News from the nest - Oct. 2026

September 30th, 2026

Coming up in October

October is a busy month and it will move quickly. We are looking forward to welcoming all our families in for conferences the week of October 26th. Please watch building communication closer to that date for the sign-ups. There is a break in October over the MN Educator Association conference. Students do not have school Oct. 15 or 16th. In addition, staff will be participating in district Professional Development on Oct. 26th, so students will not have school that day.

At our school, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where every single student can fully participate in all of our activities. As a public school, our events are kept non-religious so that all of our families feel included.

Instead of traditional Halloween parties or themed activities, we are excited to invite all of our classes to participate in our "The Scarecrow’s Hat" Nature Walk on October 30th!

As one of Minnesota’s few certified Schoolyard Forests, we are lucky to have a beautiful trail right in our backyard. Our dedicated staff have put together interactive, literature-aligned "I Spy" hunts along the hike based on the book The Scarecrow's Hat. It’s going to be a wonderful day of learning, reading, and exploring outdoors!

A quick reminder regarding treats: To protect the health and safety of our students—many of whom have severe allergies and other medical conditions—please keep all candy and treats at home. We ask that no food items or treats be sent to school with your child.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school safe, inclusive, and fun for everyone. We can’t wait to celebrate the autumn season together in the forest!

Purposeful People focus

With the late start in September we have a bit to finish with our character trait RESPECT. Then we will move on to RESPONSIBILITY. Our students will engage in lessons and activities that focus around building skills at their level. Everything from following directions, and whole body listening, to taking ownership in situations and organizing themselves for success! Watch for additional information to come home about how to continue these important conversations at home.

During September and October all our students are introduced to one of many lessons around bullying. They learn what it is, and what it isn't. They also learn healthy and safe responses of what to do when they see someone being bullied or are being bullied themselves. More information is linked in this newsletter including a link to a video to support conversations.

Reminders

We love to have our Ramsey families supporting our school! Please check out our volunteer page or our PTO's own page to see how to get connected and be involved.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District is administering the annual Student Anti-Bullying survey to a sample of classrooms in grades 4, 6, 8 and 10 between October 5th and November 13th.

The survey asks students about bullying behaviors they may have experienced or witnessed at school. The results are used to help identify and address areas of concern to make the school environment safe and welcoming for all students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to assistance principal Emily Suedbeck.

Emily.Suedbeck@ahschools.us

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Meet & Eat picnic! We would love to get your thoughts to help us plan future school wide events. Please take a few moments to share your feedback HERE.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership!

At Ramsey there has been an increase of students using motorized transportation on our property. Including students using our front and back areas for racing and other dangerous activities outside school hours. When our play yards are torn up from evening or weekend activities it causes an undue cost for our building in repairs. Please remind your children of all ages that being on property with any motorized vehicles is not permitted and is considered trespassing. Thank you in advance for your help with this!

Bombas socks made a HUGE donation to Ramsey Elementary based on the kindness of one of our staff members. Every Ramsey student will receive a free pair of Bombas socks this week. There were limited sizes so if the socks do not fit, they can go to siblings, cousins, or be donated. We are so grateful to our staff and to Bombas for this amazing gift!

Bombas’ motto is "Bee Better."

Did you know: Bombas comes from the Latin word for bumblebee (Bombus). Bees work together as a hive to make their community better. Just like we do at Ramsey Elementary!

Important Note Regarding Attendance Letters

As part of our commitment to supporting every student’s academic success, our district regularly reviews student attendance. Starting this month, you may receive an automated attendance update letter by email or mail if your child has missed a specific number of school days (whether absences are excused or unexcused). Please know that these letters are routine procedural updates required by state guidelines to keep families informed. We understand that illnesses, family emergencies, and scheduled appointments happen! Please make sure to call the absence line at 763-506-4006 or mark an absence on ParentVUE. We also ask that you send a doctor’s note when necessary.

Our goal in sending these notices is simply to maintain transparent communication and ensure we are working together to support your child's regular attendance.

If you receive a letter and have questions, need to update an absence record, or are facing challenges getting your child to school, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our main office or school social worker. We are always here to help!

As a reminder, individuals who wish to volunteer need to complete

the volunteer application at each site, every school year.

Thank you for your interest in helping!

Fall Book Fair - October 26-28

The Scholastic Book Fair is returning to Ramsey Elementary and volunteer help is needed during afternoon and evening conferences on October 26 and 27, as well as during the school day on October 28.

Click here to see additional information and available shifts, and to sign up!

Weekly Art Room Help

Weekly scheduled volunteer help is needed in our art room to help with a variety of tasks that could include anything and everything from hanging murals and student artwork, to cutting paper, to assisting students with clay projects!

The day and start time can be flexible within school hours (9:30 am-3:50 pm) to match the volunteer’s schedule, and can be spread across multiple days if desired. We ask for a consistent commitment of 2-4 hours each week.

Click here to view this request, and sign up!

Weekly Library Help - Trimester 1, September-December

Weekly scheduled volunteer help is needed in the library each morning from 9:45-10:30 am to help scan returned materials and place them on the following carts to be reshelved.

We currently need volunteer help on Monday, Thursday, and Friday

Click here to view this request and sign up!

Weekly Packets - Trimester 1, September-December

Volunteers are needed each Wednesday morning at 10:00 to help create and staple together packets of take-home flyers, count out the correct number of packets per classroom, and place them in teacher’s mailboxes for distribution.

The time needed will vary from week to week depending on the total number of flyers that need to go home, but on average takes less than two hours.

Click here to see additional information and to sign up!

This can’t-miss event gets kids excited about reading and earns funds for our school. SAVE THE DATES for October 26 and 27 from 4:20 to 8:20PM. Start exploring together: Book Fair Website

Students will be able to shop at the book fair during the school day October 28, 9:30 - 3:30, and if they have funds with them during their scheduled library day.

#ScholasticBookFairs

Thank You, Ramsey!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit with us at the Meet & Eat Picnic! We loved getting the chance to talk with so many Ramsey families. A special thank you also goes to everyone who supported PTO by purchasing ice cream from Minne-Scoop-Ta. We appreciate you showing up for our school!

Culver’s Share Night | October 5

Take the night off from cooking and support Ramsey at the same time! Join us at Culver’s in Anoka, from 4–7 p.m. on Monday, October 5. Simply show up, enjoy dinner, and 10% of purchases during the event will come back to Ramsey.

Halloween Shopping That Gives Back

Shopping for costumes? Use our HalloweenCostumes.com fundraiser and 15% of your purchase will support Ramsey PTO.

Shop here: https://www.halloweencostumes.com/?CouponCode=ramseyelementarypto2026

We recommend ordering by October 22 to make sure your costumes have time to arrive before the big night.

Conference Meals | October 26 & 27

PTO provides a meal for our hardworking teachers during both evenings of conferences, and we would love your help! A SignUpGenius with specific donation needs will be shared soon.

If you would rather make a monetary donation toward conference meals, you can contribute through GiveButter here: https://givebutter.com/bKIn6m

Providing conference meals is one of the ways PTO supports our teachers so they can continue supporting Ramsey students and families. Keep an eye out for more details soon!

Next PTO Meeting | October 13

Our next PTO meeting is Tuesday, October 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the school library. Everyone is welcome!

Can't make it? We know schedules are busy. Send us a message anytime on social media or email us at RamseyElementaryPTO@gmail.com.

Stay Connected

Follow Ramsey PTO for fundraiser updates, PTO news, and ways to get involved.

Instagram: @ramseymnpto

Facebook: Ramsey Elementary Eagles PTO

Activity Restrictions

If your student has an injury or illness that will require them to sit out of gym or recess, a doctor's note is required to be on file at school.

Medications at School

If your student needs any medication kept at school, such as an inhaler or EpiPen, the district requires a new doctor's order and signed parent permission form each school year. Please contact the health office if you have questions about this. Medications need to be in their original, pharmacy-labeled container and kept in the health office.

Hearing and Vision Screening

Throughout Anoka Hennepin, elementary schools screen students for hearing and vision concerns in grades 1, 3, and 5. We will be conducting routine hearing and vision screenings for 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students on October 7th during the school day. This screening is not meant to diagnose any condition, and parents/guardians will be notified only if follow-up screening or care is recommended.

Staying Healthy

Remind your students to wash their hands frequently, and keep students home when they are ill. As a reminder, students should remain home for a fever of 100 or greater, vomiting, or diarrhea. They should be free of these symptoms for at least 24 hours without the use of medication before returning to school.

We're excited to start our after-school Community Ed classes at Ramsey, and we can't wait to see your student there!

A few things to know about our classes:

• If you sign your child up for an after school class (4:05 pm start time), please let their teacher know they'll be staying after school for Community Ed. We'll also send a reminder email to teachers on the day of the class.

• At dismissal, students should head straight to the South Gym to check in for their after school class.

• You're welcome to send a snack for your child to eat before class. We also recommend a water bottle for any sport or active classes.

• Parent pickup is at Door 14 at the end of class. You can park or pull up alongside the curb in the bus loop (only after 4:30) and your student will come out to you. If you use the bus loop, please note: you must enter on the North end and exit on the South end - it is a one-way road. Students in the Adventures Plus (A+) program will be returned to A+.

You are welcome to sign up for classes at any district location - just make sure you can provide transportation!

Check out some of our upcoming classes at Ramsey:

• Grandmasters of Chess

• Instrument Exploration

• Flag Football Clinic

• Bricktopia Catapults

• Paint Your Own Pumpkin & Pal

Evening classes at other locations:

• Dance Basics (Grades K-2 at Dancin' Feet)

• Jazz & Hip-Hop (Grades 3-5 at Dancin' Feet)

• Community Choir (Grades 3-5 at Lincoln Elementary)

• Learn to Ride: One Day Horse Camp (non-school days)

You can find a full list of classes and register here: All Current Youth Classes

Have questions about Community Ed? Please contact Tricia Josephs at tricia.josephs@ahschools.us or 763-506-4012.

Need help with online registration? Please call 763-506-5144 or email april.kingvonmende@ahschools.us

Financial assistance is available if needed; please call to inquire.

Conferences are most families’ first official chance to connect with teachers and talk about their child’s progress. To feel prepared and take advantage of this opportunity, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Include your child in the conference. Let them know why you’re going to school, and ask them if they have any questions for their teacher.

• Write down the questions you’d like to ask the teacher. For example:

• “Can you show/tell us examples of _________________?”

• “At home, how can I reinforce what they’re learning in school?”

• “How can we partner to work together and support my child?”

Other questions? Contact a PreK - Grade 3 Parent Educator.

A+ currently has PM care openings and are open 4:00-6:00 on school days. We also offer non-school day care on designated dates.

We are currently hiring AM staff to support our team and students. If you know someone who may like morning shifts with us, please contact Jessica.Marino@ahschools.us.