Como Park Senior High Newsletter

Prefer a language other than English? You can open the newsletter link and click the button on the top to have it translated into many different languages. Please know that the translation function may be inaccurate or incomplete. If you have any questions, please call us at 651-293-8800.

For Karen, Somali, Hmong, and Spanish, click here.

November

8- No School (Professional Development)

12- Booster Club Meeting 6:30

13- 9th grade Field Trip 3DE at Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront 10:30-2:15

18- Get Ready Postsecondary Conference Field Trip 9:00-2:15

19- Traveler's Edge Field Trip 9:30-1:15

21- Panera Fundraiser

21- AP/CIS/PSEO Night 6:30-7:30

22- Fall Festival at Como 5:30-8:00

26- Latin & LatinX MN Exhibit at St. Kate's 9:15-11:30

28-29- No School (Thanksgiving Break)

December

2- Family Engagement Meeting 6:00

7- Fall Play 12:00 and 7:00

8- Fall Play 2:00

Please check out our upcoming athletic events: https://sppscomoparkhighschool.rschoolteams.com/

Como Park Senior High School Graduation

When: Tuesday June 3, 2025

Time: 5:30 PM

Where: Roy Wilkins Auditorium

Como staff want to make sure we are addressing the concerns and issues that are important to students and families. Please fill out this short form and check the boxes of the topics you would like to see communicated at staff professional development trainings.

Parent Absence Request Tool Starts November 11th!

Hello Parent/Guardian,

Como Park Senior High School is excited to announce the release of a new feature for your Parent Portal! The Parent Absence Request tool is being piloted at a few schools in the district and we will be opening it for use. Soon, you’ll have the ability to submit a request that informs the school office in advance when your child is not going to be in school directly from the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Examples include:

• Child wakes up sick

• Child has a doctor appointment

• Child will miss school because of a family event

These requests are processed by the office staff and an attendance record is created on the student’s attendance record.

For Karen, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, click here.

Link to Instructions for Parents

ATTENTION JUNIORS and ANY SENIOR WHO HAS NOT TAKEN THE ACT!!!!

Resources to support examinees:

● ACT.org Free Test Prep

● ACT.org Information for Examinees

● MyACT

• MyACT Quick Start Guide for Students

● Preparing for the ACT Test

● Taking the ACT Test

● SPPS: College and Career Readiness

• Free ACT test prep with Xello:
• ■ Open the Clever app or go to www.clever.com/in/SPPS.
• ■ Click 'Log in with Active Directory.
• ■ Enter your Active Directory username and password.
• ■ Click on the Xello app.
• ■ In the ‘Links & Resources’ section, select ‘Methodize’. The program will open in a new tab SPPS offers ACT without Writing. ACT with Writing is available at National ACT test centers

Girls Basketball Tryouts

Basketball Tryouts

When: November 11th, 12th, and 13th

Time: 3:30-5:00

Where: Como Park Senior High School gym

NEW DATE!! NEW DATE!! NEW DATE!!

Hello parents,

Please attend the winter athletic dinner on November 19th at 6pm to learn more about the athletic department at Como Park. It is a community building event to get to know other sports, coaches, and parents.

Our Como Park Booster Club is looking for volunteers to help with set-up, cooking & serving, and clean up for the Winter Athletics Welcome Dinner. Please help out and sign up here to volunteer!

Are you in an Advanced Placement (AP) class?! Have you registered for your AP exam?

Make sure to get registered for your AP exam no later than November 15th!

If you need assistance with registration please contact your AP teacher or the AP Coordinator Amelia Feest (amelia.feest@spps.org) as soon as possible!

Help support Como's annual Family Fun Night by ordering online all day anytime from Panera in Roseville on November 21st or by stopping in to dine from 4:00-8:00. Need coffee or bagels for your coworkers that morning? or maybe it's a good day to designate someone to pick up a group lunch order? Show the flyer or use code FUND4U when ordering online and Como will get 25% of the proceeds!

Dear Como families,

Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

ENJOY 10% OFF

your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

Redeem Now

Don’t forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card! More about the Smilesafe program here.

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

If you have any questions or need support, please contact your student’s counselor:

9th-12th (Alphabetical by last name):

A-Fr Holly Moser, holly.moser@spps.org, 651-744-4664, (https://calendly.com/holly-moser)

Fu-Ma Kia Thao, kia.thao@spps.org, 651-744-8170 (https://calendly.com/msthao)

Mc-Reh Farah Abuqalbeen, farah.abuqalbeen@spps.org, 651-744-1141 (https://calendly.com/farah1)

Rei-Z Choua Vang, choua2.vang@spps.org, (https://calendly.com/choua2-vang)

The CPC is Open! The Career Pathway Center (CPC) at Como is open Monday-Thursday from 9:00am-4:00pm in room 1304 (across from the Counselor’s Office). Students can email Ms. Aisha (amohamed.ach@spps.org), check out the Career Pathway Center website, drop into the CPC, or sign up for an appointment! for information on student career opportunities, college planning, and scholarships and check out the Como Park page under “Student” and then “Career Pathway Center”.

For the latest updates from the counseling department and the Como Career Pathway Center, click here.

Districtwide Career Pathways Program at the 3M Advanced Training Center

Are you an SPPS student interested in taking college courses that match your interests and career goals? We invite you to review the course offerings and signup during your high school's course registration process. Students enrolled in this program are exploring high demand, high wage careers. They will spend mornings at their home high school and afternoons at the Districtwide Career Pathway Center, located on the campus of Saint Paul College, completing career-related college courses. Students need to meet the college eligibility requirement for the PSEO course(s) of interest.

*Note - Counselor's approval is needed for final enrollment into the program to ensure students can stay on-track to graduate.

Course Descriptions and Schedule: SPPS Districtwide Career Pathways Program

Hello! My name is Patrick Cunningham, and I’m your new social worker at Como Park Senior High. I grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of the original Twin Cities. I moved to Minnesota thirty years ago from Ohio, where I played college football and earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Central State University.

I am a husband and a father of four children—three girls and one boy. In 2010, I earned my Master's in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas. I have over thirty years of experience working in both public and private organizations, including eighteen years with St. Paul Public Schools, where I provide services to support the well-being of students in their schools, communities, and homes.

As an African American male social worker, I am passionate about empowering students to reach their potential and embrace their individuality. I also continue to practice as an artist throughout the Twin Cities. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling internationally, in my art studio and engaging in community service.

Como's student elections for Federal Offices

AP Government classes administered elections in the auditorium over two days - and did an excellent and professional job!

One column of the ballot was for three federal offices that Minnesotans of the 4th Congressional District (St. Paul and its suburbs) are electing on Nov. 5.
The other column of the ballot was for Como Park's Student Council offices.

Congratulations to the following students:

• Rafael Gutierrez - Student Council President
• Plar Ku - Student Council Vice President
• Rihanna Said - Student Council Treasurer
• Greta Moore and Lenea Price - Student Council Secretary/Historian

For the federal offices, Como student results are attached if you care to take a look. Our results for the Presidency will be reported to the MN Secretary of State's Office, tallied with other high schools from across the state, and distributed to the public.

Como Park Senior High Education Pathway students, along with students from Harding, Humboldt, and Central, attending the Future Teachers Day event at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Friday, November 1st. They got to participate in lessons put on by current pre-service teachers, hear all about the life of an education major in college, and see the sights of the campus.

Regardless of whatever size community service the cadets continue to volunteer for time-after-time, their unselfishness reflects on our pride towards the community. Pictured here supporting the Saint Paul McDonough Recreation Centers Halloween Festival.

FIRST PLACE for the Viking Challenge!

Thank you North Branch Air Force JROTC for hosting. Always a real hoot 🤠 to have your Drill Meet go first this school year. Congratulations Como Park Cadets, third time was the right time. Ooh Rah First Place!

Would you like to know what is happening around the Como Park neighborhood? Click the link for the latest news and updates from your District 10 Como Community Council. View this email as a webpage

If your teen needs a wardrobe refresher, please see Gail at Como Park for a free shopping event coupon at Aunt Bec's Boutique. Clothes are on-trend at no cost to you. For more information, see the link below.

https://auntiebecsboutique.com/

Keystone Community Services

1800 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55104

651-917-3792

Georgi Nguyen, Director of Basic Needs 651-504-4463; GNguyen@keystoneservices.org

Food Shelf (1800 Univ Ave – University and Fairview Aves, near the University Ave YMCA)

· Veggie/Fruits, canned goods, meats, dairy…

· Choice style for visitors to choose what they need

· Available to ALL who need

· 1 visit per month (+ some additional in emergency situations)

· Hours

• Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri: 10am – 12noon; 2pm – 4pm
• Wed: 4 – 7pm

Keystone Food Mobile is also stationed around the city on a regular basis; check the website for more information on times and locations

Food Delivery is available for low-income seniors and adults with disabilities; call Keystone for more information

Other food programs: Keystone also runs a Meals on Wheels program, SNAP outreach and navigation, fresh produce distribution (farmers market style) around the city in the summer/early fall (done for 2024)

Other service areas

· Financial Assistance available to help families with rent, deposit, utilities, car repair…

• Assistance funds are limited and must “resolve the situation” (ie: the amount should end the problem for the family – not simply reduce the problem)

· Teen Tutoring – volunteer teens tutoring K – 5 graders living in the McDonough Homes Community

· Best Buy Teen Tech Center (Lexington/Hamline neighborhood) – program designed for 13 – 19 year olds to learn and practice a wide variety of tech skills

· Senior Services – activities, in-home help, care management