Tanglen Update
April 29, 2022
A Message from Principal Jim Hebeisen
I want to publicly thank the Tanglen Staff who have done an amazing job of rallying and supporting our students anytime a staff member has needed to be out due to covid...including during my illness. We are fortunate to have such a hard-working, creative, and dedicated staff working with our Tigers. They are truly amazing and have given so much this school year to our community.
Last Chance for VirtualEDU Priority Registration!
We Appreciate our After-School Professionals!
After-school Professionals Appreciation Week aims to recognize amazing individuals who work with youth during out-of-school hours. We are fortunate to have a talented and dedicated group of adults to work with our students after hours. Kids & Company, Girls on the Run, Youth Enrichment courses (to name a few) are all great examples of where these individuals show up to support our Tanglen Tigers. They are flexible, innovative, and have a lot of heart!
Did you know that...
Research shows that after-school professionals are the key to the program quality that mitigates risk factors and positively impacts youth outcomes.
And, after-school programs run by skilled professionals result in increased social-emotional skills, school attendance, and academic performance.
Thank you, after-school professionals!
From our PTO
NEXT WEEK is Staff Appreciation week!! We encourage you to write a note of appreciation to your student's teachers and/or support staff (like the nurse, nutrition, specials and paras!). Nothing says thank you like a sweet drawing from the littles and a thank you card from the caregivers.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the PTO will sell roses before school for $1! Our staff LOVE this gesture of appreciation and the kids love giving them. Please send your child with $1 (or more) to pick out roses for their favorite Tanglen Staff members. Please be sure to have a conversation with them so they understand that we do our best to get to everyone each day, but we ALWAYS run out of flowers and will be back the next day for the kids that don't get one. This year we will set a daily limit of $10 per day in an effort to get everyone flowers. You are welcome to send your student with money each day if you wish to purchase more than 10. If your student would like a free flower for their favorite person, please reach out to Abby Erdmann or Brittany Mikelson.
Thank you to everyone that signed up to donate goods to our Farmers Market for next week's staff appreciation event! Please be sure to drop off non-perishables in the office by Thursday. Perishables can be dropped off as early as possible early on Friday morning. Reminder, next Friday is a NO-SCHOOL day.
May 10th PTO Meeting
Please join us on Tuesday, May 10th from 6:30 pm - 8 pm for the PTO meeting.
This will be the last general meeting of the 2021-2022 school year and will be held in person in our courtyard! Elections for open board positions will be held during this meeting. These positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, and Member(s)-At-Large. Please email the PTO at lhtanglenPTO@gmail.com with any questions or interest in these positions. At-large positions are a great way for new board members to get familiar with what we do and how we do it. We hold board meetings every other month, typically via zoom, and it's a rewarding way to shape the events and activities planned throughout the year. There will also be an update from Dr. Hebeisen, a discussion about activities and plans for next year, and a vote on the preliminary 2022-2023 budget for summer spending at the May 10 meeting.
We hope to see you there!
An Opportunity for Delicious Vegetables and Beautiful Flowers
Order your veggie box a la carte (for pickup in June, July, and August) or subscribe for the entire 3-box series season. Every box will contain an assortment of peak season vegetables and herbs, along with favorite recipes from our community chefs (both home and professional). Every box and bouquet is homegrown in MN and assembled by our farmers. The Best Part? For every 3-box subscription purchased, Friendly Hmong Farms will donate one box to a family-in-need in our school district!
You will pick up your box and/or bouquet at Tanglen Elementary during the summer on June 15th, July 13th, and/or August 17th. Funds raised will be used to support all Hopkins elementary schools. It's Friendly Hmong Farms' commitment to equitable education!
Join us in supporting public education in the Hopkins school district! Join us in supporting your local Hmong-American farmers who have been growing the most glorious produce and flowers in MN for decades! Join us in making sure the local food and flowers continue to be available in our communities!
HEF's Royal Family Fun Day: Sunday, May 1
Don't miss out on the FUN! Join HEF for this FREE event for Hopkins Public Schools students on Sunday, May 1, 1-3PM
at Eisenhower Community Center Gym.
Children aged 3 yrs. through 6th grade are welcome, accompanied by their adult(s). There will be two big awesome inflatables,
musical instruments to try, games and prizes, balloon animals, and delicious snacks.
For more details or to register for the event, visit www.HopkinsEducationFoundation.org
St. David's Center: Free Upcoming Support Groups for Caregivers
School’s Out for Summer
Pre-K and Elementary Caregiver Support Groups
St. David’s Center is offering free support groups to caregivers of pre-k and elementary students to explore common challenges in raising young children, build community with one another, and expand understanding of how a child’s brain works.
Upcoming Topic:
School’s Out for Summer
This month’s caregiver support group will explore common summertime stressors for caregivers and children. We will discuss supporting children through changing routines, strategies for managing screen time, and how to foster learning outside of school.
Starting on May 11, 2022, three groups will be held on-line on Wednesdays at 12:00pm. See registration links for each week below:
● May 11th 2022: Registration Link
● May 18th 2022: Registration Link
● May 25th 2022: Registration Link
You will receive a follow-up email including the Google Meets link for the weeks you are registered. If you cannot attend all three weeks, you are welcome to attend whenever your schedule allows.
Supporting Gender Expansive Kids - Parent and Caregiver Group
Are you the parent or caregiver of a child who transcends traditional binary gender roles? The Hopkins School DIstrict is offering a supportive, ongoing group for parents and caregivers to ask questions, share ideas, and support one another. Some children may identify as transgender, gender fluid, non-binary, gender queer, gender expansive, questioning or simply move through the world in a much more gender free manner. Our first meeting will be in person on May 18, 2022 from 7-8 p.m. at North Junior High, Room 506. This is for parents and families from all of Hopkins schools -- and from all grade levels (elementary, junior high, high school, and beyond). Laura Jensen, Hopkins Schools LGBTQ+ Community Liaison will facilitate the meeting. Please RSVP via email at laura.jensen@hopkinsschools.org. This is not a group to debate the issue, rather for parents looking to support their child.
HEF Partners with Great Harvest Bread Co. for Gratitude Gifts!!
Gratitude Gifts are a wonderful way to wrap up an extraordinary year. Send your thanks to ANY Hopkins staff member. Gratitude Gifts generate many smiles from grateful, hard-working, innovative, and adaptive staff. For a $25 donation to HEF, we’ll deliver a sleeve of delicious cookies from Great Harvest Bread Co. in Minnetonka, along with your personal message. Place your orders by Friday, May 20. Gratitude Gifts will be delivered on Thursday, May 26. To order now, visit www.HopkinsEducationFoundation.org
MCA Testing for Grades 3 to 6: April 11 - May 12
This spring, students in our district and other districts across the state will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). Students with significant cognitive disabilities take the Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) instead of the MCA. These assessments are administered as part of federal and state law and are important tools to measure the progress of learning based on the Minnesota Academic Standards.
The MCA results are critical for our work in improving instruction, for supporting equity, and for providing another piece of information about individual students. The MCA results also represent our community to the public.
Although parents and guardians have always had the right to refuse standardized testing, administering the MCA is not optional for the district. As a district, we are required by state statute to administer the MCA to our students. We believe that with strong test participation, we are better able to equitably serve all students and to accurately represent the vitality of our schools.
We ask you to support your student's participation in this important test by making sure they are in school on testing days and have had a good night's sleep and a good breakfast. If you have any questions about MCA testing, opting out of the test, and/or your student’s needs, please feel free to contact me or Marna Gisvold at 952-988-4903.
The following link also has more information about the MCAs, including translated materials: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/
Thank you for partnering with us in your student’s education.
Service Project Ends May 2
COVID-19 Updates
Hopkins Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard remains live on our website. Please remember to have your child complete a daily health screening every day before attending school. It is very important that you keep your child home if they are experiencing any signs of illness.
Testing
While supplies last, we will continue our weekly saliva testing program for scholars and staff. Due to an Omicron subvariant and spring travel, we’re seeing an increase in cases. We have plenty of rapid test kits for our scholars’ and families’ use. If you want a test kit, even for peace of mind, please see your school nurse or main office and ask for one.
Exciting Summer Opportunity for Scholars Entering Grades 7, 8, and 9 - Space Limited
The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools© program is a six-week multicultural literacy-based experience that is deeply rooted in the Civil Rights Movement. Scholars of the program immerse themselves in engaging curriculum, activities, and opportunities that exercise critical thinking, camaraderie, social-emotional learning, and much more.
Scholars entering grades 7, 8, and 9 for the 2022-23 school year are encouraged to attend. Space is limited, early registration is recommended. To register, CLICK HERE. For more information, please reach out to Paris Timmons at 952-988-4843 or paris.timmons@hopkinsschools.org.
2022-23 Calendar
Tanglen Elementary
Email: jim.hebeisen@hopkinsschools.org
Website: https://hopkinsschools.org/schools/elementary/l-h-tanglen-elementary
Location: 10901 Hillside Lane West, Minnetonka, MN 55305, USA
Phone: (952) 988-4900
Facebook: facebook.com/tanglenelementaryschool
Twitter: @LHTanglenSchool