Wolves Newsletter

Focus on Fitness ... Good for our Bodies ... Good for our Brains!

Monday, September 28, 2026

• Free/Reduced Form (Educational Benefits) - Complete BEFORE the end of September.

The Free/Reduced From Educational Benefits is essential for funding. While school breakfasts and lunches are free, the forms greatly assist with funds for additional staff, field trips, weekend events, and after school activities. After October 1, the forms can be turned in, but the October 1 count is the only count for additional school funds.

Families who need financial assistance with school events, music instruments, and so on, need to ensure that this form is completed.

https://bit.ly/3hWdk7Q

Dear Park Brook Families,

Conferences are just around the corner. I look forward to seeing and connecting with parents and families. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be in a job that I enjoy, and one of the great pleasures for me is connecting with students and families.

Park Brook is known for its Focus on Fitness Initiative and the additional opportunities available for students. While students are active at Park Brook and participate in a number of activities, it all relates back to academic growth. Students who are more physically active typically have stronger academic growth. In addition to the movement, new experiences provide additional background knowledge for students. There will be music related classes coming soon, in addition to what is offered during the day, and there are a multitude of benefits for students, beyond just the joy of music.

During the school day in addition to the core instruction, many students are in interventions to assist with math and reading skills, fitness intervention to assist with focusing in class, social and emotional support, and so on. The interventions at Park Brook are designed for students who are both above grade level and below grade level.

I am focusing on attendance this year as we have a number of students who are absent and/or frequently late to school. The absences are noticed in their academic growth. When students are consistently late to school, they miss the same subjects over and over.

Sincerely,

Mr. Scott Taylor

taylors@district279.org

Mission Bay High School, San Diego, California

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona; BS History/Education

St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota; MS Special Education, EBD

St. Mary's University, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Administration Licensure Program

Please complete this form BEFORE October 1. These forms greatly assist with funding for additional staff, before/after school activities, weekend activities, field trips, and more.

While breakfast and lunch are free for all students in the State of Minnesota, the forms are important for funding purposes.

Please see below for more information regarding conferences.

Monday, September 28, 2026

After picture day, families will receive an email link to order pictures. The link will most likely be delivered to your email about 7 to 10 days after picture day (October 5 - 8).

Mr. Seth Vang, Park Brook OAP (secretary) moved to Stillwater, MN. He and his wife bought a house and therefore looked for employment as the drive to Park Brook is much too long.

Mrs. Dawn Northway, Due Process ESP (Educational Support Paraprofessional) retired after 28 years in the Osseo Area Schools. Mrs. Northway supervised students at recess, assisted students with academics, and provided tremendous support to the special education department with due process paperwork. She is the one who set-up special education parent meetings.

Please update phone numbers and emails in ParentVUE. You can also stop in the office to update your contact information as well as emergency contact information.

You will not receive information from the school if your contact information is not correct.

If there is an emergency situation or when a quick answer is needed, a text message may be sent, prior to a phone call, as it goes to both parents simultaneously.

As a reminder, students are NOT permitted in Osseo Area Schools to use their cell phones or smart watches during the school day. In addition, at Park Brook smart watches are not permitted to be worn during the school day.

Students are NOT permitted to have any recording device on them at any time at Park Brook. My main concern for me as a principal, is a student could easily record images in a restroom, or post pictures that other students or families do not want posted.

Every Meal is a program that any family can sign up for if they would like to have food sent home for the family. Food that is sent includes rice, beans, pasta, and other foods that families can use to prepare meals. If you have questions or this would help your family, please reach out to Mrs. Kale.

kaleh@district279.org

It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure that the office is aware of the reason for your child's absence. You can also input the information into ParentVUE.

The reason for the absence can be updated up to one-week after the absence. After that date, the absence is an unexcused absence.

Schools are mandated reporters. If a student has excessive absences, schools are mandated to report the absences to child protection.

If a student has an unusual number of sick days with no notes or reasonable explanation, a family may be required to provide medical documentation for the school to consider the absence excused.

If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact Mr. Taylor.

The Mile Run at Park Brook is one of the fitness tests at Park Brook. All students in Osseo Area Schools participate in the Mile Run; at Park Brook the test is an all-school event, and at most schools it is held during phy ed class.

Students in grades 1 - 5 will all participate. Pre-K and Kindergarten students will run a short distance, just for fun. The event is held in Hartkopf Park.

Parents do not run the Mile Run. A few staff members will run with the students.

Parents are welcome to come and cheer on the students.

After the event, you are welcome to take your children home.

• Sign your child out at the table in Hartkopf Park.
• After the entire event, the students will go back to their classes. If you have signed your child out, they will pick up their belongings and meet you in front of the school.
• We kindly ask that you wait until the event is over to pull your child out of their class.

• Students will sit with their class during the event.
• We ask kids to not give high-fives, and so on as it slows the runners down.

• If you have registered your child for the Twin Cities 5K, you will receive your commitment fee back IF you let the office know by noon on Friday, October 2 that they are not able to come, or if your child comes. The only ones who do not receive their commitment fee back are those who sign up but do not attend.

• Students need to be at Park Brook at 7:15 am on Saturday, October 3.
• Students need to wear running shoes and clothes that they can easily run in.
• Students will get warm when running.
• Everyone must be registered for the event with a race bib.
• We cannot have adults or other students just join in.
• All students will wear yellow Park Brook Shirts. (These shirts are our field trip shirts that remain at the school.)
• Monday, October 5, the students who participate will receive a race shirt. They will be encouraged to change and wear the shirt for the day. This is a shirt that they will keep.

• The return time is approximately 12:30 pm.
• When the bus leaves the Twin Cities 5K in St. Paul, a message will be posted to Park Brook's Facebook Page which will upload to the Park Brook Webpage so families will know that students are on their way back to Park Brook.

The Resilinator is an outdoor obstacle course sponsored by the YMCA of the North and held at Hyland Park in Bloomington. Students will ride a bus from Park Brook Elementary.

The course is a 2.5 mile course. The course contains a number of creative stations along the route. Obstacles include crawling, climbing over, team work, and more.

This is an outdoor event and students will need to be dressed for the event.

A $5 commitment fee is required for each student registering, and must be turned in with the permission slip.

The Resilinator is part of Park Brook's Focus on Fitness.

YMCA Waiver: When signing the permission slip, you are also signing the YMCA of the North Waiver. The waiver is located at the bottom of this newsletter. The waiver is included in this newsletter so that all families can access it in their preferred language.

Registration forms were sent home on Wednesday, September 23. If you need another form, please have your child ask in the office or their teacher.

Friday Mornings

8:00 am - 8:40 am

October 9, 23, 30 and November 6 & 13

During the Fall Session, students will learn how to play the ukulele. In the spring session, students will continue to develop their ukulele playing skills and build their own ukulele.

Students who have been in Ukulele Club in other years are more than welcome to join again!

Wednesdays

3:20 - 4:15 pm

October 7, 2026 - March 22, 2027.

• Choir will NOT meet on November 25 and December 23.

The students enhance their musical abilities and prepare to sing the Park Brook Winter Concert and at the Luminary Loppet in February. (The Luminary Loppet is an outdoor winter festival on Lake of the Isles.)

Pictured: Park Brook Choir at the Luminary Loppet, February 2026

Hat Day - October 1

Hoodie Day - October 14

Thanks to a grant from the District 279 Foundation, items are available to check out for use at school during school events for students and/or siblings who may benefit from items to assist with sensory needs.

Items available include headphones to reduce noise, sunglasses to assist those with sensitivity to the lighting in the building, and so on.

The items are available. Please ask and we will gladly assist you with what will help your family have a great experience in the building.

Click below for more information.

Fall conferences are an opportunity parents/guardians to share with your child's teacher and to ask questions. In addition, it is a time to set goals for the school year.

Attendance will be reviewed for all students at conferences. Last year, 38% of the students at Park Brook were considered continuing truants, which means they missed a significant number of days of school. In addition, 32% of the students were trending towards being continuing truants.

One way that we as a school can increase academic growth, is simply by having students in school, and consistently in school.

Some students were in the categories mentioned above because of the number of days they were tardy to school. There are a few students who missed the part of the first subjects approximately 100 times because of being tardy.

It is understandable that students miss school days because of illness, however, the number of times that some are absent is concerning.

• W - We will respect ourselves and others.
• O - Own our actions.
• L - Listen and Learn.
• F - Follow Directions.

YMCA Waiver

Although I understand YMCA of the North is undertaking all possible efforts to produce safe and fun events for participants, I know that participating in an adventure race or triathlon is a potentially hazardous activity, which could cause injury, bodily harm, or even death. By my signature below, I certify that the participants I have registered are able to participate in this event, are in good health, physically fit for outdoor activity, and are adequately clothed for participation in an outdoor event. I agree to abide by any decision of a race official relative to any aspect of participating in this event, including the right of any official to deny or suspend participation for any reason whatsoever. I attest that I have read the description of the race and have the authorization to register and sign this waiver on behalf of participant/s or myself I am registering. On behalf of myself, my child/ren, and others that I am registering, I assume all risks associated with participating in this event, including but not limited to: trips, falls, slips, contact with other participants, the effects of the weather, including rain/cold/snow/ice, traffic and the conditions of the park, including trails and hills, illness and all other risks. I understand and agree that I will use my own insurance and that all participants that I am registering will use their own insurance should an injury or illness occur as a result of my participation. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of your accepting my entry, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the YMCA, Three Rivers Park District, all event sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of mine or my child/ren’s, or others that I am registering participation in this event, even though that liability may arise out of negligence or carelessness on the part of the persons named in this waiver. In addition, I grant permission to all of the foregoing to use photographs of me and my child/ren, or other participants that I am registering, motion pictures, recordings or any other record of this event for any legitimate purpose.