February 5, 2025 | Stories and News from St. Louis Park Public Schools

February is I Love to Read Month, and Superintendent Dr. Carlondrea Hines celebrated by reading Homegrown by DeAnn Wiley!

You can celebrate this month by learning more about St. Louis Park Public Schools' Collaborative Literacy Curriculum (K-5)—a Science of Reading-aligned approach designed to build strong reading, writing, and language skills. This research-based curriculum recognizes that literacy is ever-evolving, requiring us to adapt strategies as needed to best support our students.

In addition, staff and families can access literacy resources to enhance instruction and support student learning at home!

St. Louis Park Public Schools is celebrating the incredible achievements of its multilingual students through the Minnesota Bilingual Seals and Global Biliteracy Seals program. Last year marked the first year of this program in our district, and 66 students earned seals showcasing their language proficiency: 19 achieved Working Fluency, signifying an advanced ability to handle complex interactions, while 47 earned Functional Fluency, demonstrating strong skills for everyday communication.

2024 Bilingual Seals and Global Biliteracy Seals

Black History Month

We are proud to honor Black History Month at St. Louis Park Public Schools!

We’ve already kicked off the month by celebrating National Freedom Day and World Hijab Day on Feb. 1 with Mayor Nadia Mohamed. On Feb. 10, we will honor National African American Parent Involvement Day with events at school sites.

See below for more information on upcoming events.

National School Counseling Week

From Feb. 3-7, 2025, we recognize the invaluable role school counselors play in student success. This year’s theme, School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive, highlights their work in guiding students academically, socially, and in career planning.

Take a moment to thank a school counselor this week! 

Career and Technical Education Month

What is CTE? Career and technical education, or CTE, prepares students for high-wage, high-skill and high-demand careers.

Learn more about St. Louis Park High School's CTE program by visiting their Career and College Center.

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.

Throughout the month of February, various events and celebrations will take place across the district for both students and families at schools, including National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) on February 10, 2025.

As part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, please update your child’s emergency contact information. Having accurate and current contact details allows us to reach you or a trusted adult quickly in case of an emergency.

Why This Matters:

Up-to-date emergency contacts help us support students effectively, especially in urgent situations. We understand that families’ circumstances can change, and we want to ensure we have the correct information at all times.

What You Can Do:

• Review your child’s emergency contact information 
• Complete this form to update any phone numbers, addresses, or emergency contacts that may have changed
• Add at least one trusted adult who can be reached if you are unavailable

Please know that all information you provide is kept confidential and used solely for emergency purposes, and you are welcome to reach out if you have any questions!

You are invited to attend the St. Louis Park School Board Listening Session virtually on February 10 from 5-7 p.m. During this session, members of the School Board will be engaging in discussion about the district technology and cell phone policy.

Access the meeting by visiting the School Board webpage.

Up to three school board members will attend to listen to stakeholders. It is not an official meeting and no official action will be taken. Please be aware that the school board members will end the listening session 30 minutes after the posted start time if there are no stakeholders in attendance.

We are continuing to invite families and community members to share their feedback by taking the strategic plan survey. Their input is a crucial part of the process because we want to ensure that every family's voice is heard and valued.

You're invited to join our upcoming online office hours!

Can't make the in-person session? Attend virtual office hours (link on our website) and ask questions about the strategic plan on:

• Wednesday, February, 12: 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
• Thursday, February, 20: 4 – 5 p.m.
• Monday, February 24: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions about the new strategic plan and learn more from Pink Consulting, our strategic plan partner. Additional office hour times in February, March, and April.

Don’t miss your chance to engage and stay informed about this important work!

On January 7, 2025, St. Louis Park Public Schools was informed by PowerSchool, the district's staff and student information system, of a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information within the PowerSchool system.

Staff and student logins to PowerSchool were not compromised, and we have been reassured that the incident has been contained. PowerSchool has stated that there is no evidence of malware or ongoing unauthorized activity. Furthermore, they believe the compromised data has been deleted and will not be made public or further disseminated.

PowerSchool has initiated the process of notifying involved individuals in the about the resources now available to them, including credit monitoring and identity protection services. 

For more information visit our website.

• Park and Learn Video Series:
• Preparing Early Learners for a Lifelong Journey with Educator Travis Newell
• Crafting Personal Identity and Purpose Through Keystone Design
• Byte by Byte, Building Brilliant K-2 Minds
• Mehgan Setten Ignites a Love for Science
• Progress Reports Revamped: A Comprehensive View of Student Development
• Get to know Superintendent Dr. Carlondrea Hines
• St. Louis Park Public Schools: Been, Being, Becoming