This fall has been so fun. After several years impacted by pandemic, our collective energy – students, staff, families and community – has been directly refocused on learning.

In this issue of SLP Experience, you can learn more about the first days and weeks of school. Our staff have turned our vision to action as they have purposefully taken steps to get to know each student by name, strength, interest and need. No matter the age of the student, the investment our teachers make now in knowing each student and creating a sense of community and belonging in our classrooms, sets the foundations for the learning to come.

Coming into the year, we share a community focus on pandemic recovery. Academic gaps, social development and mental health concerns have been ever present in media reports and are top of mind. Our district staff, principals, and teachers are focused on meeting the needs of each child, further strengthening a full continuum of academic and social, emotional and behavior supports. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn more about what we are doing to support student learning and well-being.

Finally, in the spirit of beginnings, you may notice a structure starting to rise from the Spring Lake Park High School parking lot off 81st Ave. This is where students in our new construction trades course are building a single-family home that will move into our community next summer. It’s the latest example of community partnership and how our career and college pathways are preparing students for their futures.

New beginnings don’t just happen. They are often the result of a tremendous amount of work and support. Thank you for your support of our schools and helping make new beginnings, like this school year, possible. I look forward to cheering on our Panthers throughout the year with you!

Catch a live theater show 

Award-winning theater returns with an entertaining line-up for the 2022-2023 season. Visit the online ticket office for all of this season’s details and buy tickets for the fall shows:

• Peter and the Starcatcher (October 28-29, November 4-5)
• Snowy Off-White and the 8 Little Dudes (December 1-2)
• Einstein’s Brains (December 9-10)

Saturday Movie Classics

The entire community is invited to watch some of the greatest Hollywood classics on the big screen at the Spring Lake Park High School Fine Arts Center this fall! Doors open at 10:45 a.m., movie starts at 11:00 a.m. Registration is required.

• October 29: Frankenstein (1931)
• November 12: The Maltese Falcon (1941)
• December 3: Swing Time (1936)