The students at St. Anthony Park Elementary received a very special message of encouragement this morning from the friendly, neighborhood, library-loving, vivacious, vocabulary-powered superhero, WORDGIRL!!!!!! WOW! We had no idea our enthusiastic reading during the 15th Annual Read-A-Thon was generating so much energy we are detectible from outer space!!!!
There are just two more days to read, read, read, read, read! Log sheets and cash/check pledges are due back at school on Friday. Is your child out of school? Simply email with your child's total minutes and any questions to shep0186@umn.edu. By far the easiest way to collect pledges this year is online at https://www.givemn.org/story/Read2022 Our young readers have already received $2,995 in pledges and read over 100,000 minutes!!!! Only $5,105 remains to hit our target of $8,100.
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Funk
Duncan Peterson sat down with his pal, Mr. Funk, to ask him ten questions. Here is their exchange!
Duncan: I have ten questions for you.
Mr. Funk: Alright! I’m pretty tired but I’ll try to get through all ten of them!
Duncan: What’s your favorite color and why?
Mr. Funk: Okay, my favorite color is green. I think when I was little-er, my favorite color was green because I liked Notre Dame football which I don’t like now. In fact I don’t like it very much at all. But green has stayed my favorite color and so now I just like the color. Like the grass is green and the palm trees are green and I don’t like winter so I think that is why green is my favorite color, still.
Duncan: I disagree, but okay.
Mr. Funk: What’s your favorite color?
Duncan: Purple, for the Vikings.
Mr. Funk: Purple is good. I like purple. It’s not my favorite. I’m just trying to be honest with you!
Duncan: What’s your favorite sports team?
Mr. Funk: (Tugging on the sleeve of Duncan’s Twins shirt) Minnesota Twins! That’s my favorite sports team! You already knew that one, right? How about you? The Vikings, still?
Duncan: The Timberwolves.
Mr. Funk: Timberwolves? Are you still playing basketball a lot?
Duncan: Yeah.
Mr. Funk: Good! But for sure the Twins are my favorite.
Duncan: Who’s your favorite baseball player?
Mr. Funk: Is it ever, or like now?
Duncan: Ever!
Mr. Funk: Kirby Puckett is my favorite ever because he was really good, really fun, and he won not one, [but] two world championships for my favorite team. That’s pretty good. Unfortunately I think that’s the best it’s [ever] going to get!
Duncan: What’s your favorite song?
Mr. Funk: Oh boy, I don’t know. Let’s see…boy that’s a tough one. I like so much music I can’t think of a favorite one today. I like Bob Dylan a lot as a singer/songwriter so I’ll say that instead of a song. But I like all sorts of songs, you know that. Sorry I can’t do better than that. You stumped me!
Duncan: Sweet or salty?
Mr. Funk: Okay, I do like sweet but salty.
Duncan: Why do you have a tortoise?
Mr. Funk: I have a tortoise because kids like pets and I got him for my wife and daughter and he doesn’t shed, he doesn’t bark, he doesn’t bite, and kids love him. So that’s why I kept him all these years because he’s awesome. I used to have gerbils and hamsters and they were much more problematic than a tortoise, more issues. Does that make sense?
Duncan: Yes.
Duncan: What’s your favorite winter activity?
Mr. Funk: Counting down the days until summer is my favorite winter activity. And then…the snow is pretty. I don’t know, maybe Christmas because of my family? When I was your age, I played hockey, I played basketball, it’s just taken the best of me, this winter stuff. I used to ski and I ride my bike in the winter still, but it’s not fun, and I just really look forward to spring. Sorry, that’s kind of a non-answer. It’s kind of a negative response.
Duncan: What’s your favorite thing about being a teacher?
Mr. Funk: I think the kids are by far my favorite thing. Working with kids and getting to know them. And sometimes you get to know their families and sisters and brothers. So for sure that’s my favorite thing is getting to know people. And in my job they’re 8 or 9, but they’re still people. That’s my favorite part.
Duncan: What do you do in your free time?
Mr. Funk: Well, I like to read. I play guitar, like you. I have been doing that a lot lately, actually. And then I usually ride my bike. That’s been harder lately. I am going to ride it inside tonight. So, read, play guitar, and then before Covid I used to travel a lot. And I am starting to travel again, a little bit. I used to go out more with my friends and stuff but I don’t do that as much anymore. I miss doing that.
Duncan: Last question. Jackie Robinson or Kirby Puckett?
Mr. Funk: Okay, Jackie Robinson is more important, but Kirby was my favorite player. Does that make sense? Can I pick both of them?...I’ll go with Kirby, because he’s my favorite, but Jackie did things that Kirby couldn’t do because Jackie went through so much. Some people would say that without Jackie, maybe Kirby would never have got his shot…So, Jackie was super important and was a really good baseball player, but Kirby is my favorite player, so I’ll answer it that way.
Mr. Funk: Alright, thanks for the interview! Cool!
Vaccine Clinics:
County, state and community partners are hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics at SPPS schools for kids ages 5 and older and those ages 12 and older who qualify for booster shots (must be 6 months after your second COVID-19 vaccine). Students who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact and do not have any symptoms.
Every Friday: Gordon Parks High School (1212 W. University Ave.) from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Vaccines are available for students ages 12 and older. Booster shots are available.
1/20: SPPS Administration Building (360 Colborne St.) from 3-6 p.m. Register here.
2/2: Mississippi Creative Arts (1575 L' Orient St.) from 5-7:30 p.m. No appointment needed.
St Paul-Ramsey County Public Health also has vaccine clinics at the following locations:
Arlington Hills Community Center (1200 Payne Ave.)
Consulate of Mexico (797 E. Seventh St.)
Oxford Community Center (270 Lexington Pkwy. N.)
New Brighton Community Center (400 10th St. N.W., New Brighton)
Appointments are required. Register at ramseycounty.us/COVIDvaccine. Booster shots are available at these clinics for those who are eligible.
What's For Lunch?
What's For Breakfast?
Key Dates
January 21st Read-a-Thon logs due to classroom teachers
January 22nd School Choice Fair CANCELED
January 27th School Spirit Day (Beach Day) and Read-a-Thon Assembly
January 28th Professional Development Day (No School)
February 8th SAPSA & AC Meetings
February 21st– Presidents’ Day (No School)
February 25th School Spirit Day (Hat Day)
February 26th St. Anthony Park Winter Festival
March 4th Conference Prep Day (No School)
March 8th SAPSA & AC Meetings
March 23-24 Conferences 3-6PM
March 25th Conferences AM & PM (No School)
April 1st School Spirit Day (Pajama Day)
April 4-8th Spring Break (No school)
April 12th SAPSA & AC Meetings
April 15th Digital Learning Day
May 11-13th Plant Sale
May 13th Spring Carnival (outside)
May 20th Ninja Anywhere
May 30th Memorial Day (No School)
TBD Fifth grade celebration
June 10th Last Day of School