News and events
March 2024 Newsletter
A message from the principal
Monroe Families,
Thank you to all the families who were able to attend winter conferences whether virtually or in person. It was great for teachers to meet with you and touch base on goals reached and continuing goals. Trimester 2 ends on Friday, March 8th and report cards will be available to view online starting March 19th.
Testing season is approaching quickly. Tests can be scheduled from March through May. Please be watching for more information about MCA testing dates for 3rd-5th grade students. MAP testing dates will be in May following the MCA for grades 2-5.
We are so excited to partner with the Monroe PTO for the Dance Fit Fundraiser in April. There will be more details coming but ALL students will get to participate no matter their level of fundraising. We will conclude our fundraising week with a STEM Family Night!
We hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable spring break and can't wait to see you back for the start of Trimester 3 on Tuesday, March 19th!
Keep Being Amazing,
Mrs. Oliver
Mrs. Amy Oliver
Mr. Scott Mattis
Visit from Local author - Trisha Speed Shaskan
Trisha Speed Shaskan, MN author of over 50 children's books, was at Monroe on February 9th and 16th to help us celebrate I Love to Read Month. She met with groups of students to help with "Engineer a Story" and showed them her process of working from idea to published books. If you would like to purchase a signed copy of one of Ms. Shaskan's books, we have made arrangements with Wild Rumpus bookstore. Please complete this online order form by March 8th and be sure to include your child's name, grade, and teacher in the section called Order Comments. Books are expected to be delivered in April.
Important Dates
March 5- No School
March 7- PTO Family Night- Ice Skating at Brooklyn Park Rink
March 8- End of Trimester 2
March 11-15- Spring Break No School
March 18- No School- Teacher Work day
March 19- Report Cards available electronically
March 29- No School- Teacher Professional Development Day
April 4- Class Picture Day
April 11- Gear Up for Kindergarten 5:30-7pm
PTO Ice Skating Night- Brooklyn Park Rink 2
PTO Ice Skating Night
Thursday, Mar 7, 2024, 06:30 PM
Brooklyn Park Ice Arena, 5600 85th Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55443, USA
News from the School Social Workers
The Monroe GEARS Shelf is in need of restocking. We will be having a Food Drive/Spirit Week starting Monday, March 4 - Friday, March 8th. Each day students can bring in items from the suggested categories as well as participate in spirit days. See the flyer below for more information! Thanks for helping restock our shelves!
Welcome to Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson has joined the Monroe Social Work team. He comes to us with many years of experience and has spent his first few weeks getting to know students and staff. Mr. Thompson will be supporting our 3rd through 5th grade students.
Mrs. Amy Elder
Ms. Caitlin Turk
Michael Thompson
Main Line: 763-506-3689
GEARS SHELF
Is your family in need of food or toiletries? If so, you can use our school’s food shelf. It’s easy, fast, and confidential.
Here are some options:
- Reach out to a social worker to set up a time
- Scan or click the QR code to sign up to shop
March's Character Trait is Cooperation. Cooperation means working together to reach shared goals. We see examples of Cooperation in lots of places! In school, it might be working with a small group in math to solve a problem or complete a project. Cooperation on the playground might look like a game of kickball or taking turns on the swings. Cooperation at home might be pitching in to help clean up after dinner. Be on the lookout for ways you can Cooperate with others in lots of places!
GEAR Up for Kindergarten will be April 11th from 5:30-7:00pm. This is a chance to meet the kindergarten teachers as well as learn more about life in Kindergarten. If you have new neighbors with kindergartners, please have them contact the office at 763-506-3600.
Class and Individual Picture Day- April 4th
Class and individual spring pictures will be taken on Thursday, April 4th. If you wish to purchase a class you can order online using Picture Day ID Code: EVTBT9BV7
If you wish to order individual spring pictures you can order online using Picture Day ID Code: EVT8V8W46
Volunteer news
Chaperones and Volunteering at Monroe
Hey Monroe Families,
Thank you to all who have been volunteering in school and on field trips. There are still several opportunities to support staff and students at Monroe. Here are a few ways:
1. Workroom Volunteer - On-going
We are looking for extra help in our workroom. If you are interested in cutting, copying or laminating, this opportunity is for you! You can come in to help out at your convenience or take a project home to work on!
2. Chaperones for Field Trips
To be considered as a chaperone, a background check and volunteer forms are mandatory. These can be completed at any time but for sure need to be done 3+ weeks prior to any field trip. Please watch for information from your student's classroom teacher. Please use the links below to complete!
3. Attend a PTO Meeting
Attending a PTO meeting is a great way to get to know Monroe staff and other Monroe families! Childcare is provided for free for children ages preschool and older. PTO meetings are held in the Monroe Media Center and run from 6:30-7:30pm. Here are the upcoming meetings:
April 2, 2024 - 6:30pm-7:30pm
May 21, 2024 - 6:30pm-7:30pm
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Wendy Brown
763-506-3630
Health services
Hello from Health Service,
Daylight savings time this year is March 10, 2024 at 2:00 AM the clocks (Spring) move ahead 1 hour. Kids need sleep to help them grow and learn. A bedtime routine can help children get the sleep they need, but at least twice a year, that schedule gets disrupted.
Daylight Saving Time can throw us all off. That’s because we have an internal clock – called a circadian rhythm – that tells our brains and bodies when to go to sleep and when to wake up.
“Our internal clock has difficulty adjusting to the one-hour change overnight. But it can handle 15-minute changes fairly well. It’s difficult for adults and even more difficult for children, as they don’t understand what is going on. It is usually easier to ‘fall back’ than to ‘spring forward,’” Try adjusting your children's bedtime by 15 min 3-4 days prior to daylight savings time to make the adjustment easier.
We are still seeing a lot of illness in students. Please be sure to call the absence line (763-506-3606) if your student will be staying home sick. Students must stay home from school if:
- they have a temperature greater than 100 degrees
- or have thrown up within 24 hours
Students may return to school when vomiting has stopped or the temperature has returned to normal for 24 hours without fever reducing medications.
Please consider the following for your student with the change in season:
- send in a water bottle for your student so they can stay hydrated
- have lip balm for chapped lips available in backpacks
- small bottle/container of lotion for dry chapped skin.
If you have any health related questions, please feel free to contact us @ 763-506-3624!
Parent Engage 360 Upcoming Events
Parent Press
Chores are important for kids to have. It teaches kids about responsibilities and helps build their independent skills. Unfortunately, some kids just don't want to put in the extra work. Starting at a young age, every person in the household should have chores. This shows kids that some tasks are done just because they are part of the family unit and it helps make the household run smoother. Here are some tips and activities for home, to help take the chore out of chores.
General School Information
Dismissal Line: Please use this line to make any changes to your student's transportation for the afternoon. Any changes need to be made prior to 3pm. The number is 763-506-3614.
Parent Drop Off/Pick Up: Please be sure that you wait in the line along the south side of Brookdale Drive until you are directed to enter the front parking lot. This ensures safety for our students as they arrive and leave Monroe. Students should have everything ready to get right out of the car in the morning and should get out on the school side.
Condensed Lunch Schedule: Monroe will continue to run the condensed lunch schedule through the end of the year. If you plan to come to lunch, please call the office at 763-506-3600 ahead of time, so we can see if there is space. Here is a reminder of the lunch times!
- 12:00 -12:25 - Kindergarten & Grade 1
- 12:30-12:55 - Grade 2 and Grade 5
- 1:00-1:30 - Grade 3 and Grade 4
Attendance Information: Please be sure to call the attendance line if your student is sick, will be out of town or has a doctor's appointment. Absence number is: 763-506-3606.
This e-newsletter is published by Monroe Elementary School. Questions, comments or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.