The Scots' Scoop
Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter
April 17, 2022
All translations are computer generated.
We apologize in advance for any unintended errors.
Upcoming Important Dates
- Mon., Apr. 18 - Fri., Apr 22: Course Registration for HPMS 2022-23 School Year (see information below)
Mon., Apr. 18 - Fri., Apr 22: MCA Math Test (see information below)
Friday, April 22: Day of Silence (see information below)
Friday, April 22: Quarter 3 Final Grades Posted on Campus One-Stop
Mon., Apr 25 - Thu., Apr. 28: MCA Science Test • 8th Grade Only
Monday, April 25: FCC Meeting • Virtual on Zoom • 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. (information TBA)
Monday, April 25: Last day to Order HPMS Yearbook Online (see information below)
Monday, May 16: Mid-Quarter 4 Grades available on Campus One-Stop
Monday, May 23: FCC Meeting • Virtual on Zoom • 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Monday, May 30: Memorial Day • No School
Friday, June 10: End of Quarter 4 • Last day of School
Leadership Change for the 2022-23 School Year
The following message was originally texted & emailed to HPMS Families on April 12.
Hello HPMS Families,
I am writing to you today to inform you that after 34 years in SPPS, with the last 15 years at HPMS, I am retiring at the end of the school year.
I have had the most amazing journey. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve our wonderful students and families. The staff at HPMS are absolutely the very best! I know they will continue to deliver excellent care for your child's learning during their middle school experience.
The interview and selection process will be shared with our HPMS community soon. Please look for more information to come.
Thank you for your continued support.
Warm Regards,
Charlene Hoff, Principal
Masks Optional Beginning Tomorrow
To read more about the specifics of the decision made by the SPPS BOE, please go to this link.
Smart Passes Begin Tomorrow
The use of Smart Passes will accomplish a number of things, including saving paper, making our school more green-friendly. Smart Passes will also provide a safer school environment, as we will be able to better gauge where students are when they are not in the classroom.
Tardies May Result in Penalty
Beginning this Monday, April 18, if your student continues to have at least 2 tardies a day, they may be issued a lunch or an after-school detention.
In addition, beginning on May 2, if your student has 7 or more total tardies between May 2 - June 2, they may not be able to go on their end-of-the year field trip with their team.
Please speak to your student about the importance of getting to class on time.
Registration for Next Year's Current Students
Registration for courses for the 2022-23 school year will take place this week, April 18-22, for current 6th and 7th grade students. Counselors will go over course selections and registration directions with students in class.
The course selection options will be emailed to students once they submit their registration Google Form. Please review these selections with your student. Contact your student’s counselor if you have any questions/concerns:
- Danielle Seifert (grade 6) danielle.seifert@spps.org
- Nou Katzmarek (grade 7) nou.katzmarek@spps.org
This week, registration materials will be available on our website at https://www.spps.org/domain/6587.
Registration for Next Year's 9th Graders at Highland Senior
Welcome to the Highland Park Class of 2026!
Students and families are required to attend one of the upcoming course selection events listed below to learn more about Highland and select courses.
Highland Park Sr. Registration Nights:
- Wednesday, April 20th 6-7pm (in-person/Highland Park Sr. Auditorium) *Representative from each department will be present
- Thursday, April 21st 6-7pm (virtual- google meet link: meet.google.com/zxf-evno-gfy) *Department contact information will be shared
Please bring a device (iPad, laptop, cell phone) to complete the registration process online at this event!
Thank you!
Johanna Skarr, johanna.skaar@spps.org &
Jevita Baherly, jevita.baheriy@spps.org
Highland Park Senior High 9th grade Counselors
RESCHEDULED: Parenting During Teen Years Conversation: Body, Relationships and Communication
Our apologies! Due to technology issues, the Parenting class that was scheduled for last week was not able to meet. It has been rescheduled for this Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 PM.
Parenting through the teen years can be tricky and Health Start is here to help! Please join our Health Start Health Educators for an online conversation about parenting while our teens are going through physical, emotional and social changes. The online class will meet using Zoom on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30 pm. See the Body, Relationships and Communication flyer for more details, including the Zoom link to join the meeting.
Day of Silence • Friday, April 22
HPMS Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) is planning their participation in Day of Silence, which falls on Friday, April 22.
Day of Silence is a student-led, national event. It is a day where LGBTQ+ students and allies around the nation take a vow of silence to protest the harassment, bullying and silencing of our LGBTQ+ school community members.
This year, our GSA will be participating in the following activities throughout the week of April 18-April 22:
- Day of Silence posters,
- "I am Silent" for pictures and slideshow,
- Button sales,
- Daily announcements, &
- Informing the HPMS school community about taking a vow of silence on Friday, April 22.
Please encourage your student to participate in this important day. Thank you!
HPMS Yearbook On-Line Purchasing Deadline Approaching!
To order your 2021-22 HPMS Yearbook today, go to ybpay.lifetouch.com. When there, it will say near the top of the page:
- "Order Your Lifetouch Yearbook" & then underneath:
- "Enter your school’s Yearbook ID code or search for your Yearbook ID code below."
- Then, in the space provided underneath the last message, where it says, "Yearbook ID code," enter the code for Highland Park Middle School, which is: 14645322.
- Then, click "Next" & follow the prompts.
The cost for a yearbook is $20.
We thank Ms. Wise for the coordination of this year's HPMS Yearbook!
GSA Spirit Wear
Our GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) is selling spirit wear. Please click this link to see what we have available.
The order closes Friday April 22, 2022, so order yours today! Shirts will be shipped to HPMS and distributed to students in early May. Please email elisabeth.mulvaney@spps.org with any questions.
SPPS Summer School Registration Open Now
MCA Testing Continues
All students are scheduled to take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) tests this spring. This week, students in all grades will be taking the Math MCAs; the following week, only 8th graders take the Science MCAs. Please encourage your child to get a good night's sleep before the testing dates. Here are the proposed dates for testing:
- April 18 - 22: Math Test (taken in math classes)
- April 25 - 28: Science Test (grade 8 only; in science classes)
If you do NOT want your student to take the MCA tests this spring ... If you plan to opt your child out of the MCA testing please email the HPMS principal at charlene.hoff@spps.org, or complete and sign the MCA opt out form: https://www.spps.org/Domain/17563 from the Minnesota Department of Education's website. When emailing or writing an opt out note, please include the date the letter is written, your child's full name, your full name & signature, indicate which test(s) your student is opting out of (for example, Math, Reading, and/or Science).
Please note, an opt out request may take up to 48 hours to process. Therefore, please make your request early enough to process, otherwise your child will have to sit during testing - if your request is made last minute - until the opt-out request if fully processed. Students who opt out of testing will use the testing time to work on coursework, so the students should come prepared with work to do on the above dates.
If you have questions about MCA testing please contact your child's school counselor:
- danielle.seifert@spps.org (grade 6),
- nou.katzmarek@spps.org (grade 7), or
- elisabeth.mulvaney@spps.org (grade 8).
Camp Grant Opportunities for Students
Neighborhood House Food Support Program
Dress Code Expectations
Please Leave These Items at Home
Cell Phones, Earbuds, Electronics
Highland Park Middle School has a "No Cell Phone Policy" during school hours. Please read more about this policy at this link: https://www.smore.com/pz8km.
Other Items
We are seeing more students bringing stuffed animals (e.g., Squishmallows) and blankets to school. These items are not only distracting, but can become unsafe in a school setting. Please leave these, and other items like them, at home.
'Every Meal' Free Weekend Meal Program
COVID-19 Vaccines Available Ages 5 - 17
Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms?
Please review this updated illness guidance for what to do if your child gets sick or tests positive for COVID-19. The SPPS COVID-19 Team continues to provide information to families who report positive cases to the SPPS COVID-19 Reporting System. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please notify your child's school and activities with absences and return dates that are determined when making a report or by the COVID-19 Team.
If you or your child are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please do the following:
Go to the SPPS COVID-19 Reporting System Website: https://commedspps.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9G0WvcJlWfuqwlL & follow the instructions there, then
Call the HPMS Attendance Line at (651) 744-3393, or email highlandmsattendance@spps.org to notify the school if you will be keeping your child home from school.
Homework Help at Highland Park Public Library
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 4 - 7 p.m., the Highland Park Public Library has a homework help center! The library has volunteers available to help with homework assigned to anyone from kindergarteners to college students. They also have school supplies and internet access.
The Highland Park Public Library is located at 1974 Ford Parkway. For more information, you may call the library at (651) 695-3700, or visit the Saint Paul Public Library calendar of events online at www.sppl.org/calendar. Please have your student take advantage of this free service!
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About HPMS
At Highland Park Middle School, it 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