Columbia Heights Public Schools

Greetings parents and guardians,

You may have seen that a neighboring school district, Fridley Public Schools, was closed yesterday and today due to a threat. The Fridley administration communicated with Columbia Heights Public Schools Administration, along with other school districts, to let us know about the threat. It was made clear that the threat was localized to Fridley and did not impact any school within our district. Our district administration was in communication with the Columbia Heights Police Department to aid us in determining that the Fridley threat was not connected in any way to Columbia Heights Public Schools. This is an example of the strong, collaborative relationships our school district has with local law enforcement and also neighboring districts. The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and families is our top priority.

Please continue to encourage your student to speak up and tell a staff member if they ever hear about any type of dangerous behavior. Thank you for helping us keep our Hylanders safe.

Columbia Heights High School (CHHS) seniors Daniel Abebaw and Carolina Baldovinos Miranda are this year's Academic, Arts and Athletics Award (Triple 'A') nominees!

Each year, high school seniors are selected for their participation in Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) sponsored arts and athletics while maintaining high academic standing. They are eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship and be honored at the Triple 'A' on-court ceremony at the MSHSL Boys' Basketball State Tournament.

CHPS is proud to have these leaders at our high school and we are excited to see what these two students do in the future.

Local Resources will be in attendance, such as:

• Public Safety Departments
• Programs for food and clothes
• Local health programs/resources
• English Classes for Spanish Speaking Adults (ABE)
• And more!

Free Flu Shots and COVID-19 Vaccines will be available for anyone ages 6 months and older.

• Information and sign-ups for future dental appointments will also be available along with other health businesses and resources.

• HACER will be attending the Resource Fair and providing childhood immunizations as well as Covid and Flu immunizations. No appointment required and this is free of cost to families. Please bring your student's immunization record (or a photo of their records) with you. Please reach out to Leueen Saavedra (saavedral@colheights.k12.mn.us) or Keturah Spriggs (spriggsk@colheights.k12.mn.us) with any questions or concerns!

Programs with information include: CHPS Early Childhood, CHPS School Social Workers, and CHPS Community Education, Anoka County Head Start, Youth Programs, Columbia Heights Senior Programs and more.

CHPS is hosting a Well Child Immunization Clinic on February 13th from 2:30-6:30 p.m. in the Family Center (1440 49th Ave. NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421). Enter Door #2.

Well child visits and immunizations will be offered at this clinic by appointment only. You will receive a phone call the week of the clinic to notify you of your appointment time. These visits will be free of charge for our families.

Immunizations offered at this clinic:

• All Well Child Vaccinations
• Influenza (flu)
• COVID-19

Please contact Keturah Spriggs, CHPS District Nurse, with any questions or concerns at 763-528-4580 or spriggsk@colheights.k12.mn.us.

Students will receive a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind the wheel instruction. The classroom portion consists of ten, three-hour classes and the behind-the-wheel portion is three, two-hour private lessons. Pre-registration is required with a $217 down payment payable to CHPS Community Education. Classes offered through Safeway Driving School. The additional $180 is payable to the behind-the-wheel instructor. ($90 on the first lesson and $90 on the second lesson). For more information, contact Safeway at 651.351.9150 or visit safewaydrivingschool.com

Parents/guardians will be required to complete Safeway's Account Verification. Safeway will send out an email before class begins that gives detailed information about how to log in to the student's Safeway account to verify and complete contact information and to review and acknowledge the Service Agreement.

With the upcoming semester switch, CHPS student device insurance enrollment portal has temporarily been reopened. See attached for prorated insurance rates ($22 for grades 1-8, $16 for grades 9-12) and flyers in both English and Spanish. The portal will be open until February 15.

As a reminder, minor damage to the device (for example, keyboard, trackpad, hinges) is $50, and major damage (for example, screen replacement or internal liquid spill damage) is $200.

Families are responsible to cover these fees in the event of damage according to our internet agreement form.

Columbia Heights Public Schools has partnered with MealViewer for our new school breakfast, lunch and after-school snack menus. You can still find the school lunch menus in the same place on our website, but the links are different.

School Menu Webpage on CHPS Website

You can also download the MealViewer App on your phone to see meal options!

• iOS (iPhone) Application Download
• Android Application Download

This update was made to include more detailed information about the meal options and nutrition breakdowns and allergens of each item.

Get ready for Valentines Day with this lovely Lava Cake class! You can make this a date night for $50 (two adults), or come on your own and learn yourself for $30 (one adult), and get to go home with 6-8 lava cakes per person!

CHHS FACS teacher, Autumn Trzaskowski will be walking you through the process of home-making these treats that might seem like a complicated culinary feat, but with her help, you will be able to master these delicious desserts. She will be showing you all of the steps, from making the batter, assembling and baking, and of course adding customizable toppings before you get to package up your goodies (or try them while you're still here) to take home!

This class will be on Wednesday, February 5th from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in the CHHS FACS Classroom!

Starting Saturday, February 1*, CHPS Community Education will be having youth swimming lessons! They will be at the Columbia Heights High School Swimming Pool every Saturday February 1-March 22 (no class Feb. 15 and March 1). All levels are open to students 4 years old and above, as long as they have completed the level prior to the one they are signing up for.

Swimming lessons will cost $60*. Registration is required. Please bring/wear a swimsuit and towel to class. Goggles are optional.

• Level 1 - (Ages 4-6) - For students who have never had swimming lessons: 11:20-11:50 a.m.
• Level 1 - (Ages 7+) For students who have never had swimming lessons: 12:00-12:30 p.m.
• *This class will start on February 8th and have one less class. Class is $50.
• Level 2 - For students comfortable in water and able to do basic swim strokes on front and back: 10:30-11:10 a.m.
• Level 2 - Section 2 - For students comfortable in water and able to do basic swim strokes on front and back: 9:40-10:20 a.m.
• Level 3/4 - This is a combined Level 3 and Level 4 class. Level 3 builds on skills through additional guided practice. Level 4 focuses on increasing endurance and perfecting strokes from Level 3: 8:50-9:30 a.m.

• We’d like to thank all of our officials for their support of our Hylander Activities at Columbia Heights High School and Columbia Academy! Being a Referee or an Umpire is a tough job and we are grateful for all they do!

Come see the CHHS One Act performance at the Tri-Metro Conference One-Act Festival - CHHS performs at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 18th at Fridley High School. Please arrive prior to 8:25 a.m. as no one will be allowed to enter after that time.

Interested in learning more about Synchronized Swimming? We will have two pre-season opportunities on February 4th and 6th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. to try out the spot, open to any 7th-12th grade girls. Bring your swimsuit and meet at the CHHS Pool.

Come out and support our Winter Sports and Activities - Full schedule can be found here

Sports Physical for all Athletics
Every athlete participating in school-year sports must have a physical on file with the Activities Office. Student Athletes cannot register for the upcoming season without a sports physical on file. Sports physicals are valid for three years. 24-25 Sports Physical Form

Community Opportunities:

Basketball for 6th grade girls!

• The Columbia Heights Basketball Association is looking for 6th grade girls interested in playing basketball. Practices on Monday and Wednesday nights through the end of February with the possibility of playing in weekend tournaments.
• Cost is $25. Please email heightscoachtom@aol.com if interested.

Dance with Me: Adult/Child Dance Class for 2-3 years old

• Come along on a dance adventure with your 2-3 year olds as we learn fun dance and play exciting games. This class is all about fun with music, dancing together, rhythm, and building confidence. It is a great opportunity to bond with your child while they learn spatial awareness, confidence, balance, and more. 2-3 year olds accompanied with a parent, caregiver, aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc. Choose a 4- or 6-week session.
• Session I: Every-other Saturday Feb 1, Feb 15, Mar 1, Mar 15 10-10:30am $32 per child. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CHDancewithme
• Session II: Every-other Saturday Jan 25, Feb 8, Feb 22, Mar 8, Mar 22, Apr 5 10-1:30am $48 per child. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CHDancewMe2

Dance: Creative Movement 4-5 years old and 6-7 years old at Murzyn Hall

• 4-5 year olds will explore movement and engage in fun dance games! Dancers will learn basics of ballet and jazz through a balanced mixed of short, structured moments with free-movement time or dance games.
• Session I: Sat Jan 18-Feb 22 10:45-11:30am $36. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CMWinter1
• Session II: Sat Mar 1-Apr 5 10:45-11:30am $36. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CM4-5two
• The 6-7 year old class focus is on basic technique of ballet and jazz while strengthening the muscles, mind, and expression through movement
• Session I: Sat Jan 18-Feb 22 11:45am-12:30pm $36. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CMW6-7
• Session II: Sat Mar 1-Apr 5 11:45am-12:30pm $36. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/CM6-7two

Musical Theatre Dance for 9-15 year-olds

• Take this rip-roaring exploration into dance in musicals that shape the industry! Our first day will cover the basics of what makes Musical Theatre Dance unique in both style and performance. Then, learn routines from Hamilton, Annie, Newsies, and more.
• Every-other Saturday: Jan 25, Feb 8, Feb 22, Mar 8, Mar 22, Apr 5 from 1:15-2:45pm. $36. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/MTwinter25

More information can be found at the CHPS Activities Website or contact the Activities Office at 763-528-4511

The Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia class through CHPS Community Education will take place on Wednesday, January 22nd from 2:00-3:00 p.m. in the CHPS Family Center. This class is hosted by the Alzheimer's Association and is free to all attendees.

Class description:

Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Join us to learn about the impact of Alzheimer’s; the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia; stages and risk factors; current research and treatments available for some symptoms; and Alzheimer’s Association resources.

Call 763-528-4517 if you are not able to register online.

Registration for CHPS PreK 4 for next school year (2025-2026) began on Monday, January 6. For many years the PreK 4 program has used Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten state funding to provide this program for free to all students. The Minnesota Department of Education has a new requirement for next year that students must qualify for the free Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten spots in the program and that the program will be fee-based for non-qualifying students.

Qualifications include:

• Qualifies for free or reduced-priced meals.
• Qualifies using state general financial eligibility requirements listed in MN State Statute.
• Is an English language learner.
• Is an American Indian.
• Has experienced homelessness in the last 24 months.
• Is identified through health and developmental screening with a potential risk factor that may influence learning.
• Is in foster care, kinship care, or is in need of child protection services.
• Has a parent who is a migrant or seasonal agricultural laborer.
• Has a parent who is incarcerated.
• Is defined as at risk by the school district.

Families will indicate if their student meets one of the qualifications when they fill out enrollment material or if they will be enrolling through the fee-based registration. The fee amount will be finalized by the end of January pending Board of Education approval.

For any questions, please contact the CHPS Placement Center at SaavedraL@colheights.k12.mn.us or call 763-528-4426

There are many wonderful activities for students through our CH Rec Dept and Library!

Please go to the CH Recreation website or call their office at 763-706-3730.

Click Here for the Columbia Heights Library Website.

Petite Concert

• Wednesday, January 29th
• 10:30-11:00 a.m.
• Petite Concerts presents experiential musical events designed for young listeners. From newborns to preschoolers, our concerts are informal and interactive. Join us for a fun-filled musical experience and discover our instruments! Children and adults will listen to and respond to classical music together. Registration is recommended, but not required.
• REGISTER here: https://anokacounty.libcal.com/event/13958200

Recreation has many more class offerings to try this winter season, including exciting youth and family trips, improv theater, virtual gaming classes, Martial Arts, Adult exercise, Active Agers activities and more. See our Brochure here: https://tinyurl.com/CHNewsletterRec

Are you looking for a job in education or within a school district? Check out the CHPS job site to find the right fit for you!

Visit the site here!

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Creating worlds of opportunity for each and every learner.

All Belong, All Succeed

• Email: News@colheights.k12.mn.us
• Website: https://www.colheights.k12.mn.us/
• Location: 1440 49th Avenue Northeast, Columbia Heights
• Phone: 763-528-4500
• Instagram: @chpsisd13
• Facebook: facebook.com/chpsisd13