January 12, 2022 | Volume 2 • Issue 20
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School Board Swears In Recently Elected Members; Announces Leadership Positions and Liaison Assignments |
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The St. Louis Park Public Schools School Board swore in three recently elected members at its Tuesday, January 11 Study Session, including Anne Casey, Mary Tomback and Abdihakim Ibrahim (pictured left to right). Casey and Tomback were re-elected to their spots on the Board in November, while Ibrahim was elected for the first time.
As is customary at the first meeting of the new calendar year, the Board reorganized its leadership positions and school liaison assignments. Through a nomination and voting process, the Board named Casey as Chair, Heather Wilsey as Vice Chair, C. Colin Cox as Clerk and Ken Morrison as Treasurer. New school liaison assignments are listed below:
Aquila Elementary School | Abdihakim Ibrahim
Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School | Heather Wilsey
Peter Hobart Elementary School | Ken Morrison
Susan Lindgren Elementary School | C. Colin Cox
St. Louis Park Middle School | Mary Tomback
St. Louis Park High School | Mary Tomback
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Information Regarding School Board Vacancy |
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On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, then-School Board Chair Mary Tomback accepted the resignation of Board Member Laura McClendon, a member of the Board since January 2020.
State statute requires the Board to fill the vacancy, but the process by which it does so is within its sole discretion. The Board has chosen a process that will allow for any interested and eligible person to apply for the open seat. Board Chair Anne Casey hopes that many people will research the role and consider applying, stating, “We encourage all members of the St. Louis Park community to consider applying to serve on the school board. Please don't hesitate to reach out to board members if you have questions or would like to know more about the role and responsibilities of the board."
Click here to access a PDF that contains the full appointment process.
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School Board Approves 2022-23 School Calendar; Reviews Preliminary 2023-24 Version |
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The School Board approved the 2022-23 School Calendar and reviewed a preliminary version for 2023-24 at its Tuesday, January 11 Study Session.
Click here to view and download the 2022-23 At a Glance Calendar. Also be aware that all calendar information for the District can be found online.
Please see below for important dates related to the 2023-24 School Calendar. Please be aware that these dates have not received final School Board approval and are subject to change.
2023-24 Preliminary Key Dates
September 5, 2023 | First day of school grades 1-12
September 6, 2023 | First day of Kindergarten
December 21, 2023 - January 1, 2024 | Winter Break
April 1-5, 2024 | Spring Break
June 4 or 5, 2024 (TBD) | High School Graduation
June 6, 2024 | Last day of school for grades K-11
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COVID Tests Available for Students and Staff |
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Additional rapid-result COVID antigen tests have been ordered and are now available at sites. Tests can be requested at the front office of a student’s school or staff’s primary work location. The newest test that has become available is the BD Veritor nasal swab test. One test kit (containing two tests) may be requested at a time. BD Veritor tests are app enabled and require a smartphone and internet connection. An alternative test option will be supplied to families that do not have access to a smartphone and internet connection.
Students that are not enrolled in St. Louis Park Public schools such as siblings, relatives, children of staff, will need to request a test from their school/school district or leverage other testing resources. Relatives of staff will also need to leverage local testing resources. More information on community testing options are listed below. Please contact Flower Krutina, krutina.flower@slpschools.org, with questions.
What is the BD Veritor antigen rapid test?
The BD Veritor nasal swab at-home test is a rapid antigen test that can be used by anyone over the age of two. Each kit includes two tests per box. In order to take the test, you are required to download the Scanwell Health App on an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel smartphone. The app will guide you through the testing process and will take about 20 minutes to complete.
Additional Local Testing Options
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Upcoming Vaccine Events for Ages 5+ |
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In partnership with Hennepin County, St. Louis Park Public Schools will be hosting Pfizer vaccination events for people ages 5 and up. Boosters will be available to individuals ages 12+ whose second vaccine dose was administered five months prior. If you are receiving a second dose or booster dose, please bring proof of vaccination. Event details:
- Dates: Saturday, January 15, 2022 and Saturday, February 5, 2021
- Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Location: Aquila Elementary School
- The vaccine is free and no insurance is required
- Individuals receiving a vaccine will receive a $50 Visa gift card (while supplies last)
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Information Regarding January 4-7 Website Outage |
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At this time, the website outage we experienced last week has been resolved. You may visit www.slpschools.org again for the latest updates and information about our district moving forward. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as our website host, Finalsite, worked through the disruption. On Tuesday, January 4, the Finalsite team identified the presence of ransomware on certain systems. The company immediately took steps to secure its systems and to contain the activity, including proactively taking systems offline.
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District to Host Virtual Elementary Principals Panel for Incoming Kindergarten Families |
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St. Louis Park Public Schools will host an online elementary principals panel for incoming kindergarten families from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 18 on Zoom.
At this online event, families will be able to:
- Meet the principals from all four elementary schools
- Learn about IB-PYP and Spanish Immersion instruction
- Hear 20 questions about Kindergarten answered
- Share your questions in real time
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January 20 is Incoming 6th Grade Information Night |
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St. Louis Park Middle School will host a Virtual Incoming 6th Grade Information Night at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 20. Fifth grade families will receive a communication this week with more information including how to access this virtual event.
During this virtual event, students and families will be welcomed by school leaders, receive details about course registration, and participate in breakout rooms to learn more about St. Louis Park Middle School.
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High School Theatre Program to Present "These Shining Lives" January 14-16 |
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The St. Louis Park High School Theater Program will present These Shining Lives, January 14-16, in the High School's Carl A. Holmstrom Auditorium.
Set in the 1920s, Melanie Marnich’s These Shining Lives chronicles the strength and determination of women considered expendable in their day, exploring the true story of women poisoned by their work at the Radium Dial Company. In the face of tragedy, these women discover the depth of enduring friendship and the courage to fight for justice against the company that knowingly put their lives at risk.
Performances are January 14 and 15 at 7:00 p.m. and January 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are free with a SLPHS student ID, $5 for all other students and senior citizens, and $7 for adults. Click here to purchase advance tickets online. Tickets will also be available at the box office 30 minutes prior to the performance. Please note, masks are required inside the building.
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Middle School Theatre Program to Present "Back to the 80s" January 27-30 |
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The St. Louis Park Middle School Theatre Program will present "Back to the 80s: A Risky,Goonie, Breakfast Tale of Totally Tubular Time Travel" in four showings on January 27-30 at the Middle School Performing Arts Center.
Performances are January 27-29 at 7 p.m. and January 30 at 1 p.m. Audience members are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance due to limited seating. Click here to purchase tickets. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults.
Hold on to your hoverboards, we're taking a trip Back to the 80s! When modern teen Mary Fitzfry gets sent back in time by an eccentric professor, she finds herself in the middle of a totally tubular cavalcade of 80s pop culture.
Students with main cast roles will alternate performances. Blue cast will perform Thursday and Saturday, while Green cast will perform Friday and Sunday.
Main Blue Cast Members: Maddie Grecco-Rosen, Katie Healy, Allie Foster, Owen Hollinger and Jojo Williams Hyatt
Main Green Cast Members: Kateri Trebnick, Nina Casey-Fix, Naomi Butler, Shep Cox and Gwyneth DeVillers
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Stay Home When You Are Sick! |
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