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Student Handbook

About the Middle School

School Hours
9:05am - 3:52pm
The building opens at 8:50am
 
Main Office
Main Office Phone: 952-928-6300
Fax: 952-928-6020
Attendance Line: (952) 928-7210
 
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District

“I believe in forming strong relationships based on mutual respect and understanding and I value diverse perspectives. I also believe in high expectations and firm learning goals for all students and in flexible learning pathways based on students’ strengths, interests, and experiences.” - Ms. Melissa Kalinowski.

Middle school contacts

Academics and grading


 

Schedules


 

Attendance

Statement of Purpose
Minnesota State Law and Education Department regulations require daily attendance: Children aged seven to 16 must receive instruction for at least 170 days each year (M.S. 124.19, subd. 1b.) A child under the age 16 is considered a “continuing truant” if the child is in elementary school and absent three (3) school days without a lawful excuse or if it the child is in middle, junior high or high school and absent on three or more class periods on three (3) school days without a lawful excuse (1995, M.S. 260.015, subd. 19, sec 38-39)

Attendance Matters: Attendance is one of the first indicators of academic success. Research shows that class attendance is closely related to positive performance in coursework. Students are expected to be in class every hour on time, every school day. Students must remain in class for the entire hour or they will be marked absent unexcused. Arriving late by more than 10 minutes is considered a partial absence, and is counted as an unexcused absence.

The average student in the state of Minnesota misses a total of seven (7) days, excused and/or unexcused, in a school year. Students who miss more than seven days, whether they are excused or unexcused, are considered excessively absent. When absences become excessive for any reason, parents may be contacted. The school is the arbiter of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Medical, legal or other professional verification for future absences may be required to excuse the student from school.

The school is required to report unexcused absences to Hennepin county after 3 absences. 

Attendance Codes
TE… Tardy Excused - must have a valid pass
TU… Tardy Unexcused
AU… Absent Unexcused
AE… Absent Excused
PE… Partial Excused
PU… Partial Unexcused

 


 

group of 6th grade students sharing introductions

Building Community at the Middle School


 

Student Conduct & Expectations

As part of our mission to prepare students to contribute to society, while providing a safe and nurturing environment that energizes and enhances the spirit - we set high expectations for student’s behavior in all areas of the school, in the classroom, and at all school activities. School appropriate behavior is necessary to provide a successful educational environment.

Purpose
St. Louis Park Public Schools recognizes that a safe and nurturing environment is conducive to learning and critical to student success and achievement. Creating and maintaining a school community that respects and accepts differences and affirms the humanity of each student is a shared responsibility and task of all staff, students, and families/guardians. St. Louis Park Public Schools is responsible for ensuring a safe community for all students and staff. The District urges parents/guardians and families to partner in teaching and supporting the creation of a safe learning community to meet the needs of students. A fair and equitable district-wide student behavior policy will contribute to the quality of each student's educational experience. This policy is adopted in accordance with and subject to the Minnesota Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, Minn. Stat. 121A.40-121A.575.
Guidelines for Success
The following are some guidelines intended to help ensure that the educational program can function to the best advantage of all students and staff.

  • Be present in classes daily
  • Be in class on time
  • Be prepared for class
  • Bring all required materials to class
  • Show respect for teachers and other students, school property and yourself.
     


 

General information


 

Special Services

St. Louis Park Middle School provides a variety of special services to students and families. 


 

Extracurricular Activities and Athletics

Here are activities/Clubs St. Louis Park Middle School has hosted:

  • Art Club
  • Clay Target League
  • Debate
  • Prism (Gender Sexuality Alliance)
  • Quiz Bowl
  • Theater
  • Jazz Band
  • Gaming Club
  • Spelling Bee
  • Synchronized Swimming Team
  • Select Choir
  • Math Team

Additional Clubs and Activities can be found through Community Education’s Youth Enrichment Programs.


 

Parent Engagement

Oriole Times

The Oriole Times is an electronic newsletter sent out on Thursdays to communicate to parents/guardians information regarding schedules, events and news.  This newsletter is emailed to the email address provided to the school district.

Visitors

Parents/Guardians are welcome and encouraged to visit and/or volunteer at St. Louis Park Middle School. A visitor’s pass will be issued upon check-in at the office. Please note the following procedures used to make sure the school provides a safe environment.

  1. Any visitor wanting to meet with a teacher is required to make arrangements in advance to not disrupt the learning environment.
  2. Visitors to the building may be required to have an escort during the duration of their visit.
  3. In an effort to ensure the safety of the school, any visitor may be asked to leave school grounds at any time and , if necessary, police may be called for assistance. 
  4. Visitors are prohibited from meeting with their students in the building without checking in at the main office, even to drop off an item to the student.  
  5. Visitors will not be permitted to meet with any students in which they do not have legal guardianship.
  6. Visitors must adhere to school rules and policy.

Please note: During times of conflict, the school will not act as a mediator between families, but will work with the families to connect off campus as long as both parties agree (i.e. exchanging of contact information).
 

Site Council

The mission of the Middle School Site Council is to serve the school community, advise the administration, and support student enrichment through fundraising, volunteer recruitment, event planning, and community engagement. Through the generosity of this incredible community, the actions and commitment of the Site Council members and the support of the entire school staff and administrators, we saw this mission statement come to life. 

Site Council meets virtually Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm .  The dates for the 2023-2024 School Year are September 13, October 11, November 15, January 10, February 21, April 17 and May 15.  If you are interested in joining Site Council, please contact Site Council President Keith Richardson at krichardson58@hotmail.com.

Volunteers

St. Louis Park Middle School welcomes and encourages families and community members to partner and volunteer in our school. For more information, call the main office at 952.928.6100.


 

More information on policies