Extracurricular Activities

Chess Club
Our Chess Club has about 50% of our students participating. Our students play for fun and have won trophies at tournaments in the area.

Mad Science
The Mad Science group comes for an after school class during part of the school year. A few of the subjects are Beguiling Bubbles, Go-Go Gravity, Shocking Science, Spinning Science, and Dinosaurs.

Drama Club
Drama club is offered in the spring for grades 2 - 4 after school. They practice for several weeks and then will perform for families and friends.

Medtronic TC Kids Marathon
Magnuson students train in the spring to run in the Medtronic TC Kids Marathon held at Como Park. They train for many weeks to build up for the final One-Mile run. Students bring home a training schedule so parents can participate and/or support their child. This is an event sponsored by Medtronic and Twin Cities Marathon and in the past the program provided pedometers one year and jump ropes the following year to help motivate each student. Many parents and the majority of our students ran and/or walked the mile, and a few MCS students have been able to run the entire mile.

Music
We celebrate Music in our Schools by having guest artists perform for the students.

Piano Lessons
Researchers are now able to physically document the benefits of music education by doing brain studies. These benefits are something that most of us have known and experienced for many years. Our Music Specialist, Janis Nash, will be offering many in school and out of school opportunities to learn to play the piano. Piano lessons provide a springboard for other musical skills as well as provide mental & physical challenges that enhance lifelong learning. At Magnuson, Kindergarten students will be introduced to piano lessons and will receive a lesson every week as part of the school day. The lessons will be group lessons, with 2 to 3 students in a group, and will be 15 minutes long. They learn some songs by singing and playing by a rote learning approach, and then will continue by using a method book. First, Second, Third and Fourth grade students will then have an opportunity to continue piano lessons that will occur outside of school class time, either before school, after school, or during the lunch/recess hour, if they so choose. Lesson groups will contain 3-4 students and will last 30 minutes. Communication with parents about lessons will be via a notebook that is brought each lesson.

Violin, Viola, Cello Lessons
Lessons are offered for violin, viola, and cello to students with parents in attendance at each lesson if the student is younger than third grade. Third graders may attend without a parent. Private lessons are offered for string instruments, or students may choose to take lessons in a small group. A strong commitment to daily practice with a parent home teacher and positive, loving encouragement is essential.