Aquila Communicator

April 25, 2024

Greetings Aquila Community,

As we make the turn towards May, please continue to look to our AQ Communicator for upcoming events and opportunities to connect here at Aquila. We always look forward to seeing you!

Paz,

María & Olivia

María Graver, Aquila Principal

952-928-6502 ~ graver.maria@slpschools.org

Olivia Tolzin, Aquila Assistant Principal

952-928-6508 ~ tolzin.olivia@slpschools.org

Key Dates

Wednesday, May 8 - Band & Orchestra Concert - 7:00 PM, AQ Gymnasium

Thursday, May 9 ~ Middle School Rally Night, Fifth Graders - 6:30 PM

May 11-16 ~ Aquila Carnival Online Auction

Saturday, May 18 ~ Aquila Carnival, 12:00-2:00 PM

Thursday, May 23 ~ Second Grade Talent Development Showcase, 5:00-5:45 PM

Monday, May 27 ~ No School

Monday, June 3 ~ IB Exhibition - Fifth Graders & Families, 6:00-7:30 PM

Thursday, June 6 ~ Aquila Field Day

Friday, June 7 ~ Last Day of School

Aquila Staff Spotlights

Dahir Bariise, Assistant

Gabrielle Benson,

Long Term Substitute Teacher, MLL

Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song

Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song is a program to honor community members. Thank you to Mr. Antonio Olivos-Reyes, Mr. Rick Bohn, Mr. Arsenio Richardson and Ms. Rene Norton who were highlighted this year. Click here for additional pictures from the evening.

During Fourth Grade Talent Development classes with teacher Lisa Bottolene and Music Specialist Teacher, Amanda Bauer, students interviewed their elders, analyzed the transcripts and found themes in the stories and information that the elders shared. Then the students with additional support from musician Reverend Anthony Galloway, collaborated to write the lyrics and compose the music for each song. The songs were shared at a night performance this week. Special thanks to the other musicians including Alanna Galloway, Hadiyah Galloway, and Reverend Chad Edwards.

Elders' Wisdom, Children's Song TM is an intergenerational multicultural curriculum created and trademarked by educator and American troubadour Larry Long.

Aquila ~ Plastic Film Drive

Coming in April, Aquila will be having a plastic film drive in partnership with Ridwell. Ridwell is a company that partners with others to redirect as much as possible from landfills.

From April 15 though May 3, we invite families and staff to save the following types of plastic film: Ziploc bags, bubble wrap, bread bags, plastic grocery bags, cereal bags, and Amazon Prime shipping envelopes.

Beginning on Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10, bring the plastic film to school!

Click here to see a document that outlines examples of plastic film that we will be collecting. Thank you!

Problem: Plastic film cannot go in curbside recycling bins because it gets stuck in the sorting machines.

Solution: Collect plastic film and pass it on to Ridwell, who partners with Trex Company, which repurposes the plastic film into composite decking material.

Contact Aquila Staff Member Sarah Young Reuben with any questions at

young.sarah@slpschools.org.

Aquila Highlights

Fifth Graders spent last Friday at the Middle School learning all about what to expect in Sixth Grade at JumpStart.

Girls On The Run (GOTR) has started up again. Pipe cleaner bracelets help keep track of how many laps have been completed!

Happy Earth Day!

Aquila Garden ~ Volunteer Opportunities

Click here to sign up to help in the Aquila Garden. Thank you!

Aquila PTO ~

Donations Needed for Aquila Staff Appreciation Week

Aquila Staff Appreciation Week is around the corner! We will celebrate our staff at Aquila from 5/6 to 5/10 with the theme of "You Make Aquila Shimmer." We are grateful for the incredible learning community the staff creates for our students through their amazing leadership, so please join us to make the week meaningful and full of community love!

Click here to get involved and to donate items! Thank you!

Carnival ~ Classroom Basket Raffle

Be on the look out for a flyer and information coming home about donating items to your student's Carnival Classroom Basket. These baskets will be raffled off at the Carnival. Classes will collect theme based donations for their baskets.

Send in donations by Friday, May 3. Thank you!

Kindergarten-Stadler/Swedberg - Art

Kindergarten- Haen/Schladweiler - Superheroes/Disney

First Grade- Rae-Schmidt/Ludens- Crafts

First Grade- Kelly/Rablin - Family Game Night

Second Grade- Overend/Deming - Slime & Fidgets

Second Grade- Richardson/Eul - Lego

Third Grade-Papas/Hussong - Family Movie Night

Third Grade- Bishop- Summer Fun

Third Grade- Nelson/Osmundson - Mad Scientist

Fourth Grade- Hanson/Williams - Ice Cream Party

Fourth Grade- Modjeski/Mueller- Kids in the Kitchen

Fifth Grade-Mink/Slingluff - Ultimate snack attack

Fifth Grade-Stern/Stenross - Outdoor games & sports

Carnival ~ Online Silent Auction Preview

Aquila PTO Board Opportunities ~

Response Due by Tomorrow!

Join the Aquila PTO Board! Click here for more information!

Aquila PTO Information

The mission of the Aquila Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

is to enhance the educational experience of all Aquila students and support all Aquila community and staff through fundraising

and community events.

AQ PTO Website - Click here

AQ PTO Facebook page - Click here

AQ PTO Calendar - Click here

AQ PTO Email Signup & Volunteer Interest Form - Click here

AQ Dine Out Nights For Aquila - Click here

Volunteer Opportunity~Lunchroom Support - Click here

Second Grade Talent Development Showcase

District News ~

Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer S-EBT

The S-EBT program provides families with school-aged children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals at $40 per month per child ($120 total) during the summer months to purchase healthy foods with funds on EBT cards.

Minnesota will provide eligible students with a one-time summer payment of $120.00 per child on their S-EBT card.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized a permanent, nationwide S-EBT program for eligible families beginning in 2024. The program will be a joint effort between the MN Department of Education (MDE), the MN Department of Human Services (DHS) and MN Information Technology Services (MNIT).

St. Louis Park Schools is reaching out to families that may qualify for this Summer Benefit. Families that know they receive Free or Reduced Benefits will NOT need to do anything. The S-EBT card will be mailed to you automatically.

If you are not sure if you have qualified or need help completing the Free and Reduced Benefits application, please contact the School Nutrition Department at 952-928-6146 or email woelffer.jodie@slpschools.org

Please submit applications by Wednesday, May 15, 2024 to qualify for the S-EBT.

Download The New Transportation App, My Ride K-12

by Wednesday, May 1

Download the new Transportation App, My Ride K-12 by Wednesday, May 1, 2024. This spring, St. Louis Park Public Schools will begin using a new transportation app for parents and caregivers to access updated transportation information for their student(s).

In the new app, you can access the information as you did in the previous app.

Real-time mapping for school bus arrival for pick-up and afternoon drop-off
Easy access to bus information (bus number, bus stop location, and bus stop time)

The new app, My Ride K-12, is available on the Apple Store and Google Play Store now. You can use your existing log-in information (username and password) from the previous transportation app (Traversa Ride 360) to log into the new app or the website.

Parents and guardians will need to download a new app by May 1 in order to access their student’s transportation information. Learn more about how to set up your account: Spanish | Somali

District News ~ SLP HS STORiole

Check out the apparel available at the SLP High School Store, STORiole.

Click here for the online store.

Click here for the new Park Pride shirt. 5% of profits from the sale of this shirt go to the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance Student Club) at the high school.