For your Calendar
FEBRUARY 11-MARCH 18: Simpls fundraiser for PTO (more info in the PTO section)
FEBRUARY 14-18: Spirit Week! (see below for what to wear)
FEBRUARY 16: St. Paul Central High School Virtual Showcase & Open House (info and link below)
FEBRUARY 21: No school, President's Day
MARCH 1: Middle School Band Concert
MARCH 4: No school
MARCH 8: PTO Meeting (link to come)
MARCH 9: Tri-School Band Concert at Central H.S.
MARCH 15: Spring Picture Day
(my.lifetouch.com picture day ID: EVTSGSPJH)
MARCH 25: No school, grades 1-5, parent-teacher conferences
MARCH 25: Digital Learning day, grades 6-8 (K-8 schools only)
MARCH 28: Track and Field starts for Middle School (required forms can be found below)
APRIL 4-8: No school, Spring Break!
APRIL 21: Doing Good Together (scroll down for details, volunteers needed!)
Daily Health Screening
Families should conduct a health screening for COVID-19 symptoms every morning before sending their student to school or the bus stop.
DO NOT send your child to school if they are exhibiting any of these symptoms: chills, sore throat, headache, fatigue, nausea, muscle pain, vomiting or diarrhea, new runny nose or congestion, new or worsening cough, difficulty breathing, or loss of taste or smell.
Please report the absence to the attendance line at 651-325-2599 and submit a report to the COVID-19 Reporting System as soon as possible.
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Central High School (virtual) Showcase and Open House, 2/16, 6-8pm
PTO UPDATES
Capitol Hill Merchandise is Here!
Short and long sleeved shirts and sweatshirts are available. You can order online using a credit card via ourschool.support/CHNewLogoMerch. If you would like to pay using a check or cash, look for the order form coming home with your scholar this week. Orders will be collected through Friday, February 25th. Merchandise will be sent home with students in March, so be sure to include your child’s teacher or Foundations teacher on the order form. (The form can also be found beneath the PTO update section.)
Puberty for Parents - This week, February 15 & 17!
Get tips and resources for navigating puberty discussions during a session facilitated by Jennifer Marshall, Parent Educator from Health Start School Based clinics.
Tuesday, February 15th at 10am - https://mnachc.zoom.us/j/8417187800
Thursday, February 17th at 6:30pm - https://mnachc.zoom.us/j/8417187800
Thank you for ordering Chipotle!
Thank you to all who came out and supported the PTO by ordering Chipotle Monday. We are sorry it was such a process to get your orders.
Simpls Fundraiser:
We have partnered with Simpls, a St. Paul based company, that makes food from scratch using local, organic and sustainable ingredients, for another fundraiser and option to not have to worry about what’s for dinner!
This fundraiser starts February 11th and runs through March 18th. You can order a variety of frozen soups, pizzas and goodies using the following code: CHPTO22 directly on their website https://www.simpls.com/. Orders will be delivered to your house within 2 business days of ordering as long as the address is in the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs. (The Gift Packages on their site count for our fundraiser, but not gift cards.)
Capitol Hill PTO will get a portion of every sale during the fundraising period and you can use the code as many times as you would like between 2/11 and 3/18. Please feel free to tell friends and family or post our code (CHPTO22) to your social media accounts if you would like. This fundraiser is not only a simple way to raise money, it is a great way to support a small company in our community! See the file below for more information!
If you would prefer to donate directly to the PTO, donations can be made via cash/check to the office, at GiveMN or PayPal (treasurer.capitolhill@gmail.com).
Fun facts about fundraising…
PTO fundraising will look different in 2022! Based on our experience during this time of remote PTO, we are trying some new fundraising ideas to support classroom requests this spring. We truly appreciate your support and hope to provide a variety of ways you can give to the PTO. Please feel free to send fundraising ideas or feedback to ptochair.capitolhill@gmail.com.
Doing good together returns April 21!
We gathered virtually last year, but are working hard to offer in-person activities this coming spring! The event is scheduled for Thursday, April 21 from 5:30pm-8pm at Capitol Hill.
Volunteering at this event is fun, not a huge time commitment, and is a great way to get involved and feel connected to our school community. If you are interested in learning more or know you would like to volunteer, you can email Abby Heuckendorf: agrodin01@gmail.com
A note on parking during parent pick-up and after school activities
The pickup process is busy and crowded, we know!
Recently, we have heard from our residential and business neighbors along Makubin that driveways and alleys have been blocked in the afternoons, prohibiting entry/exit for their own properties. Please be mindful of this and do not park in or block driveways or alleys while you are here for afternoon pickup!
We want to be good neighbors :)
Additional pick-up reminders:
- No parking in MLK lot
- All students need to wait inside until parent is outside and name is called
- All parents must come to one of the lines and let staff know who they are here to pick-up
- Be patient as we get students out as fast as we can
- If you're picking your child up from after school activities, do not park in handicap parking spaces unless that space is legitimately needed by someone riding in your vehicle. Please do not park across the handicap parking spaces, rendering them inaccessible. Please do not block the crosswalk to the school entrances.
Yearbook! ordering is now open. Don't miss out!
The deadline for ordering the 2021-2022 Capitol Hill Yearbook is March 25th. Visit ybpay.com, and use order ID 14565522.
change to student sign out process
This week was National School Counseling Appreciation Week!
School Counseling in some way, shape, or form, has been going on in schools since the early 1900s. Throughout the last 120 years, the role has changed and adapted based on the needs of students and society, often resulting in confusion around what the role of school counselor actually is.
In honor of National School Counseling Appreciation Week, the counseling department put together a few infographics for staff around the role of a school counselor to provide a bit more education around what school counseling is and is not. Please take a few minutes to check it out: What do school counselors do? They also put together short videos for our students to watch every day. Take a look!
- Monday: Better Together
- Tuesday: Collaboration and Compromise
- Wednesday: Friendships
- Thursday: Celebrating Differences
- Friday: Make Your Mark
Check out the support staff webpage and find their February newsletter here.
Come ski with Capitol Hill on February 21!
Capitol Hill Ski Club will be going to Trollhaugen on Feb 21st. Please register by Feb 17th using this link: https://forms.gle/MMuqSPKmc63LSABy7
Winter reminder for morning drop-off
- Drop students off on Concordia Ave Drop-off Zone only
- Drop and go to help traffic flow
- Pull forward all the way, don't block driveways or stairs
- Follow the directions of school arrival staff
- Do not pull ahead of or swoop in front of other cars - be patient and move with the line
- Avoid making a right turn on to Mackubin
- Do not drop students off on Mackubin - we do not have enough safety personnel there to assist, and this street will be VERY narrow with the big snow
- Do not park in the Lung Association lot across from the school on Mackubin
Capitol Hill has partnered with Every Meal to provide weekend meals for families
We are excited to partner with Every Meal to offer a free weekend food program to all of 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.
Here is a snapshot of the weekend food program:
- https://www.everymeal.org/what-we-do/weekend-program/
- Free for all families and schools to participate.
- Children receive a weekly food bag that includes 4-5 pounds of nutritious, non-perishable food.
- No qualifications required for enrollment. Every Meal does not collect information from families; privacy is protected
- Families may choose from five food bag options tailored for dietary preferences.
- Families may enroll in the program anytime throughout the school year
- A thoughtful partnership model- see the Overview
An informational brochure with registration form has been given to ALL students - CHECK BACKPACKS! Contact the Capitol Hill office at 651-325-2500 if you don't find it or need more information.
Picking up earlier than 4:15 dismissal time?
Please, to the extent possible, be mindful that students are still engaged in learning until dismissal time. We have many families picking up early this year. If you must pick-up early, please see the notes below.
- Facemasks are required. We have them available in the office if you need one!
- Update as of January 7: With the uptick in Covid cases in the Twin-Cities, and in an effort to reduce sharing of pens and the sign-out book, we have decided that sign out in the office will NOT be required. Please enter the building, come to the office to let us know who you are picking up, then wait in the main lobby while we gather your students for you. Thank you!
- All changes should be called into the office (651-325-2500) by 3 pm
- Please plan accordingly. Students move throughout the day into different classrooms and spaces. We ask for your patience while we find them for you, which can take some time.
- We will not call your child(ren) to the office for early dismissal to wait for pickup. Because we are still in a pandemic, we are limiting the number of people in our main office.
- Use the Blue C doors and buzz Capitol Hill to come in to speak with the office staff, then go to the lobby to wait.
- Students should not be calling home to get picked up early without being seen by an adult first, such as the nurse, counselor, or an administrator. If your child is not feeling well, they should be seen by the nurse and the nurse will call you if your child needs to be picked up.
- Students are not allowed to leave the building without being checked out by the front office staff. Student safety is our top priority and they always need to be accounted for.
Parent Drop-off and Pickup Procedures
DROP-OFF PROCEDURE:
- Parents/guardians drop off students on Concordia Avenue, no earlier than 9:30am.
- Please do not cut in front of other cars already in line.
- When you get close to the front of the line, pull up as far as you can to Mackubin Street.
- NO PARKING on Concordia: this a pull up and drop off quickly area. If you must park your car, please park safely on another street to take care of your drop-off needs.
- There is no parking for drop-off in the MLK or Lung Association lots.
- DO NOT BLOCK PARKING LOT DRIVEWAYS. Avoid stopping at the stairs as well.
- Students get out on the right side (curbside) on Concordia.
- Parents/guardians stay in the car. Once your student is out of the car, please safely pull out of the line.
DISMISSAL TIME PICKUP PROCEDURE:
If you are driving, park safely along Makubin, Carroll, Igelhart, or Marshall - not in the MLK or Lung Association lots
- Please do not stop in the middle of the street
- Please do not park in the cross walk
- Please park and pick up your scholar on the sidewalk
- Be mindful of student safety
Elementary students will be grouped inside by last name, with 3 pickup lines outside on Makubin: Student last names starting with A–G, H–O, and P–Z.
Staff members will be outside calling Elementary student names on the radios. Middle school students will continue to exit the Green Doors on Mackubin.
All changes should be called into the office (651-325-2500) no later than 3 pm. Please, to the extent possible, be mindful that students are still engaged in learning until our 4:15 dismissal time.
Capitol Hill OFFICE NOTES
Office Hours: 8:30 - 4:30
Morning Drop-off Time
We want to ensure each child is safe when arriving for school. Staff supervision begins at 9:30am. Please do not drop off your child earlier than 9:30.
Attendance/late arrivals:
Please make sure to always report your child's absences. You can do this in two ways:
- Dial the attendance line directly at 651-325-2599 -OR-
- Email us at capitolhill.attendance@spps.org.
Please include your child's name, 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.
Calling Your Child
When calling the school to speak to your child, the office staff will deliver your message to have your child call you back. Teachers are teaching during the day and we are trying our best to lessen the interruptions during instructional time. Thanks for understanding.
Dismissal
Dismissal is at 4:15. We appreciate you making every attempt to honor this time. Students are still actively involved in classroom instruction up to dismissal time.
Please call the Capitol Hill office at 651-325-2500 if you are picking up your child early or letting your child go home any other way than their normal routine.
***Please make sure to call the office no later than 3:00 pm if you have to make changes. If you call later than 3:00, we cannot guarantee that your child will get the message.***
