Nokomis North Principal Update

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October 25th, 2026

Dear Nokomis North Families,

It’s hard to believe we are heading into our 8th week of school and the last week of October! We have a lot to look forward to, including the PTO Fall Festival this week. I’m also looking forward to seeing families at teacher conferences in November. Thank you for all you do to support our school and your children! I want to take a minute to share two reminders that I hope will be helpful as we move through the school year.

First, sleep really matters! We all know how hard it can be to get everything done in a day, but getting enough sleep makes such a difference for children at school. When students are tired, it can be harder for them to focus, manage their emotions, work through challenges, and get along with others. A consistent bedtime and a simple nighttime routine can go a long way. Helping children get the rest they need sets them up for a better day at school.

Second, I want to talk about social media. We understand that decisions about personal devices and social media happen at home, and every family has to make the choices that work for them. That said, we strongly encourage families to limit social media access for young children and to closely supervise any use. There is a lot of content online that children are not ready to see or navigate on their own. At school, we have seen an increase in disruptive and destructive behavior in our bathrooms, and some of these behaviors appear to be connected to social media challenges. We have also seen an increase in harmful social media posts involving students in our school community. While we do not manage social media conflicts directly, we know these situations follow children into school and affect their friendships, feelings, and learning.

I encourage you to check in with your children and ask if they have seen or heard about any of these behaviors, whether at school or online. Have they seen someone damaging school property, participating in a challenge, or being unkind to another student online? These conversations can help children understand that even when they are not directly involved, they have choices about how they respond and whether they seek help from a trusted adult. It is also important to talk about accountability and consequences. Children need to understand that choices have consequences, whether that means repairing or paying for damaged property, losing access to a device or social media, or working to repair a relationship that has been harmed. The goal is not just to punish a poor choice, but to help children understand the impact of their actions and learn to make better ones.

Thank you for partnering with us. We know raising children takes a community, and we appreciate the trust and support you give us each day. I hope to see many of you at the Fall Festival this week!

Warmly,

Principal Lauren

Looking for an easy way to spark conversation with your child? Try our This or That questions! These fun, simple choices are a great way to learn more about your child’s interests, share a few laughs, and connect through everyday conversations.

There are MANY styles of music - Rock, Hip hop, Jazz ,Pop, Soul, Classical - Just to name a few.

Ask: What song or dance does your family know by heart? Who taught it to you?

Extend: What is a new dance you could learn as a family? How about... THRILLER!

We are getting ready for our Hmong New Year celebration on Friday, December 4, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Nokomis Montessori North, and we would love your help! This is a great opportunity for our school community to come together to celebrate Hmong culture and traditions. We can’t make this event a success without our families, and we hope you’ll consider being part of it - Everyone is welcome!

One way to help is to host a table at our Fall Festival on Thursday, October 29, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. You can share information about Hmong New Year and help get families excited for our December celebration.

There are lots of ways to help, whether you have time to volunteer, share ideas, help with activities, or support planning. If you’re interested, please fill out this volunteer interest form and let us know how you’d like to be involved.

Thank you for being part of our school community. We hope to work together to make this a fun and meaningful celebration for our children and families!

Please take a few minutes to complete the family form linked below. We need all families to complete this form to help our school continue receiving Title I funding. This funding can help us provide extra support for students, classroom resources, and opportunities that we may not otherwise be able to offer.

Every family completing the form helps our school continue to access these resources. Thank you for taking a few minutes to fill it out and support our students!

This week, we will conduct a lockdown drill and a fire drill as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our students and staff safe. We follow the I Love U Guys Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to help ensure our school community understands how to respond during different emergency situations. These drills are an important opportunity for students to practice procedures, build confidence, and learn how to respond calmly and safely. We ask families to please reinforce the importance of taking all safety drills seriously, following adult directions, and practicing with care and respect. Thank you for partnering with us to help keep our school community safe!

Fall parent/family-teacher conferences are an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school. These conversations allow families and teachers to connect, celebrate student growth, discuss progress, and work together to support each student’s learning and success. We strongly encourage all families to participate, as open communication and collaboration help build a strong school community. We will use PTC Fast for conference sign-ups, the same system we used last year. Families will receive an invitation to sign up tomorrow, Monday, October 26, at 12pm.

Please mark your calendars for the following conference dates:

• Thursday, November 12: 5:00–8:00 p.m.
• Friday, November 13: Approximately 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (Times may vary by teacher.)
• Tuesday, November 17: 5:00–8:00 p.m.

We look forward to connecting with families and working together to ensure every student feels supported and has the opportunity to thrive!

Monday, 10/26 - EDL

Wednesday, 10/28 - EDL

Thursday, 10/29 - PTO Fall Festival, 5:30-7:30pm

Friday, 10/30 - No School, Conference Prep Day for Staff

Monday, 11/2 - EDL

Tuesday, 11/3 - Picture Re-take Day

Wednesday, 11/4 - EDL

Thursday, 11/5 - PTO Meeting, 5:30pm

Monday, 11/9 - EDL

Wednesday, 11/11 - EDL

Thursday, 11/12 - E2 Field Trip (Leslie/Madisen)

Thursday, 11/12 - Parent/Family-Teacher Conferences, 5-8pm

Friday, 11/13 - No School for Students, Parent/Family-Teacher Conferences

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 elementary students safe and engaged.

• YouTube is blocked on student iPads in grades PreK-5. Students will still be able to view videos that teachers have embedded into Seesaw.

• Google Gemini and other Artificial Intelligence websites are not available for all elementary students.

• Gmail is disabled in grades PreK-3.

• Elementary students’ iPads remain in the classroom and are only sent home in specific circumstances, such as e-learning days.

• 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 on their iPads.

• 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. Elementary families can speak to their student’s teacher for more information.

Thank you for your partnership is support safe digital environments for our students!

👓👀 GLASSES 👀👓

Please remember to send your student’s glasses to school each day!

If you need help obtaining or replacing glasses, please contact Nurse Emi:

📞 651-888-7652
📧 emilia.baldoni@spps.org

😷🤒 MEASLES AWARENESS 🤒😷

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. However, measles cases have returned, including cases here in Minnesota.

Here’s what families should know:

• 💉 Prevention: Measles is highly contagious but preventable with the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. The MMR vaccine has a strong safety record and is recommended to protect children against measles.
• 🏫 School attendance: Children who are not vaccinated against measles and are exposed may need to stay home from school for 21 days or longer, depending on public health guidance.
• ❤️ Health risks: Measles can cause serious short- and long-term health complications. There is no specific cure for measles, but medical care can help manage complications.

Questions or need support? Please contact Nurse Emi:

📞 651-888-7652
📧 emilia.baldoni@spps.org

• School begins at 9:30 am and ends at 4:00 pm. Students may enter the school at 9:15 am. Please, never leave your child unattended. We do not have staff available before 9:15 a.m., and the Main Entrance doors will not be open before 9:15 a.m.

• If you arrive after 9:30 am, bring your child to the Main Office to sign them in.

• If you need to change your child’s dismissal procedure for the day, please call the office before 3:15 pm. Notes to your child’s teacher can be easily lost, and emails to the teacher may be missed as they are working hard to support student learning. It is also possible that your child’s teacher may have a substitute on occasion who will not have access to emails. The only reliable communication is a phone call to the Main Office before 3:15 pm, (651) 744-7440. We have one office clerk, and once the pack-up and dismissal process begins, it is less likely that we will receive your message in time.

• Most all of our team members are involved in after-school activities, hold other jobs, and have families of their own, and we do not have staff available to supervise students after 4:15 pm. Please do your best to pick up your student(s) by 4:00 pm. If you have an emergency and will be late, please call the Main Office (651) 744-7440.

Attendance:

Please make sure always to report your child's absences. You can do this in two ways:

· Dial the attendance line directly at 651-744-7440

· Email us at shannon.platzer@spps.org and include your child's classroom teacher

Please include your child's name (spell their name if you are calling), grade, reason for absence,

your relationship to the child, and a return phone number where you can be reached if we have

questions about the reason for absence.

Please click on this link for district attendance information: https://www.spps.org/attendance

Visiting Our School:

We always welcome parents and visitors to our school. If you choose to visit during school

hours, please make sure you have an appointment or a planned visit with the respective staff member. We ask for your understanding that our teaching team is very busy during the school day

and will likely not be available to meet with you unless you have a scheduled appointment. Please

always stop by the office to check in, sign in, and get a visitor's badge.

In alignment with the SPPS Cellphone Policy, Nokomis North is a cellphone and personal electronic device-free school. Students may not have their cellphones and personal electronic devices on their person during the school day. Students are expected to leave their cellphones and personal electronic devices at home. We understand some children may need to have them before and after school. If your student has extenuating circumstances, they must leave their cellphone and/or personal electronic devices in their backpack for the entire school day. Nokomis Montessori North is not responsible for lost/stolen/damaged devices. If a parent/guardian needs to contact their child, they can call the office directly, 651-744-7440. A child who needs to contact their parent/guardian can request to use either the phone in their teacher’s room or the main office. Thank you for supporting the positive academic and social learning environment at Nokomis North.

We love and appreciate family involvement at our school! There are many opportunities to volunteer in classrooms, at school events, and during activities throughout the year. Whether you have a little time or a lot, your support makes a big difference. Please always coordinate volunteering and visits with the classroom teacher. We will verify by email or by calling the classroom before you can leave the Main Office. All visitors must sign in.

To ensure a safe environment for all students, all volunteers are required to complete a background check before participating. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact our school clerk to initiate the process. Once approved, you'll be able to volunteer at any time during the school year.

Thank you for being part of our school community!

Contact Shannon Platzer: shannon.platzer@spps.org

🍎 Lunch Visitors Welcome! 💛

Families are welcome to visit school and enjoy lunch with your child! We love having you join us for this special time together. Please reach out to your child’s teacher for their specific lunch time. We look forward to seeing you!

School Website: https://nokomisnorth.spps.org/
Location:985 Ruth Street, Saint Paul, MN 55119
Phone: (651) 744-7440

School Hours: 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Office Hours: 9:15 am - 4:15 pm