For your Calendar
JANUARY 24: PTO meeting, 7-8 pm! Link is meet.google.com/vsb-rbxv-fyb) Meeting will be centered on High School transition, please send questions in advance via this link
JANUARY 24: Boys basketball begins (more info below)
JANUARY 27: End of quarter 2
JANUARY 28: No School, teacher professional development
PTO UPDATES
KN95 masks for Capitol Hill Staff - Your Donations at Work!
Our amazing Capitol Hill staff has KN95s to help keep them safe thanks to your support. Dr. Sara Cox, CH parent, worked with the PTO to make it happen quickly..
January 24 PTO Meeting - Let’s talk about SPPS High Schools!
Join us on January 24th from 7-8 pm using this google meet link meet.google.com/vsb-rbxv-fyb. Highland Park and Central High School counselors and students (Capitol Hill alumni) will answer your questions about transitioning to high school. Please submit questions ahead of time using this link. Scholars preparing for high school are encouraged to attend with their parents.
Chipotle - Save the Date February 7th!
Order dinner from the Chipotle at 867 Grand Ave on February 7th and support the Capitol Hill PTO. Chipotle will donate a portion of the proceeds to the PTO. More information will be coming soon.
Daily Health Screening Expectations for Families
*** 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.
This week, the CDC expanded booster shot eligibility and strengthened recommendations for 12-17 year -old children. We will continue to keep families informed about available vaccine resources. Find the latest information on spps.org/covidvaccine.
Read the CDC release here: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0105-Booster-Shot.html
January 28 Ski & Snowboard club
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.
January Support Staff Newsletter
Boys basketball starts January 24!
Students are required to complete 2 forms prior to be eligible to participate in our Middle School athletic program:
- Sports physical (good for 3 years) https://drive.google.com/file/d/14hFWR0kDRU6j467TgMkQOPJGj7_0FwSh/view
- Middle School athletics registration form https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q5CWejaOqGDKHxGzPJlimYKv1mHASPCJ8hYu_qCOyws/edit
Dylan Wakefield-Dagen, Athletic Director, Capitol Hill
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 signed out or checked out by the front office. Student safety is our top priority and 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.***
Have you completed the iUpdate?
The iUpdate process is very important for you and for us – it’s an easy way to streamline all the forms and information that your students need: Current contact numbers for parents/guardians, emergency contacts, the Free/Reduced Lunch form, the Media Release form, and the use of Internet form. Please go to https://www.spps.org/onestop to complete the iUpdate for your SPPS student(s) if you've not done so already.
