Alice Smith Weekly Connections

Dear Alice Smith Families,

Last night's Alice Smith Heritage festival was a magical event!

Seeing the pride in our scholars and their families as they came together as an "Alice Smith Family" has been the highlight of the year!!

Thank you to everyone that brought a food item to share or a display to highlight your country/culture.

I want to THANK our amazing ML team for organizing this event and in particular Mrs. Holly.

I also want to congratulate Mr. Huwe and our 4th graders for such a phenomenal performance.

Don't Forget to Check out:

• NO SCHOOL next Wed., Thurs., Fri.
• Staff Highlight of the Week - Karen Schmitz (3rd Grade Teacher)
• Pertussis Health Alert @ Smith
• Restorative Practices - Nov Update
• Toy Chest & Dental Clinic

Thank YOU for your continued partnership and collaboration. If you have any questions please email or call me and I would love to connect and make sure you and your family have everything you need to continue making this year a complete success!

Don't forget to check out our Facebook Page and our Photo Gallery Below!

Principal Navidad

Direct Line: 952-988-4201

Email: eduardo.navidad@hopkinsschools.org

School Hours

Alice Smith will start at 7:50 a.m. and end at 2:20 p.m.

Follow Alice Smith on Social Media

Twitter: @AliceSmith270 and @NavidadASE

Facebook: @AliceSmithElementarySchool

Alice Smith Weather Station

Our families joined together to celebrate each other's cultures at our annual Heritage Fest last night. We enjoyed an international potluck, created art projects and were serenaded by our 4th graders - but most of all, we all appreciated just being together. Special thank you to our ML teachers for making this event a reality, especially the incredible Holly Wick Bower!

As we think about a child's journey through elementary school, 3rd grade is truly one of the most pivotal years in determining a child's success in school and beyond. The transition from Learning HOW to Read towards Reading to Learn makes this year so important and none makes this year as enjoyable and fun as our Staff Highlight of this week, Ms. Karen Schmitz.

Karen is currently starting her 13th year in education and her teaching experience from preservice, to student teaching, to becoming an upper grades teacher has mostly occurred here at Alice Smith. Even though her formal teaching has occurred within the last for 13+ years, being born in Thief River falls to a teacher/coach and a pre-school daycare teacher, lets just say she has been a "teaching in training" all her life! When asked how it feels to be the daughter of two educators, she shared that growing up her parents taught her the important value of Giving Back! Being part of a family that valued acts of service above all has driven her throughout her life and into her teaching.

When you enter Mrs. Schmitz classroom, you are quickly immersed into an learning environment that is anchored in two core values: Service and Hands on Learning! Almost every Friday Ms. Schmitz class is either learning math by baking and cooking using our portable kitchen or visiting Chapel View and giving back to their "Grand-friends". As our Restorative Coordinator, Mr. Myrold, shares "Ms. Schmitz is an excellent Restorative practitioner that does an amazing job creating space for proactive circles in her room daily. She works continually on her practice and it shows; Her students absolutely adore her! Ms. Schmitz has built a solid foundation of respect and community in her room. She has created an environment where students know that they can show up as their authentic selves and have their voices not just heard, but validated. She is a great example of how Restorative Culture is exemplified in the classroom.

Other staff members also see and feel the impact that she has on the lives of the kids and everyone that enters her class. "Karen shows up every day ready to do whatever it takes to help her students succeed. In my time being in her classroom, I have seen her go above and beyond to create an engaging environment. I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to work with an incredible educator like her" - Molly Sheehan

Two years ago, Karen came up with the great idea of creating a partnership with Chapel View right next door to Alice Smith in order to teach and model to her students "how" to give back to our community. Her students shared "I love her class because we get to go to Chapel View and get to talk to our grand-friends. We get to play bingo, do arts and crafts, and spend time with them. It's really fun!".

The impact of this partnership is immeasurable as Laura Flicker, the director of Chapel View explains "Karen has been a connection between students and the elderly for a couple years now, enriching our residents and giving students an opportunity to learn about older generations. It’s been so great working with her and our residents are so grateful to be able to see the students every other week."

Karen's students, when asked what they loved most about her class, their answers just warmed your heart..."She is funny and she gives us fun work. She challenges us with fun but HARD math problems." "I love Ms. S because we get to learn math by making pancakes and it smells and taste to good!" "She tells stories from her childhood and they are funny and they help us learn!" " She is kind and caring because she is a good teacher. She know how to help you when you are stuck and she always knows the answer. she is so smart but she makes you figure it out first!" and lastly "We love her class because it is so CHILL and FUN. She cares about us and I love it."

Ms. Schmitz, Thank you for the love and care you give your kids each and every day. You teach through with your words but mostly importantly your actions. Those values you learned as a child, are clearly lived and experience by all the scholars and staff that have the pleasure of being in your class.

THANK YOU!

We start off every Friday with a PAW ticket drawing. Scholars earn PAW tickets throughout the week for being Respectful, Responsible, & Ready to Learn. On Friday, Mr. Navidad draws 12 tickets randomly during morning announcements and if your name is on that ticket, you are rewarded with a prize. Congratulations to this week's drawing winners!

Please make sure your child is dressed up in layers or with appropriate winter clothing.

We go outside even when it is "COLD!"

Our District policy for Indoor Recess is when the Outside Temperature is at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit OR a wind chill of -10 degrees or colder.

*Parents, please understand that we cannot keep kids inside the classroom when they don't want to go outside. Our homeroom teachers are the ones supervising recess and scholars cannot be left behind.

**Parents, if you are requesting for your child to stay inside, we do need a doctor's note to accompany that request.

*** IF you need winter gear, please reach out to Mrs. Lutz @ kristin.lutz@hopkinsschools.org

November

27: ICA Food Market CLOSED

27-29: No School Thanksgiving Break

December

1: Kiddywampus PTO Fundraiser: 11:00am-5:00pm

4: ICA Food Market @ Alice Smith, 3:00pm-7:00pm

6: No School Professional Development

11: ICA Food Market @ Alice Smith, 3:00pm-7:00pm

13: Parents Night Out @ Alice Smith, 6:00pm-8:30pm

18: ICA Food Market @ Alice Smith, 3:00pm-7:00pm

23 - 31: No School Winter Break

January

1-3: No School Winter Break

20: No School MLK Day

24: No School Grading Day

Confirmed cases of pertussis (whooping cough) have been identified in students attending Alice Smith Elementary. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is recommending that we encourage people in our community to be evaluated by a health care provider if they have a cough lasting longer than 7 days. It may be helpful to take this letter with you to your healthcare provider.

It is important that you be aware of the signs and symptoms of pertussis. Pertussis often begins with symptoms similar to the early stages of the common cold - runny nose, possible low-grade fever, and a mild cough. After a week or two, a persistent cough develops. The cough occurs in bursts and may end with a high-pitched whooping sound and sometimes vomiting. Between bursts of coughing, the person appears well. Coughing attacks may continue for 4 to 6 weeks and are more common at night. Pertussis can lead to pneumonia, particularly in infants.

Most children have been vaccinated for pertussis, but protection can decrease over time. People who have completed some or all of the recommended vaccinations for pertussis may still get pertussis disease but will generally have a milder illness. Now is a good time to make sure you are up to date on your pertussis vaccines. For information on how to access your or your family's immunization records visit Find My Immunization Record (www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/miic/records.html).

More information on pertussis (whooping cough) can be found at Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/pertussis/index.html)

If you have any concerns, please call your healthcare provider or the Minnesota Department of Health at 1-877-676-5414. Questions can also be directed to the Alice Smith Elementary Health Office at 952.988.4213

At Alice Smith Elementary, we believe in a restorative culture and use the 11 Essential Elements of Restorative Practices school-wide. In September, we shared with you information about Restorative Questions. This month, we share another crucial part of Restorative Justice Practices here at Alice Smith Elementary-Affective Statements. They are regularly used here at school when adults interact with scholars here. Affective Statements are “I” statements that express feelings. For example “I am really proud when you are on time Matthew”. These statements are central to Restorative Practices because they represent personal expressions of feeling in response to specific positive or negative behaviors of others. Furthermore, affective statements can provide a precise description of a student’s behavior and the specific impact of those behaviors. The use of affective statements has a significant impact on school culture. Teachers, parents and students can practice using affective statements to communicate their feelings with one another in a respectful way. This humanizes the person making the affective statement, and often changes the dynamic between the people involved.

Using Affective Statements “Affective Language'' is a powerful skill to model ways of expressing our feelings and needs. Naming feelings helps students develop a larger vocabulary to use words vs. acting out emotions. It also helps students understand the impact of their actions.

Here are four parts to an Affective Statement that starts with your observation, “It looks like you are frustrated (angry, upset, disappointed)” and ends with your request.

1. Observation (vs. evaluation): free of judgment, labels, opinions…. It makes it clear the student is being seen and recognized. “I see….” “I notice….” “I hear….”

2. Feelings (vs. thoughts): empathic response to others, honestly express your feelings “I am worried because…… I feel frustrated..… I get excited…. I feel disappointed…..”

3. Needs (vs. rules or directions): What values determine your needs? “I value cooperation…….” “ I need your help ….. “ “I need a safe classroom….” “I value fairness …..”

4. Plans/Requests (vs. demands): “In the future….” “Would you be willing to…?” (State what you want, not what you don’t want.)

Affective Statement Sentence stems:

I am moved to see/hear you…….I am so excited to see/hear…

I am so appreciative of you/your……. I am so grateful that/for……

I am so thankful that/for……I am delighted to learn/see/hear …

I am so pleased to see/hear/by….. I am so impressed by…

I am so touched that you…I am worried about/by/to see/to hear that….

I am concerned about…… I am feeling frustrated about/by/to see/to hear that…

I am feeling irritated by……I am angry about…..

I am so sorry that……I am upset that …

I am having a hard time understanding………I am uncomfortable when I see/hear….. I feel sad because I heard……..I am uneasy about …..

I am feeling distracted by…..

Below is a sentence frame that can help to formulate an affective statement:

I feel ____(state the impact)____ When ____(identify the behavior)____ What I’d like is ___(state the preferred action)___ Example:

I feel hurt when I hear people speak unkindly to each other. What I’d like is for all of us to be mindful of our words and speak respectfully to each other.

https://www.sfoa.catholic.edu.au/__files/d/15357/Restorative_practise_statements.pdf

Next month, we will learn more about Small Impromptu Conferences…

Gentleness,

matthew

Alice Smith Elementary

Restorative Practices Coordinator

Alice Smith yearbook order forms will be sent home with your students in their backpacks for those families who pay with cash or check, and turn in to the main office. Here is an option to order online with credit card.

Kiddywampus Fundraiser: December 1

Sunday, December 1, 11-5

Mention Alice Smith Elementary at the register and 20% of your purchase will be donated to Alice Smith! In-store only, some restrictions apply

Through an organization called "Shoes That Fit", we were able to give away 50 brand new pairs of tennis shoes.

Kristin Lutz-Counselor will work with "Shoes That Fit" in the Fall of 2025 to offer this wonderful resource to families.

Thank you soooo much to our friends at Ready, Set, Smile. This fantastic organization provided free dental services at Alice Smith last week:

Stats from RSS Clinic on 11/15/24
Percentage of decay: 41% of students had decay
Total number of cavities: 115
Total scholars seen: 51 (1 refusal)
Total sealants place: 17
Total fillings placed: 5
Total non-urgent referrals: 17
Total urgent referrals: 6

Next RSS Clinic will be on Friday, February 28th from 8:30-2:00 pm.
Parents/Guardians must fill out a registration form before RSS smile can provide dental services.

20% your online purchase including clearance!

NOW – Wednesday December 4th

Order here: https://hopkins-high-school-spirit-shop.square.site/

Use code: THANKS24

*20% off in person sales included (Excludes Letter Jackets)

Earlier this week, the district sent an email inviting families to share feedback on the new cell phone policy, required by recent Minnesota legislation. We’d love to hear your thoughts on cell phone use at school and how we can create a balanced, effective policy. The survey takes about 10 minutes and is open until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 27. Check your email for details!

• Open-enrolled families (families who live outside the Hopkins School District): if you have a fall 2025 kindergartner, you will need to complete an Open Enrollment Application for your child by January 15, 2025.

• Hopkins School District resident families: please submit a K-12 Student Enrollment form for your fall 2025 kindergartner — even if you are already attending Hopkins Preschool.

• Find enrollment forms online, visit HopkinsSchools.org/enroll.

We are looking forward to focusing on Gratitude this month! Gratitude is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.

• Kinder Family Letter (Eng)
• Kinder Family Letter (Spa)
• 1st Gr Family Letter (Eng)
• 1st Gr Family Letter (Spa)
• 2nd Gr Family Letter (Eng)
• 2nd Gr Family Letter (Spa)
• 3rd Gr Family Letter (Eng)
• 3rd Gr Family Letter (Spa)
• 4th Gr Family Letter (Eng)
• 5th Gr Family Letter (Eng)

The digital backpack is an area where you can find documents with updates and information on school related events and topics.

Website: https://hopkinsschools.org/schools/elementary-schools/alice-smith-elementary
Location: 801 Minnetonka Mills Road, Hopkins, MN 55343, USA
Phone: (952) 988-4200
Facebook: facebook.com/AliceSmithElementarySchool
Twitter: @AliceSmith270