EXPO Family News

Please use the following link: MyConferenceTime to sign up for a conference with your student’s teacher. Simply click on the teacher's name and select a time that works best for you. If you have multiple students attending Expo, feel free to schedule your conferences back-to-back for your convenience.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

We look forward to seeing you at the conferences!

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to EXPO! It will be open in the library during conferences November 4th and 7th 2:30-6:30 PM and November 8th from 8:30-Noon. A portion of every purchase goes directly to the library to help us purchase new books. Hope to see you there!

If you are interested in volunteering in a classroom at EXPO or chaperoning a field trip with your child's classroom you need to have a completed background check on file with Saint Paul Public Schools. The cost of the background check is $15.

Please email Gabby at gaibreil.adams@spps.org with your name, email address and a link will then be provided to you to complete the online submission form. Once submitted and approved, Gabby will email you confirming your approval.

If you have questions, please connect with Mr. B or Gabby!

SPPS is working to find ways to rethink classroom birthday parties and celebrations by taking the focus off of food, while incorporating more physical activity into the school day.

Bringing food may exclude students with cultural restrictions and/or allergies and medical conditions. It may also put a burden on families to buy treats for the entire classroom.

The classroom birthday celebration suggestions align with the SPPS Wellness Policy. Please ask your teacher for fun alternatives on how to celebrate your child’s birthday.

Here’s a list of 10 ways to celebrate birthdays at school without food:

1. Have a 10 minute classroom dance party

2. Send a favorite book to school with your child and have the teacher or a special person read it aloud to the class

3. Have your child wear something special

4. Ask the teacher for extra recess time on your child’s birthday

5. Eat lunch with your child

6. Organize a special classroom craft

7. Ask the teacher if your child can have a special role on their birthday (e.g., Line Leader, Teacher’s Assistant)

8. Create a special birthday box that children can use to exchange birthday wishes

9. Have child bring in a picture collage or video about themselves to share with class

10.Ask the teacher to schedule time to play with a fun item that doesn’t get used every day or is saved for special occasions (e.g., parachute)

Non-Food Gift Ideas

• Pens or pencils

• Crayons

• Markers

• Erasers

• Key chains

• Bracelets

• Rings

• Necklaces

• Notepads

• Coloring books

• Sticker tattoos

• Crazy straws

• Sidewalk chalk

The EXPO PTA met virtually on 10/14/24 to plan several fun events for students and families, including the upcoming Coin Challenge, Movie Night, Weekend Playdates and more!

The PTA is a group of parents and teachers who want to ensure EXPO continues to offer fun in- and out-of-school events, enrichment opportunities, cool classroom materials, and field trips for students.

Did you know the PTA pays a large portion of transportation costs for the 5th grade trip to Camp Widji, purchases the materials for the outdoor science gardens, and more? PTA fundraising events, including Give to the Max (coming up in November), Great Gatherings, and the Silent Auction, are how we pay for these milestone experiences for ALL students!

Help our EXPO community: Volunteer with the PTA

To be able to continue offering these opportunities, the PTA needs volunteers to help with events (1-2 hr time commitment) AND/OR donate their time or expertise to ongoing priorities (e.g., can you help with web design, event planning, clerical skills, fundraising, marketing, or creative endeavors)?

Any family member can sign up to volunteer (grandparents or others, too!), and we welcome new ideas and perspectives to grow our community!

Want to know more about volunteer needs? EMAIL jmicklewright1@gmail.com - to join a low-key listserv and receive updates on volunteer opportunities as they arise, OR drop me a line with your interests/skills and how much or little time you have to donate.

Ready to volunteer for our next event? Sign up below to help at Movie Night on 10/24!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4CA9AB29A5FD0-52440811-expo#/

Meeting Updates

The Expo Council of Parents and Teachers held its October Board meeting Monday, 10/14. Here is a link to the meeting minutes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NfRKHBZU1xkW-NO3ubtXx92L23SBuvPEjhpTVsFVl00/edit?tab=t.0

Stop by our next virtual meeting Monday, 11/11, from 6:30-7 PM to join in the conversation!

https://meet.google.com/zhs-jywz-vhx

We need your help to make the EXPO yearbook a reality! Yearbook preparation is already underway, and we're seeking photos, photographers, and other volunteers. Send photos or a note letting us know you're interested in volunteering to expoyearbook@gmail.com.

Volunteers roles:
Photographers: Love taking candid pictures? Use your skills to be a yearbook contributor! Choose one or more events (some may be during the day, some after school) and snap photos. Share the best of the bunch with the yearbook editors.
Sorting yearbooks: Help yearbooks get to the right classrooms once they arrive this spring. This one-time event takes a couple hours during the school day.

Have first day of school photos? Did you get a great picture at Movie Night, or a different awesome Expo pic? Send them to expoyearbook@gmail.com to be considered for the yearbook!

EXPO Community...we need your help. ALL students at EXPO want to go on field trips and have classroom experiences. But, we need to raise money in order for students to have these experiences for ALL students.

The spring fundraiser is the Silent Auction and is organized and run by EXPO parents just like you! The Auction will be held at Bad Weather Brewery on March 22, 2025. It is a great evening, supporting the students and teachers, while building community.

But...we NEED your help to make it a success. Volunteering for the silent auction involves many different roles utilizing different skillsets, (not just soliciting donations) and is a great way to support our EXP Community!

There will be a planning meeting within the next few weeks, so watch for additional information. Please reach out to Jenny Rixen (jennyrixen@gmail.com) if you are interested in helping in any way. We need you to make it successful. Thank you!

November 4 : Evening Conferences 2:30-6:30PM

November 7 : Evening Conferences 2:30-6:30PM

November 8 : No School- Conference Day 8:30-12:00 PM

November 28-29 : No School

Email: john.bjoraker@spps.org
Website: www.spps.org/EXPO
Location: 540 Warwick Street, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-290-8384