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.

October

29- Picture Retakes 8:00-11:00

31- Augsburg Travelers' Edge Field Trip 9:00-1:00

November

1-Future Teacher Day Field Trip at UWRF

1- MN Chorale TTBB Concert (collaboration with Como students) South High School 3:45-9:15

4- Family Engagement Meeting 6:00

4- Winter Athletics Kickoff 6:00

7- End of Quarter 1

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

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

28-29- No School (Thanksgiving Break)

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

The Como Park main office phone number is 651-293-8800. School office hours are 8:00-3:30. If you need to reach a teacher or staff member directly, please contact them through email.

All staff email addresses can be found on Como's online staff directory.

NEW FOR QUARTER 2! 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

Girls Basketball Tryouts

Basketball Tryouts

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

Time: 3:30-5:00

Where: Como Park Senior High School gym

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!

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!

What: ALL PARENTS INVITED to learn more about Como, provide feedback, ask questions and express concerns

When: November 4, 2024 at 6:00 PM

Where: Room 1208

Questions? Contact Jamie Hoffman at jamie.hoffman@spps.org or 651-744-5529

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.

Picture retakes at Como Park will be on October 29th.

Property Rites by Alan Haehnel and The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet!

Where: Como Park Senior High School Auditorium

When: Saturday December 7th at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Sunday December 8th at 2:00 PM

Get your tickets early!

Link to purchase tickets:

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!

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

My name is Alex Cervantes and I am the new Agriculture teacher at Como Park. I will be teaching Intro to Agriculture, Sustainable Food Production, and Natural Resources. I was born and raised in the St. Paul area, splitting my childhood years between the East Side and Oakdale. In 2011, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I majored in History & Social Studies Education and minored in Geography. I started teaching in Saint Paul Public Schools in 2012 and from 2014 until 2023 I was a High School Social Studies Teacher at Washington Tech Magnet School.

When I am not at school, I enjoy watching sports, especially the Loons, Aurora, Vikings, and the T-Wolves. I also love spending time with my wife and two sons (ages 12 and 6), playing board games and exploring Minnesota. I also greatly enjoy learning about the world and its people, usually by listening to at least 3 podcasts a day or by watching YouTube documentaries.

I am proud to call the Hamline-Midway neighborhood in St. Paul my home and try to bring that neighborhood, and others where my students come from, into class work as much as possible.

My favorite thing so far about Como is how much I learn about the world FROM THE STUDENTS. Whether my students come from Chatsworth or Cambodia, Payne Avenue or Pennsylvania, each student brings a unique life experience that enriches my day and the classroom.

The best way to get a hold of me is through email at alex.cervantes@spps.org.

As the daylight wanes and we begin the shift from fall to winter, many families experience an increased need in accessing community resources. This month your School Social Work Department is highlighting community resources. In addition to the resources shared here, you can find additional information for attendance, crisis support, food & housing resources, LGBTQIA+ resources, and mental health resources on the Como High School Social Work page.

Voting Resources: Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 and early voting is underway. Learn more about how and where to vote with this information from the Minnesota Secretary of State. Information is available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Vietnamese, Russian, Lao, Khmer, Oromo and Amharic.

• Election Day Voting

• Polling Place Finder

• Registering to Vote on Election Day

Cold Weather Resources: These resources help Minnesotans stay safe during cold months, including protecting natural gas and electricity access for families and helping families learn about staying safe in cold weather.

• MN Cold Weather Rule. Information available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.

• Winter Weather: Plan. Equip. Train Information available in English

Food & Holiday Resources: Many organizations that provide food support year round offer specific holiday resources. Please check these resources in early and often in November to access resources for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

• Ramsey County 211 Thanksgiving Resources. Information available in English.

• Ramsey County 211 Holiday Programs. Information available in English

• Ramsey County Food Resources. Information available in English, Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Oromo, and Karen.

Como Student Leaders Help Advocate for Voter Registration, Voting,

and the School’s Mock Election

Two Como seniors in Mr. Erickson’s AP Government Social Studies class have become “Student Leaders” under an internship program co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of St. Paul (LWVSP). The two Student Leaders are Aymelee Xiong and Gaolee Yang and have produced a video that will be shown in Social Studies and/or Seminar classes early next week. The video provides details about how to register and vote for eligible students. The video notes that, if you are eligible, you can still register at your polling place in person when you vote.

The video also mentions the Como “Students Vote” mock election that will be held on Tuesday, October 29 and Wednesday, October 30. This Students Vote program is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Secretary of State and the YMCA to promote civic engagement and education at all grade levels.

Check out the video here.

The Como Park Cougars Cross Country boys team took home the Section 4AA title, scoring 16 points (15 perfect score). They will move on to state. Girls team finished third and had two girls individually qualify for state. Yay COUGARS!! 🐾

Recently Como Park AVID partnered with Wilderness Inquiry for a fun day of canoeing, water quality testing, and team building games at Como Lake. 9th grade AVID students spent the day learning to work together, making new friends, and having fun!

Wilderness Inquiry is a local non-profit that connects people to the outdoors. A highlight of the day was our AVID 9th graders learning to paddle together in large, 10 person canoes!

AVID is a college readiness program focused on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading. This was a fun and memorable day for nearly fifty of our AVID 9th graders.

Thanks to Mr. Hiers, our 9th grade AVID teacher, and Wilderness Inquiry for a wonderful time.

Raiders! Although the JROTC Raider Team was unable to place this weekend against seven tough Raider teams in Illinois, it will now focus and respond to this loss with resilience: Don't give up, but come back stronger. With the next challenge just two weeks away, they will balance focus on what they can control: Instead of worrying about the Richwood Raiders, they will focus on being the best competitor for their next fight. OOH RAH RAIDERS!

CONGRATULATIONS

It is now official. Graduated United States Marines. They are both forever a part of us "Band of Brothers". Past MCJROTC Cadets / Marine Alex Sandoval Soto and Marine Rigoberto Flores graduated Basic Training in San Diego, California. Ooh Rah!

It was the 41st Anniversary of the bombing of Marine Barracks, Beirut which killed 241 Service Members, mostly United States Marines resting next to the American Embassy on a very hot day. The Como Park MCJROTC took a minute to give honor to the fallen and a moment of silence at the Fort Snelling Cemetary. Five Beirut Bombing Marines are respectfully buried there. Let us not forget - thank you and God bless!

The Como Park Cyber Patriot Team engaged in a 4-hour battle online tonight to identify and correct security problems on windows and UBUNTE machines. Looks promising. Good luck Patriots! Thanking our "CP" Mentor, Mr. Tim Salo - 🤠

Several MCJROTC Cadets in support of the El Rio Recreation Center Halloween Campus Party Thursday evening. Community Service. Great job all of you.

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

October is Bullying Awareness Month

Bullying can have a major impact on a child's mental health and self-esteem. However, parents often have a hard time knowing if their child is being bullied, or may not know what to do to help. The following links discuss signs your child is being bullied, signs your child is bullying, and steps parents can take to help!

Signs your child is being bullied

What to do when your child is cyber-bullied

What to do if my child is doing the bullying

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