A PUBLICATION OF THE NORMANDALE PTO | |
The school year starts tomorrow! Welcome all new and returning students and families to another très excitant semester at Normandale. The hallways are freshly waxed, the lockers are labeled, the classrooms are prepped, the playground is poised, the teachers are ready and the interns are all smiles before Wednesday's first bell! Let's start the year off right with a school full of happy hellos and eager étudiants! | |
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AUGUST CALENDAR DATES
- 8/30 – First Day of School!
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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR DATES
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9/04 – No School (Labor Day)
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9/14 – Picture Day
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9/25 – No School (Prof. Dev.)
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SALUT FROM PRINCIPAL HOLDEN | |
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Dear Normandale families,
It was great seeing so many of you at our recent back to school events! Normandale staff are looking forward to another successful school year with your student(s) as evidenced by the results below.
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| ASSESSMENT | RESULT | | aReading grades 3-5 | 86% of students at or above benchmark | | aMath grades 2-5 | 84% of students at or above benchmark | | MCA Reading grades 3-5 | 81% of students at or above benchmark | | MCA Math grades 3-5 | 84% of students at or above benchmark | | Grades 3-5 Panorama Survey | 90% of students report having a teacher or other adult at school they can count on no matter what. | | Staff Panorama Survey | 83% of staff report a sense of belonging at Normandale. | | |
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Although these results are great, every year we work to make improvements. To make this happen, Normandale develops and implements a school improvement plan. This year’s plan focuses on literacy, numeracy and student and staff well-being.
- In literacy, staff will build on what they have learned about the science of reading training (LETRS K-3 and ASPIRE 4-5)
- In numeracy, K-2 staff will explore ways to build in more challenges to Singapore Math.
- Across the building, Normandale will be working to increase staff and student sense of belonging.
In the coming days, I will reach out to you with a Thought Exchange Survey to gather additional data and feedback about your Normandale experience and our school improvement plan.
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With the addition of free lunch for students, Principal Holden will be monitoring lunch lines to make sure students have enough time to eat before recess. Schedules and staffing levels will be adjusted as needed to account for potentially greater numbers of students taking school lunch. Please help by reminding your child that they have a limited timeframe to eat and refuel, and to save the fun socializing and chit-chatting for the recess period afterwards. Merci. | |
SCHOOL PICTURE DAY
Thursday, September 14th
Retake Day: Oct 13th
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Everyone can be photogenic in the right light, especially if they're dressed for success:
- Choose an outfit that the child is comfortable in
- Avoid bright patterns and logos
Small mirrors and throw-away combs will be available for students to do final prep before they say "fromage!"
Normandale is working with a new company for school pictures. Visit their website to learn more about their services: Kemmetmueller Photography website
Pictures will be available for purchase after Picture Day.
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CONFIRM YOUR INFO
Normandale Membership Toolkit
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If your home address, phone or email address has changed recently, please make sure to update your entry in Normandale's Membership Toolkit linked below.
If you need assistance accessing the Toolkit, please contact Sheri at [email protected].
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Everything you need to know about how things work at Normandale can be found in the following Guide and Handbook. Click the buttons below to access full details. | |
RAPTOR VISITOR MANAGEMENT
New Security Protocols
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Edina Public Schools will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System in all of our schools at the start of this school year. Physical security is a layered approach, and Raptor will provide increased security and safety in all of our buildings.
When visiting Normandale:
- Upon arrival, state your name or hand your ID to our office staff
- Share the reason for your visit
- Receive your badge and wear it during the duration of your visit
- When exiting, stop at the desk to sign out
For more details on Raptor, click the button below.
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Here are a few important notes about morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up from the circle driveway in front of Door 10 (the Normandale main door.)
- This circle driveway is for quick drop-offs and pick-ups only. If your student(s) need assistance getting in or out of your vehicle, please use the designated spots in the parking lot and walk them up to the sidewalk.
- Do not exit your vehicle during drop-off and pick-up.
- Pull as far forward in the circle as you can while dropping off or picking up student(s).
- Please follow the traffic arrows and navigators to safely enter the circle from the outside lanes of the lot.
- Exit the circle as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you need to check your phone or take care of other tasks, move to the parking lot so you are not blocking the flow of traffic behind you.
For more information, check out the Normandale Traffic Plan below. Thank you.
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ROOM PARENT SIGN UP
by September 8th
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Looking to get more involved in the classroom? We're gathering volunteers interested in signing up to be a room parent. Click the link below to add your name to the list. If there are more than 3 volunteers per room, names will be selected from a random drawing and notified by Friday, September 8th. Sign up now! | |
INTERN CHAUFFEURS
September 6th & 7th
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We are asking for volunteers to help drive the interns to and from the Social Security Office on September 6th and 7th. Please click the button below to sign up for a shift. We appreciate your help and support. Thank you! | |
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Normandale Magic Doesn't Happen Without YOU!
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We have so many amazing volunteer opportunities for you in 2023-24! Some are during the school day and some tasks can be done at home. Some are kid-facing, others are behind the scenes, and some are even the life of the party...Gala, that is! Click the button below to see what's available and don't miss your opportunity to have fun and help out!
Help Support our Amazing Interns!
The success of the intern program all comes down to our incredible community. It takes many hands to make this program run smoothly and now is a perfect opportunity to give back and get involved!
We are still seeking volunteers for two very important openings on the committee:
- Communications Coordinator
- Volunteer Coordinator
Click the button below to find out more about the roles and sign up!
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VOLUNTEER FOR DISCOVERY KITCHEN
Starting September 13th
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This year, Chartwells will be implementing a new program at all elementary schools called Discovery Kitchen. This will take place once a month and will give students the opportunity to sample new fruit and vegetable recipes during their lunch period. Samples will be offered on the dates listed below, and the new item will show up on the regular lunch menu for students to take the following day.
We are looking for volunteers to hand out the prepared samples to students during their lunch period. If you are interested, please sign up at the link below!
Fall Sampling Dates: September 13 | October 17 | November 13 | December 11
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Share the attached flyer with your kids to get them excited! | |
SCHOOL MENU UPDATES
Beginning on July 1, 2023, Edina has joined the Minnesota Free School Meals Program. All students are eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. If your student wants to receive a second lunch, an individual milk without a complete meal, or any other of our a-la-carte options, students will need to pay for these items through money in their lunch account. Although no application is required to receive the free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is still important as it can provide other benefits to your student and helps the school qualify for education funds.
Breakfast and lunch menus are linked at the bottom of this newsletter
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Visiting the Lost + Found seems inevitable. Make it easy on yourself and label children's belongings with Name Bubbles and give an in-kind kickback to school! | |
MERCI BEAUCOUP
Special Thanks and Gratitude
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Jacqui Hartung & Elizabeth Fulmer for their efforts in making our open house event a huge success
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Cynthia Vessey & Anna Sanberg for their countless hours spent ordering and distributing school supplies
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Noelle Johnson, Maggie Arnold & Amanda Moriarty for their work organizing the Kindergarten Popsicle Social
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ORIENTATION BARBEQUE!
Hosted by the PTO and Intern Director, Charlotte Taubel
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The interns arrived last week and enjoyed a fun get together at Pamela Park. Food, drinks, goody bags, and ice breaker games were enjoyed by all and kick-started their incredible experience on a great note. We're very thankful for this awesome group of people and look forward to their help enriching our children's french culture and language skills throughout the year. | |
Follow upcoming La Liaison emails for exclusive introductions, bios and interesting details about each of our esteemed interns. | |
EDINA COMMUNITY EDUCATION | |
Community Ed Fall Registration is now open! Check out the before and after school enrichment, evening and weekend classes, and non-school day opportunities. Click the button to learn more and register on Edina Eleyo. | |
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 (EEF) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the continued academic excellence of the Edina Public Schools.
The EEF 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 EEF 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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