Mr. Giesen - Falcon Ridge Principal

I am excited to welcome everyone back for the start of another school year. The 2023-24 school year will be my twenty-sixth year in education, and I have spent twenty-four of those years in the New Prague district. I began my career by teaching fifth grade and serving as dean of students at the former New Prague Intermediate School. I also taught sixth grade for three years at the New Prague Middle School. After spending two years in Farmington, at Boeckman Middle School as an assistant principal, I am excited to work with all staff and students in my thirteenth year as principal at Falcon Ridge Elementary.

Outside of school, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and following all of the local sports teams. I'm married to Kerry, and we have three boys who keep us busy: Tyler (freshman at Minnesota State-Mankato), Wyatt (junior at NPHS) and Ryan (7th grader at NPMS).

As a building, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone. Falcon Ridge is home to students in Grades K-5. Our core subjects revolve around the areas of reading, math, science and social studies. All students will receive specialist instruction in music, art, media and physical education. Additionally, our staff places a strong emphasis on the P.B.I.S. and Responsive Classroom philosophies, which support students in making responsible choices and being a part of a school-wide community. Falcon Ridge staff are also engaged as members of Professional Learning Communities, working collaboratively to use student data to better guide our daily instruction and classroom decisions. We take a great deal of pride in providing a safe and welcoming environment for our students to learn each day. I look forward to the opportunity to work together with parents and make a positive difference for our children. Please do not hesitate to call or email when a question arises.