Park Terrace Elementary
September 30, 2020 Newsletter
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Greetings, Park Terrace Families!
It is hard to believe tomorrow is already October 1! The start of the year has been wonderful thanks to your continued partnership. Thank you for continuing to follow our health screening protocols and working with us to keep our students and staff healthy. Please remember, if your child is home sick (even if they are doing distance learning and/or it’s an online learning day), call the front office and let us know.
For families of Modified Campus (hybrid) learners, on days when students are learning at home, they will be marked absent if they do not attend their “live” lessons. Please help them keep track of their live learning schedule and log on.
For families of Extended Flexible Learning learners, we understand many of you were able to pick up learning materials for your student last week. Thank you. Please see Kim Fehringer’s update below for some additional specifics for you.
For everyone, fall break and conference time is coming fast:
- Fall break is coming up quickly. Students will not have school Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16. During this time, teachers will engage in professional learning, assessment, reporting, learning design and communicating and connecting with families.
- Fall conferences are normally scheduled around our fall break week. This fall, we are not able to provide in-person conferences at school in ways that make everyone feel safe. From past feedback, we also know setting aside specific days and evenings does not meet the needs of each family. Your child’s teacher will be reaching out to find a time to connect with you for a conversation. As we look to build the partnership between home and school to support your student’s strengths, interests and needs we hope to connect more frequently than seasonal conferences. In the coming few weeks, we’ll begin that process.
Have a great week!
Mona Perkins
Principal
For Extended Flex Learning Families: Big thanks, fall break and conferences
Greetings Extended Flexible Learning Families,
I want to extend a huge “thank you” to each of our nearly 600 families for coming to the District Services Center this last week to pick up your student’s Extended Flexible Learning student resource pack. Your flexibility and partnership, along with the help of many of our staff, helped to make the process successful and smooth.
Our Extended Flexible Learning teachers and I would also like to thank you for supporting your child as we kick off this year’s distance learning experience. Your help in ensuring that students are prepared and “plugged in” for their online learning experiences each day is appreciated. Partnership between home and school has never been more important. We are grateful for your support.
I join your building principal in noting we are coming up on conference time and fall break. Please make sure you know the schedule and plan accordingly. Fall break is Monday, Oct. 12 through Friday, Oct. 16, and there is no school. Teachers engage in a variety of activities during this week, including connecting with you. Watch for more detailed information about conferences from your child’s teacher very soon.
Enjoy this last day of September!
Kim Fehringer
Principal on Special Assignment
K-4 Extended Flexible Learning
Help keep classrooms safe: Avoid peanut/nut products in snacks and lunches
Many students in our schools have severe allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, and/or products which contain nuts. Strict avoidance is the best way to prevent a severe allergic reaction. Accidental ingestion or even touching a tiny trace of a nut may cause a potentially fatal reaction for some students.
In an effort to ensure all students are safe throughout the school day, we are asking families to partner with us specifically with the snacks and lunches that come from home. Please do not send any snacks or lunch items with your student that contain nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, or other nut products. Please also be mindful of products that may be produced in a plant that contains peanuts/nuts.
Fresh fruits, vegetables, popcorn, rice cakes, most crackers and fruit snacks are all safe options to bring to school. More options can be found on the Snack Safely website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the nurse at your child’s school.
Do you have school library books to return?
We continue to have a lot of missing books from last spring. Do you have books lurking in corners or closets? If your student still has a library book checked out from last school year, please return them as soon as possible. Overdue notices that include the price of the book will be sent out next week for missing books. If you are unable to find the book, please send the listed amount to your student's school.
Apply Now: the Free or Reduced-Price Meal Benefits Deadline is Approaching
Many families are pleasantly surprised to learn they qualify for Free or Reduced-Price Meal benefits. If your family received Free or Reduced-Priced Meal benefits for the 2019-2020 school year, the deadline to apply again is October 28, 2020. A new application must be completed each school year. Families who have not applied for these benefits before should apply right away.
Even though breakfast and lunch are free right now, federal funding will likely run out sometime during the 2020-2021 school year, meaning it is important families still fill out the Free or Reduced Meals application if applicable so your student(s) will receive free or reduced meals when the funds are exhausted. Learn more about free School Meals This Fall.
Questions? Contact the Nutrition Services Department at 763-600-5041.
Registration is open for Early Childhood Family Education Classes
Media permission and directory information
Photos, video, stories and other information highlighting student learning and achievement captured in our schools is considered public record. We share positive achievements in yearbooks, on the website, in newsletters and articles and the district’s other official communication channels that often include images and names.
Families can request specific “directory information” (student name, picture, other information) remain private by submitting a written request to the school principal or administrative assistant. Requests should include the student’s name, school, relationship of the person requesting and the specific information that is to remain private.
You can read the Media Permission/Directory Notification in English and Spanish and review our district policy on this topic, Policy 515: Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records.
Are you getting SLP communication the way you prefer?
To ensure you are getting SLP communication the way you prefer, please take a few minutes to review and update the following information in Campus Parent Portal:
1. Primary phone number
2. Emergency contact and phone number
3. Email address
4. Parent and guardian changes and updates
5. Adding/removing household members
6. Primary address changes
Why is it important to update this information? How does SLP use this information?
Current, updated information in Campus Parent Portal is used in the following ways:
1. Automated phone calls for general school announcements, emergencies or weather-related school closings
2. Mailed school and district communication
3. Email communication from teachers, your school's newsletter and district news
4. If your student(s) school needs to get ahold of you in regarding to attendance, a sick child, etc.
Learn how to update contact information in Campus Parent Portal.
Fall Community Ed Programs Available for Registration
Community Education has a number of programs scheduled this fall for adults and youth. Visit the website to view availability and details or call Community Education at 763-600-5050.
Program Highlights:
For Adults: Instant Pot Cook-Alongs, Holiday Cookie Bake and Decorate, Retirement Planning Today, How to be a Smart College Shopper
For Youth: Take-Home Art Activities, Role Playing and Character Building Games, Driver's Education
"We can do hard things!"
4th grade EFL students meet former St. Paul City Council representative
The 4th grade students, according to one of their teachers Mr. Bresin, have been "learning about government and how citizens can enact change in their communities. Our students enjoyed learning about how she was able to enact change during the civil rights movement by marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how as part of the city council she worked, helped diverse communities find a voice in local issues."
Tie Dye Masks
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