Northpoint Elementary
March 24, 2021 Newsletter
See translation information below / Consulte la información de traducción a continuación.
Welcome back, everyone!
I hope you had an amazing Spring Break and are looking forward to a successful third trimester. We are excited to see all of our students again and extend a special welcome to students who are changing teachers or classrooms as they move to learning at school or at home.
Specifically for families of students learning at school, please take a few minutes to review updated health screening guidance found in today’s newsletter. If applicable to your family, please review the recommendations from the CDC for after travel.
Trimester 2 report cards will be available beginning March 25 and can be accessed through Campus Parent Portal. If you’ve not accessed a report card before online or need a refresher, watch this video tutorial. Report cards are just one of many ways that we report on student learning throughout the year. Take a peek at the tips on how to read the report card in the newsletter as there may be some marks that are unfamiliar.
There’s a lot going on in current events as we return from Spring Break. Shootings in Atlanta over the break have raised new awareness of anti-Asian bias, and the shooting in Boulder that came so quickly after and claimed ten lives. In addition, the preparation for the trial of Derek Chauvin is nearly complete and will begin next week. All of these events prompt conversation and a range of emotions and responses.
I want to reinforce what Superintendent Ronneberg shared in a message yesterday. We work each day to create a safe, welcoming learning environment for each of our students. As current events impact our lives, each member of our school staff is here to support our kids. In addition to the list of resources in the newsletter, always let us know if your family needs additional support.
As we enter the final trimester of the 2020-2021 school year, our team looks forward to continuing our partnership with our Northpoint families. Thank you each for joining us on your child’s learning journey thus far this school year. Stay in touch with any questions, celebrations, and concerns. We will do the same!
Judi Kahoun
Principal
Updates for Extended Flex Learning families
Greetings,
Welcome back! I hope your family had an enjoyable Spring Break. We are entering the final trimester of the school year. There have been some changes to our Extended Flexible Learning class rosters as students and staff made shifts to different learning models. This week, our distance learning teachers are welcoming their students, those who were with them before break and those who are new to the class.
Report cards will be shared very soon. Please read further in this newsletter for the details on how you will receive your child’s trimester 2 report card.
The first day of spring means warm sunny days are near. I’m guessing your family is as anxious to enjoy this weather as I am. The distance learning staff will be reminding students of the importance of participation during this time. Students have worked hard over the year to build stamina and rigor while engaging in distance learning this year. While it is important to get fresh air and exercise, we encourage students to continue to meet the online learning commitment established by their teacher. Your support in this commitment to learning is appreciated!
If you have any questions or concerns as we move into the new trimester, please feel free to reach out to me.
Take care,
Kimberly Fehringer
Principal on Assignment
K-4 Extended Flexible Learning
Resources for families: Responding to current events
Our news headlines have been dominated by the upcoming trial trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, charged in the death of George Floyd last summer as well as recent mass shootings including events in Atlanta that have highlighted the issue of ongoing racism, violence and harassment toward Asian Americans.
At home, you may be looking for resources to help your children process current events. There are many available and here are just a few you may find helpful:
- Resources to Help Educators, Adults Respond to Racism, Violence and Trauma (MDE)
- Talking to Children about Tragedies & Other News Events (AAP)
- Anti-Racism for Kids: An Age-by-Age Guide for Fighting Hate (Parents)
- Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism (PBS)
- Helping Youth after Community Trauma: Tips for Parents and Educators (NCTSN)
For additional support in the coming days, please reach out to our school office with specific requests. We are here to help.
Where to find the latest COVID-19 information
We continue to update our "hub" of information for this unusual school year. Find the latest information about the learning models, health and safety measures (including procedures for quarantine), the weekly dashboard and archive of parent communication related to COVID-19 at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/Plan2020. Not finding what you need? Submit a question on the website and you should get a response within 24 hours.
Pandemic food benefits mailed by March 31
Families with students who qualify for free and reduced price meals will receive additional food benefits in the mail. Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary food benefit available to Minnesota families with children in grades K-12 who would have received free or reduced-price meals if schools were open. One benefit card per child (like a credit card) will be mailed to homes by March 31. The card will contain funds families can use to purchase food. Keep your card(s) safe. Cards will be loaded with additional benefits in later months. See more information about the P-EBT program.
It's not too late to complete a Free and Reduced Price Meals application. For more information, contact Jane Sweney, Nutrition Services Program Assistant at 763-600-5041 or jswene@district16.org.
Trimester 2 Elementary Report Cards (Grades K-5) Reporting on student learning
Report cards are just one of many ways that we report on student learning throughout the year. Report card grades reflect student learning, and teachers look at evidence of learning, over time, to determine where students are at in their learning at the time of report cards.
All grades received reflect student learning that occurred during Trimester 2. Grades for K-5 include:
- MS: Minimal progress toward standard
- AS: Approaching the standard
- S: Met the standard
- ES: Exceeds the standard
- You may see two other marks on the report card:
- An NA indicates that students did not have opportunities to learn this outcome throughout Trimester 2. Any learning outcomes marked as NA for Trimester 2 will be addressed throughout the rest of the year.
- An NE (No Evidence) grade indicates that students had opportunities to learn this outcome during Trimester 2, but did not submit any evidence of their learning. As a result, there is no evidence to determine where they are at toward meeting the learning outcome. Any learning outcomes marked as NE for Trimester 2 will be addressed throughout the rest of the year.
Trimester 2 report cards will be available beginning Thursday, March 25 and can be accessed through Campus Parent Portal. Watch a video tutorial on how to access your student’s report card through Campus Parent Portal.
Daily Health Self-Screen for Symptoms Reminder
All students and staff must self-screen their health before coming to school each day. Please stay home if there are one or more of the more common symptoms (fever greater than 100°, new cough, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste/smell) or two or more of the less common symptoms (sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, new severe headache, new nasal congestion or runny nose). View the Daily Health Self-Screen for COVID-19 Symptoms document.
COVID-19 Testing for Students and Families
MDH announced a recommendation for all school-age youth returning to school, youth sports, or extracurricular activities, and their families, to get tested every two weeks through the end of the school year. While it is not a requirement, regular testing complements other safety measures already in place, such as masking and social distancing. For more information about community testing sites and at-home kits, visit the MDH website COVID-19 Testing for Kids and Families.
CDC's 'After You Travel' recommendations
For families that traveled over the break, please be sure to read the CDC Travel During COVID-19 resource that's available online. The After You Travel link also recommends individuals get tested 3-5 days after travel and stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if the test comes back negative. Now that we've returned from Spring Break, our schools will continue to follow health and safety mitigation strategies. We appreciate all members of our school community taking precautions to help us keep our classrooms open for learning.
Northpoint Spring Picture Day - Thursday, March 25
- March 25 - NP Spring Picture Day
- April 5 - NP PTO Virtual Meeting - 6:30 p.m. Please access the meeting via WebEx. If you have trouble connecting, please contact Heidi Rogers at hroger@district16.org
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
Translate This Newsletter / Traducir Este Boletín
To translate this newsletter information to another language, please click anywhere on the newsletter to open it in a web browser and at the top of the page, select your language from the dropdown menu.
Para traducir este boletín de noticias a otro idioma, por favor presionen en cualquier lugar del boletín para abrirlo en un navegador web y en la parte superior de la página seleccione su idioma del menú.