The Scots' Scoop
Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter
April 10, 2022
All translations are computer generated.
We apologize in advance for any unintended errors.
Upcoming Important Dates
Monday, April 11: Classes resume; Beginning of Quarter 4
Monday, April 11: Spring Sports Try-Outs Begin (after school)
Friday, April 15: E-Learning Day • No in-building classes (see information below)
Friday, April 15: Summer School Registration Priority Deadline (see information below)
- Mon., Apr. 18 - Fri., Apr 22: Course Registration for HPMS 2022-23 School Year (see information below)
Mon., Apr. 18 - Fri., Apr 22: MCA Math Test (see information below)
Friday, April 22: Quarter 3 Final Grades Posted on Campus One-Stop
Mon., Apr 25 - Thu., Apr. 28: MCA Science Test • 8th Grade Only
Monday, April 25: FCC Meeting • Virtual on Zoom • 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. (information TBA)
Monday, April 25: Last day to Order HPMS Yearbook Online (see information below)
Monday, May 16: Mid-Quarter 4 Grades available on Campus One-Stop
Monday, May 23: FCC Meeting • Virtual on Zoom • 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Monday, May 30: Memorial Day • No School
Friday, June 10: End of Quarter 4 • Last day of School
E-Learning Day This Friday – No In-Person School
This Friday, April 15, 2022, is an E-Learning day. This means there is no in-person school on Friday, April 15.
Here is the schedule for the E–Learning Day on April 15 :
- 10:00 – 10:15 a.m.: All Foundations classes will be meeting virtually at this time. Go to your Foundations teacher’s Google Meet address to attend Foundations. In addition, attendance for the day will be taken by your Foundations teacher during this time.
- 10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: All teachers will be live at their Google Meets addresses to assist students in any questions they may have about any of their school work, no matter if questions or concerns are about either A-Day or B-Day work.
- To find teachers’ Google Meet addresses, go here: tinyurl.com/HPGoogleMeet22.
- New assignments will be posted on Schoology on April 15 for your student's A Day classes. Make sure your student checks their Schoology account for new assignments to work on in their A Day classes that day. During the day, they should also work on any missing work they need to complete, as well.
SPPS Summer School Registration Open Now
2022-23 Course Registration for Current Students
Registration for courses for the 2022-23 school year will take place the week of April 18-22 for current 6th and 7th grade students. Counselors will go over course selections and registration directions with students in class.
The course selection options will be emailed to students once they submit their registration Google Form. Please review these selections with your student. Contact your student’s counselor if you have any questions/concerns:
- Danielle Seifert (grade 6) danielle.seifert@spps.org
- Nou Katzmarek (grade 7) nou.katzmarek@spps.org
Registration materials will be available on our website at https://www.spps.org/domain/6587 the week of April 18th.
HPMS Yearbook on Sale Now!
- "Order Your Lifetouch Yearbook" & then underneath:
- "Enter your school’s Yearbook ID code or search for your Yearbook ID code below."
- Then, in the space provided underneath the last message, where it says, "Yearbook ID code," enter the code for Highland Park Middle School, which is: 14645322.
- Then, click "Next" & follow the prompts.
The cost for a yearbook is $20. Orders are available online only through Monday, April 25, so to guarantee your yearbook, don't delay your order!
We thank Ms. Wise for the coordination of this year's HPMS Yearbook!
Thank You for Conference Night Meal
Camp Grant Opportunities for Students
Neighborhood House Food Support Program
GSA Spirit Wear
Our GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) is selling spirit wear. Please click this link to see what we have available. The order closes Friday April 22, 2022, so order yours today! Shirts will be shipped to HPMS and distributed to students in early May. Please email elisabeth.mulvaney@spps.org with any questions.
HPMS MN Urban Debate League City Championship Results
HPMS students took part in the the Minnesota Urban Debate League City Championship, a culmination of a series of debate tournaments that some of our students were involved in all year under the coaching leadership of Mr. Robert Gollon and coaching assistants Audrey Snowbeck, and Lily St. Dennis, both former HPMS students now attending Highland Sr. The final tournament of the season was held just prior to Spring Break.
We would like to congratulate 6th grade student Adelaide Davies for earning a 5th place team award, single-handedly! Adelaide Davies also went home with a speaker award for 9th place. Way to go!
In the Novice Division, we would like to recognize the partnership of 6th graders Emma Connelly & Liv Kleiber for earning a 3rd place team award! In addition, Liv went home with a speaker award for 4th place, while Emma went home with one for 8th place.
Finally, we would like to give a huge congratulations to 8th grader Owen Blat for earning a 1st place team award single-handedly! According to tournament organizers, this is a huge accomplishment! Varsity is the most difficult division, so being the champion of Varsity means that Owen is the champion of the City Championship, and by extension the best middle school debater in the Twin Cities! Owen also took home a speaker award for 3rd place. What a great tournament for HPMS!
Congratulations to the whole team!!
Dress Code Expectations
Masks
Please Leave These Items at Home
Cell Phones, Earbuds, Electronics
Highland Park Middle School has a "No Cell Phone Policy" during school hours. Please read more about this policy at this link: https://www.smore.com/pz8km.
Other Items
We are seeing more students bringing stuffed animals (e.g., Squishmallows) and blankets to school. These items are not only distracting, but can become unsafe in a school setting. Please leave these, and other items like them, at home.
Tardy Concerns
If you drive your student to school, & your student is late for the beginning of the day, your student MUST report to the main office first before going to their class so the main office can mark your student tardy (TUN). Otherwise, if your student goes directly to their class from the drop off & not first to the office, they may already be marked absent by their teacher & runs the risk of being charged an unexcused absence (AUN).
If you are dropping your child off at school in the mornings, please make ample time to do so. Our parking lot gets very busy by 8:15 a.m., so please make a point to leave a little earlier so your child is in the building by 8:25 a.m., to get to class on-time by 8:30 a.m. Finally, check your Campus One Stop regularly to keep abreast of your child's attendance.
Lost & Found: Glasses & Retainers
Volunteer(s) Needed for Lost & Found
We are also looking for a volunteer(s) who could organize the lost and found, for example, once a month. If you would be interested in volunteering, again, please contact our head clerk at tami.swenson@spps.org.
SPPS Needs Substitutes!
MCA Testing April
All students are scheduled to take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) tests this spring. We are currently finishing up Reading MCAs, which began last week. In April, students in all grades will be taking the Math MCAs; 8th graders only take the Science MCAs. Please encourage your child to get a good night's sleep before the testing dates. Here are the proposed dates for testing:
- April 18 - 22: Math Test (taken in math classes)
- April 25 - 28: Science Test (grade 8 only; in science classes)
If you do NOT want your student to take the MCA tests this spring ... If you plan to opt your child out of the MCA testing please email the HPMS principal at charlene.hoff@spps.org, or complete and sign the MCA opt out form: https://www.spps.org/Domain/17563 from the Minnesota Department of Education's website. When emailing or writing an opt out note, please include the date the letter is written, your child's full name, your full name & signature, indicate which test(s) your student is opting out of (for example, Math, Reading, and/or Science).
Please note, an opt out request may take up to 48 hours to process. Therefore, please make your request early enough to process, otherwise your child will have to sit during testing - if your request is made last minute - until the opt-out request if fully processed. Students who opt out of testing will use the testing time to work on coursework, so the students should come prepared with work to do on the above dates.
If you have questions about MCA testing please contact your child's school counselor:
- danielle.seifert@spps.org (grade 6),
- nou.katzmarek@spps.org (grade 7), or
- elisabeth.mulvaney@spps.org (grade 8).
'Every Meal' Free Weekend Meal Program
COVID-19 Vaccines Available Ages 5 - 17
Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms?
Please review this updated illness guidance for what to do if your child gets sick or tests positive for COVID-19. The SPPS COVID-19 Team continues to provide information to families who report positive cases to the SPPS COVID-19 Reporting System. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please notify your child's school and activities with absences and return dates that are determined when making a report or by the COVID-19 Team.
If you or your child are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please do the following:
Go to the SPPS COVID-19 Reporting System Website: https://commedspps.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9G0WvcJlWfuqwlL & follow the instructions there, then
Call the HPMS Attendance Line at (651) 744-3393, or email highlandmsattendance@spps.org to notify the school if you will be keeping your child home from school.
Schedule Change 2022-23 School Year
Please see this link for information regarding next year's schedule changes: https://www.smore.com/e9fxc.
Athletic Events Safety Practices
Homework Help at Highland Park Public Library
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 4 - 7 p.m., the Highland Park Public Library has a homework help center! The library has volunteers available to help with homework assigned to anyone from kindergarteners to college students. They also have school supplies and internet access.
The Highland Park Public Library is located at 1974 Ford Parkway. For more information, you may call the library at (651) 695-3700, or visit the Saint Paul Public Library calendar of events online at www.sppl.org/calendar. Please have your student take advantage of this free service!
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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