#RoyalFam Newsletter

Over Thanksgiving Break, November 27, 28, 29, HHS will be closed. Staff will not be available during this time.

Cold season is approaching, and we could use your Kleenex tissue donations! Please send your donations to school with your scholar, and they can drop them off at the Main Office. Alternatively, you may drop donations off at our welcome desk at Door A (main entrance).

A special thank you to everyone who has donated kleenex to HHS so far this year!

This year we are raising funds to give some HHS seniors $1,000 scholarships. We are asking each HHS scholar to donate $3 to our fundraiser. Scholars who donate will receive a class T-shirt. Donations can be made in the main office.

Mark Your Calendar

11/20- State of the School 5:00 pm HHS Auditorium

11/21 - Digital Learning Day (Scholars access learning online)

11/27-11/29 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

12/5 - Term 2 Conferences - No School

12/6 - Staff Professional Development Day - No School

12/12 - Digital Learning Day (Scholars access learning online)

12/23 - 01/03 - Winter Break - No School

School Calendars

District Calendar

All Lifetouch photos from all of the retake days were distributed on Tuesday (11/12) during Royals Connect. We apologize for the delay, but we were waiting to get all of our sessions printed before delivery.

Planning for the Senior Class Party is underway! The 2025 Hopkins Senior Party will take place at Hopkins High School, Thursday, June 5, 2025 at NO COST to seniors. Fun, photos, games, raffles, and activities will run throughout the school day.

We will continue to update our web page with details about the day. Opportunities for donations and volunteering will be located here as well.

https://www.hopkinsseniorparty.com

We Need Your Help! Since the Senior Party is funded 100% by donations, with the average cost for one senior to attend is $75, we need your help in raising money! We have a goal of $15,000. Here's how you can help:

DONATE Make a direct donation today via GoFundMe at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2025-HHS-SeniorParty OR Venmo at: Hopkinsseniorparty25.

Is there an opportunity at your company for your employer to match contributions? Please email HopkinsSeniorParty@gmail.com

PURCHASE A YARD SIGN

Show your Hopkins Pride and purchase a yard sign for your senior with a portion of each sign going toward the Senior Party. Order now while the price is the lowest of the year. Pre-orders end Sunday, November 17th (includes yard stake) Order at: https://hopkins-high-school-spirit-shop.square.site/

Join us for an unforgettable show as Royal Productions brings Newsies to the Hopkins High School Auditorium! Showtimes are November 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30pm, with a special matinee on November 16 at 2:00pm.

This production is extra special as it features our high school cast alongside 17 talented elementary and middle school students from Hopkins, many making their stage debut. Their energy and enthusiasm bring an exciting new dimension to the story of Newsies—a tale of resilience and heart that will have you cheering as they “seize the day!”

Get your tickets here: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/events/landing/47569

In order to ensure you are prepared going into the Spring of your Junior year and into your Senior year, each School Counselor will be meeting with our scholars that fall in our alphabet splits the week of 11/11. This means you will meet in groups of about 12 scholars in order for you to meet your counselor (if you haven't already) and authentically interact with us around the material we will be sharing. This is a great time to think of questions you'd like to ask your counselor around the topics we plan to cover:

~ Go through Calendar of events for the remainder of the year

~ Connect around Grad Planners to ensure on track with credits

~ Review results from the Values assessment you took in Maia Learning during an RC in Sept.

~ Things to consider when doing registration for 12th grade & summer programs

~ Review ACT Test date and ACT Prep that will be happening this year

~ Start Resume Builder

You will get another email with the time, date and location.

If you are a PSEO scholar -- We will make this material available on our website too.

I wanted to send a recap of a few things regarding where we are in the college application process.

1. You should be working on applications right now. Most colleges will need them in by January, some earlier.

2. You should make sure to connect your MaiaLearning and Common App account if you have not already. Make sure to release your FERPA as well.

3. You should make sure that all Common App and non-Common App schools are on your applying list in MaiaLearning with transcripts requested.

4. You should be tracking your document status from us by checking the send summary tab. It is your responsibility to make sure transcripts and letters of recommendation are going on your timeline.

If you have no idea what I am writing about here, you should come see me right away or consult these videos. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yH-fPFqQcM-PqQrQdYzylwOhBhDAi7yOQr5v7bk1L9E/edit?tab=t.0

The next stage we will be starting is the SCHOLARSHIP PHASE. Please make sure to go to your Royals Connect or for PSEO students, reading your emails, for information each week about applying for scholarships.

Dr. Kuhl, College and Career Readiness Coordinator will be holding open office hours after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She will also hold an in-school SST every Wednesday during Royals Connect time. These hours do not need an appointment and are specific to planning for what scholars will do after high school.

How to fill out the Common App tutorial videos can be found here.

How to navigate MaiaLearning tips sheet found here.

Senior Photos

If you did not utilize Lifetouch for your senior portrait and you have your own senior photo you would like to submit, please follow these instructions, which include an upload link. The deadline for submission is December 1st.

Please note:

1.) Upload only one photo. Make sure you choose the photo you like that meets our requests and upload ONLY that photo. If you upload more than one photo, we will not reach out to you, we will choose a photo for you.

2.) Select a photo that is styled after a professional headshot. We will crop all photos so that faces are about the same size, which means any props, trees, cars, athletic equipment, instruments, or walls you may be peaking around will not be included in the photo and will only serve to distract from your head and shoulders once we crop it.

Senior Yearbook (Ad) Tribute

We are proud to continue the popular tradition of the senior yearbook tribute. Here's how it works:

1. Find an adorable photo of your graduate from a much younger age

2. Create a 40-50 word message honoring who they have become

3. Purchase and upload the yearbook tribute at Jostens before January 31

Yearbook Ordering Information

Order your yearbook as early as possible to take advantage of the lowest prices to help us gauge an accurate order by our deadline. Please email jeff.kocur@hopkinsschools.org if you have any questions or would like to coordinate a cash or check payment.

Thank you to all who could attend the parent/significant adult/student meeting on Thursday, November 7th. For those who could not make it, here is the presentation that was given and here is a recording of the presentation with some extra information.

Thank you for checking them out and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions: michael.babinedinnen@hopkinsschools.org or 952-988-4536.

You can also check out our detailed tour itinerary at www.explorica.com, select Register for a Tour, and enter the tour ID: Babine-Dinnen-2359.

We are taking an amazing trip over spring break in 2026! We are doing a civil rights/HBCU tour to Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. We will be visiting famous sites like the Edmund Pettus bridge and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and we’ll tour the Whitney Plantation and Lafayette Cemetery. We will tour Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and more! I will host some information nights beginning in November, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, you can view the entire itinerary and see the price at www.explorica.com, enter tour ID Heimlich-8408 You can sign up to pay monthly payments too. Students, you can always stop by Ms. Heimlich’s room, W112, with any questions. Families, you can email me with any questions at jennifer.heimlich@hopkinsschools.org

Do you know a middle or high school student who loves to ski? Sign up to ski with Hopkins!

For scholars in 7th-12th grade, our Alpine Ski team is a fun way to enjoy winter and get to know other kids who love to ski. No race experience is needed, all you need is the ability to ski in control and our coaches will teach you the foundations of racing. Alpine Race team starts in 7th grade, so look for it in your scholars’ winter sports registration for Hopkins.

If you have questions about our team, please reach out to coach Jason Langlie (JasonLanglie@gmail.com) or our team email (HopkinsAlpineSki@gmail.com) or check out our website- Hopkins Alpine Ski Team - Home (google.com)

It may seem like fall has just started, but we’re already heading toward November next week, which means it’s time to start thinking about thanking Hopkins teachers and staff. Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF) aims to help make the gift-giving season easier on busy parents. Order a HEF Gratitude Gift for each of the special teachers and staff who have made a difference in your child’s life.

Each Gratitude Gift includes a loaf of delicious bread, a restaurant gift card, and a personalized note. And, best of all, HEF will package and deliver it for you before winter break. Orders open on Friday, November 1. Start thinking about the teachers, paras, bus drivers, coaches, cafeteria workers, and other Hopkins Public Schools staff who deserve your gratitude. Your gift orders ($25 each) support HEF’s teacher grants that kickstart learning opportunities for Hopkins students. Visit HopkinsEducationFoundation.org to order.

Email: crystal.ballard@hopkinsschools.org
Website: https://hopkinsschools.org/schools/secondary-schools/hopkins-high-school
Location: 2400 Royals Drive, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305, USA
Phone: (952) 988-4500
Facebook: facebook.com/hopkinsroyals270/
Twitter: @HopkinsHigh270