VirtualEDU

Greetings VirtualEDU Community,

We hope this message finds you well. As we continue our journey of virtual education, we are excited to strengthen our partnerships with you, the heart of our learning community. In this week’s newsletter introduction our primary goal is to enhance instructional accessibility and transparency while eliminating any barriers to learning and support for our scholars and families.

We'd like to offer a helpful hint for all our caregivers… Please encourage your child to log in to Canvas and show you their Canvas To-Do List and Canvas Assignment Feedback. The Canvas To-Do list will provide you with insights into any assignments your child is currently working on, and the feedback section will display comments from their teachers on submitted work, providing valuable support for their learning journey.

We strongly recommend co-creating with your child a daily or weekly Canvas touchpoint routine to explore Canvas together. Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their routines and support conversations are predictable and familiar. Consistent step-by-step routines not only give children a predictable day but also help them feel in control of their learning environment.

For caregivers, these Canvas touchpoint routines will help you feel confident and 'in the know,' allowing us to meaningfully partner in supporting your child to thrive in our VirtualEDU family. If you need assistance with Canvas, don't hesitate to reach out to your child's Family Pod/Advisory teacher or our Hopkins Technology Help Desk at 952-988-4111 or help@HopkinsSchools.org. We are here to help and support you every step of the way.

Thank you for being an essential part of our educational journey. Together, we can create a seamless and enriching learning experience for our students and community. We look forward to seeing you on Friday for our first VirtualEDU Community Social (details below)!

Warm regards,

Dr. Tiffany Nielsen-Winkelman, Demond Johnson and our VirtualEDU Team

• 11/7: NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day

• 11/10: Community Social (5 - 7pm) - details below

• 11/20: Asynchronous Learning Day (all students online)

• 11/21: Asynchronous Learning Day (all students online)

• 11/22 - 11/24: NO SCHOOL - Fall Break

• 12/7: Asynchronous Day

• 12/8: NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day

• 12/15: In-Person Meet-Up 9:00 am-noon @ Ridgedale Library

• 12/22: Asynchronous Learning Day (all students online)

• 12/25- 01/5: NO SCHOOL - Winter Break

Great news! VEDU has recently been awarded two valuable grants from Hopkins Education Foundation (HEF). A Peaceful Pathway Labyrinth grant that will allow us to build a tranquil garden space for outdoor reflection and mindfulness, and a Functional Fitness grant that will allow us to build a small gym to promote healthy living and physical well-being among our students. We look forward to the positive impact these grants will have on our school community! We greatly appreciate the support we have been given from HEF.

This is a friendly reminder for those who ordered school pictures from our picture day on September 22nd but have not yet collected them. Your child's school pictures will be available for pick-up during our upcoming Community Social event on November 10th!

If you are unable to attend the Community Social, we understand that not everyone can make it. In that case, you can make arrangements to collect the pictures at a more convenient time. Please reach out to us at VirtualEDU@hopkinsschools.org, and we will work with you to schedule a suitable pick-up time.

We look forward to providing you with these cherished memories of your child's school journey. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at VirtualEDU@hopkinsschools.org or 952-988-4050.

Dear VirtualEDU Families,

We are delighted to extend an invitation to you, our esteemed VirtualEDU families, to join us in launching our very own Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). This exciting initiative aims to strengthen our school community and foster meaningful partnerships between parents, teachers, and the school itself.

The VirtualEDU PTO will be a hub for collaboration and a platform for your unique contributions. We invite you to be part of this venture and help shape the direction of our school's engagement with parents, teachers, and students.

Ways You Can Get Involved:

• Founding Member: Become a founding member of the VirtualEDU PTO and help establish the structure, mission, and goals of our organization.

• Event Planning Committee: Contribute your creativity and organizational skills to plan engaging events and fundraisers that will bring our community together.

• Communications Team: Help spread the word and enhance communication within our school community by managing newsletters, social media, and other communications channels.

• Volunteer Coordinator: Coordinate volunteer efforts and match parent talents and availability with school needs for events, activities, and projects.

• Fundraising Champions: Assist in fundraising initiatives to support vital programs and projects within our school.

• Special Projects Team: Work on specific projects or initiatives that align with our school's needs and goals, contributing your expertise and dedication.

We value each family's unique strengths and insights. Please share with us how you envision making a positive impact in our VirtualEDU community. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where our children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Interested? Connect with Carol Tracy (Carol.Tracy@HopkinsSchools.org) and let her know how you'd like to be involved and make a difference.

Thank you for being an essential part of our school community. We look forward to embarking on this exciting journey together!

See what your scholar has been working on in their specialist classes this past week.

Specialists - Week in Review

Counselor Corner

North Star Promise Scholarship Program

Please take a look at this brand new scholarship opportunity being offered to Minnesota residents to see if your child qualifies for free tuition to a Minnesota public university or Tribal college. Please contact Alison Kirscht or Dr. Michelle Kuhl if you have any questions.

North Star Promise Scholarship Program

Minnesota State Month - Application Fees Waived!

October is College Knowledge Month in Minnesota and to celebrate, the colleges and universities of Minnesota State are waiving their application fees for the entire month.

That's what we call Minnesota State Month!

October is a great time for seniors to explore one or more of the 26 colleges and seven universities of Minnesota State and apply for FREE. More information is available at: https://MinnState.edu/MinnStateMonth.

College Planning and Financial Aid Sessions for Scholars and Families

Ready, Set, FAFSA is back! This series of free virtual events runs Tuesday evenings in October. With coming 24-25 FAFSA changes, these sessions will cover the college application process, how to create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID), general financial aid information, and how to search and apply for scholarships. Please review this fact sheet for schools.

• Information for families about registering for the October series is available here. Registration is open!

• All sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Somali, Hmong.

• Scholars who attend a session or watch one of the recordings will be eligible to win a $500 scholarship!

• A second series will launch in January and will include FAFSA and MN Dream Act information.

• These sessions are a collaborative effort between the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota Department of Education, ECMC The College Place and Minnesota Goes to College.

Hopkins Pride Gear: Embracing Authentic Inclusivity

Hopkins Pride Gear is another way for our community to show their Authentic Inclusivity and Love. Order your gear here. It can be sent to your child's building when the items come in! Proceeds support our student LGBTQ+ groups.

Hopkins Southwest League Rec Basketball

Interested in playing Rec Basketball? Southwest is a low pressure/equal play time league that HHS students have participated in for several years.

• Open to Hopkins Students Grades 9-12

• Season runs Jan 7th – March 10th

• Teams from Hopkins play against teams from Minnetonka/Edina/Wayzata

• One practice per week (Saturdays) and one game per week (Sundays)

Please see our home page for more details and Registration Information

https://www.hrbbabasketball.net/page/show/1442736-southwest-league

Middle and High School Basketball PREP

Mondays and/or Wednesdays, October 23 to December 20

7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Located at North Middle School

Click Here for more details.

Restorative and Mindfulness for High Schoolers

Mondays, November 13 to December 4

4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Located at Hopkins High School

Click Here for more details.

Hopkins Ski and Snowboard Club

Fridays, January 12 to February 9

After-school until 10:00 p.m.

Click Here for more details.

2023-2024 District Calendar

Hopkins East VirtualEDU Calendar

Join our community by following, liking, and sharing our social media pages. See for yourself what makes VEDU exceptional!

VirtualEDU Instagram

VirtualEDU Facebook

Email: VirtualEDU@HopkinsSchools.org
Website: https://www.hopkinsschools.org/virtualedu
Location: 5300 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone: 952-988-4050