The Scots' Scoop

Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter

September 11, 2022

All translations are computer generated.

We apologize in advance for any unintended errors.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 16

¡Si se puede! / Yes We Can!

- Delores Huerta, Latina American activist and

civil rights activist

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Important Upcoming Dates

Monday, 9/19: HPMS Sports Try-outs begin

Monday, 9/26: FCC Meeting - in Person, 6 -7 p.m., Room 1314 (agenda forthcoming)

Message from the Principal

Dear HPMS Families:

It was a great first week of school at HPMS! Despite warm and muggy weather, our students and staff had a very productive week. Students were excited about being in school! I want to thank our teaching & paraprofessional staff, as well as our office, cafeteria, & custodian staff who all worked in very uncomfortable weather conditions throughout the week & continued to be enthusiastic!

I also want to send a shout out to you, our families! We had some busing issues (hopefully now resolved!) early in the week, & all of you were very patient & understanding through it all. Furthermore, thank you to those who are dropping off your students in the morning in keeping the lines going. Some of you may have seen me directing traffic, ensuring that the line keeps moving! Partnering together makes light work!

Keep Monday, September 26, open on your calendar. We will be holding our first Family Communication Committee (FCC) of the year, in-person, from 6 -7 p.m. in room 1314 at HPMS. This meeting is a good time to come together to check in and discuss pertinent middle school family issues.

Thank you for your on-going support! Always feel free to reach out & connect!

Sincerely,

John Andrastek ("Mr. A."), Principal

No Cell Phone, Earbuds, & Electronic Devices During the School Day

Please see this link to our school policy as it pertains to cell phones, earbuds, and electronic devices.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

We strongly encourage families to drop off their student sometime between 8:10 a.m. - 8:25 a.m for our 8:30 a.m. start of the school day.

School Drop-off

Please enter the parking lot off Montreal Avenue and proceed to Door 20. Once you are in front of Door 20, please have your student exit the vehicle immediately. We experience a lot of car traffic in the morning at drop-off, so we need to be as efficient and safe as possible.

Please do not drop off your student in the parking lot at any point until your car gets closest to the school building, nearest to he sidewalk to Door 20. We want students to be safe. Dropping off students in non-designated areas creates an unsafe environment.

During the morning at drop-off, feel free to drop off your student along Montreal Avenue, with your car facing east (school building side of the street) as there is a sidewalk, and students may walk to Door 20 via the sidewalk that runs along the parking lot curb to enter the building.

Upon leaving the parking lot, you may only turn right onto Montreal Avenue, as the line of cars leaving with you backs up very quickly.

You may not drop off your student along Snelling Avenue at any time, as this is a busy bus zone for both morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.

School Pick-up

Follow the same procedures as listed above. However, you may not park on Montreal Avenue at the end of the day, as Montreal Avenue becomes a bus zone for our school buses.

Application for Educational Benefits/Free or Reduced Price Meals

All families are strongly encouraged to complete an Application for Educational Benefits. These applications determine how much educational funding our school receives, and there are many other benefits for families who qualify for free or reduced meal eligibility. The application can be completed online at schoolcafe.com/spps as part of iUpdate. Paper applications are available at school.

Meal Information

Breakfast: All students receive a free breakfast at school. As students arrive at school, they can grab their breakfast and go to class. Hot and cold breakfast options are available.

Changes for the 2022-23 school year: School lunch will no longer be free for all SPPS students.

Students who qualify for free or reduced price meals will receive free lunch. See information about the Free or Reduced Price Meal Application above. For students who do not qualify, the 2022-23 paid lunch prices are:

Grades PreK-5: $2.70
Grades 6-8: $2.90
Grades 9-12: $3.10
Second Meal: $5.00

All students will be charged for single item purchases, such as milk and second meals. The prices for single item purchases can be found at spps.org/ns.

In Need of Special Education Paraprofessionals

We are seeking 3 TA2/paraprofessionals to serve in our special education program. The SPPS Job number for this position is 1015229. You can enter that number in the "Search Jobs" space at the top of this webpage and apply there.

Minimum qualifications:
One of the following:

An AA, AS, AAS (or higher) degree, or
Two years of post-secondary coursework (60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits) from an accredited institution of higher education which are applicable toward a bachelors degree, OR
Passing score of 460 (or higher) on the ParaPro Assessment AND either a high school diploma or a GED certificate. (For more information on the ParaPro Assessment, contact Educational Testing Service at 1-800-772-9476 or www.ets.org/parapro)

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

Basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
Basic skills in typing and duplicating may be required for some positions.
Ability to develop good relationships with students and staff.
Ability to be sensitive to the needs of others.
Ability to relate to students with warmth, friendliness and understanding.
Lifting may be required for some Teaching Assistant positions.
Must be on time to the job every day.

Responsibilities

Work under the direction of a licensed teacher and/or other licensed instructional or nursing staff
Able to follow daily schedule
Prepared to support all students in the general education classroom, including those with 504 Plans or Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
Monitor student behavior in the classroom by observing and keeping records. Observe that students are paying attention to their work and completing their assignments. Advise students and direct appropriate behavior. Review and correct student work. Help students with workbooks and other materials. Assist in keeping daily student records.
Tutor students in reading, language arts, spelling, mathematics, social studies, and other subjects.
Assist teachers with checkout and check-in of educational materials and consumables. Organize and maintain instructional materials such as books, flash cards, blocks, clocks, and rulers. Set up and take down equipment used in class.
Prepare, duplicate, and assemble materials for teacher and other professional staff, such as a nurse, social worker or counselor. Be comfortable using technology including iPads. Occasionally do some light typing. Maintain displays and bulletin boards. Assist in program registration and fee collection. File materials and answer phones. Deliver messages and meals to rooms.
Participate in physical education activities with students. Assist teacher with low-organized games.
Assist in planning parties and special projects.
Able to perform the duties in these various environmental conditions
Assist in implementing student Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), 504 Plans, Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), and sensory plans.
Support the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and environments.
Record data on students’ IEP objectives and BIPs for use in monitoring and adjusting student programs
Assist students with teaching students to complete functional skills, such as feeding, dressing, toileting and other self-help activities. Maintain toileting area and equipment. Set up meal area and equipment.
Assist teachers in working with individual students in with communications systems therapy, and discipline across the school day and in all environments.
Able to be mobile and move around classrooms and the schools to anticipate and meet the variety of student needs.
Complete Third Party billing daily
Provide follow up instruction on Positive Behavioral Interventions and implement de-escalation strategies to avoid power struggles.
Be trained in Non-violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) for de-escalation and physical restraint techniques. Only use NVCI physical intervention techniques when needed to assure the safety of the student or other students
Assist in supporting students on field trips

Please apply if you are interested, or pass this information onto someone else who might be. For more information, contact Principal Andrastek at john.andrastek@spps.org.

COVID-19 Guidelines

Families should familiarize themselves with SPPS’s COVID-19 Student and Family Guidelines, which cover prevention strategies, health screening and monitoring, and isolation guidelines.

Face masks are optional in all SPPS buildings and on school transportation when community levels of COVID-19 are low or medium in Ramsey County. Masks are required when community levels are high. This applies to all staff, students and visitors (ages 2 and older), regardless of a person’s vaccine status, unless a student has a qualifying exemption. SPPS will notify families and staff if COVID-19 levels are high and masks become required.

If your child is exhibiting any symptoms, do not send them to school, even if they are fully vaccinated. Report the absence to the school’s front office and submit a report to the COVID-19 Reporting System the same day for next steps.

Find more information on COVID-19 guidelines for the 2022-23 school year, including vaccines, COVID-19 tests available to students, field trips and more at spps.org/covid.

Extracurriculars

The following sports are offered at Highland Park Middle School in the fall, beginning Monday, September 19, 2022:

Girls’ soccer
Boys’ soccer
Girls’ volleyball
Co-ed flag football

For more information about sports at Highland Park Middle School, including on–line registration and sports physical information, please go to https://highlandparkms.rschoolteams.com/.

Flipside is our afterschool program, Mondays through Thursdays, and it will begin October 10, 2022. For more information, please visit the Flipside website, or contact our Flipside coordinator, Nikol Gordon at nikol.gordon@spps.org.

Free Weekend Food Program

We are excited to partner again with Every Meal to offer a free weekend food program to all our students. Every Meal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to fight child hunger through community and school partnerships. They strive to make a difference in children's lives by focusing on food gaps like weekends, school breaks, and summer when they can't receive food in school. About Every Meal:

Free for all families
No qualifications required for enrollment
Students enrolled in the program will receive a 4-5 pound bag of nutritious, nonperishable food each week
Every Meal does not collect information from families; privacy is protected
Families may enroll in the program anytime throughout the school year
Families may choose from a variety of different weekend meal bag options
Please complete the enrollment form here or contact Katie Monroe (kathryn.monroe@spps.org) to enroll your child
NOTE: Meals will be sent home on Fridays starting Sept. 23rd.

Building Administrators

Ms. Hibaq Mohamed, Assistant Principal, hibaq.mohamed@spps.org, assigned to:

Eagles Team, Grade 6
Lobos Team, Grade 7
Jets Team, Grade 7

Mr. Luis Saenz, Assistant Principal, luis.saenz@spps.org, assigned to:

Pumas Team, Grade 6
Tecolotes Team, Grade 8
Sharks Team, Grade 8

Mr. John Andrastek, Principal, john.andrastek@spps.org.

Dancing Opportunities in Our Community

All Abilities Dancing is a movement class for youth living with and without disabilities.

Please see the flyer below for more information, and go to www.youngdance.org, call at (612) 423-3064, or email at info@youngdance.org.

Young Dance curriculum emphasizes technique, improvisation, and choreography in a safe and supportive environment that values a commitment to self, to the group, and to lifelong learning.