NOVEMBER 24, 2022 - THANKSGIVING DAY MERCI MILE!

Back by popular demand - the second annual #MerciMile Turkey Trot at Rosland Park. If you'll be in town for Thanksgiving, mark your calendars and join in for the second annual turkey day community building event and Edina French Immersion fundraiser. What better way to work up an appetite while also giving back to the school? The 1.1-mile event is family friendly, casual with no timed races, and turkey themed attire is encouraged! Participant guide with start times can be found here.

All are welcome! Purchase tickets through the Community Connections section of OneCause.

NORMANDALE SPELLING BEE

TOYS FOR TOTS - FIFTH GRADE AMBASSADORS

Hello Normandale families,

The 5th Grade Ambassadors are organizing a toy drive with Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is an organization for kids in need. It gives young kids the opportunity to have fun toys that they may not have been able to have otherwise. If you or your kids have any new toys to donate to those in need, please send them to school. From November 18 to December 8, your child can bring new toys to their homeroom teacher. This is an optional event and you do not have to participate but it would be very kind and well appreciated.

Iris F. & Price M.

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 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.

JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS - LEADERS NEEDED

Junior Great Books will be back again after Winter Break! We are seeking parent volunteers to lead each Junior Great Books group. Parent volunteers make it possible to offer the program! 

Junior Great Books is available to students in grades 2-5. The program 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.

Volunteer time commitment:

• nine weekly meetings with students during lunch/lunch recess starting in January
• read each story that will be discussed
• prepare a short activity for each meeting
• ideas and guidance are available for simple activity ideas

We need parent volunteers by the end of the day on Tuesday, November 29 in order to open student registration the following day. To sign up to lead a group, or to ask for additional information, email Julie Lovaas, Normandale’s Junior Great Books coordinator, at [email protected].

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

ALISÉA RIFFET - FIRST GRADE

ABOUT ME: I have always lived in Saran, a town near to Orleans. I live with my mother, my father lives in a nearby town. I also have a big sister who just had a little girl called Roxane. I really like going out with my friends, going to town, to the cinema... I also really like dancing, I've been doing it for 13 years.

IN THE US: I would like to walk in the big parks. Discovering cities, landscapes and culture. View sporting events. Eat the famous pancakes and peanut butter.

MY FAVORITE FOOD: I love snails and frog legs.... No, I'm kidding. I like raclette, cheese fondue, I love dishes with cheese. I love pasta, pizza, hamburgers but also vegetables and fruits. I love French cuisine and especially French cake.

I AM EXCITED ABOUT: I'm excited about everything. I am looking forward to meeting the students, but also the teachers, the families, the interns... I'm looking forward to discovering Minnesota, I want to see the parks, the Mall, the cities...

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 

EDINA COMMUNITY EDUCATION WINTER/SPRING CLASSES

Registration for the Edina Community Ed Winter/Spring Catalog opens on Tuesday, December 6th!

Catalogs hit mailboxes the week of November 28. Don’t wait to see what’s happening -- preview offerings now via the online catalog. Then, register online at edina.ce.eleyo.com starting at 8:00am on December 6. Find a place to belong with Edina Community Ed!

EDINA YOUTH WRESTLING

The youth wrestling season begins Monday, November 28th. Practices are held in the Edina High School wrestling room. Beginners are welcome! Kids of all sizes can wrestle as they will be paired with others similar in experience, age and weight. Your child will improve his or her fitness, coordination, agility, balance and confidence by wrestling. For more information or to register go to www.edinawrestling.org. Email us at [email protected] with any questions.

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]