About Folwell
Welcome to Folwell!
Nestled in the heart of Minneapolis, our school boasts a rich curriculum and a vibrant community that promotes uniqueness, diversity, and academic achievement. Our diverse and talented staff are dedicated to inspiring education and fostering growth among the students in our community. We are committed to providing a warm, inclusive, and stimulating environment where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential.
Join us as we watch our Fire Birds soar to new academic heights!
Folwell Community School
3611 20th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Phone: 612.668.4550
Fax: 612.668.4560
Email: folwell@mpls.k12.mn.us
www.folwell.mpls.k12.mn.us
Barry Wadsworth, TOSA
Dr. Lacy Cannon, Principal
Mariam Adam, Assistant Principal
May 13, 2025
Good Morning, Dear Folwell Families:
Thank you, Folwell community, for making Teacher Appreciation Week such a success. Teachers felt honored to receive international foods and gifts from families. It was a reminder that Folwell is a caring community—your generosity was priceless.
Here are some upcoming events in May and early June:
MAY
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May 13 & 14: Walker Arts Day – Two-day artist-in-residence program
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May 14: Hennepin County Library Book Talks, 9:10 to 2:45, Choir Room
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May 14: Kindergarten Round-Up
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May 15: Festival of Nations
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May 20: 5th Grade Band and Orchestra Concert – afternoon, 1:30 – All-school assembly
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May 21: YPE Student Celebration – Field Trip to Mall of America (4th and 5th grade)
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May 22: “Start Reading Now” Book Fair, Grades 1–3, 8:30 to 2:00, Lower Gym
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May 22: 5:00 PM – Site Council / Family Gathering
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May 29: All-school performance by South High School, 1:00 PM
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May 30: Field Day
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May 31: Family Field Trip to the Minnesota Zoo, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (limited bus seating available; families and staff may also use alternate transportation)
JUNE
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Somali Culture Month
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June 2: Kindergarten Field Trip to the Science Museum Omnitheater
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June 3: 5th Grade Junior Achievement Field Trip
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June 5: Sankofa D.E.A.R. Time – 9:30–10:00 (High 5 to 2nd Grade); 10:00–10:30 (3rd to 5th Grade)
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June 6: Last day of school and last day of Quarter 4
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June 9: Record Keeping Day
Thank you, dear families and guardians.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cannon, Principal
Dear Falwell Community School Families, we need your support! We are looking for volunteers for Field Day, which will take place on May 30th, 2025, from 9 AM to 2 PM. We need volunteers—please call us for more information at 612-668-4550
Folwell Community School, State of the School.
Kindergarten Newsletter:
Testing Calendar
Title 1 information
Families’ Rights in a Title 1 School & a Guide to State and District Testing
Title I is a federal program that provides money to schools and districts to help us make sure all children have equal access to high-quality education, and to meet our state’s educational standards. Title I status is based on the number of students in our school from low income families. Our school is a schoolwide Title I program, which means all our students are able to benefit from the services we provide with our Title I funding. We are required to use Title I funding to improve the educational achievement of all students and engage our families in that process. School staff members work, with input from parents and the community, to develop a School Improvement Plan. The purpose of this plan is to improve our school’s entire educational program.
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS AS A FAMILY MEMBER IN A TITLE I SCHOOL?
We look forward to your involvement in school activities and your child’s education. You will receive information throughout the school year to keep you informed about your child’s educational progress and the progress the school isn’t making toward helping all children meet high educational standards. You will receive invitations to discuss and give input on our School Improvement Plan and family engagement activities. You can find our School Improvement Plan and our Family Involvement Plan on our website.
AT A TITLE I SCHOOL, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:
- Request information about the qualifications of your child’s teacher(s) or paraprofessional(s)
- Know how your child’s school is rated on its state test scores
- Know any rules for student participation in mandated assessments
- Expect regular communication with your school in your chosen language
- Work with other families and staff to develop a compact between our school and our families
- Help plan how money for family involvement should be spent
- Work with teachers, other families, and the school principal to develop a family involvement plan
- Ask for a meeting with your school principal or your child’s teacher at any time
Requesting information about qualifications of a teacher/paraprofessional:
Our staff are committed to helping your child develop the social, educational, and critical thinking he or she needs to succeed in school and beyond. Our commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals are extremely skilled. You have the right to request information about the professional qualifications of your child’s teacher(s) or paraprofessional(s). Please send requests to staffing@mpls.k12.mn.us. A paraprofessional provides academic or other support for students under the direct supervision of a teacher. If you request this information, the district or school will provide you with the following information:
- If the teacher has met State certification and licensing requirements for the grade levels and subjects for which the teacher provides instruction
- If State certification and licensing requirements have been waived (is not being required at this time) for the teacher, under emergency or other temporary status
- If the teacher is teaching in the field for which they are certified or licensed
- If the teacher has met State-approved or State-recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements. These requirements apply to the professional discipline in which the teacher is working and may include providing English language instruction to English learners, special education or related services to students with disabilities, or both
- If your child is receiving Title I or Special Education services from paraprofessionals, his or her qualifications.
WHY DO WE TEST STUDENTS?
We test (also called assess) students to answer key questions such as:
- Are students learning what we intend for them to be learning?
- Are all students improving and being appropriately challenged?
We will not increase student learning by just testing students. The impact of testing students comes in how our teachers use student test results (also called data). Test data is used as part of a reflection about our systems and practices at the classroom level, school level, and district level.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TESTS WE USE AT MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
- State accountability assessments are used with all students to determine if students are meeting grade level standards and to monitor systems at a school, district, state, and federal level.
- Universal Screeners are used with all students to determine which students are on track for their grade level and making growth. It can also be used to monitor strategies at a school and district level.
- Summative Classroom Assessments are used with all students to determine if students mastered the skill, learning target, and/or standard that the teacher was targeting. (For example, in class tests, end of chapter tests, etc.)
- Diagnostic Assessments are used with some students who are low performing and students who are not showing growth to identify which particular skills those students need support with.
- Progress Monitoring Assessments are used with some students who are receiving targeted interventions on a regular (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) basis to determine if the student is making enough progress as the result of a skill-based intervention. (For example, help with reading.)
- Formative Classroom Assessments are used with all students on a daily basis to reflect on immediate effectiveness of current instruction and determine if students are meeting daily learning targets.
WHICH TESTS ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE AND DISTRICT?
State required tests: Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) or Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) (3-8, High School), ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS (for English Learners only), and ACT for All (Grade 10).
District required tests: FAST for K-9, Common Language Assessments for English Learners, Istation for K-5 dual language school students, and the CogAT assessment for all students in Grade 2 and students referred in Grades 3, 4, and 5, as well as all students in Grade 5 who have not previously completed the assessment. More information on these assessments can be found on the Minneapolis Public Schools’ Assessments webpage (https://rea.mpls.k12.mn.us/assessments).
CAN WE SAY ‘NO’ TO TESTING?
Families have the right to decline student participation in state and district testing. Families need to request an Opt Out form from their school, fill it out saying which state or district test they do not want their student to take, and return it to school. Forms must be filled out yearly. For more information on saying “no” to testing, please see page 9 for guidance provided by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Our school library
Dear Parents/Guardians and Student of Folwell Community School,
My name is Ulinda Tapplin, and I am the librarian at Folwell. I am so excited to be facilitating book checkout for students again this year. Your school library media center uses a web-based catalog and circulation system called Destiny that allows you to search for books, videos, websites, and many other items in your school’s library collection any time, anywhere that you have internet access.
Destiny also tracks all the materials you have checked out at any school in the district.
If you checked out library books and/or textbooks that you did not return, they will continue to appear under your name.
Learning materials are expensive and we all must be responsible for their use and return.
If you have school materials that you have not returned from previous school years, please return them to the library media center. Materials from other schools will be sent to the school they belong to. Students are financially responsible for lost or damaged MPS materials. Student Library material check out may also be put on hold if a student has too many overdue/lost materials in order to meet the state standard of being responsible for shared resources.
If you have questions or need to pay for lost or damaged materials, please see Ms. T. in the library media center.
Sincerely,
Ulinda Tapplin, Library Media Teacher