West school briefs: Blessed Trinity plans open houses

An open house for Blessed Trinity's Penn Campus will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 22. Tours will begin at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Blessed Trinity's Penn Campus educates preschool through third-grade students. It's located at 7540 Penn Av. S., Richfield.

An open house for Blessed Trinity's Nicollet Campus will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 21. The Nicollet Campus, which educates students in fourth through eighth grade, is located at 6720 Nicollet Av. S. in Richfield. Blessed Trinity offers morning and afternoon preschool options for 3- and 4-year-olds, half- and full-day kindergarten, and all-day child care for ages 3 to 14.

RSVP for either or both open houses at www.btcsmn.org, or call 612-866-6906 for more information.

Notre Dame Academy is holding an information session for prekindergarten and kindergarten families from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 26.

Families are invited to learn about the school's Young Scholars program for prekindergarten students and its kindergarten SMART program.

Children are welcome, and the school will provide child care for the information night.

Parents, family members, caregivers, educators and therapists are invited to participate in an informative two-hour workshop focused on nutrition tips and solutions for families affected by autism.

"Food Fight! Nutritional Strategies for Children with ASD and Their Families" will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 29, at St. David's Center, 3395 Plymouth Rd., Minnetonka.

Sensory issues, food refusal and peculiar cravings affect many children with autism spectrum disorder, making it difficult to introduce healthier foods. At this workshop, organized by the Autism Society of Minnesota, presenter Anne Kelly will offer strategies to simplify and improve the nutrition routine.

A pediatrician and researcher, Kelly founded the University of Minnesota "U Special Kids" program for children with complex medical conditions.

There is a registration fee for this session. For more information or to register for Food Fight! or other workshops offered by the Autism Society of Minnesota, go to www.ausm.org or call 651-647-1083, ext. 19.

•Districtwide kindergarten information and registration nights will meet at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at all neighborhood elementary schools

•The School of Engineering and Arts will host a K-6 information night for parents only at 6 p.m. Jan. 27, at the school, 1751 Kelly Dr., Golden Valley

•Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion School will host a kindergarten information night for parents only at 6 p.m. Jan. 29, at the school, 8808 Medicine Lake Rd., New Hope

The lottery for the district's magnet schools closes at 5 p.m. Feb. 27. Families of incoming kindergartners can access the magnet application by going to https://magnetlottery.rdale.org/. Paper copies will also be available at all schools and at the Education Service Center, 4148 Winnetka Av. N., New Hope.

Incoming kindergarten students with siblings enrolled in these schools who meet the application deadline will automatically be enrolled through the sibling preference policy. If the school has more applicants than space available, new kindergarten students will be selected by lottery. More information is at rdale.org under "Enrollment Center."