The Scots' Scoop
Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter
September 18, 2022
All translations are computer generated.
We apologize in advance for any unintended errors.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 16
The point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on.
—Julia Alvarez, Dominican-American poet, novelist, and essayist
Important Upcoming Dates
- Monday, 9/19: HPMS Sports Try-outs begin
- Monday, 9/19: Flipside Registration opens
- Monday, 9/26: FCC Meeting— in Person; 6— 7 p.m., Room 1314 (agenda forthcoming)
- Monday, 10/10: Flipside begins
- Tuesday, October 11: Lifetouch Picture Day
- Thursday, 10/13: Conferences— in Person; 4— 7 p.m.
- Thursday, 10/20: No School — Statewide Teacher Conferences
- Friday, 10/21: No School — Statewide Teacher Conferences
- Thursday, 10/27: Conferences— Virtual; 4 — 7 p.m.
Message from the Principal
Dear HPMS Families:
Please do not drop off your students at school before 8:00 a.m. We have noticed that students are being dropped off too early in the morning. There is no supervision before 8:00 a.m., and we need to make sure that students are safe and supervised when in the building. Therefore, beginning tomorrow, September 19, 2022, students will not be allowed to enter the school building before 8:00 a.m.
If you drop your child off at 8:00 a.m, upon entering the school building, they must sit either on the ledge inside the building, right by Door 20 (along the parking lot side) or on the ledge by Door 13 (along the Snelling Avenue side) without going beyond the ramp on either side. By 8:15 a.m., students will be able to pick up Breakfast to Go and then go to their first class of the day.
Thank you for your cooperation and support with this matter.
Sincerely,
John Andrastek ("Mr. A."), Principal
Parents/Guardians Must Check In at the Main Office
We always want our families to feel welcome. If you are asked who you are while you are in the building, please know that we must do this to keep our/your students and staff safe.
Flipside Registration is Open
Flipside begins Monday, October 10, 2022. Flipside registration is now available through September 28th, 2022! There are over 15 after school classes students can choose from and many other opportunities available to get involved.
Busing
After school busing provided by SPPS will be available on Mondays/Wednesdays. SPPS/School busing will not be available for Tuesdays/Thursdays, however, Metro Transit bus tokens for will be made available for students who choose to take public transportation home on Tuesdays/Thursdays.
Classes
Flipside is offered from 3 - 5 p.m. Classes are offered in Monday/Wednesday tracks and Tuesday/Thursday tracks. Students may sign up for both Monday/Wednesday & Tuesday/Thursday tracks, or for either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday tracks. Flipside is not offered on Fridays.
New this year: all classes are 2-hour long periods.
The following Courses are available on Mondays/Wednesdays:
- Trading Card Games
- LEGO League
- Intro to Theater
- Debate (1st hour only) & Game Club (2nd hour only)
- Board Game Club
- ULA Club & the Study of Latino Culture
- Exploring Art
- Book Club & Creative Writing
- Dungeons & Dragons & the Art of Good Story Telling
The following Courses are available on Tuesdays/Thursdays:
- Adventures in Cooking
- Knowledge Bowl
- CAD/CAM Wood Product Design (Limited space)
- Debate (1st hour only) & Game Club (2nd hour only)
- Film Club
- Disc Golf
- Exploring Art
- Craft World
- Dungeons & Dragons & Beyond
8th Grade Opportunities: Outward Bound Leadership Program (One Friday a Month)
Students will engage in various outdoor activities to gain leadership skills and confidence. This program happens one Friday a month from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students will be required to maintain academic standards and uphold Farnsworth expectations to continue in the program. A staff member will accompany students on their outings.
Registration
Paper registration can be found in the main office and in Nikol Gordon's (our Flipside Coordinator) room 1406. Students may register online through this google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIBEINTOcHHQQfhxx-CMu1ykJng5NrFjR-wX8U7enNnho98w/viewform.
Parents of Cooking Students
Each student is asked to donate $15 to help cover the costs of cooking for the entire semester. You can send either cash or pay online (the exact web address is on your student's Schoology Multi-Cultural Foods class OR you can go to bit.ly/HPMScooking). If you want to add any extra to cover the cost of another student who cannot afford it, that would be greatly appreciated! The deadline is Monday September 26, 2022. If you have any questions, please email Michelle.Wise@spps.org. Thank you so much!
No Cell Phone, Earbuds, & Electronic Devices During the School Day
Lunchroom Servers Needed
Our Nutrition Services is experiencing a shortage — HPMS needs lunch servers! If you are interested in a 15 hour-a-week part-time job, we would be happy to have you join our nutritional services team at HPMS! You would be providing a great service to our students and working with awesome people. For more information, please contact our Cafeteria Supervisor, Chris Wirtz at (651) 293-8950 or email at chris.wirtz@spps.org to request more information.
Application for Educational Benefits/Free or Reduced Price Meals
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
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.
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.
Dancing Opportunities in Our Community
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.
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.
About HPMS
At Highland Park Middle School, it our mission is to:
- Provide our students with a sense of community and global perception in a nurturing and caring learning environment,
- Help students acquire the skills necessary to value themselves, and take pride in their accomplishments, and
- Develop respect and understanding of other people and their cultures.
Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandms
Location: 975 Snelling Ave S, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: (651) 293-8950