Our Mission: Avalon School seeks to establish a just world by nurturing an equitable school community for students that inspires active learning, social justice, engaged citizenship, and hope for the future.
AVALON SCHOOL Newsletter
November 1, 2022
Quick Notes from Avalon
> Calendar: Important Upcoming Dates (UPDATED) > Onsite Mental Health Partnership
> Avalon Spirit Week (updated) > Avalon Art Crawl > Picture retake day rescheduled to November 18 > School Meal ordering for November/paying for October
> Avalon Odyssey TODAY
> IMPORTANT: Child Tax Credit deadline coming up!
> Covid update
> School views
Onsite Mental Health Partnership Avalon is partnering with Resiliency and Health Institute (RHI) to provide co-located mental health services for students. The mental health and wellness services provided through RHI are uniquely tailored to support the whole health of each individual they serve. RHI serves clients out of offices in both Woodbury and Golden Valley. They utilize a trauma-informed therapeutic framework with an ongoing and genuine interest to provide quality services to clients. Our partnership, beginning 11/1/22, will allow students to access co-located services on-site at Avalon. If you have questions, please reach out to Mandy (mandy@avalonschool.org, 612-208-2694) or Tabitha (tabitha@avalonschool.org, 612-208-2017).
Avalon Spirit Week
Avalon's Student Congress has declared the week of Oct 31-Nov 4 to be Avalon Spirit Week. Students so far have been rocking the spirit week theme days!
Monday, October 31: Halloween, costumes encouraged, dress as your favorite character
Tuesday, November 1: Era Day: dress from another era in time
Weds, November 2: Anything but a backpack day (use anything beside a backpack to carry your stuff (no pack animals, however)
Thursday, November 3: Dress Up/Dress Down Middle School Hangout 4-6 ! Bring snacks to share!
Friday, November 4: No school that day, but HS will have a Dance 6 -9 pm that evening. Come in your favorite outfit from Spirit Week or come as you are. Bring snacks to share! Avalon adults (parents, caregivers, relatives, etc):while the kids are enjoying the dance, please join us for an informal gathering at the Dual Citizen brewery just north of Avalon. Food can be purchased for delivery from The Naughty Greek.
In coordination with Spirit Week, we're sponsoring a contest to see which advisory (students & families of those students) can bring in the most items to restock the Avalon Care Closet. Our special focus is on food right now: pasta, packaged soups, canned fruits and veg, oatmeal, bars, meal kits. But we also need bar soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, diapers and gift cards (for Aldi, Walmart, Target, Amazon).
Students and families can drop off items at the front desk anytime during spirit week.
Avalon Art Crawl
Hello Avalon Creators! On Friday, November 18 we will be hosting our first AVALON ART CRAWL. All students, staff, family members and friends of Avalon are invited to participate! Reserve a table to display, discuss and sell your artworks. Use THIS LINK to find out more information or fill out THIS FORMto register. Contact Mickey with any questions.
Picture retake date change
Picture retakes were originally scheduled for November 15, but that will be a family conferences day, with students working remotely on projects and homework. Therefore, retake day was rescheduled to Friday, November 18.
We are using a new photographer this year: Kemmetmueller Photographyis a family-owned studio based in Wayzata. Families should expect to receive email from the studio about ordering pictures; you will be able to select and purchase photos through their web-based system.
Breakfast and Lunch at School
Avalon School offers a meal program that includes cold breakfast in the morning starting at 8:40am and hot lunch at 12:20pm daily (12:25 for High School students). Breakfasts are cold and generally consist of some kind of pastry or cereal, with fruit and milk. We offer hot lunches that include an entree, fruit and vegetable choices, and milk.
Invoices for October meals will go out on Thursday, November 3, and will include instructions for how to pay via PayPal or check. If you believe that you qualify for free/reduced meals, but have not received confirmation of this from Avalon, or have any other questions contact barb@avalonschool.org
The Child Tax Credit
Avalon is supporting the effort to notify families about the Child Tax Credit. The deadline to complete the form is November 15th, 2022.
Families with no income or low income could get at least $3,000 per child with the Child Tax Credit, plus $1,400 with the third stimulus payment - even if they have never filed taxes before and if they have not filed taxes this year. It is estimated that more than 33,000 children in Minnesota could miss out on this money if their parent/guardian has not filed.
There is an easy form for people to file on their mobile devices in 15 minutes or less at: getctc.org.
Masks for school Avalon will follow the CDC masking guidelines. Avalon will monitor Ramsey County levels weekly and follow CDC guidance for indoor masking. The county monitor can be found here: County Levels.All staff, students, and community members may choose to mask at any time and Avalon can provide masks to students who request them.
Avalon Covid Testing
Avalon hasmany Covid tests (Vault PCR Covid tests and rapid tests) to offer staff and students. Students can pick these up at the school office any time.
If you have any questions, please contact Carrie Bakken atcarrie@avalonschool.orgor at (612) 440-7096.
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School Views
Kids from all grades worked hard and enjoyed putting a performance of "An Avalon Odyssey". They welcomed enthusiastic audiences. Everyone appreciated the creative work and patience of their Mentor, Prof. Harry Waters, Jr.
High school students visited with local ceramic artist Kevin Caufield and visited the Dow Art Gallery during the St. Paul Art Crawl on Friday, October 14.
Learning and fun with Stomp Rockets in science class.
