Aquila Communicator

September 1, 2022

Aquila Families,

We are looking forward to seeing families tonight at our Meet & Greet (open house) from 3:30-5:30 PM. Stop in to meet your teacher, drop off supplies, and say hello to new and old friends.

See you soon!

María & Olivia

María Graver, Aquila Principal

952-928-6502 ~ graver.maria@slpschools.org

Olivia Tolzin, Aquila Assistant Principal

952-928-6508 ~ tolzin.olivia@slpschools.org

Key Dates

Thursday, September 1 ~ Meet & Greet for all families, 3:30-5:30 PM - TONIGHT!

Tuesday, September 6 ~ First Day of School for Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Wednesday, September 7 ~ First Day of School for Kindergarteners

Wednesday, September 7 ~ Kindergarten Parents/Guardians Donuts After Drop Off (see below)

Wednesday, September 7 ~ Fourth Grade Orchestra Registration, MS Cafeteria, 5:00-7:00 PM

Tuesday, September 20 ~ AQ Family Resource Fair, 5:30-8:00 PM

Thursday, September 22 ~ Fifth Grade Band Info Night, MS Performing Arts Center, 6:30-8:00 PM

Friday, September 23 ~ Aquila School Dance, 5:30-8:00 PM (note date change)

Friday, September 30 ~ No School

Tuesday, October 4 ~ School Picture Day

Friday, October 7 ~ Homecoming Football Game, 7:00 PM

Monday, October 17 ~ AQ PTO Meeting

Thursday, October 20 ~ No School

Friday, October 21 ~ No School

Wednesday, November 2 ~ School Picture Day, Retakes

Grade Level Classroom Teachers

Kindergarten

Megan Swedberg, Rachel Haen,

Kim Stadler, Anne Schladweiler

First Grade

Talia Papas, Anna Kelly, Nicole Ludens, Lindsey Benson, Tanya Rae-Schmidt

Second Grade

Jennifer Deming, Chelsey Eul, Stephanie Richardson, Mary Overend

Third Grade

Samantha Osmundson, Kate Swanson,

Grant Nelson, Jennie Bishop

Fourth Grade

Midi Hansen, Matt Ikola, Rachelle Williams

Fifth Grade

Bill Stenross, Vicki Slingluff,

Phil Stern, Tasha Mink

Kindergartener Parents/Guardians ~ Drop Off, Then Donuts!

Parents & Guardians of Kindergarteners are encouraged to come by Aquila for free donuts and coffee after you drop off your Kindergartener or get them on the bus on Wednesday, September 7 in front of the school.

Volunteer Opportunity ~ Lunchroom Help

Please consider helping out in the Aquila Cafeteria. We are looking for parents and guardians to help keep tables clean and engage with students. Click here for more information!

Bus Information

The St. Louis Park Public Schools Transportation Bus Schedules will be available in the Traversa Ride 360 app (click here for directions) starting August 22. This information will include bus number, stop location, and stop times. If you have any questions or concerns please call the SLP Transportation Department at 952-928-6052 on or after August 22.

In order to register with Traversa you will need your student's "ID Number" which can be found in PowerSchool. If you need help finding the number, email Joanne Bongaarts at bongaarts.joanne@slpschools.org.

Aquila Urban Farm Volunteer Opportunities & Seeds Feeds Dinners

Volunteers Needed!

Please click this link to see how you can help with the Aquila Urban Farm and Seeds Feeds Dinners. Thank you!

Next Meal:

Tuesday, September 6

5:00-7:00 PM

22-23 SLP High School Home Athletic Event Admission Information

Beginning this fall, all home SLP HS athletic events where admission is charged, cash will no longer be accepted. You can purchase your tickets using the following link ONLINE TICKETING, or there will be QR codes at each event location.

Please remember that all students that are younger than Grade 9 will need to be accompanied by a paying adult to be admitted into SLPHS home events. SLP HS students will still have free admission to home regular season events, but will need to secure their ticket for each event via the link or QR code and entering their student ID number into the promo code area.

2022-2023 Application for Education Benefits Now Available

We encourage all families to fill out an application for educational benefits for the 2022-23 school year.

For the 2022-23 school year, USDA rules for school meals will return to pre-COVID guidelines. This means that families will need to pay for student meals unless they apply (see below) and qualify for educational benefits. If families complete the form and qualify, your child will be eligible for free or reduced priced meals and other educational benefits (described below).

How to Apply

The application can be filled out in a number of different ways including online through your Wordware or PowerSchool account, or by filling out a paper copy.

Download a paper copy: English | Español | Somali

If you need assistance filling out an Application for Educational Benefits, contact the School Nutrition Department at 952-928-6146.

If you decide to fill out a paper copy, return the completed form to:

Attention: School Nutrition

6425 West 33rd Street

St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Families can also attach a completed form in an email and send it to woelffer.jodie@slpschools.org.

COVID-19 Guidelines & Information

St. Louis Park Public Schools will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) regarding COVID-19 during the 2022-23 school year.

Masking

St. Louis Park Public Schools will not require students or staff to wear masks to begin the school year. In accordance with district policy 808 COVID-19 Face Covering, students and staff will be required to wear a face covering if 5% or more of the students and/or staff who attend or work at their school site test positive for COVID-19. Students and staff can choose to wear a mask at any time.

Guidance if Exposed

If you are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19, the CDC currently recommends you take the following steps:

Watch for symptoms for 10 days
Wear a mask around others indoors for 10 days
Test 5 days after exposure, or sooner if you have symptoms
If you test positive, follow isolation guidance
Take extra precautions for 10 days when around people more likely to get very sick

What If I Test Positive?

Any student or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 should isolate for at least five days. If an individual tests positive but has no symptoms, they can end isolation after five days. If an individual tests positive and has symptoms they can end isolation after day five if they are fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are improving. A student or staff member returning to school after testing positive and isolating for five days will be asked to wear a mask on days 6-10.

Data/Dashboard

The District will be publishing COVID-19 infection rate data on a weekly basis – with the exception of Winter Break and Spring Break – similar to how it has been reported the past two years. The information will be published in the weekly SLP Communicator e-newsletter as well as on the District website at www.slpschools.org/covid19.

SLP Community Education ~ Outdoor Free Family Movie Nights

Saturday, September 10 - 7:30 PM Aquila Park ~ Encanto

Saturday, September 17 - 7:30 PM Minikahda Vista Park ~ Spiderman No Way Home

Aquila PTO ~ Parent, Teacher Organization

The mission of the Aquila Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is to enhance the educational experience of all Aquila students and support all Aquila community and staff through fundraising and community events.