Parents, we have been aware that students across the district, mainly in our elementary and middle schools, have been engaging in unsupervised Zoom meeting rooms outside of the school day. It is an issue that we are trying to rectify. Please assist us by letting your child know not to accept any Zoom meeting links from anyone other than their teachers. If and when a link is shared with them from a peer, please share those links with our Tech Support Specialist, Nate Cmiel (Nate.Cmiel@moundsviewschools.org), so we can continue to disable those links. This is a safety measure for all students involved.

Fall Semester (Semester 1) report cards are now viewable to parents and students through our ParenVUE and StudentVUE portals. If you have any questions about ParentVUE or if you have not activated your account, please contact Ms. Mildenberger at shannon.mildenberger@moundsviewschools.org for an activation key and instructions to log in.

In mid to late February, a link to our fall semester honor roll will be made available to parents via email.

Edgewood has been approved to welcome back middle school students to blended (hybrid) learning on Monday, February 22.

This calendar and the chart below indicates some key dates:

• February 15, non-school day for all District grade levels -- Presidents’ Day

• February 18-19, non-school days for grades 6-12 students -- state-provided staff planning

• February 22, blended learning begins for middle school and high school students

Watch for more specific details including information and protocols around classroom learning, transportation, food-service, and other operations soon.

We’re looking forward to welcoming our students back to blended learning.

It's already almost the end of January and that means that time is running out to read the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees before we vote at the beginning of March. Read THREE to Vote for your favorite and be eligible for the gift card raffle. The list of books can be found here! Pick one to read as a family or with a friend!

If your student did not take their picture by Lifetouch this past fall for the yearbook, families can submit their own photo for the yearbook. You may take a picture at home and submit it to Ms. Penner (anna.penner@moundsviewschools.org) to be used in the yearbook. We ask that you follow the guidelines of a school picture as close as possible, using solid backgrounds and a head shot from the chest up.

Also, if you have any photos you have taken during distance/blended learning that you'd like to share for possible publication in the yearbook, please send those also to Ms. Penner at the email address above.

To order a yearbook, visit the Lifetouch link and use the yearbook ID code 10712921. The yearbook flyer can be found here.

The February lunch menu can be found here.

All students attending school will receive FREE breakfast and lunch daily through June 2021. If your student is in distance learning at an elementary school, you may continue to pick up meals at the locations listed below.

FREE meals will be available for all students for curbside pickup at the schools listed below. Meal pick-up is available every Wednesday and Friday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the following locations. Please note the updated locations effective Wednesday, January 27. Meals will no longer be available for curbside pick-up at the elementary schools.

• Chippewa Middle School (5000 Hodgson Road, North Oaks)

• Edgewood Middle School (5100 Edgewood Dr, Mounds View)

• Highview Middle School (2300 7th St NW, New Brighton)

• Irondale High School (2425 Long Lake Rd, New Brighton)

• Mounds View High School (1900 Lake Valentine Rd, Arden Hills)

Meals will be FREE for all students. Families and students will not need to provide a name or PIN number to pick up the meals. Masks are encouraged for those picking up meals, even while in their vehicle. This keeps the nutrition services staff safe as they serve the meals. For more information, visit our website.

Because of distance learning, Elisa, a junior at Mounds View High School, started Pen Pal Initiative, a club that connects students across the district together. At PPI, students sign-up and are paired with a pen pal from across the school district according to their interests. Students at Mounds View and Chippewa have already begun signing up and writing letters, and Turtle Lake and Island Lake will also begin participating soon. We would like to encourage this club as well at Edgewood so if any of our students are interested in participating, you can find out more information and sign up here.

Edgewood Parents & Teachers (EPAT) is an organization in which parents and Edgewood (EW) teachers and administration work together to help meet the needs of the EW students and staff.

As we did not have a fundraiser this year, there are still ways to contribute to EPAT! Our funds help to provide funds to teachers for additional items they would like for their class that are not covered by the school's budget. Some examples of this are tools, books and other various supplies that enhance our students' learning. Our funds also help to provide items for some of our extra-curricular activities. Here are some ways in which you can donate:

• Amazon Smile (Group Name: Edgewood Middle School PTO)
• Tasteocracy (Group Name: Edgewood Parents and Teachers PTO Group)
• Direct Donation

If you would like more information or are willing to volunteer your time to support the EW community, please contact margaret.meyer@moundsviewschools.org or lockwood.kimberly@gmail.com.

Registration is now open for Irondale Youth Baseball for students grades 2-9. The season begins mid-April and runs through early July. More information can be found at http://www.iblbaseball.com or on this flyer.

Seventh & eighth grade athletes that wish to participate on a high school team will also register online. Before you begin your online registration, approval must be obtained from the middle school principal or dean, the high school activities director and coach. In addition, signatures from both student & parent/guardian are also required. Please complete this Middle School consent form and deliver to the high school activities office before you begin the online registration.

In addition to leaving voicemail messages, parents and guardians can now electronically record student absences, including future and/or planned absences. Log into ParentVUE and select “Record absence” next to your child’s name to begin the process. School staff will review new entries daily. Detailed instructions are available here.

CHROMEBOOK 101

Everything you need to know about your Chromebook can be found here.

Additional information can be found here.

Hello from the Edgewood Library! Now that all students are learning from home for a while, how students get books has changed.

Distance learners will continue to put books on hold using our online system, Destiny Discover, but curbside pick up will no longer be available. Instead, books will be put on a shelf or table in the front entryway at EW and students or families may walk in the front doors to find their books in a bag labeled with their name. Please do NOT come to Edgewood to pick up requested books until you've received the confirmation email that they are processed and ready for you. A book drop will be outside the front doors at EW for students to return books whenever they are done reading.

Blended Learners learning from home for a while will now be requesting books using THIS GOOGLE FORM. More information can be found by watching THIS VIDEO. Once we receive the request and have the books ready to go, we will send the student and their grown-up an email that they can come and pick up their books in the front entryway at Edgewood. A book drop will be outside the front doors at EW for students to return books whenever they are done reading.

In addition to the youth programs and enrichment opportunities available through the District's Community Ed Department, a number of activities, camps and youth programs are hosted by area cities, local businesses, community organizations and school PTA groups. Please see offerings available in the district attendance area here.

Family Ski nights are back - Bring the whole crew for Family Ski Day! Lift ticket prices are $22.00 per person. Under age 5 is free. (Price increase due to new management and additional cleaning fees due to covid.)

Rental equipment is available at the discounted price of $18. New this year , you must register through Community Ed to receive the rental discount.

Click here to register

click here for rental only

Does social media cause depression? How to minimize negative effects of social media use

Special Needs and Learning Difficulties: Can tech be helpful for ELL and ESL learners? - Apps designed for ELL and ESL learners focus on translation and vocabulary.

Talk to Your Child About Vaping: While They Are Still Willing to Listen - Fact and conversation guide, especially for Middle School age.

Face to Face is starting two new groups in February to support the community:

Teen Boys Group (This online group is for Boys ages 14-17 to discuss male stigma, depression/anxiety and coping skills, mindfulness skills, ACES education, relationship issues, peer support and more!

- For boys ages 14-17

- Wednesdays from 4:00pm-5:30pm starting February 10th)

- Facilitated by Ryan Goman, LGSW and Noam Potek.

- Groups Dates/Times: Wednesdays from February 10th-March 17th from 4-5:30pm

- Contact information Ryan Goman: 612-559-7067 (Cell Phone) gomanr@face2face.org.

Group for Youth with Parents who Struggle with Addiction (Online Psychoeducation/support group for youth whose parents struggle with substance use disorders. This 6 week group will focus on education, healthy relationships, self-care strategies, resources, and peer support.)

- Open to youth grades 9-12.

- Tuesdays 4:30-6:00pm. From February 2nd-March 9th

- Facilitated by Kayla Marcoux, MSW, LGSW and Rehan Dunkal

- Contact information: 612-695-9468; marcouxk@face2face.org

CLUES Best Buy Teen Tech Center TUTORING. If you need help with math, chemistry, biology, history, writing or any other subject in school the BBTTC@CLUES can help! The BBTTC@CLUES is offering online tutoring hours for middle and high school students that need support in a variety of subjects. Join us every Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 5 pm - 7 pm & Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm.

• For more Information on tutoring and workshops. Contact: Ricardo Bennett rbennett@clues.org 651.379.4288 if you have questions.

Impact of the Pandemic on Students’ Mental Health - March 2 4:00-5:30pm - This free event hosted by MACMH) and NAMI Minnesota features a panelists of professionals who will discuss students impacted by the pandemic returning to in-person learning in the weeks and month ahead. They will share self-care tips and help parents and educators reflect on and respond to the impact of the pandemic, George Floyd’s murder and ongoing racism on children and youth.

Stopping the Spread of Math Anxiety: Three Messaging Strategies for Elementary School Teachers -Math anxiety can develop in the very early grades, often because of the negative messages about math that children pick up from the adults in their life.

Building Connections with Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds Through Perspective-taking - In the classroom and elsewhere, we interpret what others say and do through our own experiences, values, and beliefs—as well as our knowledge of the other person or people.

Strengthening Relationships with Students from Diverse Backgrounds: YouTube 9 min.

The Self-Love Workbook: A Life-Changing Guide to Boost Self-Esteem, Recognize Your Worth and Find Genuine Happiness - Adult Workbook mentioned in TGIF

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens: A Transformative Guide to Boost Self-Esteem, Build a Healthy Mindset, and Embrace Your True Self - a version of the above for teens.

Grounding Techniques & Self Soothing for Emotional Regulation - Use these skills to self soothe, calm and manage difficult, overwhelming emotions and sensations.

Just Breathe and The Jar and Glitter Demonstration - The kids in this video explain how they pause and curb their negative emotions, 3 minutes. This is something both kids and adults can do to find a place of calm.

Give Kids a Smile - Last call for free dental care available this weekend (Friday Feb 5, Saturday Feb 6). No eligibility questions will be asked to seek care. Patients younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian to receive dental care. If someone you are working with needs assistance or translation services, please call United Way 2-1-1 (or 800-543-7709), where Information and Referral Specialists can assist you in Hmong, Somali and Spanish Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The specialists there can place a three-way call to the dental clinic and assist you in making an appointment. (This information is also available via the above website.)

COVID-19 Vaccines in Ramsey County - Looking for current information about the COVID vaccine rollout in Ramsey County? You can find it here!

MN Vaccine Locator - Vaccine doses are becoming available to select priority groups in Minnesota. We know that the supply remains limited at this time. As a part of the continued COVID response, the state has created this tool to help clarify where vaccines are available in the community.

If you are looking for basic needs resources, please find more information at this link.

For parent support, please click on this link.

For student support, please click on this link.

For LBGQT support, please click on this link.

You can also find the resource guide and other information on our district website. We are here to help!

NEED HELP WITH FOOD? CURBSIDE PICK UP OR DELIVERY AVAILABLE! Ralph Reeder Food Shelf's free contactless curbside pick up includes dairy, deli, meat, milk, produce, bakery and shelf stable items. Kid-friendly boxes also available. Delivery is also available for those without transportation, homebound or at risk individuals. Call 651-621-6280 for more information. No need to exchange any paperwork, keeping you and our staff and volunteers safe. Appointments are available weekdays - call 651-621-6280 to schedule.

Mounds View Public Schools is not currently requiring quarantine following travel. However, families considering travel during this school year are encouraged to keep a close eye on guidance from the Center for Disease Control. Given the high level of COVID-19 spread in our communities, any unnecessary travel is highly discouraged. The CDC recommends the following: Think about what you would do if you became ill, need to quarantine, etc. while traveling. People who travel out of state are strongly encouraged to quarantine when they return home. Starting January 26, anyone traveling internationally will need to be tested three days prior to returning to the U.S. and have proof of negative results before boarding a flight.

These links can help you make informed decisions about travel:

Domestic travel

International travel

MDH travel and COVID-19

• Why are only kindergarten and elementary students allowed to return soon?

• What will school look like when these students return?

• When might middle school and high school students return to school?

For answers to these frequently asked questions and more, download this summary of Superintendent Lennox’s report to the School Board, or watch the report and discussion here.

The Updated MDH Decision Tree can be found here.

If you shop on Amazon, Edgewood Parent & Teachers (EPAT) asks for your help to support Edgewood while you shop!

AmazonSmile is operated by Amazon; the only difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to Edgewood Middle School.

Every item available for purchase on www.amazon.com is also available on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked "Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" on their product detail pages.

Our group name is "Edgewood Middle School PTO" and you can also now set up your mobile app to place orders using AmazonSmile! For more information about the AmazonSmile program, click here.

Joining the Tasteocracy community is easy! Using our online sign up form, provide your contact information and a small amount of demographic information. Minutes after you submit, you will receive an email welcoming you to the Tasteocracy community. Each tester may have only one account.

Tasteocracy and the clients who work with us value your participation and compensate you for your time and opinions. The amount of compensation is related to the length of the test. Tests that have a longer time commitment have a higher compensation amount. All tests average at $40 per hour of participation.

Our group name is "Edgewood Parents and Teachers PTO Group". For more information about the Tasteocracy program, click here.

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