Northpoint Newsletter
Dear Northpoint Families,
Last week was such a blast celebrating homecoming week with various themed days and ending the week with the FUN RUN!!! It was so fun seeing the joy and excitement on students’ faces as they were running and, then, of course, having a dance party with DJ Downs (also known as Mr. Downs, our PE teacher).
This week is a short week for students. Please remember there is no school for students tomorrow, Thursday, October 3 or Friday, October 4. Our staff will be engaging in professional learning, learning design and conference preparation. School is back in session for students on Monday, October 7.
We’ve heard from 109 of you in our first pulse check of the year last week. Of those responding, 97% are happy or mostly happy with Northpoint. Here are a few things we heard:
Praise for the fantastic communication from staff
Praise for the new adjusted grade level classes
Comments about the class sizes
Questions about the classroom schedule and curriculum
We take every comment and all of your feedback into consideration and we’ll be following up where and if appropriate. Please remember, you don’t have to wait for the next pulse check to provide your feedback. You are always welcome to call or email with any comments, questions or concerns.
Information about upcoming conferences has been shared in classroom newsletters. Please find a time to schedule a conference with your child's teacher. If you are unable to attend a conference, you can always reach out to the homeroom teacher to connect with you via phone or virtual meeting. We want to ensure you are up-to-date on how the first six weeks of school have gone!
Finally, I hope you’ll take a couple of minutes to see the feature in today’s newsletter that includes real examples of competency-based learning filmed last May from third grade. Examples can help make competencies more understandable – even if your child is in another grade. Expect to hear more from teachers about the competencies they are working on as the year continues.
We’ll look forward to seeing students back here next Monday!
Tyler Nelson
Northpoint Principal
A day in 3rd grade: Competency-based learning in action
Third graders enthusiastically welcomed a video crew into their classrooms to follow along in their learning for one day last May. As we start a new school year, short video stories from that day provide tangible examples of competency-based learning in action. From collaboration to math to science to digital literacy, a series of brief videos provide a peek into student learning across a day.
As a reminder, Spring Lake Park Schools has defined academic and career and life competencies. Academic competencies are aligned to different subject areas (Math, English Language Arts, etc.) and to Minnesota state standards for those areas. Career and life competencies are skills and mindsets needed for success in school and beyond. Last year was the first year elementary learning was entirely competency based. So, what does it look and sound like during a day in third grade? Take a look (and listen) to a day in third grade.
Catch the "After Hours Big Band" Show Tonight!
Tonight is the night to catch the live performance of "After Hours Big Band" at the Fine Arts Center, 7 p.m. Student tickets are only $5! This is a great way to introduce your children to a live musical performance, right here in our Panther community.
"After Hours Big Band" is led by one of our SLP dads! Our audience loved their holiday show last year and now we welcome them back to kick off season three. You will be sure to recognize favorites from Disney, The Beatles and more. Once again, Reed Grimm of American Idol and Shoeless Revolution will be joining the band. Get your tickets here and avoid the long lines at the box office.
