The Path April 2021
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UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES:
- April 2nd -- NO SCHOOL (End of Quarter, Teacher Work Day_
- April 5th-9th -- NO SCHOOL due to Spring Break, ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF!
- April 12th -- Quarter 4 Begins/3rd Quarter Report Cards ready to view on Parental Portal
- April 13th -- PTO Meeting, 7:00-8:00p (link below)
- April 16th -- SPRING PICTURES (only families that order will have pictures taken)
- April 22nd -- Kindergarten Round-Up (In-Person), 5:00-6:00p (see information below)
- April 27th -- PTO Culver's Dinner Night, 4:00-8:00p
- April 27th --Kindergarten Round-Up (Virtual), 6:00-7:00p (see information below)
A Note From Mr. Leonard
Dear Sun Path Families,
It is hard to believe that it is April and we are starting our last quarter of a very unusual school year. As we enter this last section of the school year, we start to plan for next school year. It is my hope that we will be back to doing school in a way that we did prior to COVID-19.
This upcoming quarter our 3rd, 4th, and 5th IHD Students will be doing MCA testing. This is our state wide testing in Math (3rd-5th grade), Reading (3rd-5th grade), and Science (5th grade only). More information will be coming home soon regarding this.
Report Cards for 3rd Quarter will be available through the Parent Portal on April 12th. The instructions on how to access your child(ren)'s grade can be found later in this newsletter. If you would like a printed copy of your child(ren)'s report card, please contact the office.
Thank you to everyone who is following our drop off and pick up procedures at arrival and dismissal times. A couple of reminders, if you are dropping off in the morning on the lower level and there are no school staff outside, it is probably after 8:30. Remember to drop off students upstairs if it is after 8:30. Also, we have had a fair number of students that walk to school and are getting here too early. Please remember students should get to school 8:20 or after and that they need to be in the classroom by 8:30. If you walk with your child(ren) to school, please keep your pets at home for the safety of all our students and staff. Nicer weather is here and that means several students are riding their bikes to school, which is great! Please remember we do not allow scooters, skateboards, heelies, or roller blades at school.
I am looking forward to a great 4th Quarter at Sun Path Elementary.
Sincerely,
Patrick Leonard
Sun Path Principal
Shakopee Online for 2021-22
Shakopee Public Schools Families,
In an effort to best meet the varying needs of our students and families, we are working on providing an online learning option next year for students in grades 1-12. Like this year, Shakopee Online will be a year-long, full-time program that provides equitable educational opportunities and exceptional online learning experiences for registered students. Below are important details and dates.
2021/22 Shakopee Online Overview
- The program will only be offered if there is a sufficient number of students registered.
Full-time, full school year virtual program for grades 1-12.
A Shakopee Online Kindergarten program will not be offered for the 2021/22 school year.
Pearson Early Learning Center is offering an online Stepping Stones Preschool Program, separate from Shakopee Online. Details can be found here.
Special education services for those students with an active IEP will be incorporated into programming considerations when reviewing interest.
English Learner services will be available as needed.
Full day of learning, just like in-person.
Course offerings will be robust, but not necessarily match all courses available in the buildings.
Additional details, including the High School course catalog, can be found here.
Registration
- Click here to register by May 4, 2021 (9 pm).
As a reminder, the program will only be offered if there is a sufficient number of students registered by May 4.
The formal decision on whether Shakopee Online will be available for grades 1-12 will be announced by May 10.
Q&A Family Drop-in Sessions & Deadline
Two (2) virtual question drop-in sessions will be held next week:
Sessions will be interactive and recorded, and focused on answering parent/guardian questions. Session links can be found by clicking on your preferred date noted above or on the district calendar ( click here).
We are committed to continually explore programs and resources that allow all students to thrive.
Community Support Information
Dear Sun Path Families,
You may be aware of a police shooting that happened on Sunday in Brooklyn Center. A man named Daunte Wright was tragically killed by a Brooklyn Center Police Officer, which has led to protests in the surrounding area. In addition to this recent tragic incident, there are many things going on right now in our world and particularly in our state: the Derek Chauvin trial is nearing its end and increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in recent months, as well as the continued COVID restriction. We recognize these events may be impacting our staff, students, and families in a number of ways. Please know that our staff wants to support all of our students and families. If you have concerns about how your child may be dealing with these events or If there are any other experiences you are having that you would like to talk about, we are here to listen and support you and your child. If your child is looking for a safe space for your talk or express their emotions regarding these events, please reach out to any of the following people:
Kelsi Henningsen, School Social Worker khenningsen@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Stephanie St. Peter, School Psychologist.sstpeter@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Kristi McGuire, Dean of Students kmcguire@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Sean McMoore, Equity Specialist (smcmoore@shakopee.k12.mn.us)
Patrick Leonard, Principal pleonard@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Here are some resources that are available should you want to explore supports on your own:
- Responding to Trauma and Tragedy (MDE)
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters and Other Traumatic Events (NIMH)
- What To Say To Kids When The News Is Scary (NPR)
- Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
Take Care,
Patrick Leonard
Principal
Sun Path Elementary.
Report Cards Ready To View April 12th
Quarter 3 is done and report cards will be ready to view on April 12th.
To access your child(ren)'s report card please go your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Once you are in the portal click on grades on the pull down menu. If you have multiple children you will have to select the one you want to view in the upper right corner.
If you do not have a parent portal set up and need help with that please contact the office at 952-496-5892. If you have any other questions please contact the office as well.
SAVE THE DATE FOR SPRING PICTURES
Spring Pictures will be on Friday, April 16th!!
These pictures are OPTIONAL.
Pictures will only be taken for those children that have orders submitted.
If you are ordering online go to mylifetouch.com and use code EVT8BVDWG.
IHD STUDENTS:
Ordering information has been sent home with your child(ren).
SHAKOPEE ONLINE STUDENTS:
If you are ordering please call the office at 952-496-5892 to sign up for a time.
If you are unable to order online, please stop in to get an envelope/packet in the main office.
If you have any other questions regarding spring pictures please call us at 952-496-5892, thank you!
PTO CULVER'S DINNER NIGHT
Enjoy a night of no cooking on Tuesday, April 27th!
PTO will be doing a DINNER NIGHT at CULVER's from 4:00-8:00p!
Get some yummy food and help raise some money for Sun Path at the same time!
WE NEED YOU FOR PTO!!
The light at the end of the tunnel is near…we sure missed having PTO sponsored events during this unusual year. We need your help to keep the Sun Path PTO going so we can keep the family fun nights going in the 2021-2022 school year! Without volunteers we won’t be able to continue to have the PTO. Volunteers are needed for the following positions listed below. Please reach out to sunpathpto@hotmail.com with any questions and/or if you have any interest at all!
This is a fun and easy way to get involved at Sun Path and meet new families!
Leadership team:
President: oversee monthly (or semi monthly) meetings, connect with other shakopee PTO leadership teams, over see certain committees
Treasurer: oversee finances- bank account, create and update yearly budget, oversee certain committees
Committees Chairs:
Yearbook- work with a rep at Lifetouch to edit out school yearbook. Creative skills put to great use!
Dinner nights: connect with local restaurants to set up dinner nights once a month where a portion of the proceeds benefit PTO
SPAC/ End of the year celebration: this event is transforming and you can make it your own!!- a way to showcase the students artwork and school projects through out the year, and celebrate the end of the year. Has previously had a science fair/ art fair option and band concert!
Committee members: needs an extra person or more
Staff Appreciation- celebrate our teachers with meals/ snacks at various times through out the year and during staff appreciation week (May)
Bingo Night: in November- night of bingo, pizza, celebrity teacher bingo callers. Organize volunteers, order food and prizes, help advertise the evening.
Spring Dance: organize School Dance in March - DJ, food, photo booth; work with staff on raffle / prizes, organize volunteers and oversee event.
Yearbook: need committee members to help the committee chair, take photos, organize layouts, help with sales of yearbook and advertising.
Please join us for a virtual PTO Meeting on Tuesday, April 13th at 7:00!
Please click on the link below to join:
Thank you again for considering and please let us know if you have any questions at all!
We Are Here To Help
We are here and available Monday-Friday 7:30-4:00 to answer your calls. Please do not hesitate to give us a call at 952-496-5892 if you have any questions or need anything. We will do our best to answer your questions and if we cannot we will help to find the answer!
Every day is a GREAT day here at Sun Path!!
ATTENDANCE
If you need to report an absence, please call 952-496-5893. Follow the instructions in the voicemail. We really appreciate you calling in to this number in case we are busy at the front desk or on another line and cannot answer your call!
THANK YOU!
Remember Your Masks
Just a friendly reminder to remember to have your mask on when you get onto the bus or when you enter the school. If you can, keep extra masks in your backpack. If you are in need of a mask please come to the front desk and we will get you some.
Thank you for masking up to keep us all healthy and safe!
Quick Message from the Nurse
Spring has sprung and along with that comes dirt and wet!
Just a reminder, nursing has limited extra clothes that are used when kids need it for medical purposes. If your child is one to get wet and dirty on the playground please send them with extra clothes to change into.
Thank you and do not hesitate to reach out with any nursing questions or concerns!
Amy Johnson
Sun Path School Nurse
Band "Notes"
GRADE 5 BAND UPDATE 😊
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Outdoor full band rehearsal?
Plans are still in the works, but we hope to have a full band outdoor rehearsal this spring! The latest plan includes social distancing and providing special masks for most brass and woodwind players. We may post our best work from the rehearsal on SeeSaw. Keep checking your email for more updates on this potential exciting opportunity to play together. 😊
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SmartMusic
Please remind your child to log into SmartMusic at least 5 times per week at home while playing their assignment.
Here’s how: https://www.loom.com/share/ba9e73355a254a54a1e6face55f33a90?sharedAppSource=personal_library
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SeeSaw – check for incompletes
There are quite a few students with incomplete SeeSaw Assignments. Please check for these about once a week. I look forward to seeing their completed work. 😊
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Benchmarks to achieve by the end of the year
By the end of May, your child will need to demonstrate successful playing of the Bb Concert Scale and exercise #53, Hard Rock Blues. Playing tests on these 2 items will be part of the progress report grade for the end of the year, but more importantly….they will increase their musicianship. Many students are already prepared to pass the playing tests on these.
The Bb Concert Scale will show up as an Activity in SeeSaw. It will include an instructional video.
#53, Hard Rock Blues is an assignment in SmartMusic. Above there is a link on how to log in to SmartMusic. (Horn in F has an alternative song in SmartMusic)
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5. Link to the latest band schedule
Click https://tinyurl.com/yyk49uu6
to review the TIMES and DAYS your child has band lessons.
Click https://tinyurl.com/y29shkbd
to review the BAND CALENDAR for the DATES your child will have band lessons.
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Please reach out if you have any questions regarding band
Steph Peoples
DO YOU HAVE AN INCOMING KINDERGARTENER FOR 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR? Round-Up Nights Are Coming Up!
Note from our School Social Worker and Psychologist
Please contact us if you are in need of anything, we are here to help!
Kelsi Henningsen, School Social Worker
khenningsen@shakopee.k12.mn.us
952-496-5896 (please leave a voicemail)
Stephanie St Peter, School Psychologist
952-496-5812 (please leave a voicemail)
BUS DRIVERS NEEDED
Palmer is hiring for big bus drivers, small bus drivers and bus aides.
A CDL is required for the driving positions and we have a paid training program to walk you through the process.
This is a part time position and hours/days are based on the school calendar.
You would be joining a great team and entering a rewarding career.
Contact Palmer Bus Service at 952-445-1166 for more information.
FOOD SERVICE HAS OPENINGS, APPLY TODAY!
SUBS NEEDED
Have a Bachelor's degree and want to make a difference in the community?
BECOME A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER!
We will:
- Help you get a short call license (It is easier than you think!)
- Answer your questions
- Arrange for an observation of an outstanding teacher
- Coach you on taking over a classroom
If this sounds good and you are interested:
Call: 952-496-5014 or email: humanresources@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Make $130 per day with a flexible schedule
TECHNOLOGY HELP (USE LINKS BELOW)
District Tech Support for IHD students
For Parents: parenthelp@shakopee.k12.mn.us
For Students: helpdesk@shakopee.k12.mn.us
PBIS
Dear Parents/Guardians
This year we are implementing PBIS in our school.
The approach of PBIS is to manage behavior by acknowledging positive behavior. Students will begin to build intrinsic motivation to behave in a positive way which will help create a positive learning environment in all areas of the school. Sun Path Elementary has developed a common language for behavior expectations in each area. You will soon see these expectations posted around the building and all students will be explicitly taught in each area of the school (cafeteria, playground, classroom, etc.)
We will work hard every day to “Be a Saber.” We will work together to learn each behavior expectation throughout the school. Expectations will be taught and practiced during the school year.
What does it mean to “Be a Saber?”
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
Be Positive
We have been using “Saber Slips” and “Saber Stickers” to acknowledge the great things students are doing to “Be a Saber.” Students have been and will be given a slip at school from staff members. The students will be given a sticker to take home.
Just like in academics, we expect students to make behavior mistakes as they learn!
Students will be given opportunities to fix their mistakes with practice. If it is not fixed after two reminders with practice and teacher support, the student will be given a “minor.” There will be communication with the family to make the parent aware we are working on the behavior. Our focus will be for students to learn and improve their behavior
Any “major” behavior will be handled by the office.
Teaching proper behaviors is a team effort between the school and parents. We appreciate the support and follow-through when both positive and negative behaviors are observed.
We look forward to all the wonderful things PBIS will bring to Sun Path! Please look for more information to go home throughout the year regarding PBIS.
Be kind. Work hard. Be a SABER!
Amazon SMILE
Amazon ordering has picked up a lot with our social distancing so please sign up for AmazonSmile to give back to Sun Path PTO in a simple way.
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Sun Path! Just go to the link below and search for Sun Path PTO. Amazon will give a portion from your purchase back to your purchase back to our school.