FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Chris Holden | @MonsieurHolden | 952.848.4100

Dear Normandale Families,

The Edina School’s mission centers not only on academics, but also on “…activities and opportunities…”. This week Normandale staff, students and families experienced several fun activities and opportunities that have become traditions at Normandale: The Lion King Kids musical and classroom visits from the grade five “Voyage en France” French exchange students. 

On Monday and Tuesday evening musical directors Mme. Werness and M. Hawthorne and about 90 Normandale students presented The Lion King Kids musical to a full house at the South View Auditorium. I was impressed with the musical ability and stage presence of Normandale’s young thespians! 

Also, this week and last, 32 French exchange students from Bordeaux have been visiting classrooms at Normandale and Valley View Middle School. As I drop into Normandale’s classrooms it has been fun for me to hear our students interacting with their peers from France. Whether learning together in class or playing together on the playground, Normandale students and the French exchange students are learning from each other and building friendships that transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. Some of Normandale’s fifth graders will be the “exchange students” in June when they visit Bordeaux on the back half of “Voyage en France”. 

NORMANDALE SHOE DRIVE

To celebrate the upcoming Earth Day, the fifth grade Ambassadors are doing a shoe drive from April 24 - May 16. The purpose is to collect shoes. This will keep old sneakers out of our landfills. After the drive, the shoes will go to Gotsneakers, which is a sneaker donating company. They will pay for the shoes which they keep away from landfills by donating them to people who need shoes. The money we receive from Gotsneakers will go towards buying yearbooks for students who need them.  

You can bring cleats and sneakers with laces or velcro. They cannot be any kind of heels/sandals/boots. You can bring in used shoes or new ones you are not wearing. Any size shoes will be accepted. You can send these shoes to school with your child and they can leave them in a box in hallways. The Ambassadeurs will be collecting the shoes every day. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated and will help us save our great planet. 

Thank you,

Fifth grade Ambassadors

Saturday, May 13, 2023

3:00-6:00pm

Normandale's annual carnival, La Kermesse, is just 3 weeks away! We are asking for your help with contributions and donations to Carnival Raffle Baskets. All profits from the sale of Raffle Basket tickets support our award-winning French immersion program. It's a meaningful way to support our Normandale community! Here's how you can help:

1.Contribute to Raffle Baskets via Amazon Wishlist

Buy from a selection of fun raffle basket items via the La Kermesse Amazon Wishlist, here.

2.Donate cash to Fund Raffle Baskets  

Submit cash donations to fund raffle basket items via Membership Toolkit, here.

Thank you for your consideration and generosity! We look forward to celebrating our students and families with you. 

The La Kermesse Committee

Allison Olfelt, Kristen Gunderson, Jen Cook, Taylor Ellingson, Bryce Vielguth, Liz Seaman, Elaine Zhang, Joanne Bunkofske

SUMMER FRENCH TUTORING

The Normandale Office has compiled a list of Normandale staff interested in tutoring over the summer. Please contact Anne Anderson if you would like to receive this list.

SUMMER BONJOUR CAMP

Are you interested in having your child practice French over the summer? Through the Edina Community Education program, we have Normandale teachers Madame Abdo (K), Madame Thomas (1st), Madame Heffelfinger (2nd), Madame Suglia (3rd), and Madame May (4th/5th) who will be teaching our Bonjour Camps! This is a great opportunity for our students to practice their French before the fall. Links and dates for camps are listed below.

Please note that the grade level is the grade they will be entering in the fall.

July 24th-July 27th 2023

Kindergarten Morning

Kindergarten Afternoon

First Grade Morning 

First Grade Afternoon

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth-Fifth Grade

July 31st-August 3rd 2023

Kindergarten Morning

Kindergarten Afternoon

First Grade Morning 

First Grade Afternoon

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth-Fifth Grade

SUMMER CAMP - MES AMIS FRENCH SCHOOL

French Immersion summer camps available for preschool and school age children. https://mesamisfrenchschool.org/summer-camp/

EDINA MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM 

The Edina Mountain Bike Team, for middle and high schoolers, will have an information meeting on Saturday, April 29th at 1pm. 

Specific information about current 5th graders joining the team this summer can be found here.

EDINA COMMUNITY EDUCATION SPRING/SUMMER CLASSES

Registration for the Edina Community Ed Summer Catalog 2023 is open!

Register online at edina.ce.eleyo.com and find a place to belong with Edina Community Ed!

EDINA GIVE AND GO

Register today for Edina Give and Go's Annual Event on Thursday, April 27.

Edina Give and Go is hosting their annual event on Thursday, April 27, from 6-8pm at Braemar. 

Please register (it's free and open to all) and help us raise funds for the 20% of Edina Public School students (or 1,700) who need financial support to participate in upcoming summer activities, including swimming, football, YMCA camps, tutoring, art classes, driver's ed, Kids Club, and more. 

Our goal is to support every single EPS student who is facing a financial barrier so they can spend their summer learning something new, following their passions and connecting with their peers.

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 here to learn more and apply. 

EDINA AAPI MONTH FESTIVAL

The Edina Asian American Alliance (EAAA) will host its First Annual Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month Festival at Rosland Park, Edina, on Saturday, May 27, 2023, from 2:00 to 5:00PM.

EAAA is a grassroots, community-oriented organization. For more information or to volunteer, please visit this AAPI Month SignUpGenius. 

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]