Middle School Conferences (all virtual)

• NOVEMBER 8-19; sign up is for each teacher, as needed
• Follow this link to sign up for Middle School conference times

Elementary Conferences 5pm-8pm, (all virtual)

• NOVEMBER 9 & 11: 5-8pm
  
• NOVEMBER 19: 8am-11am; 12pm-4pm
  
• Follow this link to sign up for Elementary conference times

NOVEMBER 11 & 12: Scholastic Book Fair 10am-4pm (see below for info)

NOVEMBER 12: End of Quarter 1

NOVEMBER 15: PTO Meeting, 7-8pm https://meet.google.com/xdq-jmpc-nyt

NOVEMBER 16: Picture Retakes

NOVEMBER 18: Give to the Max for Capitol Hill!

NOVEMBER 19: No School for all grades, conferences

NOVEMBER 25 & 26: Thanksgiving break

Grades 6-8

As parents/guardians and family members you are critical partners in supporting your child’s educational growth. As we prepare for fall conferences, this is a wonderful opportunity to meet and collaborate. Our conference structure this year will be online via Google-meet.

This fall, conferences will be held for middle school from November Monday, 8th to Friday the 19th. Elementary conferences will be held on November 9th and 11th from 5pm - 8pm and on the 19th from 8am - 12pm and 1pm - 4pm.

Our counseling department conferences will be by appointment. Please reach out to:

• Zachary Nauschutz (Zachary.nauschutz@spps.org) for grades 1-4
• Melissa Derby (Melissa.derby@spps.org) for grades 5-6
• Chi Fomafung (Chi.fomafung@spps.org) for grades 7-8

In addition, we may attend your child’s teacher conferences if needed.

Dear Saint Paul Public Schools Families,

We are excited to share that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for children ages 5-11. The vaccine was authorized by the FDA and CDC after clinical trials found that low-dose shots are safe and provide strong protection for children of this age group. This means that all Minnesota residents ages 5 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

This is a turning point in the pandemic that many of us in education have been waiting for and will allow our students and families to better protect themselves and those around them. Getting vaccinated is proven to be the most effective way to protect against COVID-19, and can help students stay safe and healthy at school, sports and other social activities. People who are fully vaccinated and have close contact with someone who has COVID-19 do not need to quarantine if they do not have any symptoms and meet other conditions.

SPPS Vaccine Clinics for Ages 5-11:

SPPS is partnering with St Paul-Ramsey County Public Health to offer vaccine clinics to students ages 5-11 at Como Park Elementary (780 Wheelock Pkwy. W.) and Battle Creek Elementary (60 Ruth St. S.)

• Como Park Elementary will hold first-dose clinics on November 15, 22 & 29 from 3-6pm
• Battle Creek Elementary will hold first-dose clinics on November 16, 23 & 30 from 3-6pm

​Patients will receive a date for a second-dose vaccination during their first-dose appointment. Appointments are required. Register at ramseycounty.us/COVIDvaccine.

SPPS Vaccine Clinics for Ages 12 and Up:

Vaccines for ages 12 and up are available at the Health Start Clinic held at Gordon Parks High School (1212 W. University Ave.) on Fridays from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Booster shots are not available.

Ramsey County Vaccine Clinics for All Ages:

St Paul-Ramsey County Public Health also has vaccine clinics at the following locations:

• Arlington Hills Community Center (1200 Payne Ave.)
• Consulate of Mexico (797 E. Seventh St.)
• Oxford Community Center (270 Lexington Pkwy. N.)
• New Brighton Community Center (400 10th St. N.W., New Brighton)

Vaccines for ages 5-11 will be available at these locations within the next two weeks. Appointments are required. Register at ramseycounty.us/COVIDvaccine. Booster shots are available at these clinics for those who are eligible.

What to Expect:

• Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when receiving a vaccine.
• There is no cost for the vaccine.
• You do not need to provide a government-issued ID or medical insurance to be vaccinated, and no question on immigration status is ever asked.

Other Vaccine Resources:

• Contact your child’s primary health care provider, local public health or a local pharmacy.
• Check the Ramsey County COVID-19 Vaccine website for community and mobile clinics in and near St. Paul.
• Walk-in or schedule an appointment through Minnesota’s Community Vaccination Programs at Mall of America (Bloomington) or MSP Terminal 2. You can also get connected to a vaccine through Minnesota’s Vaccine Connector.
• Use the Vaccine Locator Map to find vaccine locations near you.

​

SPPS will continue to keep families informed about available vaccine resources. Find the latest information on spps.org/covidvaccine.

Create and fund an "eWallet" for your student, if you are able. You will receive a link to share the "eWallet" with friends and other family. Cash and checks will also be accepted at the fair. Books are priced from $1 to $20 (or more) plus tax.

If you are unable to afford to donate or purchase a book next month for any reason, that’s okay. We will be using earnings from the book fair to provide books to as many students as possible.

Our goal this year is for every student to be able to choose a book. In order to make that possible, we are participating in a fundraising program called All for Books. If you can, please donate to our All for Books "eWallet" fund here.

Donate to the PTO - Give to the Max

Give to the Max is happening now and ends November 18th. Donate through GiveMN to help us reach our goal for the Fall Direct Drive. Support field trips, special events, and classroom enrichment for ALL students. Donations can also be made via cash/check to the office or PayPal (treasurer.capitolhill@gmail.com).

November PTO Meeting - November 15th from 7-8pm.

Dr. Jodi Dworkin, University of Minnesota professor and Capitol Hill parent, will lead a "Conversation about kids, technology, and social media" with tips for parents followed by Q&A. Use the following link to join the Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/xdq-jmpc-nyt

Merchandise Coming Soon!

Middle schoolers have submitted designs for the contest to create a new logo for Capitol Hill merchandise. The PTO plans to have the gear available to order before winter break. Stay tuned for more information.

• GLOW hoodie (unisex black, GLOW design on front and quote on back)
• GLOW t-shirt (unisex black, GLOW design on front and quote on back)
• GLOW beanie (embroidered GLOW logo and rainbow patch)

To order, please use the attached form. Bring to Ms. Hebble in room 2220B, with a check made payable to Advanced Sportswear OR exact cash. ORDERS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12. (Order form below)

• Girls Soccer and Co-Ed Football ended on November 5
• Boys Soccer ends November 12; practice will stop at 5:15 when the clocks change
• Volleyball ends November 12; practice will still go to 6:15 til then

Winter sports are coming!

• Winter Sports 1 (November-January) Co-ed Wrestling and Girls Basketball
• Winter Sports 2 (January - March) Boys Basketball

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

Debate League bagan October 27th, and will continue every Wednesday through the end of February, providing an after-school debate opportunity for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

Participants will learn debate skills and strategies while also learning about our current national debate topic involving water resources. There will also be three/four opportunities to participate in the MNUDL (Minnesota Urban Debate League) middle school debates beginning in January.

Students will meet in Ms. Hawksford's room (2314) from 4:15 to 5:00. Please make sure you have a ride home at 5:00. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Hawksford at alexandra.hawksford@spps.org or find her in room 2314.

Families should conduct a health screening for COVID-19 symptoms every morning before sending their student to school or the bus stop. School staff will also monitor for symptoms throughout the school day.

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 and submit a report to the COVID-19 Reporting System as soon as possible (link below).

SPPS requires face masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors (ages 2 and older) in all SPPS buildings, regardless of a person’s vaccine status, unless they have a qualifying exemption.

If you have not already done so, please get vaccinated and encourage all who are eligible to do the same. You can find vaccine resources at spps.org/covidvaccine

Area COVID testing resources: https://mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/index.jsp

DROP-OFF PROCEDURE:

• Parents/guardians drop off students on Concordia Avenue, no earlier than 9:30am.
  
• Please follow the procedure of cars lining up, and 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 Avenue.
• NO PARKING on Concordia: this a pull up and drop off quickly area. If you must park your car, please find a spot on another street to take care of your drop-off needs.
  
• 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; there will be staff to assist if needed.
• Once your student is out of the car, please safely pull out of the line.
  
• Students will proceed to enter into the blue doors.
• Students who walk to school will also enter through the blue Capitol Hill doors.

PICKUP PROCEDURE:

Students will be grouped inside by last name and we will have three lines outside:

• Parents/Guardians of students with last names starting with A – G will be located between the far MLK driveway and the corner of Mackubin & Marshall
• Parents/Guardians of students with last names starting with H – O will be between the MLK driveways
• Parents/Guardians of students with last names starting with P – Z will be between the MLK driveway and the Green Doors

We will have three staff members outside calling student names on the radios; one staff member per line. Each line will have a sign at the beginning and end of the line telling you which section of the alphabet is being called.

• If your child doesn’t come out the first time after being called, we appreciate your patience in waiting for a staff member to circle back and call for your child again
• Middle school students will continue to exit the Green Doors on Mackubin
• Middle school students cannot pick up their younger siblings without a parent/guardian present
• Parents/Guardians should not come up to the building to pick up their student(s)

Picking up earlier than 4:15 dismissal time? Please see office notes below for information on making changes to normal routines. All changes should be called into the office (651-325-2500) no later than 3 pm. We have a large amount of families picking up early this year. Please, to the extent possible, be mindful that students are still engaged in learning until our 4:15 dismissal time. We will do our best to get your students out to you in a timely fashion, but the last 30 minutes of the day are particularly hectic!

Please see the picture below for a visual of the 4:15 pickup plan:

Parents should not enter Capitol Hill during morning drop-off. Your child will be greeted as they enter the Blue doors and make their way through the lobby to breakfast and class. There's staff inside should they need help.

With an appointment, parents may enter the building to meet with specific staff.

Use this link to register for an appointment: t.ly/QEwM. If you are sick or having symptoms, please cancel your appointment and reschedule. Do not come to the school. **

Please read the full Capitol Hill Dress Policy at this link.

Click here to read Capitol Hill Middle School Cell Phone Expectations

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.***

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: 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.

The Free/Reduced Lunch Application is very important for you! Even though meals are free at this time, it may help qualify for discounted internet service, discounted transit for your whole family and the P-EBT program. It is very important for us - some of our funding is based on the families that could be served by the Free/Reduced Lunch Program, even if you don't think you qualify or wouldn't use the service! Filling out the form benefits the whole Capitol Hill community. www.schoolcafe.com/spps

October 29.2021

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October 1, 2021

September 24, 2021

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September 10, 2021

August 25, 2021