MPS Elementary Newsletter

All of these dates and more future dates can be found on the school website OR this calendar link- https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=bWlubmV3YXVrYW4uazEyLm5kLnVzX2RhZHU0ZDR0dHRsNTE2dWllazRqa3FkMzA4QGdyb3VwLmNhbGVuZGFyLmdvb2dsZS5jb20

March is Read Across America Month—a time to celebrate the power of reading! Just 10–15 minutes a day can make a big difference in your child’s success in school and in life.

Preschool & Kindergarten

At this age, reading is all about building language.

What helps most:

• Read to your child every day.

• Talk about the pictures.

• Let them retell the story in their own words.

• Reread favorite books (repetition builds confidence).

Easy ideas:

• Read before bed.

• Keep books in the car.

• Sing songs and read signs out loud while driving.

Grades 1–3

Children are learning to read independently and need practice and encouragement.

What helps most:

• Have your child read out loud to you.

• Take turns reading pages.

• Let them read the same book more than once to build fluency.

• Ask simple questions like:

  • What was your favorite part?

  • What do you think will happen next?

Easy ideas:

• Turn off screens 15 minutes early for reading time.

• Listen to audiobooks in the car.

• Read menus, recipes, and directions together.

Grades 4–6

Students are reading to learn and building stamina.

What helps most:

• Encourage daily silent reading.

• Ask them to tell you about what they’re reading.

• Read the same book together and talk about it.

• Continue reading aloud to them—they are never too old to be read to!

Easy ideas:

• Keep books in bedrooms and common areas.

• Let them read to younger siblings.

• Start a simple family reading challenge for the month.

Reading doesn’t have to be long or perfect—it just needs to be consistent. Small daily habits build strong, confident readers.

Let’s celebrate Read Across America Month by growing readers together!

What I prefer students to call me:

Ms. Hoffner

When/how is the best time to contact me:

Please contact the school at anytime. If I do not answer the phone, please leave a voicemail. My email is tara.hoffner@minnewaukan.k12.nd.us

How long I have been teaching at MPS:

10 years

What do you love most about teaching at MPS?

What I love most about MPS are the great students and the fun staff!

2-3 fun facts about me (kids, pets, silly facts, anything!)

I have been to well over 100 concerts

I was born in Hawaii

I love to travel

What I prefer students to call me?

Mrs. O’Brien

When/how is the best time to contact me?

2:45-2:40pm

How long I have been teaching at MPS?

This will be my 3rd year teaching at MPS.

What do you love most about teaching at MPS?

I love teaching at MPS because I have awesome kids to work with.

2-3 fun facts about me:

I love crafting, hunting for rocks, reading a good book with my dog on my lap, taking care of all the farm cats, and spending time with my grand children.

What I prefer students to call me:

Ms. Rode

When/how is the best time to contact me:

The best way to reach me is through email during school hours, but I’ll do my best to respond as soon as possible if you contact me outside school hours.

How long I have been teaching at MPS:

This is my 15th year.

What do you love most about teaching at MPS?

I enjoy building relationships with the students and seeing their unique personalities.

2-3 fun facts about me (kids, pets, silly facts, anything!)

I live with my three kids and spend my time watching their activities. My dream job is to be a zoologist. I may teach math, but my heart loves history.

Ms. Hoffner's 4th Grade class just finished their read aloud of Wonder. Wonder is a story about treating people with kindness and showing bravery, even when it's hard!

Wonder is a story about a boy named August “Auggie” Pullman. Auggie is ten years old and looks different because he was born with a facial condition. He is smart, funny, and kind, but he has been homeschooled his whole life until the 5th grade. At first, school is hard. Some kids stare at him, whisper, or are unkind. But Auggie also meets new friends who learn that what really matters is who you are on the inside, not what you look like. We had great discussions about how we would treat, act and respond in those situations. We also watched the movie to compare and contrast the two.

State testing will be here before we know it! We will be continuing learning new standards and reviewing previous ones. Please encourage your student to be reading at home. They can log their minutes for Beanstack on a device at home or when they arrive at school.

We have two students who will be attending the 4th grade Spelling Bee, Nixen Volk and Raymond Richotte! We are all very proud of them!

Enjoy some of our memories from 4th Grade so Far!

They will be recognized on the school website and FB page as well as receive a small reward for their accomplishment.

Student engagement staff will look for when nominating a student of the month:

• Good Attendance!
• Completion of Work!
• Collaborates well with peers and staff!
• Follows school expectations!

Check out last months students of the month on our website!

https://www.minnewaukan.k12.nd.us/

This months- Grandfather Teaching: Humility

This months- Expectation Area: Lunchroom

Elementary Expectations MPS

Elementary Expectations MPS Videos

We are proud to share that this fall we had one of our highest family engagement attendance, with an average of 56% of families attending classroom activities during the 2025–2026 school year. Some classrooms had incredible participation, including PreK at 100% and 2nd grade at 94%.

Your involvement is essential to your child’s success. Even as students grow older and more independent, it still matters when families show up. Your presence sends a powerful message that learning is important.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming spring activities and at many future family engagement opportunities in the years ahead!

Email: mackenzie.moen@minnewaukan.k12.nd.us
Website: https://www.minnewaukan.k12.nd.us/
Location: Minnewaukan Public School
Phone: 701-473-5306
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MinnewaukanSchool