An academic bilingual community fostering global citizenship |
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UPCOMING...
Please see the 'Specialist Day' schedule by clicking HERE.
- Thurs., June 2: Cartonera Celebration from 8:30-9:30 and 11:30-12:30 pm
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Thurs., June 2: 6:30 pm (VIRTUAL) Amity Intern Information Session
- Wed., June 8: Grade 5 - Celebration of Learning, 12:45 pm, PSI gymnasium
- Thurs., June 9: Last Day of School
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May 26, 2022
Dear Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School Community:
It has been a heavy week, and one filled with moments of joy. During the first week of school, I always meet with each of the four Kindergarten classes to introduce myself in English, tell them how excited we are that they are here, and I talk about how important each of them is to our school. I also share that one of the most important jobs we have at school is to be safe and make everyone feel safe at school. I then share our procedures for the lockdown (safety) drills and the fire drills that we will have. I explain that we will have five of each, and we practice so that we know what to do if there ever were an emergency. Then, they often share all kinds of things with me, and I'm happy to share those at a later time!! At school, today and every day, we follow our procedures and protocols to help keep everyone safe, and to foster a supportive environment of respect for themselves and all community members.
When hard things happen (and keep happening) like the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, I am often reminded of the words of one of my first "teachers" (on television), Mr. Fred Rogers. He said: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world." Every day, I see that our PSI and St. Louis Park community is full of people wanting to help our children live their brilliance.
Daily, I get the opportunity to see our students participate in engaging and rigorous learning under the direction of our amazing staff. After school yesterday, our teachers met to share findings and recommendations from this semester's research projects during our "CARE (Collaborative Action Research for Equity) Share." I marveled at the great questions, innovation, and learning by our teachers and our students. I am confident that we are on the right track to creating a better world for our students. Thank you for sharing your children with us, and thank you for helping our amazing 527 children grow.
Humbly and sincerely,
Corey
P.S. I encourage you to please see additional resources below compiled by Sra. Moore, our school counselor, and Sra. Gregor, our school social worker about how to talk to your children about the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas this week. They, and many other adults, are here to serve your children daily. Please reach out if you have questions or would like support.
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PSI Spring Creativity Fair |
Click HERE to see photos and HERE for videos from our "PSI Spring Creativity Fair" submissions!
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Want to see how we used hundreds of cereal boxes? It’s almost time for the unveiling of our Cartoneras. On June 2 students will be sharing their self-published books that they wrote and illustrated. These books are amazing!
Books will be on display and available for reading June 2, 8:30-9:30 am and 10:30-11:30 am. Your child is invited to bring a blanket or towel to sit on as they take in the stories. Feel free to join us for this outside event! Click HERE for a schedule by homeroom!
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From Your School Counselor and School Social Worker |
If you are looking for information on how to talk with your child(ren) about tragic news, like that of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, check out these resources below:
- Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
- Limit exposure to television and the news.
- Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
- Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.
- Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
- Families and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
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Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships (from ASCA)
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In the past few days, we have noticed an increase in reported positive COVID-19 cases among our staff members and students. As of this morning, we have a reported 2.4% positivity rate in our school community. We are continuing to encourage regular hand washing and cleaning of surfaces within our building. While currently optional, wearing face coverings is another mitigation strategy.
Please review the following additional guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Test regularly for COVID-19, especially if your child is involved in cocurricular activities.
- If your child tests positive for COVID-19, they are directed to isolate for at least five days.
- If your child returns to school after testing positive, they are directed to wear a well-fitting mask on days six through 10.
- If your child is unvaccinated and a household member tests positive, they should quarantine for at least five days.
- If your child is exposed to someone who is positive, they are directed to wear a mask and monitor symptoms for 10 days after exposure.
See here for additional guidance on quarantine and isolation on the CDC website.
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Families using the Kiss & Ride, please store your vehicle tag to reuse next year. If you need to purchase additional Kiss & Ride tags at a cost of $5/each, please contact Kathy at 952-928-6555.
Families who know they will no longer need/use their Kiss & Ride vehicle tag may turn them into the school office for us to re-assign the number to another family. Please call us at 952-928-6555 with questions.
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5th Graders - Celebration of Learning |
Dear PSI Fifth Grade Families:
We are excited to share your child’s transition to Middle School with you! On Wednesday, June 8 starting at 12:45 pm, we will hold a “Celebration of Learning” in our gymnasium to honor our fifth graders as they transition from Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School to the Middle School years. Afterward, there will be light snacks/refreshments outdoors.
This will be the first time that we will be able to have this event in person in our new building! Our gymnasium has a significantly smaller footprint than our last gymnasium(s) at Central. Because of this, we are needing to limit the number of participants at the event to only adults living in the child’s household(s). We are exploring ways that we can share this experience with other relatives after the event, and we will email the slide show presentation and pictures of the event that can be shared.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.
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Gr. 4-5 Orchestra & Gr. 5 Band Concert Recording - Now Available! |
On Monday, May 16th, the 4th and 5th grade orchestra and band students performed their end of the year concert. This concert was a way to celebrate all of the hard work these students put into learning their instruments throughout the year. Pieces performed by these groups included: Mary Had a Little Lamb, Ode to Joy, We Will Rock You, Let's Go Band and more! The concert was recorded by ParkTV and is available to view on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/T2o3GnPfR4I
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Transportation Changes for 2022-23 School Year |
As a part of districtwide budget reductions, St. Louis Park Public Schools will be making several changes to student transportation for the 2022-23 school year. Transportation is a vital part of the day for many of our students and families. Reductions in transportation and other non-classroom areas will allow the district to reduce the impact of reductions on classrooms and programs. The transportation changes will result in budget savings of $325,000.
In the coming days, the district will begin to communicate with families who are impacted by these transportation changes. A summary of the changes is included below:
- Expanded no bus zones for students residing in St. Louis Park, including the establishment of a no bus zone for Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School.
- Condensed bus stops for secondary students.
- Expanded no bus zones for students who open enroll from Minneapolis.
- New elementary school boundaries for Minneapolis students.
- High school students and families will be asked to opt-in for transportation.
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PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) News |
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Did you happen to see our wonderful Amity Interns at Carnaval? If so, then you likely noticed the energy, joy, and cultural gifts these incredible young people bring to our PSI school community. We are still looking for several families willing to host a 2022/23 intern for either Fall or Spring semester next year. Please consider this amazing opportunity and apply today!
Each year PSI hopes to welcome eight Amity Interns from Spanish speaking countries who assist our teachers in the K-5 classrooms. These interns are either pursuing or have recently completed a college degree with an education focus, and are between the ages of 20-30. Amity interns live with PSI host families one semester allowing both an opportunity for greater language learning and cultural exchange. Please consider hosting an Amity Intern for a semester. This is a unique and wonderful experience that can benefit your entire family. Plus, it's a great way to give back to the PSI community. Want more info? Ready to sign up? Please check out the FAQs and email us at psiamity@gmail.com.
Not able to host, but interested in supporting the Amity program in another way? Become a cousin family! The cousin family is an extension of the host family and supports both the intern and their host families throughout the intern’s stay. This effort allows families to build lasting connections with one another and brings a sense of community to the intern. The more involved the cousin family is with the intern the greater the opportunity is for language learning, cultural exchange and lasting relationships for all. Find more information about the Cousin role at Cousin Family Description and email us at psiamity@gmail.com
Thanks for considering these amazing opportunities! If you have already signed up as a host or cousin family, you should have received an email from the Amity Coordinator Team. If you have not heard from us, please reach out to psiamity@gmail.com.
We will host a (virtual) Amity Intern information session on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 6:30 pm if you would like to learn more about the program and hosting.
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Save the Date: St. Louis Park Juneteenth Celebration |
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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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