As you know, the Governor recently announced updates to the MN Safe Learning plan, allowing schools to welcome back students in kindergarten through fifth grade to all-day, every-day, in-person learning.

For now, middle school and high school students will remain in distance learning. The current expectation from the state is that school districts will continue to follow the original guidance provided in the MN Safe Learning Plan. We will continue to work with local and state health officials and the Minnesota Department of Education to determine when and under what conditions we will be allowed to bring back middle and high school students to the classroom. As soon as we have this clarity, we will share this information with all families.

Please know we eagerly await the return of students to in-person learning in any capacity (hybrid or a full return five days a week). If you have any questions about this information, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Robert Reetz, Associate Principal Richmond Tweh or your student’s dean. The contact information can be found here.

Our Eagle Ears parent listening sessions have been postponed until we can host them in person.

For the weeks of January 18 and January 25, there will be a slight change to the schedules. Please see below:

Monday, January 18 - No School. The main office will be closed on this day.

Tuesday, January 19, & Wednesday, January 20 - Periods 1,3,5,7.

Thursday, January 21, and Friday, January 22nd - Periods 2,4,6,7.

Monday, January 25 - Periods 1,3,5,7.

Tuesday, January 26 - Periods 2,4,6,7.

Wednesday, January 27 - Periods 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.

Thursday, January 28, & Friday, January 29 - No School. The main office will be open 7:30am-2:30pm.

Edgewood Middle School is hosting a virtual Middle School Enrollment Information Night for families of current 5th grade students on Tuesday, January 19, from 6:00-7:30pm. This is a great opportunity to virtually meet next year’s teachers and discover the innovative approaches we are taking to ignite students' aspirations, build their self-efficacy, and increase achievement and growth.

• The program will begin on Zoom at 6:00pm. Topics will include an overview of our STEAM philosophy and instructional programming, registration information, and a question/answer session with current teachers. This information night is geared toward parents of incoming 6th graders. A student orientation will be scheduled during May.

• Reminders and a link to join the Zoom meeting on January 19th will follow in both email and text message.

Edgewood is proud to offer many academic, athletic, and arts-related activity choices. To learn more about Edgewood Middle School, I encourage you to visit our district’s website edgewood.moundsviewschools.net, or contact Principal Reetz via phone at 651-621-6603 or email at robert.reetz@moundsviewschools.org.

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.

Although our school meals have been free for all students this year as directed by USDA, we still need families to complete an Application for Education Benefits. If you haven't completed one for this year please click HERE to complete. If your household is accepted this school year, your status will roll over for the first 30 days of school of 2021-2022.

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.

Eighth grade students will register for courses the week of February 1st (virtually) at Edgewood. We encourage students to have conversations with their families and deans prior to registering to ensure all questions are answered prior to selecting courses.

During our Virtual Irondale Information Night on Thursday evening, January 21, from 5:30-7:30pm, eighth grade students and their families will have an opportunity to connect with Irondale staff to learn more about different course offerings, school activities/clubs, and will have a chance to connect with their dean. Please mark your calendar and look for more information coming from us on this event in the near future. We will have some pre recorded resources available for families who are not able to attend that evening.

More information can be found here.

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.

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.

We are aware of the ongoing issues with Lifetouch around your child’s school photos. We’d like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and delay in the process of receiving your child’s photos. We have been working with Lifetouch over the past few weeks to find a solution. Please see information regarding three options below: a picture retake day at Edgewood on January 29, scheduling a retake at Lifetouch’s offices in Maple Grove or receiving a full refund for the amount paid.

Retake day at Edgewood

We have scheduled a make-up photo day at Edgewood for January 29, 2021. This date is tentative and will be dependent on our ability to safely have students in the building. We will send additional details as the event gets closer, including safety and social distancing measures.

Retake day at Lifetouch in Maple Grove

For families who did not receive their photos from Lifetouch, they have the option to have a retake done at the Lifetouch offices in Maple Grove. Use the links below to schedule a time from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the dates provided. Note that Lifetouch can only allow one student and one adult per camera per five-minute time slot. Temperatures of all entering the building will be taken. Masks are required except when the student is being photographed. Lifetouch is located at 13400 67th Avenue North, Maple Grove, MN, 55311.

• January 9, 2021
• February 6, 2021

Full refund

If these options do not work for you, you are entitled to a full refund. To request your refund, contact Anya Baker at Lifetouch by emailing abaker@lifetouch.com and including the school name and student name. In order to have your request prioritized, include “refund” in the email subject line. You will receive a response within 24 hours of emailing Anya (Monday-Friday).

Again, we apologize for the frustration and confusion this has caused. If you have any issues or questions about the options above, please contact us.

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.

The Updated MDH Decision Tree can be found here.

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.

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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