Thursday, March 20th from 5pm-7pm!

Students in grades K-2 are invited to create projects at home. Students grades 3-5 will work on projects during Schoolwide Enrichment. Bring your project to the Gym after school on March 19th or before school on March 20th.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the schoolwide enrichment teacher, Ms. Myers, at 952-988-4455 or Jillian.Myers@HopkinsSchools.org.

Dear Alice Smith Families,

It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of my decision to step down as the principal of Alice Smith at the end of this school year to pursue a leadership opportunity outside of our beloved school district.

Over the past five years, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your principal. As a community, we have celebrated many successes, including the expansion of our school to include an Immersion program, the establishment of a strong foundation in Restorative Culture that honors our diversity and elevates the voices of our scholars, and the introduction of great programs like STEAM specialists and a Performing Arts program that has produced three amazing musicals and multiple imagination fairs. Most importantly, we have created a nurturing and inspiring environment for all of our scholars in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.

While I am excited about this new chapter in my career, leaving the Alice Smith family is not a decision I take lightly. I am confident that the strong foundation we have built together will continue to thrive and grow under new leadership. I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition and will work closely with our district team to prepare our school for the 2025-26 school year.

Thank you for partnering with me over the last five years. I look forward to seeing the great things that will undoubtedly continue to happen at our beloved Alice Smith.

In partnership,

Mr. Navidad

Querida Familia de Alice Smith,

Es con sentimientos mixtos que les escribo para informarles de mi decisión de dejar mi puesto como Director de Alice Smith al final de este año para asumir una oportunidad de liderazgo fuera de nuestro querido distrito escolar.

Durante los últimos cinco años, ha sido un honor y un privilegio servir como su director. Como comunidad, hemos celebrado muchos éxitos, incluyendo la expansión de nuestra escuela para incluir un programa de Inmersión, el establecimiento de una sólida base en Cultura Restaurativa que honra nuestra diversidad y eleva las voces de nuestros estudiantes, y la introducción de excelentes programas como especialistas en STEAM y un programa de Artes Escénicas que ha producido tres musicales increíbles y múltiples ferias de imaginación. Y lo más importante, hemos creado un entorno enriquecedor e inspirador para todos nuestros estudiantes tras la pandemia de COVID.

Si bien estoy entusiasmado con este nuevo capítulo en mi carrera, dejar la familia Alice Smith no es una decisión que tome a la ligera. Confío en que la sólida base que hemos construido juntos seguirá prosperando y creciendo bajo el nuevo liderazgo. Me comprometo a garantizar una transición fluida y trabajaré con el equipo de nuestro distrito para preparar nuestra escuela para el año escolar 2025-26.

Gracias por su colaboración durante los últimos cinco años. Espero con ansias ver los grandes logros que, sin duda, seguirán sucediendo en nuestra querida Alice Smith.

En colaboración,

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

Mark Your Calendar

• 03/19 - ICA Food Market, 3pm - 7pm
• 03/20 - Imagination Fair, 5pm-7pm
• 03/20 - AS Book Store, 5pm-730pm
• 03/26 - ICA Food Market, 3pm - 7pm
• 03/31 - 04/04 No School (Spring Break)

We are so grateful to our fantastic PTO for providing our staff with a delicious meal to keep us going on this day of parent/teacher conferences. Thanks to all the families for making this meal possible

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 Fridays, 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!

Mrs. Acker/Miss Lana's classroom received a letter from Magic School Bus’s Mrs. Frizzle! She told us that she had lost one of her eggs and she wanted our help finding it. Ms. Perkins led the hunt, and we found it in the Alice Smith forest! Now we must be good scientists like Mrs. Frizzle and observe the egg. We can’t wait to see what is inside!

This morning, Cooper and two friends got to ride to school on a fire truck after taking a tour of the Hopkins Fire Department! (This was a Hopkins Education Foundation silent action item I bid on and won.) During the ride, Cooper sat in the front seat with the window down, and it was clear that he thought he was the coolest kid on the planet when the fire truck pulled up to Alice Smith Elementary School. This was such an awesome experience for the kids, and I hope when they are adults, they will fondly remember that time they rode a fire truck to school.

Big thanks to the Hopkins Fire Department and the Hopkins Education Foundation. We are grateful for both and so glad they are part of our community.

We are excited to share the performance 4th/5th grade performance will be this year “Alice Smith has Got Talent!”

Creativity and fun will come to play with our students as share a talent with the Alice Smith community. The possibilities are endless that will be presented to Alice Smith, group and single performances will be a fun and engaging acts for our student body to watch. Dance routines, magic tricks, instrumental performances, musical numbers, yo-yo skills, and more! “Alice Smith has Got Talent”, and we’re excited to see it!

Next week, students in 4th and 5th grade will come home with a form allowing them to indicate their interest in participating in the Talent/Variety show, as well as an opportunity to propose what they would like to do. Please take a few minutes to look the form over with your child to help them brainstorm, and have them bring the form to Mr. Huwe or Ms. Sheehan before March 28th. We would like to have an idea of the number of acts, as well as time with the students to have them present their ideas before Spring Break in order to allow some time to create and practice before the performance on May 16th (time still to be announced). Your students have all spent time discussing ideas this past week during their Specials block, and we are excited to implement their ideas in creating a diverse and fun show!

Alice Smith yearbooks are on sale but only for a little longer! The yearbook is a great way for students to remember all of the friends, staff and fun they've had this year.

Yearbooks start at $22 and will be sold from now until April but don't waste any time in ordering!

A small paper with details should be coming home with your scholar but in case it doesn't find its way, here are your purchase options:

1) See attached order form

2) Go to ybpay.com and enter Yearbook ID: 14430325

3) Use this QR code and enter Yearbook ID: 14430325

Summer 2025

Contract requests will open online on Monday, February 17, 2025 at 8 p.m. for Summer 2025 for Kids & Company (Grades 1-4) and Blink Summer (Grades 5 & 6).

School Year 2025-26 (Grades K-5)

Contract requests will open online on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 8 a.m. for the 2025-26 school year.

Please Note:

• Contract request window for School Year 2025-26 opens Monday, April 7th at 8:00 a.m. and closes Friday, April 18th at 11:50 p.m.
• Contract acceptance/waitlist notification will be sent out via email by the week of May 19th.
• Contracts will be accepted based on staffing and building capacity.

Families are welcome to make an appointment to receive groceries from a fully-stocked food market, while ICA relationship managers are on hand to provide additional resources at Alice Smith.

Appointments available: EVERY WEDNESDAY from 3pm-7pm. Call 952-938-0729 to reserve your 30 minute time slot.

Date: Thursday, March 20

Time: 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Location: Board Room 233, Eisenhower Community Center

Join us for an engaging and interactive session where you'll experience math the way Hopkins scholars do! Discover the new Minnesota Math Standards, explore how math learning is evolving, and see firsthand how we empower students to think critically, solve problems, and build confidence in mathematics. Whether you're a caregiver, community member, or just curious about math education, this is your chance to connect, learn, and experience the future of math at Hopkins!

We have spots available in our summer sessions for advanced and high-potential students! Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (MITY)'s ExplorSchool program offers:

• Over 40 unique courses in STEM, humanities, and fine arts

• A diverse and welcoming community

• Full day, half day, and extended day options

• Small class sizes

• Experiential learning and field trips

Need-based financial aid is available; we encourage all bright and motivated students to apply.

Hopkins Public Schools invites families to the Summer Opportunities Fair on March 20, 6-8 p.m. in the Eisenhower Community Center gym. The event showcases youth enrichment programs, summer learning opportunities, teen employment options and community resources. Attendees can register for activities on-site and connect with local organizations. Don’t miss this chance to plan a fun and enriching summer for your family!

Student non-profit, Minnesota Play for All, and Minnesota's award-winning children's book author and illustrator, Nancy Carlson, collaborated on a book, A Swing for Samara. The book is inspired by the true story of the Glen Lake Playground Project. A Swing for Samara celebrates the power of compassion and inclusion. The book is beautiful and so incredibly special for our Hopkins community. The book is available for pre-order online (Target, Amazon, etc), but we are offering this book at a reduced rate through our website. https://www.mnplayforall.org/ Books are $15 and will be distributed for pick up the week of April 17th to all Hopkins schools (you may purchase as many as you'd like). All proceeds support Minnesota Play for All, a new student-driven non-profit wanting to make sure all have fun and are included. Thank you for your support!

This month’s focus is Cooperation. One way to think about Cooperation is “working together to reach shared goals.” Cooperation is one of the traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Kind. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like perspective-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership.

Alice Smith Elementary will have the final Ready Set Smile Dental clinic on Friday, May 16th.

In order for your child(ren) to participate in the Ready Set Smile clinic at Alice Smith Elementary, you will need to fill out CONSENT FORMS for EACH CHILD. There are two ways to fill out the consent forms: QR Code or paper copy.

Kristin Lutz-Counselor will help get your children to and from the RSS Dental clinic on Friday, May 16th.

Please contact Kristin Lutz-Counselor at 952-988-4214 or via email at kristin.lutz@hopkinsschools.org with any questions or for more information

PTO treasurer
Do you have a knack for numbers and finances? If so, our PTO needs you! We're looking for a treasurer to balance the PTO budget, issue checks, and provide a report at each meeting. This is a great way to help our school while also meeting other parents and getting a front-row seat to all the goings-on at Alice Smith! You will have the opportunity to shadow our current treasurer to learn the ropes before fully moving into this role. Email Kelli Gabbert (kmgabbert@gmail.com) to learn more or to volunteer!

PTO meetings
PTO meetings are a great way to learn about what's happening at Alice Smith, provide feedback and ask questions, and find ways to help our school! If you missed the March PTO meeting, you can view the minutes. Save the date for our next meeting on Tuesday, April 8 from 6-7:30 p.m. You can join in-person (in the school media center) or virtually. We value your voice and participation, and we look forward to welcoming you!

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable snacks to encourage children to try new foods, learn about seasonal produce, and set healthy eating habits to last a lifetime. Please see below for our FFVP offerings this week:

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

Friendly reminders to our care givers as we prioritize safety during drop-off and pick-up times:

• Be patient.
• Be alert, drive slowly and refrain from using your phone to minimize distractions.
• Be mindful of the drive-thru lanes and avoid blocking them.
• Wait until you are in designated lane (closest to curb) before your child gets out/gets in the car.
• Wait until the car in front of you exits before exiting to ensure smooth flow of cars.
• If you park and walk your student into school, please use the crosswalk and wait until a staff member/student helps you cross safely with a crossing flag

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