April News at SPMA

Summer Learning for 2026 is here!

Whether your student enjoys art, STEM, languages and culture, outdoor activities, or a little bit of everything, we have a wide variety of programs for students who are currently in grades K-8. Students in all programs will learn new and strengthen current academic skills and prepare for the upcoming school year through active, fun and hands-on activities.

• All programs are FREE!

• Breakfast and lunch are provided

• Transportation is available

• Programs are Monday through Friday, June 23-July 24 - unless otherwise noted

Registration Opened March 12

Select ONE of the following ways to register:

• Pick up a form in the SPMA main office

• Register online at spps.org/summer.

• Download, complete, and submit completed form by U.S. Mail to: Summer Registration, Student Placement Center, 2102 University Ave. West, Saint Paul, MN 55114.

• Download, complete, and email form to spc@spps.org.

Visit spps.org/summer to review program information and register. Registration closes June 1st.

Questions? Contact the Department of Alternative Education at 651-767-8020

Please remember– if your student will be absent from school you MUST call our attendance line EVERY day they are to be gone. SPMA Attendance Line- (651) 744-2168

Spring is here, but that doesn’t mean illnesses have stopped.

Currently, we are seeing many children with Flu symptoms: cough, high fever (101 F), runny nose, sore throat and nasal congestion. We had Flu A in the fall and now we are seeing Flu B and gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and nausea) circulating in our community and school. Please keep your children at home if they are sick with fever 100 F or higher, or if they are vomiting or having diarrhea. We need everyone to do their part to prevent the spread of the infection to other children and staff at school.

Also seasonal allergies have started up. If your child has sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, nasal congestion– they may have allergies. Please talk to your doctor.

Allergy prevention includes:

• closing windows on windy days

• wearing a face mask

• showering every night

• washing clothes to remove pollen

• washing your face and hands and blowing your nose after being outside

• taking allergy medication daily

• using an air purifier in your bedroom at night

Children’s Dental Clinic will be coming to SPMA on April 13th and seeing students/families who need dental care. If your child or family does not have a dentist, please reach out to me and we can help your family. Office number: 651-888-7663

In Pre-K, we started learning about being creators in our new unit, Creating and Constructing in Our World. We will focus on the diverse ways students create and build, emphasizing self-expression within a cultural context through creations like building, art, music, writing, dance, and culinary arts. These varied forms of creative expression access multiple learning styles (visual, spatial, linguistic, musical, bodily-kinesthetic). Our hope is that our students will learn that creation enriches life, that they too are creators, and their creation can impact the community.

Our themes are:

• I can be creative in many ways.

• I can use my imagination to be creative.

• I can create by building.

• I can be an artist and create things.

The Kinders have been working hard EVERY day—and having LOTS of fun while learning! 😊

WE HAVE BEEN:

• Blending sounds to read AND write 2, 3, and 4 letter words 🔤

• Reading and writing our Kindergarten sight words ⭐

• Using our sound knowledge to write simple sentences and draw matching pictures 📝🎨

• Practicing different ways to show numbers AND practicing addition and subtraction ➕➖

WE HAVE ALSO BEEN:

• Showing kindness 💛

• Working together as a team 🤝

• Solving problems like superstars 🌟

AND WE SAID…

• “GOODBYE Winter ❄️” and “HELLO Spring!! 🌷🌞”

We are SO proud of our amazing Kindergarten learners! 💫

First grade is continuing to work hard on our addition and subtraction facts. Please practice math facts with your students when possible. We are also really focusing on sounding out and breaking up words for both reading and writing. Each week we look at a spelling pattern and heart words (words that don’t sound like how they are spelled). When you are not able to read with or to your student, you could also ask them to read to you!

Friendly reminder that Ms. Dickerman, Ms. Harrington and Ms. Ruby will have our next APTT meeting on April 30th. There are no spring conferences for these teachers.

Ms. Reed will meet families for conferences at the regular time.

Spring is a busy time in second grade. As a friendly reminder, we have parent/teacher conferences the first week of April and we are looking forward to meeting with each of you.

Additionally, we are looking forward to our Como Zoo field trip, also at the very beginning of April. In addition to enjoying the many different animal exhibits at the zoo we will be attending a class taught by the Como Zoo staff. The class will focus on using our 5 senses to describe new and different objects, specifically focusing on plants. We will use the class as a launching point for our next non-fiction writing unit.

In phonics we have spent a great deal of time learning about vowel teams. Learning the many different spelling patterns that exist and the associated sounds they each make. We have also continued to work hard on our addition and subtraction facts in math. We are focusing on solving simple addition facts using mental addition.

Third graders were very happy to all be back in their original classrooms and settle back into their routines at the beginning of March! Students in third grade had the opportunity to attend a field trip to the Ordway last month to see “Bill Bragg and the Science of Magic” where they learned a few behind the scenes examples of how magic tricks work! Third graders were also busy during the month of March beginning to write poems. Students have already learned and written a few different types of poems and learned about the fun literary elements that make up many of the poems they will write and read. As students head into the month of April, they will be creating a poem poster that will showcase all the poems they write. The third grade teachers hope all families and students enjoy their spring break and come back ready to continue learning and being hard workers to finish off the school year!

All three Grade Four learning communities were thrilled to get everybody back in person in the beginning of March. After a week or two of joyful reunions, we’ve settled back into our regular rituals and routines. All 4th Grade mathematicians have been busy learning about fraction operations and most have been researching a particular National Park as part of a project that ends with an exhibition of all 63 National Parks on April 2nd. March will end with a field trip to the Ordway to experience the spectacular Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

We have had an exciting month of painting; which culminated with 17 of our students having their work showcased at the Arts Alive event on April 1. We have some very talented students!

This month we will be focusing on Earth Day, Community and Poetry Houses.

Band and Orchestra students are wrapping up their Lunchtime Concerts this week! Students have had a lot of fun playing songs in small groups for their peers.

Students are shifting their focus towards the end of the year as the first ever SPMA Fine Arts Night is coming up May 14th at 5 PM. The concert will feature all instrumental ensembles in Grades 3-5 and also serve as a fundraiser for the Instrumental Music program here at SPMA.

We hope to see you there for an awesome night of celebrating the arts here at SPMA!

In April we are looking forward to finishing our units that our friends missed during our small absence! In addition, PreK, Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade will learn new activities. Meanwhile, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will focus on Team games and working together in a variety of challenges.

Hello from the science department! We have been busy finishing up unit 2 or starting unit 3. PreK has studied how animals survive in winter and how can you tell if a bug is an insect. Kindergarten finished a unit on force and movement and became marble run engineers (see the picture). First grade is learning about animals: how they communicate, defend themselves and comparing babies to parent animals. Second grade is learning about habitats and how animals and plants work together. Third grade is starting a unit on light and shadows. Fourth grade is still working on energy transfers and has been building circuits and wind turbines. Finally, fifth graders are learning about how plants and animals make matter, food chains, and food webs.

The English language testing period of ACCESS was completed at the end of March. They celebrated the end of their testing season with sprinkle doughnuts and games. ELL students in Grades 2 and 3 continue to work on academic language in writing using sequence words for How to Do Laundry, How to Make a Sandwich, and How to Make Lemonade to name a few topics. On April 2, for Rainbow Day, students may dress in their grade level color for school spirit day. Happy spring!