St. Louis Park Middle School's Weekly News



Please note: For the most up to date information please click on the Middle School website. (Language Translations available)

April 20, 2023

Middle School Families:

It was so fun seeing students/families at Conferences last night. They continue this evening and all day tomorrow. A reminder that tomorrow is an Asynchronous Day for Middle School students. (see expectations below)

A HUGE shout out to Laura Truett and Leah Anklam Conference Meal Coordinators. The staff really appreciated the dinners and snacks provided on both evenings.

We had a successful first day of MCA testing on Tuesday and appreciate all of your support in making this happen. Next Tuesday we will continue with the Math portion of the test. Please go to the website for additional information on testing.

Thank you for your continued support of our entire Middle School community.

Jason Boll

Interim Principal

Welcome Ms. Melissa Kalinowski as the next Middle School Principal Beginning July 3

We held a rigorous and comprehensive selection process for the new principal for St. Louis Park Middle School. SLP students, parents/caregivers and staff from across the district participated in the interview selection process and we wish to thank all who were involved for their time and dedication to this process. 

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Melissa Kalinowski was selected to serve as Middle School Principal and will begin her role on July 3. Ms. Kalinowski has a ten-year track-record as a successful school leader serving in principal, assistant principal, and administrative intern roles. Most recently, Ms. Kalinowski has served as the principal of Frost Lake Elementary School in St. Paul Public Schools for the past four years. Ms. Malinowski also spent 16 years as a middle school social studies teacher at South View Middle School in Edina.

Ms. Kalinowski is a strong instructional leader focused on culturally-relevant teaching and learning and holds deep belief in every student’s ability to succeed. Ms. Kalinowski is known for creating strong building systems for safe and organized daily school operations, implementing a model of shared leadership and collaboration, and remaining steadfast in providing all students a quality education that is standards-based and culturally relevant.

St. Louis Park Public Schools extends its sincerest gratitude to Jason Boll for his contributions and leadership during his time as interim principal. For the past year and a half, he has demonstrated invaluable guidance and support to our staff, students, and community. Mr. Boll has an unwavering commitment to fostering a positive learning environment and we wish him all the best as he returns to his role as Assistant Principal at the middle school.

Please join the entire St. Louis Park Public Schools community in welcoming Melissa Kalinowski to St. Louis Park Middle School! 



Read more about Principal Kalinowski

First Track Meet of the Season

State Wide Severe Weather Drill

TOMORROW: Asynchronous Day of Learning

The expectation for students on Friday, April 21, is to sign in to Schoology, go to each of their courses and complete the work/activity/assignment that their teacher has posted there between the hours of 8 am to 2 pm. There will also be a question or poll that will be part of each course that day and this is for attendance purposes.

We'll be talking to students about this as well but please make sure they do this part so they get credit for doing their work and being "present". We are planning that each class have approximately 10-20 minutes of asynchronous learning.

Spring Conferences

Friday April 21 8 am - 4pm. **Asynchronous Day of learning for students

7th Grade Field Trip

• An American Tale at the Children's Theater 5/31/23

Project DIVA International primarily serves middle and high school Black girls within Minneapolis–St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs, ages 11-19, of a variety of economic statuses and backgrounds. Our leadership team focuses on peer to peer, group and individual year-long coaching with the leadership of professionals from all walks of life to develop personal relationships and long-term impact.

SLPMS is proud to have 16 girls that participated in this leadership group this year. We hope you'll join Project DIVA International to celebrate the growth and accomplishments of our SLP girls in their program this year! Families, friends and school staff are invited to attend this special event. The cost for the show is $20.00. All donations will go directly towards our programming.

Here's the direct EventBrite link to our event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/546671076907. Can't make it to the show but want to show your support? How about purchasing a Style Show T-shirt? The cost is $25.00 pay right online at: www.projectdiva.org (under our donate tab there is a shop option). If they purchase online for a girl, ask them to please include the girl's name and shirt size. Also, please note all shirts will be delivered to the girls the day of the show. If a girl doesn't make it we will get them to them through staff or drop them off at SLPMS. 

At the end of March the St. Louis Park middle school urban debate team took part in the middle school citywide championship.  We had two teams that competed in the Rookie division: 

Cate Williams and Kiera Sangster (3rd place) and Cate with the 8th in the best speaker. Teressa Garcia and Kefiya Ali-Teressa placed 16th in the best speaker category.



The team worked very hard and we are proud of their rookie year performance.

Conference Meals

Thank you Site Council and Parent/Family Volunteers! The dinners and snacks that you all provided for conferences were amazing.

Host Families Needed



The students and staff have enjoyed getting to know our Global Interns this school year! Kevin from El Salvador and Sara from Spain have been assisting teachers and sharing their cultures in several classes. A huge thank you to the Winecoff and Valley Families for opening their homes this spring semester. 

The Middle School is excited to announce we have secured two Global Interns for the 2023-24 school year, one from Colombia and one from Spain. Global Interns are a great addition to our classrooms and make connections with many of our students, not only ESP students. Global Interns bring an exciting energy to the classroom and are eager to be involved in the SLP community.  We are looking for two host families for the fall semester (late August through the end of January) and two more host families for next spring (late January through the end of the school year in 2023). The main requirement is the intern must have their own legal bedroom. It is a great opportunity for your family to learn about another culture while introducing the Global Intern to Minnesota and our community in St Louis Park. You do not need to be an ESP family. All middle school families are welcome to host. There is no requirement for families to know Spanish as the interns are also fluent in English. 

My family has had a great experience hosting in the recent years and created lasting friendships. Please reach out to me if you are interested or have questions. Karita Bentley at karitabentley@gmail.com

The Little Mermaid Update

Click here to read important information about the next few weeks.

Click here to sign up to volunteer.

Click here to see the rehearsal schedule.

Reach out to zumberge.lillian@slpschools.org or schmerler.jennifer@slpschools.org with questions.

Purchase Tickets to The Little Mermaid!

The Little Mermaid will perform 4 shows on May 4, 5, and 6 at 7pm and a matinee at 1pm on Saturday, May 6.  Click here to purchase tickets. The ticket can be bought at the door with cash or check only.

April 16-22, 2023 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week. As volunteers are recognized across our nation, we’d like to thank our own community of volunteers. 

Over 100 people, both community members and parents, are volunteering in our schools this year. Thanks to each and every one of you for being a source of support for our students and staff. Our district acknowledges you for the important role you play helping children feel seen and heard so their brilliance can shine. All of us in the school community are grateful for your commitment to our students.

Kids Place School Age Child Care - Registration Open for 2023-2024 School Year

DECA partners with American Red Cross to host community blood drive

Middle School Cooking Club 

Join us to learn some basic cooking and baking skills by making a new recipe each week!

Wednesdays, April 19-May 24, 4-5:15 pm 

Sliding Scale Pricing: $39/$49/$59/$69

Click here to register now

Middle School Chess Club 

Join us to play the game you love each week! 

Mondays, April 10-June 5, 4-5 pm

$145

Click here to register now!

The Report Card: Newspaper Club 

We are looking for writers, designers, illustrators, or anyone interested in contributing to our newspaper: The Report Card. Students can join at any time. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5:15 pm 

Sliding Scale Pricing: $10/$20/$30/$40

Click here to register now

Mr. Jason Boll, Interim Principal

Mr. Cam Muata, Interim Assistant Principal

2025 Texas Avenue South

St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Phone: 952-928-6300

Attendance: 952-928-6394

Fax: 952-928-6383

boll.jason@slpschools.org

muata.cam@slpschools.org

ms.slpschools.org