After today, we have 9 more days of wonderful learning in 2022! Let's make them the best days filled with collaboration, teamwork, dedication, kindness and fun!

We have some of the best scholars at Susan Lindgren and we are honored to work with them each and every day!

Mr. Pollock and School Team

Key Dates for Families

• Thursday, December 22 - January 2 ~ No School/Winter Break

• Tuesday, January 3 - School resumes

• Monday, January 16 - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

• Tuesday, January 17 - PTO Meeting- 6:15 to 7:45 PM located in the Media Center



• Thursday, January 26- Festival of Nations- 6:00-8:00 PM at Susan Lindgren

• Friday, January 27 - No School - End of Semester Grading/Work Day

• Friday, February 3 - No School- Districtwide Professional Development Day



• Thursday, February 16th - Family Connections (Conferences) 2:30-6:30 PM

• Friday, February 17 - No School- Family Connections (Conferences) 7:30AM - 3:30 PM

• Thursday, February 16 and Friday February 17- Book Fair in the SL Media Center during Family Connections

• Monday, February 20 - No School - Presidents' Day Holiday

Please remember students go outside for recess every day! Make sure they have outdoor clothing. Label all clothing.

Students will always go outside unless the regular temperature is below 0 degrees or the windchill temperature is -10 degrees or below. We will watch the temperature to keep our students safe.

We are always in need of gently used or new winter gear, especially waterproof mittens/gloves.

If you are in need of winter gear, please contact our Social Worker Michelle Bryant at bryant.michelle@slpschools.org

Important PTO News and Updates

Spirit Wear is IN! 

Spirit Wear purchased in the fall will be sent home with students in their backpacks THIS week, December 8-9th.  Contact Katie Selby, Spirit Wear Coordinator, at kmboyce@yahoo.com with any questions.  

Festival of Nations 

A Festival of Nations flyer was sent home with your student last week. Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 26, 6-8pm at Susan Lindgren Elementary!

• This fun, new event is FREE for all Susan Lindgren families to attend! 
• Families that are interested in sharing their culture at the event should fill out a registration form and submit it (either online or to their teacher) by Tues, December 20.   
• The Registration Form can be found online, or on the second page of the Flyer in English, Flyer in Somali, or Flyer in Spanish.

Adults Night Out 

Thanks to the parents who made it to our first Adults Night Out event on December 6th! We had a great time and the kids especially loved the free bowling, thanks to Park Tavern’s generosity!   

Online Student Directory  

It’s not too late!  Make sure to verify your information in the Student Directory and select your sharing preferences (i.e. how much information you want to share).  Then download the App for easy access! Visit the PTO website for quick instructions.  Contact Tanya Keller at tkerbel@gmail.com with any directory-related questions.  

Next PTO Meeting

Save the Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2023, 6:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. will be the next PTO meeting.  All families are welcome to attend and we hope to see you there! 

Winter Youth Enrichment Clubs and Classes

Engineering for Kids Jr Engineering/STEM Club (click to register)

The Engineering For Kids Jr Engineering/STEM Club brings fun, hands-on lessons every week to introduce engineering concepts at a young age.

Wednesdays, January 11-February 15

2:15-3:15 pm

$149

Chibi Art Drawing Class (click to register)

The students will learn how to draw kawaii (cute), Japanese-inspired chibi characters! 

Fridays, Jan. 6-February 10 

2:15-3:45 pm 

$99

LEGO Club (click to register)

Join us to spend the afternoon immersed in your own LEGO land.

Tuesdays, January 17-March 21

2:15-3:30 pm 

Sliding Scale Pricing: $29/$39/$49/$59

Cooking Club (no bake edition) (click to register)

Learn how to make new no-bake recipes each week while learning the basics of cooking, ingredients, and baking. 

Mondays, January 23-March 20

2:15-3:30 pm 

Sliding Scale Pricing: $49/$59/$69/$79

To view the Ultimate YEP Winter Guide with ALL the winter offerings, click here.

Questions? Contact Kelleen at obrion.kelleen@slpschools.org or 952-928-6399

In December, STEP provides new toys and Target gift cards to St. Louis Park Children. 

Registration for this program is November 21-December 12. Click here to register.

Why do so many SLP students opt out of testing?



St. Louis Park Public Schools has a significantly higher opt-out rate than our neighboring school districts. We want to help staff, families, and students understand how these tests can benefit students and schools and how opting out can actually have unintended negative impacts.

The state uses proficiency data to help identify which schools need additional support and recognize those making fantastic progress. But when students opt out of testing, they are marked as “not proficient” by the state, significantly lowering apparent proficiency levels. It impacts everything from students’ college-ready scores and understanding of academic progress to school enrollment and perception. 

It’s not that SLP students aren’t proficient, it’s that many are not testing. Movements across the country have encouraged families to opt out without understanding the impact it has on students and schools. Some movements, for example, are based on the premise that standardized tests are racially biased against Students of Color.

 Read more.

We recognize Inclusive Schools Week Dec. 5–11

During Inclusive Schools Week, it is important to commemorate the progress that schools have made in providing a quality education to an increasingly diverse student population including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economics status, cultural heritage language preference and other factors. Inclusive Schools Week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else could be done to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children. 

This year, the Inclusive Schools Week’s theme is “Unity within Community—Inclusion Around the World.” United we are stronger to focus on our common need—inclusive practices in our schools and in our communities.

Let us stand together to address the challenges of this time as we continue to address the needs of our children for schools where all children belong, thrive, and are supported by their teachers, peers, family members and neighbors. Let’s learn more about the work of other organizations and groups in our community and share ideas, resources and support. Let’s teach our children by our actions how to treat others, how to communicate and build relationships, and how to work in harmony to address our common needs. None of us are alone in our efforts to support inclusive practices. Working together we stand stronger as we move closer to that vision of an inclusive world in 2022!



View Governor Walz’s Inclusive Schools Week proclamation on the Minnesota Department of Education website.

High Rates of Illness at School



Masks are Highly Encouraged. Stay Home When Sick and Slow the Spread of Illness

We are seeing unusually high rates of illness in multiple SLP schools, in particular, influenza (flu) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). These viruses can be easily spread through close contact when people cough, sneeze, and talk. 

Please help partner with us in an effort to prevent the spread of illness by following our illness guidelines:

Situations when your child should stay home:

• Fever of 100 degrees or more. The student should stay home for 24 hours after their temperature returns to normal without the use of fever reducing medication.
• Vomiting or diarrhea. The student is to stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
• Any uncontrolled cough.
• Rashes with unknown causes. Check with your family physician/clinic before your student returns to school.
• If feeling ill/unwell and the student is unable to fully participate in school activities.

If your child displays symptoms of influenza or RSV, you can reach out to your child’s health care provider to see if testing for these illnesses is recommended. For information about influenza and RSV please refer to the Parent Fact Sheets from Hennepin County Public Health:

• Influenza information can be found HERE
• RSV Information can be found HERE

Thank you for helping to prevent the spread of illness.

COVID-19 Dashboard

St. Louis Park Public Schools continues to report weekly positive COVID-19 cases on our website. While we won’t publish them every week in our school newsletter, you can view the dashboard at any time. Visit the COVID Updates and Information webpage for more information. The dashboard is updated each week on Wednesdays by the end of the day.

Reminder: COVID-19 Guidance

St. Louis Park Public Schools will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) regarding COVID-19 during the 2022-23 school year. View the MDH Guidelines/Flowsheet and the CDC Isolation guidelines 



• Masks: Students and staff will be required to wear a face covering if 5% or more of the students and/or staff who attend or work at their school site test positive for COVID-19. Students and staff can choose to wear a mask at any time.

• What If I Test Positive? Stay home for at least five days, isolate yourself from others and wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home. Isolation may end after five days, and students and staff may return to school on day six if your illness symptoms have improved, you are fever-free without fever reducing medicine for 24 hours, and are able to wear a well fitted mask on days 6-10. If a person was asymptomatic and then developed symptoms after testing positive, the 5-day isolation period starts over, with the start of symptoms being day zero.
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• Guidance if Exposed: Students and staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 do not need to quarantine.
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• COVID-19 Dashboard: We publish COVID-19 infection rate data on a weekly basis – with the exception of Winter Break and Spring Break. The information will be published weekly on our website.

Visit the COVID-19 Information webpage for more information.

Get Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests at School

Free at-home COVID-19 tests are available to SLP students. If you need one, an adult or student may pick it up in the health office. 

St. Louis Park Public Schools will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) regarding COVID-19 during the 2022-23 school year. View the MDH Guidelines/Flowsheet and the CDC Isolation guidelines 

Students and staff will be required to wear a face covering if 5% or more of the students and/or staff who attend or work at their school site test positive for COVID-19. Students and staff can choose to wear a mask at any time. 

View the COVID-19 webpage for more information on COVID-19 guidance.

We could not do the wonderful things we do at our school without all of you and your never-ending support. We are a village and family for all of our 425 learners! 



Your Proud Partner in Learning,

Clarence Pollock

Principal

Clarence Pollock, Principal

Arsenio Richardson, Elementary Support Supervisor

4801 West 41st Street

St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Phone: 952-928-6700

Fax: 952-928-6713

pollock.clarence@slpschools.org

https://sl.slpschools.org