SMS February Newsletter

Monday 2/3 - Friday 2/14: Elective Course Sign-Up for current 6th and 7th graders.

Monday 2/17: No School (President's Day)

Tuesday 2/18: No School (Teacher Professional Development Day)

Tuesday 3/4: SMS Choir Ensemble Concert 6:30 - 8:30

Thursday 3/6: SMS Band Ensemble Concert 6:30 - 8:30

Friday 3/7: SMS Jazz Band at ERHS Swing Night

It is with pride and gratitude that we share the incredible news that Salk Middle School will once again be recognized as a National Merit School of Excellence by the Magnet Schools of America.

This honor reflects the dedication of our students, the hard work of our staff, and the support of our community. Congratulations to everyone who made this achievement a continued reality!

Merit School of Excellence Awards are only given to a select group of magnet schools. Schools of Excellence are eligible to receive monetary awards and are eligible to be named the nation’s top Elementary, Secondary, or New & Emerging Magnet School. One of the Schools of Excellence will also be selected to win $5,000 and the Dr. Ronald P. Simpson Distinguished Merit Award, which is considered the most prestigious magnet school award in the nation.

To receive a national merit award, members of Magnet Schools of America must submit a detailed application that is scored by a panel of educators. These schools are judged and scored on their demonstrated ability to raise student academic achievement, promote racial and socioeconomic diversity, provide integrated curricula and instruction, and create strong family and community partnerships that enhance the school’s magnet theme.

To learn more about the national merit awards program, please visit www.magnet.edu.

You can order your 2024-2025 Salk Yearbook at Jostens.com. The cost is $35. Please put your child's homeroom teacher's last name when asked for a teacher's name.

Please click on this link to review our ISD 728 February Newsletter.

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to remind our current 6th & 7th grade students and families that they will have the opportunity to select their elective courses for the 2025-2026 school year.

Elective Course Enrollment Dates:

When: February 3rd - February 14th

Where: Via Parent Portal

To ensure a smooth sign-up, we sent out a Campus Messenger email to all parents on February 3rd. This email included detailed instructions that will aid in navigating Parent Portal and allow you to select elective courses for your student.

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to the Salk Counseling Office at 763-241-3454.

The Twin Cities Regional Science Fair will be happening the weekend of February 28th. SALK students that are eligible to attend will be competing at the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum at the MN State Fair grounds. Judging will happen on February 28th. The doors open for students to set up their projects at 1:00 PM and must have their projects up by 3:15. Judging will take place from 4-8 PM that evening. The awards program will take place on Sunday, March 2. The doors will open at 10:00 AM for a public viewing of all the projects, with the award show starting at 12:00PM.

In mid-January 450 7th and 8th graders (along with a dozen 6th graders) became college students for the day at the University of Minnesota. They spent two hours in the Wilson Library conducting research for their History Day projects. They also had a college course in a large college classroom and they had lunch at the food court in the Coffman Student Union. Students arrived at the Library very prepared with call numbers and a booklist, but those who made their first trip were still awestruck at all the books and resources to be found in the six floors of the Wilson Library. In a survey conducted after the trip, nearly 100% said they want to go back again to do more research and the average student found great resources from at least five college level books and gathered several dozen pages of reading material.

Many students reported that this was their first time on a college campus and commented that it was a great experience because seeing it first-hand helped them see their future selves. In a similar note, our U of M History Day mentor this year is a former Salk student who now attends the U and proudly shares with students that this field trip is when she realized that college was possible for her and that she felt an instant connection to the campus thanks to the impressive Wilson Library. She's not the first former Salk student to be a History Day mentor and it's worth mentioning that mentors earn between $3,000 and $5,000 for their service. That's right, by doing History Day in middle school your child is qualified to apply for that opportunity down the road!

SMS Parents,

Here at SMS, we continue creating classroom experiences that are engaging and that offer great educational experiences for your student. An important piece of this is ensuring students are in the classroom on-time and ready to learn. Please take a moment to discuss with your student the importance of coming on-time and being prepared in the classroom.

In addition, please know that you can monitor your child's attendance and tardies via Campus Portal. This includes setting up notifications for any attendance issues. Click here for information and support regarding Campus Portal.

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