Happy New Year!  

My hope and wish for all team members, families and students is a very healthy, safe and prosperous New Year. A year full of new learning activities and challenges for all students in an accepting and safe school community. All are welcome here at Susan Lindgren!  

Winter MAP Testing

Winter MAP Testing starts next week for all students in Grades 2-5. This test is taken on the computer in the areas of Reading and Math. 

MAP Reading and Math: January 17th - 20th

MAP Make-up Testing: January 23rd - 25th

Student results will be shared during February Family Conferences on Thursday, February 16 from 2:30 -6:30 PM and/or Friday, February 17 from 7:30 AM–3:30 PM. 

February Family Connections (Previously called Parent/Teacher Conferences)

Sign Ups will be sent out on Monday, January 30th in a special edition of the Susan Lindgren Communicator, as well as on our school website for your convenience. First Semester Progress Reports will be sent home with students in sealed envelopes in backpacks on Thursday, February 2nd.

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 427 learners! 

Your Proud Partner in Learning,

Clarence Pollock

Principal

Key Dates for Families

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

• Tuesday, January 17 - PTO Meeting- 6:00 to 8:00 PM located in the Media Center

• January 17th - 20th - Winter MAP Testing Grades 2-5 (Reading and Math)



• 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



• Thursday, February 2nd - First Semester Progress Reports send home is student backpacks

• 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

Fundraisers:

Gotsneakers?: We would truly appreciate a donation of any sneakers (tennis shoes) that you are going to be getting rid of this year. Please bring them to the front office of Susan Lindgren or send with your student to drop off. Please see the attached document to learn more about Gotsneakers. 

Chipotle: Mark your calendar: March 7th 4-8 PM any purchase from Excelsior Blvd. (by Park Nicollet) Chipotle will give Susan Lindgren Spotlight kids 30% of the sales. You will need to bring the upcoming flyer either electronically or in hard copy. 

Donations: 

Snacks: We will be serving approximately 100 students snacks twice a week for 17 weeks. Any donations of snacks would be greatly appreciated. Please send snack donations to the front office. Here is a Sign Up Link for Snack donations.

Carpentry Supplies: If you have a connection or extra construction materials at your residence please let us know. We will be constructing sets and will need all of the supplies to make that happen. Email: Meg Schauer: schauer.meg@slpschools.org 

Fabric: If you have a connection or extra fabric at your residence please let us know. We will be constructing costumes and will need all of the supplies to make that happen. Please email so we can give you more specifics of what we are looking for. 

Email: Meg Schauer: schauer.meg@slpschools.org 

UPDATE for Susan Lindgren Spotlight Kids: 

The first dates of rehearsal will be 1/10/23 and 1/12/23.

We are excited for this opportunity and greatly appreciate any and all support! If you have any questions or concerns please reach out.

Sincerely,

Ms. Schauer schauer.meg@slpschools.org (Director)

Mr. Thomas thomas.joseph@slpschools.org (Musical Director)

Ms. Bertram bertram.emilie@slpschools.org (Choreographer) 

Ms. Nelson nelson.robin@slpschools.org (Producer) 

Important PTO News and Updates

PTO Meeting - Tuesday, January 17, 6:15 - 8:00 p.m.

All families are invited to attend the next PTO meeting on Tuesday, January 17. Starting at 6 p.m., there will be an informal time for parents to connect, then the meeting will be held from 6:15 -8:00 p.m. (this is a new end time).  This meeting will again be a hybrid meeting held in the Susan Lindgren Media Center as well as virtually over Zoom.  The agenda will include:

• Lead Teacher updates, plus school & district updates from Principal Pollock & Collin Cox, school board member
• PTO budget and updates on upcoming school events & activities
• Kelleen O'Brion with SLP  Community Ed Youth Enrichment will share summer programming & offerings   
• Plus special guests from The HOPE Speaks Project.  Created by two SLP educators, HOPE Speaks offers workshops for adults and children around building an anti-racist community. 
• All in-person attendees will be entered in a drawing, plus free childcare and pizza for children!  

Festival of Nations - Thursday, January 26, 6-8 p.m.

Thank you to families who registered to share their cultures at the Festival of Nations!  It’s sure to be a fun night of sampling foods, enjoying activities, and learning about the cultures represented at Susan Lindgren! For any families that didn’t get a chance to register before break, the registration deadline has been extended to Monday, January 9, either online, or on the second page of the Flyer in English, Flyer in Somali, or Flyer in Spanish.  

For families who registered to participate at the event:

• Volunteers will contact registered families in the next week to share more details about their participation. A small stipend for supplies is available by request.  Details will be included in an email to registered families. 

ALL Susan Lindgren Families will enjoy: 

• Activities including Henna tattoos, Face painting, Origami, and BINGO 
• Dance performances from Mí Peru and other local artists and families
• Tasting cultural foods shared by Susan Lindgren families and local restaurants
• Visiting Susan Lindgren families’ tables with poster boards, food tastings, and more! 

If you have questions, please reach out to Meghan and Heather at susanlindgrenpto@gmail.com. 

Volunteer for Festival of Nations 1/26

All the great activities at Festival of Nations won’t be possible without volunteers!!  Please consider signing up for a shift- before, during, or after the event.  We also know families want to attend the event with their students, so please consider asking older siblings, SL alumni, and grandparents to volunteer!  Share this Sign Up link and give SL supporters a fun opportunity to give back! 

Volunteer Request: Lead School Supply Kits 

The PTO is looking for a volunteer to lead School Supply Kits for next year. This position will involve researching and selecting an organization by mid-winter and overseeing the process. This position is flexible with initial month commitment of 2-4 hours/week, then an occasional 1-2 hours/week as needed.  Please contact susanlindgrenpto@gmail.com with interest. 

Mark Your Calendar: PTO-Sponsored Events

Thurs., Jan. 26 - Festival of Nations, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Susan Lindgren 

Thurs., Feb. 16 - Fri., Feb 17 - Staff Appreciation meals

Thurs., Feb. 16 - Fri, Feb. 17 - Book Fair  

Thurs., Mar. 9 - Math Night, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Susan Lindgren Gym

Winter Youth Enrichment Clubs and Classes

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

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

Family Class Opportunity from Youth Enrichment Programs and The HOPE Speaks Project

We See Color! Grades K-2 w/ caregivers

This six-week course is designed for children in grades K-2 with their caregivers. Rather than instill false notions of "colorblindness" that ignore parts of our identity, this course will teach kids and caregivers how to engage in meaningful conversations that celebrate and honor our unique differences. Raise the racial consciousness of your child rearing and have fun in the process! 

Cost per family: $99 (includes dinner at each class for all attending members

Day/Time: Tuesdays, January 24-February 28, 5:30-7:00 pm 

Location: Susan Lindgren Media Center 

Click here to register now: We See Color!

Raising Racially Conscious Kids (Grades 3-5 w/ caregivers) 

This six-week course is designed for children in grades 3-5 and their caregivers. Students and caregivers will be given tools to engage in uncomfortable conversations, develop key terminology and concepts to understand racism and promote healthy racial identities of all people centered in love and humanity. Caregivers will be able to begin to unpack how everyday child-rearing choices can be obstacles to equity. 

Cost per family: $99 (includes dinner at each class for all attending members

Day/Time: Tuesdays, January 24-February 28, 5:30-7:00 pm 

Location: Susan Lindgren Media Center 

Click here to register now: Raising Racially Conscious Kids

2023-24 Calendar Now Available

The School Board approved the 2023-2024 school calendar at the December 13, 2022 Board Meeting. Visit the calendar page on the website and click on the calendar for next school year (23-24).

Want to receive District emails and phone recordings in Spanish or Somali?

Families can now receive district-level communications (emails and phone recordings) in a preferred language such as Spanish or Somali. Some families currently receive messages in Spanish or Somali and may wish to receive information in English.

If you wish to update your language preferences, please contact your school and ask that the preferred guardian language be updated in our student information system (PowerSchool). This will ensure you receive district-level communications such as closures and emergencies in your preferred messages.

Whenever possible, we will do our best to ensure SLP phone recordings go out in your preferred language. 

Share the Mic Podcast with Suwaydah Aden, Erin Enright, and Ibtisam Ahmed whose climate action project inspired the Idle Free SLP Campaign

Seventh Graders 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 parking lots all across St. Louis Park. Listen to episodes 1-3 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Missed the December episode? Listen or Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6satuElql-c&t=6s 

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