GORDON PARKS HIGH SCHOOL

• November 6,-Conferences and Title 1 Meeting.
• January 16
• March 20
• May 29

*The times run from 3:30 - 6:00 with a light meal provided.

I am excited to begin my second year as the Principal at Gordon Parks High School. We will be sending out this family newsletter once a month to keep you informed about what is happening in our school and community. We will also share upcoming dates for conferences, student showcases, and other family engagement opportunities. I look forward to working with you to help your student earn credits and meet the goal of graduation. Our school hours are 8:30 - 3:00. Being on time and staying all day is one of the most important factors of academic success. Please encourage your child to attend daily and stay all day. We have changed our school schedule this year which allows students to earn more credits and some of them at their own pace. We have found those who have attended have been earning a number of credits already this year! We can't wait to see what they can do!

We are excited to announce we have a new schedule this school year. We moved from a 7 period day (28 credits earned in a year) to an A/B 8 over 2 (at minimum 40 credits earned). We made the decision to move to this schedule to provide more credit earning opportunities for students. You'll notice 1st and 6th hours are in red. These two classes are self-paced where students can earn the credits they need faster than class periods 2 - 5. As of September 27, 31 students have earned 34 credits!

We have a number of new staff members at Gordon Parks this school year and each month we will feature one or two of them. This year we added music for the first time and students are having a lot of fun learning how to play the piano. I'd like you to meet Matthew Olson!

Before working at Gordon Parks I was a special education teacher for eleven years, in a federal setting III program. I worked at Hidden River Middle School/ the old Ramsey in St. Paul. I am very excited to be a part of the Gordon Parks team and have gotten to know many students in the last few weeks. My goals for this year are to build positive relationships with students and staff. I want to be present providing support for all. I want to encourage students to move forward on their educational journey while supporting students who struggle with finding ways to do so. Over all my goal is for students to see I have a job and they have jobs. If the students and I can meet each other halfway then my goal is to greet them on the stage when they have met all of their graduation requirements.

My main interests are my two sons: Elijah, and Elliott. They both play sports, so I spend much of my time going to their games and practicing different sports with them. I also like watching college football, and when I am watching the NFL, I love to watch the Chicago Bears. Altogether I love to be active outside whether in cold or warm weather.

"I’ve has been teaching music in Saint Paul for 16 years, but this is my first year at Gordon Parks! In my piano and guitar classes, I focus on teaching music chosen by the students, whether it be hip-hop, rap, RNB, popular, classical, or traditional cultural styles of music. I try to teach with the backdrop of beat making and music production in mind at all times. Music is part of all of our daily lives, so when making the jump from being a listener, to the role of being a performer or composer, we can ask ourselves questions like—When we listen to a song, what do we hear? How was this song written and recorded? What is the role of the keyboard or guitar in this beat?

Outside of school I love playing music! I’ve performed in styles ranging from singing with the Minnesota Opera to playing onstage with my bands at venues like First Avenue. I also run a recording studio where I produce my own music and record other artists. Music has been such a special part of my life and such an important aspect of building my community, and I want every young person to experience that opportunity if it’s something they want to do!"

Hello Gordon Parks Families,

This is your school nurse, Andrea Dishong, letting you know that Gordon Parks will be hosting a Flu/Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic on October 9th from 9:00am-11:00 am. The vaccines are free, but if you have health insurance, please bring your information with you. This is open to all Gordon Parks staff, students and families, ages 5yrs and up, so bring a friend!

Hello Gordon Parks Scholars! My name is Mrs. Stroud and I am a school guidance counselor at Gordon Parks High School. I will be working with students whose last names are A-L. It is a pleasure to meet all of you and I look forward to working with all of you this year. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or just simply need to talk. Welcome to Gordon Parks High School!

Hello Gordon Parks High School students and welcome to the 2024-25 academic school year. My name is Mr. Her. I am working with students on the last names between M-Z. I am very excited to be here and look forward to working with you as we move forward into the school year. My door is always open. Please feel free to stop by the Guidance Office to see me with your academic concerns, personal/social issues or any questions about your post-secondary plans. Again, welcome to Gordon Parks!

Hi, my name is Shelly Fountain and I am one of the social workers here at Gordon Parks High School. I joined Saint Paul Public Schools in 2003. I am very excited to partner with you and your family here at Gordon Parks.

One of my roles here at Gordon Parks is to work with students who are struggling to make it to school each day. Please stop by and see me if you need help strengthening your school attendance.

I am also here to support students and families needing to connect with mental health resources and practical resources. I also will be facilitating young women's and young men's empowerment groups. If you are interested in learning more about how to join one of these groups please stop by and see me.

Plesae feel free to reach out to me anytime.

My direct phone line number is 651 744 1240. My email address is shelly.fountain@spps.org, or just stop by my office which is room 1110.

MENTAL HEALTH AND CRISIS SERVICES:

If you or your child are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact one of the following resources: Suicide and Crisis Line 988 24 hours/7days per week

Crisis text line 741741.

Ramsey County’s mobile crisis team provides stabilization services, de-escalation, crisis intervention, mental health assessments and initial crisis plans.

Under 18 years old Call the Children's Mental Health Crisis Line: 651-266-7878.

Over 18 years old Call the Adult Mental Health Crisis Line: 651-266-7900.

Walk-in crisis services are available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Urgent Care for Adult Mental Health.

Does your student need elective credits? They can sign-up to earn credits for having a part-time job. They should check in with Mr. Iwen, the work experience coordinator located in the counseling office for more information.

See updates on the Gordon Parks High School Title 1 webpage.

The updated Family Engagement Plan (FEP) is available on the school website.

Updates for the Gordon Parks Family-School Compact for Student Achievement are also located on the school website.

Information about the Gordon Parks High School Improvement Plan (SCIP) is also available on the school website.

Translations are available upon request.

ትርጉሞች ሲጠየቁ ይገኛሉ።

tirigumochi sīt’eyek’u yigenyalu.

Kev txhais lus muaj nyob rau ntawm qhov kev thov.

Hiikkaawwan gaaffii irratti ni argamu.

Turjumaada la heli karo marka la codsado

Traducciones disponibles bajo petición.

Website: https://www.spps.org/gordonparks
Location: 1212 University Avenue West, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 6517441212
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GordonParksHS/