Daily Health Screening Expectations for Families
Families should conduct a health screening for COVID-19 symptoms every morning before sending their student to school or the bus stop. School staff will also monitor for symptoms throughout the school day.
Do not send your child to school if they are exhibiting any of these symptoms: chills, sore throat, headache, fatigue, nausea, muscle pain, vomiting or diarrhea, new runny nose or congestion, new or worsening cough, difficulty breathing, or loss of taste or smell. Please report the absence and submit a report to the COVID-19 Reporting System as soon as possible (link below).
Covid-19 Safe Learning Plan | Family and Student Guidelines
SPPS Mask Requirement
SPPS requires face masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors (ages 2 and older) in all SPPS buildings, regardless of a person’s vaccine status, unless they have a qualifying exemption.
This will include indoor physical education classes and during meal times when not eating or drinking. Masks are also required on school buses. In general, people do not need to wear masks outdoors for activities like recess.
Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own clean, well-fitting masks to school each day, including extras. Disposable masks are available at school and on buses for students who forget theirs.
If you have not already done so, please get vaccinated and encourage all who are eligible to do the same. You can find vaccine resources at spps.org/covidvaccine
Area COVID testing resources: https://mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/index.jsp
DROP-OFF PROCEDURE:
- Parents/guardians drop off students on Concordia Avenue, no earlier than 9:30am.
- Please follow the procedure of cars lining up.
- Please wait your turn and do not cut in front of other cars already in line.
- When you get close to the front of the line, pull up as far as you can to Mackubin Avenue.
- Avoid stopping at the stairs.
- Students get out on the right side (curbside).
- Parents/guardians stay in the car; there will be staff to assist if needed.
- Once your student is out of the car, please safely pull out of the line.
- Students will proceed to enter into the blue doors.
- Students who walk to school will also enter through the blue Capitol Hill doors.
Parent Pickup Procedure:
THANK YOU for sticking with us as we continue to revise our pickup procedures! Parent pick-up time has improved dramatically, and within one week of implementing an improved plan, pickup was complete for all families within 15 minutes of the final 4:15 dismissal bell! Here's how pickup works now:
Students will be grouped inside by last name and we will have three lines outside instead of two. Information regarding which line you will go to is below:
- Parents/Guardians of students with last names starting with A – G will be located between the far MLK driveway and the corner of Mackubin & Marshall
- Parents/Guardians of students with last names starting with H – O will be between the MLK driveways
- Parents/Guardians of students with last names starting with P – Z will be between the MLK driveway and the Green Doors
We will have three staff members outside calling student names on the radios; one staff member per line. Each line will have a sign at the beginning and end of the line telling you which section of the alphabet is being called. If you find yourself in the incorrect line, you may go to the correct line, or a Capitol Hill staff member will ask you to go to the correct line.
Other helpful information:
- If your child doesn’t come out the first time after being called, we appreciate your patience in waiting for a staff member to circle back and call for your child again
- Middle school students will continue to exit the Green Doors on Mackubin
- Middle school students cannot pick up their younger siblings without a parent/guardian present
- Parents/Guardians should not come up to the building to pick up their student(s)
Please see the picture below for a visual of the plan:
Building Visitor Policy
Parents should not enter Capitol Hill during morning drop-off. Your child will be greeted as they enter the Blue doors and make their way through the lobby to breakfast and class. There's staff inside should they need help.
With an appointment, parents may enter the building to meet with specific staff.
Use this link to register for an appointment: t.ly/QEwM.
On the day of the appointment, enter Capitol Hill through the Blue doors
Sign-in in the Main Office
Wear a mask at all times
Stay with teacher(s)/staff in meeting space only and practice social distancing
When done, sign out in the main office and exit the building through the Blue doors
** If you are sick or having symptoms, please cancel your appointment and reschedule. Do not come to the school. **
** At this time we are not having any volunteers at Capitol Hill. **
Coming in October: Freedom School Express (FSX) Learning Academy Extended Day Learning & FSX Leadership Academy
STUDENT DRESS CODE information
Student Dress
Rights/Opportunities
Students have the right to choose their manner of dress and personal grooming unless it presents a clear danger to the student’s health or safety, causes an interference with schoolwork, or creates classroom or school disorder.
Responsibilities
Students are responsible for wearing clothes that are appropriate for school. To maintain a safe learning environment, student dress cannot be a health and/or safety hazard, obscene, sexually explicit, or discriminatory. Clothing that displays words or images that communicate a message that is racist, sexist, or otherwise derogatory is not permitted. Clothing that displays references to alcohol, chemicals, tobacco, or other products that are illegal for use by minors is not permitted.
Students are responsible for abiding by the school principal’s mandated minimum standards of cleanliness and neatness.
SPPS Student Dress Code Policy, Section 503.03:
The principal or the principal’s designee shall mandate minimum standards of cleanliness and neatness.
Footwear is required.
There shall be no other restrictions, except as previously stated, on any student’s hair style or manner of dress unless the hair style or manner of dress presents a clear and present danger to the student’s health and safety, causes an interference with work or creates classroom or school disorder.
Please read the full Capitol Hill Dress Policy at this link.
Middle School Planners are in!
Middle School Planners- Payment
Middle School Families- Please click on the following link pay for your child's planner. Each planner is $5.00. You may choose to donate more if you'd like.
Volunteer Background Check Donations
Planning to chaperone a Field Trip? Background checks are required! Please contact your child's teacher or the main office for the Background Check form!
Please click on the following link to cover/donate the cost of processing volunteer background checks. The suggested amount to cover is $15. You many choose to donate more if you'd like.
Middle School FALL SPORTS are underway!
Grade 6-8 Fall Offerings:
Boys Soccer - Girls Soccer - Co-Ed Flag Football - Girls Volleyball
Note: New Practice TIME this year: Monday - Friday, 4:15 – 6:15pm
Boys Soccer will begin on Monday October 4
Students are required to complete 2 forms prior to be eligible to participate:
- Sports physical (good for 3 years) https://drive.google.com/file/d/14hFWR0kDRU6j467TgMkQOPJGj7_0FwSh/view
- Middle School athletics registration form https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q5CWejaOqGDKHxGzPJlimYKv1mHASPCJ8hYu_qCOyws/edit
October Support Staff Newsletter!
Please welcome our new Academic Support and Enrichment Team to Capitol Hill!
Mr. David Everett and Ms. Holly Magner are excited to be joining the Capitol Hill Elementary Community this year as the Academic Support and Enrichment Teachers for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. They will be working with students to create engaging enrichment opportunities that tie directly into what scholars are learning in their core subjects.
Mr. Everett was the Elementary Arts Specialist here for the 2nd half of last year. Before that, he was a middle and high school special ed teacher, an art teacher, and Dean of Students in the Duluth area.
Ms. Magner comes to us from Four Seasons A+ Elementary where she was a science specialist for 8 years. She is passionate about using science and the arts to engage all students in learning.
PTO Hub:
Stay connected to the Capitol Hill parent community through the PTO Hub. Register here to access the optional directory and receive information on grade level events.
Already registered? Please sign in and update your child’s teacher information for this year.
Volunteer Opportunity - Website Refresh!
Improve access to Capitol Hill PTO info by volunteering to help with a PTO website refresh. Please contact kellee.jaglo@jamf.com if you are interested.
Donate to the PTO:
Did you know that first graders explore phenology at the Minnesota Arboretum on a PTO funded field trip? Donate to the Capitol Hill PTO now to support exciting field trips for all students and fulfill other school needs.
Donations can be made via cash/check to the office, at GiveMN or PayPal (treasurer.capitolhill@gmail.com). Any amount helps. $100/family is suggested.
Elementary Band & Orchestra Update
Questions?
Orchestra - Mr. Middleton john.middeton@spps.org.
Band - Mr. Fulton jeff.fulton@spps.org.
Middle School Math Team Practice has Begun!
Middle School Students: Do you enjoy solving challenging problems in a fun and inclusive environment? Come join the Math Team!
Middle School Math Team practice started Monday, September 20th. The team will meet from 8:30-9:30 AM on Mondays in Mr. Warner's room (2309) except for the days we participate in meets with other schools. Ring the doorbell at the Blue doors when you arrive for practice. Please arrive as close to 8:30 as possible.
Meets will take place starting at 4PM on 10/4, 10/25, 11/15, 12/6 and 1/24 at various locations. Please feel free to email Mr. Warner with any questions.
School MEALS PROCEDURE
Breakfast and lunch will be free for all students for the 2021-22 school year.
Breakfast to Go will continue, with pre-packaged meals to be eaten in the classroom.
Elementary and Middle School lunch will be served in the cafeteria, blue atrium and classrooms. Classes in the cafeteria will be 6ft from other classes.
Assigned seating is required.
Students and staff are required to wear masks when they are not eating or drinking.
Lunch will be served in traditional lunch trays and reusable containers with lids when traveling.
Table decals will mark designated seating locations in cafeterias.
Staff will monitor safety protocols throughout the lunch period, including lining up and dismissal.
Curbside Meals for Students in COVID Quarantine or Isolation
Families can register for weekly curbside meal box pickup if a student must miss in-person instruction due to COVID quarantine or isolation.
Families register through the NS website
Meal boxes will include five breakfasts and five lunches
Meal boxes will be issued via contact-free pickup
Pickup will take place each Friday at the District EOS building at 1930 Como Avenue
Hours of operation will be 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Students do not have to be present for guardian pickup
Have you completed the iUpdate yet?
Go to https://www.spps.org/onestop complete the iUpdate for your SPPS student(s) if you've not done so already.
Capitol Hill OFFICE NOTES
Office Hours: 8:30 - 4:30
Morning Drop-off Time
We want to ensure each child is safe when arriving for school. Staff supervision begins at 9:30am. Please do not drop off your child any earlier than 9:30
Attendance/late arrivals:
Please make sure to always report your child's absences. You can do this in two ways:
- Dial the attendance line directly at 651-325-2599 -OR-
- Email us at capitolhill.attendance@spps.org.
Please include your child's name, grade, the reason for their absence, your relationship to the child, and a return phone number that you can be reached at if we should have questions.
Health Related Absences: If your child is ill, please expect a follow up call from our nurse or nurse designee during these unique times. Please see current health considerations here.
Calling Your Child
When calling the school to speak to your child, the office staff will deliver your message to have your child call you back. Teachers are teaching during the day and we are trying our best to lessen the interruptions during instructional time. Thanks for understanding.
Dismissal
Please call the Capitol Hill office at 651-325-2500 if you are picking up your child early or letting your child go home any other way than their normal route.
***Please make sure to call the office no later than 3:00 pm if you have to make changes.***
***If you call later than 3:00, we cannot guarantee that your child will get the message.***
