The Scots' Scoop
Highland Park Middle School's Weekly Family Newsletter
June 30, 2024: News and Updates
Greetings HPMS families,
We hope your summer is off to a great start! Please find important information below about school updates.
The Scots' Scoop is Highland Park Middle School's newsletter to families and goes out every Sunday during the school year at 6pm. Be sure to read it weekly for important news and updates.
**This is the last newsletter for this school year. The next family newsletter will be out in August.
Important Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, August 29: 8:00 - 9:00 am - 6th Grade Parent Orientation in school auditorium
- Thursday, August 29: 6th grade student orientation 8:00am - 2:00pm in the HPMS gym (English orientation invitation, Spanish orientation invitation/Invitación de orientación en español)
- Thursday, August 29: Orientation for new to HPMS 7th and 8th grade students and their families in the HPMS auditorium, 11:30am - 12:00pm.
- Thursday, August 29: All school open house 12:00-2:00pm (for all our students and families grades 6th-8th).
Greetings from Principal Mohamed
Dear Highland Park Middle Families,
I am honored to transition from Assistant Principal to Principal at Highland Middle, going onto my 5th year with this incredible school community! Our former Principal, John Andrastek, has served our community well, these past 7 years, and we thank him for his dedication and wish him well as he transitions into retirement.
The middle school years play a pivotal role in a student's educational journey, influencing their academic, social, and emotional growth. As Principal, I am dedicated to ensuring that every student at Highland Middle receives the necessary support and resources to thrive during this transformative period. I firmly believe in the collaborative strength that emerges when students, families, and the school work together as a unified community.
My experiences in education, including roles as an assistant principal, curriculum and instruction lead, classroom teacher, and classroom support, has provided me with a solid foundation to lead this exceptional school community. Supported by our dedicated and talented staff, I am committed to fostering a nurturing learning environment that empowers every student to achieve their full potential.
Having embarked on my own educational journey as an immigrant to the USA, I have gained a profound understanding of the transformative power of education on individuals and communities. I hold dearly, a Somali saying that I often reference, "iftiin la'an, waa aqoon la'an", which loosely translates as, "to be without education is to be without light." As someone who speaks several languages, I am proud to be a part of an institution that not only celebrates but also actively promotes students learning other languages. At Highland Middle, we offer three distinct language pathways (Mandarin, Spanish, and French) through our MYP program, where every student learns a language, in addition to our dual-language programs in Chinese and Spanish.
I want to warmly welcome-- new and returning families to Highland Middle School!
Principal Mohamed
Welcome to our new Assistant Principal, Mr. Nyembwe
Dear Highland Park Middle Students and Families,
I would like to formally introduce our new assistant principal, Mr. Nyembwe, who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his role at Highland Park Middle School. Most recently, Mr. Nyembwe served as the assistant principal at Harding High School, an MYP (Middle Years Programme) school, where he demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to student success.
Prior to his role at St. Paul Public Schools, Mr. Nyembwe served as a student achievement assistant at Anoka-Hennepin School District and served as Dean of Students in St. Cloud School District. In these positions, he worked closely with students, families, and staff to support student achievement and create a positive learning environment.
In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Nyembwe is fluent in French and Swahili, which will be an asset in our diverse school community. We are thrilled to have Mr. Nyembwe as part of our team and he looks forward to meeting you all in the Fall. Alongside Ms. Seifert, our counselor, Mr. Nyembwe will be supporting incoming 6th graders and the 8th grade Shark team with counselor Ms. Mulvaney.
Ms. Pantoja, our other assistant principal, will loop her current students in the fall and will be supporting all 7th graders (with counselor Ms. Katzmarek) and 8th grade Tecolotes (with counselor Mulvaney).
Principal Mohamed
Preparations for the School Year 2024-2025
Parent Survey
As we strive to continuously improve our school and provide the best possible educational experience for your child, your feedback is important to me. Your input helps us understand your perspectives, concerns, and suggestions, which in turn, allows us to make informed decisions that benefit our students and community. Please take a few moments to complete, this 3-5 minute HPMS Family Survey. Your responses are confidential, and your feedback is valuable to us. Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Open house and Orientation on August 29th
Overview of the day
- 8:00 am - 11:45 am - Orientation for 6th grade students with our Web-Leaders (current 8th graders).
- 8:00 - 9:00 am - 6th Grade Parent Orientation in school auditorium
- 11:30 am - 12:00 - NEW 7th and 8th grade Parent & Student orientation in auditorium
- 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - OPEN HOUSE for all students
- You can visit this our HPMS Family Page on the school website for more resources.
- Families can find the link to the school supply list for 2024-2025 here: 2024-2025 School Supply List
Contact information for Counselors
- Daniel Seifert at Daniel.Seifert@spps.org will be supporting all 6th graders (Pumas & Eagles)
- Nou Katzmarek at Nou.Katzmarek@spps.org will be supporting all 7th graders (Lobos and Jets)
- Elisabeth Mulvaney at Elisabeth.Mulvaney@spps.org will be supporting all 8th graders (Tecolotes and Sharks)
Construction in the Fall and through
We are excited for all of the new additions and updates taking place at Highland. However, as major construction takes place in the currently parking lot, we will rely on your patience and support in the fall. Our staff will be there to support and guide you. Mr. Andrastek has shared with you all many of these changes throughout the year, and it can be found here and on the website. We will continue to keep you updated and ask that you plan for some extra time during pick up and drop off in early fall through winter break. To stay up-to-date on the latest with the construction, we encourage you to Sign up for Updates!
Beginning this week, construction continues on the Highland Park Middle School building. Specifically, two projects will be occurring this summer:
· Completion of the HVAC work, replace classroom technology, replace floor finishes and lighting, all occurring in three-story tower on Montreal Avenue, and
· Breaking ground on the new front entry/administrative addition on the west side of the building along the parking lot.
For a more thorough explanation of the construction work, including the project timeline, please go to: https://www.spps.org/about/departments/facilities/planning-design-and-construction/spps-builds-major-capital-improvement-projects/major-capital-improvement-projects/highland-park-middle-school.
Once on the site, click on the link, “Sign Up for Updates!” located on the right-hand side of the page, where you can sign up for regular construction updates regarding the project.
We are very excited about the construction that will be occurring to improve our school!
8th Grade Students and Families: Earn as You Learn Program
The Earn as You Learn program provides SPPS 8th grade and high school students the opportunity to earn a $300 stipend to learn financial literacy skills, earn a certificate and/or credential to show work readiness.
Students can earn $300 working from home, explore career pathways they may be interested in, learn financial literacy skills, learn how to interview and other employability skills or earn certifications to put on their resume and help them get a job.
Certificates include:
Microsoft (Word, PowerPoint and/or Excel)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
CPR/First Aid/AED
Customer Sales and Service
And many more!
For more information and questions:
Visit the SPPS Earn as you Learn website
Students should see Ms. Seifert and parents/guardians should email EarnAsYouLearn@spps.org
Time Commitment: 30-50 hours
Registration: Students can sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/cmem6ukn
Volunteering at HPMS
About HPMS
At Highland Park Middle School, our mission is to:
- Provide our students with a sense of community and global perception in a nurturing and caring learning environment,
- Help students acquire the skills necessary to value themselves, and take pride in their accomplishments, and
- Develop respect and understanding of other people and their cultures.
Website: https://www.spps.org/highlandms
Location: 975 Snelling Ave S, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: (651) 293-8950