Principal's Weekly
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Dear Normandale Families,
I am wishing you all a wonderful break rich with adventures big and small.
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
My door is always open,
Gerry Lukaska
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Empty Bowls: Service Project
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Empty Bowls: A Third Grade Service Learning Project
Normandale's third graders will be participating in a unique, hands-on service learning project called Empty Bowls. Empty Bowls is a Fundraising event put on by STEP of St. Louis Park (St. Louis Park Emergency Program). The basic idea for Empty Bowls is simple: participants create bowls to donate to the Empty Bowls fundraiser. At the fundraiser, the bowls are displayed, and guests are served a simple meal of soup and bread donated by local businesses. Guests may choose one of the donated bowls to keep as a reminder that there are always people faced with empty bowls in the world. Normandale's third graders have been making two bowls each inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings. These flower-shaped bowls will be fired and glazed in our kiln. When the bowls are finished, our third graders will pick one bowl to donate to the Empty Bowls Event and one bowl to keep. The bowl they choose to keep will be photographed and posted on Artsonia and then returned to them. Please try to make it to this wonderful event!
Thank You!
Mme French-Amara
Date: Thursday, April 10, 2014
Times: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Lunch) and 4:30-6:30 PM (Dinner)
Location: Westwood Lutheran Church, 9001 Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park
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Birth to Grade 5 Study
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As part of the its implementation of the Next Generation of Edina Public Schools Strategic Plan, EPS is conducting a Birth - Grade 5 (BG5) Program Study. The purpose of this study is to develop a customized learning system that combines innovative choice and quality with accelerated and flexible learning. Some of the focus areas of the study include looking at curricular options; time, space and schedules; instructional delivery through technology; and planning, in partnership with families, to personalize learning throughout a student's academic journey.
The BG5 design team is now looking for your input!
There are two ways to provide your insights and help shape the recommendations that will be presented to the School Board later this spring (timeline).
1. FACE TO FACE MEETINGS
Staff meetings for early learning and elementary staff were held March 17-21, and Parent/Community Dialogues are currently occurring. The meetings include an overview of the BG5 study thus far, and then provide time for input on a variety of draft options. You are invited to attend one of the remaining three Parent/Community Dialogues:
- Thursday, March 27, 7-8:30 p.m. at Cornelia Elementary
- Tuesday, April 8, 7-8:30 p.m. at Creek Valley Elementary
- Thursday, April 10, 10:30 a.m-Noon at Edina Community Center
2. ONLINE SURVEY (deadline Tuesday, April 15)
Regardless of whether or not you attended one of the face-to-face meetings, all staff are invited to provide their input on the draft options via on online survey.
- In order to provide context for the BG5 Study and Draft Options Survey, we ask that you review this brief five minute screencast.
- take the Online Survey
- Timeline: Open through Tuesday, April 15, 2014
- Survey Format: The purpose of this survey is to gather staff, parent and community thinking and feedback on Draft Options that have been developed. Note that these are not recommendations, but rather options based on initial student, staff and parent survey input gathered in December/January, best practices for early learning and elementary programs, and ongoing research into and conversations with innovative programs in the region and around the world. We are now looking for your input.
- Options are presented in two areas: eight Structure-based options and seven Program-based options
- Within each option presented you may indicate your level of support for the option, provide written feedback regarding the option, or both.
- Your responses to this survey are anonymous and with the exception of one demographic question for the purpose of data analysis, all answers are voluntary.
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Running at Normandale
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Fun Running!
Do you want to encourage healthy habits, build school spirit, and support Normandale in one fell swoop? We have the committee for you! The PTO would like to explore the feasibility of adding a fun run to the Normandale calendar.
We already have some compelling ideas. (Mud run, anyone?) Now we need a few volunteers to flesh out the concept and explore feasibility. Please contact Emma Marshall-Cerqueira to serve on the Normandale fun run task force.
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The Carnival is Calling!
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Carnival Donations
Planning for the 2014 Normandale Carnival is in full swing and we need your help. Do you have tickets you could donate to the carnival raffle baskets? Can you offer an experience that people would enjoy related to your work or hobbies? From Twins tickets to a boat ride, we would be grateful for your donations. Please email Kathy Tran with questions or details of your donations.
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Save the Date: Golf & Tennis Classic
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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 Weekly Update
- Running Club
- French Magazines
- La Francophonie
- Vide-Grenier (garage sale) update
- Spelling Bee Honors
- Lost and Found
- Call for Carnival Volunteers
- Edina Student Art Show
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Happening in the Community
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Valley View Spring Musical: Once Upon a Mattress
April 10,11 and 12 at 7:00 pm, with a matinee on April 12 at 1:00 pm. Edina Performing Arts Center (EPAC)
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by going to www.seatyourself.biz/valleyview or at the box office, which opens one hour before each show. Tickets also sold at VVMS lobby on Thursday and Friday, April 10 & 11, from 10:15 am to 1:15 pm.
Artwork by students from six Edina elementary schools will be on display:
March 20 - April 13, 2014
Edina Library
5280 Grandview Square, Edina
651-543-6325
Also - check out Edina Public School's Service - Learning website!
Capturing the Excitement of Edina Public Schools!
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