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North Metro Flex Academy

Principal Update, December 13th, 2021 by Mrs. Kranz

North MetroFlex AcademyPrincipal Update, December 13th, 2021 by Mrs. Kranz

Dear Families

Dear Families,


Hopefully all of you have cleared your driveways and walkways after the snow storm we had last Friday! Thank you for your flexibility and patience as we navigated transportation changes when the district transportation declared an early dismissal. We are really trying to use our JMC system to send out timely communications through text and email.


Every week since we started this new newsletter format, I have been trying to highlight all of the staff and students we have at our wonderful school. This week I want to share below information about our very dedicated School Board members. We greatly appreciate their guidance, support and dedication. They have volunteered many hours and have worked tirelessly to help guide and support our school. There will be some changes as Ember Russell resigns from the board. There will be a different teacher joining the board soon. We also have a new parent joining the board this week. Parents, family members and the community are always invited to attend school board meetings. If you or anyone you know would be interested in being on the board please call or email me! We are always looking for new members!


We are grateful for the amazing theater experience our 2nd - 8th grade students had last Friday at Hill Murray High School. We also are trying to partner with North High School to continue to expose our students to the performing arts. Ms. Anderson has been teaching art and music this year while planning a VIRTUAL CONCERT with students this Thursday and Friday. We will be videotaping it during classrooms and sending it out for all of you to enjoy at home!


Thank you again so much for your continued support and flexibility as we navigate COVID. Scroll down for the COVID dashboard. As we start this new trimester, we are really trying to prioritize IN-Person learning, while also supporting students and staff who need to stay at home due to COVID. Please screen your children at home for symptoms, make sure they have masks for on the bus, especially on the way to school...we encourage COVID testing (we have a supply at school - just call!) and we encourage vaccinations for everyone who can be vaccinated.



Stay well, be safe, kind and responsible!

Stay warm!

Mrs. Kranz

Meet Our Board Members at NMFA

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Pam Albrecht - Board Chair

Pam Albrecht worked 43 years for the Department of Natural Resources in the accounting field and project management. She and her husband have two daughters and five grandchildren, one of which is in 4th grade at NMFA. She enjoys traveling, crafting, and scrapbooking. Pam was involved in Girl Scouts for 15 years, as a leader for 10 and day camp kitchen coordinator for several summers which earned her the Gold Award. Pam joined the Board in August 2017 and is the current Board Chair.
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Mike Leary - Board Treasurer

Mike Leary retired after working 35 years with Chevron as an engineer in California and has strong business and interpersonal skills. He was President of the Marin County Exchange Club for 5 years which sponsored charity events to raise money for community organizations and was Chairman of the North Richmond Neighborhood House for 5 years which provided support services for underprivileged people. He was also honored to receive the Man of the Year award from the community. Mike recently returned to N. St. Paul which he considers his home and has a nephew in 2nd grade at NMFA. Mike joined the Board in August 2018 and is the current Board Treasurer.
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Dave Isaacson - Board Member Teacher

My teaching career began when I volunteered with AmeriCorps NCCC and worked at a YMCA in Arkansas. Tutoring and working with those young men let me know that I wanted to become a teacher. Over the years I have taught everything from Early Childhood Special Education to High School Government and Civics. North Metro Flex Academy is the school that I have been looking for in my twenty years of teaching as the students are teaching staff are supportive of one another to bring the best out of all of us. I continue to look for how to become a better person and educator through teaching inclusion and cultural awareness. We need to devote the time to understand one another better in order to become a better place for our children, and our children’s children, to live in.

Ember Russell - Secretary Teacher

Ember Russell graduated from Augsburg University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. Before she became a teacher, she worked as a Special Education Paraprofessional. She began her teaching career at NMFA as a founding teacher. She loves teaching Kindergarten because she gets to sing, dance, and create with the youngest learners at NMFA.


UPDATE: This week will be Embers last week on the board. Thank you from all of us at NMFA for all you have done to make our school a better place to grow young minds. We value all of your hard work and decisions made!

DECISION TREE

Reminder...

This is what we refer to at school to make decisions on students staying home and or testing positive for Covid19. We ask that you use this at home as well. Just a reminder to all families if your student is testing positive or is in need of isolating at home due to close contact that you contact the school for next steps and your students return date.

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Please help us PRIORITIZE IN-PERSON LEARNING!!

We are asking this of you as a parent and guardian...


  • Please screen students at home in the morning – please do not sent them to school if they are having these symptoms.


At school this is what we are doing


  • We are screening kids at school. If students have COVID related symptoms (please view the Decision Tree ) they will be sent to the office and parents will be called to pick up students.
  • Students should be wearing masks on buses
  • Students are expected to wear masks throughout the day, with mask breaks outside…
  • Assigned seats in classrooms and at lunch, to help with contact tracing
  • PPE supplies for cleaning in classrooms daily
  • Air filtration UVAC systems and classroom air purifiers

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - FIELD TRIP TO HILL MURRAY

Last Friday, 2nd - 8th grade students had the opportunity to take a field trip to Hill Murray High School to see the play "A Christmas Carol". This show was fully facilitated by high school students from Hill Murray - from cast to lights and sound as well as props. The students from HM did an amazing job and NMFA students had a wonderful time. We want to take a minute to thank all of the Hill Murray High School students for inviting us and putting on a wonderful show.


UPDATE: This week will be our Hill Murray High School Students last week visiting classrooms. These HM tutors had helped our students in many ways over the last few months. We will have another group of HM students joining us after winter break. We look forward to a new group of High School Helpers coming to NMFA!

FIRST GRADERS LEARNING HOW TO JUMP ROPE AS A GROUP

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2 MIN JUMP CLUB

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1 MIN JUMP CLUB

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KANGAROO CLUB - 20+ JUMPS IN A ROW

KEEP GOING...KEEP GROWING

Upcoming Dates - MARK your calendars!!

December 13th - 17th - Winter wonderland week

December 20th - 22nd - Winter wonderland week continued

December 16th - 17th - Virtual winter music concert for all grades. Watch for videos

December 23-31 Winter Break (NO School)

JOIN US IN...WINTER DRESS UP DAYS!!

AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING

Please look for a sign up sheet coming home with your student later this week. NMFA will be offering after school in-person and virtual tutoring 3 days a week starting after winter break. There will be more details to follow!!

COVID CORNER

We have COVID tests ON SITE...just call!!

December lunch menu

DINNER CONVERSATIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

Starting the conversation...


With families being busier than ever. Everyone is on a different schedule. But there are real benefits to sitting down to dinner with your loved ones and having a family conversation. We have given you a few conversation starters to start...


1. What was the best part of your day?

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3. If you could be a famous person for a week, who would you be and why?