Hidden River Newsletter
September 7th - 11th , 2026
This Week:
Mon., Sept. 7th - No School (Labor Day)
Tues., Sept. 8th - First Day of School (A Day - Modified schedule)
Wed., Sept. 9th - (B Day - Modified schedule)
Thurs., Sept. 10th - (A Day - Regular schedule)
Fri., Sept. 11th - (B Day - Regular schedule)
Next Week (9/14-9/18)
Mon., Sept. 14th - Fall Sports Start (Athletes MUST have all forms in and a ride home to stay for practice)
Wed., Sept. 16th - Coffee with the Principal 8:15-9:00am
**Picture Day: Thursday, Sept. 24th
First day of school checklist:
- School starts at 8:30am, doors open at 7:45am
- Bring your school, supplies, binder, backpack, iPad
- New students will get iPad as the week goes on.
- Know how you are getting to school. School bus information was emailed out last week. Transportation phone number - 651-696-9600. Please be patient with buses the first few weeks.
- Student drop off and pickup is on Cambridge Ave, the East side of the building
- All students will start in their Foundations class, students can view their schedules in Student Campus HERE. If your student doesn't know their Foundations teacher staff will be in the hallways to help direct students.
- All students will get a paper copy of their schedule during Foundations.
First week of school schedule:
September 8th:
- AM – students in foundations class & Lunch
- PM – students will rotate through their “A” day classes and end the day in Foundations
September 9th:
- AM – students in foundations class & Lunch
- PM – students will rotate through their “B” day classes and end the day in Foundations
September 10th: Students will experience a regular “A” day
September 11th: Students will experience a regular “B” day
Parent/Guardian Drop-off & Pick-up
Both drop-off and pick-up are located on Cambridge Street. Please only use Cambridge St as it is the safest way for students to access pick-up/drop-off without crossing into traffic. We have significantly more families picking up students than available waiting spots. To help reduce traffic congestion, please follow these guidelines:
Do not block the frontage road intersection, as buses must use this exit.
Avoid blocking traffic on Summit Avenue.
Enter Cambridge Street by taking a right turn off Summit Avenue.
Approach heading East on Summit (moving from Fairview Avenue toward Snelling Avenue).
Do not approach from the East to cross Summit Avenue when turning onto Cambridge Street.
If traffic is backed up, please pull onto the shoulder so through-traffic can pass safely.
When reaching Grand Avenue, turning right improves the overall traffic flow. Please consider this option even if you usually travel East.
With construction going on right now, traffic will be even more congested.
Staff members wait with students at Door 19. If you are unable to arrive exactly at 3:00 p.m., rest assured that your student will be supervised; staggered arrivals also help ease congestion on Cambridge Street and Summit Avenue.
Buses
Please be patient with buses the first few weeks of school. Versatrans My Stop will provide you with the most accurate bus information, additional bussing information can be found at 651-696-9600. At arrival, all buses drop off on the Summit Ave frontage road and all students enter Door 1. At dismissal, buses are out Door 1 and students need to read the bus sign to find their bus. Talk with your student what bus they ride and how they will be getting to and from school. The Bus Status app reports buses greater than 10 minutes late and displays up-to-date bus information for SPPS families and students.
Notice: Download the Versatrans My Stop app to your mobile phone in the Apple Store or Google Play. Watch the Transportation Video Tutorial to learn how to look up your student's transportation/bus information, including how parents and guardians can find their My Stop account username and password in Campus Parent
Bikers & Walkers
Bike racks are located near the Cambridge St parking lot. We ask all bikes are stored on racks during the school day. Bikes are to enter and exit school using Cambridge St or Grand Ave so they do not cross into the bus lane. Walkers and biker please use crosswalks located around school to safely arrive.
Girls on the Run is coming to Hidden River! Heart and Sole, Girls on the Run's middle school program, is designed to help girls strengthen their mind, body, and spirit. Through interactive lessons, team discussions, and physical activity, we'll build confidence, critical thinking, and inner strength. The fall 2026 team will be coached by Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Laura, and Coach Ann, a member of the St. Thomas Cross Country team!
Where: Hidden River Middle School
Season Dates: September 8 – November 8 (Celebratory 5K @ the State Fairgrounds!)
Weekly Practice: Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:15 – 4:45 p.m.
Registration: Opened August 1 at gotrmn.org/programs (or scan the QR code on the flyer)
Cost: Pay-what-you-can! Financial assistance is automatic and confidential so cost is never a barrier. Girls on the Run also helps provides personal items like running shoes and sports hijabs upon request.
**This is separate from our regular after school athletics program.
For more info, visit https://www.gotrmn.org/6th-8th-grade-program-details or email Program@gotrmn.org. You can also email maggie.schwartz@spps.org with questions.
Saint Paul Public Schools is responding to family and staff feedback about screen time, social-emotional effects of technology, and the continued need for hands-on learning. There are many new and continuing technology safeguards in place for students in the 2026-27 school year. More information is available at spps.org/digital-support.
Here is a list of ways we are keeping our secondary students safe and engaged.
Secondary access to YouTube access will be reviewed later this fall in collaboration with teachers and administrators.
Students carry iPads from class to class and bring home to do homework.
Google Gemini and other Artificial Intelligence is disabled in grades 6-8.
Digital Citizenship is a requirement for Saint Paul Public Schools. All students PreK-12 complete Digital Citizenship, Online Safety / Privacy, Online Behavior and Cyberbullying lessons in class each fall. Teachers review lessons with students periodically throughout the year.
Additional student iPad security and restrictions are being enabled to keep students safe and focused. Among these changes:
No mass e-mailing. There is a 35 recipient maximum for emails on student Gmail accounts.
Students are unable to sign into their personal Google Account.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Google search results have been limited and reduced from student access.
What you can do at home:
Families can use the free Securly app to manage your student's school iPad when it is at home. You can pause internet access, block specific websites or schedule offline time. In the Securly app, enter your Campus Parent email then tap “get instant access” to set up your account.
Families can also use iPad “Screentime Reports” (inside the Settings App) for similar controls and usage information.
Hidden River will be rolling out the following presentation (iPad/Binder expectations) during the first week with students about iPads/binder. Feel free to review these new expectations with your students at home. Back to School Family Resources will be available at our Open House.
