Hamline Family Newsletter

Greetings Hamline Families,

On November 4th, from 6:00-7:30 we will be hosting a virtual meeting to discuss the proposed changes from the Envision SPPS team. These proposed changes, if approved by the School Board, will impact Hamline for school year 2022-2023. The Envision SPPS team is proposing that Galtier Elementary close and merge with Hamline's community. Higher enrollment increases funding to schools and allows for additional resources and programming for students.

If you are interested in joining other Envision SPPS discussions, please click on this link to get a list of meetings. https://www.spps.org/cms/lib/MN01910242/Centricity/Domain/16165/Envision-SPPS_Meeting_Calendar.pdf

I understand that this time can bring about many questions so I encourage you to attend our meeting and/or the other meetings in order to get the most accurate information. Our community is strong and no matter the results from the vote on November 16th we stand together to ensure an equitable education for all SPPS students.

Meeting Link: meet.google.com/qyt-wriu-vuw

Conferences will be talking place between November 9th and November 24th. They can be in-person or online, depending upon your preference.

In-person days:

Thursday, November 18th from 3:30-6:30

Friday, November 19th from 7:15-2:15

Dear Husky Nation Families,

The Hamline Elementary PTA has opportunities for you to be even more involved.

In the past, the PTA has worked to create opportunities for our community to learn, have fun together, and support each other.

The PTA has built pathways for family involvement and ensuring that the voices of all families are heard. We are a partner in problem solving and a resource for navigating school and district policies.

We have opportunities to help guide the next phase in Hamline Elementary’s journey: from volunteering with your child’s teacher to helping organize Family Nights, to creating and organizing fundraising opportunities that provide our educators with enrichment funds.

We are planning on partnering with Hancock Recreation Center and other neighborhood organizations to host a Spring Festival in 2022, and we hope that families will join us in organizing this celebration.

Please contact Karen McCauley for more information!

karen.mccauley@spps.org

We are working with Lifetouch to reschedule school pictures. We will let you know as soon as we have a new date!

Tuesday, November 2, is Election Day and a Digital Learning Day for all SPPS students PreK-12. This means all students will learn from home on Election Day.

The purpose of this Digital Learning Day is to address health and wellness concerns due to community use of our school buildings on election day and exposure to COVID. The Board of Education adjusted the SPPS schedule to make Election Day a digital learning day. Online Learning lessons will be provided by teachers.

Over the last month, I have been lucky enough to deliver classroom lessons to your students. Your students are a pleasure to teach and I want to thank you for allowing us to educate them. Over the course of the school year, I will be in your students classroom discussing several subjects including identity, career development, post-secondary plans, anti-bullying, and personal safety. If you have any questions about the lessons or the curriculum that I teach, please feel free to reach out at any time.

Free and Reduced Meal Application Status

Our school is at risk of losing over $158,234 in compensatory revenue for the 2022-23 school year. While all meals are free for all students this year, it is remains critical that families still complete an application as these applications determine how much funding our school receives for compensatory revenue, Title 1 and e-Rates. The deadline to complete an application for MARSS reporting is December 15.

Currently we still have 48 applications that have not been returned. Please make sure to personally reach out to every family in your classroom that has not returned this form. Karen Azen has a list of families we still need to get forms from.

Our goal is 100% of forms completed.

Thank you for your attention to this!

Hello Hamline Huskies! After a couple of years of not being able to do many things due to the pandemic, we are grateful to partner with Every Meal (formerly The Sheridan Story) again. Every Meal is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fight child hunger through community and school partnerships by providing kids/families with wholesome food as they focus on growth and achievement. There are no qualifications for enrollment, no information will be collected, and your privacy is protected.

If you are interested in signing up, please complete the electronic enrollment form by clicking the link below. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 651-744-5588 or lynnette.medcalf@spps.org

The first distribution is scheduled for November 12th, and you can sign up any time!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgsbcEibaOVJW7l6rUFI0PpbUw_9cfuljNipG_J1LSHsbiDQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Our unique partnership with Hamline University continues with a lot of returning and new programs!

-The Hamline to Hamline Tutoring Program brings in over 50 Hamline University tutors each week. They will be working with Reading Partners to focus on accelerating reading skills for our kiddos. They will also have opportunities to work in the classrooms.

-The Hand in Hand Mentor Program connects University students with elementary students with the goal of building resilience through relationships. Mentors spend 45 minutes a week with a Hamline elementary students building relationships through games, reflective activities, and large group events. This past week, our mentors met their kiddos and had lunch, getting to know each other. Our model classroom was vibrant with activity!

-Snelling Connection is a bi-yearly newsletter that is published by 4th and 5th grade students in collaboration with University students who are Co-Editors. This is an inquiry based literacy program that promotes student voice, community and literacy development using multiple modes of communicating. Students learn skills surrounding journalism, creative writing, and editing.

The class meets two days a week, for an hour, at Hamline Elementary School where students partake in roles as photographers, journalists, and illustrators in order to publish each issue of the newsletter. Editors are supported by a Hamline Elementary Teacher and a Hamline Faculty member.

-Our Inquiry work this year is centered around the themes of social justice and identity.

-New Partnership: Restorative Justice Practices through “Diversity in Education”

We are excited about a new partnership beginning in October that aligns Restorative Justice practices between campuses. University students will be learning about what it means to be a culturally responsive educator through coursework and by engaging in activities aligned to Restorative justice and culturally responsive practices and mindsets.

University students will be partnered with three or four classroom teachers to run one morning meeting circle or closing circle a week around a social justice topic related to education. They will be using the tools they have learned from SPPS Restorative Justice leaders to model for us what this could look like.

The Hamline Elementary Family Room is the first room on the left when you come into the lobby (#1103).

This room is open every day school is in session and during conferences and evening school events. Karen McCauley, the Family Resource Coordinator, will be in the room on Mondays and Thursdays and by appointment.

(karen.mccauley@spps.org)

All Hamline Elementary and ECFE families are welcome in this space. Feel free to make yourself some coffee, tea, or cocoa while you are here. Supplies are next to the refrigerator.

One of the many cool things about this space is the opportunity it provides to our community to give and receive support. Donations of new and gently used clothing and shoes for kids, washed and ready to share, are always welcome as are donations of unexpired, non-perishable food, baby, personal care, and household items.

We also welcome donations of children’s books, backpacks, and school supplies.

There is a play area with toys , games, and books for use while you are in the Family Room, as well as bookshelves and a book box of free books for you to take home for your own personal library.

Our Tree Trust Planting Day was a great success! All grades participated, including ECFE, and together with the staff and volunteers at Tree Trust, they planted 40 shrubs and 16 trees and created an outdoor learning space.

During the week leading up to the Planting, our awesome science teacher, Ms. Reynolds, led her classes through an interactive display called "Learning with Trees" where the kids learned about all the ways trees benefit us and our communities.

Throughout Fall, staff, kids, and community volunteers have been watering the trees, and we look forward to seeing what Spring will bring!

Our partners and neighbors always have great things going on in the neighborhood. Information will be available in the Family Room and in the newsletter.

Saint Paul Public Library

Homework Help

The Library offers homework help in person and online.

"Homework Centers are comfortable spaces at the library where students of all ages can drop in and work on their homework independently or with the help of volunteer tutors.

The centers are equipped with computers, printers, reference books, and school supplies for student use."

Full information on the program is here:

https://sppl.org/homework/

The Hamline Midway Library branch has outdoor story times scheduled in November:

Friday, November 5th at 10:30

Saturday, November 6th at 3:00

Friday, November 12th at 10:30

On Saturday, November 13th, there will be an "Open Library Celebration" from 10:00 - 5:30.

"Starting November 13, Saint Paul Public Library will be open more hours – including Saturday mornings, Sundays, and Mondays at many locations! Kick off the restoration of hours with us by stopping by your library Saturday morning for an open house or “open library” celebration that includes fun activities, donuts, and a special giveaway while supplies last. Meet library staff and discover your library with a scavenger hunt throughout the building."

There will be an outdoor concert at 2:30 and outdoor story time at 3:00.

Hamline Midway Coalition

The Hamline Midway Coalition is our neighborhood organization.

Their work "develops and supports initiatives in community building, transportation, local foods, placemaking and public space improvement, economic vitality, sustainability, and neighborhood identity."

Currently, you have opportunities to get involved with:
-Shaping the Neighborhood Plan, a ten-year vision for our neighborhood
-Serving as a Board Member
-Signing up for the Newsletter
-Serving on a Committee
-Participating in the online forum, Engage Midway
-Joining the Hamline Midway Early Learning Coalition (https://www.spps.org/Page/35052)

Visit their website for more information:
https://www.hamlinemidway.org

The Midway Project
The Midway Project is a weekly drive-up community of care that distributes food and other items on a weekly basis from the Hancock Rec Center side of the building. It is free and open to all.
The November schedule is:
Wednesdays, 11:00am-1:00pm
Line up on the south side of Hubbard Ave

If you would like to donate to the Midway Project, or if you have any other questions, you can contact the organizers here: midwayproject@hamlinemidway.org

Hancock Recreation Center
Our Saint Paul Parks and Rec block partners over at Hancock Rec have opportunities for kids and families, from Rec Check, their free after school program, to pickle ball, judo, and open gym hours.

More information here:
https://www.stpaul.gov/facilities/hancock-recreation-center

City of St. Paul, Ward 4

Hamline Elementary is part of Saint Paul's Ward 4, and we are represented by Mitra Jalali.

"The City Council is responsible for setting City policy through ordinances and resolutions. The Council also has sole responsibility for adopting the City’s budget."

Her office can be contacted here:

ward4@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Phone: 651-266-8640

At our Open House this fall, our friends at Resurrection City Church volunteered to take pictures of our fabulous families. We have digital copies of many of these, and are going to post them in one of our lobby display cases.

If you would like to send us your family story to add to the photo, or if you have a photo to share, please send them to Karen McCauley (karen.mccauley@spps.org) or drop them off in the Family Room.