June 2025 Newsletter

Matoska International PTO
Jun 2
4 min read

DATES TO REMEMBER

Last Day of School - 6/6

MIPTO Meeting - 6/3

School Board Meeting – 6/9

Juneteenth WBLAS buildings will be closed- 6/19

For more details visit - Matoska Calendar

WHAT A YEAR!!

So many great initiatives and events happened this year. Thank you all for the continued support and commitment to building our community. We look forward to next year.

IB INQUIRERS

A note from Susan Sedro

Risk-Taker: Encouraging Courage and Resilience in Children

One of the International Baccalaureate Learn Profile Attributes is Risk-Taker. In some cultures, risk-taking has a negative connotation of being risky. In our lessons, we emphasize that the risk-taker attribute focuses on courage and resilience. Here is the official IB definition of risk-taker.

We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

In class, we use this child-friendly definition.

We can try new things.

We don’t give up even when things are hard.

We are courageous but not unsafe.

We started our lesson with the picture book The Cow Who Climbed A Tree by Gemma Merino. It is a story about being courageous and trying new things. It also shows how other people can be a support or an obstacle to trying new things. The book does it all with a dash of humor.

After reading the story, we did an activity to help the children understand that tasks they find easy may be challenging to other people. We brainstormed ways we have been supported through challenges, and ways we could support others when they are courageous.

The following week, students shared many examples of how they had been courageous. They told me about learning to ride a bike, pulling out loose teeth, starting a new sport, and trying new foods.

Help your child become more confident and willing to take risks with these activities that promote courage and resilience.

Model courage and resilience by talking aloud as you work through challenges that arise in daily life.
Encourage your child to try new sports or activities they haven't done before.
Create a "challenge jar" where your child can write down new things they want to try.
Praise your child for their efforts and perseverance, regardless of the outcome.

Reading together can be a bridge to discussions about being a risk taker. Here are a few titles to foster those discussions.

	Anything is Possible by Giulia Belloni and Marco Trevisan We used this book in our K-2 lessons to see how planning, perseverance, and trial and error helped this duo design a flying machine.
	The Floating Field by Scott Riley We used this true story with our 3-5 grade students. It tells of how children on a small island in Thailand took charge to fix a problem. They were resourceful and used trial and error to build a floating soccer field.
	The Boring Book by Shinsuke Yoshitake This book won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year in 2019. It is about someone thinking about being bored. It is humorous and philosophical.
	Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol These small chapter books have a different mystery to solve in each chapter. They are aimed at grades 2-5.

SUMMER LEARNING RESOURCES & FUN

Here are some fun resources to keep reading and learning over the summer:

Participate in the Ramsey County Library Kids Summer Break Reading program. White Bear Lake's Summer Reading Kickoff: Llama Read-a-Rama is June 7th.
Check out Macaroni Kid for information on fun events and activities in the area.
Check out Science Buddies for fun age-appropriate science projects
Explore online classroom ready resources and videos from the Minnesota Historical Society

REGISTER KINDERGARTEN CONNECTIONS

Kindergarten Connections will be held on August 12th and 13th, 2025. This is an opportunity for each student to experience 75-minutes in the classroom with the kindergarten teachers and other incoming kindergartners.

During this time, the students will play games, draw pictures, listen to a story, meet teachers, and get to know some new friends. Adults will be offered a separate session during this time to learn more about our school and ask questions.

The goal is to have all kindergarteners sign up for one session.

Please use YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAME when registering for one session on this Kindergarten Connections Sign Up.