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La Liaison
A Publication of the Normandale PTO
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Important Dates
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February
15 Garage Sale / Fundraiser for Lougou, Haiti
20 President's Day - NO SCHOOL
March
1 Imagination Fair, 6:00 - 7:30, Auditorium
8 K-5 Classes NO SCHOOL, Parent/Teacher Conferences,
8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
9 Teacher In-Service - NO SCHOOL
30 Spring Vacation Begins at Close of Day.
Host-o-meter
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Edina Ed Fund Banquet a Tremendous Success
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Thank you to the many Normandale Families who attended this year's Edina Ed Fund luncheon. In just one day, more than 400 Edina Families came together and donated $95,000 to the Edina Education Fund.
These dollars are used to augment revenue provided to our schools by taxes, state aid and other parent and student lead fundraising efforts. In an age of decreasing state funding, these additional revenue dollars are very valuable.
Edina Ed Fund at Work at Normandale Elementary
Those who attended were treated to an update from our own Kany Seck who shared how the Edina Ed Fund funded more than 25 teachers to attend a seminar designed to enhance the use of technology. She shared wonderful examples of how her students use technology to support their learning both in and beyond the classroom.
The Edina Ed Fund also reviews and funds several "innovation grants" each school year. This year our teachers submitted four grant applications including proposals for iPads that would be used in grades K and 4, document cameras for the whole school and more. We will find out soon if we receive funding for any of these applications.
Again, thank you to the many families who support the Edina Ed Fund. If you would still like to donate, please visit the Edina Ed Fund website.
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Silent Fundraisers Deliver Dollars to the School
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Did you know that every year we raise significant funds for the school by simply altering our behaviors? Already this school year we have received: - $5,400 from Target because of our families who use their Target REDcard and designated Normandale Elementary as their beneficiary
- $1,000 from General Mills for our participation in Boxtops for Education
Things you can do to participate: - Go to Target REDcard "Take Charge of Education" to find out how easy it is to have 1% of all your charges go back to the school. Click here for more information.
- Assign your children to be the family "Boxtop for Education hunters." Have them scour your cabinets for products that have the Boxtops logo on them-from Pillsbury bakery products to Ziplock storage bags to cereal boxes. Find a place to store clipped Boxtops. Bring them to your child's classroom teacher several times throughout the year.
Thank you for supporting our school! Please contact Julie Wohlford via email or phone - 952.928.0813 - if you have any questions. |
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Extra, Extra.... Bedroom?
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So far we only have homes for 18 French Interns in 2012-13. Help us get that number to 23!
Sign up to Host Here
We can't make offers to Interns until we know we have homes for them! Having 50 host families* signed up by March 1 will enable us to make offers to the BEST Intern candidates before they go somewhere else.
36 Fantastic Host Families (14 to go!)
Host-o-meter
* Wondering why we need 50 host families? 23 for Fall, 23 for Spring, plus 4 Alternates
Learn more about hosting at www.edinainterns.org.
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Edina Intern Experience
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All of our students benefit from having French Interns in the classrooms, but it takes a lot of volunteers to make it possible! How can YOU help?
The French Interns play a key role at Normandale Elementary by providing a second French-speaking adult in the classroom. Their presence deepens the immersion experience, increases students' opportunities to hear conversations in the French language, helps teachers provide additional small-group instruction, and provides unique cultural exchange opportunities at school and at home.
You help make it happen! Please sign up now.
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French Students Visiting Normandale
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Friday February 17 to Thursday March 1 Normandale School will be welcoming eleven French students and their French chaperone, Guillaume Bonneval. The French students attend Sainte Marie de la Bastide in Bordeaux France and Jeanne d'Arc in Pessac France. Many activities are planned for the French students by Language and Friendship, Inc. and by Normandale Back to Back parent volunteers. A sample of activities that the French visitors will be attending are visits to the Science Museum, Mill City Museum, the Edina Fire Station, Byerly's, the POPS concert, the Works, the State Capital, the St. Paul Cathedral, J.J. Hill House, and snow tubing at Elm Creek. Also, the French students will be attending school at Normandale along with attending English as a Second Language classes. French students will be staying with families of fifth graders who are participating in the Back To Back program in June. This year the Back To Back program has been renamed Aller-Retour Bourdeaux 2012. Gaining insight of American culture, food, families, and learning English are the goals of the French visitors.
June 12 to June 26, sixteen current fifth graders will be traveling to Bordeaux/Pessac France with the Back To Back, Aller-Retour Bordeaux 2012 program. Karen Meyer and Mary Livant are the chaperones for the 2012 June trip. All sixteen Aller-Retour Bordeaux participants attend monthly classes taught by the chaperones to prepare them for the trip. Topics covered in the preparation classes range from dealing with homesickness, understanding French culture, and converting dollars to Euro. While in France the Normandale students will be staying with French families, attending school, and going on field trips. This year will mark the sixth year that Normandale students will visit the Bordeaux/Pessac area. In past years the Normandale students have toured a chocolate factory, a patisserie, the Dune du Pyla, a winery, toured Bordeaux , and attended school with their French host student.
 The Back To Back, Aller-Retour Bordeaux 2012 program is an optional activity that gives fifth grade students the unique opportunity to travel to France and experience French culture while staying in the home of a French family. Language and Friendship, Inc. organizes the trip and parent volunteers help facilitate preparing the students for the trip. |
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Submit Photos for Yearbook!
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The yearbook committee is looking for any snapshots you would like to share for this year's book! All photos must be good quality, high resolution, digital photos. We are also currently looking for group class photos of all kindergarten classes. If you have photos to share please submit them to Suzanne Magnuson via email or Marit Swanson via email.
Deadline to submit kindergarten photos is Friday, February 27th. Merci!
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Normandale Imagination Fair
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Normandale Imagination Fair
March 1, 2012
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Normandale Auditorium
The annual Imagination Fair is an opportunity for Normandale students to showcase their experiments, inventions, or creations.
All Normandale students, from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade are invited to participate. Students may work alone, with another student, or in a group.
Don't know where to start?
Projects don't have to be complicated!
Let your child's imagination, creativity and inventiveness guide them as they explore whatever may interest him/her at the moment....nature, mechanics, art, technology, fashion, chemistry, photography, animals, weather, crafts, or any other hobbies.
On the evening of the Imagination Fair, all projects will be displayed in the auditorium.
Click here to register by February 28, 2012.
For more information, feel free to contact Cheche Lacsamana via email.
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Summer French Story Time Shadow Needed
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The PTO is in search of a volunteer who could serve as a shadow to Ildiko Rieger and help with French Story Time this summer. (You would then lead the effort for Summer 2013 with a shadow behind you). Understanding everyone's busy summer schedule, the Edina librarians prefer to have a leader and a shadow every year for this program.
French Story Time is a great opportunity for Normandale children! It gives the kids a chance to hear a fluent French speaker over the long summer, see some friends from school, and become familiar with the French collections at the Edina Library. Normandale staff and other French speakers volunteer their time to read to the students.
There are 6 sessions offered on Mondays in late June and July from 4:00-4:30 in the Edina Public Library. You do not need to be available for all sessions, but it would be helpful if you can make at least half of them.
Please consider volunteering so we can continue this French enhancing summer program for the years to come.
Please contact Ildiko via email if this sounds like a fit for you.
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Band/Orchestra Sign-up!
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Attention all 4th grade families! Band/orchestra signup is right around the corner!
If your child is interested in playing an instrument next year, plan on attending your informational meeting to schedule an appointment time with us to try out instruments.
Mark the date on your calendar now!
Monday March 19th - 7:00pm (Cornelia, Creek Valley, Highlands students)
Tuesday March 20th - 7:00pm (Concord, Countryside, Normandale students)
Valley View Middle School auditorium - enter at door #1 (SW corner of building)
If you are not available on your scheduled night, please attend the other session.
Students and parents will learn about instrument choices available in 5th grade and will reserve a private interview time to try out the band and orchestra instruments.
Interview dates/times are limited - we strongly recommend attendance at one of the informational meetings to ensure that your preferred interview time is available.
For more information visit our websites. See you soon!
Kyrsten Swenson, orchestra - (all elementaries)
Patrick Mulligan, band - (Countryside, Creek Valley, Normandale)
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Beyond ECFE Parent Workshop
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It's So Easy-
Parents as
Sexuality Educators
Why do we have a difficult time
talking with our children about
sexuality? What do our children really
need to know and when do they need to know?
Why is it so important in our culture for parents to be
a sexuality resource for children?
This workshop is for parents of children
ages 5-12 . Join us to consider these
questions, review resources and walk away with pertinent handouts.
Taught by Kris Shelley M.Ed, Licensed Parent Educator
February 23, 2012
$10.00 Per Person
Room 351
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Click here to register on-line or call 952-848-3949
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Edina PCN Hosts "A Race to Nowhere" Showing
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Does your calendar look like a complicated puzzle? Are your children filled to the brim with homework and activities? Do you sometimes wonder whether it's worth it, or even good for them? Are you and your children just stressed out? These are some of the questions posed by the ground-breaking documentary, "A Race to Nowhere". A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children's lives. This remarkable new film shines a light on the price young people pay for this "race to nowhere".
Edina PCN will host a viewing of the film on Monday, February 27 from 7-9 pm at South View Auditorium.
Click here for more information. Whether you agree or disagree with the film's message, it should raise some interesting questions and provide a great opportunity for discussion in our community. Admission is free.
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Happening in the Community
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Check out some fabulous Community Opportunities for Youth listed on the EPS Facebook page.
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La Liaison is published every Wednesday. Submit articles to LaLiaison_MN@hotmail.com by noon Monday prior to your desired publication date. Unless designated otherwise, articles will be published in La Liaison for two issues and then removed.
Editors: Deb Gardner and Angie Porter . |
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