Notes from Mrs. Bergman
Wacky Tacky Walk-A-Thon – Oct. 29:
Celebrating Our Countryside Pride – Wacky Tacky Walk-A-Thon on October 29th:
In an effort to emphasize and celebrate our Countryside Pride, again this year we will be holding our Wacky Tacky Walk-A-Thon. Our school community has a great dedication to service and this celebration will bring our Countryside students together to celebrate this passion – and to enjoy a fun day together at the same time!
Our celebration is scheduled for Friday, October 29th when we will all participate in our Wacky Tacky Walk-A-Thon! Fundraising is better when everyone can work together to make a difference, and our goal is to raise money to support our February service project – Countryside Day of Service, as well as provide support for the needs of our Countryside school community, and maybe even set some money aside for our upcoming playground project. Fundraising starts today!
It is our goal to raise $30,000!
Pledge sheets and other details about the Walk-A-Thon can be found on the Countryside webpage on the Wacky Tacky Walk-A-Thon tab. Following the event, donations/pledges can be returned to school in checks payable to “Countryside PTO” OR donations can be made online by following the directions below:

To Register your Student(s):
  • Parent Registration Link for Get Moving Fund: https://www.getmovinfundhub.com/register?school_uuid=5d2f3f853c1bf
Our School Identifier is: 5d2f3f853c1bf

To Share the Link for Donations:
Once you register your student(s), you will be provided a link to share with family and friends. Thank you in advance for supporting our Countryside school community and our efforts to support our greater community in our service project.
Morning Arrival Times - **Please Take Note**
7:35 AM
· First bell and when students can enter the building and head to their classrooms.
· Our bus students will be released from their buses beginning at this time also.
· Parent Drop-Off – there is no supervision for students arriving before 7:35. Plan to arrive as close to 7:35-7:40 as possible.
7:50 AM
· Second bell and classes begin. Any student arriving after 7:50 will be marked tardy and will need to be signed in by a parent in the main office.


Media Center News:
This year at Countryside Venisha Bahr joined our team as our media specialist. She, along with Ann Zimprich and Tom Kniffen, work to support literacy and technology. They’ve been quite busy this year getting systems reestablished after a year and a half of distance learning. Please enjoy October Notes from the Media Center to learn about the updated checkout policy and read a brief overview of weekly library time.

Countryside PTO General Meeting – Oct. 14, 6:00 PM – see link below:
The Countryside PTO is holding its Fall General Meeting 6 p.m. next Thursday, October 14.
Come join us - via Google Meets - as we hear from district, building and parent leaders on our start to the school year and as we discuss school and PTO plans for the months ahead.
Special Guest – EPS Superintendent, Dr. Stacie Stanley!! · Google Meet joining info: https://meet.google.com/irt-fget-ikg


Mask Reminder:
Everyone entering school must be wearing a mask. It is everyone’s goal to stay in school together all year. To help us in this effort, it is important for all students to arrive at school each day with two (2) WELL-FITTING masks.

Weekend Meals Available – Every Meal Program:
We are excited to partner with Every Meal to offer a free weekend food program to all students. Every Meal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to fight child hunger through community and school partnerships. They strive to make a difference in children’s lives by focusing on food gaps like weekends, school breaks, and summer when they can’t receive food in school.
·        Free for all families
·        No qualifications required for enrollment
·        Students enrolled in the program will receive a 4-5 pound bag of nutritious, non-perishable food each week
·        Every Meal does not collect information from families; privacy is protected
·        Families may choose from a variety of different weekend food bag options
·        Please complete the enrollment form (linked below) or contact Marya Dumke, our Countryside Social Worker at Marya.Dumke@edinaschools.org to enroll your child.
·        Every Meal Enrollment (Google) Form: Every Meal Enrollment  
PTO News
All School Party features DJ, Dilly Bars & Playground Project
Come join the Countryside PTO for its annual All School Party at the school playground! This outdoor event will feature live music from DJ Howie, refreshments (Dilly Bars donated from Dairy Queen), a sampling of carnival games on the lawn, some kid friendly food, and an opportunity to learn more about our playground fundraising effort! We have some AMAZING plans for the new playground that we want to share with everyone (coming Summer 2023)! 

We'll need volunteers to help with this event, including setup and clean up. Please register here: 

PTO FUNDRAISERS!
Noodles & Company - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12th 4-8pm
Mark your calendars for this Tuesday, October 12th from 4-8pm! Grab dinner at Noodles and 25% of qualifying sales goes to Countryside Elementary! You don't have to cook AND our school benefits. Double win! 
- If you go in: **Mention our Countryside Elementary Fundraiser at the checkout if ordering in stores.**
- If you order online for pickup, enter **code GIVING25** at the checkout.
Only valid on orders placed during the event time at the Edina Location - 6531 York Avenue S. Edina 55435. (Orders placed in advance of 10/12 at 4pm will not count towards the event). Cannot be combined with other offers.

MABEL'S LABELS - ANYTIME!
Keep your students' items out of lost and found with Mabel's Labels. Shipping is free and labels are dishwasher and laundry safe. Select "Support a Fundraiser" at the top menu and type in "Countryside Elementary (Edina)" and our school will receive a check for 20% of your purchase amount. Happy shopping!

MARK YOUR OCTOBER CALENDAR, LOTS OF FUN THINGS ARE HAPPENING!!
  • Tuesday, October 12: Noodles & Company Fundraiser (4-8pm - Edina location)
  • Thursday, October 14th - General PTO Meeting (6:00pm - Virtual) 
  • Friday, October 15th - All School Party (5-6:30pm - Watch for more info via email/Facebook!)
  • Friday, October 29: Wacky Tacky Day / Walk-A-Thon (More info coming on!)
  • Tuesday, November 2nd: Book Fair
  • Friday, November 12th: BASH! Our fall virtual fundraiser.

BE IN THE KNOW WITH THE PTO!
There are so many fun events happening this year and we want to make sure you are in the know! In order to receive information from the PTO, update your Membership Toolkit account (Countryside's online directory) so we can send you emails about important school events AND you can connect with other classmates, parents / caregivers or families. 
EXISTING families need to confirm their contact information (everything was reset this year) NEW families need to sign up. 
Questions?! Email us: pto.countryside@gmail.com - we're happy to help! 

And if you haven't yet, be sure to join the Facebook Group called Edina Countryside Elementary Parent Group. This community is an extra channel to keep you informed of all the fun things happening at Countryside real time! 
Enrichment Opportunities with Edina Community Education
Robot Builders: Mighty Machines: Gr. 1-5: With the LEGO™ WeDo Robotics System, kids can build and program their robotic creations and explore different Robotic Themes. Students working in teams will work with simple machines, program models they design and create, measure time and distance, write, and much more! Thursday Oct 21, 9:00am-12:00pm
 
Colorful Critters Drawing Workshop: Gr. K-5: Animal lovers rejoice; an all new - all pastel workshop is here! Students will learn pastel drawing and texturing techniques to illustrate whimsical bees, a fanciful army of frogs, a striking owl and more artistic critters filled with detail. Challenge your creative kids by introducing them to the world of pastels. Thursday and Friday Oct 21/22, 9:00am-12:00pm
 
Will DeBerg: MEA Basketball Camp: Gr. 5-6: This is a great chance to work on your game as you are coached by current and former college and professional basketball players! Plenty of opportunities for individual coaching. Kids will be grouped by age and/or experience. It is a 2 day camp that runs Thursday and Friday. 9:00am-11:00am
 
Game Coding: Super Mario: Gr. 2-6: This course will give you hands-on experience developing your own game using Scratch 3, a visual coding platform. Students will learn how to think like programmers and learn coding concepts while creating a 2-dimensional, arcade-style Super Mario Bros.-themed game. The first part of the class will be instructor-led; with the time remaining, students will have the opportunity to customize their games. Thursday Oct 22, 1:00pm-4:00pm