Garin Bogenholm, principal, Little Canada Elementary School

Little Canada Elementary is a neighborhood school in the Roseville district just a couple miles north of St. Paul. Currently, the school provides services to 430 students ranging from early childhood to sixth grade: 46 percent of students receive free/reduced lunch; 48 percent are ethnic minorities; 11 percent receive special education services.  Little Canada also is home to the Roseville district’s CID (Autism) program -- serving 15 students in grades K-5, has a Gifted and Talented Education program (GATE), and provides extra support to students before and after school through the TOPS program.  Scott Allen was the principal of Little Canada Elementary through the 2009 school year, when he left to take on AP/Athletic Director at Roseville Area High School. Garin Bogenholm is the current principal.

Innovation and commitment to learning for all are the hallmarks of learner-centered leadership. Little Canada staff members demonstrate these hallmarks by their willingness to collaborate and share decision-making. This community of life-long learners and capable leaders seek to improve learning for all Little Canada students.

At Little Canada School learner-centered leadership is a dynamic process focusing on teachers, parents, and students taking an active role in the learning process. The commitment is evident through the staff decision to pursue Responsive Classroom training. Responsive Classrooms promote the building of academic and social-emotional skills in students, which in turn develops their leadership qualities.

Little Canada Elementary staff are exemplary in using data multiple sources to measure student performance and to evaluate the effectiveness of school programs. The staff currently use the following measures to evaluate students’ progress:  Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment  (MCA), the NWEA data in reading, math and language arts (MAP), Scholastic Benchmark assessments in reading; as well as DIBBLES assessment for non-fluent readers in the primary grades. During 2007-2008 grades K-3 were part of a Reading Academy grant from the University of Minnesota which included fall and spring standardized assessments. Teams of teachers use additional assessments as appropriate for the grade, subject or learning needs of their children. Special Education staff use a wide range of assessment data to identify and assess growth of their students. ELL uses the TEAE assessment.

Little Canada School participates in the Alterative Teacher Professional Pay System (ATPPS), which is tied to student achievement. Reading goals were set for students in kindergarten through second grade and math goals for students in third through sixth grade based on fall MAP test scores. Licensed staff members meet within Professional Learning Communities (PLC) to review and collaborate

Scott Allen, past principal, Little Canada Elementary School

towards improving student achievement.

The school community recognizes that incorporating technology in the classroom engages students in the learning experience as well as providing additional teaching resources. During the spring of 2008 Parent Teacher Association (PTA) funds were pooled with district and building funds to place a SMART board in every classroom, plus the Media Center, Title I room, English Language Learner room, and a Communication Interaction Disorder (CID) classroom. All teaching staff with SMART boards attended summer training workshops. Currently they are collaborating and sharing pertinent SMART board lessons with teachers across the district. The fifth grade teachers are making science and math more relevant and interactive for the students through the purchase of a document camera to use with their SMART boards.

Little Canada School seeks leadership contributions from multiple sources. Students, staff, and families plan all-school events. Students and their families are invited to a BBQ in August at which staff members, spouses and some PTA volunteers serve about 1000 hot dogs and hamburgers. There are Family Fun Nights, musical programs, and athletic events. Curriculum Night gives parents the opportunity to review new curriculum. At least one teacher consistently attends PTA meetings sharing news and classroom activities. The PTA promotes and supports Anti Bullying curriculum and Equity programs by funding lyceums.

In the coming year, the school will introduce a monthly informal, agenda-free meeting with the principal and/or mayor of Little Canada. Many parents join their children for breakfast at school in the morning, so the informal  “Breakfast with the Principal/Mayor” during that time will involve a large number of families. The breakfast meetings will alternate between the school cafeteria and multi-family housing locations in the area, providing families the opportunity for a growing voice at the school decision-making table.

“I have been in the Roseville School District for the past 18 years and Little Canada has an outstanding reputation,” says Garin Bogenholm, Little Canada principal. “I have spent the summer getting to know the parents, students and staff at Little Canada Elementary School and I am very excited for the upcoming year.  Little Canada is an incredible school with passionate teachers, a dedicated staff and a community that values education. The work that they have been doing here over the last several years is quite remarkable and I am looking forward to contributing to that continued success. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming, I am just thrilled to be here."

Outgoing principal (moved in June 2009 to AP/Athletic Director at Roseville Area High School), Scott Allen echoes the sentiments: “Little Canada has a dedicated staff, willing to go the extra mile for kids. This is a school that is proud to be rich in tradition and diversity. As the principal, I was proud to be a member of the Little Canada Elementary staff.”