www.chisagolakes.k12.mn.us

Chisago Lakes School DistrictISD#2144

13750 Lake Blvd.Lindstrom, MN 55045

Tel. 651-213-2000

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Permit No. 37

Lindstrom, MN 55045

Postal ECRWSSS C H O O L D I S T R I C T R E V I E WM A R C H 2 0 1 6

Remember to flip the Review over to see the Chisago Lakes Community Education Catalog!

Google Expedition comes to Chisago LakesStudents and teachers traveled virtually around the world in early March. The Expeditions Pioneer Program visited Chisago Lakes High School on March 2nd and the Middle School on March 4th. Some of the planned expeditions visited Gettysburg, Iceland, Barcelona, and Verona. Other experiences include biomes, paleontology, urbanization, and the history of jazz.

The teacher leads the Expedition while students use Google Cardboard, a virtual reality viewer made almost entirely of actual cardboard, allowing them to use a smartphone for the expedition. There will be more than two million Google Cardboard viewers in circulation by the end of the year. All equipment needed for the Expeditions arrived in a box provided by the Google Expedition Pioneer Program.

The trips are collections of virtual reality panoramas - 360 degree photo spheres, 3D images and video, ambient sounds - annotated with details, points of interest, and questions that make them easy to integrate into curriculum already used in schools. The Wildlife Conservation Society, PBS, the American Museum of Natural History, the Planetary Society, and the Palace of Versailles contributed to developing the curriculum for students.

CLHS Social Studies instructor, Mr. Walker, and a student explore Google Expedition

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Letter from the Superintendent:Greetings to all of the families of the Chisago Lakes School District. Hopefully our recent warm weather stretch is a sign we are due for an early spring.

Winter activities are about over. We have had great representation by our

students at section and state events. Each event I attend, I am amazed at the commitment and dedication of our young adults. They truly represent our school district in the best possible way.

I attended the winter band concert on February 22nd. Each band, under the direction of Joe DeLisi, performed at a very high standard. Mr. DeLisi gave his 10th grade a piece to play that evening that they had not seen before. With only a few minutes to look it over, the band played it as if they had practiced the music all week. You could see in Mr. DeLisi’s reaction how proud he was of his students. It was a pretty special moment during the concert.

We have just finished the three Round Table discussions concerning facilities in our school district. One of the goals, from the School Board this year, was to do a facilities audit of our district.

The discussions were held on February 17th at Taylors Falls Elementary, February 22nd at our High School, and February 29th at Lakeside Elementary. I gave a brief introduction regarding the school district’s current status with our facilities. After taking questions, people in attendance were given the task of working in groups. Each group then wrote down their ideas about what we should consider when developing an overall district plan.

All of the ideas from the meetings will be given to our school board for their consideration.

If you were unable to attend one of the meetings, you can still participate in the process. Feel free to go to the email address that has been set up to answer questions and comments at comments@isd2144.org. We will respond to these as soon as we can.

We will also have a video posted on our district

website of my introduction at the Round Table discussions. The introduction explains why we are planning for our district’s future.

Thank you again for your support of the Chisago Lakes School District, and please feel free to call me if I can be of assistance.

Please remember to support our area businesses.

Joe ThimmSuperintendent

Round Table Discussions

Comments and questions can sent to comments@isd2144.org.

Superintendent Thimm answering questions at the High School

Round Table Discussions at Lakeside Elementary

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PLTW Capstone Course Presents at CLHSThe new Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering Capstone course offered at Chisago Lakes High School held their final presentations before a panel of engineers on January 20th. The class, Engineering Design and Development, is the final PLTW engineering course that has students use all the knowledge and skills they acquired throughout all of the PLTW Engineering courses.

In the capstone course, students work in teams to design an original solution to a valid open-ended technical problem by applying the engineering design process. Students perform research to choose, validate, and justify a technical problem. After carefully defining the problem, teams design, build, and test their solutions while working closely with industry professionals who provide mentoring opportunities.

The four teams at the high school were: Jack Dong, Derek Frank, Mitch Scanlan, and Emma Schildgen designed a tool to remove weeds from beaches; Zane Brophy, Tyler Chaika-Gennow, and Mason Anderson designed a device to remove ice from sidewalks; Christian Lausen, Aaron Wojtowicz, and Cory Bennett, designed an attachment to a bow so that hunters can film their shot; Austin Addyman, Matthew Sellman, and Jake O’Neill designed a portable garage that doesn’t break or collapse but is durable and moveable.

All PLTW courses provide students the opportunity to earn transcripted St. Cloud State University credits. PLTW Capstone-EDD is a wonderful addition to our already abundant PLTW course offerings that begin in Middle School and continue into the High School. If you have any questions about PLTW, please contact Sarah Schmidt, Director of Curriculum at 651-213-2005 or sschmidt@isd2144.org.

PLTW Advisory BoardOne of the key components to the success of the Chisago Lakes Project Lead the Way classes is the partnership between educators and industry professionals in the community. Throughout the school year, the PLTW Advisory Board meets to review the current class offerings and curriculum. The team discusses possible partnerships between the students and industry professionals. For example, many of the PLTW students were able to tour MultiSource Manufacturing located in Chisago City and see first-hand the technology

that they were using in their PLTW course. Community experts and academia were also present at the Capstone presentations to serve as project judges. The PLTW Advisory Board also shares with the educators what the current industry status is and helps develop goals for the PLTW program.

If you have expertise or interest in engineering, manufacturing, or computer science and would like to join the PLTW Advisory Board please contact Sarah Schmidt, Director of Curriculum at 651-213-2005 or sschmidt@isd2144.org.

Mr. Frischmon and the PLTW Engineering Design and Development students

Members of the Project Lead the Way Advisory Board

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Chisago Lakes Schools Now AcceptingKindergarten Registrations!

Chisago Lakes School District is taking registrations for full-day kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school-year. Please call our school office to register and get on our mailing list for kindergarten round-up.

All children who will turn five by September 1st are invited to attend kindergarten. If you know someone who has a child that is kindergarten eligible, please remind them to give us a call.

Chisago Lakes Primary – (651) 213-2200Taylors Falls Elementary – (651) 213-2100

Minnesota law requires that all students entering kindergarten complete an early childhood screening and have their immunizations up-to-date. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 can be screened at the Family Center in Lindstrom.

To schedule an appointment for screening, please call (651) 213-2600.

Upcoming Screening Dates: June 1, 2, and 3.

Both Taylors Falls and Primary will continue to offer pre-school programs for children ages 3-5 within the elementary buildings. Registration for Pre-School will begin on March 1st. You can register on-line or stop by the Community Education Office. For more information on Pre-School Programs call 213-2600.

Kindergarten Readiness SkillsChisago Lakes School teachers suggest the following list of

readiness skills for students to be most successful in kindergarten:

Save the Date for Kindergarten Round Up:

Primary School – April 13, 2016 Taylors Falls – April 15, 2016

We will send out letters with time and details about Round-Up to all registered families in mid-March.

Personal/Social:• Takes turns and waits for others• Follows rules and routines• Uses words to express needs and asks for help

when necessary• Separates easily from parents• Attends to a task for 10-15 minutes in a group

setting

Self-Help:• Performs self-care tasks such as using the

bathroom, wiping their nose and washing hands• Dresses self, including outdoor clothing and ties

(or fastens) shoes independently

Language & Literacy Skills:• Follows simple 2-3 step directions• Names objects or pictures of objects• Identifies 14 letters including the letters in their

name• Identifies 10 letter sounds• Hears and says words that rhyme

Fine Motor/Early Writing:• Uses correct grasp with writing tools and scissors• Practices writing letters from the TOP down• Writes his or her name starting with a capital letter• Has experience using a variety of materials

(crayons, markers, scissors, play-dough, glue and glue sticks)

Early Math Skills:• Counts objects to 20• Recognizes numbers to 10• Understands that numbers represent a quantity• Knows 10 basic colors (red, orange, yellow, green,

blue, purple, black, brown, white, pink)• Knows 4 basic shapes (circle, square, triangle,

rectangle)• Understands math concepts of above, under, in

front, behind, beside, few, more, big, little, long, short

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CLSD Student School Board RepresentativeCianna Schott, a senior at the Chisago Lakes School High School, has been representing student concerns on the School Board at each monthly meeting. Cianna joined the School Board in September. Cianna says she has learned so much about what goes on behind the scenes of a school district. She said it is interesting to see how finances work, balancing the incoming funds and the school’s expenses. Cianna also said the discussions concerning the approvals are interesting.

The School Board includes Cianna in discussions. For example, she pointed out the recent conversations around the school lunches. She could speak to what students liked about lunches but she found the adult concerns about state

requirements in meals eye-opening. “I learned that the School Board has to be concerned with all sides to an issue,” Cianna remarked.

“Being on the School Board has been a great experience. I wanted to know more about how the school district worked and now I have learned so much. I love my school and have great pride in Chisago Lakes; being on the School Board is just another way I can serve the school,” Cianna stated.

After she graduates this spring, Cianna will be pursuing a degree in psychology at either Carthage College or Texas State University. Until then, she keeps busy as Vice President of Student Council, Co-Commissioner of Link Crew, and participating in BPA, National Honors Society, Go Wild, DECA, and the Dance Team. This spring, the School Board will be exploring having two students (one junior and one senior) serve on the School Board.

BYOD Expands into 10th Grade for 2016-17 School Year

The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program that is currently underway in 8th grade at Chisago Lakes Middle School and in 9th grade at Chisago Lakes High School will expand next year to 10th grade. This expansion is due to the original cohort of BYOD students being sophomores next year. As they have moved through the grades, so has the BYOD program.

The goals of this program are to maximize student learning by integrating technology-rich experiences within the curriculum, teach students to acquire, evaluate, create and share digital information, help students achieve media and technology literacy while maintaining a safe and ethical online environment and use the digital tools available to us to engage, instruct, and extend student learning.

As part of this program, it is recommended that students bring a Chromebook (preferred device) or a laptop to school every day for educational purposes. Students are taught digital citizenship skills (see page 8 for more information), how to manage their coursework in a Learning Management System, maneuver through various Google applications (Drive, Classroom, Calendar, Gmail, etc.), and collaborate while developing their individual technology skills along the way!

To prepare for the expansion, monthly BYOD meetings are held at the high school for the teachers, administrators, and technology staff. The 10th grade teachers have also begun meeting for half day work sessions to examine the current curriculum and identify lessons which are best enhanced through technology. When the 2016-17 school year begins, we will be ready to continue the success of the BYOD program that was started two years ago.

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Spring Assessments Coming!The snow has melted and temperatures are rising, which can mean only one thing – testing season is upon us! Students in the Chisago Lakes School District will be taking the state accountability test, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA). Each building has their own specific testing schedule.

The MCA’s are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and also meet the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Most students take the MCA, but students with severe cognitive disabilities take the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills. The list below gives the grades tested by subject area.

Reading: Grades 3-8, and 10Mathematics: Grades 3-8, and 11Science: Grades 5,8, and 11

Besides the MCA’s, different grade levels will be taking other assessments, such as the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) or Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST). These measures help teachers determine each child’s growth throughout the school year and make instructional changes.

To help your child(ren) prepare to do his or her best on the assessments, please read through the following test-taking tips below. Remember this is just an opportunity for students so show what they have learned. One test result is not used to determine future class placements; multiple measures are always examined.

Top Test-Taking Tips for Students

Before the test1. Approach the exam with confidence:

� Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: visualization, logic, talking to yourself, practice, team work, journaling, etc.

� View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you’ve studied and to receive a reward for the studying you’ve done.

2. Allow yourself plenty of time. Thesemeasures are not timed.

3. Get a good night’s sleep the night before theexam.

4. Don’t go to the exam with an empty stomach � Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.

� Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices.

During the test

1. Read the directions carefully.2. I’m Stuck! Re-read the question.3. Eliminate choices on a multiple-choice

question.4. Budget your test taking time.5. Change positions to help you relax.6. If you go blank, skip the question and go on.7. Don’t panic when it seems other students are

finishing. There’s no reward for finishing first.8. Review your answers.

After the test1. Celebrate!2. Debrief by listing what helped you during the

test so you can hold onto these strategies.3. When the test results come in the summer,

look over the test interpretation guide to see which areas were strengths and weaknesses. Use that to determine action steps for the following school year.

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PLTW Computer Science Coming in the FallChisago Lakes School District is excited to announce the addition of Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Computer Science at both the Middle School and High School.

The projected number of job openings in 2018 for STEM fields will reach 2.8 million. Of these, approximately 1.4 million jobs will be for computer specialists. Like many other STEM fields, the current demand and supply are mismatched, as computer science career openings outpace students’ skills and interest. Also, like many other fields, computer science interest starts long before a student decides on a major or even applies to college. How do we prepare students for the amazing opportunities that require computational thinking?

The Middle School course will be Introduction to Computer Science and will be taught by Mr. Schoeneck. Students will have the class for one term in 8th grade, beginning fall of 2016. Designed to be the first computer science course for students who have never programmed before, Introduction to Computer Science is an optimal starting point for the PLTW Computer Science program. Students work in teams to create apps for mobile devices. They explore the impact of computing in society and build skills in digital citizenship and cyber security. Beyond learning the fundamentals of programming, students build computational thinking skills by applying computer science to collaboration tools, modeling and simulation, and data analysis.

Students at Chisago Lakes High School can choose to take Computer Science Principles which will be taught by Mr. Swanson. The course aims to develop computational thinking, generate excitement about career paths that utilize computing, and introduce professional tools that foster creativity and collaboration. Computer Science Principles helps students develop programming expertise and explore the workings of the Internet. Projects and problems include app development, visualization of data, cybersecurity, and simulation. Students have potential to earn college credit by obtaining a passing score by the PLTW end of course assessment and/or through the AP College Board.

The PLTW Computer Science strand in Chisago Lakes School District is an addition to the Engineering strand. We are excited to add onto our current programs and expose our students to collaborative designing solutions, as they learn computational thinking – not just how to code – and transforming themselves into builders of technology.

New Digital Photography Class at CLHSStudents at CLHS have been asking for a photography class and the art department listened! Digital Photography is offered to 10th-12th graders and the only prerequisite is Art Fundamentals. This is an exciting course in digital photography to offer experiences in learning about one’s camera, history of photography, published photographers, framing an image, lighting and using various types of visual compositions when taking photographs.

Shown are two high school students with an interest in the Digital Photography class checking out the new Digital SLR camera that they will be learning about in the new course.

Pictured are PLTW Instructors:Mr. Schoeneck and Mr. Swanson

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Digital CitizenshipOne of the buzz words we have been hearing around schools lately is “digital citizenship.” Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use. As students and children have more and more access to technology a new curricular area has emerged in digital citizenship.

At Chisago Lakes School District the digital citizenship curriculum begins in kindergarten and continues throughout high school. The focus of the lessons and the depth to which the content is explored changes by the grade level.

At the elementary level, students learn the digital citizenship curriculum during their computer lab time. In grades K-2 students are introduced to digital citizenship through lessons focused on protecting passwords. In grades 3-5 the lessons are expanded and students receive five lessons at each grade level that examine a variety of topics such as responsible use, protecting personal information, copyright information, and cyberbullying.

In middle school, students learn about internet safety, privacy and security, relationships and communication, and cyberbullying besides many other lessons either in computer skills class or

advisement. Students also work directly with plagiarism and copyright law in their English classes. There are close to 12 lessons per grade level in middle school.

Freshmen Seminar is a required class that all freshmen take and one entire unit is spent examining digital citizenship. Students further explore other areas of digital citizenship in the many different elective offerings. Both the middle and high school, also include digital citizenship lessons as students learn about the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program at 8th grade and 9th grade.

There are many different resources one can use to explore digital citizenship. At school, we primarily use Common Sense Media, a free internet based curriculum that has a multitude of lessons and activities for students. If you have any specific questions about the digital citizenship curriculum used at Chisago Lakes School District, please contact Sarah Schmidt, Director of Curriculum at 213-2005 or sschmidt@isd2144.org.

Lakeside Elementary students in computer lab

Middle School students hard at work