Harambee Life | March 20, 2025

Hello Harambee Families,

We are excited to introduce Destiny Mua as the newest addition to our front office team! Destiny is a proud Roseville graduate and a fellow Harambee parent. She will be handling most transportation-related matters for the school, so if you have questions about buses, pick-up, or drop-off, she will be your go-to person. Please join us in giving Destiny a warm welcome!

Starting next week, our 3rd-6th grade students will begin taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). These tests help measure student progress and guide our instructional planning. You can help your child prepare by ensuring they get a good night’s sleep before test day and encouraging them to try their best and stay positive.

Same team,
Principal Nathan

As part of our commitment to provide Excellence, Innovation, and Equity in All We Do, Roseville Area Schools wants to hear from our students about their experience in our schools. During the weeks of March 17 and March 24 we will be conducting a social emotional and equity survey for students in grades 5-12.

Questions on the survey are about many topics relating to student’s experiences in school and their social emotional awareness and well-being. The data from the survey will help our district improve the overall school experience for our students.

This annual survey is voluntary and students may decline to take any part of the survey or the whole survey. Students taking the survey will remain anonymous; however, we will gather some student information to disaggregate the data by race, gender, grade level, and school. Please feel free to review the survey questions in the links below and complete the Opt Out Form by Friday, March 7 if you choose to have your student opt out of the survey.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) testing is coming up across Roseville Area Schools. These assessments help measure student progress and guide instruction. If your student is participating in MCA testing, here are some preparation tips to help them do their best:

· Get a good night’s sleep – Aim for at least 8–10 hours to help with focus and memory.

· Eat a healthy breakfast – A meal with protein, whole grains, and fruit can provide lasting energy.

· Arrive on time – A calm start to the day helps reduce stress.

· Stay hydrated – Drinking water keeps the brain functioning at its best.

· Encourage a positive mindset – Remind your student that effort matters and they are prepared!

· Come prepared – If allowed, bring required materials like headphones or calculators.

Thank you for supporting your student’s success during MCA testing! If you have questions about your student and MCA testing, please contact your child’s school.

• Thursday, March 27 - Dental Sealant forms due for students in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades
• Friday, March 28 - Black Girl Magic
• Monday, March 31 - No School
• Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17 - Spring conferences (sign up available soon)

At Harambee Elementary, we value our learning as well as community. Our students are working towards both these noble pursuits with our annual Read-A-Thon! Money raised with this fundraiser will help support students and teachers in our school community to ensure everyone has equal opportunities, regardless of their background.

Children will be encouraged to develop their love of reading and stretch towards their personal reading development goals.

How it works:

An information packet is being sent home today, March 13th. Make a pledge to encourage your child to read – per book, per minute, or one flat rate – and raise money for Harambee Elementary at the same time.

Your donations will help pay for:

• Classroom and Teacher Needs

• School Events

• Swings for the school playground

You can find more information on the Harambee PTO website including copies of all documents being sent home. Harambee PTO - Read a Thon

You can also set up an online account at 99 pledges for our Read a Thon to collect donations online and to track reading minutes online as well. Harambee Read A Thon 99pledges

If you have any questions, please reach out to the PTO at HarambeePTO@gmail.com

Thank you for your support!

Students ages 4 to 14 can join us for an exciting summer lineup! We're offering half-day and full-day camps, along with a variety of field trips! Find opportunities like:

• Galaxy Movie Making & Coding

• T. Swift Era with Kidcreate

• Grand Slam Field Trip

• Pastel Drawing: Colorful Critters

• RC Wars with Tech Academy

• Landscape Arboretum Field Trip

• Create Your Own Crayon

CLICK HERE to register, or call 651-604-3770 📲

Swim lessons build confidence in and around the water while teaching critical water safety skills! Come build the foundation for a lifetime of fun in the pool. We're offering the following levels of swim lessons this spring:

💧 Adult/Child Swim (9+ months)

💧 Pre-K Lessons (3-5 years)

💧 Youth Lessons (5-14 years)

💧 Diving 101 (7-14 years)

💧 Adult Beginner Lessons (15+ years)

💧 Adult Refinement Lessons (15+ years)

CLICK HERE to view lesson times and register, or call 651-604-3770 📲

We'll be collecting kitchen utensil donations for Bridging MN at our upcoming sustainability event! 📦 ♻️

Whether you're a shopper or a seller at our Sustainability Sale, we invite you to bring along any gently used kitchen utensils that you no longer need. Simply drop them in our collection bin at the event when you arrive! 📥

We can accept can openers, mixing spoons, spatulas, kitchen scissors, pizza cutters, dish towels, hot pads, oven mitts, measuring cups, ladles, whisks, vegetable peelers, and tongs. ✅ 🥣

Bridging is a nonprofit organization that helps local families transition to housing stability while providing them with important household essentials like bedding, furniture, towels, kitchen utensils, and small appliances. 🏡 Bridging saves over 10 MILLION pounds from the landfill each year by giving donated items a second life, helping our environment, and supporting our community. 🎉 🌎

🗓️ Saturday, April 26, 2025

⏰ 9 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

📍 Aŋpétu Téča Education Center

🚗 1910 County Rd B W, Roseville

Click HERE to learn more about our Sustainability Sale! 📲

Discover your newest summer hobby or learn a helpful new skill! We're offering a wide variety of adult enrichment classes this summer. Choose from options like:

🌲Forest Bathing

🌲Acupressure

🌲Intro to Fly Fishing

🌲Cell Phones and Parenting

🌲Beginner Spanish

🌲Mending Clothes

🌲Self Defense Fundamentals

🌲Herb Gardening

🌲Nature Collage

🌲Gardening with Native Plants

CLICK HERE to register, or call 651-604-3770 📲