North Metro Flex Academy
Where You're Challenged...and Belong
A few words from our Principal, Mrs. Kranz!
Hello NMFA Families,
We are looking forward to seeing you at the "Turkey Trot" on Tuesday, November 22nd from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Many of our staff are planning on attending too! We will be having Turkey Bingo, a movie playing, and some craft projects to take home and/or donate to Polar Ridge Senior Center. There will be a Food Truck for items to purchase. There will also be some light snacks.
We will be giving out hats, mittens, scarves and other supplies at the Turkey Trot event.
Please let us know if you need any assistance with winter clothes for your students. (Email your teacher, or call and leave a message 651-300-6300.)
We are trying to increase our parent and family involvement this year!
**Please attend the Turkey Trot Event on November 22 (see details below).
**Please participate in the Butter~braid Fundraiser for Phy Ed Equipment(See details below).
**Please consider attending our School Board Meetings and even joining the board. (Please see below in the dates section for more information.)
**Please put on your calendars the in-person Winter Concert scheduled
for December 22, 9:00AM - 10:30 AM
In case you missed this information from previous newsletters, I am highlighting it again this week as we near the end of the trimester.
Exciting Curriculum this year...
This year we are in our 2nd year of Implementation for our K-2 Reading Program, Super Kids! We are in our first year of implementation for our reading program, MY VIEW, for grades 3 -5.
We have also adopted BRIDGES for math for grades K-5. For grades 6 - 8, our MS students have an experienced Math Teacher and Instructional support para who are teaching to all of the MN State Standards. They also have a new curriculum, Illustrative Math. MS ELA students are learning from My Perspectives for ELA, also aligned with MN State Standards.
In addition to our whole group instruction throughout the day with our newly adopted reading and math programs, we have also been preparing for doing as many small groups as possible to meet individual needs. As our teachers review the ASSESSMENT DATA, they are making decisions on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to provide small group instruction for Reading and Math skills. Numerous students are getting or will be getting additional support in "Sonday" reading intervention groups. The SONDAY System is a comprehensive line of materials designed to help educators provide multisensory reading instruction to students from K-8th grade reading levels. Using proven Orton-Gillingham methods, the Sonday System is simple, quick to implement and highly effective. The Sonday System offers structured, systematic, multisensory reading intervention for readers at the beginning stages of reading through the 8th grade. Each lesson plan uses proven Orton-Gillingham methods to provide effective intervention in small-group settings. Sonday covers the Big 5 essential components of reading in every 35 minute lesson. Instruction is based on skill or stage rather that age or group.
This month we also started DI (Destination Imagination) Groups for enrichment for some students in grades 1 - 8.
What is Destination Imagination? Destination Imagination is project-based education. The students will be on a team of 4-7 students. Working as a team, they will choose a Challenge from one of the following categories: Technical, Scientific, Improvisational, Service Learning, Engineering, or Fine Arts. To complete the Challenge, the team will need to generate ideas, research, design, build, make decisions, work with a budget, implement their ideas, and manage their project timeline. They will utilize creativity, ingenuity, and teamwork.
Why Destination Imagination? The skills that are developed through Destination Imagination include self-confidence, creative and critical thinking, team building, collaboration and respect, problem solving, risk taking, project management, and perseverance. These skills will help prepare our young people for the future! When our young people enter the adult workforce, it is predicted 65% of the jobs that will be available do not exist today. Destination Imagination will help your child be prepared.
We are GRATEFUL for your children!
We are GRATEFUL for your partnership!
We are GRATEFUL for our staff!
We are GRATEFUL for our community support!
Be safe, kind and responsible
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families.
Love,
Mrs. Kranz, Principal
Menu for Food Truck:
We will be highlighting our new staff this month! Check out who has joined our NMFA Family!
Upcoming Dates
November 22 Turkey Trot Family Event 4 - 6 PM See below for details...
November 23, 24 Thanksgiving Break-No School
December Family Event TBD - Details coming soon!
December 5 No school
December 22 WINTER Concert 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
December 23 - January 2 WINTER BREAK - NO School
Destination Imagination ( DI )
Groups for enrichment for some students in grades 1 - 8.
What is Destination Imagination? Destination Imagination is project-based education. The students will be on a team of 4-7 students. Working as a team, they will choose a Challenge from one of the following categories: Technical, Scientific, Improvisational, Service Learning, Engineering, or Fine Arts. To complete the Challenge, the team will need to generate ideas, research, design, build, make decisions, work with a budget, implement their ideas, and manage their project timeline. They will utilize creativity, ingenuity, and teamwork.
Why Destination Imagination? The skills that are developed through Destination Imagination include self-confidence, creative and critical thinking, team building, collaboration and respect, problem solving, risk taking, project management, and perseverance. These skills will help prepare our young people for the future! When our young people enter the adult workforce, it is predicted 65% of the jobs that will be available do not exist today. Destination Imagination will help your child be prepared.
Reminder: Vaccine available for children 5 to 11 years old
Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesotans can schedule appointments for children ages 5-11 to receive an updated bivalent booster at state-run vaccination sites. The announcement follows updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that expanded the use of updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5 through 11 years to protect them against newer Omicron variants.
Minnesota health care providers are ready to administer new COVID-19 booster shots for ages 5 and older that have been formulated to be more effective against the Omicron variants. Attached you will find high-level talking points on the Bivalent vaccine.
The Pfizer bivalent booster is now available for people 5 and older and the Moderna bivalent vaccine is now available for people 6 and older.Both products can be given as soon as two months after a primary vaccine series or booster vaccination. Children 5-11 receive a smaller dose than people age 12 and older. The bivalent vaccines are only recommended for use as a booster.
The updated COVID-19 boosters can both help restore protection that has decreased since previous vaccination and provide broader protection against newer variants. The COVID-19 vaccines and the updated booster are safe and help protect people from getting very sick with COVID-19. Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you should get vaccinated.
State-Run Vaccination Sites
Vaccination will start this week at the state-run vaccination sites at Mall of America, Duluth, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Paul. Parents can start making appointments now.
- Mall of America appointment link
- Duluth (DECC) appointment link
- Moorhead appointment link
- Rochester appointment link
- Paul Midway appointment link
All state-run vaccination sites will offer the Pfizer bivalent boosters. Appointments are recommended but walk ins will be accepted.
Where to Get a Bivalent Booster
There are several options for where to get a bivalent booster.
- Check with your regular health care provider or local pharmacy to see if appointments are available.
- Minnesotans can make appointments at the state-run vaccination sites now: State Run Sites
- Use the state’s Find Vaccine Locations map to find vaccine providers near you—providers will update their information as appointments are available.
- Check for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
- Watch for vaccination clinics being offered at other community locations around Minnesota.
Register for Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) will be hosting a variety of free, virtual trainings this fall. Anyone is welcome to register and attend.
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Training: YMHFA is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. YMHFA is designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. By the end of the training, participants will be able to recognize and respond to the signs of mental health or addictions challenges or crises in young people age 12-18. YMHFA meets educator suicide prevention/mental illness training requirement per MN statute 122A.187 as determined by district. This training is a blended training, meaning it includes both a self-paced component as well as a live, virtual component. Participants are required to complete 2 hours of self-paced pre-work before gaining access to the live, 5.5 hour training portion.
Dates & times: Friday, Dec. 9, 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. or Friday, Dec. 16, 8:30 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Registration link.
Reminder: Child Tax Credit Deadline - Nov. 15
Millions of eligible families may easily claim the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) until Nov. 15. Eligible families can claim the CTC at GetCTC.org/mn.
Many families may not know that they are eligible for the CTC or that they can still claim it using a simplified filing tool. Families can also use the simplified tool to file their tax return if they have not yet received the third stimulus check. The simplified tool GetCTC.org/mn is for families who do not have a 2021 filing requirement – typically this means their income is below $12,550 if filing single, or $25,100 if filing married. The traditional filing method is still available until 2025. The November 15 deadline is for those interested in using the electronic portal.
MDE is encouraging school districts to do additional outreach to families to ensure that every family who is eligible, and hasn’t yet received the expanded CTC, will receive it. Outreach materials are available here in 11 languages, including flyers, template emails, texts and robo calls.
Friendly Reminder to all families and students
The Nation’s Report Card: Declining Reading Scores
Erin Bailey is Reading Is Fundamental’s Director of Programs and Content, a former teacher, and is pursuing her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. In light of the October 24th release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, Erin shares her thoughts and expertise on how we can work together to ensure our nation’s children have the support and resources they need to become passionate, lifelong readers.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results were released on Monday and while the data is discouraging, I feel optimistic that we can unite and recover. The NAEP results show that school disruptions caused by COVID-19 have returned us to reading scores seen 30 years ago. The number of children not reading proficiently has grown: 37 percent of fourth-graders performed below NAEP Basic in reading. The achievement gap has widened, and the lowest-performing students have fallen further behind. As a former teacher, literacy expert and parent, these results are disheartening to me, but I know that by working together, we can reverse and, in time, improve this trend. And I know that RIF is deeply committed to supporting educators and families as the key to this reversal.
While our progress as dropped back to 1992 levels, I do not believe it will take us 30 years to recover from this. Today, we know there are evidence-based practices, such as those identified by the National Reading Panel, for teaching reading that will help students to recover and excel.
At RIF, we know it takes a village, and we are incredibly thankful that you – our families, educators, literacy advocates, and volunteers – share our commitment to supporting our nation’s children in their reading education and success. Having worked in classrooms across the U.S. and internationally, I know what a difference it can make when educators and families collaborate to support their students. While I share your frustration and dismay, I know how dedicated you are to supporting your students and children as we tackle this national crisis together. Because of this, we are sharing some family engagement resources and educator tools from RIF that you can put to use today:
- Early Childhood Tip Sheet: Studies show that reading to children, even from birth, builds literacy. Use this tip sheet to help your child begin their reading journey.
- At-Home Reading Webinar: RIF has a wealth of webinars, including one on at-home reading tips, where we share strategies and activities that families can use to support literacy development.
- Read-Aloud Guide: Reading a book aloud with children is one of the first steps of putting them on the path to becoming proficient, lifelong readers and learners. Use this guide for tips in maximizing read-aloud time.
- Vocabulary Guide for Educators: This guide helps educators determine which vocabulary words and phrases they should teach as they are encountered in books and text.
- Rally to Read 100: This free six-month reading engagement program, aimed at inspiring a joy and love of reading, includes monthly read-alouds from beloved children’s authors and a variety of stimulating reading activities, all tied to monthly themes.
For nearly six decades, RIF has focused on partnering with educators and families to best support children on their reading journey. We believe that now, more than ever, is a critical time to come together and work to inspire a joy of reading for all children and support them to become strong readers and leaders. Together, I know we can make a difference on setting children back on course.
© 2021 Reading Is Fundamental | www.rif.org
750 First Street NE, Suite 920
Washington, DC 20002
LiteracyNetwork@rif.org | 1-877-RIF-READ
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GRATITUDE
Gratitude helps support emotional regulation!
Book Recommendation
Grow Grateful by Sage Foster
Grow with Kiko on a camping trip and watch for ways she shows Gratitude for family, friends, and chances while learning that Gratitude can increase happiness and strengthen relationships.
Check It Out!
SCHOOL LUNCH MENUS:
AMAZON SMILES DONATIONS
Families can help donate money to our school when purchasing from Amazon by just using their account in these simple steps:
Sign up for Amazon Smiles in a web browser:
- Visit smile.amazon.com
- Sign into their account they use for amazon.com
- Select North Metro Flex Academy
- Start shopping! They must then always use smile.amazon.com to generate donations for the school.
Sign up for Amazon Smile in the Amazon app on their mobile phone.
- Open the amazon app
- Navigate to main menu
- Tap settings and then select AmazonSmile
- Select North Metro Flex Academy and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on
- Once activated in the app, all future app purchases will generate donations when eligible.
Need to Know Information for the school year!
Important Contacts at NMFA
o Debbie Kranz – Principal dkranz@nmfamn.org
o Dave Isaacson – Special Education Director disaacson@nmfamn.org
o Chelsea Smieja – Operations Manger csmieja@nmfamn.org
o Jessaca Karg – Office Manager jkarg@nmfamn.org
Please take a look at some of our important times we have at NMFA:
School Hours 7:30a– 2:00p
Building hours: 7:00a – 2:30p
Lunches: Start at 10:50a – 12:10p
Wolf Pack: 2:00p-4:30p grade KG-6th for more information email info@nmfamn.org
( See Below )
North Metro Flex Academy
Email: info@nmfamn.org
Website: www.nmfamn.org
Location: 2350 Helen Street North, North Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: (651)300-6300
Facebook: https://facebook.com/NorthMetroFlexAcademy/