Welcome to Tatanka Elementary

Tatanka Elementary STEM School - Engineering our future

Tatanka Elementary STEM School is a magnet school with a specialized curriculum that helps students become thinkers and problem solvers. Here, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concepts are integrated into classroom lessons. Through these experiences, students Collaborate, Communicate, Think Critically, and use Creativity to develop a deeper understanding of all the STEM components. We build upon children's natural curiosity to help them research questions, investigate problems, and develop answers using STEM concepts. This active, "minds on" approach prepares students with the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century. Tatanka serves approximately 530 students in grades K-5.

Announcements & Upcoming Events for the 2018-2019 School Year:

February 2019:

February, 14: STAR STUDENT, Grades 1, 3 & 5 at 1:40.
FUN FRIDAY: February 15, 2019. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a mystery item at recess for $1.00.
February 18: NO SCHOOL. President's Day
February 19: Grade 2 Field Trip to Science Museum
February 25: 2019-2020 Kindergarten Registration Night 6:30pm

March 2019:

PTO Meeting: Thursday, March 7, 2019. Tatanka Elementary 6:30pm.
FUN FRIDAY: March 8, 2019. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a mystery item at recess for $1.00.

3/12/19, 3/14/19, 3/18/19: Parent / Teacher Conferences at Tatanka Elementary. Please visit with your child's classroom teacher to confirm your schedule time.
March 21: Kindergarten Field Trip to Children's Museum
March 21: Grade 3 Field Trip to MN Landscape Arboretum
March 28: Grade 2 Field Trip to Science Museum
March 29: No School

If you are new to the area or have moved boundaries, please call ahead to register your child. Please contact the Tatanka Office at 763.682.8600 for an appointment. If you are unsure of your boundary area, you can click on School Boundary Search to find your boundary area school. If you would like to expedite the registration process, click on Registration Forms and fill out the paper work before bringing them in to your appointment.

February is I LOVE TO READ Month

Dress-up Days

2/6 Wacky Wednesday (Crazy Hair and Silly Socks)

2/13 Sports Jersey and Hat Day! (Wear a jersey and a hat that go together)

2/20 Class Color Day (K=red, 1=orange, 2=yellow, 3=green, 4=blue, 5=purple)

2/27 Bison Pride Day (Wear Bison clothing)

Caught Reading at Home by Mr. Metzler

Mr. Metzler will be calling homes randomly in the evenings all month. Students who are “caught reading” when he calls will receive a free book the next day at school.

K-5 Character and Vocabulary Parade

On Thursday, February 21, at 8:15am we will be having a character and vocabulary parade for Grades K-5. Students in grades K-2 will dress up as a book character and students in grades 3-5 will dress up as a class vocabulary word. This parade is in celebration of “I Love to Read Month.” Parents are invited to come and watch in the cafeteria. The students will make one lap around the school and will come into the cafeteria as well.

2019-2020 Kindergarten Registration

When: Monday, February 25, 2019 at 6:30 PM

Where: Tatanka Elementary STEM School

Kindergarten registration information will be mailed to families in January. Students must be five years old on or before September 1, 2019. It is important to be at this registration in order to complete the required paperwork to register your child for Kindergarten in the fall of 2019.

Please contact Andrea Wiegert at 763.682.8615 with any questions / concerns in regards to registering your child for Kindergarten.

Winter recess! Brrr!

Please be sure to send your students to school dressed in their outdoor winter gear, prepared to be outside for at least 20 minutes each day. Students go outdoors for recess everyday unless the temperature and/or wind chill are below 0 degrees. Students will need the following clothing items to play on the playground when there is snow:

1. Warm coat

2. Snow pants

3. Boots

4. Mittens or gloves

5. Hat or hood

Please contact Principal, Mr. Metzler in the Tatanka office if your family does not have the means to provide warm winter clothing.

Thursday May 24, 18

Literacy Tutor - Minnesota Reading Corps

K-3 Literacy Tutor

Tuesday Aug 21, 18

School Start and Stop Time

Students cannot be dropped off before 7:25 a.m. Students must be in the classroom at 7:45 a.m. to not be counted absent or tardy. Classroom teachers take attendance at that time. The school day ends at 2:25 p.m. The shuttle bus bell rings at 2:10 p.m. and leave at 2:15 p.m. to go to Parkside or Northwinds. All other students are dismissed at 2:25 p.m.

Thursday Apr 7, 16

Tatanka Launches School Newscast!

Tatanka Elementary STEM School has entered the digital age! We have started a weekly schoolwide broadcast with our 5th-grade students. Each week a different group of 5th-graders will report the news to the rest of our school. Mr. Kuklok, Curriculum Integration Coordinator at Tatanka Elementary, is working with fifth grade students on this project. Check out this page for updated newscasts!