years because they are new to the district, while others may have shown tremendous gains since they were last assessed.  Nominated names should be submitted to your child’s teacher or Susan Egan by Monday, November 2, 2009.

Students will take the NNAT2 December 1-8, 2009.  Our school will notify parents of the exact test date, testing students, and distribute test results.  Parents will receive final results of the test prior to the school choice deadline on March 5, 2010.

Students who have previously been identified as eligible for gifted services are NOT affected by this test and will continue to receive service.

Scholastic Book Fair is coming!

Our school is excited about our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair.  An amazing selection of books is headed our way!  Mark your calendar for our Scholastic Book Fair held during Parent-Teacher Conferences.  Students and staff members can preview the Scholastic Book Fair on Monday, November 9.  Please feel free to browse the featured books at http://bookfairs.scholastic. com/homepage/nokomis and create a wish list to bring with you.  Don’t miss the chance to light up a young reader’s face with a good book!  Families can also purchase a book to donate to your child’s classroom or the library.  THANKS to Carol Stramer for organizing our Scholastic Book Fair!   Please call Carol at 293-8857 if you can volunteer to help with Scholastic Book Fair during November conferences.    

Picture Retake Day

Friday, November 6

If you were unsatisfied with your child’s fall picture, please send the picture package with your child on Friday, November 6 for Picture Retake Day. 

If your child missed having their picture taken in October, your child can participate in Picture Retake Day and parents/guardians can purchase pictures too. 

Art Adventure Parent Volunteers

Art Adventure presentations are scheduled in November for our E2 classes and in February for our CH and E1 classes.  All Kindergarten through grade 6 classes will participate in a Minneapolis Institute of Arts guided tour during the school year.  A huge thank-you to our parent volunteer presentors Lynn Ebert, Patty Lange, Jenny Nymoen, Mary Brooks, Julia Hobday, Laurie Hayes, and Melonie Taylor for sharing their time, talent and energy with our Nokomis students.  THANKS to Susan Bowman, literacy teacher, for coordinating Art Adventures! 

 RIF Book Distribution

All students selected a FREE book from “Reading Is Fundamental” on Friday, October 2.  RIF is funded by a Federal Grant and Nokomis budget funds.  THANKS to parent volunteers Jenny Nymoen, Carrie Brooks-Babcock, Dianne Leis and Melanie Taylor for helping Susan Egan coordinate our RIF book distribution this fall! 

School Health News

The cold weather is upon us again.  Parents/guardians, please dress the children adequately with warm winter clothing from head to toe.  Keep in mind that exercise, even in cold weather is essential for good health.  Students go outside for recess daily except if the temperature or windchill is below zero. 

Encourage your children to practice good hand washing at school and home as hand washing is the basic element in controlling the spread of infections. 

If your child is sick with a fever of 100 and above, please keep them home for 24 hours after fever has broken without the use of fever reducing medicine and report it to the school office in the morning.  Also, children need to stay home for 24 hours after vomiting.  Please talk with Nurse Jane Cicchese or Health EA Kaye Sisombath if you have any questions or concerns.  Nurse Jane is here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Kaye is here every day.  Thanks again for keeping your children home when they are sick.

Homelessness

Homelessness is a growing problem in this tough economy.  If your family is temporarily living with another family or emergency/domestic abuse/transitional shelter, please come or call the Nokomis Office to fill out a form so your child can receive FREE breakfast and lunch for the rest of the school year.  Bus transportation can be arranged so your child can continue to attend Nokomis Montessori.  Families are asked to fill out a district form to help us better identify and serve students experiencing homelessness in our district. 

Hmong New Year

Friday, November 20

6:00-8:00 p.m. 

We’re looking forward to our annual Hmong New Year Celebration on Friday, November 20 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  We are encouraging students to join the “Ball Toss” contest by making your own Hmong ball before the event.  Directions for making balls for the “Ball Toss” game are written on the enclosed blue Hmong New Year flyer.  THANKS to the PTA for allocating $300 for food and paper products for our annual Hmong New Year Family Celebration!  Our school Title I budget is providing $800 for food for this popular family event. THANKS in advance to all families and staff members for volunteering to bring food or help with our annual Hmong New Year celebration!