Newsletter Archives

Westwood Families

What a year it has been. We have much to celebrate as we close out the year with our students and families. Here are some of the highlights by the numbers:

• 86 grade 8 students earned the Presidential Award for Academics
• 84 grade 6 students earned the Presidential Award for Academics
• 173 students earned outstanding attendance awards
• Over the three trimesters, 2,425 students earned the A or B Honor roll 
• Our students engaged in a combined total of over 216,000 hours of Extended Flexible Learning
• Approximately 50% of our students engaged in before and after school programming from band, choir, plays, intramural and intermural sports, math groups, and more
• I can’t count the number of high fives, hugs, and fist bumps our staff has handed out and received.  

Please take a look at the Need to Know section of this newsletter for several fun and important updates, including details on the following:

• Drive thru parade: The parade is at Westwood on Friday, June 5 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. We invite you to take part in a community needs drive as a part of Friday’s parade as we collect food, paper goods, and hygiene items for neighboring communities.
• Staff thank you videos: Access grade-level videos our staff made for our students to wish them well over the summer.  
• Report card timing and access: End of the year report cards will be available June 10 in the Campus Parent Portal. Review an explanation of report card reporting and instructions for accessing report cards online starting June 10.

We know there are many unknowns and questions about the 2020-2021 school year. Planning for a variety of possible scenarios has begun. We plan for school to resume Tuesday, September 8 and will update families the weeks of July 6 and Aug. 3 with status on the situation and our planning. Watch for those updates.

What we do know as we end this year is that we will continue to ensure our students feel valued, inspired, have a sense of belonging and achieve the academic and life skills needed to be successful. Thanks for being part of the team and your encouraging words to your kids and staff throughout the year. Have a wonderful summer.

Tom Larson
Principal

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.

Watch Westwood staff thank you videos 

The Westwood staff has created grade level videos for our students. Enjoy!

• 5^th Grade Thank You- Password: Westwood 
• 6^th Grade Thank You- Password: Westwood 
• 7^th Grade Thank You- Password: Westwood 
• 8^th Grade Thank you- Password: Westwood 

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 Report Cards - Reporting on student learning during COVID-19 and extended flexible learning

Report Card information and instructions for 5th grade students

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.

Report Card information and instructions for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students

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 6-12.

• Course grades for Trimester 3 are based on student learning for academic outcomes that were designated in the Trimester 3 overview, developed for each course at Grades 6-12 and shared with students and families in Schoology at the beginning of the trimester.
• Students will receive a grade of NY (Not Yet) for any courses where they have submitted evidence of learning but have not demonstrated proficiency in their learning to result in a grade of A, B, C, or D. Grades of NY will replace an F for Trimester 3.
  • Students who end Trimester 3 with a grade of NY will be required to participate in summer learning opportunities to continue their learning until they demonstrate proficiency on course learning outcomes that result in a grade of A, B, C, or D.
• Students will receive a grade of NE (No Evidence) for any courses where they have submitted no or limited evidence of learning in Trimester 3.
  • Students who end Trimester 3 with a grade of NE will be required to participate in summer learning opportunities to continue their learning until they demonstrate proficiency on course learning outcomes that result in a grade of A, B, C, or D.
• Any course grades that remain at NY (Not Yet) or NE (No Evidence) by early August will turn into an F at that time and continued learning for course learning outcomes, and/or recovery for any lost credits needed for graduation, will occur in Fall of 2020.
• Some students may receive a grade of P (pass) or NC (no credit) for courses if they followed the process to select this option. The process to make this choice was communicated to students and families throughout the trimester. 

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.

Summer School and Summer Programming

Families of students referred to summer school will be receiving direct communication about the program and plan from their teacher and a follow up 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.

Yearbook Distribution

Typically yearbooks are distributed to students the last week of the school year, however, yearbooks will be arriving over the summer as their plant was also shut down during this time. The tentative arrival date will be mid-July. We will send out more information about distribution once they arrive at school. Thank you for your understanding. 

Last Day of End of year drop off and pick up of materials, tomorrow, June 4

Grades 5 – 8 students and families will be allowed to pick up materials, tomorrow, Thursday, June 4 during these scheduled times. 

• 8-11 a.m. – Last names letter J-Q
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Last names letter R-Z
• 1-4 p.m. – Last names letter A – I
• 5-8 p.m. – Students and/or families who cannot make the day times and/or are high risk with health concerns

While you are at Westwood:

• Follow safety protocols: We are asking all families to be cognizant of social distancing and wear a mask while at Westwood. Staff will be practicing social distancing and following safety precautions. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and exit, in hallways, and in the locker bay.
• Follow designated traffic flow. There will be signage as you enter the building to direct traffic flow. We will enter and exit through the main entrance – staying to the right. The two doors on the right as you enter will be used for entrance. As you leave, the two doors on the right will be used to leave. Doors will be propped open.
• Drop off materials in designated areas: Follow the pathway in the cafeteria to drop off any school materials you have at home in the designated area. Materials to drop off include things such as:
  • Library books
  • Curriculum books – place in a bag with student name and teacher name on bag
  • Band instruments – for all grade 8 students, students not taking band next year, and students moving over the summer – please label with student name
• Clean out desks and/or lockers. Students and/or families will need to clean out their desk and/or locker. Classroom doors will be propped open. Lights in classrooms will be on. We have motion sensor lights so when you walk in the room the lights will go on. Only one family per room at a time is allowed to retrieve materials. Have knowledge about and bring the following to clean out desks and/or lockers:
  • A bag/backpack to place materials in
  • Know your child’s teacher and room number
  • Know your child’s locker number and combination
  • Know your child’s gym locker number and combination (grades 7 and 8)

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

 Materials to drop off at school

Grade 5 All Students - Houghton Mifflin Orange Anthology - Expeditions School Rental Band Instrument if you are moving or not taking band next year Library Books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Team 5A No other materials	Team 5B Specific items Novel individually assigned	Team 5C Novels Dave', Fields, Olinger - A Long Walk to Water	Team 5D           No other materials
Grade 6 All Students - Holt Blue Anthology – Elements of Literature School rental band instrument if you are moving or not taking band next year Library books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Team 6A No other materials	Team 6B Specific Items Allen, Becklund, Cox - Touching Spirit Bear	Team 6C Novels Major, Post - Novel - A Monster Calls Fritze, Rosales - Novel - Mockingbird Robasse - Novel - Shadow	Team 6D No other materials
Grade 7 School rental band instrument if you are moving or not taking band next year Library books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Language Arts Honors students – The Outsiders	Math No other materials	Science No other materials	Social Studies No other materials
Grade 8 School rental band instrument Library books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Language Arts No other materials	Math No other materials	Science No other materials	Social Studies No other materials

Westwood Drive by Parade, June 5, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Westwood staff looks forward to seeing students one last time as the school year comes to an end. Families are invited to “drive by” Westwood during designated times on June 5 as staff wave good-bye.

In order to help limit the amount of traffic in the neighborhood we are asking families to come during the following times:

• 11 – 11:30 a.m. families with last names A-H
• 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. families with last names I – R
• 12 – 12:30 p.m. families with last names S – Z

Please follow these guidelines to make the parade as safe as possible for all:

• 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.
• Food and beverages will not be served.
• 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 as shown, click here for a map.

We have one more way to celebrate the year – by giving back to the communities in Minnesota.  There are great needs due to the pandemic and the recent events in our neighboring communities due to the death of George Floyd. We are organizing a community needs drive. Students and parents can drop off the items listed below that are being requested to assist families. Items can be dropped off during the car parade. The drop off area will be in the bus circle as to not inhibit the flow of the parade and exiting vehicles.  

Items for donation:

• Non-perishable food items
• Baby products - Pampers / Diapers / baby wipes / formula / baby food 
• Hand Sanitizer
• Toilet Paper
• Paper towels
• Hygiene products 

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.

Westwood Families

In a normal year, we’d be well into baseball season. The Twins. Maybe catching a game on television or at Target Field. At this point in our school year, we might say we’re in the seventh inning stretch, nearing the end. Staff and students are in the final two days of formal learning. Like many of you, I am ready for a stretch break – a little song of Sweet SLP to celebrate our work together to create a safe, positive Extended Flexible Learning Environment for our kids.

Our fifth grade teachers are prepping for the news interviews that come at the end of a good game. They are ready to hear how it went for each of our student players. They are getting ready one-on-one end-of-year conversations with students focused on what they learned about themselves and their learning in an Extended Flexible Learning environment.

Our 6-8 graders who are on track for their final at bats this week and ready to finish up the year, will be having one-on-one conversations with their dean or counselor. Some of our 6-8 graders will need to go into extra innings and spend a few extra days finishing up. Teachers will communicate what still needs to happen to master the learning targets for their course. I know these students will finish strong next week with the support of their teachers.

As a reminder here are the need to know dates for students and parents:

• May 28 – Last day of new learning for students in all classes
• May 29 – June 5 – special education students wrap up the year with case managers
• June 1 – June 8 – Grades 6-8 support for students who need to finish outstanding coursework and demonstrate their learning. This work with students will be on an individual or small group basis. As students demonstrate they have met course learning outcomes, they will be done with their respective courses.
• June 2-4 - Grade 5 teachers will be connecting with students and families for individual conversations to wrap up the year; Click here to sign up for a time.
• June 3-4 – Students drop off materials and pick up personal items in classrooms and lockers – See details in the Need to Know section
• June 5 (NEW!)– Westwood good-bye to our students – Westwood Drive-by Parade 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. See details in the Need to Know section.
• June 8 – Last day in scheduled school year for students in grades 6-8 to turn in assignments, test and other evidence of learning

See The Need to Know section of this newsletter for important information about drop off and pick up dates, end of year Drive-by Parade and more.

As we wrap up a year well played by all, there is so much to celebrate. Go team!

Tom Larson
Principal

End of year drop off and pick up of materials, June 3 & 4

Grades 5 – 8 students and families will be allowed to pick up materials on Wednesday, June 3 or Thursday, June 4 during the scheduled times.

Wednesday, June 3 

• 8-11 a.m. – Last names letter A-I
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Last names letter J-Q
• 1-4 p.m. – Last names letter R-Z

Thursday, June 4

• 8-11 a.m. – Last names letter J-Q
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Last names letter R-Z
• 1-4 p.m. – Last names letter A – I
• 5-8 p.m. – Students and/or families who cannot make the day times and/or are high risk with health concerns

While you are at Westwood:

• Follow safety protocols: We are asking all families to be cognizant of social distancing and wear a mask while at Westwood. Staff will be practicing social distancing and following safety precautions. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and exit, in hallways, and in the locker bay.
• Follow designated traffic flow. There will be signage as you enter the building to direct traffic flow. We will enter and exit through the main entrance – staying to the right. The two doors on the right as you enter will be used for entrance. As you leave, the two doors on the right will be used to leave. Doors will be propped open.
• Drop off materials in designated areas: Follow the pathway in the cafeteria to drop off any school materials you have at home in the designated area. Materials to drop off include things such as:
  • Library books
  • Curriculum books – place in a bag with student name and teacher name on bag
  • Band instruments – for all grade 8 students, students not taking band next year, and students moving over the summer – please label with student name
• Clean out desks and/or lockers. Students and/or families will need to clean out their desk and/or locker. Classroom doors will be propped open. Lights in classrooms will be on. We have motion sensor lights so when you walk in the room the lights will go on. Only one family per room at a time is allowed to retrieve materials. Have knowledge about and bring the following to clean out desks and/or lockers:
  • A bag/backpack to place materials in
  • Know your child’s teacher and room number
  • Know your child’s locker number and combination
  • Know your child’s gym locker number and combination (grades 7 and 8)

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

 Materials to drop off at school

Grade 5 All Students - Houghton Mifflin Orange Anthology - Expeditions School Rental Band Instrument if you are moving or not taking band next year Library Books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Team 5A No other materials	Team 5B Specific items Novel individually assigned	Team 5C Novels Dave', Fields, Olinger - A Long Walk to Water	Team 5D           No other materials
Grade 6 All Students - Holt Blue Anthology – Elements of Literature School rental band instrument if you are moving or not taking band next year Library books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Team 6A No other materials	Team 6B Specific Items Allen, Becklund, Cox - Touching Spirit Bear	Team 6C Novels Major, Post - Novel - A Monster Calls Fritze, Rosales - Novel - Mockingbird Robasse - Novel - Shadow	Team 6D No other materials
Grade 7 School rental band instrument if you are moving or not taking band next year Library books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Language Arts Honors students – The Outsiders	Math No other materials	Science No other materials	Social Studies No other materials
Grade 8 School rental band instrument Library books checked out from Westwood Media Center
Language Arts No other materials	Math No other materials	Science No other materials	Social Studies No other materials

 

Westwood Drive by Parade, June 5, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

 

Westwood staff looks forward to seeing students one last time as the school year comes to an end. Families are invited to “drive by” Westwood during designated times on June 5 as staff wave good-bye.

In order to help limit the amount of traffic in the neighborhood we are asking families to come during the following times:

• 11 – 11:30 a.m. families with last names A-H
• 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. families with last names I – R
• 12 – 12:30 p.m. families with last names S – Z

Please follow these guidelines to make the parade as safe as possible for all:

• 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.
• Food and beverages will not be served.
• 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 as shown, click here for a map.

 

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.

 

Interested in joining the Pantherettes Dance Team?

CALLING ALL DANCERS! Will you be in 7th-12th grade during the 2020-2021 school year? Do you love to dance? Here is your chance to be a part of the Spring Lake Park Pantherettes Dance Team. The Summer, Fall and Winter programs are looking for dancers like you for the upcoming 2020-2021 dance seasons! Please fill out the Google form in order to demonstrate your interest in joining the team, stay up to date on announcements and gather more information on the programs. 

 

Yearbook Distribution

Typically yearbooks are distributed to students the last week of the school year, however, yearbooks will be arriving over the summer as their plant was also shut down during this time. The tentative arrival date will be mid-July. We will send out more information about distribution once they arrive at school. Thank you for your understanding. 

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.

Westwood Families

I always know it is the end of the school year when my own children start to ask if our pool is ready yet. This year the opening of the pool was much like our spring – filled with a few things that I hadn’t planned on, but I am learning about plumbing online. Even adults use Extended Flexible Learning.

The last day of student instruction for our fifth graders will be May 28 and for our sixth – eighth graders all new learning will wrap up by May 28 as well.

Important end of year dates and timelines for Westwood:

• May 28 – Last day of new learning for students in all classes
• May 29 – June 5 – Special education services continue to be available for students
• June 1 – June 5 – Grades 6-8 support for students who need to finish outstanding coursework and demonstrate their learning. This work with students will be on an individual or small group basis. As students demonstrate they have met course learning outcomes, they will be done with their respective courses.
• June 2-4 - Grade 5 teachers will be connecting with students and families for individual conversations to wrap up the year; Signups for this will be coming May 27.
• June 3-4 – Students drop off materials and pick up personal items in classrooms and lockers. See details in the Need to Know section of the newsletter.
• June 5 – Westwood good-bye to our students (details coming next week)
• June 8 – Last day in scheduled school year for students in grades 6-8 to turn in evidence of learning.

End of year wrap-up conversations

We will be doing end of year conversations with our students. The purpose of these conversations is to provide an opportunity to continue to partner with your child about their learning.

• For grade 5, conversations will be scheduled for students and parent to have a one-to-one conversation with the classroom teacher. More information on the scheduling will be ready May 27.
• In grades 6 -8, students will fill out a Google survey and meet in small groups with their counselor. The conversations will focus on what your child has discovered about themselves as a learner in an Extended Flexible Learning Environment that your child, child’s teacher, or you as the parent can use throughout their career in SLP.

iPads will be staying home for the summer. If you are moving, more information will be coming on the process for dropping off the iPad.

We know summer programming is also on people’s minds. We are reviewing guidelines provided last week by the state for summer programming. We’re looking at a tailored model to address the specific, individual needs of students after this spring trimester. We are taking this week to determine how we’ll be identifying students and the models we’ll use to keep the learning going.

Finally, Memorial Day is 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 The Need to Know section of this newsletter for more information on all of these topics, including details for end of year material drop-off and pick-up.

Tom Larson
Principal

End of year drop off and pick up of materials, June 3 and 4

Grades 5 – 8 students and families will be allowed to pick up materials on Wednesday, June 3 or Thursday, June 4 during the scheduled times.

Wednesday, June 3 

• 8-11 a.m. – Last names letter A-I
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Last names letter J-Q
• 1-4 p.m. – Last names letter R-Z

Thursday, June 4

• 8-11 a.m. – Last names letter J-Q
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Last names letter R-Z
• 1-4 p.m. – Last names letter A – I
• 5-8 p.m. – Students and/or families who cannot make the day times and/or are high risk with health concerns

While you are at Westwood:

• Follow safety protocols: We are asking all families to be cognizant of social distancing and wear a mask while at Westwood. Staff will be practicing social distancing and following safety precautions. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and exit, in hallways, and in the locker bay.
• Follow designated traffic flow. There will be signage as you enter the building to direct traffic flow. We will enter and exit through the main entrance – staying to the right. The two doors on the right as you enter will be used for entrance. As you leave, the two doors on the right will be used to leave. Doors will be propped open.
• Drop off materials in designated areas: Follow the pathway in the cafeteria to drop off any school materials you have at home in the designated area. Materials to drop off include things such as:
  • Library books
  • Curriculum books – place in a bag with student name and teacher name on bag
  • Band instruments – for all grade 8 students, students not taking band next year, and students moving over the summer – please label with student name
• Clean out desks and/or lockers. Students and/or families will need to clean out their desk and/or locker. Classroom doors will be propped open. Lights in classrooms will be on. We have motion sensor lights so when you walk in the room the lights will go on. Only one family per room at a time is allowed to retrieve materials. Have knowledge about and bring the following to clean out desks and/or lockers:
  • A bag/backpack to place materials in
  • Know your child’s teacher and room number
  • Know your child’s locker number and combination
  • Know your child’s gym locker number and combination (grades 7 and 8)

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.

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

Technology Toolkit

The Technology Toolkit page houses helpful information including learning technology resources, video tutorials, troubleshooting tips and FAQs to help students and families navigate the learning tools needed to be successful in a flexible learning environment.

View the Technology Toolkit

Yearbook Distribution

Typically yearbooks are distributed to students the last week of the school year, however, yearbooks will be arriving over the summer as their plant was also shut down during this time. The tentative arrival date will be mid-July. We will send out more information about distribution once they arrive at school. Thank you for your understanding. 

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.

Westwood Families

I hope you and your family are doing well. There are a few more scheduled weeks of learning left for this school year. Of course, this has not been a typical spring with our scheduled school days. 

Teachers are continuing to work with students to ensure that the learning is continuing and students are receiving the support they need to make progress. In response to family feedback, you might be seeing less new learning posted. We have asked teachers to look at what they are assigning students to be sure it is essential learning and to provide time in student schedules to complete any missing assignments they have to complete and for teachers to provide extra help for kids.

What you are seeing with your student might look a little different from another student based on your child’s team and the learning they have designed for the week. Some teams are using a day as a “no new learning day” and others are doing this by subject areas on different days of the week.

If you have further questions or feedback for us about your family’s experience, please reach out to me directly or your child’s teacher. We are striving to create a personalized approach for your child.

A personalized approach will continue into the end of the school year as we design what the final days of school might look like for students. We are currently looking at how we might provide students with multiple ways and extended time to demonstrate learning for those who need it as the year comes to a close. More information will be coming on this and what it means for your child. 

At the end of the year, we will continue, as we have in the past, reporting each student’s progress. We do this in a variety of ways throughout the year – conferences, emails home, posting feedback in Schoology, phone calls, and report cards. This year, students will receive a report card that reflects the grading system for grades 5-8 that we have used all year. The “final” report card will reflect where students currently are at the end of the year. Report cards will be mailed home in June.

See The Need to Know section of this newsletter for more information about continuing meal services and community food resources and other topics critical during this time.

Tom Larson
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.

Spring Lake Park Pantherettes Dance Team Information for 2020-2021 school year

CALLING ALL DANCERS! Will you be in 7th-12th grade during the 2020-2021 school year? Do you love to dance? Here is your chance to be a part of the Spring Lake Park Pantherettes Dance Team. The Summer, Fall and Winter programs are looking for dancers like you for the upcoming 2020-2021 dance seasons! Please fill out the Google form in order to demonstrate your interest in joining the team, stay up to date on announcements and gather more information on the programs. 

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?” 

Technology Toolkit

The Technology Toolkit page houses helpful information including learning technology resources, video tutorials, troubleshooting tips and FAQs to help students and families navigate the learning tools needed to be successful in a flexible learning environment.

View the Technology Toolkit

 

Yearbook Distribution

Typically yearbooks are distributed to students the last week of the school year, however, yearbooks will be arriving over the summer as their plant was also shut down during this time. Tentative arrival date will be mid-July. We will send out more information about distribution once they arrive at school. Thank you for your understanding. 

Westwood Families

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to our most important partners – each of you - in helping kids be successful and grow.

Last Friday, Westwood staff communicated with families about student progress toward learning goals. We also read research on effective feedback to students and completed an assignment based on the research. On Monday, we were grateful for time to plan and prepare for the last five weeks of school. June 5, our last day of school, will be here before you know it.

But, like I tell my daughter, we need to plan for tomorrow while making the most of today. Plans for the end of the year will be coming soon, but not at the expense of making the most out of the learning and connections we are having with our kids each day. We will keep you updated on end-of-year plans and events and summer learning as we have information from the state and have an opportunity to align across our district and with each team at Westwood. 

Thanks to all of the parents who responded to the questionnaire about Extended Flexible Learning. Overall, the feedback about what is going well was significantly greater than the suggestions for areas families would like to see changed. What we heard from parents is that overwhelmingly, there is a desire for us to not make large scale changes and that things are going well. In addition, there was:

• Huge appreciation for teachers and their efforts
• Appreciation for communication with and availability of teachers – this is accomplished through teacher office hours and question and answer sessions.
• Feedback that face-to-face learning is going well, and more opportunities are welcome especially for students who need extra help
• Appreciation for flexibility in pacing and timing of work and due dates – Each team has a weekly overview posted in Schoology where the assignments and live sessions can be viewed to help plan the week.
• Recognition of the meaningful use of technology

One area we are addressing specific to Westwood is making sure we’re staying within the guidelines for the amount of work assigned each day for each class.

I hope all of you have been following and enjoying Who did it best? from Mr. Nelson, Ms. Jahnke and me. This week, we will have a special video for your kids from all of the staff. 

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

Tom Larson
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.

Fee Refund Check Information

Fee refund checks will arrive in homes the week of May 4. Refunds on any fees families have paid for field trips that didn’t happen, spring athletics and activities registrations and high school spring parking passes are being processed now. Checks will be mailed to homes. Any spring athletic registrations done through credit card will be refunded to the card.

Honor Roll Certificates

Honor roll certificates have been mailed home to all grades 6,7 and 8 students who met the honor roll criteria. Honor is based on the student's Grade Point Average from the trimester based on the final academic grade.

• A Honor Roll requirements: Overall GPA of 3.70 - 4.0
• B Honor Roll requirements: Overall GPA of 2.70 - 3.699

Academic grades are reported to parents at the end of each trimester in Campus and throughout the trimester in Schoology. At the end of the trimester, report cards reflect the final grade for the trimester for each course. Academic grades reflect assessments of learning and targeted learning measures. The grade is an accumulation of some homework, tests, and quizzes, end of trimester assessments, projects, and final drafts. 

Grading Scale            

A         93        -          100      

A-        90        -           92        

B+       87        -           89        

B         83        -           86        

B-        80        -           82        

C+       77        -           79        

C         73        -           76        

C-        70        -           72        

D+       67        -           69        

D         63        -           66        

D-        60        -           62        

F         below   -           59

Technology Toolkit

Have you had a chance to check out the Technology Toolkit? The Technology Toolkit page houses helpful information including learning technology resources, video tutorials, troubleshooting tips and FAQs to help students and families navigate the learning tools needed to be successful in a flexible learning environment.

View the Technology Toolkit

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

Westwood Families

Last week, the Governor announced that all K-12 schools will continue to provide Extended Flexible Learning for Minnesota students through the end of the school year. While we are sad that we will not be coming back to the brick and mortar of Westwood, we feel lucky that we are able to continue providing personalized learning for our students. 

The end of the year brings much excitement, and this year long-established traditions will continue in a different way with the intent to have the same impact. We want our students to know that they will be missed and that we are excited to see them back in the fall. We will be working on plans to address the logistics of picking up student materials as well as closing the year in a meaningful way. 

Please note there is no school on Friday, May 1 and Monday, May 4 for your children. Staff will be working in teams and individually to both connect with students and parents on progress students have made this trimester and continue to plan for the remainder of the year. Part of this learning will be guided by the feedback we have received from parents and students.

Next week is staff appreciation week for Spring Lake Park Schools – and National Teacher’s Day. I have always believed that parents are a child’s first teacher, and during this time your partnership is important. Thank you for your continued support of learning in your homes.

Of course, our teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff are also important and continue to work extremely hard to do school in this new way. Each day, they are working to bring engaging lessons to our students, connect with them, show they care and listen. When we’re at our best, we ignite the mind and touch the heart of students. 

Please take a minute to share your appreciation for your child’s teacher and to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. On May 5, we are asking our community to participate in SLP Spirit Day by wearing our SLP spirit wear. Not all of our heroes wear capes but during these times they all wear a mask and Panther Gear. Thanks for being a hero. It is through teaching that all other professions come. 

See The Need to Know section of this newsletter for more information and important reminders.

Tom Larson
Principal