A PUBLICATION OF THE NORMANDALE PTO | |
HOT DISHES AND INTERN WISHES | |
The first half of the school year has come to an end, marked by sub-zero temperatures and Normandale’s annual “Semester Switch-up” tradition. It’s a bittersweet exchange where interns and their first host families fondly say “au revoir” and “merci” to one another, while new host families excitedly take their turns with a heartfelt “bonjour” and “bienvenue”. Hosting is so Minnesotan, how else can Edinians explain all the cakes, casseroles and dessert bars? Combine that with supporting our kids, school and intern wishes and you’ve got a match made in Francophile heaven. Will you take your intern turn and welcome this unique opportunity into your home? Tater tots not included. | |
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JANUARY CALENDAR DATES
- 1/23: Chipotle Fundraiser
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1/26: French Spirit Day (Rally Month)
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1/30: Vision Screening (3rd & 5th graders)
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FEBRUARY CALENDAR DATES
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2/2: Wacky Day (Rally Month)
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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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SALUT FROM PRINCIPAL HOLDEN | |
Rally Month is all about finding host families for our fabulous French interns. But how are these interns recruited and selected? Sharon Norlander, former first grade teacher at Normandale and Normandale’s Intern Recruiter, will answer some of these questions for us today. | |
INTERN RALLY MONTH
Host an Intern in 2024-2025!
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We need 38 more host families to meet our optimal allocation of Interns across all classrooms! Without enough host families, we will need to cut down our intern allocation across all grades.
Interns help provide the individual and small group attention needed to successfully learn a second language. By working directly with native French speaking interns, our children are surrounded by living language and culture models in the classroom.
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Watch what Mana Sanghvi says about her hosting experience!
More testimonials can also be found on our Facebook page.
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More questions? Please reach out to our intern director, Charlotte Taubel, [email protected]. | |
READ A THON
Starting February 5th
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Coming soon is our FIFTH annual Read A Thon! Our goal for this Normandale event is to encourage and celebrate students' reading. Their habits of reading will develop lifelong learners, whether they read with imagination or read for information. Stay tuned for more details about this upcoming event! | |
FREE BREAKFAST
Family and Student Reminder
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The food service operation at Edina Public Schools serves breakfast every day and is offered to all students for no charge. We hope to see your student at breakfast! | |
CHIPOTLE FUNDRAISER
Tonight's the Night!
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Eat-in or carry-out Chipotle on Tuesday, January 23rd from 4-8pm and 33% of sales will go back to Normandale.
Participating Location: 6801 York Ave S, Edina, MN 55435-2516
Order online for pickup using code M47MVVR or show the flyer linked below in the restaurant.
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VISION SCREENING VOLUNTEERS
Tuesday, Jan 30th
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Vision screening will take place on Tuesday, January 30th for all 3rd and 5th grade students. We need three more volunteers for the morning shift to help screen 3rd graders. No experience is necessary! | |
CLOTHING DONATIONS
Now Through Jan 31st
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Are you looking to donate your children's gently used clothing? Look no further! The health office is in desperate need of the items listed below:
- Children's athletic pants size 4-6 and 7-8
- Children's shoes & boots
There will a donation bin in the school lobby today through the end of January. Please consider donating!
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DISCOVERY KITCHEN
Volunteers Needed!
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Discovery Kitchen returned to the Normandale cafeteria today! 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! | |
FÊTE DES CULTURES
Save the Date – Thursday, February 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. | |
We will be creating a tree in the main lobby that displays the traditions and cultures of our students on green leaves. A flyer with instructions was sent home last week. Please return your completed leaf to your teacher by Thursday, February 1st. | |
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How Students Can Participate
Create a poster presentation featuring a country or state they've visited, are interested in, or a country their ancestors are from. Make it colorful and interesting!
Please register your student at the link below.
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How Parents and Families Can Participate
Sign up to donate food 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.
To volunteer, please sign up at the link below. Thanks!
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If your student wants to participate but is unable to complete the project at home due to time constraints, lack of materials, etc., please contact Normandale’s School Social Worker, Lisa RapkeHoffman at Lisa.RapkeHoffman@edinaschools.org. She will work with students during the school day to help them complete their project.
If you would like to participate by singing a song or performing a dance, contact Aisah Alexander at [email protected]om. If you have any additional questions, please contact Sarina Khariwala at [email protected].
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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 the fall host and partner families for welcoming and hosting our interns for the first half of the school year! | |
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ANAïS SUTTER
Second Grade – Cammas
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Hello, my name is Anaïs, I am 22 years old (soon 23) and I am French and Swiss. I live in Alsace, near Germany and Switzerland. I have an older brother and I am godmother to his daughter who is 1 year old. My parents are florists and landscapers. My brother is a photographer. And my grandparents were also florists.
I have always been passionate about the performing arts. And more specifically through theatre. I did a license in theater and the conservatory of Strasbourg. I then studied linguistic diversity during my master's degree to become a school teacher. I just got my masters. I believe what links my two passions (theatre and education) is the human aspect. I have always been sociable, and I have always enjoyed meeting people and learning from others.
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Favorite Foods: Italian food but I like to be open to everything
In The US: I have family in Los Angeles. So I want to see them during the year, when I have holidays. Ideally, I would like to visit New York, Montreal and Tulum. But it's a bit ambitious. I would obviously like to see shows, museums and above all landscapes and nature. This trip is a great opportunity for me. I will finish with a sentence from a French novel: "When he was in love, he was happy everywhere. When he was alone, he was only happy when traveling".
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EDINA CAKE-OFF
Friday February 2nd 11am
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Community Action for Kids' Education is the Edina Education Fund's largest fundraiser of the year. Please consider joining Normandale's team by donating or attending the event! Both can be done using the team link below.
The CAKE-Off happens on Friday, February 2nd at 11am
Church of St. Patrick of Edina, 6820 Saint Patricks Lane, Edina, MN
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LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
Sunday, February 11th 2:00pm-4:00pm
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Tickets now 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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Do you need help paying for sports or clubs? Edina Give and Go grants up to $1,000 per student per school year to pay registration fees for sports, after school clubs or classes, tutoring, AP exams, instrument rental, drivers education, and more. Click the button to learn more and apply. | |
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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