Falcon Ridge Elementary Newsletter
April 2022
Important Information:
Office/Main Line: 952-758-1600
24/7 Attendance Line: 952-758-1605
FR Nurse: 952-758-1606
Fax: 952-758-1699
Location: 1200 Columbus Avenue North, New Prague, MN, USA
- Drop-Off/Pickup/Visitor Info: D/O, P/U and Visitor Info
- Nutrition Services: 952-758-1774 and Lunch Menus/Times
- Transportation: 952-758-1480 and FR Drop Off/Pick Up
- Campus Portal: Campus Portal and Instructions
- Calendar/Dates to Note: Falcon Ridge Calendar
- School Supply Lists: Falcon Ridge School Supply Lists
- MN Dept. of Revenue K-12 Tax Benefits: K-12 Tax Benefits
- NPAS COVID-19 Information: https://www.npaschools.org/COVID-19
- Facebook: Like Falcon Ridge Elementary on Facebook.
- Twitter: Follow FalconRidge721 on Twitter.
- Instagram: Follow FalconRidge721 on Instagram.
- Website: https://www.npaschools.org/falcon-ridge
Absences, Late Arrivals and Early Pickups
Message from Principal Giesen
Falcon Ridge Families,
Educational Requests
- Requests for your child(ren)'s placement for the 2022-2023 school year need to be submitted in writing/email to me (Mr. Giesen) no later than April 22, 2022. Any requests received after that date will not be considered.
- All requests must include a legitimate educational concern that should be considered when balancing class lists. Individual student learning styles and specific student characteristics are examples of information that can be shared. Please do not include teacher names when submitting information.
- There are several items taken into account when creating class lists, such as ratio of boys to girls, students with higher educational needs and students with challenging behaviors, to name only a few. Fluctuations in enrollment may create the need to increase or decrease class size. Creating class lists is a challenging task; it is critical that all classes are as balanced as possible to maintain an optimal educational environment for all students. We will make every effort to honor requests, but there are no guarantees.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Thank you to everyone who participated in our parent-teacher conferences this past month. Did you know that 97% of our families were represented? As a Falcon Ridge staff, we are extremely fortunate.
Joe Beckman
Our 4th and 5th graders enjoyed their time with Joe Beckman, aka Happy Caveman, this past Thursday afternoon at the high school. Joe emphasized the importance of human connection and the legacy our students leave behind as they move on in school. He focused on being DIFFERENCE MAKERS with the quote, “It’s not about changing the world; it’s about changing one person’s day.” Encourage your child to share about one of Joe’s stories or songs from our time together. Also, take a look at Joe’s Youtube channel for other connections to his message.
MCA Testing Dates - Our students in grades 3-5 are scheduled to take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) in April. We respectfully ask that parents make every attempt to schedule appointments, vacations, etc. around these dates:
- Science: April 4-6 (Grade 5 only)
- Reading: April 19-22 (Grades 3-5)
- Math: April 26-29 (Grades 3-5)
Sincerely,
Mr. Dave Giesen
Falcon Ridge Elementary Principal
(952) 758-1601
Everyday Fundraising for Falcon Ridge
In working with our Falcon Ridge PAC, I want to make all of our families aware of some easy ways to support our students at Falcon Ridge by using a few simple steps with businesses that you may already be spending money with:
- Shutterfly - Simply click on this Shutterfly link and start shopping. A percentage will go directly to our Falcon Ridge PAC.
- Amazon Smile - when you shop online at Amazon. This will help raise money for the Falcon Ridge PAC, which supports all students and all staff! Again, it's easy to do so: 1. Sign in to smile.amazon.com in your desktop or mobile phone browser, 2. from your desktop, go to "Your Account" from the navigation at the top of the page, 3. select the option to "Change your Charity" from the options at the bottom of the page, 4. choose Falcon Ridge Elementary PAC. For every eligible purchase you make on smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate 0.5% directly to our Falcon Ridge PAC.
- Coborn's School Rewards - Coborn's, Inc. is committed to donating $150,000 to local entities during the 2019-2020 school year. The points your school earns will help grow their share of the $150,000 total. It's like a pie; the size of your school's slice will depend on how many points they have received. Schools should encourage their supporters to register for their location at moreRewards.com: 1. Go to moreRewards.com, 2. create a login, 3. proceed to login, 4. go to "manage my membership," 5. choose school rewards, 6. select Falcon Ridge, and you are done! It is just that easy! You can also easily add it through the More Rewards phone app: 1. go to rewards, 2. slide the school rewards button to green, 3. below the button there should be an option for you to change to your school, 4. search for Falcon Ridge, and 5. select Falcon Ridge.
2021-2022 Falcon Ridge Monthly Character Traits
R-espect (September)
E-ffort (October)
A-ttitude (November)
P-ride (December)
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C-ooperation (January)
A-ssertion (February)
R-esponsibility (March)
E-mpathy (April)
S-elf Control (May)