Hall Star Shine Weekly

There will be no school for students on Tuesday, November 4th, for a teacher record keeping day. School year calendars and observance calendars can be found on the MPS website.

mpschools.org/calendars

When school is not in session, children can eat free meals and snacks at many community sites, including Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Hennepin County Library locations. Please visit the MPS Culinary & Wellness Services community sites webpage for details about no-cost meals.

mpschools.org/community-sites

Picture Day is coming on Thursday, November 6th!

You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVTX6FC7H.

Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!

Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day.

Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com .

Parent Helpers Wanted

Help us make the Picture Day smooth and effortless.

Please contact Sarah Wicklund, Family & Community Liaison, if you'd like to volunteer at Picture Day.

💫 Quarter 1 Capstone Celebration: Hall Stars Shine Through Innovation!

Last week, Hall STEM Academy celebrated the end of the first quarter with our Quarter 1 Capstone. Capstone is a culminating celebration of learning where our Hall Stars became engineers, scientists, and designers! Across all grade levels, students applied the Hall Star Engineering Design Process (Empathize, Define, Brainstorm, Create, Evaluate, Improve, and Share) to solve real-world problems through creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Our youngest learners in Pre-K explored floating and sinking through hands-on experiments, designing and testing their own floating models. Kindergarten engineers programmed animated stories in ScratchJr, creating digital games that connected animals, their habitats, and basic needs. First graders designed custom adventure shoes built for survival in extreme climates, while second graders became botanists, engineering planter gardens and studying what plants need to thrive.

In third grade, students became advocates for bees, designing and sharing models of pollinator habitats to promote environmental awareness. Fourth graders tackled biomechanical engineering, creating prosthetics for animals while learning about structure and function. Finally, fifth grade students reached for the stars by designing interactive exhibits on patterns in the universe, exploring constellations, planets, and the science of the night sky.

The Capstone experience is a signature part of our Hall STEM Academy program and demonstrates how students apply what they’ve learned in Project Lead The Way to real-world challenges that matter. Through this process, Hall Stars learn that innovation doesn’t happen by accident...it’s built through curiosity, teamwork, and persistence. 🌟

💙 Community Food Access Resources 💛

With the temporary suspension of SNAP, many families are finding it harder to keep food on the table right now. We want you to know you are not alone, and help is available.

Below you’ll find a Food Access Resource List of local programs providing free groceries and meals. Each of these services remains open despite the current federal government shutdown. Please feel free to share with anyone who may need support.

📱 Try the FoodFinder App:
Download FoodFinder (free on any device) and simply enter your ZIP code to see a map of nearby food shelves, community meals, and food box programs.

🎒 Every Meal at Hall:
Families can also sign up for The Every Meal Program, which provides a small bag of food discreetly placed in your child’s backpack every Friday. If you need more brochures or would like to sign up, just email our Social Worker, Haley.Palmore@mpls.k12.mn.us, or stop by the office.

IMPORTANT DATES 📆

Monday, November 3rd | Last Day of Q1
Tuesday, November 4th | NO SCHOOL [Record Keeping Day for Teachers]
Thursday, November 6th | Picture Day
Wednesday, November 12th | Q1 Report Cards will be going home with your child in their backpack!
Sunday, December 7th | Sanctuary Covenant Church Community Winter Craft Fair [Stay tuned for more details soon!]
Tuesday, December 16th | Hall Star Merry Market [Stay tuned for more details soon regarding our annual Blessings Event!]