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Dear Normandale Families,
The technology students have access to is changing quickly. Between cell phones and personal digital devices like smart watches, students are connected in ways you and I could not have imagined when we were in elementary school. These connections are helpful for busy families, but they can also be distracting for students. Expectations for personal digital devices are grade level dependent and at the elementary level personal digital device use is not allowed during the school day.
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As a practical matter, Normandale Elementary expects students to turn their cell phones off and leave them in their backpacks during the school day. Similarly, smart watches should not be used to communicate with parents, teachers, or classmates during the school day. Over the next few weeks, teachers will be reminding students of these expectations. Should students struggle to follow these guidelines Normandale staff may take the device for the remainder of the day and/or refer the student to the office. If your student brings a cell phone or smart watch to school please remind them of these guidelines so we can all stay focused on learning during school hours. | |
JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS - LEADERS NEEDED | |
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Junior Great Books will be back again after Winter Break! We are seeking parent volunteers to lead each Junior Great Books group and we are still in need of parents for all grades. 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 Friday, December 2 in order to open student registration the following week. 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].
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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.
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WINTER TEACHER/STAFF GIFTS | |
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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.
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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.
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HELP WANTED IN THE HEALTH OFFICE!
The health office needs a volunteer or two for hearing re-screening for students who failed their initial screening. One 8 hour shift or two 4 hour shifts should probably be enough to get through them all! No experience necessary!
If you are interested, please email Cesley Bergsten, School Nurse, to coordinate dates. Preference is to complete before winter break so please act fast if you’ve got the time!
[email protected]
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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
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CAMILLE ROUARD - FIRST GRADE | |
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ABOUT ME: Hello everybody! I am from Rennes, a town in Brittany. Brittany is a region of France surrounded by the sea. It is known for these culinary specialities : salted butter caramel, shortbread and the famous Breton "crêpes" and buckwheat pancakes. It is also known for its beautiful wild beaches, the traditional music and dance, and "la marinière", this striped sweater. My family is composed by my mom, Veronique, a great cook, my father, Jean-Pierre, a collector at heart, and my big brother, Antoine (26 yo), a future project manager in a video game company. With my family we love going to the beach, taking "apéro" and also playing boarding games ! When I have free times, I love painting, playing piano and doing sports with my friends.
IN THE US: It is my first time in the US, so I have everything to discover ! I would love to visit
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as many different things as possible, like the famous cities : New York, Chicago, San Francisco... but also the great nature of US : the national parks, the canyons, the lakes... I would like to do different activities such as, go to a real hockey, basketball or American football games, try the ice skating, or go camping and do a campfire. I am ready to let myself be carried away by all the surprises that this year may bring me.
MY FAVORITE FOOD: My favorite food is lasagna, and Breton "crêpes". I am also a fruit lover.
I AM EXCITED ABOUT: I am excited to arrive and spend a year in Minnesota meeting new people, discovering a new culture, making friends and memories for life ! I am sure that this year will stay forever in my memory. Let the adventure begin !
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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
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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!
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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.
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