Fall semester begins September 21st!

In-person classes will be held 10-11:30am in the Education Wing of Christ Church Lutheran: 3244 34th Ave S, Minneapolis.

Classes are formed by demand, grouped by age and level. Infants under age 3 attend with their caregiver (no additional charge for second or more parents/grandparents accompanying a baby/toddler).

Complete attendance is preferred, but you are welcome to pay $15 per class to drop in to any of the classes! Email finnishschoolofmn@gmail.com to let us know when you plan to drop in.

All materials are provided in the class. Students and families may also borrow Finnish books, games and music from our library to use at home!

Online courses are slated to begin in October and more details will be announced soon.

Terve kaikki! Hello everyone! We hope you stayed cozy this January. Get ready to speak, read, write, sing, play and taste Finnish together again! As before, classes for all ages will be held on first and third Saturdays at CCL Education Wing, 3244 34th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406, 10-11:30. It’s best to register now so that our teachers can be prepared for everyone. If you are paying by check, please send us a message that you will bring it with you on the first day of class. Visitors may also drop in for $15 per class. Parent (or Caregiver) and Baby (0-3 years): $60 Children’s Beginner or Immersion: $75 Adult’s Beginner: $90 Payment and registration is via PayPal at finnishschoolofmn@gmail.com. In PayPal, note the name of the student(s), name of the course, total price, and email address. This semester marks the 20th year of Suomi-koulu, so our end-of-school-year Kevätjuhla (Spring Party) will be extra special this year! We can’t wait to see you soon! Suomi-koulu MN Board & Teachers

Mark your calendar: Feb 4 Feb 18 Feb 25 Laskiainen (Sledding Day) Event Mar 4 Mar 18 Apr 1 Apr 15 May 6 Kevätjuhla (Spring Party)

Joulujuhla 2022 felt cozy and warm as new and old friends of all ages enjoyed delicious pot-luck food and sang Joulupuu on rakennettu.

Kiitoksia to those who donated items to sell at the Joulutori, including teacher Anne’s handpainted stones, and our silent donor of Finnish candy. Teachers Anne, Heli and Anna volunteered at the table to connect with the Joulutori shoppers and friends. Anne also performed in Kauneimmat Joululaulut, along with many friends in the Finnish community.

This fall, come along with Ope Lily and learn some Finnish! All three classes will be looking at the Kalevala with different difficulties this semester.

New to Finnish? Try our beginner class, where we will learn useful basics like colors and descriptive adjectives, while also learning the basics of the characters and plot of the Kalevala. All abilities welcome!

Have a bit more experience putting together sentences? Already know the basics? Try our intermediate class, where we will dive into literary terms and work on making our own simplified retelling of some poems from the Kalevala.

Are you a Finnish whiz already? Come along to our immersion class, where we will be reading selections from both the Kalevala itself as well as the Koirien Kalevala. We will learn about eastern Finnish dialects and dive a bit deeper into the mythos surrounding the Kalevala.

Online classes will run for 8 weeks, beginning Oct 4-6th.

Beginner will be held on Tuesdays, Intermediate on Wednesdays, and Immersion on Thursdays.
**Note that the final Immersion class will be moved to Monday 10/21 to accommodate for Thanksgiving.
All classes are 6-7:30PM CENTRAL TIME

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 3rd, 8PM Central

We are excited to once again offer a summer course this year, this time for 5 weeks, from July 5th to August 4th. Our summer classes are suitable for adults, or teens who can self-manage in a Zoom course. The class, once again, will be held over Zoom. However, our teacher Ope Lily will be coming to Minnesota in August! There will be a meetup arranged as an optional ‘sixth week’ of class; details will be emailed to registered students. Here are our class offerings this summer: Beginner class will be Wednesdays at 6-7:30pm CT, beginning on July 6th. In the class, we will be learning some basics of Finnish for the summer, including celebrating Juhannus, or Midsummer, talking about the weather, and mökki, or cabin culture. This class is open to all abilities, even if you have never spoken Finnish before. Intermediate class will be Tuesdays at 6-7:30pm CT, beginning on July 5th. (NOTE: this class was previously called Beginner 2!) – Intermediate will be a lukupiiri, or book club, using the simplified version of Mielensäpahoittaja. We will learn about language structures, vocabulary, and Finnish culture through reading. This class is suitable if you feel you can read simple texts in Finnish. Immersion class will be Thursdays at 6-7:30pm CT, beginning on July 7th.  The class will focus on learning about Finnish visual art, major eras of Finnish history through art, and descriptive practices, including locational postpositions. Price: $60 Payment and registration is via PayPal to finnishschoolofmn@gmail.com. In PayPal, note the name of the student(s), name of the course, total price, and email address. Hauskaa kesää!

If you are a Minnesota local or know someone who is, we are happy to announce REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for spring semester!

Thank you for your support as we continue to navigate the pandemic with abbreviated semesters and new adaptations of our traditions. After a longer than usual winter break, we are excited to announce that in-person courses will begin March 5th!

We will meet 6 times, in our classrooms at Christ Church Lutheran education wing, 3244 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis. Classes are held first and third Saturdays 10-11:30am. Sähly (floor hockey) is played on first Saturdays, and Finnish baking is taught and tasted on third Saturdays. Classrooms may be added based on interest/registration.

Mark your calendars for:
March 5, 19
April 2, 16
May 7, 21

Our annual Kevätjuhla (spring party) will be held after class on May 21st.

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LITTLES: 0-4 years parent-child song, story and play
CHILDREN’S BEGINNER: Finnish literacy, topical vocabulary, culture, baking and sähly
CHILDREN’S IMMERSION: Finnish literacy, topical conversation and fluency, culture, baking and sähly

IN-PERSON CHILDREN’S COURSES PRICES:
$65 for Beginner and Immersion
$50 for Littles

ADULTS: Combined Beginner/Intermediate class for adults. Materials used in class will be based on the textbook Finnish for Foreigners. 

IN-PERSON ADULT COURSE PRICE: $80

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REGISTRATION:

Registration is the same process for in-person and online courses. Note that both adults and older teens may register, but please make an additional note if the student you are registering is under 18. In PayPal, please write down the name(s) of the student(s), name of class(es), total price and the email address (parent/guardian email of students under 18).

Payment and registration via PayPal at finnishschoolofmn@gmail.com

Hei kaikki! 

Hyvää uutta vuotta! Happy New Year! We hope you have had a relaxing and healthy end to 2021, and that you are ushering in 2022 well so far. Are you ready to start the new year off on the right foot with your Finnish learning, too?

Our much asked about 8-week long Finnish classes for adults will begin the week of Valentine’s Day, with three online courses offered! 

COURSES:

• Beginner 1 will be held on Wednesdays at 6-7:30pm CT, starting February 16th. This spring, the theme is Kahvilassa, or In a Coffee Shop. Learn vocabulary and grammar relating to basic customer service interactions!

• Beginner 2 will be held on Tuesdays at 6-7:30pm CT, starting February 15th. The theme will be Matkalla, or On a Trip. Learn travel vocabulary as well as locative cases to be able to say where you are and where you’re going! Some previous knowledge of Finnish is required.

• Immersion will be held on Thursdays at 6-7:30pm CT, starting February 17th. The theme will be Mielipiteet ja Media, or Opinions and Media. Expand your knowledge of expressing your thoughts through discussions of documentaries, music, and readings. Teaching and communication is predominantly in Finnish in this course.

PRICE:

$100, additional students in the same household in the same class: $75

REGISTRATION:

Note that both adults and older teens may register, but please make an additional note if the student you are registering is under 18!

Payment and registration via PayPal at finnishschoolofmn@gmail.com

**Example registration**

In PayPal comments: name, payment amount and email address to be registered.

Ex. Aino Korhonen Adult Beginner $100, Matti Korhonen Adult Beginner $75, thekorhonens@wherever.com

If you prefer to mail a check please contact us ASAP for the mailing address.

Payment equals registration. Zoom links will be sent only after payment is received, a few days before class is set to begin.

Hope to see you there! Nähdään kurssilla!

Watch this space for news and updates about the Finnish School of Minnesota.

Volunteer for the school! We are a non -profit organization and we depend on you and everyone to help run the school. Sign up here to help with variety of tasks.

Fall Semester 2019 begins Saturday, September 7th, 10-12 at Christ Church Lutheran. Please arrive 15 minutes early to register in-person, or register online. Cash or check payments accepted. Tervetuloa!

Sähly (floor hockey) on first Saturday and keittiö (kitchen) on third Saturday each month!