I can hardly believe how quickly February has flown by! It has been an action-packed month full of learning, excitement, and special moments at Baxter Elementary. Our students enjoyed a Glow Dance Party, a slime-filled assembly, Camp Baxter, I Love to Read Month, an exciting ice fishing day in PE, our 2nd grade concert and the incredible 3rd Grade Wax Museum. Each experience was thoughtfully organized by our dedicated staff. It was also wonderful to see so many of you joining us as mystery readers and volunteers—your involvement makes such a meaningful impact on our students every day.

As you read through the rest of this newsletter, you’ll find important information about upcoming events and opportunities for engagement. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in your child’s education and are thrilled to have your family as part of our amazing Baxter Warrior Crew.

Sincerely,

Our Lost & Found at Baxter has accumulated a large number of items. We kindly ask families to please remind their children to check the Lost & Found now that we are back from break to ensure all personal belongings and clothing items are retrieved.

We can’t wait to celebrate our February Students of the Month next week! Our focus for the month was Perseverance and Grit, qualities that shine when students keep going even when things get challenging. These students don’t give up when tasks feel difficult—they learn from mistakes, ask for help when needed, practice to improve, and stay committed to their goals. You might notice this perseverance when a student tackles a tough math problem, revises their writing to make it stronger, works through a tricky reading passage, or navigates a disagreement with a classmate in a respectful and thoughtful way.

Looking ahead, our character trait for March will be Kindness. True kindness is reflected in both our words and our actions, and at Baxter Elementary, we are so fortunate to have many students who consistently demonstrate this trait. Our students are thoughtful, considerate, and treat others with respect and care—just as they would want to be treated. We are excited to highlight and celebrate acts of kindness throughout the month of March and encourage everyone to spread positivity in everything they do.

We’re excited when families join their students for lunch! To keep lunchtime safe and organized, please enjoy your meal together on the stage. All other students in the grade level will remain at their regular lunch tables. Thank you for helping us make lunch a positive experience for everyone!

I want to give a huge thank you to our 2nd graders, Mrs. Lee, and the entire 2nd grade staff for helping make our 2nd grade concert such a success. The students did an absolutely amazing job, and it was evident how much dedicated time and practice went into making it such a wonderful concert!

Many of our Baxter students had the opportunity to participate in the Winter Carnival hosted by Camp Confidence. The day was filled with fun and engaging activities, giving our students a chance to continue learning and growing.

A big thank you to Camp Confidence for hosting, and to all of our Baxter staff and volunteers who helped make this a memorable day for our students!

Our 3rd graders worked incredibly hard to prepare for and present at their Wax Museum. The learning they gained throughout the process was absolutely amazing! Thank you to our 3rd grade team for bringing this learning to life, and a big thank you to all of our families who attended—the students were so excited to share their knowledge!

Camp Baxter is a beloved yearly event created by Mrs. McAllister that gives our students a truly special experience. It’s full of excitement, combining the fun of camping with engaging literacy activities—all woven together to create memories our students will treasure.

Another amazing year of Baxter Fishing Stations! A huge thank you to Steve Hanson, Dwane at Pleasureland RV, Dave Lockwood and Jim Guida with MN DNR, Doug Erickson, Jordan Spychalla, Adam Mord with Walleye Alliance, and Rick Jensen from BHS—we truly could not have made this day possible without your time, energy, and support!

And a very special shout-out to Mr. A for organizing such an incredible day. Our 3rd and 4th grade students had an unforgettable experience, learning, exploring, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you to everyone who helped make this tradition so special!

Here is a monthly reminder about our volunteer policies and procedures. This will help ensure that anyone interested in volunteering completes the required paperwork in advance. All visitors to Baxter Elementary will be asked to present a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport card) upon entering the building. This is part of our Raptor security system, which quickly scans IDs and checks them against a national database to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

The term “visitor” includes parents/guardians and community members who come for school events, classroom parties, dropping off materials, or other large-group activities. Classroom visits and field trip support will always be coordinated directly through your student’s classroom teacher.

We love our volunteers! To participate as a classroom volunteer, working in the classroom, field trip chaperone, book fair helper, or in any other volunteer role, the district requires two important steps each year.

Step 1: Complete the Volunteer Application

Step 2: Read the Volunteer Guidelines and complete the Verification Form.

Please note: Applications take 5–7 business days to process. Be sure to plan ahead if you’d like to help with an upcoming event or field trip. 

Thank you for supporting our students at Baxter!

Let's come together as a school community and welcome warmer weather and sunshine!