Clara Barton Open School

NALT/CALT Tests

A letter from the leadership council explaining issues and frequently asked questions regarding this fall’s NALT test has been sent to all 2^nd – 7^th grade parents and guardians.  The council is inviting parents/guardians to request that the test not be administered to their child.  Please call any member of the council with other questions or drop by school when council members will be available for more discussion:

     Tuesday morning, October 3, 7:30 to 8:30 AM in the Commons

     Wednesday evening, October 4, 6:30 to 7:30 PM in the Media Center

Barton A-Z

During spring 2006 Options, parent Tracy Nielsen asked a class of 4^th, 5^th and 6th graders to consider the following questions:

• What is an Open School?
• What do you see, feel and hear at Barton?
• Who makes your school special?

The group then went out with cameras to document their answers.  The result is an illustrated ABC’s of Barton. 

This site will feature one letter a week.  You can view the entire alphabet by clicking the Barton ABC's icon under PHOTO ALBUMS to the right.

A is for Art

We believe in an enriched curriculum that encourages choice, critical thinking, arts expression, social skills, and intellectual engagement.

(excerpted from the Barton Open School Mission and Values)

Artists Under Eighteen

Several current and former Barton students will be celebrating their unique talents at the Artists Under Eighteen show from Sept. 30 through Oct. 29.  Support our young artists at the opening reception featuring painting, mixed media, comic art, dolls, sculpture and jewelry:

Saturday, September 30, 6 – 10:00 PM

Color Wheel Gallery

319 W. 46^th Street

(46^th and Grand)

The event is free and open to the public.  All artwork will be for sale.

Welcome To Barton

We welcome the new Special Education and Support Services team members joining Barton this fall.

B.J. Christofferson is our new Special Education Assistant (SEA) for the Unite classroom.  She is also an artist and lives in the neighborhood.   B.J.'s grandson, Tyler, is a fourth grader here at Barton.

Donna Beery is a new Education Assistant working with Kate’s kindergarten class and at the playground during recess.  She worked previously at Kenwood school.  She turned her T.V. off years ago and enjoys reading and cross stitching. 

Lea Anne Schmidt is a new Speech teacher, splitting her time between Barton and Windom Open School.  She has worked in Minneapolis schools before, but has most recently lived in England and Dallas.  She is glad to be back home in Minnesota and at Barton. 

Chanda Teleen is our new school Psychologist.  She is looking forward to meeting the needs of students creatively.

Parent Information Night This Thursday

Don't miss our annual Parent Information night, on Thursday, September 14 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. 

Parent Information Night is planned for parents/guardians only, not students, and involves a general meeting in the commons at 6:30 PM and then time to hear from classroom teachers about their learning goals and curriculum for the new school year. If childcare is essential in order for you to attend this event, please phone the main office at 668-3580 so that we can make the necessary arrangements. Childcare will be provided for school age children only, not preschoolers, toddlers or infants.

Barton Welcomes New Teachers and Staff

We are pleased to welcome four new teachers and several new Support Services and Special Education staff to Barton this year.  We are fortunate to welcome a group of new team members who come with experience, a diversity of backgrounds, and a passion for teaching.  Here is a brief introduction to the new teachers.  Next week we will profile the other new Special Education and Support Services staff.

Mary Swenson is new to the primary staff. She is teaching grades 2-3 in room 209.  Mary taught the last five years at Anne Sullivan Community School and seven years before that at Webster Open.  She has also taught at Hamilton Community School and in Anoka schools.  Mary loves reading.  Her classroom has a huge book collection containing thousands of books.  She also loves hands-on teaching, incorporating manipulatives, games, crafts, and baking in her classroom.  She replaces Mark Downing who moved to grades 3-4 to take the place of retiring Claire Lohmann-Kopeska.

Kathy Scoggin joins the middles (grades 5-6) team.  Prior to coming to Barton, Kathy was part of the Minneapolis District Curriculum Office for Science and Literature.  She also has taught at Marcy Open School and was a teacher in residence at the Bakken Museum.  Kathy loves science!  She replaces Lisa Lange, who will be teaching the Gifted Program when she returns from her leave in January.

Chuck Nelson is the new uppers (grades 7-8) Social Studies teacher and Media Specialist.  Chuck has taught for ten years in Minneapolis schools.  He taught math at Lucy Laney Community School last year.  He taught language arts and social studies at Jefferson Community School for 8 years before that.  He loves to read.  He and his wife have three boys, ages 22 months to 8 years.

Lisa Howe joins the special education team in a half time position at Barton.  She will also continue a half time assignment at Lyndale Community School.  She's been with the Minneapolis school district for eighteen years.

2006-2007 Parent and Student Handbook Available Online

The 2006-2007 Barton Parent and Student Handbook is now available on-line.  Just click on School Handbook and Policies, 2006 - 2007 at the ABOUT BARTON sidebar just to the left.  The handbook describes policies and procedures for programs and departments within the school and also includes important district policies.

Visiting Barton

To Prospective Parents:

You are welcome to visit Barton Open School at any time.  Our school day starts at 7:30 AM.  Students are dismissed at 1:45 PM.  Morning kindergarten is scheduled from 7:30 to 10:15 AM.  The afternoon kindergarten session runs from 11:00 AM to 1:45 PM. 

There are parent-led tours arranged for you starting in November.  If our school tour times don’t fit your schedule, come when you can.  If you visit outside the tour times, please check in through the main office.  We will give you a name tag and a map of the school.  You are welcome to visit as many classrooms and grade levels as you want.  The advantage of the tour is that you will have time to ask questions.  If you visit on your own, you are always welcome to call the principal after your visit if you have unanswered questions about the open school program.

Our 2006-2007 school tour schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, November 2 (8:30 AM)
• Wednesday, November 8 (8:30 AM)
• Thursday, November 9 (8:30 AM)
• Tuesday, November 14 (8:30 AM)
• Thursday, November 16 (8:30 AM)
• Wednesday, November 29 (8:30 AM)
• Thursday, November 30 (8:30 AM)
• Tuesday, December 5 (8:30 AM)
• Thursday, December 7 (8:30 AM)
• Tuesday, December 12 (8:30 AM)
• Thursday, December 14 (8:30 AM)
• Tuesday, January 9 (8:30 AM)
• Thursday, January 11 (8:30 AM)

You are encouraged to contact the school at 612-668-3580 to let us know what day you would like to visit and/or what day you would like to join a school tour. If there are any schedule changes that could influence your visitation, we would let you know at that time.

The District Wide K-12 School Information Fair is scheduled for Saturday, November 18, at the Hyatt Regency downtown Minneapolis.  The school fair runs from 9 AM to 2 PM.

School Request Cards for the 2007-2008 school year are due on January 15, 2007.  The cards are available at any Minneapolis School and should be mailed directly to the district’s Student Placement Center.