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Elementary Announcements

Please visit our "Homepage" MNCS Website for updates, current events and MNCS News.

Announcements

Upcoming Dates to Remember...

Stay up-to-date and check out our MNCS 2025-2026 Calendar at any time to see what exciting things we have planned for this school year!

10/13-10/15: Elementary Experience Week

10/16-10/17: No School

10/24: Bell Museum (Experience Friday)

10/29: Early Release (ELEM @ 1:00pm)

Early Release - Bus Schedule:

Palmer Bus Early Release Schedule

Trailblazer Transit (Gaylord, Arlington, Green Isle, Belle Plaine, Winthrop: parents need to call Trailblazer to set up transportation. Trailblazer phone number: 1-888-743-3828)

10/31: Henderson Halloween Trick-or-Treating

11/6: Dental Sealant Program

11/7: Health Lesson Day: Nutrition and Healthy Foods

11/12: Picture Retake Day

11/12, 11/13, 11/17, & 11/18: PM Conferences

11/14: Community Center Lunch (Experience Friday)

11/26: Early Release (1:00pm ELEM)

11/27 & 11/28: No School

pIC dAY

Picture Retake Day is November 12th, 2025!

Strawbridge Studios Photography will be here in the morning on November 12th for Picture Retake Day! Any student who was absent on the initial Picture Day will be able to get their picture taken on this day.

Picture proofs from our initial Picture Day will be available for families to view online soon if you created an account. A picture proof packet will also be sent home soon. If after viewing the picture proofs, you decide you would like your student to participate in picture retakes, please make sure to let Brianne Fuhrmann (MNCS Elementary Administrative Assistant) know.

Online Ordering:

https://www.strawbridge.net/picture-day-lookup/ and enter the school name: Minnesota New Country Elementary School. Then click on the school name and enter the school code. It will prompt you to enter your information and then you are able to access the site for easy and convenient ordering!

**Please note: orders placed more than five (5) days after picture day may incur a fee (this is due to the package being shipped separately and not with the group of orders coming to the school)

Upcoming Local Events & Information:

paw patrol

legos

paper ghosts

Announcing the Launch of Nuts N Bolts 2.0!

We’re excited to introduce Nuts N Bolts 2.0 — a refreshed and re-energized version of our organization, dedicated to supporting the mission and day-to-day operations of Minnesota New Country School (MNCS).

Nuts and Bolts began in 2013 as a staff-led team that recognized the importance and value of parent and guardian involvement in supporting MNCS. Over the years, it has been a vital behind-the-scenes force, helping our school thrive through volunteer efforts and fundraising support.

To align with financial best practices and regulatory requirements, Nuts and Bolts will no longer engage in fundraising activities. While this marks a shift, it also opens the door to formalize Nuts N Bolts 2.0 as an independent, school-affiliated organization.

With this next chapter, we’re building on a strong foundation to serve MNCS students, staff, and families in fresh and meaningful ways. You can expect more streamlined support, increased communication, and creative new ways to make a lasting impact.

This is your chance to get involved! (And if you’re thinking someone else will step up — they probably won’t )

1. Visit our website to learn more.  (https://tinyurl.com/ymdmxsdc)

2. Join our contact list to be updated on future meetings and activities.   (https://forms.gle/PE3QhUaxo76Rgcds6)

3. Submit your ideas online using our Idea & Feedback Form (https://forms.gle/nFUEXZg43MnJ9pfW8) 

4. Have questions? Reach out to us at admin@nutsnbolts.org

Thank you for being part of the MNCS family — we can’t wait to grow together!

Yearbook

2024-2025 MNCS Elementary Yearbooks

It's not too late...you can still order an MNCS Elementary 24-25 School Yearbook! If interested, please contact Brianne Fuhrmann (MNCS Elementary Administrative Assistant) for more details:

bfuhrmann@newcountryschool.com

Yearbooks preserve precious memories, encompassing milestones, events, and the students and friends who made this past school year amazing! It is sure to be a treasured keepsake for years to come! This year's yearbook is published through Student Treasures. You can choose to order from either a softcover book for $25.95 or a standard hardcover book for $30.95.

We look forward to another great school year ahead and more wonderful memories and experiences to be made!  

ALL MNCS Families, New, & Existing Students Need To Be Registered through JMC!

If you have not done so already, you will need to log into our JMC portal and make sure ALL of your forms have been submitted (double-check even if you have already filled them out). 

If you have any questions about the process that the video is unable to answer or are unable to log in, please contact us via email.

When logging in to JMC, please make sure the school year drop-down menu has a blue '2025-2026' selected.

(Elem) Brianne Fuhrmann - bfuhrmann@newcountryschool.com or (HS) Ashley Poppler - apoppler@newcountryschool.com

Please make sure to UPDATE Your Contact Information  

Please update your contact information in the JMC Portal. Starting January 2022, you will be receiving emails through MNCS Website/JMC (School Announcements, Alerts, along with School Closings, etc). 

For more information and log in, instructions CLICK HERE

Other Information

Experiences/ Field Trips

> Experience Week: Monday, October 13th - Wednesday, October 15th

We are so excited for a wonderful week of experiences ahead!

Monday, October 13th - Technology Day! (All K-6)

Technology Walk: All Students (K-6) will be attending a Technology Walk Activity in the morning on-site here at the Elementary School. Students will exam different technology items on display throughout the years and guess what the item's function was! Students then will watch a movie based on technology. Movies available to students for viewing are: Wall-E (rated G), Big Hero 6 (PG), Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (PG), Meet the Robinsons (G), Flubber (PG), Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars (G), and Howl's Castle (PG). Lunch routine will be as usual and on-site at the school.

(Cost for this day's events is FREE)

Tuesday, October 14th - 

The Works Museum (Frogs & Busy Bee students):

The Works Museum is all about hands-on engineering! It is a wonderful place for students to dig into the basics of engineering, science, and technology through fun interactive activities and design challenges. Kids touch, try, and build as they explore how things work! Engineering fuels collaboration, persistence, and problem solving; critical skills for every child. We will be departing MNCS at 9am to make it to the Museum by 10am. Upon entering the Museum, students will have an hour to explore! Then they will spend half an hour doing a fun "Fling Flyers" workshop where students will be constructing and launching a glider that flies an amazing distance. We will depart as a group at around 11:30am for lunch and some more fun at some nearby parks (Running Park, Moir Park). We will return to MNCS in time for normal after school release/bussing.

Pavek Museum (Swans, Loons, & Wombats):

We will be leaving MNCS at around 8:30am to arrive at the Pavek Museum by 10:00am. We will have a fun day learning all about the history of broadcasting and radio technology! Students will be participating in two programs throughout the day:

Electromagnetism Experience: A hands-on program for 3rd to 6th graders that teaches the relationship between electricity and magnetism through experiments and a museum scavenger hunt.

Broadcast Experience: this program explores the history of electronic communication, allows students to create a live radio broadcast, and features a TV-style game show. 

We will be having lunch there at around 12:00pm and will be leaving the site around 1:45pm to make it back for normal after school release/bussing.

(Cost for Works Museum is $10 per student; cost for Pavek Museum is $16 per student)

Wednesday, October 15th - Ney Nature Center (All K-6):

We are excited that all students (K-6) will visit the Ney Nature Center which is located in Henderson to do some fun learning activities! The Ney Nature Center manages and protects the Ney Wildlife Preserve through education and interaction with the natural world on it's 446 acres of park land!

The Frog and Bee students will be participating in the morning - departing MNCS around 8:45am to do a Wilderness Survival program and an Animal Meet and Greet at the Ney! They will be returning around 11:15am for normal lunch and recess.

The Swans, Loons, and Wombats will be visiting in the afternoon - departing at 12:15pm for the Wilderness Survival program and Geocaching! They will be returning around 2:45pm to arrive back in time for normal after school release/bussing.

(Cost is $6 per student)

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LUNCH: Students will need to bring a bagged lunch everyday or request to have a school lunch. Due to travel and transporting lunches, Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and healthy snack sides will be offered if your student is participating in the school lunch program for convenience. All students will need to bring a water bottle all week.


COST: 

Frogs & Busy Bee students (K-2nd): $16 per student 


Swans, Loons, & Wombat students (3rd - 6th): $22 per student

Online payment link is available HERE.  If you prefer, you can also pay with cash or check (made payable to MNCS), and please give to Brianne Fuhrmann, MNCS Elementary Administrative Assistant (please mark on envelope Experience Week with the student's name).

**No chaperones are needed for this week of events.

Quick Links

MNCS School Payment

MNCS Online Store

Wish List

MNCS Wish List

Hot lunch

K-12 MNCS School Lunch Program 2025-2026

We will be providing hot lunch one day per week at both sites. Hot lunch will be served every Tuesday and we will be providing a variety of different meals each week! Everything from chicken nuggets, to hamburgers, General Tso chicken, spaghetti, to french toast sticks and more! Our monthly hot lunch menu will be highlighted in each weekly email announcement communication!

Cold lunches will be available every day! This year, instead of Lunchables for cold lunch, we're going to provide brown-bag lunches made by our High School ServSafe-certified staff and students! Cold lunches will rotate between three options based on supplies we have on hand:

Option 1: Turkey or ham and cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, with chips, fruit, and milk.

Option 2: Homemade lunchables of ham or turkey, crackers, cheese cubes, fruit, and a cookie

Option 3: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, gogurt or chips, cheese stick, fruit, and milk

**Cold lunch menu items will likely change daily based on supplies on hand

All lunches are free and available to any student who needs a lunch!

We will always ensure that our students are given a meal in the chance that they forget to bring a lunch from home.

Free and Reduced Lunch Program: Parents need to fill out this form Application for Educational Benefits . You can turn applications into the Administrative Assistants at either school or send to Carrie Rice, MNCS Nutrition Manager at crice@newcountryschool.com

We will keep you informed regarding any changes with our lunch program 2025-2026 and we thank you for your support and understanding!

YEARLY MILK SUBSCRIPTION

Yearly Milk Subscription- Milk is available for elementary students.  To purchase ONE milk a day for your child, cost is $50 per child per year. To purchase TWO milks a day for your child, cost is $100 per child per year. Checks can be made payable to MNCS or online payment through our MNCS Online Store (Here)

Did you know you could support "Minnesota New Country School"  while you shop on Amazon?

 On your next Amazon purchase shop through AmazonSmile - AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of your purchases to MNCS, at no extra cost to you! Already set up, THANK YOU! If you are using AmazonSmile on your mobile app, it may need to be renewed.

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