About Our School
Mission
The mission of Creek Valley Elementary School is to educate the mind and heart of each student in a safe and positive environment with shared, active, and meaningful learning through careful planning and an emphasis on community partnership and the practice and application of ethical values.
Pride Day
Creek Valley School gathers for Pride Day, an all-school assembly, once each month. A Pride Day Team, comprised of teachers and parents, plan the activity for each Pride Day. Pride Day is held to celebrate and reinforce ethical values in our own behavior, our school community, and to give service to our community. During this assembly, a classroom of students introduces one of our school's ethical values:
- Integrity (Doing the Right Thing)
- Compassion (Being
Kind)
- Courage (Being
Brave: the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty
or intimidation)
- Commitment (Doing What You Promise)
- Appreciation of Diversity (Showing Respect for
- Responsibility (Being Prepared, Following Through)
To help us remember all the ethical values, we use the first letters, ICCCAR, to remind us of the phrase "I Care."
Students who are observed practicing ethical values receive a Bobcat certificate. All certificates received are deposited in a container in the classroom. During the assembly program, one Bobcat certificate is drawn and a student is selected as the classroom's representative for that month. These ethical values are embedded in the school behavior plan, also.
It is common to have parents attend the Pride Day Assemblies.
For the schedule of Pride Day assemblies, see the Creek Valley Calendar
Site Council
The Creek Valley Site Council was started in 1990 through training in the state sponsored Minnesota Educational Effectiveness Program. The responsibilities of the Site Council are:
- To identify the organizational and instructional characteristics of effective
schools and to assess Creek Valley in relation to those criteria.
- To provide a channel for staff, students and parents for input and decision
making related to staff development and the educational environment of
the school.
- To develop goals for school improvement and work on their implementation.
- To encourage a strong partnership between school and parents through
communication and task forces.
- To use a "Collaborative Team Model" to plan school improvement.
- To represent groups of "stake holders" in the Creek Valley
learning community.
Representatives on the Council are: the Principal, the Staff Development Chairs, instructional staff and support staff and 2 parent representatives, selected through the PTA.
I have recently reviewed several inquiries about what the Creek Valley Site Council is and does. Like a student asking a question in class, if (s)he asks it, others most likely have the same question. So, in an attempt to explain what our Site Council is all about, I have outlined some answers to commonly asked questions. I hope it's helpful.
What is the Creek Valley Site Council?
The Creek Valley Site Council meets on a monthly basis to discuss teaching and learning strategies based on district and state curriculum. It consists of eight teachers (including the Staff Development chairpersons), the principal, and two parents from the PTA Executive Board. Members represent primary and intermediate staff, specialists, and non-certified staff who commit to the committee for two years. Every school in Edina has a site council, although each is unique in order to address specific needs of buildings. The Site Council parent representatives are more than willing to talk with you should you have any items relative to Site Council to discuss.
What are some examples of things the Site Council has done?
- The Council reviews Creek Valley's School Information
Report in order to construct strategies for the school year. One
example of our goals is: all students will be at a developmentally
appropriate level in reading and math by the end of each academic
year.
- This group regularly evaluates mini-grants submitted by staff. Each building has a staff development fund to be used for things such as workshops for teachers based on our school improvement goals.
Site Council 2008-09
Kari Dahlquist - chair; principal
Gary Davidson - K
Beth Jorgesnon – 1; staff dev.
Sarah Dolphin – 2; staff dev.
Melissa Boles - 3
Mali Wenkus - 4
Peter Wuest - 5
Kristen Heisserer - sp. ed.
Susan Charles - specialist
Kimberly Barrett - parent
Shanna Flynn - parent