Falcon Ridge Elementary Newsletter

Falcon Ridge Families,

I want to thank you for a fantastic start to our school year. The first four week's have gone by quickly, and our students are settling into their routines very well. Below are some reminders and highlights that have taken place so far.

Sincerely,

Mr. Dave Giesen

Falcon Ridge Elementary Principal

(952) 758-1601

dgiesen@isd721.org

• Please be sure that all communication indicating a change for transportation goes through the office, in addition to the classroom teacher.
• For afternoon dismissal, it is helpful to have your child’s name on a piece of paper displayed in your passenger side window for carline pickup each day. This will help expedite the pickup process.
• For those choosing to bring in birthday treats, and are asking parents to consider sending Trojan Treats to celebrate. Donating a book to your child’s classroom library is also a welcome choice.
• Parents can see our 2024 Elementary FAST Notification Letter, which details the FAST assessments that our students will be taking this year. Classroom teachers will be discussing your child’s scores at their upcoming conferences.

As we look forward to the 2024-2025 school year, we would love to offer the opportunity for you to volunteer at Falcon Ridge! You have shown your support as a volunteer in the past, and we hope to increase the opportunities in this next school year. We have a variety of options for the types of activities that will best support our students and staff. Our Falcon Ridge staff appreciates the support and care that you provide in making our school community the great place that it is! Please complete this brief form to let us know about your availability this year. If you're unsure about committing to everything, don't worry – we're flexible and can make adjustments as needed. Please reach out with questions to the Falcon Ridge Office at 952-758-1600. Thank you!

Congratulations to the September Students of the Month

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

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Don’t forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card!

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Picture retake day will be Wednesday, October 2 during school hours. Here are a few important reminders:

• Anyone who ordered already under the original day, but did not end up taking a picture, does not need to order again. Their order will go through once they are photographed at the retake.

• Anyone who was photographed on the original day, and was not happy with their picture, should bring their original package to return to the photographer. They will automatically get the same package as a replacement and do not need to place a new order.

• Anyone who has not been photographed, and has not placed an order, should order using the information on the above flyer, or the paper flyer that will be sent home with your student.

We are happy to bring back our “Food for Families” program this year. Falcon Ridge Elementary believes in supporting children in all areas of development. We are continuing to partner with the Peace Center of New Prague to provide additional resources for anyone from our school in need of food assistance, with the backpack program called “Food for Families.” At the end of each week one backpack per family, filled with food, will be sent home with your child. Please contact our school social worker, Amy Hennen, if you have any questions or would like to take part in this program. If at any point throughout the year your family situation changes, please feel free to reach out. Thank you!

Amy Hennen

Falcon Ridge Social Worker

ahennen@isd721.org

(952)758-1613

Make sure to stop by our Book Fair located in our Creative Commons before or after conferences. Online shopping begins October 7.

In person hours for the book fair will be:

October 10: 4:30-7:30

October 14: 4:30-7:30

October 16: 9:00-4:00

September

30 - No School K-5 PD Day

October

1 - Grade 4 Kindness Retreat

2 - Picture Retake Day (during school hours)

7 - CLIMB Theatre Grades K-4

10 - K-5 Conferences / Book Fair 4:30 - 7:30 pm

14 - K-5 Conferences/Book Fair 4:30 - 7:30 pm

16 - K-5 Conferences / Book Fair 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

17 - 18 MEA, No School

24 - Grade 2 Field Trip Stages Theatre

Cooking

Creepy Cupcakes (Grades 1-8)

Sports & fitness

Jr. Trojan Girls Basketball (Grades K-2)

DASH Sports: Soccer Camp (Grades K-3)
Try Lacrosse! (Grades K-12)

Conquer Ninja Parents Day Out (Ages 5-13)

Halloween Party at the Pool (All ages)

STEM

Intro to video game design with Nintendo characters (Grades 1-4)
Multiplayer Minecraft: Theme park builder (Grades 1-5)

Multiplayer Minecraft: Escape the Ender Dragon (Grades 1-5)

Video Production: YouTube Shorts, IG Reels & TikTok (Grades 3-7)

Super Mario Coding (Grades 3-6)

Non-School Day Field Trips

November 1: The Fun Lab

December 2: Skateville

Office/Main Line: 952-758-1600

24/7 Attendance Line: 952-758-1605

FR Nurse: 952-758-1606

• Drop-Off/Pickup/Visitor Info
• Lunch Menus/Times
• Applying for Free/Reduced Meals
• School Bus/Transportation Information
• Campus Portal
• Parent Handbook
  
• Falcon Ridge Calendar
• District Calendar
• School Supply Lists
• MN Dept. of Revenue K-12 Tax Benefits

In working with our Falcon Ridge PAC, I want to make all of our families aware of some easy ways to support our students at Falcon Ridge by using a few simple steps with businesses that you may already be spending money with:

• Shutterfly - Simply click on this Shutterfly link and start shopping. A percentage will go directly to our Falcon Ridge PAC.
• Coborn's School Rewards - Coborn's, Inc. is committed to donating $150,000 to local entities during the 2019-2020 school year. The points your school earns will help grow their share of the $150,000 total. It's like a pie; the size of your school's slice will depend on how many points they have received. Schools should encourage their supporters to register for their location at moreRewards.com: 1. Go to moreRewards.com, 2. create a login, 3. proceed to login, 4. go to "manage my membership," 5. choose school rewards, 6. select Falcon Ridge, and you are done! It is just that easy! You can also easily add it through the More Rewards phone app: 1. go to rewards, 2. slide the school rewards button to green, 3. below the button there should be an option for you to change to your school, 4. search for Falcon Ridge, and 5. select Falcon Ridge.
• Artsonia - use the Artsonia link to login and connect to your child's artwork. The Artsonia website allows parents to purchase keepsakes with your children's artwork. A portion of your purchase goes directly to help purchase materials and supplies for students to use in the Art room at Falcon Ridge.
  

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)