Alice Smith Weekly Connections

Dear Alice Smith Families,

SAVE THE DATE!!

If you are a new member to our Alice Smith Family, you are in for a treat! Our Annual Heritage Festival is one of the most memorable events we host each year. 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!

If you would like to volunteer or contribute, 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

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

Don't Forget to Check out:

• Staff Highlight of the Week - Our Phenomenal Custodial Leads (Berhane Ghebremedhin & Wendwesen Kassa)
• Grade Level & Dept Newsletters
• PTO Meeting - This Tuesday here @ Smith 6:00 - 8:00 or Join us Virtually <- Google Meet Link!
• Alice Smith Book Store - Thursday Nov 21st!
• Commitment to Safety & Inclusion: Message from Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed

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!

Thank you to all the families that came both in person & virtually to today's Cafe con Navidad. Next Month's CcN be on Friday November 22nd from 7:00am- 8:00am. If you would like to attend virtually, please use this LINK

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

When you think about the school roles that have the biggest impact in our scholar's daily experience, we often focus on the teachers, or the counselors or even our class peers, but the reality is that our custodial team, which often goes unnoticed, truly has the most impactful role in our whole school community. They have an immeasurable impact on how our kids and staff feel when they come to school each and every morning. Walking down the halls each morning, our pristine floors and clean spaces embrace and welcome each child and adult alike. Entering a freshly cleaned and vacuumed classroom establishes calmness and order. Entering a spotless cafeteria invites you to sit down and enjoy a meal as a school family. Running into the playground with swings and slides that are clean and in working order invites creativity and child's play.

Here at Alice Smith, we are extremely fortunate to have a small but MIGHTY team that takes pride in making sure our school is clean and ready for learning. Mr. Berhane Ghebremedhin (Day Lead Custodian) and Mr. Wendwesen Kassa (Night Lead Custodian) are this Week's Staff Highlight of the Week for the hard work they put in every day and night to make sure our school beautiful each and every day!

Mr. Berhane Ghebremedhin has been with Hopkins for 10 years and has been our Lead Custodian for the last 4 years. Originally from Eritrea in East Africa, Mr. Berhane was responsible for keeping us safe and healthy throughout the pandemic and he continues to make sure our school feels and look like it's brand new!

Mr. Berhane, who is married to another amazing member of our Hopkins custodial team, is the proud dad of a 7 year old girl. Mr. Berhane moved to the United States in 2008 and began sharing his talents and humor while working at Children's Hospital in St Paul. 4 years later, he joined our Hopkins family and has worked his way to becoming a well respected and critical member of our Buildings & Grounds team. Mr. Berhane is a lifelong learner. He is always looking at improving his trade and learning new ways to make our school better. From studying and passing his Boiler's license, to enrolling in school to get his HVAC and other licenses, he is always growing and fine tuning his skills.

When asked what he loves most about working at Alice Smith, his response was simple. "I love Alice Smith and Hopkins because the welcoming working environment and super nice staff... I feel safe and encouraged to continue growing towards my goal of becoming a School Chief Engineer" .

When I asked our scholars what they appreciate most about Mr. Berhane, their answers were filled with appreciation and love for the work he does everyday. A group of 4th grade students said: "Mr. Berhane keeps our classrooms and cafeteria clean even when we make messes big and small. He is really good about keeping everything clean and he is SUPER nice to us. He is always has a smile and he never gets upset when we make messes."

When I asked a group of 5th graders, they shared the same sentiment and appreciation but added: "He is ALWAYS in a good mood. He is always looking at making sure our playground is safe. He just changed all the chains in the tire swing so we don't pinch our fingers...and one day he was taking out the trash and we accidentally kicked the ball on the roof, and he was so kind to get up on the roof and retrieve it for us and came down with a smile and gave it to us"

When I asked staff to share a few things about Mr. Berhane, a different side of him came to light... "I love working with Berhane, he is soo funny and loves to play jokes with me and our nutrition team"

another staff shared "Berhane and I can always joke around specially during difficult days..like when our kitchen serves rice or other fun foods to clean up after." Other members of our staff shared: "He is SO down to earth!. He gets to know you and always finds a way to cheer you up with a joke or a compliment".

Wendwesen Kassa, or Mr. Kassa has been with Hopkins for 18 years, with the last 10 years being at Alice Smith serving as our Night Lead! Kassa, who is originally from Ethiopia, is married and has 3 amazing kids. His oldest is currently is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, and he has an 11 year old and 7 year old at home. When not making our school amazingly clean, you will find him playing soccer and or helping others in his community. Mr. Kassa is a man of few words but takes so much pride in everything he does. He is always very positive and appreciative and is always takes the time to say hi and ask how your day is. When I asked him what he loves about working in Hopkins, he shared his deep appreciation to the staff at our school. "Staff is good. I love them so much. They are very nice and kind. I love my Job because I get the honor to make sure all of our classrooms are clean for our teachers and kids"

One staff even went on to share with our district leads and I the impact that Kassa has on her feeling welcomed and heard in our school..."My name is Sophie Holbrook and I am a 1st grade teacher at Alice Smith Elementary School. I am writing today to share my wonderful experience with Kassa. He is hard-working, consistent, and such a kind person. It is my first year as a classroom teacher and many nights I am at school hours past the last bell rings. Wendwesen, or Mr. Kassa, as most call him at AS, always checks in on me as he cleans, typically making me laugh or smile when I need it most. I feel lucky to have such an amazing engineer. He even cleaned our main carpet in our room over MEA break and it was ready for the first day back, looking brand new (after many spills, crayon markers, and marker doodles)! I asked him about it, and he said he did all of the carpets in the whole hallway- wow! I am happy to have him taking care of our school- he does a fabulous job. I just wanted to make share as he has made a positive impact on my first few months with Hopkins Public Schools."

Mr. Berhane and Mr. Kassa,

THANK YOU for the impact you have on making our school feel and look amazing each and every day and night. You take pride in everything you do and our school is a much better place because of you!

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

12: PTO Meeting 6:00pm - 7:30pm in Media Center

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

15: Ready, Set, Smile Dentistry @ AS

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

Our country is facing a period of significant division, and the recent election has stirred a range of emotions. Although Hopkins Public Schools is nonpartisan, we recognize that the outcome of the election has and will continue to spark instances of racism, homophobia, and sexism in school communities across the nation and state, including here in Hopkins.

We have learned that Black students at one of our middle schools received racist text messages referencing slavery and plantations, coming from an unidentified source. After connecting with the Minnetonka Police, we confirmed that similar incidents have been reported in K-12 and college settings across at least seven other states, including Minnesota. You can read more about these incidents in this article.

Additionally, we are aware of reports in other districts involving misogynistic (e.g., “your body, my choice”), transphobic, and homophobic memes and text messages received by students, although we have not yet received specific reports in our schools.

What we know so far is that a handful of our students reported receiving these messages on their personal devices. In working with our cyber security partner, we can confirm these messages did not involve personal data from Hopkins, nor do we maintain information or records of students’ personal device information.

Let us be clear: messages like these have no place in Hopkins Schools. We are resolute in our commitment to making our schools safe, inclusive environments for all students, staff, and families. Guided by our core values of love, vigilant equity, and authentic inclusivity, we are dedicated to responding firmly–there is absolutely no room for hate. At Hopkins, we believe in respecting and valuing differences. Our commitment to equity and inclusivity is unwavering, as we prepare students for a future that celebrates diverse perspectives and fosters belonging for everyone.

We encourage you to talk with your child(ren) this evening about what they may be feeling, hearing, or seeing on their phones and on social media. If they receive any offensive messages as described above, please encourage them to share it immediately with their teacher, principal, and/or a trusted staff member. Minnetonka and Hopkins Police also encourage individual students and families to make a police report upon receiving hate speech on a personal device.

Thank you for your partnership in supporting a safe and inclusive community for all students, staff and families.

Be well,

Dr. Mhiripiri-Reed, Superintendent
District Holistic Safety Team

Alice Smith is partnering with Ready Set Smile to provide a dental clinic for Alice Smith PK-5th graders on Friday, November 15th AT Alice Smith. Parents/Guardians must complete required paperwork before the Ready Set Smile staff can do a dental check-up and provide you with follow-up information.

Please see the information English Flyer or Spanish Flyer about the clinic as well as the QR codes to register your child(ren) for the clinic at Alice Smith school. Please contact Kristin Lutz-School Counselor for additional information: kristin.lutz@hopkinsschools.org or 952-988-4214

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.

PTO Meeting: November 12

November 12, 6:00-7:30, Media Center

Join us next Tuesday for the November PTO Meeting. We will be discussing upcoming events (Heritage Festival and Parents Night Out) and brainstorming topics and guest speakers for upcoming meeting.

You can also join the meeting virtually!

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

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

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

Maximize fun with your friends at this special Friday night event for all 4th and 5th graders! Unleash your game skills with gym games and competitions. Dance the night away with a DJ and enjoy snacks available for purchase. The middle school swimming pool will also be open for swimming! Parents - this event is supervised by Kids & Company professionals and gives your student a great chance to get introduced to the middle school building.

Friday, November 15

6:30 - 8:30 PM

Hopkins North Middle School

Register Here

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