|
La Liaison
A Publication of the Normandale PTO
April 17, 2015
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
APRIL
18
20
MAY
2
|
Technology and Learning Open House, 9-11am, Third Floor Atrium, Edina Community Center
Referendum Community Meeting, 7pm, Council Chambers at Edina City Hall
Normandale Carnival - La Kermesse - 4:30-7:30pm
|
|
|
|
|
From the Principal
|
Spring is here and we have been busy sprucing up Normandale and planning for next year!
- The playground got a fresh coat of wood chips over spring break. Students are enjoying the springy new surface.
- Playground staff at Normandale, Concord, Kids Club and WISE Guys have been training with Playworks: 1) to make recess more engaging and 2) to establish common expectations, language and activities across these four sites. This is a pilot effort that, if successful, will be brought to scale across the District. Last week our staff had two days of training with two more days scheduled in May.
- The decision-making body of the Normandale PTO - the Normandale Leadership Team - needs some new blood! We are looking for interested volunteers to fill the following roles on the Normandale Leadership Team:
- Treasurer - The treasurer keeps financial records for the PTO and deposits money, drafts and checks for the PTO.
- Vice-Treasurer - The treasurer elect assists the Treasurer with the above duties.
- President-Elect - The President-Elect assists the President as they learn the ropes before assuming duties as president the following year.
If you are interested in helping Normandale's Leadership Team, please contact Chris Holden.
- MCA testing is ALMOST complete! Our third, fourth and fifth graders have done a super job staying focused during this testing season.
- The next PTO General Meeting is scheduled for May 19 at 7pm. The topic of this meeting is "What to expect in middle school." Counselors from Valley View Middle School will share information about middle schoolers and middle school programming at Valley View. This will of course be of interest to current fifth grade families, but you will all be there one day, so take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about middle school!
Chris Holden, Principal
|
|
Normandale Carnival 2015 - Right Around the Corner!
| |
Don't miss out on the biggest night of the year for our students! La Fête du Printemps will be held on Saturday, May 2nd from 4:30-7:30pm.
New to the event this year:
- Four fabulous $5 raffle baskets, including a tandem bicycle, Twins tickets, and huge gift cards. Buy early as ticket quantities are limited with a bigger chance to be a winner!
- Check out our new CANDYLAND concession area. Yummy carnival treats to support our intern program.
- Old fashioned carnival fun CAKE WALK and STUFFED ANIMAL WALK. $1 to be a winner!
Donate to raffle baskets NOW!
We are only halfway to our collection goal. It is our hope every family will donate $10 per student to the highlight of the event. Thank you to Laurel Fischbach, who is our weekly early donation winner as well as Karen Epple, who is our overall early donation grand prize winner of a dinner and a movie night out! Thank you for your support!
Donate to Raffle Baskets Here
Buy $1 and $5 raffle tickets EARLY!
This saves you precious time at the carnival. Raffle tickets on sale early at these times:
- Thursday, April 30th in the cafeteria 11:00am-1:25pm
- Thursday, April 30th in the auditorium 3:00-4:00pm
- Friday, May 1st in the cafeteria 11:00am-1:25pm
- Friday, May 1st in auditorium 3:00-4:00pm
Purchase admission and food tickets NOW!
Join the 200 adults and children already registered for the Carnival. Tickets on sale now through the link below, at the above lunch and after school times, and of course at the door. Buying early saves you money and time!
Purchase Admission and Food Tickets Here
Volunteer for the carnival NOW!
We are in need of over 100 more volunteers to make this carnival the best yet! If we don't get volunteers, we eliminate games. The kids don't want that! Our hope is for every adult attending to volunteer for one shift for the event.
Buy carnival apparel NOW!
Preorder this fun Normandale t-shirt for the whole family! Buy using the link below, at lunch and after school sales, and at the event.
Normandale T-shirts
See you at the carnival!
|
From the Normandale Office
| |
If you know that your family is relocating or your child is not returning to Normandale next school year, please notify Karen Roach. We do have waiting lists in many of the grades and would like to offer any openings we have to new families so they can plan for next school year.
Thank you!
|
| From the District | |
Referendum Update - Remember to Vote Tuesday, May 5!
- What will new learning spaces look like? The Next Generation Facilities Plan was developed in partnership with student, staff and community input over the last year. Current proposals, which were calculated based on enrollment, square feet and projected construction costs, are only conceptual but focus on creating a variety of learning spaces to support direct instruction, individual, small and large group learning. If voters approve the referendum, the district will then launch the design phase in which teachers and staff will meet with architects and engineers about how to develop and design spaces that best meet learning program needs. Continued engagement of students and families will also be available. As part of the district's Secondary and BG5 Strategic Studies, examples of what these spaces could look like have been collected and are available on the Next Generation Spaces page of the district's referendum website.
- Looking for a referendum publication, presentation or video? All referendum communications are archived on the district website here.
- One more public meeting - In addition to the over 50 small group presentations and dialogues about the upcoming referendum, the general public is invited to attend the remaining community engagement conversation on Monday, April 20 at 7pm, Council Chambers at Edina City Hall (sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Edina).
|
Summer/Year-Round French Reading Opportunity
| |
Looking for a way to have French reading materials for your student(s) all summer and during the school year? Our contact from Bayard Presse, Marie-Caroline Russell, is offering the opportunity for parents to order magazines from France (in French, of course) for students. There are stories, news articles, games, and French history. Many families have ordered these magazines and shared.
A small catalog from Bayard/Milan with an order form will come home in your youngest Normandale student's backpack. If interested, please complete and send your orders to Marie-Caroline directly to ensure summer delivery. Her address is on the bright pink order form.
Not sure which one to order? I will show the students the different choices of magazines next week during their media time. OR...Come to the media center to look at examples of all the different choices. OR...Contact Tracy Pearson, Media Specialist, at (952) 848-4121.
Put the fun of reading in French in your students' hands! Happy Reading!
|
Empty Bowls: Third Grade Service Learning Project
|
Normandale's 3rd 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. 
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2015 Time: 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
Please try to make it to this wonderful event! Thank You! Mme French-Amara |
|
Fourth Annual Technology and Learning Open House
| |
See first-hand how technology helps to unleash students' passion for learning and empowers great teaching. Edina teachers and students will showcase digital-age learning experiences from the 2014-15 school year. Learn how technology is transforming student learning at Edina Public Schools!
WHEN: Saturday, April 18, 9-11am
WHERE: Edina Community Center, Third floor atrium (5701 Normandale Rd, Edina MN 55424)
RSVP: This event is FREE and open to the public, but to help us plan for attendance, please RSVP here.
|
| Second Annual Student Wellness Challenge | |
This year's Student Wellness Challenge will take place Saturday, April 25 in the main gym/auditorium at South View Middle School from 9am - 12 noon.
The Challenge will feature student stations, which will include topics such as: Nutrition, Pros of the Rope, Tai Chi, Cooking, and Hand-Eye Coordination. There will also be several speakers who will cover topics such as adolescent psychiatry, benefits of yoga, stress management and anorexia.
Make plans to attend this exciting event!
|
|
Happening in the Community
|
EHS Thespians Spring Showcase
Three nights, three different shows! You won't want to miss any of them! The Edina High School Thespians present their Spring Showcase from April 16-18.
One ticket gets you into all three nights!
- $10 Students and Senior Citizens
- $15 for adults
More details about each evenings' performances can be found on the EHS Thespians website. Purchase your tickets here.
Girls Lacrosse Youth Clinic
Varsity coach Makenna Borg and the Edina High School Girls Varsity Lacrosse team will hold the third in a series of Youth Clinics. Come learn new skills, have fun, and win prizes!
Who: Girls Grades 3-8
When: Saturday, May 2, 2015
Cost: $20 per girl
10:45am-12:00pm - Registration & Clinic
12:00-1:00pm - Youth players are invited to stay to watch the EHS Girls Varsity Lacrosse Practice
For more information and to register, visit www.edinagirlslax.com.
Capturing the Excitement of Edina Public Schools!
|
|
Last Week's News
|
Previously included La Liaison articles are listed below in case you missed them.
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.
Editors: Kate Frederick and Erica Amevo |
|
|
|
|
