Hidden River Newsletter

SAVE THE DATES - This Week:

Wed., March 5th - FSO Meeting (Renovation Update) 5:30pm in library

Thurs., March 6th - Virtual Spring Conferences from 4:00-7:00pm (sign-ups HERE)

Fri., March 7th - No School (Professional Development)

Next Week (3/10-3/14)

Wed., March 12th - Coffee with the Principal 8:15-9:00am

Fri., March 14th - All School Field Trip

Hello HRMS families!

It feels as if spring is around the corner! And with Mid Quarter 3 conferences coming up on March 6, I have to wonder, where has the school year gone?

A safety reminder for the morning arrival:

• Parents should be dropping students off on Blair Ave NOT Lafond Avenue! It is dangerous for students to be crossing traffic around buses and between buses. It also often blocks our neighbor's alley, preventing them from accessing Lafond Avenue. DROP OFF is on Blair Ave. Thank you.

A few general reminders:

• Please make sure your scholars are only bringing necessary items to be successful at school: charged iPad, binder and lunch (if not eating school lunch!). All other personal items should remain at home - wireless headphones, as an example, are not needed at school.

• Please do not bring in outside food orders(ie fast food orders) for students. They should bring a lunch from home or enjoy the free lunches provided by the school district. No students will be allowed to order "Doordash" or UberEats" nor should students or families be ordering anything for the students to receive.

• Parents/guardians - please make sure you are able to access Schoology and Campus. There is a lot of helpful information on how your scholar is doing in school. If you are unable to do so, our Family Liaison, Ms. Wendy, is in our main office and always willing to help with getting you access to these helpful resources. You can reach her at 651-744-2007 or wendy.caucutt@spps.org.

AND finally, a HUGE thank you to our family participants in the Keep Connected Family Workshops!

Teresa

March 14th, All-School Field Trip: All forms and CASH payments DUE by March 6th. (No School on March 7th)

• ($20) Nickelodeon Universe (Amusement Park Only) No Mall Access
• FULL
• ($30) Urban Air, Indoor Trampoline and Adventure Park

• Please return waiver forms
• ($35) Afton Alps, Skiing & Snowboarding
• Please return all waivers forms

Extra forms and waivers can be picked up in the counseling office. Questions, contact Ms. Woodruff, School Counselor at barbie.woodruff@spps.org

Thank you to the families who have donated additional funds to help support scholarships ensuring that all students will have a chance to participate. We are grateful. THANK YOU!!

MCA Testing Info: Hidden River Middle School students will take the Reading MCA April 15th, Math MCA April 22nd and the Science MCA (8th grade only) April 29th. If you have questions about your student’s participation in statewide assessments, reach out Katie Bannon, testing coordinator at kathryn.bannon@spps.org. Additional information can be found here:

Greetings,

We are aware of the Holy month of Ramadan and want to be able to facilitate an opportunity and a space for prayer for students who would like to do so in a respectful, efficient fashion. Please let us know if you would like to have your student afforded this opportunity during the Holy month of Ramadan. You can call, Mr. Nigatu at 651.793.7377 so we can partner effectively with you and your Hidden River student during Ramadan.

Thank you,

Mr. Nigatu

Fasting At Hidden River

• Any student fasting can go into the Library during lunches (without a lunch pass)

• Staff will refrain from handing out snacks in class during fasting

Prayer Room (auditorium) at Hidden River

• Students observing Ramadan will be asked to write their name on a list in the library for the first few days of the Holy Month. Students on the list will be then given passes to go to the auditorium to pray for their allotted 15 minutes.

• The Prayer days prior to Daylight Savings Time prayer will take place at 12:30pm. Students can make dua and pray shortly after. Students should be done with prayer by 12:45 pm. Students who have Lunch 2 will be least impacted. Students who have Lunches 1 & 3 will miss segments of period 5 due to prayer.

• After March 8th, prayer will begin at 1:25pm. Students will make dua and then head to the auditorium to pray. Students praying will be asked to resume class at 1:40 pm. All students will miss a portion of period 6 during the Ramadan due to prayer.

Dear Families,

HRMS is excited to announce our upcoming Career Fair designed specifically for our 8th graders. This event aims to inform and inspire our students as they prepare to choose classes for high school this spring. We are reaching out to request you consider participating - or encourage interesting people you know to participate. A variety of experiences and insights can greatly inspire our students. We will hold the event on Friday, March 21 from approximately 9 - 11 AM at Hidden River (631 Albert St. N). We have a need for people who work in the trades (plumbing, electricians, etc.)! Please send any interested contacts our way.

Your participation would mean a lot to us and help shape our students' futures!

Best regards,

Thomas Haugen, 8th Grade Social Studies

Ayoub Nigatu, 8th Grade Guidance Counselor

and Wendy Caucutt, Family Liaison

Interested? Contact Wendy at wendy.caucutt@spps.org or 651-744-2007

Family-Staff Organization (FSO) - Please join us for our rescheduled February meeting which will take place on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5 at 5:30 PM in the library. SPPS Facilities will update us on the renovation of 1700 Summit Avenue. We'll hear from the SPPS Facilites team on the project delay and new plans to relocate over winter break. We will also see the amazing progress that has been made so far and get another glimpse into what the finished project will look like. Know a family with a fifth grader that will be attending Hidden River next year - please invite them! All are welcome.

Please take one minute to answer the FEBRUARY FAMILY QUESTION OF THE MONTH: What would help your student do better in school? Click the blue button below!!

A total of 28 history projects were showcased, with 7th and 8th grade students presenting and defending their work in French. We would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to the community members and families who volunteered as judges for a few hours, our former Otters at Central High School who helped set up the auditorium, along with our own students. Thank you to families, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who have supported our students throughout all these weeks. Finally, we would also like to commend our students for their hard work, research efforts, and creativity. 15 projects and 32 students will advance to the regional contest at Johnson High School on March 15, 2025.

This April, our entire 8th grade class will be visiting JA Finance Park with our Foundations classes! JA Finance Park is a unique education program from Junior Achievement designed to help bring our classroom learning to life. This experiential learning simulation combines important elements of personal financial literacy and career awareness. We will be visiting on April 24th and 25th and need volunteers for either day and/or both days. Volunteers must work from 9 am to 1:30 pm and the JA building located on University in St. Paul. For full details and to sign up, please click this link and sign up here!

Reach out to Melissa Hart at melissa.hart@spps.org if you have questions.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16qpqgFJSSpoi8s0ZVZe5vj2vU24ik3Mb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106522501056846473789&rtpof=true&sd=true

***Grade Check Tuesday

Hi Families- Please notify the health office if you send your student to school with any medications INCLUDING over the counter medications and complete the following Parent/Guardian Authorization for the Administration of Over-the-Counter Medication

Over the counter medications can be kept in the health office for student use as needed. Students may be able to self-carry and self-administer. Please review the SPPS policy on SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION.

SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION

• State law permits select medications to be self-carried and administered by the student at school (i.e. insulin, inhaler, pain relievers) with written parent/guardian permission, and in some cases, healthcare provider authorization as well
• If a student requests to self-administer medication, the Licensed School Nurse will assess the student’s ability to administer the medication accurately and appropriately
• Students of any age with demonstrated competency can carry an inhaler (asthma medications), Epi-Pen, or insulin. However, only secondary students, grades 6-12 are allowed to carry over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers (e.g. Tylenol, Advil, and ibuprofen)
• The privilege to self-medicate can be revoked at any time if unsafe use of medication is observed

If you have questions or additional information is needed, please call Nurse Mary at 651-888-7657 or email her at mary.green@spps.org. Thanks 🩺

Keep Connected Family Engagement Partnership with Search Institute and Change Inc.:

As you might be aware, Hidden River has partnered with Search Institute and Change Inc. to offer the Keep Connected program to students and their families this year. Keep Connected offers resources to families, including tips, ideas, activities and learning opportunities to support strong family relationships.

Family Talk Starters - This Week’s Focus: Explore ways family members like to be praised for their efforts and achievements. This is a great way to EXPRESS CARE through family relationships.

When you have a few minutes, ask other family members a question or two. Enjoy the conversation!

• How has your family rallied around a family member to encourage them to finish something really important, but challenging?
• When did your family’s encouragement make a big difference to you?
• When has your encouragement helped a friend who was facing a challenge? What did you do?