An academic bilingual community fostering global citizenship |
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UPCOMING
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Thursday, Nov. 19: Spiritwear Order DEADLINE (see below)
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Friday, Nov. 20: Coffee with Corey from 7:00-7:25 a.m. or 12:15-12:45 p.m.
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Thursday, Nov. 23: Distance Learning Starts for All students
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Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m.: PTO Meeting for Updates and Hope Speaks!
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Nov. 30:
Cohort A AND DLA students Picture Day-CANCELLED
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Dec. 3:
Cohort B AND DLA students Picture Day-CANCELLED
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11-12-2020
Dear Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School Community:
We knew that this would be a year of flexibility! As a White male parent, educator, and human being, I continue to be in a state of reflection about how our visions of “school” and teaching and learning have shifted (and continue to shift) in the midst of this pandemic. As I observe and talk with families, students, and our staff members, everyone has differing wants and needs from our educational institution. As we get ready to transition to distance learning on Monday, November 23rd, I wanted to share some guiding beliefs that elementary leadership teams are using to plan for the next few months.
What are our collective beliefs?
- Relationships are essential to our work.
- Differentiation is vital to student success.
- Students need to be engaged and find joy in their learning.
- Rigorous, interdisciplinary lessons that are rooted in standards and centered around student curiosity lead to engagement and help deepen the learning.
- Multiple perspectives are important, and we need to ensure that we are gathering input from ALL stakeholders (families, students, and educators).
In our school’s 25 year existence, we have continued to reflect on how best to meet the needs of our learners. Since March, collectively, we have been learning and adapting with you, as we have gathered feedback from our students, families, and staff members. As such, these are some of the things that you will notice.
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The official student day is 7:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
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All students will participate in a community Morning Meeting daily, Monday through Friday at 7:45 a.m.
- On Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays students will follow a consistent weekly schedule which includes whole class time, small group, and independent practice on Seesaw and/or other assigned work.
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Large groups can be used effectively for many things, including: songs, read alouds, community building, introduction of new topics, demonstrations, etc.
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Smaller groups are often used to check student understanding, to have conversations, build on new vocabulary and concepts, reading fluency, comprehension checks, etc.
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Seesaw activities and lessons also help students work on taught concepts and demonstrate their learning.
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The majority of the “live” classroom time will take place from 7:45-12:00. Please note that students will not have synchronous instruction during this entire block. Like in the physical classroom, this will be a mix of large group, small group, and independent learning time.
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Students will participate in live Physical Education and Music classes, and students in grades 2-5 will have regular smaller group sessions in English and Spanish.
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Students will have a lunch break from 12:00-12:45.
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After 12:45, students will work on work assigned by their teachers or specialists (this might be in Seesaw, journaling, reading, or other extensions). Some students will participate in smaller group sessions daily or weekly.
Your child’s classroom teacher will share your child’s schedule later next week. After receiving the schedule, please feel free to reach out if you have questions about the daily schedule or routine. We are working to create consistency for you and our students while adapting to what we have learned about how best to support our students’ learning.
We appreciate your partnership and your flexibility on this journey--for each and every one of our 520 amazingly gifted and wonderful children.
Sincerely,
Corey Maslowski
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How to Cope Positively With Change &
Tips and Tricks for Distance Learning
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Here are some good reminders to help our children cope positively with change, and reminders to help make distance learning successful at home.
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Family Support and RESOURCES |
Relate Counseling Center provides school-based mental health services that allows students to receive direct support within the school day. School based therapists can help children work through symptoms, diagnoses, or life circumstances that can disrupt their learning including anxiety and depression; ADHD or other behavioral disorders; difficulty interacting with peers; divorce or other changes in the family system; grief and loss; and more.
Growing Through Grief, a Park Nicollet program, provides counseling services to students weekly in groups and one-to-one counseling sessions. Counselors help students cope with grief brought on by issues of chronic illness, death of a parent, family member or loved one. Growing Through Grief also helps schools respond to sudden, unforeseen tragedies.
JFCS Parent Coaching
Parent coaching provides tailored and evidence-based supports for parents who are dealing with a specific issue or concern with their children or family. Parent coaches assist families in creating a plan of action to effectively address the problem in an authentic way. They are not therapists – they do not diagnose conditions. Parent coaching is generally short-term and forward-looking in nature – the goal is to empower and educate parents and provide them with tools for success in just a few meetings. Parent coaches are certified professionals and are able to meet with you in person, over the phone, or via video conference. We work with families of any religion, size or shape with children ages 2 through college-age.
CONCRETE NEEDS/FINANCIAL SUPPORTS
The ACT Program (Laura Gorke)
The ACT Program is a free home-visiting* program for families in the St. Louis Park School District (early childhood through grade 5) that is designed to address barriers to family stability in order to help facilitate steady school attendance. The ACT Program recognizes that when families have basic needs satisfied, adequate healthcare and stable housing, their children are more likely to get to school and succeed. ACT provides resources to assist with parenting support, school and educational concerns, and access to community resources. (*Due to the pandemic, ACT is currently meeting with families remotely via phone or video calls.)
St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP)
The St. Louis Park Emergency Program’s mission is to identify, address and respond to the critical and emergency needs of residents in St. Louis Park. We are the St. Louis Park community food shelf and social service agency. We directly provide food and clothing to residents in need, as well as advocacy, referrals, and build a collaborative relationship. Since 1975, STEP volunteers and professional staff have been empowering lives and restoring hope. Our vision is to be the trusted resource for connecting community members with resources to fulfill their basic needs. STEP also has additional funding to help towards rental assistance. If you have a family who could benefit from STEP, the family can call 952-925-4899.
Housing Assistance
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Math & Science Connection INTERMEDIATE Edition |
This month, your youngster can be thankful for multiplication! Share some of these ideas to let them learn multiplication facts in playful ways. Click HERE for more fun... |
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Lifetouch Picture Day CANCELLED on Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 |
Due to the Safe Learning decision that all elementary students will be in Distance Learning as of 11-23-20, our PICTURE DAY on November 30 and December 3 is unfortunately CANCELLED at this time. We will revisit this possibility after January 11, 2021. |
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School Board Approves Changes to Safe Learning Plan - Elementary to Distance Learning on November 23rd |
The School Board for St. Louis Park Public Schools voted to make changes to the District’s Safe Learning Plan at its Monday, November 9 meeting. The changes include:
- Postpone implementation of Distance Learning Academy and full-day hybrid learning model for students in grades K-5 that was scheduled to start on November 16.
- November 16 Middle School and High School students move to distance learning.
- November 23 Early Learning and All Elementary School students move to distance learning.
- School Board to re-evaluate Safe Learning Plan at the January 11, 2021 meeting.
The Board also voted to authorize Superintendent Osei to transition students to distance learning at an earlier date without school board action, if necessary.
Click HERE for the full article and link to the recorded 11-9-20 School Board Meeting on the district and school ( www.slpschools.org/psi) websites. |
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St. Louis Park Public Schools & Community Foundation
Give To The Max Day - November 19
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The Park Public Schools & Community Foundation, in partnership with Minnesota Philanthropies, enhances educational opportunities and community programming for kids in St. Louis Park. The Foundation works to enrich and inspire the continuing excellence of all our youth, from preschool through high school, and works in partnership with school, business and community.
It is the mission of the Park Public Schools & Community Foundation to make a positive impact in St. Louis Park by providing grants for projects in the St. Louis Park Public Schools and to nonprofits supporting youth programs outside of the classroom.
The Foundation carries out its mission by focusing support in the following areas:
- Enhance student achievement and enrichment at St. Louis Park Public Schools
- Support community programs for youth outside of the classroom
Click HERE for more information and how to donate!
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School Board Listening Sessions |
All stakeholders are invited to attend St. Louis Park School Board Listening Sessions to ask questions and have a conversation with school board members.
Up to three school board members will attend to listen to stakeholders. It is not an official meeting and no official action will be taken.
Please be aware that the school board members will end the listening session 30 minutes after the posted start time if there are no stakeholders in attendance.
The School Board recently scheduled the following Listening Sessions:
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November 16, 2020 | 6:30 p.m. | Zoom Link | Meeting ID: 924 4653 8467 | Passcode: 802979
- February 16, 2021 | 6:30 p.m. | Location TBD
- April 20, 2021 | 6:30 p.m. | Location TBD
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Upcoming Listening Sessions with Superintendent Osei |
As a part of the process to hear stakeholder perspectives, Superintendent Osei will be hosting Listening Sessions over the course of this school year for students, parents/guardians, and staff to better understand the impact of the implementation of the District's educational delivery models.
November 17 | 5:00-6:00 p.m. | Parents/Guardians - English | Zoom Link | Meeting ID: 934 2061 5183 | Passcode: 520346
November 17 | 5:00-6:00 p.m. | Parents/Guardians - Spanish | Zoom Link | Meeting ID: 967 9287 9471 | Passcode: 029610
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Spiritwear: Order Deadline Nov. 19 |
The first order deadline is quickly approaching- Order by November 9 to receive items by December 11.
Final deadline for all orders is November 19 to receive by December 25.
All items shipped directly to you. Proceeds support PSI and the Amity Intern program.
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Join us Nov 24 for PTO Updates & Hope Speaks!
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On November 24th at 6:30pm, join us online for a brief update on what's happening with the PTO and what to expect for upcoming events and activities. Stick around to engage in the first stage of a meaningful conversation around racial equity in our school from HOPE Speaks Project creators, Kristen Pehl and Meghan Malone. |
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Amity Interns 2020-2021 Update |
After working tirelessly to find ways to work through COVID issues, travel restrictions and a host of other barriers, our partners at the Amity Institute have suspended Intern placement operations for the remainder of the school year. While this means that we will not have Amity support this year at PSI, we are hopeful that we will be able to welcome a full team of Amities Amity interns back into our community next fall.
Thank you to our team of volunteer Amity coordinators—Heidi Thompson, Stacy Stewart, Kyle Wermerskirchen and Megan Patterson—and Sr. Maslowski for their time and efforts supporting this program and pursuing all possibilities to keep it alive! Also, thanks to Sra. María Frederick, Sra. Rosa Rodríguez, and Sra. Rosa Sala-Healey for helping with interviews, and to all of our community members for the support of this program.
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St. Louis Park STEP
Give To The Max Day - November 19
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Fall Matching Campaign culminates on Give to the Max Day on November 19, 2020.
All individual donations will be matched up to at least $50,000
between October 19 and November 19, 2020.
STEP empowers lives and restore hope with food assistance, clothing, school supplies, transportation services, and emergency housing assistance. This is by far STEP’s largest fundraising effort of the year. In order to maintain our impact on St. Louis Park families, we will need to reach our goal. Please join in this community-wide effort!
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Dr. Corey Maslowski, Principal
Follow me on Twitter @PSIPrincipal
Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School
9400 Cedar Lake Road
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
School Hours: 7:45 am - 2:15 pm
School Office Hours: 7:00 am - 3:30 pm
PSI Main Office: 952-928-6555
24Hr-Attendance: 952-928-6570
Health Office: 952-928-6554
PSI Fax: 952-928-6556
School Nutrition: 952-928-6567
St. Louis Park Public Schools Transportation Department (Bus) 612-437-4719
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