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Global Arts Plus School Students, Parents, and Family Members

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year!!! All of us at Global Arts Plus are looking forward to seeing students in grades 1- 8 on Tuesday, September 6, and Pre-K and Kindergarten students on Thursday, September 8.

At Saint Paul Public Schools, our mission is to inspire students to think critically, pursue their dreams and change the world. This means providing challenging and engaging instruction in welcoming classroom environments that represent and respect the diverse backgrounds of our students. This way, every student can feel seen, empowered, and ready to find joy in learning.

We are excited to welcome to our administration team Ms. Lynn Bourgoyne as our new assistant principal at our Upper Campus. She, along with the rest of us, is looking forward to meeting you.

Our Global Arts Plus team has recommitted ourselves to providing our community with information that is more timely and consistent. With our collaborative efforts, it is our hope that you find the "Way of the Wave" informative and that you feel connected to our community.

At Global Arts Plus we encourage our families to support their scholars by connecting with our teachers and getting involved in our school. The first day of school is exciting for students, families, and staff alike. It can also be overwhelming. Please continue reading Way of the Wave for things to know so you can help your students be ready for a great year.

We look forward to welcoming you and your scholar to a rewarding new school year and working in collaboration to help our scholars do their very best academically, socially and emotionally. Go Green Wave!

Thursday, September 1, 2022

• Open house 5:30-7:00 p.m -All Families
• NEW Families 'Meet and Greet': Upper begins at 4:45 p.m. and Lower begins at 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

• First Day of School at 9:30 a.m. Grades 1-8

Thursday, September 8, 2022

• First Day of School at 9:30 a.m. Prek/ECSE & Kindergarten

A copy of our calendar is posted online at spps.org/globalartsplus. Please note that our calendar is in the process of being populated; dates may change as the year progresses, and updates may be posted from time to time. For the full district calendar, visit spps.org/calendar.

Please join us at our Open House to welcome students and families to a new year on Thursday, September 1st, 5:30 - 7:00 pm at both our Lower and Upper campuses. Families new to Global Arts Plus are invited to join us for a meet and greet beginning promptly at the following times: 4:45 pm for our NEW families at our Upper Campus and 5:00 pm for our NEW families at our Lower Campus. We'll introduce you to a few key staff we feel might be helpful for you to know. This is a PTA-sponsored event.

Click on the image to enlarge details

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year! We are your School Counselors,

At our Lower Campus, we have Ms. Alyssa Mitchell and Ms. S. Ms. S. is joining the Global Arts Plus community this year part-time and will also support scholars at JJ Hill. Her schedule is still yet to be determined. We are so excited to be here and can’t wait to see what this year brings. Although we will be teaching in different grade levels this year we are both here to support ALL students in the areas of Social Emotional, Academic, and Career development, feel free to reach out to either of us with questions! This year as a school we will be working to share information

At our Upper Campus, we have Ms. Jessica Matter and Ms. Jessica Mernin. Ms. Mernin is with us part-time and will be here on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Ms. Matter is our full-time Counselor, she will be out on Maternity leave until November. In the meantime, Ms. Holly Moser will be her long term-sub. Ms. Mernin’s caseload is all of the 5th grade and Ms. Krisetya & Ms. Corrigan’s 6th-grade homeroom students. Ms. Matter’s caseload is Ms. Toivola, Ms. Hannon & Ms. Harer’s 6th-grade homeroom students, and all of the 7th and 8th graders. However, we are both here to support all students, feel free to reach out to either of us with questions! We look forward to partnering with you this year!

We are in the process for assigning scholars to K-4 classrooms this year. Scholars will be assigned a “Host Teacher.” Scholars will begin their first two weeks with their host teacher, and on Friday, September 23, a welcome letter will be sent home with your child indicating who their teacher will be for the year. Why are we doing this? Though we don’t anticipate many changes, it will give us the opportunity to balance the representation of new and returning scholars in classrooms. This will help create learning environments where focused instruction and optimum learning experiences can happen every day for every child. Thank you for trusting us in this process.

Scholars' host teacher's name will be shared with families soon.

Students in 7th & 8th Grade will have the opportunity to request a schedule change for elective classes only. We will have schedule change forms available at Open House and during the first week of school. The form will need to be completely filled out, with signatures from teachers and family to be considered. Students will receive notice on Friday 9/16 if their schedule change request was approved or denied and changes will start on Monday 9/19/22. Please reach out to Ms. Moser (district email will be shared soon) or Ms. Mernin at jessica.mernin@spps.org with any questions.

Use Parent Portal and see your child’s attendance, homework assignments, grades and more. Log on to spps.org/onestop and click on “Campus Parent Login”. This valuable tool will provide both information on your student and a means of communicating with your student’s teachers.

Report cards are not mailed to homes.

For help with username and passwords, please contact the main offices

Lower Campus: 651-293-6606

Upper Campus: 651-293-8690.

Students will receive a postcard in the mail with transportation information at the end of August. The postcard lists details about where and when to get on and off the bus. Please arrive at the bus stop five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick up your child. Track the status of your child’s bus on our school’s website or the Bus Status app.

If you believe your student is taking the bus but did not receive a postcard, please call Transportation at 651-696-9600 as soon as possible.

School Drop-off and Pick-up

For Lower Campus

Parent drop-off in the morning begins at 9:15 am. Cars should face east on Fairmount for the drop off line. Families may also find street parking that is not in the bus drop off zones (east side of Oxford Avenue and north side of Osceola Avenue.) Scholars should use the sidewalk between the soccer field and the playground to walk to the cafeteria door entrance. Pick up will be at 4:00 pm, and parents should line up in their cars on Fairmount facing east. Staff will send students out. Our staff workday ends at 4:15 pm, so there will not be anyone available to supervise past this time.

For Upper Campus

Parent drop-off in the morning on Palace Avenue at 9:15 am and pick up on Fulton Avenue. Scholars are considered tardy if they arrive after 9:30 a.m.

• Updating your information in iUpdate will ensure that you receive proper services, eligible transportation and important communications by U.S. mail, phone, email or text. Families will receive phone calls and text message reminders to complete iUpdate. One parent or guardian from each primary household is expected to complete iUpdate.
  

  Parents and guardians:

  • Complete all annually-required school and district forms including the Technology Use Agreement (for student iPad use), field trip and media permission forms.
  • Add or change primary and/or alternative addresses to ensure accurate school-bus transportation to and from home and/or childcare addresses. Please complete iUpdate by September 1. ​
  • Slideshow of the steps in iUpdate.

  Need help? Call (651) 603-4348 or email familysupport@spps.org

The majority of communications from Global Arts Plus School will be electronic this school year. Please check your email on a regular basis and complete the iUpdate to ensure we have the most current email and phone number listed in Campus.

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 eat in 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

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.

Attendance

Attendance matters to your child's success in school and it is tracked daily. Please make sure to always report your child's absence. Dial the attendance line directly at 651-744-2803. Include your child's name (spell their name), their grade, the reason for their absence, your relationship to the child, and a return phone number that you can be reached at if we should have questions.

Dismissal

Please send a note with your child or call the main office if you are picking up your child early. Students are not allowed to ride a bus home that is not assigned to them. For our Lower Campus please call 651-293-6606 or call Upper Campus at 651-293-8690.

Sign In

All visitors are required to stop in the main office to check in, sign in, wear a visitor's badge, and return the badge when they sign out.

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

Please check in with your health care provider to make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date before school starts in the fall. Visit spps.org/immunizations or call our school nurse for more information.

Athletes Committed to Educating Students

ACES will continue to provide an Early Start program at the Upper Campus for K-8th grade scholars, Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Students must arrive by 8:00 am to be admitted for the day’s program. This is a fee-based program for grades K - 3 and free for grades 4 - 8. Space is limited. Registrations are approved on a first-come, first-served basis and financial assistance will be provided for students who qualify. Registration forms are online at www.aces4kids.org and will be available at our Open House on September 2. All scholars are invited to participate; transportation to the ACES program at Upper Campus must be provided by families. K-4 students are transported by school bus to the Lower Campus for school to start at 9:15 am. Please contact Alexa Lehman at alexalehman@aces4kids.org.

Discovery Club

Discovery Club is a fun and nurturing child care program for grades PreK-5 that supports learning and development before school*, after school, on non-school days and during the summer. Space is limited. For a list of fees, more information, and to register or join the waitlist, visit spps.org/discoveryclub or call 651-632-3793. *Before school care is unavailable for schools with a 7:30 a.m. start time.

Extended Day Learning

If we are able to work out all of the logistics, Extended Day Learning (EDL) will be offered to 2nd – 8th graders beginning in October. EDL is an SPPS program that takes place from 4:00 pm - 5:45 pm. The days for each campus are yet to be determined. Registration forms will be sent home in September for this free program.

Athletics and Flipside

Information and updates about Athletics and Flipside happening at Global Arts Plus will be shared with families in the coming weeks.

SPPS strives to create welcoming schools where each and every student is seen, known and valued. There are rights students are guaranteed when they are at school as well as responsibilities that accompany those rights. Read the Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.

Attendance is an important part of student success. We realize there are many reasons that a student may be absent from school. If your child will be absent from school, please notify the school at your earliest convenience. Communication between home and school is a vital component to a positive school experience.

Safety is of the utmost importance at our school and district. Families, students and staff can use the MySPPS app to “Send a Tip” and confidentially report unsafe behaviors in school to SPPS Security and Emergency Management.

We still have special education teaching assistant vacancies at our Upper Campus. If you or someone you know enjoys working with scholars and have the skills to help ensure student success please consider applying for one of these positions. If interested, you may email for more information and/or send your resume to assistant principal, Lynn Bourgoyne (lynn.bourgoyne@spps.org). Positions are also posted on our district Human Resource page at https://www.spps.org/hr