Going to school presents a wonderful opportunity for children to interact with a wide range of peers throughout the day. Many students will form life-long friendships with other students at Normandale.

Children vary in their ability to start and maintain friendships. Some seem to have a gift for being engaging, confident, flexible, and stable in their ability to cope with social situations. Other children may struggle to build and maintain friendships. These students may benefit from additional support and/or the need to learn more functional strategies.

This dialogue, entitled "Normandale Forum on Friendship" will be held Thursday, November 13 from 6:30-7:45 pm in the Normandale Auditorium. It follows our school-wide effort on Bullying Prevention held throughout October. Parents and their school-aged children are invited to come together; however parents may attend alone. The format will include lecture, discussion, videos, and printed literature to take home.

Some of the topics discussed will be:

Structuring a play date to increase the likelihood of success
Increasing flexibility and adaptability
Developing coping skills when disappointments happen
Managing the end of a relationship (for both children involved)
Bullying: what it is and isn't and strategies for those being bullied and those who are bystanders

We held this event last year and are happy to present it again, with some new content for parents and children. If you are interested, please RSVP to Sandi Stein by email or 952 848-4108.

Health Screening Volunteers Needed!

Vision and hearing are two senses that are vital in our child(ren)'s school experience. Testing these senses is an easy process - the more volunteers we have, the smoother the process. Please consider signing up for the annual health screening on November 4th & 6th. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Four shifts available - take one shift or more! Please sign up here.

If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Sieve, Health Screen Coordinator

Junior Great Books

Reminder: Registration for Junior Great Books is happening now! Click here to register: 2014-15 Junior Great Books Registration Form

Please consider leading a group! This program cannot happen unless we have volunteers to lead the discussions. Send any questions to Jennifer Haenel.

French Connections Fundraiser at Pinstripes

November 15, 7:00 pm - Don't Miss out on this Great Event!

Not only is this a really fun evening at Pinstripes, it's also an extremely important fundraiser that supports our world-class immersion school. One of the significant advantages to our immersion program is that we bring many talented, native French-speaking interns into our classrooms. As a result, our students have a lower teacher-to-student ratio and we are able to share French culture in a meaningful way. This comes with a significant expense - and the proceeds from this event all go to the intern program.

What do we need from you?

Buy your ticket before November 8th and save!! Buy your ticket online today.

What kind of fun can you expect from this FUNdraiser?

Fantastic food and drink
Dancing to an energetic DJ
Bocce and Bowling
Mingling with other "Frenchies"
Chance to go home with your favorite beverage in the Game of Throws
Chance to find a $100 bill in the mystery boxes
Opportunity to sign up for many exciting Community Connections for the remainder of the school year
Opportunity to bid on new and exciting Silent Auction items

What does it take to make this happen?

Host a Community Connection. Email Karen Epple with your ideas.
Donate your favorite beverage to the Game of Throws. Bottles can be dropped off at 5336 Kellogg Avenue, Edina, or email Karen Epple for pick up.
Donate tickets, gift certificates or other items for the Silent Auction or Mystery Box. OR, if you know ANYONE that has a business or something of value to donate, please call them and ask. Contact Lisa Ungerman with your ideas.
Or to make it really easy, donate now online! We will use your generous donations to buy a great selection of beverages for the Game of Throws, along with fantastic items for the mystery boxes and silent auction.

We all know "it takes a village!" The more the school gets involved, the more successful the event will be.

Please contact Karen Epple or Annie Heitzmann with any questions or to discuss how you can help.

We hope to see you there!

Happening in the Community

Kids Helping Kids Sale

The 8th Annual Kids Helping Kids Sale is Saturday, October 25! Donate your gently used kids items!

This event raises money within the Doing Good Together Community Service Program at Cornelia. All funds from the sale go to a local charity serving families (VEAP), and unsold donated items go to a local family shelter (People Serving People). The entire sale is held at Cornelia Elementary at 7000 Cornelia Drive, Edina, MN 55435.

Donate to the sale (Cornelia front door):
Fri 10/24 4-6 pm and Sat 10/25 7-10 am

Shop the sale (Cornelia lunchroom and hallway):

Saturday 10/25 9 am-1 pm

Save your kids' gently used clothes, toys, sporting goods, books and baby gear and donate them to the sale! Please tell your friends and neighbors so they can help donate items or shop the sale!

More information about the sale can be found HERE.

Second Annual Carnival Concert

EHS Varsity Band

The Edina High School Varsity Band will be hosting its second annual Carnival Concert! The concert is particularly geared towards families and children 12 years of age and younger, to promote the joy of music at home and in our Edina schools. It features fun and games hosted by Edina High School band students prior to the show, including an "Instrument Petting Zoo" where the kids may touch the different band instruments. Concert music is especially suited to our young audience members, and will feature Edina elementary music teachers as guest performers.

Date: Saturday, October 25, 2014

Time: Carnival - 6pm. Carnival Concert - 6:30pm

Location: Fick Auditorium, Edina High School

Tickets: $3, all general admission. Kids 12 & under FREE! Tickets are available at the door

Conductor: Andy Richter

For more information, please contact Band Director Andy Richter or Martha Lundquist at the EHS Band Office, 952-848-3123, or visit us at www.edinabands.com.

Capturing the Excitement of Edina Public Schools!

Follow us on Flickr to see what's happening at our Edina Public Schools.
Stay connected with Normandale and the rest of Edina Public Schools (EPS) by visiting the EPS website, the Normandale Facebook page , and the EPS Facebook Page.

Last Week's News

Previously included La Liaison articles are listed below in case you missed them.

From The Principal
Innisbrook Sale Wrap-up
Pinstripes Adult Fundraiser - Saturday, November 15
Happening in the Community
Last Week's News

You can always view last week's newsletter on Normandale's PTO website or on the Newsletters page of the Normandale Website.

La Liaison is published every Friday. Submit articles to LaLiaisonMN@gmail.com by noon Wednesday prior to your desired publication date. Articles pertaining to the following week's issues will take precedence.

Previous editions of this newsletter are saved in the La Liaison Archives.

Editors: Kate Frederick and Erica Amevo