Falcon Ridge Elementary Newsletter
February 2020
Important Information:
Office/Main Line: 952-758-1600
24/7 Attendance Line: 952-758-1605
FR Nurse: 952-758-1606
Fax: 952-758-1699
- Nutrition Services: 952-758-1774 and Lunch Menus/Times
- Transportation: 952-758-1480 and FR Drop Off/Pick Up
- Campus Portal: Campus Portal and Instructions
- FeePay: link to FeePay (various payments)
- Calendar/Dates to Note: Falcon Ridge Calendar
- School Supply Lists: Falcon Ridge School Supply Lists
- MN Dept. of Revenue K-12 Tax Benefits: K-12 Tax Benefits
- Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): PAC Member Form
- Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteer Opportunities Form
- Facebook: Like Falcon Ridge Elementary on Facebook.
- Twitter: Follow FalconRidge721 on Twitter.
- Instagram: Follow FalconRidge721 on Instagram.
- Website: https://www.npaschools.org/falcon-ridge
I Love to Read Month
Creativity Helps Hunger Soup Night
4-6 pm
Falcon Ridge Main Gym
Falcon Ridge Family Fun Night
6-8 pm
New Prague Aquatic Center
Principal's Perspective
Happy February, everyone!
Kindergarten Round-Up
As we move on to another month, we begin to look ahead to the 2020-21 school year. Our Kindergarten Round-Up for the incoming class of 2033 will take place Tuesday, February 26 in the Falcon Ridge Creative Commons from 6:00-7:15 p.m. For details or registration information, please contact our main office at 952-758-1600.
I Love to Read Month
Throughout the month of February, we will be continuing to foster a passion for reading with all of our students by celebrating "I Love to Read Month". Each Friday afternoon, we'll be holding an all-school read, and each day will feature a different staff member as a mystery reader with classrooms making their best guesses at who the readers are. Encourage your child to pick up a book and read for fun, especially during the month of February!
Family Fun Night
We are excited to announce that our Falcon Ridge PAC will be sponsoring a Family Fun Night at the New Prague Aquatic Center on Saturday, February 22 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Admission is free of charge, and all Falcon Ridge families are welcome to attend. Additionally:
- pizza, snacks, and refreshments will be available for an additional cost
- the "wibit" station will be out for students to use
- our Falcon Ridge PAC will be holding a "Wall-O-Money" fundraising opportunity. For more information, see the message below from our PAC Executive Committee.
"Help raise funds for our PAC! Pick an envelope decorated by our students off the Wall-O-Money! Donate the dollar amount written on the envelope, $1-$100, and your donation will go directly towards the students and staff at Falcon Ridge. You may even have the chance to win a prize donated by local businesses or see one of your favorite teachers get in on the pool fun!
Your generosity is greatly appreciated by the Falcon Ridge students, staff, and PAC."
Have a great February!
Sincerely,
David Giesen
(952) 758-1601
January Students of the Month
Para Appreciation Week
January Phy Ed - Skiing and Sledding
Staff Perspective - LeeAnn Eischens, Grade 3 Teacher and Shana Geddes, Grade 2 Teacher
February is I Love To Read Month! Reading has so many benefits, including stress relief, better focus and concentration, and improved writing and spelling skills. Encourage your readers at home to “take it to the next level” with some of the ideas provided below. Also, we know that our children are watching us all the time. If you are or have been a reluctant reader, talk to your child about those struggles as well and how you worked or will work to improve them. This would be a great time to gather some books you enjoy. Let them see you read. Immerse yourself and your child in books this February and beyond!
Here at school, reading is a big part of our day. Over the past few years at Falcon Ridge, we have put a lot of focus into just letting kids read. This starts right away at the beginning of the school year as we build up our reading stamina. Most students at our school can read uninterrupted for 30 minutes. We know that to become a better reader, students need the opportunity to do just that, READ! During our independent reading time at school, your child’s teacher is supporting them as a reader through individual book conferences, guided reading lessons, and other strategy lessons to meet them where they are at as a reader. We work hard to make independent reading books the topic of our conversations with our reading partners and the vehicle to apply what we have learned through our reading instruction each day.
How can you support your child at home?
Visit the public library. Librarians are a wealth of knowledge and are eager to make wonderful recommendations.
Enjoy the library books coming home from our school library together. Your child is likely highly interested in the books he or she picked out, even if they are too hard or too easy.
Make a reading plan. Maybe nights are busy, but mornings would also work well. Make a plan that fits your family’s schedule.
Enjoy a book together. This is especially helpful on the nights your child is feeling tired or overwhelmed.
Have your child listen to reading online. Bookmark fre.symbaloo.com if you have not already. There are so many online resources and this is a great place to start.
Consider doing a reading calendar for your family if your child’s teacher does not send one home for the month of February.
One of the best things that you can do as a parent to encourage your child to keep reading is talk to them about what they are reading. Asking them questions and engaging in conversation doesn’t mean that you have to be an expert on the book that they read. Simply listen to their responses and continue the conversation using connections to their life and other stories they enjoy. Here are some ideas to get the conversation started with your reader:
How did the story make you feel?
Would you want to be friends with the main character? Why or why not?
What were you wondering as you read?
What parts of the book surprised you? What parts made you laugh?
Does this book make you think of anything else you have read?
What book do you plan to read next?
2019-2020 Falcon Ridge Monthly Character Traits
R-espect (September)
E-ffort (October)
A-ttitude (November)
P-ride (December)
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C-ooperation (January)
A-ssertion (February)
R-esponsibility (March)
E-mpathy (April)
S-elf Control (May)