The Scots' Scoop
Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter
January 7, 2024: News and Updates
Happy new year HPMS families!
We hope that you have enjoyed Winter Break and we look forward to welcoming students back tomorrow!
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, January 8: Students return to school/ Los estudiantes regresan a la escuela
- Wednesday, January 10: 8th grade field trip / excursión de octavo grado
- Monday, January 15: No School; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day / No hay clases; Día de Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Wednesday, January 17: Girls' basketball game at Hidden River Middle School 4:30-6:30pm /
- Friday, January 19: School-wide Spelling Bee at 2:00pm/ Concurso de ortografía a las 2:00pm
- Monday, January 22: Boys' basketball tryouts / Pruebas de baloncesto para niños
- Monday, January 22: Family Communications Committee (FCC) at 6:00pm at HPMS / Comité de Comunicaciones Familiares (FCC) a las 6:00 p.m. en HPMS
- Thursday, January 25: Knowledge Bowl meet at 4:00pm / Reunión del Knowledge Bowl a las 4:00 p.m.
- Thursday, January 25: End of Quarter 2 / Fin del trimestre 2
- Friday, January 26: No School; grading day / No hay clases; día de calificaciones
Host Family Needed for Amity Intern
Looking for a host family 2024-2025 for our Amity Intern
Imagine how your family could benefit from being a host family to our Spanish-speaking Amity intern: Practicing Spanish at home! Exposure to a new culture! Having another adult around your house to help out! Building new international relationships! We are looking for one family to host for the entire school year or two families who are each willing to commit to hosting for half of the school year. (mid August – December, January – June).
Prior to the COVID pandemic, the amities have been an important part of our teaching staff at Highland Park Middle School. Amities have joined us from different Spanish-speaking countries to broaden their teaching experience by spending a year working in a US school and living with an American family. As part of the HPMS Spanish Immersion Team, Amities also enrich the experience of our students. “Amity interns offer a native perspective on their language, culture and country, enabling students to better understand and appreciate the languages they study… Amity interns bring their own languages and culture to life, engage and motivate students, and leave them with new confidence in their ability to communicate across borders.” (amity.org)
Contact Rachel Hoheisel (rachel.hoheisel@spps.org) if you’d like to know more about the program or are interested in hosting an amity. Please see www.amity.org for general info about the exchange program.
Essential supplies needed for the HPMS community
Support our vibrant school community by providing essential supplies like pencils, paper, glue sticks, and masking tape. These simple tools are the magic behind creative learning. Your contribution sparks creativity, empowers students, and makes a lasting impact on our school's educational journey. Join us and help "Spark the Future" for the next generation of thinkers and dreamers!
Donations Needed for 7th Grade Unit of Study
In mid-February, all seventh grade students are going to begin one of their favorite units of the year -- Character Analysis. In this unit students will be reading diverse middle grade novels, analyzing character traits and then will be asked to write a letter of recommendation for a job for one of the characters in this book.
In years past we have used the text Front Desk by Kelly Yang for all students. This year we are looking to expand upon our diverse texts by adding six more to the collection:
We are seeking donations through our Donors Choose page to help purchase these books. If you are able to help, we would greatly appreciate your support.
Please reach out to Ms. Beaumaster and Ms. Freeman with any questions.
Link to Donors Choose:
Character Traits, Letter of Recommendation and a Brand New Job, a project from Ms. Freeman
Help me give my students diverse middle grade novels that will inspire them to write deeply about their characters. The seventh graders in our building will be embarking upon a character unit this ...
Enrollment for Session 2 of Flipside
Enrollment for session 2 of Flipside - important information:
The current session runs through Jan 25, and then the new session starts on Jan 29, 2024. Students already enrolled in Flipside have to choose the class(es) they would like for the next session. Some classes are the same and students can continue in that class as long as they indicate what class(es) they would like. There are some new classes as well.
The link to sign up for classes and to also register new Flipside students is: Winter/Spring Flipside Registration
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
Washington D.C. Educational Study Program
7th grade families! 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.
Did you miss the meeting? Watch the video here to learn more. Only a few spots remaining!
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