SAPSA

Welcome to the SAPSA Distance Learning Hub. Here you will find ways to reach out to us with feedback, catch-up on Distance Learning 2.0 related topics and help us crowd-source solutions as a community. We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas. This page will have new information as it becomes available. 

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We Need Your Feedback

Do you have feedback about Distance Learning 2.0? We would like to hear from you. Please take the SAP October Family Check-in Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSco354jHYvl52H9m6eF-ERpyhIvr60wUcju-MGpt8qlUCl7Mw/viewform?usp=sf_link

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Another, more informal way to be in touch is through our Slack Channel, SAPSA. If you are already on Slack, we are SAPSA or sapsaworkspace.slack.com. If you are not yet on Slack, you will need to download the app then use this invite to join the group. One you have joined, please join the #distancelearning channel. You can pop on to say hello, read through topics already discussed and offer feedback and ideas. This group is not open to the public and is for members of our school community only.  This is the invite:  https://join.slack.com/t/sapsaworkspace/shared_invite/zt-hdobqxqt-PqB35cAfUZmTQOQuRhh~5A

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About Your Feedback & Why It Matters

Advisory Council plans a school-wide survey within the first several weeks of school to gather feedack about Distance Learning. At this writing (Saturday August 29th), there are still a number of things we don't know about how the year will work. While SAPSA and our Advisory Council are not positioned to change any of the details of the situation, we do have the resources to gather your impressions of Distance Learning 2.0, process them for similarities across families, share information as it is available and even crowd-source some family-led solutions.

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By now, your student should have received several communications from the school about how the year will go. If you need immediate help, please reach out to the school directly by phone (651) 293-8735 or by referencing the school website. Based on information from the district and communicated out from Principal Duke and our teachers, here are some key notes on what to expect from the year:

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• School will be purely remote during Distance Learning 2.0

• We will be adhering to 7:30AM-2PM school day.

• All lessons will be posted by 7:30 AM each day.

• No synchronous meetings will happen before 8:00 AM.

• Before school starts, families will be given a weekly schedule that includes times for each subject, including live meeting times and teacher “office hours.” All classes in a grade level will have the same schedule.

• Teachers are not expected to teach outside of these hours. They will be available for parent communication after hours as in a normal school year. And, of course, they will be working hard planning lessons outside school hours! 

• Specialists will rotate weekly rather than daily. Specialists (science, music, active inquiry and physical education) will be teaching
  and be available to students at the same time each day (this will be on the weekly schedule). 

• Teachers and staff will only have irregular access to the building.

• Access to materials and copying from the building will be limited to only critical functions; the school is unable to print, collate or distribute printed schoolwork.

• Our school plans one big materials pick up in late September. Date and details TK.

• Google Meet may not be used without staff present.

• SAPSA can provide a platform for students and families to hang out and socialize online with parental supervision. Details still in the works.

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And below is the text from Dr. Duke's Google doc which she refreshes as new info becomes available. You can also go directly to the school's website to access that info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K2ttYh_IN7cMP_NCcYEgcILtdP6Ww6iK52llpalD3bo/edit

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Welcome to the 2020-21 school year!

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This will be a school year like we have never had before! This document will be a place where we try to hold all of the information you need, so you can refer back to it at any time. We will continue to update it.

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School starts Tuesday, September 8, for grades 1-5, and Thursday, September 10, for kindergarten.  During the week prior, you will receive details on how to connect with teachers and how your child will access lessons and classes.

Saint Paul Public Schools You can find more detailed information and updates from the school district at the following websites:

• spps.org/reopen2020

• spps.org/distancelearning

• spps.org/virtuallearning

• spps.org/backtoschool

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School Supplies

In normal years, we ask families to purchase a list of school supplies for their children to use in the classroom. Because these are not normal times, Saint Paul Public Schools will be providing a learning “kit” of supplies for every student.  We will not have these supplies available until later in September.  For the first few weeks of the year, all you will need is:

• Pencils

• Pencil sharpener

• One notebook

• Crayons, colored pencils or markers

 

Getting Started - Distance Learning Checklist
Please view and use this technology checklist as a guide to make sure you are ready for the first day of school. This checklist is available at spps.org/fallchecklist.

 

iPads for Kindergarten and New Students
iPads will be available for curbside pickup at school on Wednesday, September 2, from 3:00 to 6:00 PM.  We will send you more information about the pickup next week.

 

iPads - Help and Support 

If your iPad from last year is damaged or needs to be replaced, please report the issue by emailing or calling Saint Paul Public Schools Technology Services:

 

• Email: familysupport@spps.org 

• Call: 651-603-4348 between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Please leave a detailed voicemail and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

 

iPads - Logging into Apps
If you need help with Seesaw, Schoology or other district-approved apps, please see the information on spps.org/ipadhelp.  If you don’t know what those are, don’t worry! Teachers will help students learn or re-learn the technology tools they will need for the school year.

 

Contacting School
If you have questions, or need to contact someone at school, please call 651-293-8735 and leave a message.  We will return your call as quickly as possible. You can also email our clerk, Jane Novak at jane.novak@spps.org. Starting August 31, you can contact any of your child’s teachers by email, or by leaving a message on their voicemail. Use 651-293-8735 and the 

 

iUpdate - Update Your Contact Information 

We use automatic email, text and phone messages to contact families about important school news and information, events, weather cancellations, emergencies and more. Please update your contact information in the iUpdate system online: https://www.spps.org/Page/31224  Contact Jane Novak, school clerk, for help, at jane.novak@spps.org. 

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You may also download the MySPPS app from Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Once you “Follow” St Anthony Park Elementary, you’ll have instant access to school news and updates. Just search “MySPPS” in the app stores. Learn more at http://spps.org/MySPPS .

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Back-to-School Open House

Our Open House will be virtual this year, with an opportunity to meet all of our staff in drop-in, online “rooms.”  We will send detailed information and times next week. 

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Teacher Assignments

You will receive a letter in the mail around August 27, telling you who your child’s teacher is and introducing the rest of the staff. Keep in mind that staff are not contracted to return to work until Monday, August 31, so teachers will be available after that date if you have questions.

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Distance Learning 2.0

This fall, you will notice a difference from last spring’s distance learning.  Saint Paul Public Schools is committed to providing more engagement, more connections with staff and peers, and more rigor for students overall.  However, we also want learning to be flexible enough to fit with every household’s needs.  You will get more specific schedule information from your child’s teacher, but you should expect:

• At least one synchronous (at the same time, live over video conference) meeting per day with the teacher.

• Teacher “office hours” when they are available for check-ins and help. 

• Grading and assessment in all subject areas.

• More rigor and engagement than last spring.

• Other staff available to support students when needed.

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Student Mental Health and Support

We recognize that school closure, distance learning, and COVID-19 may cause extra stress to many in our school community, including families, students and staff. Reach out to our school counselor, Beth Davies (beth.davies@spps.org) or social worker, Patti Dunder (patti.dunder@spps.org) for support for your child’s mental health and to be connected with community resources, where appropriate. If you need assistance with distance learning, academics, mental health, family difficulties, housing, or food instability, please let us know on this student support form.  A member of our staff will contact you as soon as possible to assist.

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School Hours

Teachers will be available during the school hours (7:30 to 2:00) for instruction and interaction with students. Some synchronous (live, at the same time) instruction will be scheduled at consistent times during the school day.  All families will have the flexibility to create a schedule that works for their household.  Most of the learning activities for children will be asynchronous (do them whenever you want). More information and details about the schedule will be coming from your child’s teachers.

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Welcome New Staff Members to the Wolf Pack!

We are excited to welcome these new staff to our school this fall:

• Ms. Lea Brown joins us as a special education teaching assistant. She comes to us from Crossroads Elementary in St. Paul and has worked in St. Paul Public Schools many years.

• Mr. Ray Lynch is our new English Language teacher. He most recently worked at Four Seasons Elementary in St. Paul, and has been in St. Paul Public Schools for over 20 years. He will be working with students learning English in grades 1, 3 and 5.

• Ms. Julie MacGregor Farris is our new third grade teacher. Ms. MacGregor has taught many grades, most recently third grade at Mississippi Creative Arts in St. Paul. She is the parent of one current and one former SAP student, and even (like Mr. Crosby and Dr. Duke) attended SAP as a child!

• Ms. Lanelle Baerenwald is our new speech/language pathologist. She has worked in St. Paul Public Schools for over 25 years, and lived a few blocks from our school for many years.

• Ms. Cassandra Jannett is our new special education teacher. She has been a classroom teacher at Highland Elementary in St. Paul for 7 years and is excited to move into the world of special education, with a passion for serving students with special learning needs.

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Meals 

Nutrition Services will continue to provide weekly meal boxes through home meal delivery and curbside pickup while SPPS is in distance learning. All students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will receive meals at no cost.

 

Every SPPS family should complete an application for Education Benefits/Free or Reduced Price Meals, regardless of family income. Not only does this help us identify families in need of assistance, it also allows St Paul Public Schools to receive federal dollars for classroom programming. Applications are available online on http://schoolcafe.com/spps and paper applications were mailed to homes in August.

 

Virtual Learning School

The SPPS Virtual Learning School is an option for PreK-12 students who prefer to remain in 100% distance learning for the entire 2020-21 school year. Students who enroll in the Virtual Learning School will begin the school year with their currently assigned class at St Anthony Park.

 

Virtual Learning School students will stay in their currently enrolled home schools and classrooms until a transition is made to a hybrid model. As the district moves through the various levels of hybrid learning, students enrolled in the Virtual Learning School will transition to their Virtual Learning School classes. You can learn more and register for Virtual Learning School at http://spps.org/virtuallearning.

 

School Calendar

A copy of our calendar is online at www.spps.org/stanthony. Please note that dates may change as the year progresses, and updates will be posted from time to time. For the full district calendar, visit spps.org/calendar.

 

Health And Wellness 

COVID-19 Student and Family Guidelines

Saint Paul Public Schools is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our students, staff and their families. To ensure this commitment is met, we have developed and will continue to revise the COVID-19 Guidance for Students and Families in response to the everchanging Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

 

COVID Testing Resources

Visit the Minnesota Department of Health website to find a location providing free COVID-19 testing. Reminder: Check with your insurance provider before making an appointment to make sure the office visit fee will be covered.
 

Special Education

All families whose children have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be contacted by our special education team during the week prior to school starting. In general, special education services will be consistent with what is on the IEP (not what was written on the spring addendum). The SPED team will plan with each individual family to be sure that we are delivering services in a way that works for the household schedule and for the learning needs of each student.  If you have questions, you can reach out to your child’s case manager.