Kicking off the 2023-24 School Year (and a quick look back on last year!)

Hello PSI Community! We hope you all had a great summer, it’s hard to believe that school will officially start next week!

Mark your calendars for our 2nd annual PSI PTO Kick-off Party at Oak Hill. It will be on Tuesday, September 26th from 5-7pm. The event was a huge success last year, with great turnout and we’ll have even more food trucks and more fun this year! The entire school is invited, it’s a great way to meet other families and this year’s new amity interns. The kick-off is also the best way to hear about all of the PTO volunteer opportunities available for the year and sign up for those that interest you.

The PTO was busy over the summer and you might notice at drop-off that we were able to purchase and install four new picnic tables in the grassy area outside the kiss-and-ride doors. Our teachers have already used them while enjoying a PTO-sponsored lunch for their first prep day back at school this week. Check out the picture!

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how tremendously successful our fundraising efforts were last year. Thanks to the entire Park Spanish community, we blew our fundraising goals out of the water. At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, we set a goal to raise $54,000 and your extraordinary generosity resulted in us raising over $70,000! As you well know, costs everywhere are increasing, and this fundraising puts us on firm financial footing. Our amity program has seen the largest inflation in costs, but we are well-funded to sponsor 8 interns this year. You’ll see them in the school and at events all year long! We plan to offer a full slate of PTO-sponsored events this coming year as well, so thank you again for all your generosity.

Keep an eye on psiparents.com, La Prensa, and the ‘PSI Parents’ Facebook page for PTO updates throughout the year. We’re looking forward to making this a great year with you!

PSI Teachers enjoying the PTO sponsored lunch on the new picnic tables.

Staff Appreciation Week is May 1-5

Let’s say a big “thank you” to the staff at Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School by participating in Staff Appreciation Week!  Staff Appreciation Week will be held on May 1-5. The theme of this week will be “Self Care”. We plan on showering the staff with special treats, meals, and self-care items throughout the whole week.

Donations for food items are requested here in this Sign Up Genius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4babaf28a57-staff#/

Please make note of the date and time your donation is needed. There are 75 staff members in the building to treat each day. If you are unable to donate a food item but would still like to contribute, please contribute to the PTO fund using this link: PSI PTO PayPal. Please note “Staff Appreciation Week” in the comments.

Thanks everyone for thinking of our wonderful PSI staff!

For any questions, please reach out to one of the parent organizers:

Katie (katienewton_2@hotmail.com)

Melissa (melhoag@yahoo.com)

Molly (mollycarpenter76@gmail.com)

Sally (sjhagen3@gmail.com)

PSI Yearbook Order Deadline – March 31!

The 2022-23 edition of the PSI Yearbook is on sale now!

Order online at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ (yearbook ID code is 3271923). Cost is $15/book.

Order deadline is March 31, with yearbooks delivered towards the end of the school year. Order now so you don’t forget!

WOW! THANK YOU! $23,000 Raised! 

The PTO silent auction was a huge success!

All thanks to our amazing PSI community who raised over $23,000 to support the Amity Intern Program and other PTO offerings at PSI.  THANK YOU!

Lots of community-building to come as the buy-in events happen throughout the spring.

And a special thank you to the amazing silent auction team that worked so hard to put it all together, Sandy Western, Jana Christian, Sean Keene, Alexis Gibb, Ashley Reina, Vanessa Crosley, Emily Barker, Meg Schauer, Molly Carpenter, Caitlin Lietzau, Viviana Rivas, Erin Rath, Melissa Murray, Stephanie Phan, and Shelby Strauss.

Thank you Host Families!

We’d like to take a moment to send a HUGE THANK YOU to our wonderful Spring Host Families! Thanks to all of you for opening your homes and hearts to this great group of people and for being positive ambassadors for the Amity Intern program. Muchas gracias!!

  • Betsy & Josh Howe – María Carazo, España
  • Emily & Joel Barker – Franklin Díaz, El Salvador
  • Jen & Rich Benson – Daniel Ferrero, España
  • Lisa & Jesse Valley – Pilar Hinojosa – España
  • Angie & Chris Johnson – Chris Martínez, Colombia
  • Laurie Swabey & Andrew Keith – Adrián Simonetti, España
  • Jodi & Eric Lindskog – Joaquin Vilas, España
  • Stacey & Chad Stewart – Lisbeth Villalobos, El Salvador

Is your family interested in hosting next year? Please contact us at psiamity@gmail.com!

PSI Family Movie Night and Free Pizza Dinner – Thursday, April 13

Come together with other PSI families to dig into identity and racial equity topics in a family-friendly environment.

We’ll meet in the middle school cafeteria for a free pizza dinner at 5pm and then move into the middle school auditorium to watch Zootopia at 5:45.  After the movie we’ll discuss questions together about themes presented in the movie.

Volunteer Opportunity!

Looking for an easy way to volunteer at PSI?   Two volunteers are needed to assist with Spring Picture Day on Wednesday, April 12 from 8-11AM. Sign up here if you can help!

Save the Date for Spring Carnival!

Mark your calendars for the El Carnaval de PSI on Saturday, May 13, 12:00-2:30PM. More details to come!

PSI Silent Auction!

It’s time for the

Park Spanish Immersion PTO Silent Auction

All proceeds support the PSI Amity Program and other PTO sponsored events.

We a have an incredible line of items available this year.  Bidding opens at 12pm CST on Saturday March 11th and ends at 10pm on Friday March 17th

Student Activities:

  • Ride to school in a fire truck
  • Ride to school in a police car
  • Twin Cities Tennis Camp
  • Movie and Game party with teachers
  • Crafts and Sports Parties with Amities

 

Tickets:

  • Minnesota Twins
  • Vikings and Gophers Football
  • Hyland Hills
  • Chanhassen Dinner Theater
  • Orange Theory
  • ValleyFair
  • Minnesota Children’s Theater

 

Family Activities:

  • Kickball Parties
  • Donuts at a Playground
  • Adult Wine Tasting
  • Hotel Ivy Getaway
  • Ladies Dodgeball and Pizza

 

Gift Cards

  • Murray’s Steakhouse
  • La Bodega
  • Honey & Rye
  • JJ’s Clubhouse
  • Parkway Pizza

Support Our Amity Intern Program as a Cousin Family!

Amity intern Daniel Ferrero with his cousin family, the Christians.

Not able to host an intern?

Interested in supporting the Amity program in another way?

Become a cousin family.

Each cousin family is assigned to one intern for the school year. Cousin families invite the intern along on family outings such as apple-picking, ice skating, or simply dinner at home. You are an extension of the host family and support both the intern and their host families throughout the intern’s stay. This brings an important sense of consistency and community to the intern. The more involved the cousin family is with the intern, the greater the opportunity is for language learning, cultural exchange, and lasting relationships for all!

Click HERE to read more about the cousin family role, or fill out your Cousin Family Application today! If you would like to speak to a current or former cousin family to learn more, email psiamity@gmail.com.

PTO is still looking for families willing to host a 2023/24 intern for either Fall or Spring semester next year. Please consider this amazing opportunity and apply HERE today!

15th Annual PSI Silent Auction – Bidding Opens March 11th!

This annual event is the second biggest fundraiser at Park Spanish Immersion.  The auction is online and will feature tickets to see the Twins, Vikings, and Loons, restaurant and retail gift cards and even a signed Vikings item!  The grade-level teachers, specialist teachers, amities and even our principal have planned some one-of-a-kind events which parents can buy “tickets” for.   There will be community-building social events on the weekends too.  Don’t miss out on the fun while also raising money for our Amity Program and other PTO offerings.

Bidding starts on Saturday, March 11th, at 12pm.

Be on the lookout for a special edition LaPrensa with the bidding website link!

Some of the tickets for the activities sell out quickly!

Bidding ends Friday, March 17th, at 10pm

Skip making dinner Wednesday!

The PSI Pizza Siren will sound to remind you to put in an order and raise a few bucks for PSI.
Last school year, Parkway Pizza donated over $900 to PSI PTO as part of its Dine Out for Schools program to give back to the community. Parkway donates 5% of sales on the first Wednesdays of the month to PSI. Dine-out, delivery, or carry-out. It all counts! No code needed.
Want to participate but need a reminder? Whenever you hear the MN Tornado Siren Test at 1pm on the first Wednesday of each month, know that all orders that day earn money for PSI PTO!

Thank You, Conference Meal Volunteers! 

THANK YOU to all the parents who supported teacher conference meals last week! As a show of gratitude, the PTO invited teachers to enjoy a Thursday taco bar and Friday brunch with bagel sandwiches and salads. Many hours of planning, cooking, cleaning, and personal donations made this possible!

A special thank you to the PTO Conference Meals Leadership Team: Michelle McCambridge, Anna Younger and Jessie Lee. Bravo, team!

PTO Fundraising Update

Thanks to our generous school community, we have raised $32,000 this year!

The majority came from the $24,000 we raised during Leer-a-tón. This surpassed our $20,000 goal. Learn more about our budget here.

Our next big fundraiser, the online silent auction, kicks off on March 11th.

Let’s see if we can surpass our goal again, which is $15,000. Up for auction are: restaurant gift cards, sports tickets, passes to attractions in the area and events unique to PSI for kids, families and adults.

Details to come!

For more information on how you can help, please click these links:

 

For more information contact psivolunteers@gmail.com

Order your PSI Yearbook Today!  

The 2022-23 edition of the PSI Yearbook is on sale now! Order online at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ (yearbook ID code is 3271923).

Cost is $15/book.

Order deadline is March 31, with yearbooks delivered towards the end of the school year.

Do it now before you forget!

PSI Amity Intern Host Family Opportunities for 2023-24!

Check out our interns at a Super Bowl party hosted by Emily and Joel Barker. Thank you, Barker Family!

The Amity Intern Program is now accepting applications for Fall and Spring 2023-24 Host Families!

  • Hosting duration is 4-5 months.
  • Families provide a bedroom, meals and some transportation. Separate bathroom is not needed.
  • Interns ride the school bus with your student(s).
  • Students benefit with additional Spanish language in the home.  Entire family benefits from cultural exchange!
  • PSI depends on families to support the Amity Intern program by hosting, so every student can benefit in the classroom.
  • Interested and want to learn more?  Email us at psiamity@gmail.com or visit: https://psiparents.com/amity-program/
  • Ready to apply?  Fill out the application today! https://psiparents.com/amity-program/amity-host-family-application/

 

5th Grade Yearbook Baby Photos – Due March 1

Fifth Grade parents, your child’s baby/toddler photo will be featured in this year’s yearbook as we get ready to send these babies off to Middle School. Please send one of the following:

1. High resolution jpeg image sent to psiyearbook@gmail.com; Please put your child’s name and classroom teacher in the subject line.

2. Hard copy photo labeled on the back with your child’s name and classroom teacher. Send an envelope to school marked “Yearbook”; Turn into the office or have your child give it to their teacher. Photos will be returned to you before the end of the school year.

All submissions due by March 1, 2023.

Thank You PTO Volunteers!

THANK YOU to all the teachers, Amity interns, parents, and community members who volunteered at the Science and Imagination Fair and at Math Night! These community events would not have been possible without your support.

A special thank you to the following PTO Leadership Teams:

  • Science and Imagination Fair: Nate Young, Kevin Russell, Justin Gondeck, Josh Fitzpatrick, Jessica Straalsund and Jose Schimming
  • Math Night: Brittany Roeser and Viviana Rivas.

Math Night is TONIGHT!

The PSI PTO is excited to host Math Night for families tonight, Thursday, February 9th from 6-7:30 pm in the gym. Stop by for a night of fun math games and activities such as Quick Chess, Mancala, Towers of Hanoi, Code Breaker, Chances Are, Money Bingo and more!

This FREE event is an opportunity to build student enthusiasm for math and is sponsored by Mathnasium of St Louis Park.

PSI Amity Intern Host Family Opportunities for 2023-24!

The Amity Intern Program is now accepting applications for Fall and Spring 2023-24 Host Families!

Check out our interns at the Amity Winter Sledding Social in January!

  • Hosting duration is 4-5 months.
  • Families provide a bedroom, meals and some transportation. Separate bathroom is not needed.
  • Interns ride the school bus with your student(s).
  • Students benefit with additional Spanish language in the home. Entire family benefits from cultural exchange!
  • PSI depends on families to support the Amity Intern program by hosting, so every student can benefit in the classroom.
  • Interested and want to learn more? Email us at psiamity@gmail.com or visit: https://psiparents.com/amity-program/

 

Ready to apply? Fill out the application today!

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