"What humility does is remind us that there are people before me. I have already been paid for. And what I need to do is prepare myself so that I can pay for someone else who has yet to come."

~ Maya Angelou

Humility isn't a word we hear often. We do hear about putting ourselves first and getting ahead in the race to succeed.

A "me first" attitude only goes so far. Humility is freedom from this kind of excessive self-regard. After all, when we think too highly of ourselves it's difficult to concede to the needs of others. But when we remember all that we have received from others, we are better prepared to help contribute to the success of those around us.

Mon Feb 14-Fri Feb 18: High School Spirit Week (see below)

Monday February 14: Board of Directors Meeting, 6pm

Thursday February 17: Picture Retake Day (see below)

Monday February 21: No School in honor of Presidents' Day

Tuesday February 22: Free COVID Vaccine Clinic at CPA for age 5 and up, 3:30-6:30pm in the cafeteria. Enter Door A. (see below)

Thursday February 24: Early Release Day; dismissal at 1pm

Friday February 25: High School Dance, 5:30-8pm (see below)

Thursday March 10: No School for PreK-4th Grade due to Elementary Conferences

Throughout Black History Month, CPA's African American Liaison, Kenan Moore, sends CPA staff members a daily email profiling a Black Hero. This helps our staff expand their cultural competency, and it provides teachers with important and relevant info they can use in their classrooms. This past week, one hero Mr. Moore spotlighted was John Lewis.

John Lewis was an American civil rights leader and politician best known for his chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and for leading the march that was halted by police violence on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, a landmark event in the history of the civil rights movement that became known as “Bloody Sunday.”

We encourage you to learn more about John Lewis in honor of Black History Month. You can read the full profile Mr. Moore shared here. You can learn even more by viewing the documentary film John Lewis: Good Trouble. ✊🏽✊🏿✊🏻

If you wish to purchase pictures from Lifetouch, please fill out the order form that was sent home or visit mylifetouch.com and enter the Picture Day ID EVTHH6773. If you are paying with cash you must send the exact amount--CPA will not have change.

Students getting their picture taken may dress up for their individual picture. Uniforms are not required for those getting pictures taken. All other students who are not getting their photo taken should follow normal uniform guidelines. Please review the Free Dress Day guidelines listed below when deciding on an appropriate outfit for picture day.

Students must wear clothing that is representative of the philosophy of Community of Peace Academy. Clothing, such as shirts or pants that feature pictures, phrases, or statements, must represent or promote peace, as well as a non-violent/healthy lifestyle.

All items of clothing must fit appropriately

1. Spaghetti straps, off-the-shoulder tops, halter or strapless dresses, or tops that show cleavage are not allowed.
2. Skirts and/or shorts must be in length from the waistline to the knees.
3. Clothing items that are transparent or sheer must have clothing worn under that meets the above criteria.

If it is ever a question as to whether or not you may be out of uniform or whether or not your choice of dress is appropriate, please contact the administration.

CPA families: have you heard there is a new government program that will mail 4 free COVID tests to every household? In order to receive your 4 free COVID tests, you must order them!

Please visit covidtests.gov to order your tests--it's very easy, and it only takes a minute.

The tests are entirely free, and there is no shipping cost. It takes about 7-12 days before the tests will be shipped, so order now before you need them!

Thanks for helping us keep stop the spread of COVID in our community.

We are excited to announce that CPA will be starting a partnership with Every Meal. Through this program, CPA families can register each enrolled child to receive a bag of food to take home each week. This program is entirely free and is open to anyone who is interested. We expect this program to be up and running later this winter.

There are 5 types of food bags available to suit your dietary preferences. On the registration form, you can see the kinds of food each bag contains and choose your preference.

Register here! We apologize that the link did not work in the previous Tiger Talk--it will work now. If you have any questions, please contact Chelle York (651-280-4509) or Sadie Fischer (651-280-4564).

How does $100K a year sound? $100K is the average salary for U.S. computing jobs, and Girls Who Code wants to help students who identify as girls or non-binary #MakeThatChange!

Join Girls Who Code's free virtual summer programs, and get the skills and support you need to step into the 500,000+ open computing jobs across the country.

• The 2-week Summer Immersion Program (SIP) hosts current 9th-11th graders in live virtual classrooms led by industry-leading companies like EA, Pfizer, and ViacomCBS. Students learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript while getting an inside look into the tech industry. Plus, SIP students can apply for grants up to $500!

• The Self-Paced Program offers independent study and real-world projects for current 9th-12th graders to earn beginner-level badges in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web development or an intermediate-level badge in Python for cybersecurity.

Both programs offer exclusive alumni benefits and career support for life, including a Hiring Summit, pre-internship programs, virtual mentoring, and GWC Talks webinars for career tips and strategies.

Complete your application here! Programs are available June 17 - August 12. You’ll get priority consideration when you apply by February 16, 2022. Regular-decision applications are due by March 18, 2022. Learn more by participating in an on-demand or live webinar.

Are you a renter who has fallen behind on rent due to COVID?

Ramsey County and the City of Saint Paul have teamed up to create the Saint Paul - Ramsey County Rent Assistance Program, a new tenant assistance program for Ramsey County renters struggling to pay rent due to the financial burdens of COVID. Eligible renters include households that earned 80% or less of area median income in 2020, or in the most recent month.

Click here to learn more or to apply!