Dowling Newsletter - December 19, 2025

From the Principal

I want to wish everyone a wonderful winter break. Thank you for encouraging your children to work hard and be kind. We will be starting off the new years resetting our Dowling expectations: Show Respect, Make Good Decisions and Solve Problems. Please discuss these standards with your children so we can all start the New Year in a positive light!

Resources and activities available during winter break

There will be no school while students and staff enjoy time off for winter break from Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 to Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. Classes resume on Monday, Jan. 5. We wish you a joyful, safe, and restful winter break!

All MPS buildings will be closed on the following dates:

• Wednesday, Dec. 24
• Thursday, Dec. 25
• Wednesday, Dec. 31
• Thursday, Jan. 1

School year calendars and observance calendars can be found here. 

Free meals, activities available during break

When school is not in session, children can eat free meals and snacks at many community sites, including Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Hennepin County Library locations. Children do not need to attend Minneapolis Public Schools to participate.

Click here to learn more about community sites. 

Minneapolis Park and Rec centers are offering a variety of fun and engaging activities during winter break!

Recreation centers are open weekdays (except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1) and Saturdays with fun events and activities for all ages, like cookie making, snowflake art, STEM experiments, open gym, day camps and more. Visit minneapolisparks.org to see what's available and sign up. You can also search by location.

Click here to learn more about Minneapolis Park & Rec winter break activities. 

Help support the 5th grade trip to Wolf Ridge

Hello parents, we are raising money for Wolf Ridge by selling calendars and we are selling calendars for 20 dollars. The money is used to fund our trip to Wolf Ridge in May. It is a four hour drive one way and we do not want to sit on yellow buses for 8 hours total.

Thank you for reading this

By a fifth grade student

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B_QVN0SNXcSJD4hxF7aWofnkNWBRTy9WYwrv09K_XK8/edit?usp=sharing

Dowling Wishlist

Please check out the Dowling wishlist. We’d be very grateful for any donations!

From Minneapolis Kids

Winter Break Non-School Days: December 22nd, 23rd, 29th, 30th, and January 2nd.

Minneapolis Kids is CLOSED on December 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st, and January 1st.

Families and caregivers can check which dates their student is enrolled in Eleyo.

Questions for Maya Christensen, Program Coordinator

maya.christensen@mpls.k12.mn.us

612- 290-4026

Community Opportunities

Minneapolis Park & Rec: Kids Night Out