Sanford Family Newsletter

September 12, 2025

Good People,

Next week on Tuesday we will have our fall curriculum night(more information below about the logistics). It is important to share that we are an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme School. Please take a look at the link below for more information and a brief video that explains IBMYP well.

It is also important that you know that we have had some staffing changes. We wish Ms Finger and Ms Mantila goodbye! On Monday we welcome two new teachers, Mr Carlsen and Mr Ghirmai who will be teaching 7th grade Science/Design and 6th Grade Social Studies. I am happy to share that in one more week we will finally have our main office fully staffed. Finally we have two Special Education Assistant positions open and we hope to fill those positions next week. Thank you for your patience and grace as we move through these transitions.

In Partnership,

Naida Grussing-Neitzel, Ed.S.

Principal

Maria Sanford Middle School.

Next week, students will take the FAST aReading test in their ELA class. Please help your student remember to bring a charged Chromebook to school. The FAST aReading test is required by MPS and is used to identify students who may need additional literacy support. Students may take an additional follow-up test if we have questions about their results. At conferences, you can ask your student's ELA teacher to share the most recent results.

Next week we will also hold our first safety drills of the school year on Wednesday September 17. We ask that you check in with your student(s) about Evacuation (fire) drills and lockdown/out drills before and after the drill. For the Evacuation(fire) drill we will use our regular fire alarm system to practice the drill and teachers will escort students safely outside of the building in a designated pathway and then return to their classroom. We will also practice a Lockdown drill, which we will use our announcement system to practice and talk through what to do. Students will stay in their classroom and be led through the practice by their classroom teacher. As you may already know, these drills are mandated by the state of Minnesota and happen 5 times a year.

At Sanford this year, advisory will continue but it has been re-designed. It is the first 30 minutes of the school day and is graded. The changes are that we will add in WIN time on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and Flex Friday.

WIN time means What I Need Time and it is an assigned grouping with most students staying in their advisory teachers classroom focused on DEAR or Drop Everything and Read. It is important to us that students are reading paper books that they enjoy and can read. Our English Language Arts teachers have set aside time during their classes to help students check out books. Some students will have a math or reading small group intervention at this time which will be a teacher led opportunity to work on math and reading skills. Some students will meet with their Special Education case manager

Friday Flex time is an opportunity for our students to have "controlled" choice and voice. Last Friday our advisory groups made suggestions for clubs and belonging groups that we will have on Fridays during advisory time. Students will choose their Friday Flexes during Advisory on Monday. Here is a sampling of the most popular groups:

Next week on Tuesday night September 16 at 7:00pm we will hold a Curriculum Night for caregivers to come to the school and learn about curriculum from our teachers! We will start in the auditorium with a Principals Meeting. Then you will follow your students' schedule (Please use Infinite Campus Parent Portal to see your students' schedule, we will follow an A day schedule) as follows:

7:00-7:20pm Principals Meeting in Auditorium

7:30-8:30pm Classroom Visits:

7:30-7:35pm Period 1

7:40-7:45pm Period 2

7:50-7:55pm Period 3

8:00-8:05pm Period 4

8:10-8:15pm Period 5

8:20-8:25pm Period 6

We will follow an A day schedule, but if caregivers want to visit b day instead they will have to pick one or the other.

Fall Movie Night! Sanford PTA will host our annual movie night next Friday - September 19th from 7:15 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. Our movie this year will be the Minecraft Movie. TapMpls will be providing a water station so bring your water bottles to fill up and something to sit on. The PTA will be making popcorn for everyone! Students, families, and staff are invited. See you there!

The Sanford PTA needs your help! We are building a silent auction for our Fall Fundraiser, and we are looking for donations. Do you own a local business that could donate a gift card? Do you have a vacation rental? Do you have access to tickets to local sporting events? Could you build a basket with other Sanford families? Do you have anything cool you think people might want to bid on? OR do you know anyone you could ask to donate any of these things? Any amount or value is appreciated and will help us to achieve our goal of fundraising money for Sanford. Contact Allison Bodkin at allisonfbodkin@yahoo.com with your donations or questions.

Save the Date! The event will be held at Arbeiter Brewing on October 23rd from 5p-8p. Join us for a kid free night of craft beer, snacks and a silent auction to support our school. There is a suggested admission donation of $10/person. All are welcome! We hope to see you there!

Our next meeting is September 16th from 6:00p-7:00p in the media center at Sanford. Curriculum night will follow at 7:00p.

To contact us or to sign up for our email notifications, please send an email to: sanfordmspta@gmail.com.

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