Tatanka Elementary STEM School

Tatanka Elementary STEM School Welcome to Tatanka Elementary STEM School. The students, parents and staff of Tatanka have built a great place to learn.

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." Tatanka Iyotaka (Sitting Bull)

Tatanka's goal is for your child to become excited about thinking and learning and to become lifelong learners. We are here to support your child in developing the 21st Century skills of Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and innovation, and Critical thinking and problem solving (T

he 4C's). From your child, you will be hearing about STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math), Engineering is Elementary, Responsive Classroom, Thinking Maps, and Reading Rainbow. These are a variety of programs we use to support your child in increasing his or her academic achievement. Please feel free to ask questions of your child and of us to explain how these programs support learning.

We are always so proud of our Tatanka Alum! Good Luck today to Cam and Allen!
02/27/2026

We are always so proud of our Tatanka Alum! Good Luck today to Cam and Allen!

02/18/2026

When we allow ourselves to be open and grow, something amazing happens.

Our Tatanka herd becomes bigger.
Our Tatanka herd becomes stronger.
And we become stronger, too.

At Tatanka, there is always room for one more. Whether it’s a new friend, a new idea, or a new challenge, we grow by being open, by being brave, and by welcoming others into our herd.

Thank you for being part of what makes Tatanka strong. I hope you enjoy Buddy's Book Pick: Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo!

We are extending all of the fun from Day of Play to tonight's STEM Carnival! We are excited to see you all soon!
02/05/2026

We are extending all of the fun from Day of Play to tonight's STEM Carnival! We are excited to see you all soon!

We may have missed our pre-game shoutout window 🏆—but our hearts are bursting with pride for all of our former Tatanka s...
11/17/2025

We may have missed our pre-game shoutout window 🏆—but our hearts are bursting with pride for all of our former Tatanka students who competed in this fall! Congratulations to all of our amazing athletes who reached the state level this season! 👏

We are so proud of our fabulous Mrs. K. Johnson!
10/30/2025

We are so proud of our fabulous Mrs. K. Johnson!

Last night four of our teachers were named Leaders in Educational Excellence at a banquet hosted by Resource Training & Solutions in St. Cloud. In addition to qualifications like subject-area expertise and exemplary teaching skills, those selected "serve as examples to inspire fellow colleagues, students and their communities through positive leadership and attitude toward the educational field."

From left, the award winners are:
1. Joel Peterson, math teacher, Buffalo High School
2. Karmen Harnois, speech language pathologist, Montrose Elementary School of Innovation
3. Kristine Johnson, grade 3 teacher, Tatanka Elementary STEM School
4. Eric Cagle, science teacher, Buffalo Community Middle School

Please join us in thanking and congratulating these staff members who serve our students so well each day! More information on each individual will be shared in the future!

Thank you for another phenomenal year!
06/06/2025

Thank you for another phenomenal year!

Look at our brilliant Kindergarteners!
06/06/2025

Look at our brilliant Kindergarteners!

Yesterday’s Field Day was a huge success! A big thank you to all who were able to join us to cheer on our students and e...
05/29/2025

Yesterday’s Field Day was a huge success! A big thank you to all who were able to join us to cheer on our students and enjoy a picnic on the plaza. Your energy and support made the day even more memorable! We loved seeing our school community come together to celebrate teamwork, laughter, and sunshine!

Our 5th graders continue to amaze us with their fantastic wax museum events!
05/23/2025

Our 5th graders continue to amaze us with their fantastic wax museum events!

03/26/2025
We are so proud of our 5th grade students as they prepared and performed Little Red Riding Hood!
03/20/2025

We are so proud of our 5th grade students as they prepared and performed Little Red Riding Hood!

Tatanka Alums are Headed to State! Good Luck!
03/03/2025

Tatanka Alums are Headed to State! Good Luck!

Address

703-8th Street NE
Buffalo, MN
55313

Opening Hours

Monday 7:45am - 2:25pm
Tuesday 7:45am - 2:25pm
Wednesday 7:45am - 2:25pm
Thursday 7:45am - 2:25pm
Friday 7:45am - 2:25pm

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Tatanka Elementary “Engineering Our Future”

Science | Technology | Engineering | Math

At Tatanka Elementary STEM School (TESS), we offer a specialized curriculum that helps students become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) concepts are integrated into classroom lessons. Through these experiences, our students Collaborate, Communicate, think Critically, and use Creativity (the four Cs) 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 solutions using STEM concepts. This active, “minds on” approach prepares students with the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century.

Magnet School

TESS is a magnet school—a public school with a specialized curriculum. There is no fee to attend and transportation is provided. Students living in the TESS neighborhood boundary are automatically enrolled in the school. In addition, anyone within the district (and from a member district within the Northwest Suburban Integration School District—NWSISD) can apply for one of the open seats available at each grade level. Those families who open enroll apply through a lottery process with NWSISD.