Capitol Hill Headliner
Friday, February 5, 2021
Message from Principal Hodges
Hello!
I hope you all are doing well! We have a few updates this week!
- Grades 3-5 in-person classes begin Tuesday, February 16
- If you want to switch between VLS or in-person please contact the Student Placement Center 651-632-3760 or spc@spps.org
- The earliest that Middle School In-Person Support will begin is Monday, February 22nd. An announcement will come next week for SPPS.
This week we have exciting content in our newsletter!
- Flowergrams for Capitol Hill Staff!
- PTO Update
- Middle School Schedule Update
- Spelling Bee Champion!
- Middle School Band Spotlight
- Elementary School Orchestra sign-ups
- Middle School AVID Applications are Live!
- Elementary Art Update
- Middle School Students Present at U of M!
- Litmobile update
- Cougars rock Debate!
Feel free to contact me with any questions at andrew.hodges@spps.org or 612-398-9579.
Flowergrams for Capitol Hill Staff!
Send your love to the Capitol Hill staff that are our first in-person crew by filling out this form. Flowers and messages will be delivered to them at the building on Friday, February 12.
Questions? Email lisa.schibel@spps.org
PTO Updates
Capitol Hill students shared their Cougar pride at last week's Open House thanks to this video from the WEB team. Listen to hear why our students love their school, and please share these links with prospective families.
Capitol Hill Student Video: https://youtu.be/AblbXGLe3nw
Capitol Hill Open House Videos: https://www.spps.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=41320
*****************************************
The February PTO meeting is being postponed a couple of weeks. Look for the rescheduled date in upcoming communications.
Middle School Schedule Update
SPPS recently communicated that we will begin in-person academic and social-emotional support for middle school students. This support could start as soon as February 22. The official start date will be announced by SPPS and is dependent upon COVID-19 case rates in Ramsey County.
We have been discussing the impacts this would have on our schedule at Capitol Hill. A committee of teachers and Mr. Hodges met to discuss the schedule and gather their input. Due to this great collaboration, we are excited to announce that our plan for in-person support will allow us to continue with our current synchronous schedule (found here), rather than changing to our previously announced asynchronous schedule of 1:30-4.
Students who attend an in-person day will work in a small group with a teacher. They will review student workload, help come up with plans for working with teachers on their assignments and provide social-emotional support as well. Students will attend their synchronous sessions beginning at 10:05-10:55 and 11:00-11:50, but they will also have additional opportunities for support in-person during these times as well.
A few reminders:
- Details regarding this schedule will be coming soon.
- In-person academic support will have Middle School students coming to school 1 day per week in 4 cohort groups from 9:30-12. This means we will have a smaller number of students per classroom.
- Students will work with a teacher to review what they need to work on, which subjects they need assistance with, and schedule time with a teacher from that subject for support.
When students are on-campus they will remain 6 feet apart from one another and wear masks. For more information regarding safety guidelines please see this page.
Spelling Bee Results!
6th grader Helios Her is our 2021 Capitol Hill Spelling BeeChampion!
His winning word was “corroborate” and he said he studied “a little.” He’ll be completing a 50-word online test in the next few weeks to see if he qualifies for the regional bee. Good luck Helios!
Our runner-up was 7th grader Erin Moore (who was our champion last year!)
In 3rd place was 8th grader Maya Nirmal.
Other participants in the virtual bee included: Harun Mohamed, Kavanaugh Kim, and Rohan Nirmal. They all did very well and were gracious participants!
Concert Band Students Create Virtual Recording
Students in Mr. Fulton's concert band took part in a virtual recording project during second quarter on Randall Standridge's "Darkland's March." Since playing and rehearsing together isn't possible during distance learning, students worked individually on their parts along with a recording using the Smart Music platform. After several weeks of working on parts and discussing their progress in our weekly Meets, students made a final individual recording. Mr. Fulton combined and edited them together to create the final virtual performance. This was a great learning experience for the students and a lot of fun to put together. The band is taking on a new virtual project for quarter 3, while varsity band students are in the middle of their own virtual project.
You can hear their work at this link.
Elementary Orchestra Sign-Ups
To all elementary Orchestra students. This week, please continue to sign up for lessons using the Shared Google Doc found here and on your Schoology page.
Anyone who stays at home with Virtual Distance Learning can continue lessons. When those who comeback in person return, we will have to wait a couple weeks, to see if some lessons can resume later. Keep up the good practicing.
Hey Middle School! Are you interested in applying for AVID?
Students can learn valuable skills that help them prepare for high school and beyond with a class called Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). AVID is an elective class that meets every day of the school year. Students focus on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading.
AVID students visit college campuses, refine academic skills, and engage in high-level thinking and discussion. Students also develop positive peer relationships, learn to advocate for themselves, and improve self-awareness.
Students are given support to be successful in rigorous courses. Tutors are in AVID class twice per week to facilitate collaborative learning groups that help students better understand course work and develop higher-level thinking skills.
We will be accepting applications for AVID until March, 19th. All current interested 6-8th graders are encouraged to apply!
Elementary Art Update
This week art students are reflecting on what makes us unique and how our creativity can allow us to be seen! Students are exploring these ideas through creating works of art inspired by Expressionist, Folk and Color field artists such as Alma Woodsey Thomas, the first woman of color to have her own art show at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art.
Next week our Elementary Long Term Sub for Art and our middle school class taught by Ms. Haug will begin. We will miss Ms. Haug but we will see her again next school year! Mr. Everett will be joining us and introducing himself to you and your children soon!
Middle School Students Present Research at UofM!
Congratulations to these students for presenting their research at the UofM last weekend!
Litmobile Update!
Please fill out the following survey to help us decide where to host these in the city!
More information to come next week!
Middle School Debate!
Here are the results for Capitol Hill from the 1st Minnesota Urban Debate League Tournament of the year for Rookies and Novices.
Novice Speaker Recognitions:
- 14th place - Willow Hovland
- 9th place - Maya Nirmal
- 2nd place - Eddie Nagel
- 1st place - Isaiah Wang
Novice Team Awards - Undefeated:
- 3rd place - Hashim Benlhabib and Lucio Pranis-Ricci
- 2nd place - Willow Hovland and Maya Nirmal
Congratulations to all of the debaters! Our next debate opportunity will be Wednesday, February 17th.