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 9, 2023

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Principal's Message

Dear Middle School Families,

For the past few years, conferences at St. Louis Park Middle School have been student-led. Students create a portfolio of their work with an example of learning for each class. As an IB school, reflection is a key component of the framework. With each work sample that students have selected, they will be sharing their reflection of their learning with you and share why this is the example that they selected to share.

Research supports the process of student’s leading their own conferences. It is directly correlated to increased student ownership of their learning. If you have not experienced a student-led conference, here is what you can expect. Your student will lead and guide the discussion through their portfolio. The advisory teacher will be present to support the discussion (and prior to the conference, has worked with your student in their development of their portfolio and practicing of the conference.) As the caregiver, you are the guest of honor who the student will present their portfolio and reflection. Feel free to engage them in further conversation about their portfolio.

If you have yet to sign up for a conference time, links to each advisor’s sign-up genius can be found on this document. We look forward to seeing you here during one of those three days!

Thank you for your continued support of your student here at SLPMS!

In partnership,

Melissa Kalinowski

Upcoming Dates

Nov. 10th	Coffee with the Principal 9:00 am
Nov. 15th	Student-Led Conferences 5-8 pm
Nov. 16th	Student-Led Conferences 5-8 pm
Nov. 17th	Student-Led Conferences 9-12 pm and 1-4 pm
Nov. 17th	Asynchronous Learning Day
Nov. 22-24	No School
Dec.7, 8, and 9th	Middle School Fall Play
Dec.11	Winter Choir Concert - Grades 6, 7 & 8 and Select Choir
Dec. 14	Middle School and High School Orchestra Concert
Dec. 18	Band 6 Winter Concert
Dec. 19	Band 7, 8 & Jazz Band Winter Concert

Interdisciplinary Team Websites

Check these websites to see updates on what your student is learning in each course and important calendar events like tests and project due dates.

Middle School FAQ's

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!

Asynchronous Day Expectations

for Students Nov. 17th

Friday, November 17th is the second of four asynchronous learning days for the 2023-2024 school year. (Other days include Friday, March 15 and Friday, April 19.)

Asynchronous days are school days. Teachers will post 10-20 minutes of work for their class that students will complete online at home by 9:00am. Students will have until 3:00pm to complete their work for the day. Teachers will be taking attendance based on student completion of assigned tasks. Students will be marked absent if they do not complete the assigned work for that day.

Students should reach out directly to their teacher if they are encountering any issues or challenges completing the assigned work that day.

Greetings,

Our school evaluation this fall showed areas we glow in as well as growth areas. We'll be sharing further information with you regarding this in the future. Here's a sample of two "glow" areas for our school and a recent classroom example:

Feedback from our school evaluation: Examples of learning engagements and teaching strategies clearly demonstrate the focus on developing students as inquirers and thinkers.

Example: Grade 6 Science is launching their unit, Minnesota Rocks! Students are working on their skills of collaborating as teams as they inquire into natural and human landscapes.

Here's an image of the statement of inquiry that the class was considering during the launch of the unit.

Feedback from our school evaluation: The school demonstrates a strong emphasis and explicit focus on developing a culture that supports healthy relationships, shared responsibility and effective collaboration.

Example: Here's an image of one of the collaborative teams of 6th grade scientists as they engaged in a variety of learning experiences related to the statement of inquiry.

Pictured are 6th grade scientists: George, Eduardo, and Kaleab

Mia Waldera - IB Coordinator

MYP IB Coordinator

Cell 952-457-4195

Immunizations

Minnesota Statutes Section 121A.15 requires children enrolled in a Minnesota school to be immunized against certain diseases, or file a legal medical or conscientious exemption. This form is designed to provide the school with information required by the law.

A copy of the student's current immunization record must be on file, at school.

The St. Louis Park School District has joined the growing number of school districts throughout the state of Minnesota who strive for immunization compliance. This allows schools and local clinics working together to see that all students in our district are properly immunized to attend school.

SLPMS students who have not received all of their required immunizations by Wednesday, November 29th will not be able to attend school until:

An an updated immunization record showing that the student has received all required vaccinations is submitted to school OR
A legal exemption form confirming the student should not receive vaccinations due to a medical or non-medical reason. Non-medical exemptions are required to be notarized.

Students who return to school on November 29th without updated and proper documentation will be sent home until proper documentation is submitted.

After Day of the Dead Celebration

at the Middle School

The annual celebration, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), is a time when Mexican and Latino families gather to honor and remember deceased loved ones. It is believed that the souls of the dead return to visit the living families in homes, businesses and cemeteries. The Aztec honored their dead with fiestas and rituals during the harvest season. They viewed death as the beginning of the cycle of seasons and life.

Día de Muertos festivity takes place on November 1st and 2nd each year. This is a joyful festivity for Latino families and their community.

Students of our new course this year, Reading and Writing for native Spanish speakers, worked as a class to represent and share part of the culture of our Hispanic, Latino, Latinex families with the rest of our campus. We also received help from parents and teachers.

Essential question: How do our celebrations express our cultural values?

St. Louis Park Middle School Alter

Señor Benito Pimentel y señora María Flores (MS parents). “Decorating the Altar at the Middle School” They brought the papel picado and paper banners from Mexico!

Ms. Cheline’s Advisory class made this beautiful poster honoring the Day of the Dead.

Reading and Writing students class celebrating the Day of the Dead and Sra. Carmen Rudín joined the celebration.

Every winter, up to a billion monarch butterflies overwinter in fir forest deep in Central’s Mexico mountains. For thousands of years, the people living in Mexico’s mountains have believed these butterflies are the spirits of the dead.

After School Spectators for MS Sporting Events

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.

Click HERE if you are interested in learning more about Quiz Bowl.

Join the Enviromental Green Team!

Does your student care about our environment and want to make a difference through action? Then the Environmental Club is for them! Student-driven action, guest speakers, field trips and partnerships with community members are all goals of the club! Let's amplify the student voices in our community!

When: We will meet after school on Wednesdays during the school year from 4p-5:15p. (*Note that the first few weeks students will need their own transportation, but can get a bus pass if needed) If your student also plays a sport/theatre/music, they can always come for the first part of the meetings and leave for practice.

Cost: FREE

Where: We will meet in Room 205 - Mrs. Setten's Room

Please reach out to Ms. Swenson or Ms. Setten if you have any questions.

Email:

[email protected]

We hope to see you there!

Every Meal Weekend Food Program

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

Step Holiday Toy Registration

Cold Weather is Here

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.

American Sign Language Club

Ever wanted to learn more about American Sign Language? Join ASL Club to start learning something new with Ms. McQuiston!

When? Tuesdays beginning Nov. 14, 4-5 pm

Where? Room 147

Cost? Pick your price: $20/$30/$40/$50

Questions? Contact Kelleen at [email protected]

Yearbook News

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

Washington DC Trip for 7th Graders

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]

Site Council

District Communications

As we journey through this academic year, we'd like to remind everyone of the core principles that guide our endeavors at St. Louis Park Public Schools.

St. Louis Park Public Schools sees, inspires, and empowers each learner to live their brilliance in an environment that centers student voice and experience to create racially equitable learning that energizes and enhances the spirit of our community.

We believe in:

The brilliance of ourselves and others. Everyone has the capacity and responsibility to foster the growth and brilliance of others.
Authentic community engagement. Engaging and supporting our employees, families, and communities will enhance the healthy development of each learner.
High expectations. Instilling and upholding high expectations empowers students and staff to higher levels of achievement.
Collective responsibility. Embodying the collective and urgent responsibility of anti-racist practices enriches a work and learning environment and community.
Persistent effort. Through persistent effort we will create anti-racist schools and academically successful learners.
Racial consciousness and cultural competence. Racial consciousness and cultural competence are essential to each person’s ability to be a catalyst for change.
Advocacy for equity. Everyone has equal intrinsic worth and we will advocate for the historically marginalized.

November is Native American Heritage Month

St. Louis Park Public Schools exist on the land of the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples. We acknowledge the Dakota and Ojibwe community, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. We acknowledge that our school district was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous Peoples, including those on whose land our school district is located. We commit to dismantling the ongoing legacies of colonial power and the district’s desire to support the ongoing work of local Indigenous communities to thrive in our schools. Especially this month, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month and honor the Indigenous students and families we serve in St. Louis Park Public Schools.

St. Louis Park Celebrates National Community Education Day on November 9, 2023!

We’re celebrating with a special gift; 20 percent off registration for Youth and Adult class/activity - good for 11/9 only.

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

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.

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.

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.

Eat Donuts and Learn More About Park Public Schools & Community Foundation

On Thursday, Nov.16, 2023, between 7 - 9:30 a.m., at Angel Food Bakery, learn more about the Park Public Schools & Community Foundation (PPS&CF) and the amazing work being done in our community and schools with grants made possible by the Foundation and our generous donors.

Every year, the PPS&CF raises funds and makes grants to teachers in our district in grades pre k-12 for projects that inspire and enhance our students’ education. In the 2022-23 school year alone, the Foundation was able to make grants totaling over $55,000! Examples include paying for new play equipment for preschoolers; a potter’s wheel and slab at the Middle School; exciting field trips to bring classroom learning to life; a mobile makerspace; a kindness rocks garden project; innovative instruments combining engineering and music; and cutting edge technology bridging the physical education and science curriculums at the High School.

Learn more