A PUBLICATION OF THE NORMANDALE PTO | |
We can fly twice as high…and read twice as much! February starts our annual month-long Read-A-Thon, so take a look, it’s in a book, and record your student’s literary learning time online to help our students achieve our 700,000 minutes goal! No matter what they’re reading - from comics to mystery adventures, science fiction to take-out menus (do they still have those?), appliance manuals, W2 tax forms, or even those strangely long care instruction tags on some clothing brands – it all counts towards our total. Keep READING below for how to sign-up and let's make this Thon go on and on and on! | |
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FEBRUARY CALENDAR DATES
- 2/8: Edina Summer Activity Expo
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2/19: No School (Presidents' Day)
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2/20: No School (Professional Development)
- 2/29: Fête des Cultures
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MARCH CALENDAR DATES
- 3/6-3/8: School Book Fair
- 3/8: No School & Spring Conferences
- 3/15: Writing Contest Entries Due
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3/18-3/22: No School (Spring Break)
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SALUT FROM PRINCIPAL HOLDEN | |
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Normandale will be administering the Panorama wellness screener to students in grades 3-5 during the survey window of February 21st to March 7th, 2024. The Panorama screener helps the district and Normandale gain a better understanding of student well-being. This aligns with our school improvement plan of fostering a sense of belonging and the District’s 2020-2030 Strategic Plan around student wellness (Strategy C). Parents of students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will receive more information about this screener in the coming weeks.
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Based on last year’s Panorama survey data, Normandale set the following school improvement goal: The percentage of students reporting that they feel a sense of belonging at Normandale will increase from 75% in 2022-23 to 78% in 2023-24 as measured by the Panorama Survey.
While the Panorama survey in February/March will give us good data about our progress towards that goal, we wanted an earlier indicator to gauge growth. Prior to winter break we did a sense of belonging “check-in” with students in grades 3, 4 and 5. 95% of students in grades 3, 4 and 5 reported that they feel anywhere from somewhat connected to completely connected at Normandale. Normandale staff will continue to work hard to make sure this sense of belonging carries through to the end of the school year!
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TIME TO READ-A-THON-AND-ON!
Now through March 8th!
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The Read-A-Thon has begun! Log your student's minutes of reading in the Get Movin' Fund Hub linked below and help us reach Normandale's goal of 700,000 minutes!
Register or login to your parent dashboard using the button below and complete your child’s student webpage to log their reading minutes.
School Identifier: 63a0715cd1bb4
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SPRING CONFERENCES
Friday, March 8th
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Save-the-date! Spring conferences will be held Friday, March 8th from 8:00am-4:00pm. Childcare for children 3+ years old and potty trained will be available during this time. Teachers will also have some time available outside of this date. An email will be sent on Monday, February 12th to sign up for a conference with your student's teacher. | |
WRITING CONTEST
Now - March 15th
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It’s time for the Edina Reads Creative Writing Contest! This annual contest, coordinated by EHS students and sponsored by the Edina Community Foundation, is open to EPS K-12 students and adults who live or work in the community.
Contest submissions are accepted until March 15th. The poster QR code links to the submission document. A celebration and reading of the winning entries will take place on April 15th, 6:30 pm at Dragseth Auditorium, South View Middle School.
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Congratulations to Normandale teachers Sarah Fincham and Bianca Suglia for being nominated as candidates for the 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award! | |
FÊTE DES CULTURES
Thursday, Feb 29th 5:00-7:00 pm
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Please join us in the Normandale auditorium and cafeteria for a Celebration of Cultures! It’s a night you do not want to miss as we celebrate cultures from around the world represented by our own Normandale families. Learn amazing facts, watch captivating performances and enjoy sampling authentic food and enticing cuisines at this free, family friendly event.
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Normandale students were asked to decorate a green leaf with their family’s culture or traditions. These leaves have been used to decorate a paper tree in the Normandale lobby. If your child has not completed their leaf, please have them bring it to their teacher by February 15th. If you need a blank leaf sent home, please contact Maria Sepulveda.
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How Students Can Participate
Create a poster presentation or just come and enjoy the event! Posters can feature a country or state they've visited, are interested in, or a country their ancestors are from. Make it colorful and interesting!
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How Parents and Families Can Volunteer or Contribute
Sign up to bring food samples to share from your culture or travels. Day of event volunteers are also needed - please consider signing up as a runner or to serve food during the event. Volunteers will still be able to enjoy all the event has to offer.
Sign up links for student posters, food sample volunteers, and day of event support can all be found at the link below, along with more details about the event. Thanks!
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DISCOVERY KITCHEN
Next Event is Feb 13th
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Volunteer to help hand out new fruit and veggie recipe samples to students during their lunch period. Sampling dates are one day per month from January through May. Sign up to volunteer using the link below! | |
Need some new French Immersion couture and Normandale apparel in the New Year? Visit our online stores to get the latest school styles shipped directly to your door. | |
Click the links below to visit our fantastique online stores today. | |
MERCI BEAUCOUP
Special Thanks & Gratitude
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- Thank you to all the families who signed up to host our 2024-2025 interns next school year!
- To our Rally Month leaders, Kristen Angel & Mayssa Mouawad Farah, and the Intern Committee, for a successful month of activity towards reaching our goal!
- To the First and Fourth grade families who brought food and supplies for the Staff Appreciation Winter Luncheon.
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ALEXANDRE BELVIRE
Second Grade – Livant
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Hello! I live in a small city called Saint Avold - in the eastern side of France right next to Germany. I have 3 sisters, one big and two small twins. I live with them, my mother and our cat. My hobbies are going to the movies and spending time with my friends outside the house (shopping, going on walks). I also like trying new activities and foods. | | |
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Favorite Foods: I would say that my favorite foods are Asian food (fried rice) or Italian food (pasta & pizza).
In The US: I can’t wait to meet new people and make new friends. I want to experience American culture such as going to football or basketball games for instance and eating a nice American hamburger! I’d love to travel around in the country, visiting New York City and California, and in Minnesota for the lakes.
I am excited about meeting all the teachers and students of Normandale and spending the year helping the students learn French. I am also excited about learning more about teaching techniques.
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EDINA SUMMER ACTIVITY EXPO
Thursday, Feb 8th 4-7pm
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Parents & caregivers - come learn about summer offerings from Community Ed, Kids Club, Edina Parks & Rec, Youth Sports Associations and many more at the Edina Summer Activity Expo!
Thursday, February 8th
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Edinborough Park, 7700 York Ave S, Edina
The event is free and includes access to the indoor playground.
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LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
Sunday, Feb 11th 2:00pm-4:00pm
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Tickets available for purchase!
Save your spot by purchasing a $5 ticket for you and each of your friends or family members. The ticket price includes entry as well as a small snack, fun crafting opportunities (such as origami and calligraphy), a photo booth, face painting, and more.
Purchase tickets at the link below or visit the Edina Asian American Alliance's website. For live updates and reminders, follow @EdinaAsianAmericanAlliance on Instagram.
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Edina Give and Go provides activity grants to students at Normandale and the other Edina Public School buildings so they can afford to participate in everything from basketball and hockey, after school chess club, choir and theater, reading & math tutoring, to summer camp. Over the past 9 years, Edina Give and Go has provided $1.4 million in activity grants to over 2,400 students in low-income households so they could participate in activities alongside their peers, helping to close the opportunity gap.
Please consider making a donation to help one more student learn a new skill, discover his or her passion, and gain a sense of belonging. Thank you!
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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 by clicking the button below. | |
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The Edina Education Fund is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the continued academic excellence of the Edina Public Schools.
The Ed Fund secures private, supplemental funding to support valuable education experiences and innovative projects in the Edina Public Schools. Funds raised augment school system revenues that are provided by taxes, state aid, and other parent and student led fundraising efforts. The Ed Fund is necessary to help ensure the caliber of educational programs we have come to expect of the Edina Public Schools. Your support means greater academic opportunities for all students, today and into the future.
We are fortunate to be part of the Edina community that has a strong, valued and well-respected school system. However, to protect and enhance the value of our homes and property and the quality of life we enjoy, we must further invest in our public school system. Edina Education Fund contributes to the development and financial support of district-wide programs within Literacy, STEAM and Mental Health/Wellness Services for all students and staff.
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