The smell of a new box of Crayolas and the sound of a school bus pulling up to the curb in the early hours: These are the makings of a new school year. This September, the education beat will look a bit different for many in Woodbury with kindergarten changes and a building overhaul at two new schools.
All-day Kindergarten: The Norm
At the state legislative session last year, leaders voted on a significant change for Minnesota’s littlest learners, and all South Washington County elementary schools followed suit. School funding was adjusted accordingly so that each district in Minnesota is making the transition to all-day kindergarten this school year, yet parents still have the option to enroll their child in half-day kindergarten. “We want to continue to offer our parents the option of enrolling their students in a half-day kindergarten if it best meets their child’s needs,” says Dr. Keith Jacobus, superintendent of South Washington County Schools. “It is important to allow families to make the best decision for their children since they know them best. There are many valid reasons for choosing a half-day option and we want to honor our parents’ ability to choose.”
The new schedule will have the more academic kindergarten subjects in the morning, with lunch, recess and extra activities following in the afternoon. This is so that those who choose the half-day option will still be able to learn the essentials. Half-day kindergarteners are also able to move to full-day at different transition points throughout the school year.
The switch for South Washington County Schools will be fairly seamless, as 65 percent of last year’s kindergarteners were enrolled in full-day kindergarten. This, the district believes, will make the transition this year an easier one for parents, kids and teachers. Five classrooms across the district were earmarked to accommodate the new format. Jacobus also notes that in the next few years, we will likely see fewer half-day kindergarteners as the program becomes more embedded in school districts across Minnesota.
A Community-funded Addition
On the first day following their winter break last school year, the students at New Life Academy walked into a new and improved school. Church members, head of school Cade Lambert and the New Life Church Governing Council partnered together to fund a $5 million renovation. “As a member of the council, we feel blessed,” says Steve Tourek, the head of the governing council. Tourek is also a parent at the Academy; his daughter Olivia graduated in 2012 and son Charlie is a ninth grader, and he saw the benefits of an addition from both views. “I think that they (students) feel it is a more fun space. It’s more welded to them,” he says. Senior Stephanie Pohl agrees. “We are so blessed to have a building that we can grow into and use for the glory of God,” she says.
The overhaul included a larger cafeteria and gathering area and five new classrooms that allow for more one-on-one teaching. But Lambert says his favorite part of the addition is the grand entrance’s renovation. It is now more open, with two stories. Seeing and hearing student reactions, Lambert says, has been the most telling. For instance, one day this past winter he overheard a student excitedly exclaim, “I can’t believe this is my school.”
Magical Minds, Magical Learning
Christi Pavel has always loved to teach. She moved to Minnesota after earning a degree in elementary education from the University of California–San Bernardino and taught on and off for seven years. As her two sons, Kian, now 4 and Brody, 3, grew older, she took a teaching hiatus. Instead she began working at her sons’ daycare and soon fell in love with her new job. “Once I started there, I learned that I love the environment,” she says. “I realized, ‘This is it, this is what I want to do.’” And yet, something was missing.
Pavel decided she wanted more for her kids. “I wanted to give people a good quality educational program that they can still afford,” she says. So she and her husband, Brian, opened Magical Minds Childcare and Learning Center in Woodbury last March. It has five classrooms, caring for and educating kids from 6 weeks to age 5. Teachers focus on a creative curriculum that includes social and emotional, physical, cognitive and language development. Pavel also emphasizes that it is a smaller center with a family-oriented feel. Owning a daycare center has allowed her to live out one of her favorite parts of teaching: interacting with smaller learners of a variety of ages.
Little Leaders
Similar to other charter schools, the Woodbury Leadership Academy has a singular focus. The school was founded on developing young leaders, and this fall it welcomes its first group of students. It is now open to kindergarten through sixth grade students for this school year, but hopes to add an additional grade level each year so that it will be a fully operating kindergarten through eighth grade school by 2016. According to Academy board member Darlah Krug, Woodbury’s newest charter school differs from other schools in the area due to two main characteristics: its teaching style and its leadership concentration.
Rather than focusing on a student’s grade level, the teaching model at Woodbury Leadership Academy focuses on performance. “It would not be unheard of, if you were to walk into a 4th grade classroom, a teacher would be working on eighth grade math,” Krug says. The Academy’s vision is to teach students individually and to challenge them academically. Additionally, it strives to create strong and independent leaders through community projects, student-led assemblies and by offering a student council with a significant voice in school matters. And, Krug notes, the board is looking forward to joining a community of local schools that are doing a great job of developing a new generation of leaders.
South Washington County Schools
651.458.6300
New Life Academy
651.757.4313
Magical Minds Childcare and Learning Center
651.458.1000
magical-minds.com
Woodbury Leadership Academy
651.321.8952
