The Scots' Scoop
Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter
November 19, 2023: News and Updates
Hello families,
Winter sports begins tomorrow at HPMS. This means basketball season! Girls' basketball begins November 20th at 3:15pm in the main gym. *Boys' basketball will be held after girls' basketball season ends.
The Scots' Scoop is Highland Park Middle School's newsletter to families and goes out every Sunday at 6pm. Be sure to read it weekly for important news and updates.
Important Upcoming Dates
- Monday, November 20: HPMS Winter Sports begins / Comienzan los deportes de invierno de HPMS
- Monday, November 20: rescheduled Family Communications Committee (FCC) meeting to November 27
- Thursday/Friday, November 23-24: No School; Thanksgiving holiday / No hay clases; Celebración de Acción de Gracias
- Monday, November 27: Family Communications Committee (FCC) meeting 6:00-7:00pm. *Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/pgf-xgst-kft Or dial: (US) +1 515-454-0326 PIN: 496 968 068#
- Tuesday, December 12: Teacher Conferences / Conferencias de maestros
- Monday, December 25 - Friday, January 5: No School; Winter Break / No hay clases; Vacaciones de invierno
Thank You • Give to the Max HPMS!
Because of your generosity, as of November 17, we raised $3,265 in our annual Give to the Max (GTTM) Day, which was on November 16. Proceeds from GTTM will go to support various school programming needs. Thank you! While we fell short of our goal to raise $7,500, we are so grateful for your ongoing support! If you have not had a chance yet to donate, you may still do so at https://www.givemn.org/organization/Highland-Park-Middle. Any amount helps.
We also acknowledge with gratefulness our HPMS families & community members for your support of ongoing Donors Choose fundraisers that various HPMS individual teachers have held throughout the fall to fund individual classroom needs. We are humbled by your generosity!
HPMS Winter Sports Begin November 20
Winter 1 sports start Monday, November 20.
Girls' Basketball will meet in the main gym at 3:15 p.m. Practice/Tryouts is over at 4:45 p.m. Bring athletic clothing and basketball shoes. Do not bring a basketball.
NOTE: Middle school boys' basketball begins AFTER the girls' basketball season ends.
Athletic Director Announced for Winter Sports
We are excited to announce the hiring of Sarah Hawkins as our Highland Park Middle School Athletic Director for Winter Sports. Ms. Hawkins serves as our school psychologist during the school day. Please feel free to reach out to Ms. Hawkins at sarah.hawkins@spps.org, or call 651-293-8950 to speak directly to her, or to leave her a message.
Ms. Hawkins was hired, as Chester Logan, who served as our Athletic Director for Fall Sports, will be coaching girls’ basketball and boys’ basketball during Winter Sports, and per the SPPS contract, an athletic director cannot also coach a sport during the same season. We look forward to a fun Winter Sports Season!
Washington D.C. 2025 Trip Opportunity
Do you want to give your child the opportunity of a lifetime?
This year’s 7th graders are invited to join us on an educational travel experience to Washington DC in February 2025 (during their 8th grade year)!
Highland Park Middle School has had the privilege and special opportunity for the last 20 years to take students on a 4-day educational study program to Washington, D.C. American History for your child is enhanced through this on-site, interactive experience that allows us to see first-hand what a dynamic history we have. The opportunity is open to any interested 8th grader to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The 4-day trip focuses on some of the national treasures, the U.S. Capitol, the Holocaust Museum, and all of the war memorials and presidential monuments. The students are challenged to analyze historic events, turning points and heroes of our past with Washington, D.C. and Virginia as the stage. The trip provides students with a deeper understanding of our history, consequences of choice and the student’s role in the future of America.
Want to know more?
Meeting details:
Date: Tuesday November 28th
Time: 7PM
Location: On Zoom**
Information covered: itinerary, activities, dates, academic opportunities, cost, and EF’s risk-free enrollment period.
It is mandatory to register for the meeting. Please register here https://bit.ly/47A1fft
Once you register, you will have access to the meeting link. If you can’t make it, but would like more information, please use the link above to let us know you are interested so we can keep you in the loop.
There are limited spots on this trip, so we would love to have you attend this meeting to learn more about this exciting opportunity! Enrollment will open after the meeting.
Homework Help sessions after school!
Homework Help sessions are being offered Monday-Thursday during the first hour of Flipside after school. Homework Help is available to any HPMS student, they do not need to be currently enrolled in Flipside.
- Students that would like homework help can check in with Ms. Nikol in the cafeteria after school on the day that they would like to receive the homework help. Families/Other teachers can also reach out to Amanda Sell or Camila Dávila ahead of time if they have additional information to share.
- Ms. Nikol will send them with a pass to Sell or Dávila's rooms depending on the day.
- Students NOT enrolled in Flipside will need to have their own ride home at 4:00pm.
Monday/Wednesday = Sell (Room #1304)
Tuesday/Thursday = Dávila (Room # 1416)
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Please contact Amanda Sell at amanda.sell@spps.org or Camila Dávila at camila.davila-schrandt@spps.org
Student Schedules
Student schedules can be viewed in the Student Portal on Campus, as well as in the Campus Parent app (be sure to download this app if you have not already!). Please direct any questions about student schedules to HPMS' school counselors:
- Nou Katzmarek, Grade 6 nou.katzmarek@spps.org (651) 744-3400
- Elisabeth Mulvaney, Grade 7 elisabeth.mulvaney@spps.org (651) 744-3399
- Danielle Seifert, Grade 8 danielle.seifert@spps.org (651) 744-7582
Drop-Off and Pick-Up
School Drop-off
Please enter the parking lot off Montreal Avenue and proceed to Door 20. Once you are in front of Door 20, please have your student exit the vehicle immediately. We experience a lot of car traffic in the morning at drop-off, so we need to be as efficient and safe as possible.
Please do not drop off your student in the parking lot at any point until your car gets closest to the school building, nearest to the sidewalk to Door 20. We want students to be safe. Dropping off students in non-designated areas creates an unsafe environment.
During the morning at drop-off, feel free to drop off your student along Montreal Avenue, with your car facing east (school building side of the street) as there is a sidewalk, and students may walk to Door 20 via the sidewalk that runs along the parking lot curb to enter the building.
Upon leaving the parking lot, you may only turn right onto Montreal Avenue, as the line of cars leaving with you backs up very quickly.
You may not drop off your student along Snelling Avenue at any time, as this is a busy bus zone for both morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.
School Pick-up
Follow the same procedures as listed above. However, you may not park on Montreal Avenue at the end of the day, as Montreal Avenue becomes a bus zone for our school buses.
Outside food and drinks
Students may bring a bottle of water and bag lunch from home. However, food and drinks from, or brought to students, from establishments and food services (e.g. restaurants, DoorDash) are NOT permitted.
Only water is permitted in bottles. Other beverages are NOT permitted.
*If your student brings a beverage from a coffee shop, juice bar, etc., it must be finished by the time the student goes to class, as we are trying to minimize pest issues in the building.
Cell Phone, Earbuds, & Electronic Devices
Cell phones should be turned off and put away during school hours, 8:30am-3:00pm. Please see this link to our school policy as it pertains to cell phones, earbuds, and electronic devices.
We do not recommend that you bring any valuable personal items to school - including phones and earbuds. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
Meals & Application for Educational Benefits
Application for Educational Benefits
The Minnesota Free School Meals Program provides all students with ONE FREE BREAKFAST and ONE FREE LUNCH per school day. *Students will be charged for single item purchases, such as milk and second meals. The prices for single item purchases can be found at here and on the website at spps.org/ns.
While all in-person students will receive free breakfast and lunch under Minnesota's Free School Meals program, it remains critical that all families complete an Application for Educational Benefits each school year. These applications determine how much funding your child's school receives for educational programs and supports. Additionally, eligible families can qualify for other benefits. The application can be completed online at schoolcafe.com/spps. Paper applications are available at school.
Daily, weekly, and monthly breakfast and lunch menus are available online at Nutrition Services spps.org/ns.
Every Meal Program
Healthy eating is so important for children. At HPMS, we work hard to ensure students receive a healthy breakfast and lunch each day to support their developing brains and bodies. Research shows that children who eat regular, nutritious meals are more likely to attend school and be engaged in learning.
We are excited to partner with Every Meal to offer a free weekend meal program to all our students.
Every Meal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to fight child hunger through community and school partnerships. They strive to make a difference in children’s lives by focusing on food gaps like weekends, school breaks, and summer when they can’t receive food in school.
- Free for all families
- No qualifications required
- Students enrolled in the program will receive a 4-5 pound bag of nutritious, nonperishable food each week
- Every Meal does not collect information from families; privacy is protected
- Families may choose to participate in the program anytime throughout the school year
- Families may choose from a variety of different weekend food bag options
If you wish to participate, please fill out our enrollment form which can be found here. Or feel free to reach out to Katie Monroe, one of our social workers, at kathryn.monroe@spps.org or 651.744.4616.
S.H.I.N.E. - Bi-weekly After-school Opportunity for Girls
We are thrilled to announce open enrollment for the SHINE Girls Group program for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year! Flier linked here
At SHINE, we are dedicated to providing a supportive and empowering environment for 6th-12th grade girls to grow, thrive, and shine. Our bi-weekly gatherings offer opportunities to have fun, make new friends, connect with peers, and acquire essential life skills through engaging lessons and community involvement.
Our program focuses on nurturing self-confidence, promoting community engagement, and helping girls explore their future goals and aspirations. We believe in instilling crucial social and emotional skills during this pivotal stage of development.
Don't miss this chance to be part of SHINE Girls Group! For enrollment visit http://www.weshinetogether.org for more information and registration details (interest form at the bottom of this page: https://www.weshinetogether.org/programs)
Volunteering at HPMS
About HPMS
At Highland Park Middle School, our mission is to:
- Provide our students with a sense of community and global perception in a nurturing and caring learning environment,
- Help students acquire the skills necessary to value themselves, and take pride in their accomplishments, and
- Develop respect and understanding of other people and their cultures.
Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandms
Location: 975 Snelling Ave S, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: (651) 293-8950