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Wolf Pack Press - January 21, 2026

  • 3 days ago
  • 4 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Welcome the coldest week of the year. Time to open a good book! (See Read-a-Thon info below, hint hint.)




Upcoming Events



  • Thursday, January 29 - School Spirit Day: Grade Level Colors!


  • Friday, January 30 - NO SCHOOL (professional development day)


  • Tuesday, February 2 - Read-a-Thon begins, hurrah!


  • Tuesday, February 10 - Advisory Council (5:30-6:30) & SAPSA Meeting (6:30-7:30) in library

  • Wednesday, February 11 - Spirit Night at Zero Gravity! Jump & play, 5-8 pm


  • Thursday, February 12 - End of Read-a-Thon


  • Friday, February 13 - Family Friday  (enjoy coffee and bring a pastry to share in cafeteria after drop-off)


  • Monday, February 16 - NO SCHOOL (President’s Day)



Effects of ICE Surge at SAP Elementary


As most of you know, the presence of many thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in St. Paul have impacted our schools. ICE officers have arrested both citizens and non-citizens who happen to be out in public and cross their paths, without a warrant and without probable cause, on suspicion that they are in the country illegally because they happen to fit a racial profile. This makes taking a bus, shopping for groceries, or dropping your kids off at school a risky endeavor for many.


St. Paul Schools now offer temporary online learning, allowing students to attend school from home.


For children still going to school in person, know that we are actively working to keep families safe while dropping off or picking up their children. Neighborhood and parent groups have posted observers the corners of roads leading to St. Anthony Park Elementary. Food and other necessities are also being provided to families who do not feel safe leaving their homes. To learn more about volunteering for these groups, fill out the form here or contact a parent or neighbor who is already involved.


If you are worried or need material support, please reach out to your student's teacher or trusted adult at the school. You can find an ICE Safety Resource sheet here, and it is also pasted below.



Read-a-Thon Is Almost Here!



Read-a-Thon will be held February 2-12 this year. This is a beloved winter event at SAP, now in its 19th year. It is usually SAPSA’s biggest fundraiser, bringing in $17-22K.


The theme for 2026 is "The Reading Olympics"! Look for info packets coming home with your students soon. In essence, Read-a-Thon allows students to raise money and win raffle tickets by recording their reading minutes. The more they read, the more $ they earn for SAP Elementary and the greater the chance they win a prize.


So get your kids ready to READ READ READ!



Langford Luminary Walk


Below is info on the annual Langford Luminary Walk from the St. Anthony Park Branch Library:


Please join the St. Anthony Park Branch Library Association (SAPBLA) in celebrating the strength of our community as we come together to bring light into the darkness. Through glowing displays, warm company, and shared hopes for a peaceful world, we’ll create a weekend filled with meaning, connection, and collective care.


Luminary Event Schedule


Below you will find a list of scheduled events. In addition, the luminary walk will be lit each night from Friday, February 13 to Sunday, February 15, inviting quiet contemplation, peaceful family outings, or moments of reflection at your own pace.


Saturday February 7 - Luminary Building Event

2:00PM - 4:00PM - St. Anthony Park Branch Library 

This hands-on activity is open to all ages and provides a chance to create something meaningful while spending time with neighbors. Bring your lantern to the luminary procession on 2/14/2026. 


Saturday, February 14 - Luminary Procession


6:30PM - Lantern Procession From Library To Langford Park

Gather with lanterns at the St. Anthony Park Branch Library for a poetry reading and procession to Langford Park where the luminary path will be lit.


7:00PM - 8:00PM – Crankie Storytelling with Alisa Mee

Join Alisa Mee from SAP Branch Library as she does her luminary traditional storytelling.


7:00PM - 8:00PM - Como Senior High School Choir

We are honored to be joined by the Como Senior High School Choir, whose voices will fill the space with selections from the Justice Choir Songbook, offering music rooted in reflection, hope, and collective strength. 


8:00PM – Family Skate at Langford Park Rink

The rink will be open for skating with music and dreamy lighting. Bathrooms will be open and some conessions will be available. 


Volunteers Needed!

To help create this magical event, we’re seeking volunteers to support two special activities that pull the weekend together. 

  • Ice Luminary Building: We invite neighbors to help create ice luminaries that will line the trail in Langford Park. Whether you make just one or a whole bunch, each luminary adds its own glow—and together they’ll light the way beautifully. 

  • Candle Lighters: To bring the luminaries to life, we’re looking for volunteers to help light the candles and place them into the luminaries. You can sign up for one evening or all three—each shift is a short commitment of about 25 minutes per night.


If you are able and willing to volunteer, please complete our event volunteer form.



Give Kids a Smile Dental Clinic


From school nurse Jeannie Vore:


Give Kids a Smile is a free dental event for children under 18. It takes place annually on the first Friday & Saturday of February: February 6-7, 2026. A number of clinics participate.


Finding a clinic with open appointments is as easy as visiting www.mndental.org or contacting the United Way – simply dial 2-1-1 on your phone or text your zip code to 898-211. Appointments can then be scheduled directly with the dental office.


Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. No eligibility questions are asked in an effort to remove any possible barrier to care.





Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .





Have a great break, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 

Wolf Pack Press - January 7, 2026

  • Jan 7
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jan 8

Welcome back from Winter Break. And welcome to 2026's first issue of the Wolf Pack Press!




Upcoming Events



  • Friday, January 9 - Family Friday (enjoy coffee and bring a pastry to share in cafeteria after drop-off) 


  • Tuesday, January 13 - Advisory council & SAPSA combined meeting, 5:30 - 6:15 in library.

  • Tuesday, January 13 - Information session about Murray Middle School with Principal MacKenzie. 6:15 - 7:15 in the cafeteria. See info below!

​​
  • Monday, January 19 - NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)



Information Night for Murray


On Tuesday, January 13, there will be an information night about Murray Middle School, hosted by Murray Principal Jamin McKenzie.


This will be held at 6:15 pm in the school cafeteria.

    

Questions can be asked in advance by filling out this form.



Lost & Found Reminder


Here is a short note of desperation from our Lost & Found Coordinator, Anne Schroeder:


HELLO! 


The Lost and Found is officially overflowing!


Please write your student’s last name in permanent marker (or use a sticker label) on ALL THE THINGS! (Extra credit for your phone number.) HOODIES!, snow pants, sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, that other hoodie!, water bottles, long sleeve shirts, scarves, lunch boxes. If they are labeled, we will try to get them back to your student. 


Please take a few moments to check what you have at home to see if anything is missing, ask your student, and check the lost and found when you are in the school. (For drop off, pick up, conferences, etc.) 


The Lost and Found is located at the bottom of the stairs, across from Ms. Cariveau’s room. Instead of taking a left into the cafeteria, take a right down the hallway.


THANK YOU! 



SAPSA Plant Sale Info


Dreaming of spring? The SAPSA Plant Sale Committee is too! They had this information to pass on about the 2026 Plant Sale.


 Hello SAP families! Every spring SAPSA does a big, multi-day Plant Sale fundraiser for school programs (like field trips and artists in residence) and classroom supplies. 


This year’s Plant Sale will be coordinated by Anne Schroeder, Michael Bloyer, and Sarah Clark. We’re excited to tell you about our plans and to invite you to consider helping us. 


There are two ways to buy plants at the SAPSA Plant Sale: 


The ONLINE PRESALE: There will be an online presale running March 19th through April 11th where you can pre-order plants from our Plant Sale website. (To be picked up next to the Langford Park Rec Center tennis courts on Tuesday May 12th.)


The in-person TENT SALE: There will be a traditional, in-person plant sale on Wednesday May 13th and Thursday May 14th next to the playground at the Langford Recreation Center. Look for tables and tents full of beautiful plants ready for your shopping pleasure. 


We are starting now to look for folks to help with this May’s Plant Sale. 


PLANT SALE COMMITTEE: If you would like to be a little bit involved with any of the preparations, we would love for you to join us! You don't need to know anything about plants! Some Plant Sale Committee tasks may include hanging signs in the neighborhood, collecting cardboard for shoppers to use, providing snacks for volunteers, setting up plant displays by the school entrance, etc. Send the quickest, zero pressure "I am intrigued, tell me more!" text to Anne Schroder (612) 719-0272 or email anne.elizabeth.schroeder@gmail.com 


TENT SALE WEEK VOLUNTEERING: In a few months there will be a Sign Up Genius asking for any and all happy helping hands to volunteer at the actual sale. May 12/13/14. 


Thank you! 

~ Plant Sale Committee 



What We Did on Our Holidays


The school guinea pigs, Pancake and Pumpkin, talked to the Wolf Pack Press about their winter break.


Pancake: Well, we went on the road. Or actually our cage did. We just happened to be in the cage...


Pumpkin: We stayed with students!


Pancake: Yes, and it was very different from our Science Room. 


Pumpkin: There was this...


Pancake: Cat. I think they call them cats.


Pumpkin: That looked at us like we were ...


Pancake: Well we were just glad we were inside our cage and the cat was outside!


Pumkin: And we also did some research, on ...


Pancake: Well, on us.


Pumpkin: We mean guinea pigs.


Pancake: Yeah. Like we come from the Andes mountains.


Pumpkin: I mean we, personally, are from Minnesota, but ...


Pancake: Our species is from South America. And we're close relatives of the capybara.


Pumpkin: They're the largest rodents in the world!


Pancake: And domesticated guinea pigs are their own species, but there are other cavies.


Pumpkin: That's what some people call us, cavies.


Pancake: There are other wild cavy species, and they eat grass.


Pumpkin: Yes and they kind of fill the same ecological niche as cattle. Moo!

Pancake: But we domestic guinea pigs started living with people like 6000 years ago. Some ancient cultures, like the Moche, put us in their art.


Pumpkin: Oh, and around 1500 traders brought us to Europe, and we became popular pets there.


Pancake: Yeah. Apparently Queen Elizabeth I owned a guinea pig.


Pumpkin: But anyway, we're happy to be back in the Science Room with Ms. Wilson. There are no cats in the Science Room...


Pancake: Come visit us sometime!


Note from Ms. Wilson: If you are looking for a guinea pig cage, she has a used one in good condition that she can provide for free. Just contact her at jodie.wilson@spps.org.




Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($15/kid, and $20/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.


For existing orders, shirt pickup is moved back to 10/10, not curriculum night as I initially planned.



Have a great break, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 

Wolf Pack Press - December 17, 2025

  • Dec 17, 2025
  • 5 min read

Only a few more days to Winter Break! Note that due to the vacation, there will be no Wolf Pack Press on December 31, and our next issue will be out January 7.




Upcoming Events



  • Friday, December 19 - Spirit Day! (Fancy Day)   


  • Friday, December 19 - Kindergarten Make a Memory Day, 7:45 - 9am.


  • December 22 - January 2 - WINTER BREAK!   


  • Tuesday, January 13 - Information session about Murray Middle School. 5:30 - 6:30 in the library. See below section for details


  • Tuesday, January 13 - SAPSA meeting, 6:30 - 7:30 in library


  • Monday, January 19 - NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)



Volunteers Needed for Read-a-Thon!


The Read-a-Thon is a beloved winter event at SAP, and it is usually SAPSA’s biggest fundraiser, bringing in $17-22K per year! Read-a-Thon season is upon us, and we are looking for a few additional volunteers.


What is the Read-a-Thon? SAP students record their reading times and are sponsored by family, friends, and community members to raise money for the school. They earn raffle tickets and the chance to win prizes, and classrooms win cookie parties if they meet their classroom reading goals. If the school meets the whole school reading goal, the principal will do something outrageous to reward the students!


Volunteering for Read-a-Thon is an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. It’s a fairly intensive but also very time-limited volunteer position. The projected dates of this year’s Read-a-Thon are January 12-23, with the prize assembly on January 29.


SAP parent Sara Shepard, who helped lead the Read-a-Thon for the last 4 years, says that her entire family enjoyed getting involved. She will be available as a resource to the team who takes over this role. While there are clear steps that have been followed for the past few years, there is also space for you to add your own creativity and make it your own, if you’d like!


As a Read-a-Thon volunteer you would be involved in some of the following:

  • Create the theme and materials (posters, stuffies etc.) that go along with it.

  • Set reading goals, based on reading in past years etc.

  • In some years a short video was created introducing Read-a-Thon and the theme and featuring Frost. The video was shown in classrooms to get the kids excited about the reading challenge.

  • Create the Read-a-Thon flyer and the sheet that is handed out to students for recording their pledges and reading progress.

  • Collect reading sheets and donations from the school office. Volunteers count reading minutes by student and classroom. (Lots of counting!)

  • Distribute raffle tickets earned by the students for reading.

  • Be present at the school assembly where the results are revealed and the lucky raffle winners drawn.

  • Arrange for a cookie party or similar reward for classes that meet their goals.


Please reach out to our SAPSA volunteer coordinator Lauren Cox (volunteercorrdinator@sapsamn.org) for more information about volunteering for Read-a-Thon.




Information Night for Murray


On Tuesday, January 13, there will be an information night about Murray Middle School, hosted by Murray Principal Jamin McKenzie.

    

Questions can be asked in advance by filling out this form.


In the Classroom with Ms. Phillips


Congratulations to Ms. Phillips for celebrating her 30th anniversary at St. Paul Schools this year!

Wolf Pack Press editor Joel Van Valin had a few questions about her long adventure at SPPS and SAP Elementary.



WPP: You are a Second Grade teacher now, but have you taught other grades in your career?


Ms. Phillips: I have taught grades 1-6 during my career with the most years being spent in grades 4 and 3. I taught third grade at SAP for 8 years before working as a WINN reading specialist for 1 year and then landing in 2nd grade starting in the 2024-2025 school year.  I think I will spend my final days as a teacher in grade 2 at SAP! 



What is your favorite part of teaching?


There are numerous things I love about teaching! I enjoy meeting a new group of students each year and getting to know them as individuals and learners. I also enjoy meeting their families and working together to best serve their child. I also value the collaborative nature of this job. I work with so many wonderful, funny and supportive educators. I never tire of the exchange of ideas about education and curriculum. Lastly, it is a privilege to work with students whose families come from all over the world. These experiences give educators a world view that is invaluable.



When Ms. Phillips is not having a blast teaching, what does she do for fun?


For fun, I like a balance of quiet and active! I like to spend time at home reading, cooking and watching Netflix. I also like to go to the YMCA, snowshoe in the winter and kayak in the summer. With my family, we like to have movie nights when everyone is home and spend time at a cabin or campsite for a long weekend in the summer.



Did you like school as a kid?


I always liked school as a kid! I especially liked the language arts activities we did in elementary school and humanities classes I took in high school. Of course, I always liked the social part of school, which to this day, I believe is a huge part of education—learning how to connect, respect and collaborate with other people.



Did you know anyone growing up who inspired you to be a teacher?


I did not want to be a teacher as a young person. When I look back now through my teacher lens, I see a few teachers who had qualities of good teachers. They made lessons fun and engaging. There was a common thread of involvement and dedication to the craft.



If you could travel into a book of your choice, which book would it be?


I am a huge fan of the Maud Hart Lovelace "Betsy-Tacy" series.  I have read the series at least 10 times starting when I was in elementary school and used to play "Betsy-Tacy" as a kid. In a way, I feel I travel back to the late 1800's Deep Valley (Mankato), MN whenever I read one of her books!



Wolf Ridge Calendars for Sale



Each year, SAP Elementary 5th graders take an unforgettable trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN.  This 5 day, 4 overnight camp experience builds core memories through outdoor adventures and experiential learning about MN History and the Lake Superior Area.  The cost to attend is $300/student but NO child is turned away for lack of payment. 


One way scholarships are provided is through the sale of calendars featuring Minnesota Wildlife. This year's photographer is Dominique Braud. 


Calendars cost $20  and ALL proceeds go towards funding Wolf Ridge scholarships for 5th grade students. 


Order your Wolf Ridge 2026 calendar by filling out this form:




Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($15/kid, and $20/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.


For existing orders, shirt pickup is moved back to 10/10, not curriculum night as I initially planned.



Have a great break, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 
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