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From the Principal

May 22, 2026

Good People,

Today is Community Project Day! This means that it was an alternate learning day focused on our International Baccalaureate (IB) framework. Our middle schoolers stepped outside of their traditional class schedules to dive deep into service-learning, global awareness, and community action. Throughout the day, students collaborated on meaningful projects designed to address real-world issues and make a positive impact right here in our local community. We are incredibly proud of the empathy, leadership, and critical thinking our students demonstrated as they put their IB learner values into practice!

Please remember that that there is no school Monday-Wednesday next week May 25-27, 2026 for Holidays and a Staff Professional Development Day. With the long weekend ahead, this is a great time to ask your student to show you their grades and work on any missing work you can see in Infinite Campus.

In Partnership,

Naida Grussing-Neitzel, Ed.S.

Principal

Maria Sanford Middle School

Middle School Athletic Schedule and Location Change for May 22nd and May 23rd

Dear Participants, Coaches, and Families,

We are writing to inform you of some necessary logistical adjustments for the contests scheduled for today and tomorrow.

Due to a recent incident that took place in close proximity to Hobbs Fields, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all participants and attendees, we have made the decision to move all events away from that area.

Please note that all contests will still take place today and tomorrow as scheduled, but they will be held at a new location.

New Location Details:

Venue: South High School
Address: 3131 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Game times and brackets remain the same unless you are contacted directly by your Middle School Athletic Director. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we transition to this new venue. Please allow for a little extra travel time to ensure everyone arrives safely and on time. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility as we work to ensure a safe and successful event for everyone.

Chromebooks & Chromebook collection

After listening to caregivers at the recent Site Council meeting and last weeks' newsletter poll, we feel confident in transitioning to classroom-based Chromebooks. While we are still finalizing some of the logistics, we believe this shift will greatly benefit our community by keeping students focused on daily learning while still providing internet access whenever needed. It is important for caregivers to know that we will ensure that students who need a chromebook at home will have access to one. The students do have access to Google Classroom on personal devices at home or the public library if needed to have extra time to complete projects.

To prepare for this transition, we will collect all student Chromebooks and chargers in a few short weeks. Gathering these devices before summer allows our team to ensure they are fully operational and ready for a smooth start to learning in the fall. Here is the plan:

Friday June 5th - Collect all 8th Chrome books and chargers
Monday June 8th - Collect all 7th Chrome books and chargers
Tuesday June 9th - Collect all 6th Chrome books and chargers

If a student is not going to be here, they should turn it into one of their teachers (ideally turned into their advisory or 6th hour teacher).

Let’s Talk About Energy Drinks 🥤

Lately, we’ve noticed a rise in students bringing energy drinks, like Monster, to school. While they promise a quick burst of energy, these drinks can actually do more harm than good for growing middle schoolers.

Here is why our nursing team recommends skipping the energy drinks:

The Caffeine Crash: A single energy drink can contain as much caffeine as 3 to 4 cups of coffee. This can cause jitters, anxiety, a rapid heart rate, and trouble focusing in class—followed by a massive energy crash.
Sugar Overload: Many of these beverages are packed with sugar, which can lead to headaches and dehydration.
Sleep Disruptions: Consuming high levels of caffeine during the day interferes with deep sleep, leaving students feeling even more exhausted the next morning.

The Best Fuel for School? Water is always the best choice to keep the brain and body hydrated! If your student needs a morning or afternoon boost, we highly recommend a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, or simply ensuring they get a solid 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night.

Thank you for helping us keep our school healthy, focused, and energized the natural way!

Celebrate Heritage!

During the month of May, Minneapolis Public Schools proudly celebrates and recognizes the rich cultural heritage and vital awareness initiatives that shape our community. Throughout the month, we honor Asian American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Minnesota American Indian Month by highlighting the incredible history, diverse cultures, and meaningful contributions of these communities. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, a timely reminder to check in with one another, practice self-care, and prioritize our emotional well-being as we head into the final weeks of the school year. We invite our students and families to join us in learning, reflecting, and celebrating together!

Site Council

This month at Site Council, we had a productive conversation around how to improve communication and train caregivers with the new standard response protocol that we will have in the fall. You can learn more about the standard response protocol at iloveyouguys.org. We will also continue to have standing agenda items for technology and communication at our monthly meetings. Here are some other topics discussed:

➪ Sanford Bell Schedule SY26/27

➪ Advisory: Next Year advisories and WIN will be the same group Monday-Thursday, we will continue student choice Flex Friday for .

➪Technology: We will transition to classroom based chromebooks next year

➪ Fall open house dates and timing: 9/2/26 4:00-7:00pm - this continues to align with Roosevelt so that it doesn't conflict with Elementary Open Houses

➪ Calendar 26-27: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1773169079/mplsk12mnus/ge5clwh0shgydwvthwbs/SYCalendar-English-2026-27.pdf)

➪ Staffing Updates: So far, we have internally hired new Social Studies and EL teachers; we have open our Counseling, 0.4 PE/Health, 0.9 Visual or Media Art and 3 new Behavior Deans

➪ End of Year Celebrations: 6th and 7th grade will go to parks and there is the 8th grade Valley Fair Trip and Promotion

We want to grow site council. The group meets monthly and the purpose of site council is to advise the Principal on school based decisions, school improvement plan and the school budget. Please email Naida if you are interested in serving on this team!

Click here for more information on Site Council (Agenda and Rolling Minutes):

Sanford Site Council 5/19/26 Slides

Sanford Site Council Agendas & Minutes

PTA

Spring Grounds Clean Up

The PTA is hosting a spring clean up event on Saturday, May 23, at 10:00 am. Tasks for the morning are to spread mulch, do some weeding, and pick up garbage that's accumulated over the winter. Meet outside Sanford near the courtyard, on 36th Street, between 41st and 42nd Avenues, at 10:00 am. If you have them, please bring a wheelbarrow, shovel, rake, and gloves. It’s looking like the weather will cooperate, but if not we’ll post a notice on the PTA Facebook page. We hope you can join us!

To contact us or to sign up for our email notifications, please send an email to: sanfordmspta@gmail.com.

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