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From the Principal

October 23, 2026

Good People,

This week at Site Council we discussed our School Improvement Plan. Specifically we discussed our attendance goal which is based on average consistent daily attendance. We have an overall goal for the whole school 71% (improvement from 68% in 2025-2026) and a specialized focus group as an American Indian Pathway school for our American Indian students of 29% (improvement from 26% in 2025-2026). Assistant Principal Miller leads this work at Sanford and is focusing on clear and proactive communication to caregivers, identifying students who need more support then connecting them with the Social Workers and Community Partners. We also have a student led attendance team that is problem solving from the student perspective. Located below in this email is a reminder on how to input absences in parent portal.

Next week during Advisory your student will be completing the Student School Climate Survey. The survey asks "students about their experience in school related to their relationships with peers, relationships with adults, and self-development. The survey is conducted twice annually – once in the fall, and once in the spring – to monitor changes in students’ perceptions of school climate throughout the year. The summarized results of this survey are available to school leaders, school staff, students, and families to review and respond with potential actions." More information can be found at this link: https://www.mpschools.org/departments/equity-school-climate/school-climate-student-survey

In Partnership,

Naida Grussing-Neitzel, Ed.S.

Principal

Maria Sanford Middle School

Attendance

Reporting Absences, Late Arrivals & Early Pick-Ups
All attendance requests must be submitted through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. This includes full-day absences, late arrivals/drop-offs, and early pick-ups.

Steps to Submit an Absence Request:(see screen grabs below for steps 3-9)

Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account (If you need your Parent Portal activation key or assistance accessing your account, please call the Sanford main office).
Click the main menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the left side of the screen.
Select More.
Click on Absence Requests (or look for the Absence Request shortcut in the bottom right corner of the student's dashboard).
Select the student for whom you are submitting the request.
Choose the Excuse reason from the dropdown list (e.g., illness, medical appointment).
Select the Absence Type:
- Full Day Absence: Enter start and end dates.
- Arrive Late: Enter the date and arrival time.
- Leave Early: Enter the date and departure time.
Fill in additional details, attach any required documents (such as a doctor's note), and add comments if necessary.
Click Submit.

Please know that when you submit an absence, our office has to verify the absence prior to it being finalized. This sometimes means that you still get the reminder phone call. Not to worry, it just takes us some time and parent portal is actually saving us significant time over calling us.

Fall Powwow

Come join us for the 2026 Annual Public Hearing and Fall Powwow

All are welcome
Kick of to American Indian Awareness & Family Involvement Week
Student recognition for attendance
Introduction of the 2026-2027 American Indian Parent Advisory Committee
Introduction of the 2026-2027 District wide Ogichidaa Oyate American Indian Youth council
Dinner served at 4:30 PM

from our Athletic Director

Next week online registration for winter athletics at Sanford will open. We offer Boys and Girls Basketball. In order to participate, all basketball players must be registered before attending tryouts. Registration opens October 28th. Find the link on the Sanford website under

Activities + Athletics → Winter Sports

Link Here

from Nutrition Services

Please take a moment to videw Minnesota Thursday video with your school community to celebrate the local farmers and fresh, regional ingredients featured in our MPS meals.

from the South-Roosevelt Nordic Ski Team

The TNT Nordic Ski team (South-Roosevelt) is open to middle schoolers in 7th and 8th grade who will attend one of these two high schools for 9th grade.

Our season begins on Nov 9th and ends in early February. If you are interested, please come to our kick off event.

TNT Nordic Kick Off Night

Who: Caregivers and skiers--new and seasoned athletes!

When: Monday, Nov 2, 7pm

Where: South High School Auditorium

What: Coach and Booster overview of the season, expectations, and get all your questions answered!

If you have any other questions, please reach out to head coach Andy Martinson

Andy.martinson@mpls.k12.mn.us

612-668-8731 (VM and calls)

from the PTA

Sanford Night Out is Thursday, October 29th!

Sanford Night Out is Next Week! The event will be held at Arbeiter Brewing on October 29th from 5p-8p. Join us for a kid free night of craft beer, snacks and a silent auction to support our school. There is a suggested admission donation of $10/person. All are welcome! We hope to see you there!

Permanent School Fund

On the ballot this election, Minnesotans will vote on a constitutional amendment that would change how the Permanent School Fund distributes money to public schools. The change would not raise taxes.

Explore the facts, review the ballot question and understand how the amendment could affect Minnesota’s public schools before voting this election. Please note: Leaving the question blank counts as a “no” vote. To learn more about the permanent school fund, click here to be directed to an info page that MPS has set up.

Grade Level Parties

Sign your student(s) up HERE: bit.ly/SanfordGames2026

6th Grade Party - Friday, November 6; 330-530

7th Grade Party - Friday, November 20; 330-530

8th Grade Party - Friday, January 22; 330-530 - Note the date change due to a conflict with the school musical.

Consider volunteering to help at one or all of the events. You can volunteer on the RSVP form or by emailing sanfordmspta@gmail.com.

Is your student in need of a bicycle?

Please fill out the online form to request a new-to-them bike. While applying does not guarantee a bicycle, Sanford PTA will work with FB4K to match a bicycle to your child. Complete a separate application for each child and submit by Friday, October 30th. We will be in touch in late November/early December with pick-up details.

Our Next Meeting is November 17th

Join us at our next meeting on November 17th from 6:30-8:00p. Note the new time to accommodate Site Council. Enter through the main entrance at Door 12. All are welcome!

PTA Email Communication

Want to know more about what is happening at Sanford? You can sign up for our email communications by sending an email to: sanfordmspta@gmail.com.

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Hennepin County Art Contest

This year’s theme is “Hope Takes Root.” Students are invited to explore what hope looks like to them through people, nature, neighborhoods, culture, family or community and how kindness, compassion, friendship, peace and caring for one another help hope to grow.

The contest is open to students in grades 6–12 who live in or attend school in Hennepin County. Artwork may include painting or drawing, digital illustration, digital art, photography, mixed media, sculpture, or anime/manga. Winning artwork will be honored and exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) in spring 2027.

Submissions will be accepted December 1, 2026 through January 8, 2027, and all submissions can be completed online. Details on the 2027 Hope Takes Root Art Contest - Submissions open December 1