Winter Break Date Changes
Winter Break will now begin Friday, December 17th. Students will return to school on Monday, January 3, 2022. There will be no school for all SPPS students on Monday, December 20, and Tuesday, December 21.
That means, we have just two and a half weeks before Winter Break, Wolf Pack! That's soon!
This change is being made in an effort to acknowledge the stress and challenges students, families and staff are facing due to the pandemic. The district wants to give students, school staff and their families a longer break. We also encourage everyone to use this time to get vaccinated or get your booster shot if you are eligible.
Discovery Club will be offered on Monday, December 20, for currently enrolled families but will not operate on Tuesday, December 21. Athletics and other previously scheduled extracurricular activities will continue on both days.
In order to allow for this change to our school year calendar, April 15, which had been scheduled as a professional development day for school staff, will now be a digital learning day.
Thank You!
A big thanks to all the folks who contributed snacks for staff and teachers on conference days November 17-18th. The photo to the left is just a fraction of the bounty you shared with teachers and staff. Beverages, ice cream, chips, crackers, dips, cheese, cookies and all sorts of other yummy things were on display, and we stocked the cupboards with leftovers. It was really nice of you all!
SAPSA worked with Nelson's Cheese & Deli to provide sandwiches and other bites on Friday the 19th for teachers and staff.
Give to the Max Day Results!
With your generous contributions, SAPSA raised $5,205 during November! This is up 55% over last year's Give to the Max when we raised $3,369; it tracks down just 17% from 2019 when we raised $6,317 pre-pandemic.
As a reminder all funds go directly to supporting our students and staff. This includes everything from field trips, special programs, consumable materials for art and science, emergency support for families, teacher appreciation, Artists-in-Residence. Donation days like Give to the Max Day make an enormous impact on our overall annual fundraising and we are so thankful for the support you offer our students and school community. And you don't have to wait for a special day to give. You can always visit https://www.givemn.org/organization/Sapsa to make a donation. Thank you.
Spirit Wear
Thank you for making your Spirit Wear purchases this year! We have raised $1,003 so far. Orders placed before November 18th are slated to arrive by December 8th well in time for winter break. You can place an order any time you would like, though. If you place an order now, estimated (but not guaranteed) delivery is December 22nd: https://www.bonfire.com/checkout/saint-anthony-park-elementary-spirit-wear/
VACCINE INFORMATION
Covid-19 vaccines are now available for students 5-11 years old.
Upcoming School Sites Offering Vaccines:
12/9: Chelsea Heights Elementary (1557 Huron St.) from 3-6 p.m.
12/13: Benjamin E. Mays IB World School (560 Concordia Ave.) from 3-7 p.m.
12/15: EXPO Elementary (540 Warwick St. S.) from 3-6 p.m.
Appointments are required. Register at ramseycounty.us/COVIDvaccine. Booster shots are available at these clinics for those who are eligible.
Pop-Up Clinic, On-Site Registration:
The Consulate of Mexico at 797 East 7th Street in Saint Paul (55106) will have pop-up clinics Wednesday afternoons on December 1, 8, 15, 22 from 2-6PM. No appointment necessary; on-site registration.
Other useful sites for vaccine availability (based on providers we know are already offering appointments or will be doing so imminently). All sites below offer free vaccinations and most locations are accessible by public transportation.
Mall of America Vaccination Clinic (check often, appointments open up based on dose availability.)
Health Partners (different days are available at different locations; you do not need to be a Health Partners patient to sign up for a vaccine)
Walgreens (check often, appointments open up based on dose availability)
Staff Spotlight: Ms. Shomion, Art Specialist
By Edie Garramone
Edie: Question – Why do you do art?
Ms. Shomion: I do art because I love expressing myself and I love creating things with my hands. 👐
Edie: What’s your favorite color?
Ms. Shomion: My favorite color is turquoise.
Edie: What’s your favorite food?
Ms. Shomion: My favorite food is any sort of Thai food.
Edie: Why do you teach art?
Ms. Shomion: I teach art because I love art so much and I want to make sure all my students also learn to love art. 🧑🎨
Edie: What’s your favorite animal?
Ms. Shomion: My favorite animal is an elk; I love their antlers. 🦌
Edie: When is your birthday?
Ms. Shomion: My birthday is in October – the end of October.
Edie: Why do we make nature in art?
Ms. Shomion: We make nature in art because I think nature is so important. It’s important for us to love nature and understand nature and really look and value nature, and so I like to bring that into my art room, so that my students also love nature too. 🌿
Thank you, Ms. Shomion, and HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! 🥳
Envision SPPS
The School Board vote on Envision SPPS was slated for November 16th, but has been postponed to tomorrow, December 1st. The final Public Hearing will take place this evening beginning at 5:30PM with a Special Meeting tomorrow night at 6:05PM for the vote.
Monday night, November 29th, the School Board proposed a Modified Envision Proposal removing LEAP, Highwood Hills, and Wellstone (along with subsequent merges including Riverview, Cherokee Heights, J.J. Hill and Obama schools) from the proposal. This would leave L’etoile du Nord upper and lower campuses, Phalen, Jackson, Maxfield, Parkway, John A Johnson, Bruce Vento, Hamline, Galtier and Capitol Hill on the proposal.
It was a pretty interesting meeting with plenty of confusion added to a complex situation at the eleventh hour. District administrative staff will prepare an analysis of this modified proposal to present at the Wednesday meeting. You can read the full modified proposal here. Video of the meeting (as well as past meetings) is available here.
It is not too late to share your opinions about the Envision SPPS proposal with School Board members so they understand where their constituents stand on this major change to our school district. You can contact them here.
Board of Education - Public Hearing on Nov. 30 begins at 5:30 p.m. Sign-up upon arrival; time-limited comments; interpreters on site Location: 360 Colborne Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55102
Board of Education - Regular Meeting on Dec. 1 - Expected VOTE -- public comment from 5:30-6 p.m., meeting starts at 6:05 p.m. Open to the public and also live streamed; see here for information on how to sign up for public comment Location: 360 Colborne Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55102
If you would like to watch either of these meetings live, please tune in here at the times listed above.
What's For Lunch?
What's For Breakfast?
