MPS Elementary Newsletter

As temperatures drop, please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the winter weather! All students in PreK–6th grade go outside for recess every day as long as the wind chill is above -10°F.

Students should come prepared with a warm winter coat, snow pants, winter boots, a hat, and gloves or mittens. Proper winter clothing helps keep students warm, safe, and comfortable while enjoying outdoor recess.

Please label all winter clothing with your child's name! This makes it much easier for us to return lost or misplaced items to their owners.

What do you prefer students to call you?

Mrs. Groven

How long have you been teaching?

How long have you been teaching at MPS?

This is my 6th year at MPS

When and how is the best time to contact you?

Before or after school

What is something that always makes you laugh?

Silly cat videos

What are 2–3 fun facts about you? This could include kids, pets, hobbies, silly facts, or anything else you would like to share!

I enjoy hiking. I enjoy reading. I have many stuff animals.

What is your name?

Lori Ricter

What do you prefer students to call you?

Mrs. Ricter

How long have you been teaching?

How long have you been teaching at MPS?

This is my 5th year at MPS

When and how is the best time to contact you?

8:15-4:00

What is something that always makes you laugh?

When little children laugh.

What are 2–3 fun facts about you? This could include kids, pets, hobbies, silly facts, or anything else you would like to share!

I have 2 cats that wake me up every morning. I have 1 child that I have to wake up every morning! I love reading Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books.

What is your name?

Amy Ertelt

What do you prefer students to call you?

Miss Amy

How long have you been teaching?

How long have you been teaching at MPS?

This will be my 18th year at Minnewaukan Public School and my 25th year teaching overall.

When and how is the best time to contact you?

You can always email me anytime and I will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also call the school from 8:15-4:00 to visit over the phone

What is something that always makes you laugh?

I always laugh at what kids say. They can be so funny!

What are 2–3 fun facts about you? This could include kids, pets, hobbies, silly facts, or anything else you would like to share!

I have a wonderful husband and two amazing children. My daughter is a senior at UND and is currently completing a co-op with Bobcat in Bismarck. My son is a sophomore at DLHS and has the best lawn mowing business around.

When I am not teaching my littles at school, I love spending time with my family and enjoying every minute of watching them do the things they love. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love everyday.

I also absolutely love, love, love pizza and could probably eat it for every meal! One of my favorite things to do in the fall is make homemade salsa.

What is your name?

Hilary Kratzke

What do you prefer students to call you?

Miss Hilary

How long have you been teaching?

How long have you been teaching at MPS?

8 years

When and how is the best time to contact you?

You can contact me after school anytime. It is easiest for me to call parents after school

What is something that always makes you laugh?

It is very easy for me to laugh and have fun. I love to spend time with students and talk to kids. One thing that always makes me laugh is the Minions. They are so silly and fun.

What are 2–3 fun facts about you? This could include kids, pets, hobbies, silly facts, or anything else you would like to share!

I love to garden. It’s my new adventure. I also love to craft. I started making little bookshelf houses. They are so cute.

I have a little boy named William. He is 4

I have a cat named Monet who loves to sit on my books.

We are learning all about Fall and the 4 seasons! We went to the Pumpkin Patch in Minnewaukan to play fun fall games and pick out our very own pumpkin! We are also learning about making a simple pattern! We got to have partners and work together to make a simple pattern! They did so good!

Preschool students enjoy learning and playing. They have been learning school rules and learning how to be good friends. We have many different centers in the classroom that the students learn at. They love playing at the sensory table, reading books, dramatic play area, and many other centers.

This fall we have been talking about community helpers. The students chose what they want to be when they grow up. Many students chose race car driver, police officer, paleontologist, and chef. The students did an art project where they made themselves into their future careers.

October 15th the pre k students went to the pumpkin patch. They looked at different kind of pumpkins, played games, and picked some apples. They loved learning about how pumpkins grow!

Next week the pre k students will be learning about fall. We will be doing a cooking activity with apples, doing apple art, and learning about the season. It is so fun to watch them learn and grow.

Exciting things are happening at Minnewaukan Elementary! Our Buffalo Crew is stepping up as student leaders to help make our school a place where everyone feels connected, included, and proud to be a Mystic!

Each month, the Buffalo Crew will lead schoolwide assemblies focused on our school expectations and the Seven Grandfather Teaching of the Month. These assemblies will help students learn about respect, kindness, responsibility, and the importance of making positive choices.

But that's not all! Our Buffalo Crew is also planning fun activities with our younger elementary students, giving them opportunities to build friendships, serve as role models, and strengthen our school community.

Students in grades 4–6 are also divided into three mixed-grade houses: Bison 🦬, Bears 🐻, and Wolves 🐺! Throughout the year, the Buffalo Crew will organize exciting house activities that encourage teamwork, leadership, school spirit, and friendly competition!

We are excited to watch our student leaders grow, bring students together, and make a positive difference throughout our school. It's more than just school spirit—it's about building leadership, friendships, and a strong Mystic family!

We want to make sure every student has the winter clothing they need to stay warm! If your family is having difficulty providing winter gear for your child, please contact the school. We still have some winter clothing available from Demi Cook's winter gear fundraiser last year that we would be happy to share with families in need.

Additionally, our school reserves Johnson-O'Malley (JOM) funds to help provide winter clothing for eligible students whose families may need financial assistance. Please don't hesitate to reach out if your child needs winter gear. We want every student to be warm, comfortable, and ready to enjoy outdoor recess!

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

Check out last month's Mystic of the Month on our website!

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

This month's Grandfather Teaching: ❤️Love- Eagle 🦅

This month's- Expectation Area:

Elementary Expectations MPS

Elementary Expectations MPS Videos

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