Dear Alice Smith Families,

We can't wait to see YOU during our 2024 Heritage Festival this Thursday from 5:30 - 8:30 and don't forget to check out the fun themes for our scholars and staff this coming week!

Heritage Festival THEME WEEK!

• Monday - November 18
• #Sports - What is your favorite sport? Where is your favorite player from? Wear clothing that represents your favorite team/player!
• Tuesday - November 19
• #Kindness - Do a random act of kindness today!
• #T-shirt Tuesday - Wear a t-shirt with a positive message or that represents your culture!
• Wednesday - November 20
• #Peace - Wear something with a peace sign
• Thursday - November 21 - Heritage Festival 5:30-8:00!
• #AllAreWelcomeHere - Dress in clothing related to your cultural heritage or country of interest! Or, your 2024-25 Heritage Festival t-shirt

If you would like to volunteer or contribute during the actual event on Thursday, please:

-Fill out the attached sign-up sheet and return to your child’s teacher OR

-Contact Holly Wick Bower, 952-988-4254 or Holly.Wick@hopkinsschools.org

Don't Forget to Check out:

• Heritage Fest & Book Store!
• Staff Highlight of the Week - Jillian Myers (School Wide Enrichment Teacher)
• School Wide Enrichment Update & News
• Alice Smith Book Store - Thursday Nov 21st!

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

Thursday, November 21, 2024 @ 5:30-8:00 pm

Please join Alice Smith families, friends and staff as we celebrate our cultural heritage and enjoy time with our community. The evening will include a potluck dinner, art activities, and informational displays on a variety of countries/cultures spread throughout the cafeteria, gym, and hallways. You will also be able to enjoy a book sale as well as musical performances!

Volunteers Needed! Please sign up here!

Questions? Contact Holly Wick Bower, 952-988-4254 or Holly.Wick@hopkinsschools.org

As we reflect on the power that education has on preparing our scholars for an unpredictable and undiscovered future, you might quickly identify those skills like reading and writing and math that our scholars must have to be successful, but here at Smith, with the vision of Mrs. Myers and her SWE class, she is helping our scholars develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills that will equip them to be the CHANGE MAKERS we need them to be!

Mrs. Jillian Myers is this week's Staff Highlight of the Week for her work and vision in evolving our SchoolWide Enrichment class to be a safe space where our scholars can imagine, design, problem solve, and create a learning like no other!

Mrs. Myers is starting her 18th year in teaching and her 4th here in Hopkins. As mom of a 5 year old and a Middle School teacher for many years, Mrs. Myers knows the importance of building strong relationships with her scholars and leveraging that to support and empower them to reach their goals. 2 years ago, when she brought her passion and vision to our school, she quickly learned the magic that comes with working with elementary kids. "I get lots of love, and HUGS, and the few runny noses, but everyday they fill my bucket with joy and laughter when they see me in the halls or in my class"

When I asked her what she enjoys most about her role, she talked at length about how teaching SWE is ever changing and driven by both standards and a curriculum but most critically by her scholars own interests. "SWE provides our kids with many opportunities to lean into their curiosities and allows them go deeper and take ownership of their own learning...I also really enjoy seeing our kids grow from one year to the other. As a specialist teacher who sees all kids every year, it is so rewarding to see their little personalities and their skills & talents also grow" Mrs Myers also shared about the Imagination fair and how that is the highlight of the year for her. "Seeing the pride in our parent's face when they get to see the amazing projects and inventions their kids did is so rewarding and seeing the kids stepping up and being little professionals and talking about their project really cements all those skills that will make them successful in the future"

When I asked her what she loves about our school, her answer was simple: "Our colleagues and our kids is what makes coming to work such a joy. The staff is so close and we build such strong relationships. They are always there to help and support one another... even when I need a last minute babysitter!"

Since Mrs. Myers and all of our Phenomenal Specialists teachers see all kids EVERY WEEK! I decided to ask scholars from all grades what they love most about SWE and what they appreciate about Mrs. Myers... their answers were just priceless!

KG Scholars:

• "She lets me do all the fun stuff and I sit down when she tells me and there are little robots you play with that goes on the mats and some on the lines and I like playing with them and trying to figure out how they go"
• "I learned today about Strawberries and how they grow and we read about a big strawberry and a bear and she is nice and has a nice voice and she helps me when I don't know what to do and we talk about how to be kind and nice to one another"

1st Graders:

• "She is kind and nice and lest us work with the marbles and the ramps. We learn a lot about building with like legos and wood and stuff that makes the class fun"

2nd Graders:

• "She is a really good teacher. She helps you out and gives us choice in her class. She is so kind and nice and helpful. She is also super artistic! while another 2nd grader shared "We like SWE because you get to try new things and learn new stuff that you don't learn in class. She is always helping us and when you are sad she always cheers you up. I like the coding we do and making stuff we like"

3rd Graders:

• "She is kind and nice and she lets us do experiments. She is really funny and it is so much fun to be in her class. She lets us have "divergent thinking" with the maker spaces. <-- Yep! A 3rd grader used the word "Divergent Thinking!" I was in awe!!

4th & 5 Graders:

• "She is kind and confident and helps us in class all the time. She makes learning super fun." "She is so fun and teachers us new stuff. We love when we get to have choice and get to try new fun experiments. This week we did engineering and we took apart some lights and learned about them and tried to fix it. Other kids tried to build a fan or a windmill with sticks and we get to use tools and screwdrivers and stuff!. We learn how to be builders and thats so cool"

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!

November

20: ICA Food Market @ AS 3:00pm-7:00pm

21: Heritage Fest @ AS 5:30pm - 8:00pm

21: Fall Book Store @ AS 2:15pm - 8:00pm

22: Cafe Con Navidad 7:00 -8:00 am

27: ICA Food Market CLOSED

27-29: No School Thanksgiving Break

We are excited to share updates about our elementary Schoolwide Enrichment (SWE) program designed to support and develop the unique talents of all students. Our SWE framework integrates opportunities into our curriculum for all students to explore, practice, and apply high-level, critical skills that are essential for academic success.

Over the course of the 2023-24 school year, elementary school leaders and SWE staff collaborated with district leadership to identify strengths of our current programming, as well as gaps we wanted to address. During the 2024-25 school year, we will begin to implement strategies to better align all of our sites’ offerings to the pillars of our SWE model - exploration, learning behaviors, and application. You can learn more about each pillar on our website.

At Hopkins, we believe that every student has the potential to excel. Our goal is to create a learning environment where every child’s abilities are recognized and nurtured, helping them to grow into well-rounded individuals ready to tackle real-world challenges. Here is how it works:

• Tier 1: Enrichment activities that are available to all students, customized to each school’s strengths and areas of focus.

• Tier 2: Deeper learning opportunities in areas of interest, allowing students to dive further into topics they’re passionate about.

• Tier 3: Hands-on, student-led projects that challenge students with advanced content and real-world problem-solving, fostering creativity and independence.
  
  

This comprehensive approach is backed by research and ensures that every student has access to enriching experiences that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and other essential skills. Our work this year is to solidify our Tier 1 offerings at the elementary level, while beginning to pilot Tier 2 and 3 opportunities for students. Our school leaders will be sending updates via their newsletters throughout the school year, as we work to strengthen our Tier 1 (instruction for all students) and build the structures to support Tiers 2 and 3. We will include information in those communications regarding how students are provided access to the Tier 2 and 3 experiences.

At Hopkins, we’re committed to giving every student the chance to reach their fullest potential. Our SWE program is designed to challenge and engage all learners, ensuring that every child—no matter their starting point—can grow and thrive. By aligning our approach with the Hopkins Learning Framework, we’re focused on providing opportunities that match each student’s strengths and interests while preparing them for success in a rapidly changing world.

Want to dig deeper into the research that informs our work? See the following resources:

• Video: An Overview of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model

• Article: The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A Focus on Student Strengths & Interests

• Article: The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A Focus on Student Creative Productivity, Strengths & Interests

• Chapter from Systems & Models: The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A Focus on Student Strengths & Interests
  
  

We look forward to your continued support as we work together to inspire and empower our students.

Warm regards,

Leanne Kampfe

Principal on Special Assignment

All students kindergarten to 5th grade are exposed to Primary Education Thinking Skills or PETS. It is a systematized enrichment and diagnostic thinking skills program. Lessons are presented in convergent analysis, divergent synthesis, visual/spatial thinking, and evaluation. The program aligns to the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. PETS helps build behavioral portfolios for talented learners that support a differentiated approach to their education and offers opportunities for learners with different strengths to shine.

In addition to that, all students are offered interest clusters. In grades K-2, it often involves choice time where students can explore interdisciplinary centers based on a lesson or something else of their interest. In grades 3-5, it involves a demonstration of more in depth knowledge. Students often have to research, create, and build to create a final product. Students participating in interest clusters gather together during SWE time to explore and develop their shared interests in specific areas like science, technology, art, writing, etc., allowing them to delve deeper into topics that pique their curiosity beyond the regular curriculum, often working on projects with a real-world application and collaborating with peers who share similar passions. Essentially, it's a way for students to pursue their individual talents and interests in a structured group setting.

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

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!

Are you looking to give back to Hopkins schools? Support the Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF). We fund classroom projects and resources that kickstart learning opportunities for Hopkins students. Your support makes that happen. You can help by ordering Gratitude Gifts for Hopkins teachers and staff. Your $25 purchase supports our grants and gives each recipient a treat, gift card, and personal note. Orders close December 9. You can also help by donating to the Hopkins Education Foundation on Give to the Max Day (November 21) or by attending our fundraiser at Bear Cave Brewing on December 9 (20% of your order that day goes to HEF if you select our organization at checkout). Visit HopkinsEducationFoundation.org for more information.

Join us at Hopkins Schools’ Kindergarten Information Night! Bring your future kindergartener along to Hopkins High School on Thursday, November 21, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Meet our elementary school principals and other families, dive into Hopkins’ vision, and explore the variety of options we have for your child! It’s a fun, interactive event that gives you a sneak peek into the Hopkins Schools community. Registration is required, please RSVP today! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome our newest learners!

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)

• Hopkins Park - Try Lacrosse Day Flyer

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