The Bridge Newsletter

December 14th, 2023

Classroom Highlight: Minnehaha Falls

By Anita Haas

This year in Minnehaha we have investigated the four seasons and the weather patterns within each of the seasons in Minnesota. We learned about ourselves and our families by making family trees. We also had a lot of fun learning about spiders and investigating pumpkins. We then moved on to learning about the water cycle through numerous experiments and music videos. This year brought new activities within our schedule, including Yoga class on Mondays, Leisure activities during relaxation (learning how to use the Nintendo Switch on Thursdays), Music class with Ms. Anita, and Playtime (social skills/fine motor skills) with Ms. AnnaMarie (Capernaum Occupational Therapist) both on Fridays. Minnehaha students are also learning about a variety of coping strategies that will aid in self-regulation.

Start of School Day Reminder

A friendly reminder that the school day starts at 8:10 am. Please ensure your student arrives on time for a smooth and timely beginning to the day. If you are running late, contact the office or your student's Homeroom Teacher.

Winter Weather Closure Policy

As winter approaches, we want to remind parents of Franklin Center's snow day policy and procedures. If a decision is made to close the school or start late due to snow and/or driving conditions, you will receive an email, text, and voicemail to the contact information you provided at the start of the school year. In the case of a snow day, our goal is to inform you as early as possible, typically by 6:00 am, to allow for proper planning. We also post our closing on KARE 11 and WCCO-TV. Classes will continue virtually. Please keep in mind there will be no after-school activities if Franklin Center is closed.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we navigate the winter months. If you would like to update or add to your contact list, please contact the office at [email protected]

Kim Snow, Executive Director

Happy Holidays to our Franklin Families!

I hope you are all feeling festive, despite the brown landscape outside. Although I must admit, I am happy that we have not had to call a snow day as we had already faced that last year.  

This fall, we have been hard at work on our FY24-28 Franklin Center Strategic Plan in partnership with the Board of Trustees. This organizational strategic plan will incorporate all our program areas and functions. We have drawn on the great work Yamamoto did during our brand refresh as well as had working sessions with the team leaders and Board of Trustees. It is exciting work and I look forward to sharing the plan this spring.

I continue to be amazed by our dedicated staff who have boundless energy and perseverance in support of our students to help them achieve their goals. I am extremely grateful for their commitment to our mission and am excited to move forward with our new strategic initiatives. The future is bright.  

Thank you for continuing to trust us with your amazing students.  

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

All my best,

Kim

Enrichment Flyers

The Activity Day Flyer is now up-to-date for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year! If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Donna Grubka

Parent Connections

[email protected]

Kim Snow

Executive Director

[email protected]

Kim Strandemo

Academy Principal

[email protected]