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St. Louis Park Middle School's Weekly News
Please note: For the most up to date information please click on the Middle School website. (Language Translations available)
December 7, 2023
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Dear Middle School Families,
This is performance season! We are excited to enter these last few weeks before Winter Break and experience what our students have been working on mastering since nearly the start of the year! We begin tonight with opening night of our Fall Play, The Redemption of Gertie Green. Evening performances start at 7pm tonight, tomorrow and Saturday night. There is a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon at 1pm. Tickets can be purchased at the box office prior to each show or in advance through the ticketing website.
We also have our Choir students’ performing on Monday, December 11 at 7pm. Band 6 will perform at 7pm on Monday, December 18 and Band 7 & 8 and Jazz Band will perform on Tuesday, December 19 at 7pm. I highly encourage you to catch one of these performance opportunities that feature our students!
Also, as I am in my first year here at SLPMS, I am interested in collecting family feedback around our Family Engagement opportunities. So far, we have had three building-wide opportunities for families to engage with our staff - Family Connect Day in August, Teacher Meet and Greet in October and Student-Led Conferences in November. I am asking families to complete a survey around these events and how helpful and valuable these opportunities were for you. We will use the information to plan for future family engagement events. You can access the survey by clicking here.
Thank you for your continued support of your student here at SLPMS!
In partnership,
Melissa Kalinowski
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| Dec.7, 8, and 9th | Middle School Fall Play | | Dec. 8 | No School | | Dec.11 | Winter Choir Concert - Grades 6, 7 & 8 and Select Choir | | Dec. 18 | Band 6 Winter Concert | | Dec. 19 | Band 7, 8 & Jazz Band Winter Concert | | Dec. 22 - Jan.1 | Winter Break (Last day of school for students is Thursday, December 21 and the first day back after break is Tuesday, January 2) | | |
Interdisciplinary Team Websites | |
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Dear MS Caregivers,
If you are new(ish) to the Middle School or have general questions, please be aware that we have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on the MS website. Click here to access this informational page. Please give us a call, too, if you have questions that are beyond the scope of this page. Thank you!
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Greetings,
International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools network with each other and learn from each other around the world. One of the standards of a World School is the following:
The school ensures that leadership and teachers participate in appropriate and timely professional learning to inform their practice.
Here are the findings from our global evaluators:
"The school leadership team engages and encourages teacher engagement with the IB community, as demonstrated by teachers attending and leading regional IB roundtables, sending teachers to visit and learn from area IB schools, hosting lab classrooms for other IB schools, and membership in the Minnesota Association of IB World Schools."
Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that in Minnesota IB Coordinators from all over the state gather together four times a year to learn and network together. This past Tuesday I attended the Minnesota state IB Coordinators meeting in St. Paul and spent time learning from other IB Coordinators around the concept of "Peace" and how schools across Minnesota are working with that concept on their campuses. Another evidence of this standard is the St. Louis Park Middle School will be hosting Anderson Middle School from Minneapolis for a campus visit here this Monday, Dec. 11th. They are adding a Keystone course and are a candidate school for IB. They'll be receiving a tour, visiting Keystone classrooms and talking with our administration and teachers. We are excited and anticipate their visit.
Mia Waldera
MYP IB Coordinator
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After School Spectators for MS Sporting Events
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Due to limited space/capacity in our field house and for health/safety, we will need to limit the amount of spectators attending Middle School after school events. Spectators will be limited to parents/guardians of players playing in the current game. Staff, other family members, friends and students will not be allowed to attend games due to the limited space available. | | |
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SLP MS's Fall Play is running December 7- December 9 here in the Performing Arts Space. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the performance is at 7pm. We also have a Saturday afternoon show at 1pm. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults. Kids under 3 are free. SLP staff can get in free with their badge. If you have any questions see Ms. Schmerler or Ms. Zumberge. You can buy tickets in advance here! Otherwise, come with cash or check. We don't take credit cards, so if you need to use a card, you can use the above link to purchase. We hope to see you there! | |
Boys' Basketball Starts January 8th!
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Registration is open for all 6-8th graders and practice starts after school on Monday, January 8th. Registration and information can be found on the Middle School Athletics page on the Middle School website. You must have an updated sports physical before you are able to register.
If you have any questions please email Derek Wennerberg - [email protected]
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NaNoWriMo 2023 Donut Party | |
More than twenty sixth graders from Ms. Noble's writing classes chose to participate in NaNoWriMo 2023 (National Novel Writing Month). The novels varied in both length and topics, but everyone's dedication was obvious! Great job, authors! | |
Every Meal Weekend Food Program
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Please click here for more information to sign up. If you have questions, please contact Kristen in Student Services: [email protected] or 952-928-6389
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Step Holiday Toy Registration
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As the weather has turned, it is important that students dress warmly in order to go outside for Phy Ed class, and coming into school as this is often the coolest part of the day. Students who use a blanket as a jacket will be required to put their blanket into their locker. Blankets cannot be worn in Phy Ed class for warmth for safety reasons. It is recommended that students consider leaving a sweatshirt in their lockers as different parts of the building are often differing temperatures throughout the day. | |
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Classes are kicking off! Sports and Clubs are getting back into gear. Before you get too busy, it's a perfect time to order your yearbook. Use the link to order your book today while the price is low.
https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A04145660
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Washington DC Trip for 7th Graders | |
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Attention all current 7th graders! You have an opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. this spring with your classmates.
Trip Dates: June 14-17, 2024
Price: $2274
Family members and dependents of current educators, the military, and first responders receive a 5% discount off the base trip price.
Deposit: $99 to secure your spot!
Our Registration Deadline is: March 1, 2024
Registration link: WorldStrides
Trip ID: 207712
Trip website : 2024 D.C. Trip
We have a lot planned for this trip and I hope you can join us.
Samantha Wyffels- I&S teacher
[email protected]
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Just a reminder that there is no Site Council meeting scheduled this month. We will resume our monthly calls on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024.
If you are interested in joining Site Council for the last half of the school year, and have not yet signed up,
contact me directly.
Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!!
Keith Richardson
Site Council Chair
[email protected]
(612)462-9862
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Renewal Information for Families who use Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare Insurance
Keep your health. Keep your insurance. Learn more about renewing your Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare insurance. Visit mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage.
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You’re Invited! School Board Farewell Reception
St. Louis Park Public Schools staff are invited to the farewell reception for two outgoing school board members, Ken Morrison and Heather Wilsey. The reception will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023 at the Central Community Center from 5:00-5:55 p.m., with the program beginning at 5:20 p.m. Cookies, coffee, & juice will be served. The School Board meeting will start directly after the reception.
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Home Athletic Events Expectations for SLP Schools
For all home High School athletic events where admission is charged:
- Any child in 8th grade or below must be accompanied by a paying adult who is responsible for them, their behavior and their whereabouts at the event. The student must be in the bleachers unless with the accompanying adult.
- No bags, backpacks or outside food/drink will be allowed in at home football games and there will be no reentry.
- All tickets must be purchased electronically, either in advance, or at the event. There will be no cash options available. No refunds.
- For football, admission will stop at the end of the third quarter.
Please purchase your tickets here: https://gopark.hometownticketing.com/embed/all
If you have questions, please reach out to Andy Ewald, Athletic Director, [email protected] 952-928-6118
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Our Community Education Winter Catalog is here!
Checkout our new activities today - registration is available online now. The catalog will arrive in St. Louis Park residents mailboxes in early December.
Link: https://slp.ce.eleyo.com/
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Help Review What is Taught in Classrooms: Join the District Instructional Programs Advisory Council (DIPAC)
Want to help review what is taught in St. Louis Park Public Schools classrooms? We invite families to apply to join the District Instructional Programs Advisory Council (DIPAC). You do not need any educational background to join. The Committee will review the process of our curricular and instructional program offerings.
- Apply by December 22, 2023
- No background required (just your interest to participate!)
- Seeking diverse perspectives
- Attend approximately 4 meetings (1.5 hours each)
DIPAC will strive to reflect the racial, gender, language, and ability balance of the school district and will actively recruit participants from underrepresented groups.
Learn more about DIPAC and what we hope to do.
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National Day of Racial Healing
The National Day of Racial Healing is an opportunity for children, teens, neighbors and community members to learn about each other’s diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and lived experiences. All are invited to participate in the community conversation. This event is free and open to all ages. Registration opens, December 13.
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Inclusive Schools Week is December 4-10, 2023
During Inclusive Schools Week, it is important to commemorate the progress that Minnesota schools have made in providing a quality education to an increasingly diverse student population including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economics status, cultural heritage language preference and other factors. Inclusive Schools Week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else could be done to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children.
This year, the Inclusive Schools Week’s theme is “Draw Me In!” Participating in art provides a pathway to self-discovery, and sharing art opens doors to understanding and respecting different ways of thinking. Do we see the faces of all children and youth drawn into the canvas of our schools and society today?
The need to belong is a basic need of all students and an integral component of effective inclusive schools. To be inclusive implies a fundamental commitment to building relationships among students, families, educators and the community to support safe and positive learning environments. As we celebrate Inclusive Schools Week 2023, let us respond—Draw Me In!
The proclamation will be published on the Governor’s proclamations webpage.
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SLP Staff Directory
We’re pleased to announce that the new searchable online staff directory is now available to the public. You can search the directory by name, department, location, and position. For example, search keywords such as principal, nurse, or counselor. View the staff directory.
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Mayor for a Day Essay Contest
The League of Minnesota Cities is once again encouraging our state’s 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to share ideas about how they would make cities better through submitting essays in the League’s “Mayor for a Day” essay contest. This year’s prompt is, “What would you do if you were mayor for a day?”
Contest information can be found at lmc.org/mayorforaday. Three winning students will be chosen from among submitted entries. Each winning student will receive $100 and will have their essay published in a future issue of Minnesota Cities magazine. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 12.
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New ParkTV channels for SLP board meetings and other programming
ParkTV is updating its Comcast cable channels to include more high definition (HD) channels, while still maintaining standard definition (SD) viewing options. St. Louis Park Public Schools programming, including concerts, plays, school board meetings and sports, can now be viewed on HD Ch. 859 and SD Ch. 16. View the airing schedule.
Additionally, you can watch school board meetings and other videos on our Youtube channel.
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In the Loop SLP Construction Update
View updates from Knutson Construction and St. Louis Park Public Schools about construction projects in the school district. November highlights include project milestones and progress for the High School and Middle School.
Fun Fact:The new synthetic turf field installation consists of 199 tons of sand and 174 tons of fine rubber pellets installed on top of the turf to ‘fill in’ the turf fibers and reduce the impact of the field users. This volume of sand is enough
to fill over 300 backyard sandboxes and this amount of rubber is roughly the equivalent of over 28,000 car tires! View the construction updates webpage.
In the Loop: SLP Construction Newsletter
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Middle School Youth Enrichment Programs
Middle School Cooking/Baking Club
Join us to learn basic cooking skills by making a new recipe every week!
Wednesdays, Jan. 17-Feb. 21
4-5:15 pm
Pick your price: $39/$49/$59/$69 (pay the price that works best for your family)
Click here to register now!
Middle School Gaming Club (winter session)
Join us in the Cafeteria on Tuesdays to game with your friends!
Tuesdays, Jan. 16-March 26
4-5:15 pm
Pick your price: $20/$30/$40/$50 (pay the price that works best for your family)
Click here to register now!
Middle School Chess Club
Mondays, Jan. 29-March 25
4-5 pm
$145
Click here to register now!
Middle School Musical Theatre
Acting, singing, and dancing for the stage! See what it takes to put together your favorite Broadway musicals and put together a performance for family and friends!
Saturdays, Jan. 27-March 2
1-2 pm
$105
Click here to register now!
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