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Principal's Weekly
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Dear Normandale Families,
My adult son and I enjoyed a breakfast together last weekend and he shared how innovative IT managers are getting useful feedback to their teams by maintaining an "open door policy." Simply, anyone and everyone who works with them are invited to discuss anything and everything during set times of the week. The idea intrigued me and I've decided to do a version of the same. You are invited to stop by, call me, or email me on Tuesdays from 12:30--1:30 p.m. This will be my time dedicated for you.
One subject I would like to have feedback on is last night's Classroom Information Night. If you attended, I would love your thoughts. A School Messenger email was sent to families with a survey to share your feedback with us. If you have multiple children at Normandale, you will have received one than one email. If you did not receive an email, you may follow the link(s) below to complete it now. If you missed the Information Night, know it is just the beginning of an in-depth dialogue between families and teachers. It is a step in our journey to be a world-class learning community with all participants actively connected. Look for more opportunities to engage soon.
My door is open,
Gerry
Kindergarten - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FC7ZSPR
1st grade - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FCJFRLN
2nd grade - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FCGPML7
3rd grade - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FC6LKNK
4th grade- https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FC52XHR
5th grade- https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F255HBC
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Birth to Grade 5 Study
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This school year Edina Public Schools will develop recommendations to advance "Birth to Grade 5" learning through 2016 and beyond. The vehicle for developing these recommendations is the District's "Birth to Grade 5 Study." This study will advance recommendations in three major areas:
- Birth to age 3
- Age 4 to Grade 1 and
- Grade 2 to 5
Recommendations from this study will seek to:
- enhance achievement for ALL students
- advance learning through innovation, technology and the use of time
- maximize funds, facilities and talents (resources)
- identify early childhood and elementary program direction(s)
- inform future facilities planning
- align with the recently completed Secondary Academic Recommendations
In the coming weeks the Birth to Grade 5 study will seek input from Edina staff, parents and students. The format for this input will be consistent across stakeholder groups and across the District. If, in your work as an education professional, you have come across resources or ideas etc. that you think would benefit this study, please forward them to me.
Gerry Lukaska
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Neighborhood Network
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Does your child enjoy spending time with their intern? Volunteer to drive interns around town by signing up for the Neighborhood Network. The network is an automated system that interns use to request rides from parent volunteers. It's a great, low commitment way to get involved in the Normandale community and spend time with our interns.
Sign up to support the Neighborhood Network today!
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Innisbrook Fundraiser Underway
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The Innisbrook gift wrap fundraiser is underway! We hope to raise $15,000 to help fund our extraordinary French intern program.
Last Friday your child should have brought home a packet of information that included two catalogs, instructions, an order form and a flyer with great prizes your child can earn based on the number of items sold. We encourage you and your child to ask neighbors, relatives, co-workers and friends to help support our school by purchasing high quality gift wrap, chocolates, jewelry, gourmet food items and other accessories.
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Mile Run Dates - Grades 3-5 in PE
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Mile Run Dates - Grades 3-5 - Mr. Hannemann
 For parents interested in cheering on their children or running with them, please join us on the track next week (Sep 23-25). The mile is during your child's first PE class within those days (if they have PE Sep 23 and 25, you'd come on Sep 23). Check in at the front office and then join us in the small gym for a warm-up and stretch beforehand or find us on the track about 5-10 minutes into class. If you're not able to make it, ensure your child gets adequate rest leading up to the mile run and ask how it went later that day.
Happy running!
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Logic Club for Grades 3-5
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The mind is a beautiful thing. Let's push it to the limit!
Logic Club is for students in grades 3-5 who are interested in exploring logic-based games and puzzles. We'll play Connect Four, Rush Hour, Squeezed Out, Chess, Sudoku, Rubik's Cube, Rubik's Magic, Rubik's 360, Brick by Brick and more. Don't know how to play these? I'll teach you! We'll also explore riddles and create mazes too.
You may not have known that Mr. Hannemann has a passion for logic games, and even coached a chess team to 1st place in a southern California regional tournament. Now you do! Starts September 23rd!
Find out more information and sign up!
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Edina Fitness Club for Grades 3-5
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The focus of Fitness Club is to help students get ready for the school day by firing up their bodies and increasing overall fitness, strength, and flexibility. Workouts are designed to be adjustable to any fitness level. A snack will be provided after every class.
Find out more about the Fitness Club
Taught by Mr. Hannemann September 23 - Dec 13
7:45 AM - 8:15 AM
2,3,or 4 days/week
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Save the Date: Dinner with the Interns
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October 22, 5 - 7 PM
Students and families are invited to have dinner with their interns at local restaurants (list to be published in October). This is great night to meet your student's intern and enjoy watching them speak French. Mark your calendars now for this fun night!
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Wanted: More Art Adventure Presenters
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Art Adventure is an art appreciation program for students in grades 3-5 based on original paintings, sculpture, textiles, and photographs from the collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This year theme is Sources of Strength. All Art Adventure training is provided, and no experience is necessary. This is a great way to get involved with your child's education at Normandale!
For more information, contact Rick Hauser at 612/412-3154. You can also read the original article in the September 13 issue of La Liaison.
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Save the Date: Pinstripes Fundraiser
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French Connections Adult Fundraiser at Pinstripes
November 16, 2013, 7:00 PM
Gala? Fundraiser? Night out with no kids? Party of the year?
Whatever you call it, it is taking place on Saturday, November 16th at Pinstripes on France Avenue in Edina from 7:00 pm - midnight. If you attended last year, you know it was a ton of fun and you won't want to miss it. If you weren't able to attend, you are going to want to make it this year. It's a great way to raise money for the French Immersion program and meet the fabulous parents, staff and interns that support Normandale and Valley View.
There will be games (bocce and bowling), dancing to an incredible DJ (one of our own), incredible food and drink, and fantastic socializing with the Normandale and Valley View communities! Amongst all these fun and games, we will also be raising funds to support our French Immersion program through popular Community Connections, a Silent Auction, Mystery Boxes and a Bottle Bonanza! Tickets will go on sale soon.
Want to get involved? Email Karen Epple or Kirsten Rewey to find out how you can help or to get more information. Our French Immersion program has become recognized as one of the leading immersion programs in the country (Normandale Elementary was recently designated a U.S. Blue Ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Education - one of only a few in Minnesota and as of last year, the only one in the Twin Cities metro). One of the significant advantages is that we bring many talented, native French speaking interns into our elementary and middle school classrooms to assist the teaching staff. As a result, our students have a lower teacher-to-student ratio and we are able to share French culture in a meaningful way.
The challenge is that there is a significant expense to bring these interns into our classrooms. While the interns do pay their own travel costs to come to the United States, Normandale and Valley View extended French families must donate additional funds and participate in fundraisers to pay for visa costs, medical insurance, teaching stipends, etc.
The event provides adults involved in Edina French Immersion an opportunity to come together to celebrate our unique educational program while raising funds for the intern program. All proceeds from the event will be split proportionally to support the interns at Normandale and Valley View.
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Meet Mme. White
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 Je m'appelle Caroline White. For the past twenty-three years, I have been teaching French for all grades (from Pre-K to pre-AP French) in different schools around the Twin Cities before coming to Edina.
This is my first year teaching 2nd grade at Normandale. I love teaching and have attended two workshops this summer to better prepare myself - "Immersion 101" and the "Responsive Classroom." I am looking forward to implementing everything I have learned. I am also a student at Hamline University of St Paul where I'm doing an additional K-6 licensure.
I am a French citizen, married to Paul, my husband of 24 years. I have a son, Justin, and a daughter, Camille, who are respectively a senior and a junior in high school. I also have two adorable dogs: a beagle, Barkis, and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Clara. I have lived in Toulon, Avignon, and Aix en Provence in France, and in Eau Claire, WI in the United States. I now live in Plymouth.
Au revoir!
Madame White
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New Learning Specialists Team
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 Learning Specialists Laura Hanson and Jennifer Johnson
Bonjour! We are your Normandale learning specialists! We are part of a child's teaching team and we work in collaboration with your child's classroom teacher to accelerate student learning of identified students in the areas of reading and math. Students are identified to work with the learning specialist based on either their results of testing from the previous year's teacher or results of testing on MAP tests given in the beginning of the school year.
Student progress is monitored by the learning specialist and the child's teacher. This progress is communicated to parents on a regular basis. This progress monitoring ensures that we are matching the appropriate support services with each child.
We are also an additional resource to you parents! In addition to your child's classroom teacher, we are great people to contact if you have questions about supporting your child in reading and math at home. Please take two minutes to fill out our survey of what needs you may have as a parent of a child at Normandale. This will give us an idea of what information to provide and how to get it to you in a convenient manner.
Our first resource we have to offer you is a list of 100 books to read aloud to your children from preschool through elementary school. There are also tips for making the most of your read aloud time together. These brochures can be found on the desk in the main office.
If you have questions or if you are looking for resources, please don't hesitate to contact us via phone or email. We look forward to talking with you!
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Last Week's News
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Previously included La Liaison articles are listed below in case you missed them.
- Principal's Update
- Classroom Information Night
- Parking Lot Safety
- School Start Time
- Bus Seating Assignments
- Art Adventure Presenters Needed
- Meet Two First Grade Teachers: Coen-Pesch and Schonecker
You can always view last week's newsletter on Normandale's PTO website or on the Newlsetters page of the Normandale Website.
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Happening in the Community
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Beyond ECFE: Parenting Classes
 You have questions? We have answers. You came to rely on the Edina Family Center's high-quality, Parent-Aware 4-Star ECFE classes for children from birth to age 5. Now that your child has moved on to elementary, middle, or high school, where can you find that supportive community and the answers you need for your parenting concerns? The Edina Family Center is proud to offer "Beyond ECFE" classes to meet your needs.
Stay connected with Edina Public Schools by visiting the EPS website, and/or the EPS Facebook Page.
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