FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Chris Holden | @MonsieurHolden | 952.848.4100

Dear Normandale Families,

Current French Immersion families who have an incoming kindergarten student for the 2023-24 school year must submit the Program Preference Form in order to receive Sibling Preference for Edina residents. The Preference Form is available online and is due by 4:00pm on January 6. If you have any questions about the process, please contact the Normandale office at 952-848-4100.

JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS - REGISTRATION OPEN

Junior Great Books is a reading enrichment program available to students in grades 2-5. The program costs $40 and includes nine stories with various themes for different grades. It's a great way to encourage English reading and to cultivate interesting discussions with your students.

Registration is open now through Tuesday, December 20 through Normandale's Membership Toolkit platform. Thanks to our parent leader volunteers, we are able to offer 30 spots for second grade students and 20 spots per grade for students in grades 3-5.

Weekly sessions will begin after winter break. Meetings will be held inside classrooms over lunch and recess. A peanut-free bag lunch will be necessary on days when JGB meets.

For additional information about the program please email Julie Lovaas, Normandale’s Junior Great Books coordinator, at [email protected]. 

WINTER TEACHER/STAFF GIFTS

The Normandale PTO wants to provide a helping hand and facilitate winter holiday gifts for Normandale teachers and staff. Participation is optional.

The PTO has created an online form that will allow families to make an electronic payment with a custom note to their chosen teachers/staff. All gifts must be submitted by 5pm this Friday, December 9. You may also send notes without making a monetary gift. Additional instructions can be found at the top of the form.

In order to access the form, you must be logged in to Normandale's Membership Toolkit portal. If you have not confirmed your family's data this year, you will need to do that before the system will allow you to access the gift form. Once you are logged in, you can find Forms under the My Account menu.

The gift form is also available through the Membership Toolkit mobile app. You can find it in the top left menu under My Account > Forms. Normandale families already have an entry in the directory even if you have never logged in. If you are unsure what email address is associated with your Normandale Membership Toolkit account, or if you have any questions about the form, please email Sheri Rosen.

Once again, participation is completely optional.

NORMANDALE SPIRIT WEAR!

The Normandale Apparel Team has some new cozy merch just in time for the snow and the holidays! 

Check out our Apparel website anytime: normandale-apparel.square.site

CLÉMENTINE BEGIN - SECOND GRADE

ABOUT ME: Hi everyone! Let me tell you a little more about me! I grew up in a big city called Reims along with two big sisters, Cecile and Claire, about 2 hours from Paris. This region I was raised in is known to be where Champagne is made and also a specialty called biscuits de rose. They're delicious! My family and I moved to the countryside when I was about 8 years old. This is when I got the news that I was going to have a little brother, Nathan, who is now 14 years old ! We eventually moved back to the city; Châlons-en-Champagne where I finished my last two years of high school!

IN THE US:  Well, funny enough, I have already been to Minnesota before! I used to have a close friend that lived there! I visited the summer of 2019 and I got to see several places such as the Mall of America, the Lino Lakes Eagle Brook Church, Stillwater...I have not gotten to visit the big cities and their numerous attractions though, and hope to do so during this upcoming year!

MY FAVORITE FOOD: Some of my favorites are: raclette (a contraption meant to heat cheese is put on the table and said cheese is typically served with boiled potatoes and a bunch of charcuterie), tartiflette (made with potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons and onions and cooked in the oven), and boeuf bourguignon (a beef stew braised in red wine and beef stock, with carrots, onions and whatever garniture is preferred)



I AM EXCITED ABOUT:  I am extremely excited to work amongst incredible teachers and get to learn about their way of teaching and how they approach it. I want to soak in as much as I can, to instill it in my future career. I also cannot wait to meet my future host family and students and spend an entire year by your side.

EDINA EARLY LEARNING CENTER - A TASTE OF FRENCH

Do you have a 3, 4 or 5 year old at home? If so, check out this offering at the Early Learning Center - A Taste Of French.

Students will begin to get a "taste" of the French language and culture. Simple vocabulary will be introduced as well as some at home activities for the whole family. Classes start Jan 3^rd and are from 11:30-2:00pm. Students do not need to be currently enrolled in the ELC to attend.

EDINA COMMUNITY EDUCATION WINTER/SPRING CLASSES

Registration for the Edina Community Ed Winter/Spring Catalog is open! Register online at edina.ce.eleyo.com. Find a place to belong with Edina Community Ed!

MEAL FUND FOR EDINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

In this season of gratitude, please consider supporting Meal Fund for Edina Public Schools with a tax-deductible donation. (Learn more)

While it is only November, school staff have already reached out to ask how they can access funds to erase debt - and stigma – for students. DONATE HERE

This growing need is brought by a trifecta of factors putting a strain on budgets for families with school age children, especially for those who may also face medical bills and employment instability:

1. Federal COVID relief funding offering lunch at no cost for all has ended.

2. Edina Public School lunch prices have increased by 10 cents per meal – which adds up fast, especially for cost-burdened households.

3. Grocery prices are expected to increase over 10% this year.

Your support at any level is needed, welcomed, and tax-deductible.

Donor generosity during our COVID relief program enabled us to provide food and meals to families and students learning in their homes. Now Meal Fund is returning to our original mission: to take care of our district families, struggling to make ends meet, by easing the burden of school meal debt. Please join us. DONATE HERE

With deepest gratitude,

Meal Fund for Edina Public Schools

a fiscally sponsored group of Edina Education Fund 

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE

The Alliance Française is the non-profit French cultural center serving the Twin Cities and is a proud partner of French immersion schools and their families. Alliance Française offers a library, summer camps for children of all ages and levels, French classes for adults, cooking classes, and more than 150 cultural events each year. Learn more about Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul at www.afmsp.org.

Normandale PTO| [normandalepto.org]