Newsletter Archives

As the school year comes to a close, our minds and hearts are filled to the brim. It’s been a year with much challenge, perseverance and learning! What a school and school district to be a part of! Together we’ve learned much and shared experiences that will long remain with us in the years to come. The strength of our community and wholehearted passion make our school and school district a wonderful place for learning, with and for our children.

So, let’s roll with some Need to Know info. More details in the Need to know section.

• READY for Friday’s celebration parade? Staff will be READY! Centerview will have a celebration parade through the front of our school parking lot where students typically are dropped off and picked up each day. We’ll share a final cheer and smile, together, with our families in appreciation for our commitment to one another. 
• Report cards for end of the year will be available June 10 in the Campus Parent Portal. Be sure to review the explanation of report card reporting and follow instructions for accessing report cards online.
• Families of students referred to summer school will be receiving direct communication about the program and plan from their teacher and a follow up from school staff with an invitation to register. We also anticipate offering some online only, fee-based summer enrichment programming beginning in July. More information on the options will be communicated with families the week of June 22.
• Check CV snack video fun and information about summer meals, reports cards, and more.

We have partnered and responded well through the final trimester of the school year. Thank YOU! We know there are many unknowns and questions about the 2020-21 school year. We continue to plan for school to resume Tuesday, September 8. We will update families a few times this summer with status on the situation and our planning. Watch for those updates the weeks of July 6 and Aug. 3.

Finally, to those of you who are leaving us for new places and adventures, we wish you all the best. Congratulations to our very capable and enthusiastic 4th graders who are onto a new stage in their academic careers! We will miss you, knowing you are in good hands as you grow in your education!

As a staff, we wish each of our family’s good health and happiness as you jump into the summer! Enjoy your family time together and appreciate the little and big opportunities you have. We look forward to preparing and engaging students for the 2020-21 school year.

Thank you for being YOU! My best to you and your family this summer!

Learning together,

Mike Callahan
Principal, Centerview Elementary
763-600-5501

Summer Meal Services Start June 9

Spring Lake Park Schools are providing free meals to children ages 1-18 throughout the summer. The last day of the current meal services format will be Friday, June 5.  Beginning Tuesday, June 9 we will be starting the Summer Meal Program. Summer meals will be distributed at Spring Lake Park High School, door 32, Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pickup will be curbside as it has been through the COVID-19 situation and will include a lunch and a breakfast.

Summer Camps and Clinics available for sign-up

 A variety of summer camps and clinics will be offered throughout the summer for students of all ages. The current camps and clinics offerings were approved with requirements that follow the latest Minnesota Department of Health safety guidelines.

Visit the Camps and Clinics section on Eleyo to check out what is available now for camps and clinics. If you had already registered for a camp prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Community Education staff will be contacting families to issue a refund or reassign the registrant to a new camp session. Any questions? Call SLP Community Education 763-600-5050.

Outstanding School Fees: How to pay through Campus Parent Portal

 As we wrap up the 2019-2020 school year, we encourage families to pay any outstanding fees they may have acquired throughout the school year. Fees could range from technology and iPad insurance to library books and music fees.

A few months ago, our district had to discontinue services with FeePay, our fee payment and athletic registration system. All historical information and

outstanding fees have been transferred into Campus Parent Portal. To check for any outstanding fees and for instructions on how to make a payment, follow these instructions.

Over the summer, we will be working on installing a new athletic and activities system called Affinity. This will allow us to manage and register our families for school programs. More information to come.

Questions? Contact our technology team at techsupport@district16.org. Make sure to include your name, contact information and a brief description of your request. If you are unable to email, call 763-600-5555 and leave a message.

Trimester 3 Elementary Report Cards (Grades K-5) Reporting on student learning during COVID-19 and extended flexible learning

Report cards are just one of many ways that we report on student learning throughout the year.  Report card grades reflect student learning, and teachers look at evidence of learning, over time, to determine where students are at in their learning at the time of report cards.

Because all of Trimester 3 occurred in a flexible learning environment, we wanted to provide a guide specific to Trimester 3 report cards for students in Grades K-5.

• All grades received reflect student learning that occurred during Trimester 1, Trimester 2, and/or Trimester 3. Grades for K-5 include:
  • MS: Minimal progress toward standard
  • AS: Approaching the standard
  • S: Met the standard
  • ES: Exceeds the standard
  • You may see two other marks on the report card:
    • An NA indicates that students did not have opportunities to learn this outcome throughout the school year. Any learning outcomes marked as NA for 2019-20 will be addressed in Fall 2020.
    • An NE (No Evidence) grade indicates that students had opportunities to learn this outcome during Trimester 3, but did not submit any evidence of their learning. As a result, there is no evidence to determine where they are at toward meeting the learning outcome.
  • All life skills, for all grade levels, will be marked as NA (Not Reported) for Trimester 3.

Trimester 3 report cards will be available beginning Wednesday, June 10 and can be accessed through Campus Parent Portal. Note, this is the same way families accessed Trimester 2 report cards. Watch a video tutorial on how to access your student’s report card.

Centerview Student Material Pick Up and Drop Off - final chance, tomorrow, June 4

Thursday, June 4    

•   8 a.m.-11 a.m. (R - Z last names)
•   11 a.m.-1 p.m.  (J - Q last names)
•   1 p.m.-4 p.m.  (A - I last names)
•   5 p.m.-8 p.m.  (For those only available in pm)

While you are at Centerview:

• Material drop-off/pick-up will be located in the gym. The main entrance will NOT be open. Follow signage outside for the correct door entrance. We ask that you park in the front parking lot.
• Please have materials that you are returning to school in a bag labeled with your child's name and teacher. Kindergarten students, please return bags sent home.
• Items to return to school may include library books, textbooks and iPads/chargers.
•  Only return iPad/chargers if you are NOT returning to Spring Lake Park Schools in the fall.
• Follow social distancing guidelines 

Check out the full list of pick-up/drop-off schedules for all students in grades K-12

Centerview End of the Year Celebration Parade -

June 5: 9:30-11: a.m. Centerview will have a celebration parade through the front of our school parking lot. Staff members will be READY to share a final cheer and smile with and for their students. 

• Please arrive by alpha off of 105th, as you are able, to alleviate traffic. If there is a back-up, cars will be instructed to line up in the NSC parking lot to alleviate traffic coming in off of 105th. There is ample space to do so.
  • Last name letter A-H -  9:30-11 a.m.
  • Last name letter I-P - 10-10:30 a.m.
  • Last name letter Q-Z - 10:30-11 a.m. 
• Each household should be in a separate car; carpooling does not comply with social distancing.
• People with COVID-19 symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath, etc.) should not attend – you can watch the virtual video of the parade we will be sending out after the live event is over.
• Attendees must remain in the vehicles for the entire route and stay 6 feet apart from the vehicle in front of them.
• All attendees must be in a vehicle.
• There will not be access to restrooms.
• No objects will be passed between vehicles and between attendees and staff.
• Follow the traffic flow and parade route.

CV staff snack video - fun

Centerview staff had so much fun sharing their favorite snack with you. Check out the video

Turning in an iPad? What to know and do

Only students who are leaving the district, including our graduating seniors, need to turn in their school-issued iPad this spring. If you are a returning K-11 grade student, DO NOT turn in iPads or chargers. 

For students turning in an iPad and charger, please prep your device before dropping it off.

• [Optional] Follow instructions for backing up the device.
• [Required] Follow instructions for wiping and erasing the iPad.
• [Required] After the wipe is complete, power off the iPad (Hold power key, and slide on-screen button to turn-off.

During each school’s designated pick up and drop off times, students and families leaving the district will drop the prepped iPad in a "hands-off" turn-in process. Students will be directed to place charging bricks, charging cables, and iPads (with case installed) in designated boxes. Technical support will not be available to verify prep is complete or to assist onsite with things like backup or wipe questions. We will take devices as-is. Any questions about prepping iPads need to be addressed before drop off. Email techsupport@district16.org or call 763-600-5555. Include name, contact information and a brief description of your topic. 

The Panther Foundation seeking applications for their Board of Directors

The Panther Foundation is seeking candidates for their Board of Directors who have a passion and commitment to the students and families in Spring Lake Park Schools. The Foundation is looking for individuals who are ready to share time, talents and resources with the Foundation to support and enhance the efforts that contribute to our success. 

Learn more about joining the Panther Foundation Board and apply today.

It’s the final Extended Flex Learning stretch before we officially jump into the summer months. What a ride it has been over the last few months. This educational platform has given the phrase of “learning differently” a whole new meaning. As I reflect, I’m proud of how our Spring Lake Park Schools community has partnered through the system and continued to find success, learning and teaching, with and for our students. Our partnership and actions during this time give me great confidence as we move forward.

Here are some key dates for families to know:

• May 28: We wrap up new instruction for this school year.
• May 29 and June 1: Teachers will use these days as an opportunity to reflect on student progress and fill out report cards, provide grade level celebrations, prepare for student pick-up of students’ belongings and a variety of other closure activities such as grade level celebrations.                               
• June 2-4: Teachers will be connecting with students and families for individual conversations to wrap up the year; please sign up for a time to connect with your teachers. Here’s a link to sign up for: Wrap-up Conversations Wrap-up conversations are optional, however highly recommended. It will provide students and parents the opportunity to meet with the teacher to discuss your child as a learner.
  • Student: What did you learn about yourself during extended flexible learning
  • Parent/Guardian: What did you learn about your child during extended flexible learning? We look forward to hearing this from both the parent and student perspectives.
•  June 3 and 4: Families will be able to drop-off/pick-up materials at Centerview following an identified schedule and/or as you are able. Families will enter and exit through the Centerview gymnasium. If your schedule allows, we encourage a parent/guardian to come to school and leave kids at home. Details for this are in the Need to Know section of the newsletter.
  • Teacher Thank-you’s: Many of you have inquired, you are welcome to add those to your child’s drop-off bag if you choose.
  • Reminder: iPads can stay home this summer. You DO NOT need to return iPads unless you are moving or leaving the district.
•  June 5: 9:30-11: a.m. Centerview will have a celebration parade through the front of our school parking lot. Staff members will be READY to share a final cheer and smile with and for their students. Please see the celebration parade map and logistics in the Need to Know section of the newsletter.

Next week, you will be notified if your student has been referred to summer school. Teachers are identifying students this week and referring them to summer programming that matches their needs based on where they are at the end of the year. Summer programming through the referral program is for students who have not yet met academic requirements for their grade level. It is offered at no cost to families, is tailored to student needs and will be offered with both live and/or extended flexible learning components. Fee-based summer programming also will be offered in a distance-learning format only. More information about fee-based programming options will be available after the summer school referral process is complete.

See this week’s Centerview newsletter for important information about end of year pick-up and drop-off, last day parade and more. Thank you for taking the time to read through all the end of the year information. Let’s continue to communicate and ask questions for clarification.

My best to you and your family! I wish you good health.

Learning together,

Mike Callahan
Principal

Centerview Student Material Pick Up and Drop Off 

Drop-off/Pick-up times:

Wednesday, June 3

•   8 a.m.-11 a.m. (J - Q last names)
•   11 a.m.- 1 p.m. (A - I last names)
•   1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (R - Z last names)

Thursday, June 4    

•   8 a.m.-11 a.m. (R - Z last names)
•   11 a.m.-1 p.m.  (J - Q last names)
•   1 p.m.-4 p.m.  (A - I last names)
•   5 p.m.-8 p.m.  (For those only available in pm)

While you are at Centerview:

• Material drop-off/pick-up will be located in the gym. The main entrance will NOT be open. Follow signage outside for the correct door entrance. We ask that you park in the front parking lot.
• Please have materials that you are returning to school in a bag labeled with your child's name and teacher. Kindergarten students, please return bags sent home.
• Items to return to school may include library books, textbooks and iPads/chargers.
•  Only return iPad/chargers if you are NOT returning to Spring Lake Park Schools in the fall.
• Follow social distancing guidelines 

Check out the full list of pick-up/drop-off schedules for all students in grades K-12

Centerview End of the Year Celebration Parade -

June 5: 9:30-11: a.m. Centerview will have a celebration parade through the front of our school parking lot. Staff members will be READY to share a final cheer and smile with and for their students. 

• Please arrive by alpha off of 105th, as you are able, to alleviate traffic. If there is a back-up, cars will be instructed to line up in the NSC parking lot to alleviate traffic coming in off of 105th. There is ample space to do so.
  • Last name letter A-H -  9:30-11 a.m.
  • Last name letter I-P - 10-10:30 a.m.
  • Last name letter Q-Z - 10:30-11 a.m. 
• Each household should be in a separate car; carpooling does not comply with social distancing.
• People with COVID-19 symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath, etc.) should not attend – you can watch the virtual video of the parade we will be sending out after the live event is over.
• Attendees must remain in the vehicles for the entire route and stay 6 feet apart from the vehicle in front of them.
• All attendees must be in a vehicle.
• There will not be access to restrooms.
• No objects will be passed between vehicles and between attendees and staff.
• Follow the traffic flow and parade route.

Turning in an iPad? What to know and do

Only students who are leaving the district, including our graduating seniors, need to turn in their school-issued iPad this spring. If you are a returning K-11 grade student, DO NOT turn in iPads or chargers. 

For students turning in an iPad and charger, please prep your device before dropping it off.

• [Optional] Follow instructions for backing up the device.
• [Required] Follow instructions for wiping and erasing the iPad.
• [Required] After the wipe is complete, power off the iPad (Hold power key, and slide on-screen button to turn-off.

During each school’s designated pick up and drop off times, students and families leaving the district will drop the prepped iPad in a "hands-off" turn-in process. Students will be directed to place charging bricks, charging cables, and iPads (with case installed) in designated boxes. Technical support will not be available to verify prep is complete or to assist onsite with things like backup or wipe questions. We will take devices as-is. Any questions about prepping iPads need to be addressed before drop off. Email techsupport@district16.org or call 763-600-5555. Include name, contact information and a brief description of your topic.

Fourth Grade Families: Video Welcome to Westwood

This is the time of year when Westwood Intermediate and Middle School staff would normally welcome fourth graders and their families to the building for a welcome event. While we all wait for a time when Westwood can open its doors to you, the staff have put together a video toshare some information about fifth grade. Take a little video tour and meet each of the staff members you with work with next year. 

Fourth Grade Families: Intro to 5^th Grade Band

Starting in fifth grade, students can choose to take band lessons. Fifth graders perform in two band concerts – one in late winter and one in the spring. Learn more about band in this 1-minute introduction video. If your student is interested in signing up, please complete this form. 

The Panther Foundation seeking applications for their Board of Directors

The Panther Foundation is seeking candidates for their Board of Directors who have a passion and commitment to the students and families in Spring Lake Park Schools. The Foundation is looking for individuals who are ready to share time, talents and resources with the Foundation to support and enhance the efforts that contribute to our success. 

Learn more about joining the Panther Foundation Board and apply today.

Hello everyone,

As we move into the next couple weeks, in order to support an effective wrap up to this unusual year and to continue partnering with each of you, we are making some adjustments to the final days of school. Our last day of student instruction will be Thursday, May 28 for our K-4 students at Centerview.

Here are some key dates for families to know:

• May 28: Last day of student instruction. Special education services will continue through June 5 with outreach to families to discuss programming for the week.
• May 29 and June 1: Will be used by teachers as an opportunity to reflect on student progress and fill out report cards, prepare for student pick-up of students’ belongings and a variety of other closure activities.
• June 2-4: Teachers will be connecting with students and families for individual conversations to wrap up the year; Signups for this will be coming to you on May 27.
• June 3 and 4: families will be able to drop-off/pick-up materials at Centerview following an identified schedule and/or as you are able. Families will enter and exit through the Centerview gymnasium. If your schedule allows, we encourage a parent/guardian to come to school and leave kids at home. Details for this are in the Need to Know section of the newsletter.
• June 5: 9:30-11: a.m. Centerview will have a celebration parade through the front of our school parking lot. Staff members will be READY to share a final cheer and smile with and for their students. More details to come next week…just wanted you to have it plugged into your calendar.

We continue to coordinate across the district to keep in mind families with students at multiple schools. We’ll be reminding you of the plan in the coming weeks.

Summer programming has been a question and is certainly on our families minds. We are reviewing guidelines provided last week by the state and are looking at a tailored model to address the specific, individual needs of students this spring trimester. We will be taking this week to determine how SLP will be identifying students and the models we’ll use to sustain learning and teaching through the summer.

As no surprise, Memorial Day is this coming Monday. In addition to no student instruction, there will not be meal delivery on Monday. For Friday’s meal distribution, families who are taking part in meal services will receive meals for Friday, Monday and Tuesday. The regular meal delivery service will resume next Wednesday.

See this week’s Need to know section for more detail on everything shared here. Obviously, it’s not your typical conclusion to a school year. Let’s continue to communicate and ask questions for clarification. As always, I’m open to a conversation around Extended Flex Learning and our next steps in moving forward.

My best to you and your family! I wish you good health.

Learning together,

Mike Callahan
Principal

No meal services on Memorial Day - Monday, May 25

There will not be meal services on Memorial Day. For this Friday’s meal distribution, families who are taking part in meal services will receive meals for Friday, May 22, Monday, May 25 and Tuesday, May 26. The regular meal service will resume next Wednesday, May 27.

Keep up with the latest Meal Service Announcements here.

Centerview Student Material Pick Up and Drop Off 

Drop-off/Pick-up times:

Wednesday, June 3

•   8 a.m.-11 a.m. (J - Q last names)
•   11 a.m.- 1 p.m. (A - I last names)
•   1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (R - Z last names)

Thursday, June 4    

•   8 a.m.-11 a.m. (R - Z last names)
•   11 a.m.-1 p.m.  (J - Q last names)
•   1 p.m.-4 p.m.  (A - I last names)
•   5 p.m.-8 p.m.  (For those only available in pm)

While you are at Centerview:

• Material drop-off/pick-up will be located in the gym. The main entrance will NOT be open. Follow signage outside for the correct door entrance. We ask that you park in the front parking lot
• Please have materials that you are returning to school in a bag labeled with your child's name and teacher
• Items to return to school may include library books, textbooks and iPads/chargers. Only return iPad/chargers if you are NOT returning to Spring Lake Park Schools in the fall.
• Follow social distancing guidelines

Social and Emotional Health: Utilizing Social Work and Community Resource Liaisons

Did you know that Spring Lake Park Schools Social Work and Community Resource Liaisons are available and ready to support your family throughout the summer? The Social Work and Community Resource Liaison can meet with you to discuss your family’s questions and connect you with community agencies or programs that will best serve you and your family’s needs.

What is a Social Work and Community Resource Liaison?

Essential Functions:

• Assist with communication between families, teachers and schools to establish positive connections and support
• Assist families in identifying and removing any barriers that may be interfering with your child's positive growth and development
• Locate and connect families to community resources to address basic needs and support stability, health and wellness, and learning readiness
• Provide a spectrum of services from a one-time consult to ongoing support for students and families
• Provide education on topics such as: mental health, child development, stress reduction, discipline and safety and teacher/parent/student communication

How can I access support?

Social Work and Community Resource Liaisons can be accessed through your child’s teacher or can be contacted directly:

• Abbey Pierce (Centerview/Northpoint/Early Childhood): 763-600-5737 or apierc@district16.org
• Whitney Fenne (SLP High School/Lighthouse/Transitions): 763-600-5089 or wfenne@district16.org
• Naomi Pitlick (Westwood/Woodcrest): 763-600-5338 or npitli@district16.org
• Amber Buer (Park Terrace): 763-600-5663 or abuer@district16.org

The Panther Foundation seeking applications for their Board of Directors

The Panther Foundation is seeking candidates for their Board of Directors who have a passion and commitment to the students and families in Spring Lake Park Schools. The Foundation is looking for individuals who are ready to share time, talents and resources with the Foundation to support and enhance the efforts that contribute to our success. 

Learn more about joining the Panther Foundation Board and apply today.

Hello Centerview,

I’m amazed at the persistence of the Centerview staff as we move forward with Extended Flexible Learning! We continue to converse, modify and improve our EFL platform based upon the feedback provided by our families. It is our hope that you see additional synchronous sessions as appropriate in whole group, small group and/or one-to-one. We also hope the weekly overviews allow for you to be flexible as a family and design your week as one versus as a family of singletons. As a staff, we appreciate your resolve and voice through this process. Please continue to partner and reach out…we will too!

As we put closure to the school year, we will be reporting on student learning this spring as we normally do through report cards. Centerview teachers will report on students’ learning progress in meeting the end of the year learning outcomes addressed through the school year and some specific to trimester 3. The typical categories of minimal progress, approaching standard, at standard or exceeds standard will be used.

Our goal during this time – and all the time – is to ensure students are learning, able to demonstrate their learning and are prepared to move to the next levels of learning. Given our extended flex learning environment, it is even more important to us to provide students multiple ways and extended time as needed, to demonstrate their learning. We’re working with our teacher teams to make sure this is happening now for our students and that it will continue to happen as we proceed. If there are circumstances impeding a student’s ability to demonstrate their learning given the environment, we want to explore this and support the students.

We’ll have more information for families on end-of-year teacher and family connections. This will include providing updates on your student’s learning progress and what we are continuing to learn about your child’s strengths, interests and needs.

Yes, the end of the school year is right in front of us. We continue to work on plans for the end of the school year and explore what is possible given current and evolving guidance from the state. Thank you for your patience as we work to develop plans to honor the end of the year and keep everyone as safe as possible.

While I’m not fist-bumping and directly learning with my little people daily, I continue to work with your kiddos through my staff each day. I’m also going to open up an “Air Bump of the Week” WebEx (808539442) where students can join me to share and celebrate their highlight of the day and/or week. I’ll be open on Monday and Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. We’ll see how it goes!

See this week’s Need to Know section for additional information on community food resources and other topics critical during this time.

My best to you and your family! I wish you good health.

Learning together,

Mike Callahan
Principal

SLP and Community Food Services continue to be available for families

We have prepared and delivered thousands of meals for children in our community and will continue to do so at 10 locations throughout the district. Starting May 20, on Wednesdays at the High School Distribution Center we are piloting a hot entrée option as part of our meal service to families. We are only able to offer the hot entrée at the high school location and may have limited quantities available. Entrées may include pizza, chicken patty sandwiches and more. 

In addition to Spring Lake Park School meal services, there are local community food resources available to families to check out on our COVID-19 meal services page.

Attention: Families with Comcast Internet Essentials

Reminder, families who enrolled in the Comcast Internet Essentials program under a 2-month free trial are coming to the end of that period of free service. Families who are unable to continue service at the rate of $9.95 per month should call the District Services Center at 763-600-5000. Please be ready to share the name of the person the current contract is under and zip code. Please note, it is important to contact the district before the 2-month trial period ends. Internet service is essential for learning to continue for your student, and the district will help ensure your student has the internet access they need to continue their learning.

Social and Emotional Health: Reinforcing Social and Emotional Skills at Home

Strong social and emotional skills are important for children to become responsible decision makers both in school and in the outside world. Spring Lake Park Schools teachers and staff are continuing to provide social-emotional learning to students through our extended flexible learning environment and we want to share some tools with families to continue this important learning at home. When this learning is brought into the home, it allows your child the ability to learn from real-world situations as well as those practiced in the school setting. Families are our best partners and you can deepen your child’s experiences and learning.

The good news! Reinforcing social and emotional skills in the home does not need to be a separate lesson or activity that you plan. This can happen naturally throughout your day and experiences. Below you will find ideas on how to incorporate social-emotional learning into the home environment.

• Use your own family experiences to start conversations with your child.  When you are interacting with others, take note of how your child reacts to situations that come up. How do they respond when frustrated, when told “no,” or when they meet new friends? Try to remember a few examples of what your child has done well and what they could work on as well. Discuss these situations to help your student reflect on their interactions and growth they have made.
• Listen when your child may be struggling with something. This is an easy way to validate your child’s feelings and it shows them that their feelings are important. 
• Anticipate new situations. If you know a new experience is coming up for your child, talk with them about how they are feeling and come up with a plan for how they will deal with the upcoming situation. 
• Use creativity. If you have a child who enjoys drawing, give them paper to draw how they are feeling. This is a great opportunity to talk about their feelings and discuss other coping skills. You can also do the same activity with writing as well. 
• Read books. While reading books that you have at your home, ask your child questions like, “How do you think the character was feeling?” or “How would you handle the situation the character was in?” 

Hello everyone,

We were able to get some great feedback from families across the district through the Extended Flex Learning survey sent out last week. Overall, the feedback about what is going well was significantly greater than suggestions for improvement. There was a huge appreciation for the teachers and staff for their efforts in communication and being available to partner with students and their families. Thank you for sharing your input!

Family feedback allowed the Centerview staff the opportunity to reflect and plan accordingly for our two professional learning and design days on May 1 and 4. The time was well spent as we worked as a Centerview staff collectively, in teams and individually to design our next five weeks of learning with and for our students. Here were some of our key points in designing based upon feedback:

• Large-scale changes will not be made in our approach, only going deeper to provide greater clarity and learning
• Face to face synchronous learning has been going well and increased opportunities are encouraged
• We are continuing efforts to partner with families around pacing, timing of work and due dates
• We will maintain the use of 3-5 purposeful apps for learning including and continuing to use WebEx and Flipgrid as they are popular with students, families and staff

Our last day of school is one month out - June 5. I know there is a ton on your minds as we wrap up the school year. Mine too! Cubby cleanout and personal item pick-up, drop off of materials, yearbooks and summer goodbyes are discussions in the works. We are planning for summer programming and still waiting to understand what our parameters will be. We hope to have and provide more clarity regarding these items in the next few weeks and I will share information with you all as soon as I am able.

I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the bold effort of the Centerview Elementary community as we continue our journey to educate our students. Every day is a full day for all of us. I share with you a quote by Rainer Maria Rilke that puts into perspective how proud I am to be a part of our school community during this time, “That something is a challenge must be one more reason for us to do it.” #SLPPantherProud

See The Need to Know section for expanded information regarding social and emotional health, community food resources and other topics critical during this time.

My best to you and your family! I wish you good health.

Learning together,
Mike Callahan
Principal

Attention: Families with Comcast Internet Essentials

Families who enrolled in the Comcast Internet Essentials program under a 2-month free trial are coming to the end of that period of free service. Families who are unable to continue service at the rate of $9.95 per month should call the District Services Center at 763-600-5000. Please be ready to share the name of the person the current contract is under and zip code. Please note, it is important to contact the district before the 2-month trial period ends. Internet service is essential for learning to continue for your student, and the district will help ensure your student has the internet access they need to continue their learning.

Additional Covid-19 Resources Added to Support Families

SLP is committed to supporting our students and families health and wellbeing.  Additional resources have been added to the Response to Covid-19 page to direct families toward factual and relevant information on Covid-19. Additional resources cover topics including mental health supports, food shelf and other community meal services for families, mindfulness and movement resources, housing resources and more for families during this time of extended flexible learning and beyond.

Social and Emotional Health: Establishing Structure and Routine to Support Mental and Physical Wellbeing and Student Learning

We are more than halfway through our extended flexible learning portion of the school year and are heading into our last month of school. Some families have started to settle in - maybe trying a new hobby or enjoying time to get outside more. That is great! Others may be finding it difficult to cope with the huge disruption to their daily lives and are experiencing higher levels of stress or anxiety. That is okay, too! Be gentle with yourself and remind yourself that the wide range of emotions experienced are valid and normal. 

During this time of uncertainty, establishing structure and routine can help in many ways by providing a sense of normalcy, safety and predictability for children and families. Routine also helps stabilize our body clock, which controls our sleep, mood and physical health. Each family will have unique circumstances to consider when creating a routine - don't over-commit or schedule every moment. It's okay to start small and continue to build based on what is working for your family! 

Tips for Establishing Structure and Routine:

• Create both daily and weekly routines - this will help to keep days from blending together.Weekly routines can include things such as certain types of exercise on specific days, a weekly phone call to a family member, Friday night movies or other family rituals and activities.  Daily routines could include things such as building in time for schoolwork and daily movement activities.
• Set aside time daily or weekly to discuss the schedule and expectations with your child. Consider using a visual schedule for younger children. Prepare children for transitions throughout the day with reminders or alarms. 
• Set aside a consistent space for schoolwork and class meetings. 
• Schedule times for learning, movement and breaks. Scheduling more difficult work earlier in the day while children are most rested is beneficial. A good guideline for younger children is 20 minutes of learning followed by 10 minutes of movement. Older children may be able to go longer stretches of time focused on schoolwork.
• Incorporate social interactions into your routine such as video chats, phone calls, virtual play dated and class meetings. This is especially important to maintain social connections and combat isolation during this time of social distancing!
• Don't forget to build in time for fun and family! Creative play, hobbies, games, puzzles, etc.

Virtual Zumba with Angela

The Spring Lake Park School Community Education Department is hosting virtual Zumba classes throughout the month of May for the community.

Zumba is a fitness program that combines Latin and international music with dance moves. Zumba routines incorporate interval training — alternating fast and slow rhythms — to help improve cardiovascular fitness.

Virtual classes will take place May 11-29 on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays from 7-8 p.m. or May 10-31 on Sundays from 10-11 a.m.

Learn more and register today for Zumba with Angela

Hello Centerview families,

While I expected the Governor’s announcement late last week, it still hit me hard. Telling all of you that we miss your kids would be an understatement. As a Centerview staff, we want nothing more than to be at school with students learning, smiling, interacting and all that comes with a “typical” school day. However, given our situation, we will stay committed and proceed forward with extended flex learning and make this the best experience possible.

I’m proud of our partnership, our progress and our learning to this point as we approach the month of May. The persistence of staff, students and families over the last four weeks of extended flex learning has paved the way for increased confidence, growth and opportunity.

There is no student instruction on Friday, May 1 or Monday, May 4. As a staff, we’ll be using these days to design extended flex learning until the end of the school year. Your input and feedback from the parent survey sent earlier this week will inform our planning.

Also, I’m sure you might be wondering about getting into Centerview to pick up personal items or seeing teachers and staff one more time. We will be addressing these topics and others as we work to create a meaningful end to our school year.

Next week is staff appreciation week – and National Teacher’s Day. As a Centerview staff, there is nothing we appreciate more than the work we do with and for our students and families. Therefore, please join us for SLP spirit day – wear SLP gear or colors on Tuesday, May 5. We’ll appreciate together, being part of this extraordinary SLP learning community!

See this week's Need to Know section for additional information and updates.

If you get a chance, please provide your kiddo with a fist bump from Mr. Callahan and let them know I’m proud of them for their effort and persistence with their school work. Also, let them know I miss them, with a smile, no tears!

My best to you and your family! I wish you good health.

Learning together,
Mike Callahan