Willow Lane Elementary School, 3375 Willow Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
November 2014
The Willow Window
As this is being written, it is a beautiful warm late summer
day at the end of October. Hasn’t this month’s weather just
been glorious! Here is a brief recap and some highlights of
this very busy and very productive month.
Our second graders finished their swimming lessons at the
YMCA; teachers and parents met for student conferences;
PTO sponsored BINGO and a dance; high school football
players came to read to our classrooms; reading buddies are
joining together on a weekly basis; student council sponsored
a Spirit Week combined with a food drive; and everyone is
looking forward to the annual costume parade on Friday the
31st. In addition to all these fun activities, students and
teachers have been working very hard in their classrooms.
Friday, October 31 is the last day of the first quarter of
school. Report cards will be coming out shortly.
The construction project is nearing completion! Everyone is
excited about the new gym and music areas and can’t wait to
start utilizing that space (especially Mr. Cooper and Mr.
Kolman-Keen!). When they move into their new areas, some
other staff will also be moving into new spaces.
Some things coming up in November:
 Monday, November 3rd is a teacher
work/professional development day so there is
NO SCHOOL for students.
 Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, November 4th.
 White Bear Center for the Arts will be providing art
classes to our students
 Thanksgiving break is Thursday and Friday,
November 27 & 28 NO SCHOOL.
What’s Happening
at Willow?
November 3 – No School – Staff Development Day for Teachers
6 - PTO Saints North Rollerskating, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
7 – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Minnesota Arboretum, 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.
Fall Fundraiser Pick Up, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
18 – PTO Meeting, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Media Center
21 – 5th Grade DARE Graduation, 2:15 p.m.
27, 28 – No School – Thanksgiving Break
December 5 – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Orchestra Hall, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
9-11 – Extended Day Holiday Bake & Craft Sale (before & after
school)
12 – PTO Sit Down With Santa, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
22-January 2 – No School (Winter Break) – School resumes on
January 5.
On September 24-26th the 5th graders from
Willow Lane went to Wolf Ridge Environmental
Learning Center located in Finland, Minnesota.
Some of the students would like to share their
adventures.
Our Wolf Ridge Experiences
By Students in Mr. Maloy’s Class
Do you like challenging yourself? Well I have a place for you! It’s called Wolf Ridge.
It’s a camp. It’s really fun and I mean really fun, like “so excited you feel like
you’re gonna throw up before you go on a roller coaster but you still wanna go”
kinda fun……!!! I went zip lining 40 ft. in the air. Can you believe it!? I cried cause
you know, I thought I was gonna die. You’re probably thinking I’m over reacting, it
couldn’t have been that scary. But believe me it was! But there were people who
were very encouraging! :) We also went on a night hike and before I tell you about
it there are: wolves, coyotes, foxes, hares and all sorts of animals…that I forgot
about but anyway, we went on a night hike. It was pitch black so we had to bring
flashlights. It was kinda scary but definitely funny! All the boys were trying to
scare everyone. Then sometimes we heard something rustling through the trees
and we all jumped. We also saw bones. I don’t know if they were wolf bones or deer
bones. One thing is this huge flight of stairs we had to walk up after AND before
we hiked. I think it had about 500 steps on that thing! Do you like doing fun
things? Maybe you’ll find some exciting fun new things to do at Wolf Ridge! I sure
did! :) By Anisa
There are lots of new things at Wolf Ridge! I went on a one hour night hike. We
walked down 245 stairs. Those stairs were the steepest. I thought that I was
going to fall. When we got to the bottom of the stairs, I was scared but excited
for the rest.
When we were half way through the walk Sophie and I heard a noise that sounded
like a chainsaw. Then we heard a little girl scream. I thought it was my
imagination. I got scared, but Sophie was like a leech to me. She would not leave
my side.
We did this experiment with Mentos. I was with Betsy and Jordyn. The experiment
was to chew the Mentos. It looked like sparks coming out of our mouths. When we
got through with experiment, we saw some bones. We learned that it was road kill.
I had a great time at Wolf Ridge. I hope when you go that you have a great time.
And try new things, too. By Belle
Do you like to try new things? I was able to spend
three days at Wolf Ridge. I was hanging from a wire in
the air. My class got lost on a night hike. There was
only one cable I could balance on. It was close to 45
feet in the air but luckily, I wore a harness. It felt like
I was going to fall. On the first course, there was an
old looking bridge. Well that’s what I thought. It was
even missing a wood plank!
On the night hike it was so dark. If I did not have a flashlight I would not be
writing this. When my class found bones, some people thought that there was a
wolf or some sort of animal was nearby. My teacher pulled out a pack of mint
cracklers and we saw some things crackle in our mouths.
There is plenty of new things to try at Wolf Ridge. Now I cannot be so scared
about the ropes course. I can now think I was able to get back to the camp after
the hike. Maybe you might get to try new things if you go to Wolf Ridge. By Mekhi
Wolf Ridge is awesome! I got to go to Wolf Ridge for
three days! I got to go to a lake that Wolf Ridge owns.
I went on a ropes course. It was forty feet above the
ground. First, I went on a bridge made of wood. The
bridge was simple. Second, I walked on a single wire. On
the side it had wire to hold on to but it was still hard.
Third, I went on two brown logs side by side. It was easy. Fourth, I went on a
single wire, but this time instead of wire to hold on to there was wire hanging
upside down on a different wire. They were called cherry pickers. I fell off the
single wire!! But I got back up. I went on a single brown log and finally I got to the
zip line. It was AWESOME!!! Then I was finished with the ropes course.
I went to a lake that Wolf Ridge owned. I put blackish grayish boots on. My group
tested the temperature of the air and the water. Then we did an experiment. Last,
we looked for animals in the lake. We didn’t find any but I tripped on a log and fell
in. I was soaked for the rest of the day.
Wolf Ridge is so cool! The ropes course was awful but the zip line was awesome.
The Wolf Ridge Lake was fun even though I fell in. You should go to Wolf
Ridge. By Nevi
Do you like to have fun? Well, I had fun at Wolf Ridge. We went on a ropes course.
Also a night hike. They both were very scary.
I only had one cable to balance on for that 3rd obstacle on the ropes course. It
was easy when all your friends and teachers were cheering you on. When you look
down all you see are a bunch of different colored eyes staring at you. You get
really scared and some people cried.
Next, we went on a tiring night hike. I tripped about 100 times. It was hard to see
in the dark and with people shining their flashlights in your eyes. Also it is hard
when you think you are safe then a boy comes up and scares you from behind.
It was one of the funnest times of my life. I guess the ropes course was easier
than I thought. I am happy that I am still alive from the night hike. Why don’t you
come to Wolf Ridge? I promise that you will have as much fun as I did. By Betsy
Fifth Graders from Mrs. Lilja’s class wrote letters to future fifth graders
who will be visiting Wolf Ridge in the years to come.
Dear Future 5th Graders,
I know being away from home is hard for some people, but Environmental Camp is
worth it. It was really fun! We had some great classes like zip lining. We also
climbed a mountain, and learned about Minnesota mammals.
One of my highlights was going zip lining. The zip line course was very high up,
maybe about 32 ft. in the air. Once I made it through the course the first time, I
wanted to do it again and again!
The people who made my trip fun were
the instructors. The one thing I am sure,
you will remember is having fun and
hanging out with your friends. There is a
gift shop there too, however that is not
the only reason why you should go to
camp! You should go because you will have
a really great experience. You will always
remember the wildlife, great activities
and friendships.
I learned so much in those three days! Some advice before you go to camp would be
to follow the rules and instructions, and always stay with your group! If you do all
those things, I am sure you will have a blast. Oh yeah, the bus trip was long, so
remember to bring some snacks.
Sincerely,
Andrea
Dear Future 5th Grader,
Wolf Ridge was awesome! I remember
the Ropes Course, the Night Hike,
Northwood Mammals, Geology, Dream
Catchers, and Lake Study. Oh it was
fun alright! Follow the directions and
you will have the best time at your
environmental camp! We went to Wolf
Ridge, it is near Superior Lake. It was
a 4-5 hour ride.
One of the highlights of our camp was the Ropes Course which had a zip line that
was about 32 ft. up in the air. I overcame my fear of heights and had so much
fun! I had Geology. Geology is about rocks, but more fun! For this geology course
we were able to climb up a mountain. Lake Study was awesome as well. Lake Study
is when you measure stuff in the lake, but here is the fun thing, you get to go in
the lake! I made a dream catcher in the Dream Catcher class. Northwood Mammals
is a class where we hiked and found evidence from animals. I found black bear scat
(poop). I got to see a North American porcupine, his name is Thistle, he was a
rescue animal.
A flight of stairs with 285 stairs!
Finally, you should go to camp, because there are so many different and fun
classes. Have fun at your camp!
Sincerely,
Angelica
Halloween Fun
From mrs. reed’s 3 Grade Class
Room 213
rd
Halloween Fast Facts

Many years ago people believed that witches, ghosts, goblins and elves ruled Earth
on Halloween.

The first Jack-O-Lanterns were made from turnips.

Trick-or-Treating first started in the United Kingdom and Ireland. People went house
to house asking for small breads called Soul Cakes in exchange for prayers for their
dead relatives.

Adults in the United Kingdom and Ireland also went door to door asking for food and
drinks in exchange for a song or dance.

When Trick-or-Treating first became popular in the United
States in the 1800’s, more children played mischievous
pranks instead of asking for candy.

The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm
Craven who broke the world record in 1993 with a 836 pound
pumpkin.

In Ireland, rural neighborhoods light bonfires and children play Snap Apple, in which
they try to take a bite from apples that are hung by strings from a tree or a door
frame.

Americans plan to spend 6.9 billion dollars this year for Halloween.

Last year, more than 12.6 billion was spent on chocolate in the United States.
From Annika and Fatimah
Halloween Jokes
By Gabby
Q: What music do mummies like to listen to?
A: Wrap music!
Q: What is a ghost’s favorite ride at the fair?
A: The scary-go-round and the rollerghoster!
Q: What’s a ghost’s favorite room?
A: The living room!
Q: What’s a goblins favorite cheese?
A: Monster-ella!
Q: Where do monsters get their cookies?
A: The ghoul scouts!
Q: Why do vampires need mouthwash?
A: Because they have bat breath!
Q: What do you call a vampire that lives in a kitchen?
A: Spatula!
Our First Grade Field Trip to the Fire Station
Monday, October 6, 2014
Our class took a bus to Fire Station #2. First, we watched a movie, Sparky’s
ABCs of Fire Safety - “Get Out and Stay Out!” and “Stop, Drop, and Roll.”
Next, we sat in an ambulance and learned about what is in it, like blankets,
bandages, medicine, and a stretcher.
Then, we saw two fire trucks, Rescue #2 and Engine #8. We saw many tools
like the Jaws of Life, axes, and hoses that went in different directions.
Then, we went into the Smoke House. We learned how to feel the door, crawl
under smoke, and climb out the window.
Finally, we walked to have lunch at McDonald’s. Last, we walked back to school
on this sunny and windy day.
Mrs. House’s First Grade Class
Willow Lane Music
Where seeds are planted, and talent is harvested.
Music Notes!
News:
5th Grade
 Orchestra meets every Tuesday before school, 8:00-9:00 AM.
 Please bring recorders to school and class every day. We still use them
for some of our activities, and they make a great addition to our musical
sounds!
4th Grade
 Orchestra meets every Tuesday before school, 8:00-9:00 AM.
 Bring recorders every day! I still have recorders for sale, and I will be
happy to loan school recorders to students who practice at home.
3rd Grade
 The Orchestra Hall field trip to see Amahl and the Night Visitors is
Friday, December 5. Permission slips are due by November 14. Parents
- please use the permission slip to let us know if you are able to
chaperone.
As winter weather makes its way to Minnesota, please make sure that your
students have appropriate footwear for the music room. They should wear
regular footwear for music class. It is not appropriate for students to wear boots
or only socks during music.
Musically,
Mr. Kolman-Keen
WILLOW LANE
ORCHESTRA NEEDS
INSTRUMENTS!
October 31, 2014
Dear Willow Lane Families,
More students than EVER are participating in the Willow Lane Orchestra (the ONLY
orchestra in White Bear Lake), and we have run out of instruments!
If you or anyone you know wishes to donate a violin, viola, or cello in ANY condition,
please have them contact me as soon as possible! We will also accept monetary donations to
cover the cost of new instruments.
These donations are entirely tax-deductible. Checks may be made out to ISD 624.
Thank you for your consideration,
Scott Kolman-Keen
Music Specialist
Director, Willow Lane Orchestra
[email protected]
651-407-7600 x2426
A few words from
Student Council
Congratulations on a record-setting spirit week and food
drive!
Be on the lookout for upcoming Student Council events,
including Pennies for Patients in February! Have a great
November!
Addison & Mason, Co-Presidents
of Student Council, are
announcing the plans for Spirit
Week and the Food Drive.
A Message from Mrs. Knops
It is with mixed emotions that Halloween will be my last day here at Willow Lane
Elementary. I have accepted a new position as the Kitchen
Supervisor at the ALC, which is located in the old Golfview
School building here in WBL.
I am SO sad to be leaving my Willow kids and staff after
almost 21 years, but am SO excited for the new
challenge awaiting me! Being a "Lunch Lady" is the best job
at a school because I get to see almost every child, every day,
and many of them twice a day!! I get to hear sad and happy
stories, share in celebrating your Birthdays, and see where
you have lost your teeth!!
Mrs. Heidi Sicard has been hired to take over my position.
You will still see Mrs. Simmons and Mrs. Haugen every day.
Please remember to take a fruit or vegetable every day, be kind and respectful to each
other and to adults and Remember to say “Please” and “Thank you”.
And, always remember, I love you~
Mrs. Knops