STEM Newsletter
09/29/2025
A Message From the Principal
Hello families,
Today is a truly wonderful day at Weaver as our students, staff, and families are participating in the Color Run. Thank you for your generous support. This is our main fundraiser of the year and the funds raised will help cover all the wonderful STEM activities for our students. We truly appreciate your support, not only for all our fundraising activities but also for our daily work in the classrooms.
Every day, we see students helping their classmates in the classroom, on the playground, and on the buses. It is heartwarming to watch them: giving a hug to a friend who is not feeling well, helping another find something, or patiently explaining directions. It is inspiring to think that our caring and loving young children are the adults of the future. Thank you for entrusting us to work with your wonderful children.
Our students continue participating in enrichment projects, including field trips and engaging with community experts such as the Raptor Center, Science from Scientists, and The Science Crew. Our students demonstrate outstanding STEM identities and embody the Weaver Way expectations every time we leave the building or work with a community expert. This month, we also had our first assembly of the year, and our students did an amazing job singing the school song. Indeed, Every day is a Weaver Way Day at our school.
As the weather is changing and more students are wearing sweaters and jackets, please label them with your child’s name. This simple step helps significantly reduce the large number of items in the lost and found. Painter's tape works well if you do not want to permanently mark their clothing.
Thank you again for your support and dedication to your children and our school.
Sincerely,
Ronald
NWSISD Magnet Lottery Application
Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment for priority application at Weaver Lake will be available on October 15th until
December 17th. Families with currently enrolled siblings are highly encouraged to apply for any
other children who are not yet enrolled for the next school year. If any families are interested in
applying, please click HERE to go to the application page.
Parent/Student Lunch
Parent and Student Lunch starting on Wednesday October 1st.
Please call the office in advance at 763-420-3337 to inform us:
- Who your student is
- Who is coming
- Day/Date
- Grade
We ask families to limit their sign-up for lunch with your student(s). Please understand that there is limited space in our cafeteria for families and we can accommodate only 5 families per grade. We do ask families to limit to only 2 people per student. Please arrive 5 minutes before your student's lunch time to sign-in at the front office for a badge.
Picture Day
Picture day is Monday, October 6th. Retake Day is Tuesday, November 11th.
A flyer with more information will be coming home in your (youngest) student's folder this evening.
Parent/Teacher Conference Dates
Fall Conferences are coming up in October. Parents/guardians, you will be able to sign up for
Conferences on Monday September 29th after 9:00 am through ParentVUE, and will close on Friday
October 3rd at 4:30 pm. Please make sure that you have an active ParentVUE Account. If you do
not have an account, please click HERE to access the instructions.
Parents/guardians, please note that during conferences, teachers and staff are not responsible for
students if they are waiting for parents to show up. All students are to be accounted for by their
parents/guardians.
Our dates are as follows:
October 7th: Parent/Teacher Conferences: 7:50 - 9:10 am; 4:30 - 7:30 pm
October 9th: Parent/Teacher Conferences: 7:50 - 9:10 am; 4:30 - 7:30 pm
October 13th: Parent/Teacher Conferences: 7:50 - 9:10 am; 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Reminders
Families of Kindergarteners and First Graders:
End of Day Changes:
Call the front office if your student's end of day transportation home has changed for the day by 3:30 pm.
TAG Services
Talent Development, Academic Challenge and Gifted Support (TAG) services are available to Weaver Lake students in third through fifth grade to strengthen interests, extend grade-level content, and apply skills and concepts in authentic ways. For more information about 2025-26 TAG services, please see the attachment.
Mrs. Berning
Volunteers!
Greetings Weaver Lake Elementary Volunteers!
Thank you to all of our Color Run volunteers! From the organizers to the cheerleaders and everyone in between, you have helped make another Color Run amazing for our Weaver Lake students!
The next big thing is the fall Literati Book Fair! The Fall Book Fair will be October 7-14. We need volunteers to help set-up, sell books throughout the fair (before and after school options available!), fulfill teacher wishlists and help clean-up when it’s all over! Please sign-up for as many times as you’re able to help. As a bonus, all volunteers will receive 20% off their purchases!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AAA72EAAFECF8-58576032-book#/
Picture Day is Monday, October 6. Volunteers will be needed to keep lines moving and help students look their best for their school pictures. Click the link below to sign-up!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AAA72EAAFECF8-58575035-picture
Be sure you’re registered to volunteer so you don’t miss anything! The application can be found online at https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/Nzg0OmVuLVVT and only takes a few minutes to complete. **Please note that volunteers are required to re-register each school year.
Stephanie Clark, Volunteer Coordinator/ESP
Office Hours M-F 9:15am-2:15pm
763-391-8873
Community Education
Specialists Updates
Physical Education
In Phy Ed, students will be participating in fitness testing. We will challenge students to question how they can engage in fitness outside of school with family and friends.
Counselor News
October 22nd is National Unity Day, a day to stand together to stop bullying. As a community we encourage everyone to wear the color orange as a visible representation of the supportive, universal message that our school wants to prevent bullying, build commUNITY, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
Grade Level Newsletters
Click on the links below to see what the grade level classrooms have been up to, what's coming up, some specialist information, and STEM activities to do at home.
Donation Requests
Our classrooms are in need of various supplies for their STEM projects this year. If you are able to donate any items listed below, please send them with your child to give to the classroom teacher:
- empty, 2-liter bottles
- shoeboxes
- empty, 2-gallon milk jugs
- newspapers
Building Thinking Classrooms Grant
This past spring, Weaver Lake was awarded a grant to purchase materials to use in implementing Building Thinking Classrooms. This is a set of "14 teaching practices that research shows optimize conditions for students to think, which increases their engagement and learning". It was specifically developed for math, but is applicable to many areas of learning. The District 279 Foundation generously funded a grant for dry erase markers, erasers, and class sets of chart-size whiteboards that are being used by seventeen staff members in their classrooms. Watch for more about this exciting way of getting students up and working together to share their thinking about math!
How To Request a Donated Weaver Wear Item:
We have received many donated items from our Weaver Lake community this year. If you would like to request for your student(s) to receive a donated Weaver Wear item, please reach out to Rebecca Schlegel, Weaver Lake Elementary School Social Worker, at SchlegelR@district279.org. Rebecca maintains the stock of donated items and makes sure every item can find a new home. She’ll work with you to find the right size and style so that your students can rock their new Weaver Wear around the halls!
New FirstView 1.0 Bus Tracking App
RE: Download updated bus tracking app to receive real-time info
Stay connected with your student's bus via our updated bus tracking app – FirstView 1.0.
This new app replaces the previous system with improved features such as easier navigation, notifications and family/caregiver email alerts. Current users should delete the previous app and download FirstView 1.0 to continue receiving real-time bus information. Refer to the Getting Started guide for first steps once the new app has downloaded onto your device.
Questions? Visit district279.org/FirstView or email support@myfirstview.com.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Fill Out Application for Educational Benefits
The application for educational benefits takes just a few minutes to complete, and it unlocks valuable support for families who qualify. Benefits include:
Summer grocery support (Sun Bucks)
Discounted home internet and utilities
Lower college exam and AP fees
After-school and summer programs
Tutoring and academic help
Low-cost community transit
Free or discounted admission to museums, theaters and local events
How to apply:
Online through EduTrakConnect at www.district279.org/FMA. This option will create a family account allowing online access to view meal accounts.
Online at: bit.ly/3hWdk7Q This option will bypass making a family account while still allowing completion of the application.
Apply to Serve on District-Level Advisory Committees for 2025-26
PBIS Recognition
Upcoming events
October 7th: Parent/Teacher Conferences: 7:50 - 9:10 am; 4:30 - 7:30 pm
October 9th: Parent/Teacher Conferences: 7:50 - 9:10 am; 4:30 - 7:30 pm
October 13th: Parent/Teacher Conferences: 7:50 - 9:10 am; 4:30 - 6:30 pm
October 7th - October 14th: Literati Book Fair: Open to families during conferences
October 13th - November 13th: Butter Braid Fundraiser
October 16th & 17th: No School for students