Principal's Newsletter

Happy sunny Friday to you,

I hope this message finds you healthy and happy. Again, I have heard from some families that they are not getting any updates (from school or the district). If you are not getting updates from the high school or the school district please make sure to update your contact Information (more information can be found below on how to do this). It is very important that you do this!

Why is getting updates important? Student/Family Connect (conferences) are coming on Thursday, 4.25.24, from 3:30 PM-7:30 PM. Student/Family Connect (conferences) are scheduled conferences and there is no drop in times. You should receive a Parent Square invitation from your student's teachers by Wednesday, April 17th. If you did not receive an invitation or the times do not work for you, please send the teachers an email. I know the teachers want to hear from you. That is just one of the reasons why getting updates are important!

What else can you find in this week's newsletter? Information regarding:

• VFW is looking for students,

• Helping our friends at Kaposia Education Center (April 19),

• 2024 District Facilities Task Force (we need to hear from you),
  

• Homework help,

• An upcoming Pow Wow,

• Registration for the 2024-25 school year (videos about the registration process and dates/time regarding registration can be found below)

• and many more topics. Make sure to check the newsletter out.

Thanks for all the support you give your student and the school! Have an amazing weekend and we look forward to seeing your student/s on Monday! Go PACKERS!

Sincerely,

Chuck

Mr. Chuck Ochocki

South St. Paul High School Principal

700 2nd Street North

South St. Paul, MN 55075

(651) 457-9402

cochocki@sspps.org

Packer Pride: Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

Greetings Parents,

My name is Terry Pieper and I’m the Post Commander of VFW Post 295 in South St Paul. With Memorial Day approaching, we are reaching out to families who currently serve in the military and/or are veterans. We would like to invite any child in the SSP School District who has a parent/guardian currently serving in the military or is a veteran to participate in our Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony as a Poppy child. You will have the opportunity to be part of the SSP Memorial Day Parade as well as participate in the Ceremony at the Oak Hill Monument.

For more information, contact me at twpieper12@yahoo.com

Memorial Day is May 27, 2024, and the parade takes place at 9:30 am with the ceremony following at 10:00 am at Oak Hill Cemetery. Information needed would be:

Student’s name, Parent/Guardian’s name, Parent/Guardian’s military status, and active service or veteran.

South St. Paul Public Schools invites interested staff, parents/guardians and community members to be a part of the District’s 2024 Facilities Task Force. The overall goal of this 25-30 member task force is to help build short and long-term plans that support the needs and goals for maintaining the District's facilities and assess our current programming and its use of space throughout the district.

To ensure consistency and continuity in the process, we kindly ask committee members to commit to attending the following meetings from 6:00 - 8:00 PM on May 21, June 4 and 18, July 23, August 6 and 20 and possibly into September if needed.

Registration for the 2024-25 school year has begun! Each student received a course guide, registration worksheet, and a copy of their transcript.

*Students should ask their current teachers for their input on what class they should take next year.

*We will have students register themselves during Connections on April 9.

Please make sure to ask your student/s about the course guide and what courses your student is thinking about taking.

• Current 11th graders entering 12th grade: Class of 2025- Registration

• Current 10th graders entering 11th grade: Class of 2026- Registration

• Current 9th graders entering 10th grade: Class of 2027- Registration

• Current 8th graders entering 9th grader: Class of 2028- Registration

Current 9th and 10th grade students:

• School Counselor-Ms. Maric , jmaric@sspps.org, (651) 306-3654

Current 11th and 12th grade students:

• School counselor- Ms Kvalheim, jkvalheim@sspps.org, (651) 457-9408

Assistant Principals:

• Angie Ryter, aryter@sspps.org, (651) 457-9435
• Brady Krueger, bkrueger@sspps.org, (651) 457-9415

Principal:

• Chuck Ochocki, cochocki@sspps.org, (651) 457-9402

Please make sure to update your contact Information.

In order to receive important information regarding school closings and family messages, make sure your contact information is correct in our student information system, Infinite Campus- Parent Portal. To do so:

• Log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account

• Click on the user menu icon in the upper left hand side of the screen

• Click on Settings

• Click on Contact Preferences

• Check to make sure all information is correct and preferences are updated

ParentSquare Communications

South St. Paul Public Schools uses ParentSquare for school to home communications. When the need for an emergency school closing arises, this is the system that will alert you.

• One of the best ways to receive these alerts is by downloading the app from the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store

• Look in your ParentSquare account settings and be sure you HAVE NOT turned off notifications from your student’s school or the district, directions here

• Check your phone settings and be sure you are not blocking unknown calls, or you can add SSPPS as a contact in your phone 651-457-9400

• If you have not been receiving school texts, you many have accidentally opted out from receiving them, to start them back up send the word "START" to 66458 to opt back in

The high school Summer Strength and Speed program has a long tradition of fostering athletic excellence and healthy behaviors for grades 6-12. This program starts with safety, technique, and peer-to-peer support, and grows into highly competitive, intense summer workouts preparing student-athletes for physical fitness and varsity athletic success. See the attached flier to find the summer morning session that fits students’ goals and experience. Note the affordable cost ($90 for the whole summer): coaches are committed to ensuring access for the entire community. The teams and friend groups that work out together, find support AND excellence! Reach out to Tim Kennealy (tkennealy@sspps.org), Manuel Spreigl (mspreigl@sspps.org), or Tyler LaRose (tlarose@sspps.org) with questions.

One of the most important voices of our district is that of our South St. Paul Public Schools students. The School Board has made it a priority to bring their voice to the table through the Student School Board Representative opportunity. Student Board Representatives will serve as the liaison between the School Board and our students. They will work closely with the South St. Paul School Board to provide input and share their student perspectives. If your high school student will be in grade 11 or 12 next year and is interested in this opportunity visit the website for more information. This year’s application will be available there following spring break.

South St. Paul Public Schools has summer learning opportunities for all ages. Whether your student is going into a new school or you want to keep their brain stimulated during the summer months, there’s a learning opportunity for your student. Click here to enroll your student or to learn more about any of the programs listed below.

• Kindergarten Camp, Incoming Kindergarteners

• Elementary Summer Learning Academy, Grades 1-5

• Packer Preview, Incoming 6th Graders

• Middle School Summer Learning Academy, Grades 7-8

W.I.N. Wednesday will start on April 3. Wednesday is NOT a late start. Doors will open at 7:30 AM and first period will starting at 7:50 AM.

Students who are earning a C or lower will need to attend W.I.N. Wednesday and come into school to get help in their classes. Students who are earning a C+ and above may work from home if they have their parent/guardian permission to work from home. You may always send your student to school.

9th and 10th grader students must come to school if they are earning a C or lower in any class. 9th and 10th grade students that are coming in for W.I.N. Wednesday must attend all their classes, no matter their grade in their classes.

11th/12th grader students must come in for the class/es that they are earning a C or lower in. Depending on their class schedule and the time of their classes, 11th/12th grader students that choose to come late or leave early must sign in and out of the high school attendance office if they choose not to attend the entire day (this is only for W.I.N. Wednesday).

Teachers will create 2 W.I.N. Wednesday folders for each week: C and lower (for Additional support), C+ and higher (extension) so your student will have work they need to complete both at home or in school.

Instilling healthy habits and routines (adequate sleep/nutrition) and consistent attendance ensures a student’s success in school even as early as kindergarten. We know that too many absences/tardies, for whatever reason, can cause children to fall behind both academically and socially.

To help ensure healthy habits consult with your health care provider regarding well-visits and immunizations, as well as maintain good personal hygiene. Also:

• Get the appropriate vaccines.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Stay home if you are sick (so you do not spread the illness to other people) (do not return to school until fever free for 24hrs without use of medication or 24hrs after last time vomited).
• Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand and turn away from other people.
• Use single-use tissues. Dispose of the tissue immediately.
• Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or using tissues.
• Do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands (viruses can enter your body from unwashed hands).
• Do not share cups, glasses, dishes, cutlery, or cellphones.

The school district will follow the guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health for recommended exclusion and notification for vaccine-preventable diseases including mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, viral hepatitis, chickenpox, and meningitis. Families will not be notified, and students are not excluded for lice, mononucleosis, pink eye or strep throat.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me:

Rick Moore BSN, RN, PHN moorer@sspps.org

651-457-9449

• April 17- W.I.N. (G.S.D.) WEDNESDAY
• April 18- Math MCA Test- Grade 11
• April 19- Math MCA Test- Grade 11
• April 23- Science MCA Test-Bio
• April 24-W.I.N. (G.S.D.) WEDNESDAY
• April 25-Science MCA Test-Bio
• April 25- Student/Family Connect (conferences) from 3:30-7:30

Want to see our students and staff in action? Come watch them at a home event. Here is the link to this weeks schedule: Weekly Schedule

If your family is experiencing homelessness, such as staying in a shelter, hotel or temporarily with others, we can help make sure your child has stability in their education through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act. For help in accessing these services, please contact Candace Burckhardt, Special School District #6 Homeless Liaison/Local Coordinator.

For more information please look at the resources at the following link: https://www.sspps.org/departments/student-services/special-education

Additional resources can also be found at https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/HealthFamily/PublicAssistance/Housing/Pages/default.aspx or MDE's website: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/ESEA/home/

Email: cochocki@sspps.org
Website: https://www.sspps.org
Location: 700 2nd Street North, South Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-457-9402