Alice Smith Weekly Connections
April 14, 2023
Message from Principal Navidad
For ALL families that have joined our school since 2020-21, You are in for a TREAT!
Alice Smith has a long standing tradition and pride in hosting an Annual Event that celebrates our global community - Our Annual Alice Smith's Heritage Fest.
I want to personally invite ALL OF OUR families to this AMAZING event and also encourage you to participate by signing up (More info below!)
Friday, April 28, 2023 (Note: DATE CHANGE). 5:00-8:00 pm
Please join Alice Smith families, friends and staff as we celebrate our cultural heritage and enjoy time with our community.
The evening will include a potluck dinner, art activities, informational displays on a variety of countries/cultures, sales of fair trade and other items from vendors, etc. spread throughout the cafeteria, gym, and hallways.
You will also be able to enjoy a musical performance by Alice Smith 3rd Graders and Aztec dancers!
If you would like to volunteer or contribute, please fill out one of the following forms:
Questions? Contact Holly Wick Bower, 952-988-4254, Holly.Wick@hopkinsschools.org
In Partnership,
Mr. Navidad
952-988-4201
Alice Smith Elementary Principal
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." - Nelson Mandela "Madiba"
Follow us on Social Media
Twitter: @AliceSmith270 and @NavidadASE
Facebook: @AliceSmithElementarySchool
Important Upcoming Dates
Friday, April 21: No School, Eid-al-Fitr
Thursday, April 28th - Dental Clinic @ Alice Smith
Thursday, April 28: Heritage Festival @ AS, 5-7:30p
Sunday, April 30th - HEF Royal FUN Day!
Click Here For Alice Smith Calendar
AS CLASSROOM NEWSLETTERS
Grade level/department newsletters are updated every other week!
Paw Ticket Winners
Hezekiyah (Kg), Catherine (kg), Kinsley (1), Ava (1), Zakaria (2), Reese (2), Sylvie (3), Ya'Laelah (3), Dawson (4/5), Nabiil (4/5), Hailey (6), Lenora (6)
Make their Day! Hopkins Education Foundation Gratitude Gifts Available Now!
Celebrate Spring and finish the school year with a shout out to amazing Hopkins staff. For just a $25 donation to
Hopkins Education Foundation, which funds future grants to staff and students, we will deliver a personal message
along with this year's exciting NEW Gratitude Gift which includes the following:
- $25 Gift Card from BLVD Kitchen & Bar
- A mini loaf of bread from Breadsmith
- Certificate from Breadsmith for a future loaf of bread
Thank you to BLVD Kitchen & Bar and Breadsmith for partnering with HEF to acknowledge our fabulous staff. Order your Gratitude Gifts HERE by Friday, May 19.
HEF Volunteers will personally deliver the gifts to staff on Thursday, May 25.
HEF's Royal Family Fun Day - Sunday, April 30, 1-3:00PM!
Join Hopkins Education Foundation for the 4th Annual Royal Family Fun Day Sunday, April 30, 1-3PM at Eisenhower Community Center Gym. It's a FREE afternoon of kid-sized fun. Children aged 3yrs through 6th grade are welcome, accompanied by their adult(s). Play games with Mathnasium, try out musical instruments with Bach to Rock & conquer the inflatable obstacle courses....don't miss out on the FUN! Register now for this FREE event at Hopkins Education Foundation
Wizard of Oz T-Shirt/Hoodie Order
Please use this form to order t-shirts and/or hoodies with our official Alice Smith design! Please use the drop down menus to order the correct sizes and quantities. Please fill out the order form by MONDAY APRIL 17th! Payments can be sent after the form has been filled out.
All t-shirts and hoodies will be available for pick up at the performances or will be given to your student in rehearsal. Some sizes and styles will be available for purchase the night of the shows in the lobby as well.
We want everyone who participated in the show to be able to have a t-shirt. If financial assistance is needed, please contact Aileen White in the front office email: aileen.white@hopkinsschools.org | phone: 952-988-4203
Hopkins Kindergarten Bridge
May 9-25, 6:30-8 p.m.
In-person, at each elementary school
Hopkins’ Kindergarten Bridge is a great opportunity for caregivers to learn about strategies to prepare for their child’s kindergarten experience. During the discussion, incoming kindergarteners will have the opportunity to play with other children and possibly explore a kindergarten classroom.
Registration is required and space is limited. This event is for families who have a child enrolled in kindergarten at Hopkins Public Schools for the 2023-24 school year
- Alice Smith: May 18, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m.
Kids & Co Corner
Hopkins Dance Team Tryouts
HOPKINS DANCE TEAM tryouts for Winter competition season are coming up the week of May 15! Open to all interested dancers and athletes who will be in grades 7-12 for the 2023-24 school year. Learn more about our program at hopkinsdance.org Contact Head Coach, Marit Green, with any questions. marit.sletten@gmail.com
Information Open House
Thursday, April 27
6-7pm
Hopkins High School Cafeteria
Come anytime within the hour to learn about the Hopkins Dance Team, meet the team & coaches, get your questions answered and feel more comfortable for tryouts!
Tryout Prep Clinics
April 24, 27, May 8, 11
4:30-6pm @ HHS Dance Studio
Come and learn more about what we do at dance team! Wear shorts, T or tank, jazz shoes and tennis shoes. Bring a water bottle!
Tryouts
May 15-18 @ HHS Old Gym & Dance Studio
Clinics: May 15-17 from 4:30-6:30pm
Tryout: May 18 starting at 5pm, groups will be assigned during the week
Are you a parent or guardian of a student on an IEP?
Hold the date of April 26th for the annual Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEAC) meeting. If you have any questions about the meeting, please email Kyra in the Special Services department: kyra.berggren@hopkinsschools.org
VirtualEDU offers two unique pathways - online learning and blended
Do you have a strong mathematics thinker or lover of mathematics in grades 5, 6, or 7 looking for a challenge?
Have fun this summer with Hopkins’ Summer Programs!
Class and program options are available for preschool through rising 9th-grade students. Browse our variety of programs and classes, find the option that’s right for your child, and register online. Learn More
Social-Emotional Learning Survey April 17 - May 5
Building our social-emotional learning skills is an important goal for our school this year. We will be asking your 3-12th grade child to reflect on their own mindsets and approaches to learning via an online survey they will complete at school in their homerooms. We will be asking homeroom teachers to reflect on K-2 children).
The survey content will ask students to self-reflect on social and emotional competencies that align with the Hopkins graduate traits outlined in the district's strategic plan (e.g., sense of belonging, and rigorous expectations).
We are asking that all our students participate in the survey. If a student doesn’t feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they can skip the item. The responses to these surveys will be completely confidential. We are partnering with a third-party vendor to support us in administering these surveys. If you have any questions about the SEL survey or would like information about opting out, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You may also choose to opt your student out of this survey no later than April 14th here.
Are you a caregiver of a Black or African Diaspora scholar?
The Caregivers of Black and African Diaspora Scholars Advisory Council is a district-wide resource group for those who hold the identity and the affinity. This is a great opportunity to connect with other parents, shape & influence district policies & programs, and address needs & opportunities as a community. For more information, please contact Brooke Roper at roperfb@gmail.com.
Supporting Gender Expansive Kids Parent and Caregiver Group
PTO HELP WANTED
Hello Alice Smith families! If you were unable to attend our meeting this week yet you'd like to hear about what was discussed, please check out the April 2023 Meeting Minutes
Our next and final meeting of the 22-23 school year is Tuesday, May 9th from 6-8pm in the cafeteria. We will be providing a meal for all attendees, as well as child care during the meeting portion. Mark your calendars so you don't miss out! More details to come in the following weeks.
The Alice Smith Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) supports teachers, staff and school events through volunteers and fundraising and needs your help!! With both 4th and 5th grades graduating to middle school this year, we are losing many parent volunteers! We need volunteers on the board and also volunteers to help organize events for the upcoming school year.
Board openings include:
- Meeting leader (or two! share this position!)
- Secretary
- Volunteer coordinator
Event openings include:
- Readathon
- Spring dance
- Imagination Fair
- Restaurant nights
- Classroom sponsorship
- Photographer
Consider coming to one of our upcoming meetings to see and talk more about these positions. Also, PTO meeting attendance is not required to help with the events!
Questions?? Interested? Please contact Mackenzie Dougherty at mlb126@aol.com.
AS Yearbooks
You can also visit ybpay.com and use Yearbook ID Code 14430323 OR make checks payable to Alice Smith Elementary. Any questions about yearbook, please contact Abby Taylor
Native, Somali, Hmong, and Latino Parent Advisory Councils
Are you a caregiver of a Somali, Hmong, or Latino scholar? Be a part of one of our advisory councils! These affinity groups give parents and caregivers the opportunity to connect with other parents, shape and influence district policies and programs, and address needs and opportunities as a community. Please contact one of the following engagement specialists for more information:
- Somali Parent Advisory Council: Deeqa Barkhadle, deeqa.barkhadle@hopkinsschools.org, 952-988-4069
- Hmong Parent Advisory Council: Panou Xiong, panou.xiong@hopkinsschools.org, 612-282-2632
- Latino Parent Advisory Council: Elisa Dorfman, elisa.dorfman@hopkinsschools.org, 952-988-4211
Hopkins Schools Transportation now has live GPS information through My Stop
We are excited to share that Hopkins Public Schools is now able to offer caregivers and students access to live school bus GPS information through My Stop. My Stop is a web-based application that families can use to track their child’s bus in real-time. This service will be especially useful during days when winter weather has slowed transportation. You can access My Stop at this link or on our transportation webpage. Parents can sign in to MyStop with their student's username and password as follows:
- Student’s Username is first 4 of LN followed by first 4 of FN followed by last 4 of their school id e.g.: WhitAile1234
- Student's password is their FN & LN initials followed by their 6-digit lunch PIN e.g.: AW987654 PW is case sensitive
If you need support, contact the Hopkins technology help desk at 952-988-4111. You can also download the My Stop App on Apple or Android platforms. Tech Support: For all questions regarding My Stop, please contact IT at mystop@hopkinsschools.org. Do not contact the transportation department, as they cannot answer questions regarding My Stop. Please send any feedback to mystop@hopkinsschools.org regarding your experience with the application. We will forward that information to the technicians.
AS NEWS
AS BOOK REVIEWS
Attendance Reminders
Remember it is important to Call/Email your students absence when they are not going to be at school.
School Day is 9:33am - 4:05pm
When you call/email in an absence it is IMPORTANT to provide the reason for not attending school, this allows the office to code attendance correctly, avoiding clarification calls later.
Attendance Line: 952-988-4210
Attendance Form: https://alicesmith.hopkinsschools.org/families/attendance
Attendance Email: EnrollmentAS@HopkinsSchools.org
With winter weather upon us, please ensure that all your contact information is current at Alice Smith.
Communications about school closings etc. will go out via call, text message &/or email.
Check your information by logging into Infinite Campus.
You can update your home/cell numbers & email by contacting the AS Office at 952-988-4200
NEED access to Infinite Campus?
https://www.hopkinsschools.org/portalrequest
If you have an Infinite Campus account already you can log in here. https://www.hopkinsschools.org/services/technology/infinite-campus-info
Electronic Backpack
Please take a look in our Electronic Backpack to find a variety of offerings & information for our scholars.
Alice Smith Elementary
Website: https://hopkinsschools.org/schools/elementary-schools/alice-smith-elementary
Location: 801 Minnetonka Mills Road, Hopkins, MN 55343, USA
Phone: (952) 988-4200
Facebook: facebook.com/AliceSmithElementarySchool
Twitter: @AliceSmith270