Clara Barton Open School

Parent Alert!

Inspired by the informative talk given by Mary Cecconi, Barton parents are gathering to write to our elected officials & let them know how their decisions effect our children, our communities and our state.  Now is a critical time in the legislature. The decisions they make in the next four weeks effect public school funding for the next two years!  We will have sample letters, addressed and stamped envelopes at the plant sale Saturday from 9:00 - 3:00.  Call Andrea Breen 822-3226 or Tracy Nielsen 926-6546 with questions or for further information.

Weather, it’s a Wonder!

By Dawn White, 1-2 teacher in Room 104

In Room 104, we are currently working on a unit examining our connection to nature called “Whether the Weather.”  Weather is helping us to observe our surroundings and make several academic connections.  We are using weather books to focus on the features of nonfiction text as well as learn how to navigate through them.  Something new this unit is our “Wonder Bags.”  While this is nothing more than a Ziploc bag and some 3x5 cards, it holds our questions that come to mind as we read and learn.  A good reader is always questioning and wondering.  Every student is learning to listen to the questions they are thinking of while they explore. 

Weather is leading us to learn about mapping, geometry, graphing, data collection and interpretation.  We will be culminating our theme with a research project.  Our project topic will come right from our questions.  The excitement and energy is apparent as the children pour over a nonfiction book and can’t wait to tell their friends a new fact.  So the next time you’re reading, check and see if you’re thinking “I wonder…?”

Parents United Visit; New Online Forum for Minneapolis Public School Parents

Mary Ceccone Brought a statewide perspective on school funding issues to Barton in her talk last night before about 150 parents in the commons.  As the legislature heads into the final weeks of the session and critical funding decisions.  Link to Parents United Network for more about her organization and ways to influence the legislature. 

Here in Minneapolis, a new parent-led online forum for parents of MPS kids, MPS ParentsForum, is available.  The forum consists of an e-mail mailing list and a Web site hosted at Yahoo!.  Users must register at Yahoo - see instructions at the site. 

From the forum description:

"This group is led by parents and dedicated to involving parents in the big questions that confront our schools today - questions about funding, staffing, governance, and academic achievement. We are dedicated to working in a positive and constructive manner with the MPS teachers' union, MFT Local 59, with our district administrators, with the school board and with our legislators.

Working to support the achievement of all of our children and CHOOSING TO SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION as the best means of securing a good future for all of us."

Mary Cecconi of Parents United Network to Speak at Barton

Mary Cecconi is scheduled to speak to parents next Tuesday, April 19, in the Barton commons, from 7-8 PM. Parents from other Minneapolis Schools have also been invited. Mary is the state director of the Parents United Network, a non-partisan organization established to provide parents with a voice at the state legislature to address the funding needs of public schools. You are welcome to contact parent Megan Cummings-Krueger at 612-929-8985 if you have questions or need more information about this event.

Parents Forum Rebroadcast on Cable TV

On March 22, a parent-led forum on teaching staff stability in the Minneapolis schools was held (see our original announcement).  The forum will be rebroadcast on cable TV at the following times:

Apr. 13, Wed., 10 PM, channel 17

Apr. 20, Wed., 10 PM, Channel 17

May 1, Sun., 10 PM, channel 16

Meet The Neighbors

A reminder that plant sale orders are to be turned in on Monday, April 18.  If you are still trying to shake off winter, get outside and meet the neighbors - and why not suggest some new plantings to spiff up the place while you are at it. 

Don't forget grandparents, aunts and uncles as well.  They can download an order form if necessary by following the "Downloadable Plant Sale Order Form" link on the right-hand column of this site. 

Inventors Fair

The same night as the Student Author Night, the commons was filled with all kinds of amazing inventions - some useful, some complex, some scary, some just silly.  The inventions were created by Barton students who took part in an after-school inventors class at Leonardo's Basement.  [click on images to enlarge].

Parent volunteers interviewed each inventor and provided feedback on the creations.  Other parents and siblings wandered about in amazement at some of the creativity the inventors displayed. 

Barton Authors Show Their Stuff

Over 150 Barton students from all grade levels took part in this year's Student Author Night.  If you haven't taken part in one of these nights, you don't know what you've missed.  The authors were divided up among various classrooms, with a good balance of younger and older students.  Each student read a piece of their work, with questions and discussion afterward led by a moderator.  The students put out some amazing work, and parents and siblings did their part to round out the night with their comments on the work.