Welcome Families,

I come from a large blended family from the Minnetonka/Wayzata area. I have three younger sisters and three younger brothers. I have twelve nephews and nieces that I completely adore and are "the complete boss of me" and I spend my summers at their beck and call!!!:)They all call me Tia :)

I live for the most part in California in the summer with #2 sister's family (nephew 17 , attending Santa Monica Community College, niece 15 yrs.) was spent going  riding the waves at Santa Monica Beaches,  playing games, listening to music (Jeremey Camps, Reckless Album are the current favorites), water polo, hanging out in hammocks, spending time on the elliptical, going to movies, "Barbie" and "The Sound of Freedom", shopping and riding my bycicle everywhere!

I also spent time in Arizona with #3 sister and her family. My nephews are 22(adjunct professor at GCU teaching Anatomy and Chemistry) and 20 (new father and my great niece is pretty much the yummiest baby ever:) my niece is 27 (married and teaching cello and music in Flagstaff).

My #3 brother has 4 girls( 17,15, 12, and 11 ) They play basketball, softball, tennis, sailing camp, volleyball,  and one is on the Nordic Ski team.

My #4 brother lives at home with my Step-Mom, is in a band, works on trouble shooting large machinery for Pirtek.

My #5 brother is a golf pro, has an adorable black lab Sophie, and is now in Rochester at Somerby .

This summer I was so thankful I had the opportunity to hang out with my family and friends! As you have read, I had a very busy summer! My family and church activities consume my time when I am not at school or preparing for school.  I am truly blessed and looking forward to an exciting year.

Primary Years Program (PYP)
At Highland Park Elementary, our focus is the Primary Years Program (PYP). This initiative is a transdisciplinary program that encourages and allows students and teachers to work to their highest potential. I am excited to offer your child a variety of learning experiences that will enable them to be successful in their future studies as well as their personal growth. I expect that students will work hard, do their best and turn in high-quality work. I also expect children to complete homework on their own (this goes for projects as well). I insist that students treat all students and staff with respect.
I have attached The Learner Profile and their definitions from IB. We use this vocabulary with the students and staff and encourage them to practice/demonstrate the qualities at all times. 
Our 6 Units of Inquiry this year are:
Theme :Title
Who We Are: Rights and Responsibilities in our Communities
How We Organize Ourselves : Systems of Mapping
How We Express Ourselves: Poetry and Literary Devices
How the World Works: Electricity and Magnetism
Where We Are In Place And Time: Immigration
Sharing the Planet : Water

Homework
Your child will have homework every night. They will have up to 30 minutes per night unless they have chosen to not complete their in classwork. That time is to be spent reading a book at their level. Please ask your child what homework they have nightly and call me or text me with any questions or homework help. This will help the student understand that their home and school worlds are working closely together as partners. 

Math-
St. Paul Public Schools is using a new Math curriculum, HMH into Math.   They are given 30 minutes every class period to complete their assignments.

Birthday Celebrations
Please try to think of non-edible birthday things because of the many allergies we have in class this year:) (mechanical pencils, fun erasers, a craft, etc)

Attendance/Drop off and Pick up
If you are dropping your child off, they may not be in the building before 7:15. If you are dropping your child off late, or picking them up early, you must stop in the office and sign them out with the school secretary. If you want to pick them up instead of taking the bus, a note must be provided or we will be required to put them on the bus. A student cannot ride another bus to a friend's house, nor can a walker take a bus home with someone else. If your child is going to be absent, a phone call must be made to the school 651-293-8770.

I have extremely high expectations for each child! I believe every child can be successful in an environment that is safe, challenging, creative, energetic and nurturing. Thank you in advance for the opportunity to watch your amazing child grow this year. I firmly believe the teacher and families need to work closely together for the success of any child. I look forward to working with you as a partner as we experience the school year together.

I look forward to a positively challenging year!

Sincerely,



Tani Winther


Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
(tani.winther@spps.org)
School 651-293-8770

Degrees and Certifications:

Credentials
I have a B.S. in Child Psychology and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education. I attended CONFRATUTE at the University of Connecticut for Gifted and Talented Education and have been to several of the IB training opportunities including: Introductory Training-New York, Unit of Inquiry Writing-Salt Lake City, Assessments-Philadelphia, General Training-Hilton Head, Leadership Training, Salt Lake City and curriculum writing, PYP Exhibition in Kansas City, MO, and last June I was in Keystone, Colorado at a PYP Workshop on Agency, Action and Service. I am also a volunteer IBPYP Workshop Leader and consultant for schools seeking IBPYP authorization. I was sent to Puerto Rico, Florida and Colorado to co-lead Level 1 Workshops. I have also been a consultant to a school in Colorado and Texas working towards their PYP authorization.