Jan. 31, 2022 | Stories from St. Louis Park Public Schools

The SLP Communicator, published monthly, centers the stories and voices of students, staff, and our community. District-level news and information will be shared in school newsletters.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. In St. Louis Park Public Schools, we are committed to celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans in this country. Each year, I appreciate the attention on Black history during the month of February and I know that we must strive to create educational environments where the history of Black Americans is taught in a culturally relevant manner throughout the entire school year, not just in the month of February.  

I am thankful to work in a district where we are in pursuit of making Black history and the history of all of our students a part of the learning experience throughout the entire school year. 

Additionally, each February, the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) has sponsored Minnesota School Board Recognition Week (Feb. 17-21) to recognize school board members for their commitment to Minnesota’s public school students. This year, MSBA will devote the full month of February to School Board Recognition. I am thankful for our School Board as they are often asked to make difficult decisions on behalf of students, families and staff. They spend many hours studying education issues and regulations in order to provide leadership and governance that supports the healthy development of every learner in the district. 

Please take a moment to reach out to our School Board at [email protected] and send them a note of appreciation for their commitment and service to St. Louis Park Public Schools.

Thank you for your continued efforts to see, inspire, and empower 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.

In community,

Astein K. Osei, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Share the Mic Podcast with Erika Scott on Building a Sense of Belonging with Families of our Youngest Learners

Erika Scott leads Early Learning programs at St. Louis Park Public Schools. For many families, early learning programs are the first touch point and introduction to St. Louis Park Public Schools. One of Erika's biggest priorities is building a sense of belonging, trust, and relationships with families.

Honors-Level Literacy: Unlocking Student Potential in Every Classroom

Over the past two years, St. Louis Park Public School literacy specialists have been building the capacity of teachers in two areas: the science of reading and culturally relevant literacy. Professional development in these areas has led to a monumental shift in literacy instruction - all teachers across all disciplines are to be strong teachers of reading and writing. 

Under the new approach, all students get research-based, rigorous reading and writing instruction focused on enrichment and inquiry, regardless of the classroom they are assigned. In past practice, only a handful of teachers were responsible for literacy instruction and practices included some that were remedial and segregated, contributing to unsatisfactory outcomes for students. Although pull-out remediation may seem like an easier way to get the results we want, literacy outcomes are complex. A student’s literacy identity is connected to expectations that we have for them as a reader and writer, as well as their success in literacy and the ways they see themselves in the curriculum.

We invite you to learn more about the approach to literacy in St. Louis Park Public Schools. View our new webpage for information about:



• The Science of Reading and Culturally Relevant Literacy
• The 5 Pursuits
• Elementary Literacy and Enrichment
• Secondary Literacy and the Redesign of the Middle School Experience
• Early Indicators of Progress
• FAQs (submit a question)

One of St. Louis Park Public Schools' literacy principles is making sure all students have access to high interest books that they are able to read. Special attention is given to culturally relevant practices and those that maximize gifts and talents of all of our students. The approach provides more student choice of materials and how students show their knowledge, a staple of enrichment programming.

So, what are some of our students’ all time favorite books?

Maeve, 2nd grader at Park Spanish Immersion, says her favorite book of all time is Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams. It’s a series about Greek mythology and gods. What does Maeve like most about reading and writing?

“I kinda like that you get to make up your own stories and kinda the stories bring you into your own world," she said. "Some books are really difficult and you don't get 'em all right, but sometimes it can kind of help you read better.”

Krychell Smith is an 8th grader at St. Louis Park Middle School. “When I was really small I felt like reading was a burden and that reading was taking time away from fun things, like playing with my friends. Now, reading and writing are more of a learning process for me and are interesting compared to what it was before. Reading is really fun for me and helps me learn different things about the world,” she said. Krychell’s all time favorite book is an LGBT realistic fiction book, They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera. 

Krychell’s middle school Language and Literature experience helped her realize her love for writing, which is why she enrolled in Creative Writing this year. “I feel like when you're reading or writing you can find yourself in the situation and really feel something that's different...it can change your mind, like if you are not in happy place, you can find yourself in such a happy situation that makes you genuinely happy.”

Susannah Israel is in 9th grade at St. Louis Park High School whose reading and writing experience at the High School has helped change her perspective on the world.

Susannah’s favorite book of all time is A series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. “I'm actually considering writing my final essay about how this series shaped my life,” she shared.

“I've been challenged to write in different ways and sometimes different writing methods,” Susannah expressed about their experience. “I have a set way that I like to write, but sometimes I'm told I need to write more poems or include more similes, metaphors, or personification. Even though I'm not used to writing that way, I'm being asked to broaden my horizons. Sometimes we write in a group and that can be challenging because I like my writing to be my own, so initially I am reluctant to consider other ideas, but upon further analysis I really appreciate different writing structures.”

SLP Staff Spotlight: Jodi Miller

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher, Ages 3-5

Getting Ready for the Next Step:

College and Career Readiness

Two teachers committed to receive additional licensure in CTE to prove industry credentials and knowledge. As a result, St. Louis Park High School has been able to provide hands-on opportunities for students to get active in a certified nursing assistant program, health science, engineering and more.

Two high interest projects currently on the docket include the solar projects and the High School kitchen renovation, which will help improve the dining experience for students.

Solar Projects

Over the past five years, St. Louis Park Public Schools has worked on the installation of solar panels across district buildings. Once complete, 30% of the district’s energy will be generated from solar panels, resulting in millions in cost savings over time. For example, if the district spends $6 million on electricity today, it would be $2 million less once solar panels are installed. It is one of the best investments to reduce energy and save money.  

The solar projects put St. Louis Park Public Schools well on its way to supporting two of the City of St. Louis Park’s renewable energy goals:

• Achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030
• Reduce energy consumption in large commercial buildings 30% by 2030

Did you know that St. Louis Park High School students were behind the City’s carbon neutrality efforts? In 2016, students involved in the SLP High School Roots and Shoots Club and iMatter presented a Youth Climate Report Card and asked the St. Louis Park City Council to adopt a Climate Inheritance Resolution demonstrating the city's commitment to protect the future and the lives of generations to come. That Climate Inheritance Resolution passed and led to the City’s Climate Action Plan.

By summer of 2024, nearly all St. Louis Park Public School buildings will have solar panels. While some panels have already been installed, most of the installation will begin this summer. Two district buildings, Aquila Elementary School and Lenox, do not have proper roof structure to apply solar panels. The life of a solar plan spans about 25 years.

High School Dining Redesign

St. Louis Park Public Schools is redesigning the dining experience at the High School. We want families to ask their students, “So, how was lunch at school today?” and for students to respond excitedly about healthy meal options, colorful plates, and meaningful conversation with their friends.

Our redesign process will include updates to the physical space in the cafeteria, a renovated kitchen with updated equipment, and changes that will improve the overall dining experience, like healthier meal options, expanded seating, community-building and time with peers, and more.

Nutrition Survey Results

This fall, we surveyed students and caregivers about the district’s School Nutrition program. The following are the highlights from the survey results:

• The school nutrition staff in the kitchens and cafeterias get very positive ratings from both students and parents/guardians.
• Most students very much see their lunch period as a time to connect with their friends. 
• The results from the question about “find meals I like to eat” is about 60 positive and 40 negative, which indicated opportunities to change how meal options are described and presented.
• Close to 50 percent of parents/guardians disagree or strongly disagree about the availability of healthy options for students in the cafeterias. This also presents an opportunity to share messages about healthy meal options and what is both required and offered as part of meal service.

Additionally, over the next several weeks, we hope to work with student interns to hold focus groups with their peers to understand what changes they’d like to see in the high school dining experience. Their findings will be shared with District Nutrition staff and the Construction Steering Committee with the goal of centering student experience in the redesign process.  

New Dining Experience

What can students expect in the new dining experience once it’s complete in 2024?

• The renovated kitchen will enhance our capacity to have healthy and delicious cooking on-site. We’ll have the ability to prepare meats and vegetables in a variety of ways using braising pans to cook, grill, and fry foods, and the Rational oven to roast and steam foods. A fresh salad bar or veggie bar will be offered at every meal.
• Continued seasonally fresh produce like potatoes, zucchini, squash and carrots from our Farm to School partners. Did you know we get our Delica squash from the Yang family farm in New Prague, Minnesota?
• Taste testing new meal options and opportunities for students to share their feedback on their favorite meals. We definitely want to know what’s most popular with students. Some of our cooks come up with their own menu items, and we also share recipe ideas with other school districts.
• Dedicated cooks who receive training from professional chefs at Good Acre, one of SLP’s Farm to School partners, and other partner chefs. There will also be professional training with the kitchen equipment manufacturers on how to optimize our kitchen and make delicious foods.
• Expanded seating capacity, new furniture, and visually a better dining experience 
• Fewer lunch sections to make the whole day run more smoothly.

Our Nutrition Services team will be testing out new menu items this school year, so we encourage families to check out our recipes and meals items through our online meal menus.

Cold Bento Box Meals During Construction

We want to make high school families aware that the kitchen redesign is a major construction project that will disrupt the regular lunch schedule at the high school for about 18 months, beginning in March, 2023. During this time, students will eat meals in the activity center and we will only be able to offer cold bento box options for breakfast and lunch. 

Examples of cold bento box meals include sandwiches, wraps, and salads that come with fresh whole fruit and veggies. The bento box meals will be satisfying portions that will be prepared and assembled at the kitchen at the Central building, the satellite kitchen for the High School during the renovation.

Other construction projects at the high school include classroom renovations, greater parking capacity, and improvements to music, physical education, and community-use spaces. Visit our Construction web page for regular updates on our facilities projects.

6425 W 33rd St | St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Phone: 952-928-6000 | Fax: 952-928-6020