Fridley Preschool Newsletter

No School:

Monday, November 4th

Tuesday, November 5th

Thursday, November 28th

Friday, November 29th

Early Learning Fall Festival:

Saturday, November 9th from 11a.m. to 2p.m. at the Fridley Community Center

Click Here to Register for FREE!

Picture Retake Day:

Tuesday, November 12th

Fridley Preschool IB Family Night:

Thursday, November 14th from 5p.m. to 6p.m. at the Fridley Community Center

Come explore play-based learning through games and activities as a family for free!

Dear Families,

Thank you for a great beginning of the 2024-25 school year! I’ve appreciated the opportunity to meet many of you and your students. Our dedicated team appreciates partnering with you to ensure your student’s success in and out of the classroom.

As we move into the fall, I wanted to ensure I provided some additional information regarding an upcoming referendum for our school district. As you may have heard this summer, the Fridley School Board approved a resolution calling for an election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. On that date, community members will vote on two measures: an operating levy and a facility bond.

Operating Levy

Question #1 is a new operating levy that would enable the district to maintain stable funding and invest in programs and services for students. It would begin in 2025-26 and add approximately $1.165 million in new revenue, expiring at the end of the 2035-36 fiscal year.

This revenue would help stabilize the district’s finances and reduce the projected budget gap. It would also limit future budget reductions over the next several years.

An approved operating levy would have an estimated impact of $163 per year (or $14 per month) on a home with an estimated market value of $313,780, the average home value in Fridley.

Fridley school district residents can calculate their property tax impact using the tax calculator linked here.

Facility Bond

Question #2 is a $30 million facility bond referendum that would enable the district to move forward with a series of projects to address our most pressing facility and building needs. The projects would include:

• Renovations and improvements at all facilities

• Deferred maintenance improvements

• Safe and secure building renovations

Please click here to see a full breakdown of the project budget and costs.

If the bond is approved, the revenue currently taken from the general fund to cover facility renovations and repairs will be reduced by about $1 million per year. This will also help stabilize the district’s overall budget.

An approved bond referendum would have no tax impact on district residents due to other district bond levies ending. Additional information on this financial strategy is available on the facility bond page of our referendum website.

For more information, including answers to commonly asked questions, please visit www.fridleyschoolsreferendum.org.

As always, thank you for your support of the Fridley Public Schools and the students we serve!

Ms. Beckstrand has worked in Fridley since 1997, making it 26 years of dedicated service! She served as a music teacher at Hayes Elementary for 17 years before transitioning to work with Early Childhood Education Preschool. In addition to her teaching, she is a runner, swimmer, and triathlete, having participated in the 2014 Ironman Wisconsin. Ms. Beckstrand is also a cancer survivor and our all-around hero at the FCC.

We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of others individuals and groups. To learn more about the IB Learner Profile click here.

At Fridley Preschool, we use Heggerty and Fundations to introduce and reinforce early literacy skills. Ask your student about the letter names and sounds they are learning in class! Right now, they are focusing on onset fluency, practicing initial sounds like B /b/ as in "ball." Additionally, students are working on segmenting and blending words, such as combining "side" and "walk" to form "sidewalk" or breaking "sidewalk" back into "side" and "walk." As you go about your day, encourage your student to identify initial and ending sounds in words and to take apart and combine compound words for extra practice!

Ms. Emily Loe’s class reading Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard as part of Indigenous People’s Day, Monday, October 14, 2024.

Over the next five years the Fridley Preschool will be engaging in Pyramid Model training with all staff birth to age five. This training will provide staff with strategies related to self regulations for students, modeling behavior strategies and other tools. Part of this training is partnering with families on strategies that can be used at school and at home. Every month we will publish a strategy for families to use at home. If you have any question please call Karin Beckstrand at 763-502-5117.

The strategy involves helping children manage anxiety, stress, or overwhelming feelings by encouraging them to take breaks from challenging activities. Just like adults, children may express stress through anger or refusal of help. To support them, families can create a calm-down area where children can release strong emotions and regain their composure, making it easier for them to re-engage with others.

Teachers will be reviewing bus safety with students as part of our ongoing commitment to student's well-being. So far, we have completed three fire drills and one lockdown drill to ensure everyone is prepared in case of an emergency. Additionally, please remind your student to avoid running out in the parking lot during arrival and dismissal. We understand that students are excited about school, but their safety is our top priority at all times.

In order to maintain a safe parking lot for students, please follow the signs in the front parking lot/loop at Door 5.

All parents are asked to stay in their car and pull forward to drop off and/or pick up your child.

All parents (both bus and parent transport) will receive two name cards to be used for drop off and pick up. Please display the card in your vehicle window. Cards may be given to other adults who are authorized to pick up your child.

You may park your car in the parking lot and come to Door 5 to pick up your student in person. Bring the name card with you, so staff are able to identify you as the parent/guardian of the student.

Drop your child off at the following times:

· AM Drop off time - students will be received at 8:15 am

· PM Drop off time - students will be received at 12:00 pm

Pick up your child at the following times:

· AM Pick up for 3-year-old: 10:45-11:00 am

· AM Pick up for 4-year-old: 11:00-11:15 am

· PM Pick up for 3-year-old: 2:30-2:45 pm

· PM Pick up for 4-year-old: 2:45-3:00 pm

If you arrive late or early to pick up your child, please stop in the main office of the FCC. They will call your child’s classroom and arrange for your child to be escorted to class or to be sent down to you.

It is very important for you to arrive on time and pick up your child on time each day. Out of respect for the children and for our staff we have a late pick up policy.

· After 15 minutes, we reserve the right to communicate with emergency contacts for pick up. Please keep your emergency numbers up to date and available to care/pick your child if needed.

· The FCC’s clocks will be the official time so please coordinate your watch or cell phone to the classroom clock.

If you are more than 30 minutes past your pick up time, and we have not heard from you or cannot reach anyone on your child’s emergency sheet, we reserve the right to notify the Fridley Police Department.

We love our Fridley preschool families! To maintain strong enrollment, we’d like to understand how and why our families chose Fridley preschool. Please fill out this questionnaire to help us gain insights into your decision-making process.

https://forms.gle/4WUaZeUitZwwHizm6

We are thrilled to announce that new windows are coming to the FCC! Construction will begin on the south side, or community side, of the building, leaving the preschool side unaffected. We have a comprehensive plan in place to minimize any disruption for students and teachers during the window replacement process in classrooms. Here’s a picture of one of our community rooms, which will be the first to undergo installation. The construction company has already erected a new wall and will work behind it to replace the windows. Once the new windows and wall are complete, the wall will be removed, revealing the beautiful new windows! We can't wait to see the finished results!

The Fridley Community Center now hosts a Clothes Bin® textile recycling bin, where community members can conveniently drop off unwanted clothes and shoes. Each item donated helps generate funds that directly support family and community activities at the community center, enhancing programs and events that benefit residents of all ages. This partnership not only provides valuable financial support for community initiatives but also encourages sustainable practices by reducing textile waste.

We’re excited to announce that the Fall 2024 Fridley Community Education Course Catalog is now available! This catalog is packed with a variety of courses and activities for all ages, ensuring there's something for everyone. Click here to explore all the fantastic offerings and find the perfect classes for you and your family!

· Jarrett Person: Front Desk Receptionist - 763-502-5100

· Wendy Newman: Secretary for Preschool and Community Education - 763-502-5105

· Karin Beckstrand: Preschool Coordinator - 763-502-5117

· Dr. Aimee Fearing: Director of Early Learning and Engagement - 763-502-5101

· Stephen Keeler: Director of Community Education - 763-502-5106