SLP Schools Communicator

September 29, 2022 | Stories from St. Louis Park Public Schools

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

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Video Message from Superintendent Osei

Celebrating the Brilliance of Latinx Students: Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept 15-Oct 15

St. Louis Park Public Schools joins our students, families, and community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month September 15-October 15. We pay tribute to the generations of Latinx, Latina, Latino, and Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our country and society by celebrating their histories, cultures, and contributions.

We uplift the heritage, history, and brilliance of our Latinx students and community all year long, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month. But especially this month, SLP students and staff display flags that represent the richness and diversity of their families, showcase history, music, culture and food that identifies them, and celebrate literacy and learning featuring a diverse range of Latinx authors, artists, leaders and more.

St. Louis Park Pubic Schools is honored to celebrate and serve Latinx students. Watch the video of SLP staff and students celebrating Hispanic heritage.

SLP Staff Spotlight: Jake Schleppenbach

Jake’s why for working in SLP

My position in school nutrition gives me the chance to be more involved with, and give back to my community. I value the opportunity to be a positive influence in the lives of our students. My goal is to make sure every student feels valued for being their authentic selves. My best days are when I feel like a trusted adult that helped a student feel cared about. Life can be hard, so I hope to brighten their day even if it’s just for the short amount of time I see them in the lunch line.

The SLP core value Jake most resonates with:

The value I most identify with is the brilliance of ourselves and others. It’s because I believe that every student and school employee has unique gifts and talents. We get the opportunity every day to share with and learn from one another. When we truly care about and appreciate one another, we nurture a thriving school community.

Jake assists in the daily production of preparing, cooking and serving food for up to 700 students each day at St. Louis Park High School.

Middle School Students Inspire "Idle-free SLP" City Initiative

As you pick up and drop off your kids this year, you may notice some new “Idle-Free SLP” signs. That’s because the City of St. Louis Park, in collaboration with Park Nicollet, is launching a student-driven idling reduction campaign for cleaner air and healthier lungs. Idling, or running the engine while parked, can produce more tailpipe emissions per minute than driving and has been linked to asthma symptoms, heart and lung disease, cognitive issues, and premature death. Children are even more vulnerable to air pollution than adults because they breathe more air per pound of body weight and their respiratory systems are not yet fully developed. This makes idling near schools – one of the most common idling scenarios as parents wait to pick up their children – especially dangerous.

Learn more and get involved by checking out the city website or by attending our poster-making session on Thursday, October 13 at St. Louis Park Middle School from 4-5 p.m. Snacks, beverages, and poster-making materials will be provided.

Poster-making Registration

Seventh Graders (left to right) Suwaydah Aden, Erin Enright, and Ibtisam Ahmed coined the term "Idle-Free SLP" during their Climate Action presentation last spring during science class. Their slogan and presentation have since served as inspiration for a new initiative in St. Louis Park to reduce carbon emissions in our school parking lots.

Farm to School: Meet one of the Farmers from New Prague, Minnesota - they Grow our Delicata Squash!

This summer, Pheng Yang and his parents became some of the newest farmers to join St. Louis Park Public School's Farm to School partnership with Good Acre. The Yang's have been renting their fields in New Prague, Minnesota for 10 years and are known for fresh crops, good soils, sandy loam, and extraordinary management of weeds.

Fun Fact: Pheng's dad likes to focus on the cucumbers, and his mom focuses on the beans. Both of these crops are loved and it shows! Now that summer crops are done, SLP students will get an opportunity this fall to try the Delicata Squash grown on this farm!

October 10 is National Farm to School Day! Check out our new online menus to view ingredient and nutrition information, print menus to use at home, and identify your student’s allergies and dietary preferences: English | Spanish | Somali

Milly Scheimo Celebrated her 100th Birthday on the Dance Floor with SLP Dancing Buddies in the Senior Program

Milly Scheimo of Edina took a Ballroom Basics dance class with St. Louis Park Community Education Senior Program nearly a decade ago and has been dancing at the Lenox Community Center every Thursday since. In August, Milly celebrated her 100th birthday on the dance floor with all of her Ballroom Dancing buddies.

The St. Louis Park Senior Program is celebrating 50 years of service this year. The program started in April of 1972. Thursday Ballroom Dance is one of the many gems of the program and a beloved part of this community.

Sign Up for Board Briefs

We’re now publishing an e-newsletter with highlights from School Board meetings. View the September 27 Board Briefs or subscribe to future newsletters.

SLP Podcast: Share the Mic

I Am Because We Are

Coming this October Superintendent Osei will launch a new podcast, Share the Mic.

Interviews with students, staff, and community members
Conversations about what matters to the SLP community
Connections to the SLP Strategic Plan
New episodes every month

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

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

www.slpschools.org