HomeCommunity Relations Updates:
What's happening in the school community district wide?
Community Relations Committee This committee will be the venue for PSI stakeholders to understand what is happening in SLP education beyond PSI. We will attend school board meetings, the District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) and other important district meetings. We will also develop relationships with other SLP schools and school board members. If you have any interest in joining this committee, or have questions/comments, contact the committee chair, Lisa Robinson .
- The next SLP Board Listening Session will be held
February 23, 2012: 7 p.m., Senior High School, West Atrium Conference Area
- The next SLP Board Meeting will be held January 23rd, 2012.
- The next MN M.A.I.N. meeting will be held Thursday, January 19th, 2012. Cottage Grove Middle School.
The SLP school board meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. Board meetings are held in room C350 of the senior high school unless otherwise posted. All meetings of the board are open to the public.
School Year 2011-12
Board Meeting Dates:
November 14 Study Session
November 28 Business Meeting
December 12 Business Meeting
January 9 Study Session
January 23 Business Meeting
February 13 Study Session
February 27 Business Meeting
March 12 Study Session
March 19 Business Meeting
April 9 Study Session
April 23 Business Meeting
May 14 Study Session
May 29 Business Meeting
June 11 Study Session
June 25 Business Meeting
Train Reroute issue
School Board Passes Freight Rail Resolution
At a July 21, 2010, Special Meeting, the School Board unanimously passed a resolution supporting the City of St. Louis Park Resolutions (#10-070 and #10-071) relating to increased rail activity in St. Louis Park and adjacent to schools.
As stated in the School Board resolution, the School District is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for students. Several district-owned properties and buildings directly abut or lie adjacent to the current MNS railroad tracks, including the Senior High School, which is just 75 feet from the tracks. As plans develop for future use of the tracks, the School Board is specifically concerned about student and staff safety, noise and vibration caused by the tracks being used for freight rail.
The City of St. Louis Park resolutions address the study and development of freight rail and light rail in St. Louis Park and request that the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority reanalyze and more fully evaluate the potential routes contained in the 2009 TCWR Freight Rail Realignment Study in greater detail.
In October 2008, the School Board first expressed concerns regarding safety, noise and vibration caused by increased rail traffic during the Southwest Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Statement process.
SLP City Council Freight Rail Resolutions:
The City is taking part in the MNS Freight Rail Relocation Analysis. The City Council passed two resolutions regarding freight rail relocation in July of 2010. To read the resolutions relating to freight rail activity and the revisiting of the 2009 TCWR Freight Rail Realignment Study in greater detail, click here http://www.stlouispark.org/light-freight-rail/freight-rail-relocation-study.html?zoom_highlight=city+resolutions
Safety in the Park is a St. Louis Park, Minnesota grass roots neighborhood organization. Safety in the Park promotes safety and livability by working with the county, city, and state to create an alternative solution for proposed increases in freight rail traffic. Safety in the Park is politically unaffiliated and does not endorse any candidates for political office. Safety in the Park welcomes the addition of light rail to St. Louis Park and supports its implementation. For more information please go to: http://www.safetyinthepark.com/
Recent update from Safety in the Park:
1. Consider signing the petition requesting Hennepin County reevaluate all of the routes on a fair basis – http://www.safetyinthepark.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&Itemid=62
2. We learned at the November 9th Project Management Team meeting that Trains in question will be traveling at 25 MPH versus the current 10 MPH speed and that at that speed the railroad confirmed they will not be able to stop if they spot a child on the track while rounding the curves. (Watch the meeting on Channel 17 at 11:00am November 13,14,15 and 16 or at 11:30pm November 13 and 14) or the streaming video on the St. Louis Park web site (stlouispark.org/live-web-streaming.html.)
3. The next meeting is at 6:30pm November 29 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. This is a joint meeting of the City Council and School Board. On the agenda is a presentation by Hennepin County consultants explaining the viability of the Kenilworth corridor and other rail routes for the freight traffic. Residents will not have an opportunity to speak. http://www.safetyinthepark.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=56 Click link for more information on other meetings including 12/16 open house.
4. The SLP Teacher’s Union has joined the School Board and the City Council in drafting a resolution supporting a thorough re-evaluation of re-routing options.
SLP School Board: The Board of Education is made up of seven elected representatives. The board is the governing body responsible for setting direction and providing support for quality educational opportunities for all students served by the St. Louis Park School District. Further, the board is responsible for providing resources necessary to pursue its goals according to its policies; and monitor district performance to see that results are consistent with goals and policies.
The board generally meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. Board meetings are held in room C350 of the senior high school unless otherwise posted. The meetings are broadcast live on City Cable Channel 14 and the meetings are available for viewing within 48 hours of the live broadcast at www.stlouispark.org/video-on-demand.html. Board meetings are not public meetings; rather they are meetings held in public. However, the second meeting of each month provides for an “open forum” where the public is allowed to formally speak to the board. By law, all board discussion and deliberation must be conducted in public, except for certain specific matters such as personnel and student disciplinary cases, which may be discussed in closed session. All official board action (voting) takes place in public. All meetings of the board are open to the public. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for November 14 & 28 and December 12.
Board members welcome your input. Please call the school board message line with your questions or comments: 952-928-6040.
SLP Listening Sessions: The School Board has scheduled the following Listening Sessions to provide an opportunity for students, parents, staff and community members to have an open dialogue with members of the Board. Two or three board members will attend each Listening Session and bring information back to the full School Board. 2011-12
- Listening Sessions will be held:
* November 10, 2011: 5:30 p.m., Aquila Elementary School, Media Center
* December 8, 2011: 5:30 p.m., Park Spanish Immersion School, Media Center
* January 17, 2012: 5:30 p.m., Peter Hobart Elementary School, Media Center
* February 23, 2012: 7 p.m., Senior High School, West Atrium Conference Area
* March 14, 2012: 7 p.m., Susan Lindgren Elementary School, Media Center
* April 18, 2012: 7 p.m., Junior High School, Media Center #1
Children First Asset Champion Training:Children First comes alive in St. Louis Park through the Asset Champions Network. The network is comprised of individuals who represent the places where they live, work, volunteer or go to school. Their role is to become the asset experts in their organizations, train others and discuss what they currently do and could do to build assets. Asset Champions are ages 9 through senior citizens and from all types of organizations. The Asset Champions Network is intentional about spreading the asset-building philosophy community wide. The next Children First Asset Champion Training will be held Wednesday, November 2 from 2-4:30 p.m. at St. Louis Park City Hall. NOTE: Training is free but reservations are required. Call Karen Atkinson at 952-928-6075 or e-mail atkinson.karen@slpschools.org. For more information about Children First go to www.children-first.org
District Continues to Gain National Attention,
Newsweek and the Washington Post recently released their rankings of the best high schools in America. St. Louis Park Senior High School received high rankings it ranked 3rd in Minnesota/216 in United States in the Washington Post "High School Challenge” and 6th in Minnesota / 248 in United States in the Newsweek "America’s Best High Schools". For more information about the rankings and methodology, see the Washington Post and Newsweek websites.
Members of the St. Louis Park community are eligible to become a member of the District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC). The council meets monthly during the school year to discuss student achievement and district initiatives. In addition to district wide updates, the group is focusing on 4 main areas: Academics, Fundraising, Programming and Marketing/Communications. The intention is to share information and align similar components while recognizing individual school identities, traditions and independence If you are interested in joining or would like more information about the District Parent Advisory Council, please contact Sara Thompson, Communications Specialist by phone at 952-928-6064 or by e-mail at thompson.sara@slpschools.org.
School Board Receives FY10 Audit Report: According to the district website, the school district received an unqualified opinion (clean audit) from Ryan Engelstad, Representative of Baker Tilly/Virchow Krause, external auditors for the school district at the November 22, 2010, School Board Meeting. The accountants opinion can be reviewed by clicking here.
Fall 2010 School News: This edition includes data from the 2009-2010 Annual Report on Curriculum, Instruction & Student Achievement.
Click here to download the document.NEW Community Resource Directory Distributed Published by SLP League of Women Voters and School District St. Louis Park Community Education and the St. Louis Park League of Women Voters created the St. Louis Park Community Resource Directory to assist families in connecting with local resources and services. It is a great resource for all families and residents of SLP.
SLP ICARE www.slpicare.org is a legislative action committee for St. Louis Park Schools. Please contact Joe Tatalovich at slpjoe@gmail.com to get involved.
Parents United - http://www.parentsunited.org/ Parents United for Public Schools is a statewide, grassroots organization of concerned and informed Minnesota parents and citizens committed to Minnesota’s leadership in quality public education.
M.A.I.N. http://minnesotaadvocatesforimmersionnetwork.wildapricot.org/ Minnesota Advocates for Immersion *Thursday, November 17th, 6:30-8:30pm, M.A.I.N. Parents Meeting - TOPIC: Immersion & International Baccalaureate at Adams Spanish Immersion, 615 South Chatsworth Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102..
Resolution Relating to Increased Freight Rail Activity: Submitted by Park Association of Teachers, Oct 2010
The following excerpts are provided to keep you updated on news within the St. Louis Park community. Please contact Lisa Robinson if you have relevant information you would like shared.
*District Announces NEW School Nutrition Advisory Committee (SNAC)
The school district is implementing a School Nutrition Advisory Committee (SNAC) to function in an advisory role to the Director of Business Services regarding the School Nutrition Program.
The committee includes members representative of the community; including: parents/community members, a Principal, the School Nutrition Supervisor, and the Director of Business Services, and a School Board member.
The SNAC will meet four times annually. This year, the group will kick off with a community presentation on November 17th from 6-7 p.m. in Room C350 of St. Louis Park Senior High School. Three subsequent SNAC meetings will be held during the 2011-12 school year on December 1, 2011; February 2, 2012; and April 12, 2012. All meetings will be held from 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the District Office, Windows Conference Room.
*Extended Spanish Program (ESP) Taskforce Information
The school district has established an Extended Spanish Program (ESP) Taskforce to review information about immersion education and language acquisition while using the lens of equity for all students. The taskforce will meet six times and present its findings to the School Board at their December 12, 2011, meeting at 7 p.m.
The ESP Taskforce meetings will be open to the public, but will not include public comment. All meetings will be held at 7:30 a.m. in the District Office. The final two scheduled meetings are November 9 & 30th. To contact the Task Force, please use this email address: 2011taskforce@slpschools.org.
