February 1st, 2025

In the coming weeks, our team will begin sharing a series of informational videos/resources/documents to help you support your student's learning. What are the topics? We need to hear from YOU to help us investigate what you think is important! To make it a little more fun, your student will come home with a B-I-N-G-O card to fill out at home. Each week, a new space will be called in this section... or during the video. When your child has a B-I-N-G-O, send them to school with their card for a prize!

Help us get started by giving us feedback - What do you want to know about?

Saint Paul Public Schools has prepared several fun activities for students to participate in throughout the month! Also, check out the Black History Month Reading Recommendations!

• Bookmark Contest (PreK-12): We want you to design our Saint Paul Public Schools library bookmarks! This year's theme is "Read Every Day". Winning designs will be selected for different age groups (PreK-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and distributed at SPPS schools! Use this bookmark template to create your artwork and return to any SPPS school library. There is also a PreK-2-friendly entry form.
• 40 Book Challenge (PreK-8): Students are encouraged to participate in our 40 Book Book Reading Challenge during the month of February. Pick up your participation sheet at your school library or access it using this entry form for grades PreK-3 and this form for grades 4-8. Students who finish the challenge will receive a journal, pencil, and bookmark or sticker, and will be entered into a raffle for the grand prize!

Last Week You Voted - Pancakes Won!

Fun Fact: The French tradition of flipping a pancake with a coin in the pan is part of the celebration of La Chandeleur, or Pancake Day.

Please forward our family newsletter to prospective families and invite them to join one of our school tours!

***SCHOOL SPIRIT WEEK 2/3-2/7***

Monday, February 3 - GTCYS 2nd Grade Music Class, 8am

Monday, February 3 ***School Spirit: Inside Out Day

Monday, February 3 - Community Ed Classes, 4pm

Tuesday, February 4 ***School Spirit: Mis-Match Day

Wednesday, February 5 - GTCYS 2nd Grade Music Class, 8am

Wednesday, February 5 ***School Spirit: Neon Day

Thursday, February 6 ***School Spirit: Hat Day

Friday, February 7 - GTCYS 2nd Grade Music Class, 8am

Friday, February 7 ***School Spirit: School Pride Day (LNFI Gear or school colors - blue and yellow)

Monday, February 10 - NAAPID - More Information to Come

Monday, February 10 - GTCYS 2nd Grade Music Class, 8am

Monday, February 10 - Community Ed Classes, 4pm

Tuesday, February 11 - Phillips Eye Clinic Vision Screening for Grades Kindergarten, 1, 3, and 5

Tuesday, February 11 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Afton Alps

Wednesday, February 12 - GTCYS 2nd Grade Music Class, 8am

Friday, February 14 - GTCYS Music Class, 8am

Friday, February 14 - Valentine's Day (more information to be shared by your child's teacher)

Mme Scholl's 5th-grade students had a very busy week! On Tuesday, the Winter Carnival Royal Family members visited our school to talk to our 5th-grade classroom. Students learned all about each member of the Royal Family and had the opportunity to ask questions about this special event unique to Minnesota. Then, on Wednesday, the 5th grade helped the entire school celebrate the Lunar New Year by parading through our halls with drums and the traditional Chinese Dragon. Our students welcomed the Year of the Snake with joyous excitement, cheering, and wonder! Thank you to our 5th Grade crew!

The L’Etoile du Nord (LNFI) PTO is a community of parents and teachers coming together to build, strengthen, and support educational, enrichment, and extra-curricular opportunities within a Francophone environment for L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion School students.

Things to Know:

- The PTO General Meeting will be held on February 12 from 6 to 7 p.m. on Zoom. Come and learn all about our incredible intern program!

- February Open Gym: Feb 18th, 6-8 p.m. Attend with your student. There will be a snack and craft!

- We’re collecting donations of gently used children’s winter gear. Please drop off donations in the office by February 14th. Thank you to our School Social Worker, Mme Siwarat, for organizing!

-Planning for Kermesse 2025 will start soon! We need your help to plan games, offer concessions, promote ticket sales, organize a silent auction, and more! Contact communications@lnfi-pto.org.

Merci!

When: Sunday, February 9, 5-7 pm

Why: To meet each other, build community, and discuss how we might work together to support our amazing kiddos at L’Etoile du Nord in 2025 and beyond. Space will be provided for kids to hang out separately. Supportive families and siblings are welcome. Soup provided - Bring a snack and/or beverage.

Norms to Guide Us:

- Identities of participants will be kept confidential

- Privacy will be prioritized - no photos, recordings, or sharing of stories outside the group
- Chosen names & pronouns will be honored

- Participation in conversation is invited and optional

Email your questions to gsdpride.lnfi@gmail.com

LNFI is known for our dedicated and experienced teachers. Whether you have been connected to our school for years or this is your first experience, we want to introduce you to our amazing team. You may see familiar faces or some brand new, but everyone is part of our story and why we love working at L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion School!

Mme Swann is a veteran third-grade teacher who is passionate about research-based literacy instruction. Fun Fact: Mme Swann's daughter is in second grade at our school! L'Etoile du Nord is unique in that way - Many of our teachers send their own children to our school because we believe in the power of French immersion education and trust the care and expertise of our colleagues.

As we continue to navigate through flu season and various illnesses, our team understands how crucial it is to stress the importance of hand washing. Encouraging our students to wash their hands regularly can greatly assist in halting the spread of illness. Thank you for your commitment to fostering a healthy environment for our students and staff.

SPPS follows state education guidelines that allow districts to offer e-learning days due to inclement weather. The district may call a non-instructional day or e-learning day if:

• Wind chills are forecasted to be -35 or colder at 6 a.m. OR

• Snow makes it too difficult for our students and staff to safely get to school

Saint Paul Public Schools uses Blackboard Connect to communicate with families during emergency situations, including severe weather, that may affect the school day. Contact information for Blackboard Connect is synced with the district's student information system, Infinite Campus.

SPPS uses a variety of methods to inform families, staff and the community about school closures and cancellations including spps.org, local media, social media, and direct communication through email, text messages and phone calls. Families should make sure their contact information is up-to-date through Campus Parent.

• School begins at 9:30 am and ends at 4:00 pm. Students may enter the school at 9:15 am and not prior. Please, never leave your child unattended. We do not have staff available prior to 9:15 am, and front office doors will not be open prior to 9:15 am.

• If you arrive after 9:30 am, bring your child to the Main Office to sign them in.

• If you need to change your child’s dismissal procedure for the day, please call the office before 3:15 pm. Notes to your child’s teacher are easily lost and emails to the teacher may be missed as they are working hard to support student learning all day. The only reliable communication is a phone call to the Main Office before 3:15 pm. We have one office clerk, and once the pack-up and dismissal process begins it is unlikely we will receive your message in time.

• Students may only ride on their assigned bus. We cannot send any students home on a different bus than what is listed on Campus.

• Many of our teachers are involved with after-school activities and we do not have staff available to supervise students after 4:15 pm. Please do your best to pick-up your student(s) by 4:00 pm. If you have an emergency and will be late, please call the Main Office (651) 744-6970.

• Parents/guardians drop off students on Ames Place, in front of the school.

• Please follow the cars lining up.

• Please wait your turn and do not go in front of other cars already in line.

• Pull up as far as you can behind the car in front of you, without leaving gaps between cars.

• Students get out on the right side (curb). Exiting on the left side puts them directly into oncoming traffic.

• There will be staff there to assist if needed.

• When your student(s) is out of the car, please safely pull out of the line and use the circle to turn around on Ames Place.

• Drive slowly as you exit in case there are students/families crossing the road (Please avoid parking and crossing the road as much as possible).

• Parents/guardians pick up students on Ames Place, in front of the school.

• Please follow the cars lining up.

• Place your student information sheet (Name/Grade) in a visible location (passenger window or right dash).

• As you get closer to the building, a staff member will radio your student information to the team waiting with students inside the building.

• Please continue to move forward, closing all gaps between cars as you wait.

• Students get in on the right side (curb). Entering on the left side puts them directly into oncoming traffic.

• There will be staff there to assist if needed.

• When your student(s) is in the car, please safely pull out of the line and use the circle to turn around on Ames Place.

• Drive slowly as you exit in case there are students/families crossing the road (Please avoid parking and crossing the road as much as possible).

• At 4:15, any student still left will be escorted to the main Office and the parent/guardian will be called. Please come to the Main Office for late pick-up.

Please make sure always to report your child's absences. You can do this in two ways:

· Dial the attendance line directly at 651-744-6973

· Email us at alan.stump@spps.org and CC your child's classroom teacher

Please include your child's name (spell their name if you are calling), grade, reason for absence, your relationship to the child, and a return phone number where you can be reached if we have questions about the reason for absence.

Please click on this link for district attendance information: https://www.spps.org/attendance

We always welcome parents and visitors to our school. If you choose to come during teaching hours, please make sure you have an appointment or a planned visit with the respective staff member. We ask for your understanding that our teaching staff are very busy during the school day and will likely not be available to meet with you unless you have a scheduled appointment. Please always stop by the office to check in, sign in, and get a visitor's badge.

Website: https://frenchimmersion.spps.org/
Location: St. Paul, MN
Phone: (651) 744-6970
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LNFIschool