November 20, 2018
From Your Principal
My hope for our families is that you find time to connect with your loved ones and are grateful for the moments together. I wish you all peace and happiness, and I believe an important step to cultivating that is to practice gratitude for every situation - good or bad - at every opportunity. We don't have to rely on our past to determine our actions in the future. Each day, we can make a choice to disregard disadvantageous habits like negativity and instead live our lives positively and with thankfulness. The choice is always ours. 
We realize our own power by reveling in the simple joys of life that we only recognize when staying in the present. For me, it's when my 12-year-old son asks me to come say goodnight for the third time that night and I’m trying to get through my emails from the morning…yet I know there will come a time when he may no longer ask at all, so I go and snuggle him in. Finding thankfulness for all of life's simple pleasures regardless of my circumstance is what brings me the most joy and makes me feel truly alive. 
I am thankful to be a part of the wonderful Peter Hobart community! 

Peter Hobart Proud,
Kari Schwietering
Principal
NO SCHOOL: Wednesday, 11/21- Friday, 11/23
SLPHS 12th Grade Students Read to 4th Graders
Seniors from SLPHS
12th grade High School students, along with staff Bekah Noble and Chris Weaver, visited classrooms and volunteered by reading with our 4th grade students.
Weather Related School Closing Information
Important School Nutrition Information

The School Nutrition Department requests that families must fill out a new form at the beginning of each school year to be eligible for free and reduced meal prices. You will be notified by mail of your child's status. Until notification you must provide your child with a meal or money for school meals.

Free and Reduced Lunch Forms - Our school goal is to have 100% completion of the school lunch forms. Even if you think you may not qualify, it benefits us as a school to have all families complete the form. You can find the form here in English , Somali , or Spanish .

Family Fun Night!
Fun was had by all at Fall Family Fun Night. 
Thank you to all the volunteers for making this night possible.
Vocal Concert - Grades 4 & 5
Tuesday, November 27th
7:00pm at the High School Auditorium

All Peter Hobart 4th and 5th Grade Students
International Baccalaureate Program

At the November Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), we looked at both the mission statement and the learner profile of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Both the mission statement and learner profile unite all three of the IB programs offered in St. Louis Park; the Primary Years Program in the elementary, the Middle Years Program in the middle school, and the Diploma Program at the high school.

The mission statement is the intent or hope of the program; what students should be able to do because of their participation in IB.

The learner profile describes the impact the IB program has on students; what behaviors they should have because they have been in the IB program.


The Sheridan Story
Sheridan Story provides weekly food to families who can use a little extra support. The free food bags are placed in students' backpacks on Fridays to take home. Starting this month, Sheridan Story is offering four different food options. Those four options are:
  1. Meal: Fruit, Veggie, Protein, Rice/Pasta/Beans, Soup
  2. Mobile: Pop-Top Fruit/Veggie, Ready-to-Eat foods
  3. Culture 1: Rice, Beans, Corn/Carrots/Tomatoes, Peaches/Pears
  4. Culture 2: Rice/Pasta, Tuna, Tomatoes/Peas, Peaches/Pears

If you're interested in participating in Sheridan Story, please contact Michele Edwins (School Social Worker) at 952-928-6609.

In response to an effort by many to gain a day of recognition for the great influence American Indians have had upon the U.S., Congress designated a week of October to celebrate Native American Awareness Week in 1976. Yearly legislation was enacted to continue the tradition until August of 1990, when President Bush approved the designation of November as National American Indian Heritage Month. Each year a similar proclamation is issued. President Clinton noted in 1996, "Throughout our history, American Indian and Alaska Native peoples have been an integral part of the American character. Against all odds, America’s first peoples have endured, and they remain a vital cultural, political, social, and moral presence." November is an appropriate month for the celebration because it is traditionally a time when many American Indians hold fall harvest and world-renewal ceremonies, powwows, dances, and various feasts. The holiday recognizes hundreds of different tribes and approximately 250 languages, and celebrates the history, tradition, and values of American Indians. National American Indian Heritage Month serves as a reminder of the positive effect native peoples have had on the cultural development and growth of the U.S., as well as the struggles and challenges they have faced.

Winter Apparel is needed
Winter is here!!!
Donations of mittens, snow pants, and boots are needed in all sizes. If you have a donation please drop it off at the health aide office!
Park Fast L.A.N.E. (Literacy and Numeracy Enrichment) Math

Have you practiced  subitizing  with your child lately?  Subitizing is the ability to instantly recognize the number of objects without actually counting them.  Subitizing in the early grades helps promote relationships between numbers and helps build strong number sense.  If your child is still using their fingers to solve addition, subtraction, or multiplication equations, then your child is not "seeing" the answer.  We are expecting students to memorize their math facts, but many students are not able to solve abstract problems without a visual.  So, bring out those dominoes and dice and practice subitizing today!  
 
Here is a link to practice online:   https://www.fuelthebrain.com/games/number-flash/

Kate Swanson
Math Teacher
Playground Pals
Mr. William
Kindergarten
Mr. Marcus
News from the Health Office
We have come to the time of year to expect cold and flu symptoms. Please keep in mind the guidelines below when deciding if your child should come to school.  Any child with the following symptoms should stay home:
  • a fever 100 degrees or higher. A child should not come back to school until the temperature is normal for 24 hours without medication.
  • vomiting or diarrhea
  • a frequent, uncontrolled cough
  • a rash of an unknown cause, check with health care provider before returning to school
  • eye drainage
  • sore throat with a fever and/or rash

The health office is looking for the following donations:
  • Girls and boys underwear, sizes small and medium (new)
  • Girls small & medium leggings (new or gently used)
  • Boys small & medium sweatpants (new or gently used)

Thank you,
Jeanelle Rasmussen BSN, RN, LSN
Julie Johnsen, Health Aide
Health Office: 952-928-6605
PTO - Parent Teacher Organization
Boxtops . Help our school earn cash by clipping Box Tops from products and sending them to school! Each one is worth 10 cents and our school can use the case for whatever it needs. See a list of products at BTFE.com/products.
Key School Dates
2018-19 District Calendar

  • Nov. 21-23: No School, K-12 (Thanksgiving Break)
  • Nov. 27: 4th & 5th Grade Vocal Concert, 7:00PM HS Auditorium
  • Dec. 7: No School, K-12
  • Dec. 19: 3rd Grade Field Trip to the MN Science Museum
  • Dec. 20: 1st Grade Field Trip to the MN History Museum
  • Dec. 24 - Jan. 4: No School, K-12 (Winter Break)