March 9, 2022 | Volume 2 • Issue 28
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Board Selects Davis and Mancini to Fill Vacancies |
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At a special meeting on Wednesday, March 2, the St. Louis Park Public Schools School Board approved a resolution appointing Sarah Davis and Virginia Mancini to the Board. Davis and Mancini were chosen from a pool of five finalists to fill two vacancies after the resignations of former board members Laura McClendon and Mary Tomback.
“I am excited to welcome Sarah Davis and Virginia Mancini to the Board. Both of them bring community leadership experience and professional expertise that will benefit the Board as we work to achieve our mission,” Chair Casey said. “I would also like to extend gratitude and appreciation to all of the applicants. Each one of them brought unique experiences and perspectives that would make them valuable board members. I hope all of them will consider running in a future school board election. The St. Louis Park community is truly fortunate to have so many dedicated and talented people who are excited to serve.”
Davis and Mancini will be sworn in and seated at the April 12 Study Session, after the 30-day waiting period following the Board resolution officially appointing the applicants has passed. This 30-day waiting period is mandatory under state law, providing the public an opportunity to petition against the selection of an appointee.
Davis and Mancini will serve until a special election is held in November 2022 to determine who will serve the remainder of the terms vacated by McClendon and Tomback. McClendon’s term expires December 31, 2023 and Tomback’s term expires December 31, 2025. The candidate filing period for the November 2022 special election will be communicated at a later date.
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School Board Revises Face Coverings Policy Effective Immediately |
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Masks (face coverings) are not required to be worn in St. Louis Park Public Schools buildings or transportation (including school buses), following the School Board's approval of a revision to Policy 808 - COVID-19 Face Coverings.
Mask wearing is recommended for all stakeholders regardless of vaccination status. Students, staff, and visitors may choose to wear a mask based on personal preference and/or informed by personal risk; and their choice to do so will be supported in all district buildings.
At the March 8 school board meeting, the board approved revisions to the policy in alignment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised guidance on masks in K-12 and early education settings. Specifically, face coverings will only be required when five percent or more of the students and/or staff who attend or work at a St. Louis Park Public School or other facility test positive for COVID-19, or when community levels of COVID-19 are high.
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Introducing Park Virtual: A Virtual Learning Option for 2022-23 |
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St. Louis Park Public Schools is pleased to announce that Park Virtual, a K-12 virtual learning experience, is being developed for the 2022-23 school year. Park Virtual will provide a rigorous academic experience that is aligned to state standards while flexible to meet the unique needs of every student and family situation. Similar to in-person instruction, Park Virtual students will live their brilliance in an environment that centers student voice and experience to create racially equitable learning that energizes and enhances the spirit of our community.
This online learning environment utilizes the St. Louis Park Public Schools staff and curriculum with an international focus at all levels. Advanced Placement and concurrent college-level courses will be available at the high school level.
Enrollment Interest Form
An enrollment interest form has been created to collect information from families who are interested in enrolling their student(s) in Park Virtual and/or receiving more information about this virtual learning option.
Please use this form to join our mailing list. We will use this data to determine interest and the needs of families, and will communicate our plans this spring.
Save the Date! Virtual Informational Session
The District will host a virtual informational session regarding Park Virtual at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 21. More information regarding this event including the Zoom link will be available soon.
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Note: Up to this point, the District's COVID dashboard has been updated each Wednesday with data from the previous seven days. In order to be in alignment with the updated Policy 808 - COVID-19 Face Coverings, future dashboards will include a COVID reporting period that begins at 12:00 a.m. each Monday and concludes at 11:59 p.m. each Sunday.
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District to Send COVID Test Kits Home with All Students & Staff Ahead of Spring Break |
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To keep our schools and buildings safe after Spring Break, we strongly encourage all students and staff to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to school on April 4, regardless of vaccination status. We are excited to announce that St. Louis Park Public Schools is in a position to assist families and staff with this request. Beginning next week, students and staff members will be sent home with two COVID-19 tests.
Click here to download a one-page flyer with full information in English.
Click here to download a one-page flyer with full information in Spanish and Somali.
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COVID Tests Available for Students and Staff at Sites |
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Rapid-result COVID antigen tests are now available at sites for both staff and students. Tests can be requested at the front office of a student’s school or staff’s primary work location.
Students that are not enrolled in St. Louis Park Public schools such as siblings, relatives, children of staff, will need to request a test from their school/school district or leverage other testing resources. Relatives of staff will also need to leverage local testing resources. More information on community testing options are listed below. Please contact COVID Testing Coordinator Cassandra Knapik, knapik.cassandra@slpschools.org, with questions.
Order Free At Home Tests Online
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Order your tests now so you have them when you need them. Go online to www.covidtests.gov and fill out a short form to order your tests today.
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Additional Local Testing Options
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Storiole Having Pre-Sale on New Shirt Designs |
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The Storiole, the student-run school store at St. Louis Park High School is having a pre-sale on new Black Lives Matter and Park Pride shirts (see photos below). Order yours today before prices increase on March 11. Click here to shop online.
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Aquila Elementary Hosts Career-a-Palooza |
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Aquila Elementary School hosted a Career-a-Palooza event in its cafeteria on Wednesday, March 9. The event was an opportunity for students to be exposed to 12 different careers and to begin dreaming and learning about the possibilities that are awaiting them in the future. |
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Support the Fine Arts Programs: Upcoming Choir and Band Performances |
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Stakeholders have two remaining opportunities to support the St. Louis Park HIgh School Choirs as they present their Gala Fundraising Performances of "A Chorus Line: High School Edition." Performances will take place in the new Performing Arts Center at St. Louis Park Middle School at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12. Click here to purchase tickets online in advance.
District Band Showcase is Thursday, March 10
The St. Louis Park District Band Showcase is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 10 in the High School Fieldhouse. This free event is open to the public and will feature the 7th grade band directed by Roy Pienaar and the High School Wind Ensemble directed by Steve Schmitz.
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PSI Placement Letters Emailed to Incoming Kindergarten Families |
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Emails detailing the results of the Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School computer-generated lottery were sent to incoming kindergarten families on Wednesday, March 9. Families who entered their student in the lottery should check their inbox for an email from the District's Enrollment Center. The email includes lottery results and next steps in the enrollment process. Any questions about the PSI lottery can be directed to the Enrollment Center at 952-928-6023 or enrollment@slpschools.org.
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Information Regarding Community Education Summer Programs |
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Whether it's arts, sports, cooking, or STEM, St. Louis Park Community Education has a Summer Learning and Play offering for your kindergarten through sixth grade student. Click here to browse the full list of offerings and to register.
Save the Date: Summer Learning Academy
Mark Your Calendars! Summer Learning Academy (K-8) will be held June 20-August 4, 2022, Monday-Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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St. Louis Park Celebrates National School Social Work Week |
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March 6-12, 2022, is National School Social Work Week, an opportunity for schools, communities, and partners to acknowledge and recognize the impactful work social workers do to support students, families, and their communities. The theme for National School Social Work Week 2022 is “Time to Shine.” The School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) believes that school social workers shine brightly for their students, families, and school communities. Shining hope. Shining understanding. Shining respect. |
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Enrollment News for 2022-23 School Year! |
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