Alice Smith Weekly Connections

Dear Alice Smith Community,

This message is being sent to Alice Smith and Gatewood families prior to being sent to all Hopkins families.

As part of our district’s efforts to address our significant budget challenges while continuing to prioritize classroom experiences and student learning, we are making several adjustments to our transportation services for the 2025–26 school year. These changes are intended to improve system efficiency and reduce costs, with an estimated savings of nearly $2 million.

What’s Changing with Transportation in 2025-26
To maintain a sustainable transportation system, we are making the following changes for the 2025-26 school year:

1. No Bus Zone Expansions
   We are aligning more closely with state statute (and many of our neighbors) and expanding our No Bus zones. This means bus service will no longer be provided for students who live within:

• 1.0 mile of their elementary school (previously 0.5 miles)

• 2.0 miles of their secondary school (previously 0.8 miles)

We understand this is a shift for families. A transportation fee option is being explored for those living within No Bus zones.

1. Open Enrollment Busing: Because the annual cost per bus is about $100,000, it is critical we cap the number of buses offered. In the past, we’ve provided transportation to most open-enrolled and in-district transfer students. That will change next year.
   
   

• We are working with our bus contractor to offer a pay-to-ride option for open-enrolled families. Details will be shared within two weeks.

• Service levels will differ from previous years.

• Open-enrolled and in-district transfer students can request in-district transportation based on in-district bus availability.

1. Return to Three-Tier Structure: Alice Smith and Gatewood will move to the third-tier bus schedule, aligning with Meadowbrook.
   New school hours will be (approximately):

• 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

We recognize this may be a disappointment for families and staff who appreciated the earlier schedule. We are unable to sustain the financial demands of the two-tier structure. To support families through this change:

• Before-school care will be offered at Gatewood and Alice Smith through Kids & Company (families will be able to request care beginning Monday, April 14 at 8am. More info can be found at HopkinsSchools.org/Kids).

• We are launching a Transition Support program for families needing additional assistance.
  
  

1. Nonpublic School Routing Changes
   We plan to adjust nonpublic school routing (required by state law for students within our attendance area) to a less impacted tier. This will not affect public school routes but will increase system wide efficiency and save costs.

We know these changes will require adjustment and will impact families and staff differently across our system. In the next two weeks, we will begin sharing specific information with families whose children live within the newly defined No Bus zones. At the same time, we will partner with family clusters at each elementary school to explore safe, creative solutions to support those most impacted.

Thank you for all you do every day to support our Hopkins community. We are grateful for everything parents and caregivers do to help our schools endure change and challenge.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed

Mr. Navidad

3rd - 5th Grade Families

Please read this week's newsletter from your teachers as it contains super important information about MCA testing NEXT week!

• 3rd - 5th Grade MCA BEGINS!
• 05/08 - No School, Professional Development
• 05/16 - Dental Clinic @ Alice Smith
• 05/16 - Alice Smith's Got Talent, 6pm @ AS Gym
• 05/26 - No School, Memorial Day
• 06/05 - 5th Grade Graduation, 10a-1230p
• 06/06 - Last Day Of School

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!

Young scientists in Mrs Hahn's 1st graders created surface maps of the earth's surface and then added water to their maps to see what would happen to our planet when it rains.

School Year 2025-26 Contract Request Window will be open Monday, April 14 at 8 a.m. - Friday, April 25 at 11:59 p.m.!

Contract Requests

Kids & Company Summer 2025 (Grades 1-4)

Blink Summer 2025 Grades (5 & 6)

Contract requests will open online on Monday, February 17, 2025 at 8 p.m. for Summer 2025.

Kids & Company School Year 2025-26 (Grades K-5)

Contract requests will be open online from Monday, April 14, 2025 at 8 a.m. to Friday, April 25 at 11:59 p.m. for the 2025-26 school year.

Please Note:

• 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.

Your feedback makes a difference! If you love your school, we’d be so grateful if you shared your experience on sites like Google, Niche, and GreatSchools. Your review helps other families learn about our amazing community, talented teachers, and unique opportunities for students. It only takes a few minutes, but your words can have a big impact!

Building our social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is an important goal for our school this year. We will be asking for your 3-5th grade child to reflect on their mindsets and approaches to learning via an online survey they will be completing at school in their homerooms.The survey will ask students to self-reflect on social and emotional competencies that align with the Hopkins scholar traits outlined in the district's strategic plan.

We are asking that all our students participate in the surveys. If a student doesn’t feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they can skip the item. The responses to these surveys are completely confidential. If you have any questions about the SEL survey or would like information about opting out, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You may also choose to opt your student out of this survey no later than April 30th here.

Join us for candid conversation, listening, and learning. Soup with the Supe is sure to be informative while enjoying delicious soups crafted by our own chefs. Get to know our Hopkins Superintendent and other parents/community members. Come for the soup, stay for the conversation, and leave with a sense of community and new learning. Mark your calendars for the following dates: April 24, May 9, May 20, and June 24. Each session will be held from 12 to 1 p.m. We can't wait to see you! Sign up here.

Gain biking knowledge and build racing skills! Incoming 6th - 12th graders are welcome. You are invited to the Parent and Rider Information Meeting on Wednesday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hopkins High School Cafeteria.

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 Accessible 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), OR we are offering this book at a reduced rate through our website for $15. All orders will be delivered April 16th. BONUS: Everyone who purchases a book, through our website, will get their name in a drawing for their child's classroom to get a personal author's visit and book reading from Nancy Carlson this spring!! https://www.mnplayforall.org/

Get ready for kindergarten with Kindergarten for Families, a special event series for Hopkins’ incoming kindergarten families! These events include a family discussion led by your school’s principal and Early Childhood staff, who will share helpful strategies to support your child’s transition to kindergarten. While adults and siblings attend the discussion, incoming kindergarteners will enjoy engaging classroom activities with other children. It’s a fun and informative evening to connect, learn, and prepare for the exciting journey ahead. Registration is required —don’t miss out! Find your school’s date here.

This calendar change will affect Pre-K and elementary students. Thursday, May 8, 2025 will now be a no school day for all students, Pre-K-12. This was already a no school day for students in grades 6-12 due to conferences. The calendar page of our website has been updated to reflect this change.

Due to inclement weather, the March 5, 2025, professional development day was canceled, preventing Pre-K and elementary instructional staff from completing their final LETRS Training session. To address this, we have designated May 8, 2025, as a non-instructional day for Pre-K and elementary students, meaning there will be no school for these students on this day. This adjustment is the best way to ensure critical LETRS Training is completed by the end of the school year while minimizing disruptions.

• Kids & Company will have limited availability for non-school day care on May 8. Families currently in Kids & Company will receive communication on registration.

• Hopkins Preschool has limited availability for non-school day care on May 8 for extended day families only. Registration for this day will open Monday, April 7 at 8:00 a.m.

• In response to community feedback, the Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) meeting originally planned for April 17 has been moved to Thursday, May 1, as the original date coincided with a Christian religious holiday.

We invite you to join us on May 1 from 5:30–7:00 p.m. in the Eisenhower Community Center Boardroom for an engaging, interactive session focused on math in Hopkins. We look forward to seeing you there!

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: Espanol and English

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

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

This coming Tuesday, April 15, let Blaze Pizza take care of dinner for you. From 3-7 p.m., 20 percent of sales at the Knollwood Mall location will go to Alice Smith for field trips, teacher supplies, enrichment activities, and more. You might even consider coordinating with some other families and dining together!

To ensure your order counts for the school fundraiser:
• In-person: Show this flyer before paying (pulling it up on your phone is fine!)
• Online: Insert promo code 1085A when placing your order at https://www.blazepizza.com/ or via the Blaze Pizza app

May PTO & Parent Engagement Meeting:

Tuesday, May 6, 6-7:30 p.m., Alice Smith Media Center or online
At this meeting, in addition to discussing regular PTO business, Principal Navidad and school staff will share a budget update for the 2025-2026 school year. Dinner and childcare will be provided, so please plan to join us!

To join the meeting virtually:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/qfs-vjna-ehq

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 470-273-8902 PIN: ‪309 563 291#\

PTO Meeting Leader
Are you organized and skilled at facilitation? If so, our PTO needs you! We're looking for a meeting leader to develop PTO meeting agendas and run the meetings. This is a great way to help our school in a significant way, meet other parents, and get a front-row seat to all the goings-on at Alice Smith! You will have the opportunity to shadow our current meeting leader to learn the ropes before fully moving into this role. Email Kelli Gabbert (kmgabbert@gmail.com) to learn more or to volunteer!

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:

• Grown in Costa Rica, an area known for its tropical climate and fertile volcanic soil., the Pinkglow® pineapple is the result of over 16 years of meticulous development by Fresh Del Monte. The result? A pineapple with a uniquely low-acid flavor profile, candy pineapple aromatics and unique pink flesh.

• Pinkglow™ pineapples are cultivated in “ultra-limited” quantities, as it takes approximately two years to grow the variety, and each pineapple is harvested by hand to ensure quality.

• Pinkglow™ pineapples are famously shipped without their crowns as a symbol of sustainability, by reusing the green crowns to grow the next season of pineapples!

• Pinkglow™ pineapples are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation and strengthens the immune system.

• Want to try and grow pineapple at home?

• Place the pineapple top in the soil up to the base of its leaves. Water thoroughly and place it in bright, indirect light. Keep it moist until roots develop. It should take about two months (6-8 weeks) for roots to establish.

• Once rooted, the pineapple will produce mature fruit in about two years, although this length of time will vary depending on your conditions. Pineapple plants can grow to be 3 to 4 feet tall so keep that in mind when deciding to grow them indoors.

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• While both Brussels sprouts and cabbage belong to the Brassica oleracea species, brussels sprouts are not just mini cabbages; they are a distinct plant with unique growth patterns and flavors.

• Brussels sprouts have an earthy, vegetal, nutty, and subtly bitter flavor suited for fresh or cooked preparations.

• Brussels sprouts are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, and vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation.

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts Serving Suggestions

• Serve them plain, simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or dress them up! Drizzle them with a bit of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and toss them with feta or Parmesan cheese, herbs, red pepper flakes, and nuts or pepitas.

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