December News at SPMA

Reporting Absences: Use the Attendance Line

If your student is going to be absent from school, please remember to call the Attendance Line to report the absence daily.

• This ensures we accurately track student attendance and know your child is safe at home.

• Attendance Line Phone Number: 651-293-8795 ; Press 1

• DISMISSAL:

  If there is a change in how your child will be going home (ex: being picked up instead of riding the bus, etc.), please call the office before 1:00 PM to inform us. Calling 10 minutes before is not helpful

  • To ensure a smooth and safe dismissal process, we kindly request that all dismissal changes be finalized well in advance. Please be aware that calls placed within 10 minutes of dismissal may be missed, as staff priority shifts entirely to safely loading students onto buses and managing high-traffic areas.

  • We cannot guarantee a change in dismissal after 1:00 PM.

Being prepared for the school day starts with checking the weather!

• Dress in layers is the smartest way to stay warm.

• Always make sure you have a warm coat, a hat, scarf, gloves or mittens, and boots when you leave home for snowy or wet weather.

• If you need assistance with clothing, contact Nirvana Yang at SPMA.

The weather is getting cold and more of us spend time inside, which makes it easier for germs that cause colds and the flu to spread. The best way to stay healthy is through prevention!

• Wash Your Hands Well: Use soap and water for a full 20 seconds. This is especially important after coughing, sneezing, before eating, and after using the bathroom.

• Cover Up When You Sneeze or Cough: Use a tissue. If you don't have one, cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper sleeve—never into your hands.

• Keep Hands Off Your Face: Germs can easily enter your body through your eyes, nose, and mouth. Remind your student not to touch their face!

• Know When to Stay Home: Students must stay home from school if they have a fever of 100.4F (38 C) or higher, are throwing up, or have diarrhea. They should be fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine before they return.

Smoke alarms are the fastest way to warn your family if a fire starts, giving everyone time to escape safely. Making sure this life-saving device is always working. Follow these four steps to keep your family protected:

• Test Monthly: Press the test button on every alarm once a month to ensure it works.

• Change Batteries Yearly: Replace the batteries at least once a year. If the alarm makes a quick "chirp," change the battery right away.

• Replace Alarm Every 10 Years: Smoke alarms don't last forever. Check the date on the back and replace the entire unit if it is older than 10 years.

December is when we start our annual bullying prevention lessons in all classrooms. Talk with your students about the difference between someone bullying, and someone being mean. NEITHER are ok.

Ask your student– how can you be an UPstander at school?

Click here for more information!

If you are afraid your student is being bullied at school, reach out to their teacher or Ms. LaQua/Mrs. McClure.

Pre-k students have been working on letters and talking about changes all around us. We have observed the changing of trees and the seasons and also talked about how we change and how they have grown so much just since they were babies. We had a chance to meet with many families during conferences and we loved talking about how awesome our students are! Students talked about the word “Thankful” and what that means and the things we are thankful for. Ms. Sparks' class celebrated being thankful with a feast in the classroom. We will continue to talk about changes and how the weather change affects what we wear. It is important that they have warm winter clothes to play in the snow. We go outside each day. Looking ahead this month we will also spend time reading different versions of the Gingerbread man and have so many fun activities planned!

In KINDERGARTEN we are THANKFUL for SO MANY things…

We are THANKFUL for our FRIENDS that we learn and play with-

We are THANKFUL for SMILES because they make us feel happy and good-

We are THANKFUL for our PLAYGROUND because it’s fun to run around and play-

We are THANKFUL for FOOD because it tastes yummy and gives us ENERGY to learn-

WE are THANKFUL for BOOKS because we love hearing stories and learning new things-

We are thankful for MUSIC because it makes us feel CALM and HAPPY and like we want to DANCE-

We are THANKFUL for our HANDS so we can CREATE and WRITE and do MATH-

We are THANKFUL for our PETS because we LOVE our pets-

We are THANKFUL for our TEACHERS because they are fun and funny and they help us-

We are THANKFUL for our EARS so we can hear kind words and know what to do-

We are THANKFUL for our SCHOOL because SPMA is the BEST SCHOOL in the world-

We are THANKFUL for our FAMILIES because they are PROUD of how hard we work in school and how much we are LEARNING!!

Students have been working on digraphs in Phonics, two letters that make one sound. For writing and reading we have been looking at the differences between Fiction and Nonfiction. Students have been showing growth in math in their daily addition practice and now working on subtraction strategies. Please make sure that students are wearing winter weather items now that it is getting colder. Layers are a good idea!

Second graders had the chance to attend a field trip to Creative Arts Secondary High School. We were able to see literature come to life by watching the high school students perform the play Edward Tulane, based on the book of the same name. In the classroom we have been working hard on our own literacy. We have focused on ‘magic E’ words in phonics and expressing our opinions in writing. In math we have been spending time ensuring a solid understanding of place value so we can begin working on addition and subtraction.

Third graders had the opportunity to attend a field trip to Belwin Nature Conservatory. They learned about forest and prairie animals and explored evidence that suggested a certain animal had been present. Students in third grade also started writing paragraphs and showed their skills in this area by writing both an opinion and informational paragraph. All third graders are encouraged to continue practicing their basic multiplication facts as we head into the winter months.

Fourth graders have had a busy November. Beyond their usual efforts to process and create text as well as crunch numbers, they’ve also been occupied with all sorts of other adventures. Early in the month fourth graders took in a wonderful concert given by the Minnesota Orchestra at their hall in downtown Minneapolis. More recently the Family Tree Clinic visited classrooms to teach about puberty and the physical and mental changes therein. The DNR also stopped in to launch their yearlong Bird by Bird program. Last week fourth graders had the good fortune to attend an outstanding production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane put on by a talented cast at SPPS’s Creative Arts Secondary School.

Most students just finished a unit on the 7 elements of art, with an emphasis on line, texture and shape. 5th grade completed their unit on the Indigenous Cultural Regions of North America. 4th grade studied Native American Animal art and made their own animal design. For the month of December, we will be learning about various winter celebrations around the world. This year we will focus on Diwali, Yalda Night and Chinese New Year. We will do an art project for each of these holidays.

Dear families,

As this year comes to a close, so does my time as a long term music substitute. It has been such a joy to be the music teacher for your kids this year! During our final rotation, we will continue learning on the xylophone and exploring musical jams with our wonderful instrument collection. We have had and will continue to welcome special musical guests to teach our kids about beat-boxing, perform on the cello, play piano, and sing for us. Thank you for the opportunity to be your music teacher!

Mx. Forest

Our 4th/5th Grade Winter Concert is coming up VERY soon! Come check out what we’ve been working on Tuesday, December 9th at 9 AM in the SPMA gym. You’ll see performances by the SPMA Band and Orchestra, and they’ll be showing off their skills with the band’s First Five notes, and the orchestra’s Awesome Octave. We look forward to seeing you there!

We just finished up football with grades 3-5, and ball skills for PreK - 2nd grade! Proud of our students for challenging themselves to participate and find a way to enjoy football. Our next units are going to be basketball and playing with manipulatives and equipments (Scoops, paddles, hula hoops, etc).

Most grade levels are nearing the end of their first science units. That means they have all had several hands-on activities to help them connect the concepts to their learning. In kindergarten students have been playing games with pictures to help them understand how to work together in a team, as well as what animals need. First graders designed and created their own seeds to show their understanding of seed features that blow in the wind. Second grade was able to use clay to build landforms that show the movement of water from mountains to lakes and rivers. Third grade worked with magnets to learn about magnetism. Fourth graders built their own cars to make connections about energy and the transfer of energy. Finally, fifth grade made lava lamps to investigate changing properties of substances. At the end of each unit students will take a paper assessment so we can understand where their learning is at with these concepts. I have asked them to bring these home to show you their results.

ELL teachers are busy making language comprehensible for opinion and narrative writing. We are in the swing of meeting with small groups teaching speaking, listening, reading, and writing to help all our students become more proficient with language. We loved meeting families at parent-teacher conferences where we were able to talk about social and academic growth and areas for improvement. Thanks to all our families for meeting with us!

Here are some goals students are setting in 2nd and 3rd grade! We are already seeing students blast off to a great school year!