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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)
November 30, 2023
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Dear Middle School Families,
If you had a student who took the MCA tests last spring in a St. Louis Park school, you should have received those MCA Math and Reading test scores from our district office in the mail this fall. Also, regarding standardized testing, nearly all (92%) of our 6th, 7th and 8th Graders took MAP Math and Reading tests in October. Those scores were immediately available to students taking the tests. During conferences, questions arose around what MCA and MAP scores mean and what we, as a school community, are doing with this information/data to improve learning outcomes for students. We use data from the performance levels in the variety of skills being tested to inform our curricular choices, unit planning, instructional strategies and assessment techniques. In particular, MAP scores provide guidance around what skills students have met and what skills are yet to be developed. During our next professional development day on Friday, December 8th, we as a Middle School staff will be spending our day using the diagnostics from the MAP test to move forward with our curriculum, unit planner, instruction and assessment development to ensure that we are preparing our students for the test and, more importantly, higher level learning and lifelong skill building.
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,
The International Baccalaureate Coordinators from across the district had the opportunity to address the St. Louis Park Advisory Staff Development Committee on Nov. 30th. The duties of that committee of educators from across the district is:
- develop our World's Best Workforce Plan,
- assist site professional development teams in developing a site plan consistent with the goals of the plan, and
- evaluate staff development efforts at the site level.
The IB Coordinators shared some of the draft evaluation findings from each of five schools offering IB programs. The committee took those preliminary findings into consideration as they considered the above.
The Middle School is awaiting their final evaluation report and look forward to community sharing of the findings at that time.
Mia Waldera
MYP IB Coordinator
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IB Coordinators pictured left to right:
Anne LaLonde Laux, Mia Waldera, and Faduma Adeed
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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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This week our school counselors and social workers facilitated a “Level Up” lesson during advisory class about Digital Health. Level Up lessons are delivered in a large group format in our Performing Arts Center. We encourage you to continue this conversation at home. Below is a quick summary of the information provided with some discussion questions you can ask your student.
Why is digital health important?
More and more activities in our environment revolve around screens. Technology, social media, gaming, etc. can have positive aspects but are also negative if used in excess. We need to know how screen time impacts us.
The recommended amount of screen time for 5-17 year olds is no more than 2 hours per day. The average 11-14 year old spends 9 hours in front of a screen each day.
Social Media Safety
- Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act - limits use to 13 years or older
- All social media should be set to Private - otherwise anyone can view your content
- Report and Block - use these features if someone you don’t know tries to contact you or someone is bothering you on-line
Dopamine and Screens
- Dopamine is a chemical in our brain that gives us the “feel good” experience
- Dopamine “fixes” are similar to drugs. They can be addictive. This also changes the prefrontal cortex in our brain
- Dopaminergic substances or behaviors increase dopamine levels so that the dopamine-reward pathway is activated, telling the individual to repeat what they just did in order to get that feel-good dopamine reward again and again
- Video games activate your dopamine response at 100%.
Screens and Mental Health
- The more immersed we are in screen time, the more impact on our mental health because screen devices impact the frontal lobe of our brains.
- Screen time and social media correlates with anxiety, depression, body image issues and self esteem concerns.
- Gaming can desensitize us to the real world. Gaming Disorder is a real clinical diagnosis.
- Tech connection does not actually fulfill our need for connection – social emotional resonance has to include 70% of time with eye contact to fulfill that need
Discussion Questions:
- Have your student reflect on their own personal daily screen time – cell phone, i-pad, laptop, desktop, video games, etc. (recommended use is 2 hours per day, average Middle School student uses 9 hours a day)
- Brainstorm activities your family unit can do together that does not involve screen time (ex. Go for a walk, play a game, do a puzzle, color, cook and share a meal together, etc.)
- Ask you student what they learned about privacy settings, reporting and blocking
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Band 7 & 8 Instrument Step-up Night
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In partnership with Eckroth Music, SLPMS hosted a "Instrument Step-Up Night" on Thursday 11/9, where students had an opportunity to try Eckroth "step-up" instruments, which are the intermediate-level instrument line that Eckroth Music offers. We had over 30 seventh & eighth grade students attend in which many of these families were able to upgrade to a quality of instrument that they can play on for as long as they decide to play their instruments. | |
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Click HERE if you are interested in learning more about Quiz Bowl.
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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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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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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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