Principal Bossard Newsletter
Some thoughts for the starting school year
School Updates
Week of January 15, 2023
Dear L'Etoile Du Nord Community,
Today is MLK Day. This day is a profound opportunity to honor and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a visionary leader who championed the ideals of equality, justice, and nonviolent protest.
In our community at L' Etoile Du Nord, we strive to embody Dr. King’s values every day by the following:
We nurture an environment of respect, seeking to understand and honor, and unity among our diverse student body. We are one community, and we highlight and celebrate Black and Brown voice.
We engage in conversations with our children about the importance of empathy, kindness, and standing up for what is right.
We teach kids to read based on the Science of Reading and we provide rigorous academics, in a challenging and rich French immersion setting, to provide every student the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
We include and push ourselves on our own anti-bias journeys by stepping into uncomfortable spaces and conversations.
We foster love, joy, and high expectations for our students. We honor Black and Brown voice.
The Month of January:
Assemblies: Our monthly assembly is January 19th and it will highlight African culture. Come join us as our students present what they have learned! Reach out to our clerk if you would like to come in or simply come in and check in at the front office. PreK-1 assembly time is 2:10pm and the 2nd-5th assembly time is 10:20am. A special thank you to families who have come in to share about their African culture in classrooms so far! You may enjoy some of the photographs on our website.
Open House: January 25th at 5 pm at 1760 Ames Pl, St. Paul. This is an opportunity to welcome and attract new families as we continue to grow. Please, share the sign attached here on social media if you would like! I appreciate your support as we continue to provide an excellent education.
Professional Development Day: January 26th is a NO school day as educators gather for professional development to continue the work in our new rigorous French math curriculum.
Updates:
Snack Policy: Please, make sure to talk with your teacher about snacks and if you would like to donate classroom snacks, please communicate with them directly as certain allergens are not allowed. Also, please do not send students in the morning with coffee, hot chocolate, or any outside snacks/beverages/treats as they come in the morning. If you provide their daily snack, please have this in the backpack for snack time. There are more guidelines in the Families Handbook, if you would like to reference that as well or you can always reach out to me.
Drop Off: Thank you for continuing to be patient and not go around the car in front of you! We are doing very well given the "obstacle" the dead end street presents. I appreciate you and your patience with this.
Assessment Window: The window for FAST testing and other French and English academic testing has opened and will continue until January 30th. What this means is that your student (s) may be testing multiple times in the next few weeks. We value data because we drive our instructional decisions based on it. If you have questions, you may reach out to classroom teacher or our coach, Mme Rivard. I am always available for you as well.
Coffee With the Principal: Coffee with the Principal will be this Friday, January 19th right after drop off. Please, drop off and then come in or if your student is on the bus, come in at 9:30 a.m. If you are able to make it, I would love to share space for a non-structured conversation and dialogue about our school and address any questions as well as support your vision and hope for your children. You are our biggest partner and I hope to see you. I will also use this opportunity to talk about CoGat testing and why our program remains the MOST rigorous and advanced. Please, come to the main office to check in to have coffee. I look forward to this monthly coffee time.
Enrollment Update: Priority Deadline for new families is February 9th. This year, we have stabilized and even gone over our enrollment projection. This means are students are learning and our students are thriving. Enrollment is what ensures a rich program for our kids, and my goal is to continue to grow our program. We will continue our work and ask for your support in spreading the word about our program. I love driving through the city and seeing "J'Adore L'Etoile du Nord" yard signs! If you would like one, please reach out to our clerk, Alan Stump, or to PTO!
Other Items:
- The SPPS calendar can be found here.
- Here is the weekly menu: https://www.schoolcafe.com/menu
PTO Updates
PTO Updates
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Updates
14 Host Families Needed for Next School Year’s Intern Program! The Intern Committee has begun seeking out applicants for our school’s unique native French speaking Intern Program!! Having interns in our classrooms and as part of our school community would not be possible without our host families. 14 host families are needed to invite 7 interns to our school next year. Apply today: https://forms.gle/RNHFNvAFTgqBDXcy6
January Open Gym Tuesday, January 16th - School Gymnasium from 6-8pm Enter at door 4 near the gymnasium. All students attending should have tennis shoes or socks.
Invite an Intern! Spending time with LNFI interns outside of the classroom is a great way to connect and share experiences together! Easily invite interns to upcoming events, celebrations, a meal, seasonal activities now by completing the form on our website: https://forms.gle/xpGgo2RqArsV4aYQ7
Download the PTO App & Directory Families are encouraged to join our school directory designed to connect students & families outside of the classroom. Directory access is limited to those that sign up. No information will be made publicly available or distributed. Download our app for quick access to the directory and receive monthly newsletters with PTO updates. Get started with the app here: https://lnfipto.membershiptoolkit.com/
ALL The Latest Updates from the PTO: https://lnfi-pto.org/pto-publications/
Questions or comments? Email communications@lnfi-pto.org
Join us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/lnfipto
Visit our website: www.lnfi-pto.org