Counselor's Corner

Lots of fun things happened in October! Beginning art students went to a field trip to Hmong Village, we celebrated Unity Day, and students got to have a dance on October 27th!

The 1st quarter of the year ends on November 10th! Please let me know if you have any questions or I can help support you or your student in any way!

On October 18th, we celebrated Unity Day “to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying." Students and staff wore orange. In Foundations, students created chains of kind words and messages. You can see them hanging outside of our main office!

Today (Nov. 3rd), 6th grade students received two lessons! One lesson was on time-management and one on Personal Learning Plans and using Xello.

Time Management: Middle school is a transition for students as they learn how to balance many different classes and teachers. 6th graders learned about why time management was important, strategies to manage their time, and who they can reach out to if they need help organizing their time. I encourage you to talk to your student about how they balance all of their classes, remember homework, and what works for them!

PLP: Students were reminded about Personal Learning Plans (PLPs), which they use in PreK-12 grade. These give students the opportunity to identify their strengths, skills, interests, and connect them to careers that may interest them. It also allows them to explore post-secondary options. All of this can be saved and accessed through Xello. You can see your student's account by logging into Xello Family (Click here for English Instructions, Hmong Instructions, Karen Instructions, and Spanish Instructions)

For more information on PLPs and Xello: Click here.

The end of Q1 is November 9th. Final Q1 Grades will be available on Nov. 14. You should receive a message from the district that they are ready to view in Infinite Campus.

On Nov. 20, families of students with a "N" (Failing), will receive an email and text notification. We encourage you to reach out to their teachers or to me for support in the following quarters.

Click here to log into Campus: https://spps.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/stpaul.jsp

You can check your student’s current grades and assignments by logging on to Schoology (Directions in English, Hmong, and Karen can be found here): https://www.spps.org/Page/44301.

If you would ever like a paper copy or an emailed version of your student's grades, please let me know.

We will also be celebrating students that earn Honor Roll at our Nov. 17th assembly. "A" Honor Roll students are students who had a 3.67 GPA or higher. "B+" Honor Roll students are students that had a 3.33-3.66 GPA.

Q-Quest is a youth education, wellness, and advocacy festival celebrating LGBTQIA2S+ lives, histories, and cultures. It offers young people entertainment, education, and community building opportunities. We will be bringing a small group of students to the middle school day on November. 16th.

This information was shared with all students. Students that indicated interest were given permission slips to attend the field trip.

We miss our students when they are gone! Missing just two days a month means a student misses 10% of the school year. Please let us know if getting your student to school is a challenge. We want to make sure they are continuing to build their academic skills, friendships, social skills, and sense of belonging at our school!

Please let us know when your student is gone! Call 651-744-1003 to let us know your student will miss school.

End of the Quarter - November 9 (Second Quarter starts November 10)

NO SCHOOL - November 23 and 24 (Thanksgiving)

Parent Engagement Meeting - November 30, 5:30-7:00pm at Txuj Ci Upper

Hmong New Year - December 21st, 5:30-7:00pm

If you are interested in attending, Hmong New Year at Harding High School, it will be held on November 17th from 4:30pm-7:30pm

Winter is coming!

We have lots of hats, mittens, scarves, and ear warmers if you need any this winter. We have small children sizes all the way up to adult sizes.

Students can pick them up at school.

You can contact me or Mr. Moua (jeremy.moua@spps.org or 651-744-1440).

Mental Health Resources

• Mental Health Resource List
• Wilder Foundation: Mental health and wellness services
• How Right Now: Website from the CDC designed to promote resiliency and strengthen emotional well-being. Explore if you need help today!
• Face2Face Counseling/ Groups: Face to Face provides Individual, Family and Adult Couples Counseling for ages 11-25 with or without insurance. We are providing Counseling in person at the office (Masks are required) and Online using Zoom.

If you have any questions or concerns about your student, or anything else you may need help with, please contact me!

Email: morgan.schmitt-morris@spps.org
Website: https://www.spps.org/domain/19250
Location: 1363 Bush Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-744-1489