School Spotlight: Rice Lake Elementary

Rice Lake Elementary in Maple Grove prides itself on being a community school.

“People know each other, everybody greets each other,” remarked Principal Margo Kleven.

Students are challenged with rigorous coursework aimed at closing the achievement gap.

Kleven says the staff is constantly testing students proficiency to catch problems before they occur. Hands-on learning also plays a big part in their success.

The school received a $2,200 dollar grant from the Osseo School District to buy materials for its C4 program.  The name of the program stands for challenge, create, construction and connect. Rubik’s cubes, blocks, high tech gadgets and more help to get the creative juices flowing.

“This allows all kids to be exposed to different resources, different materials, and different opportunities to really think creatively and to build and construct and to play,” explained Erin Haynese, coordinator of the C4 program.

Positive Behavior & Life Lessons 

A positive behavior program helps to build community and understanding among students. Each month, student participate in a theme based event: this month gratitude is the focus. Students put notes of gratitude on a huge paper tree, which is hanging on a wall in the hallway.

Real life lessons on protecting the environment are also part of the curriculum. Rice Lake Elementary received a $12,000 dollar recycling grant from Hennepin County to start a compost program. Students are in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly.

Dedicated staff and teachers foster a love of learning, and that’s a few of the things that make Rice Lake Elementary a top school.

Maple Grove

School Spotlight