"Those Who Can Do More, Teach"
Celebrating National Teacher Appreciation Week
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Dr. Marion Smith Jr (Deputy Superintendent of Academics) celebrating and recognizing National Teacher Appreciation Week serving as a Guest Teacher at Nance Elementary School.
Thank you to Ms. Lauren Hollis for allowing me to teach your amazing kindergarten learners!
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Keeping “The Work” of the Academic Office Front and Center
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The WHY of our work for School Year 22-23:
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To develop and/or deepen the habits of mind and adaptive leadership moves critical to disrupt and dismantle inequities in our systems, practices, policies and procedures so each scholar thrives.
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The WHAT of our work for School Year 22-23:
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Strengthen the *instructional core, so each scholar has access and targeted supports to achieve Standards and to engage in deeper learning through the ‘Key 3’
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Use multiple sources of data (qualitative, quantitative and perceptual) to inform decision-making
- Apply “best we know right now practices” to educate the Whole Child
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*teachers’ knowledge and skills; scholars’ engagement in their own learning; academically challenging content
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The HOW of our work for School Year 22-23:
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- (Re)Frame our individual and collective thinking:
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For more information, please contact Dr. Marion Smith Jr., Deputy Superintendent of Academics– Marion.SmithJr@slps.org
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Subject Area Spotlight: Literacy
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Spotlight on Reading Interventionist, Deborah Peebles
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“In just four months, one of our students moved forward a full year in reading and another leaped ahead by seven months. We know the program and partnership between the classroom teacher and reading intervention teacher is working,” That’s what Reading Interventionist (RI) Deborah Peebles of Hickey Elementary had to say about the district’s new literacy resource Savvas, MyView K-5.
“Building relationships and taking accountability for my practice, are huge components but, the game changer, “Peebles says, “is knowing what my students need and aligning the intervention resources with classroom instruction.” Peebles is a veteran teacher, but is just completing her first year as one of 30 interventionists districtwide.
According to Dr. Kay Royster, K-12 Literacy Specialist at SLPS, “Two years ago, the district adopted the new curricula specifically because it is grounded in the science of reading and promotes systematic and explicit instruction in key areas. The program allows Reading Interventionist teachers, like Ms. Peebles, offers the resources and flexibility to target skills and strategies to ensure that students are keeping pace with the daily lessons and closing accrued gaps in literacy achievement.”
From a practical standpoint, Peebles says, “The intervention program provides the materials that allow me to support my students’ access to the grade level material in their classrooms” She added, “In addition, I help students gain confidence when reading, responding to their reading, and sharing their thoughts and understandings with their peers.”
Peebles was recently honored as the 2023 Reading Teacher of the Year at SLPS and, as part of the award video, a few of her students were interviewed. “When asked what he liked about our class, one of my fifth graders said, ‘I am a slow learner and Ms. Peebles makes sure I get it.’ I immediately jumped in to say, ‘Sir! You are not slow by any means! I went on to give him the words to explain ‘you need time to process.’ That is actually true for many of my kids, they simply need the space to process”
“I believe it is my job to create multiple ways for them to do that. That’s part of the relationship piece I mentioned. I have to take the time to know my students in order to be effective. Hearing a student say, ‘Ms. Peebles makes sure I get it,’ lets me know I’m on the right track to making them feel known and safe to learn!”
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Ms. Peebles assisting scholars at Hickey Elementary School
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Peebles says her students are only passing through. “I am learning that one goal of this interventionist is to equip them to work independently during classroom instruction. She added, “The classroom teacher and I work as a team. I am fortunate to be able to fill academic gaps in reading and respond to my students as one more person who really knows them. In my position, I have the ability to interrupt the start of a bad day or a downward slide after lunch. I am a buddy and they know they have me.”
Marveling on the past year of breakthroughs, Peebles said, “After 22 years, to be able to land in this place (reading interventionist), is a dream. I am so happy to be doing what I absolutely love to do- build a love of reading, close gaps, and interrupt cycles of learning loss for some, while equipping all to be independent readers and thinkers.”
Despite her passion for reading, Peebles has a surprisingly simple summer assignment for her students. “I am a huge fan of “reading joy”- reading books you love and cannot put down, but I am also a fan of finding yourself at the botanical garden, at the zoo, outside in the sun or on a playground near the house. I want them to find ways to do kid stuff this summer! They can then bring those experiences into the books that they read.”
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For more information, please contact Dr. Kaye Royster, Literacy/Reading Specialist - Kay.Royster@slps.org
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NetworkSpotlight: Learning Network 2
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Mason School of Academic and Cultural Literacy
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How do you clean water in Africa? How do you build a bridge in Peru to help students travel to school? Can you use robots to understand how bees pollinate or dance?
Our goal at Mason School of Academic and Cultural Literacy is to empower scholars to be productive and responsible citizens of the global community. We use Project-Based Learning to help scholars understand the engineering and design process, solve problems, apply critical thinking skills, and learn about different cultures, while incorporating learning standards. Through our partnerships with COCA, Springboard and Dancing Classrooms, our scholars are able to incorporate arts exploration to enrich their learning experience.
Hands-on, team-based projects enable students at every grade level to discuss problems, brainstorm solutions and test real-world applications. Each project allows the scholars to take ownership of their learning by recording dates, times, expectations, and outcomes. Scholars learn the value of reviewing the process, checking their work, and writing up findings. These cross-curriculum programs allow teachers to inspire their scholars to have fun with learning, persevere through challenges, and to celebrate success as a team effort.
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Patrick Henry Downtown Academy Earns National Green Ribbon School Award
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Earth Day, 2023 came with a very special announcement for the students, staff, and community members of Patrick Henry Elementary: We were named the first school in St. Louis Public Schools history to be a National Green Ribbon School! This is a national recognition that comes from the United States Department of Education, and it is a lifetime achievement award. We are the 19th school in the state of Missouri to ever win this award, and in 2023, we are the only school to win the award.
On May 3rd, Mayor Tishaura Jones, SLPS Board President Toni Cousins, SLPS Superintendent Nicole Williams, and a wonderful group of community partners came to Patrick Henry to celebrate the accomplishments of the school community and to award students with trophies and a beautiful day of activities outside in the garden.
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Mayor Tishaura O. Jones (far left) and Board of Education President Antionette "Toni" Cousins (far right) are all smiles with scholars at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy
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Dr. Williams (left) and Mayor Jones (right) celebrate with a Patrick Henry scholar
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Patrick Henry won this recognition because of achievement in three categories:
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Sustainability - We not only have to be a sustainable school building and system in our community, but we also have to educate our students on sustainability practices that they can take with them into their futures.
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Environmentalism - We have to reduce harmful practices to our environment and change the way our school runs through internal and external improvements and environmentally-sound practices in our utilities, buildings and grounds practices, and school practices.
- Healthy Initiatives - We have to provide the healthiest school community for our students, staff, families, and neighbors both for physical and mental well-being.
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Buder Elementary - Connecting Science and Unit 5 ELA
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Buder Elementary’s third graders had a special visit from KMOV Channel 4 meteorologist, Kristen Cornett, on Wednesday, May 3rd. Ms. Cornett gave a presentation on the different types of extreme weather in St. Louis, as well as explaining how they form and how to stay safe. The presentation ended with a Q & A session. Even though St. Louis experiences many types of weather, Ms. Cornett talked primarily about tornadoes, hail, and thunderstorms.
The third graders are going to be using the information from Ms. Cornett’s presentation as a primary source for their Unit 5 writing assignment.
On Saturday, May 6, Ms. Cornett featured Buder students during her weather section on KMOV Channel 4 at 10 PM.
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Mallinckrodt Academy of Gifted Instruction
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Mallinckrodt Academy’s second and fifth graders got together every Friday this year to express and share their love of books. Students loved it so much that they began calling each other “Book Buddies.” Many students shared their love for fairy tales and being the critical thinkers that they are, they wanted to give their fairy tales alternative endings and look at the situations from a different character’s perspective and/or change the characters altogether. With this work, our students decided that they wanted to create a book titled, “Once Upon A Time…” With this book, students remixed some of their favorite fairy tales. Some of the stories they remixed are Hansel and Gretel, The Princess Pea, and 3 Little Pigs. The books were published through Studentreasures.com.
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The Fifth Grade Band is excited to show off their talents during their Spring Concert. Here, they are rehearsing and ensuring that they are ready to go. They have become accustomed to playing the flute, trombone, drums, saxophones, and recorders. Students have been rehearsing with their Music Teacher, Ms. Hunt who successfully advocated for them to have new instruments.
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For more information please contact Dr. Angela Glass, Learning Network 2 Network Superintendent – Angela.Glass@slps.org
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DepartmentSpotlight: Early Childhood Education
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All Teachers are Language Teachers
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How culturally and linguistically diverse is your class? Statistically, in 2023, 15% of K-12 students in St. Louis Public Schools speak a language other than English at home. This number is likely to increase as St. Louis City welcomes new immigrant and refugee families. Odds are, in the next few years, all classroom teachers will be responsible for instructing students with varying levels of English proficiency. How can teachers ensure students are leaving preschool classrooms prepared with content knowledge as well as knowledge of the English language?
It has been well-documented that high-quality preschool programs have lasting effects for individual children, the public, and society. According to Poe et al. (2004), “The number of letters [children] could identify at kindergarten entry was the best predictor of reading skills, followed by measures of oral language and phonological awareness, [and] early language skills at 3-4 years predicted both fourth and seventh grade decoding and reading comprehension” (pp. 316-317). Preschool really is that important.
However, there is a common misconception that good teaching for native English speakers is good teaching for English Language Learners, or ELLs. According to Johnson et al. (2017), "While good teaching for ELLs may be good teaching for everyone, good teaching for everyone is not necessarily good enough for ELLs" (p. 15). So, what strategies can teachers use to help make input more comprehensible for all scholars, especially second language learners?
Classroom teachers can support English language development by:
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- Establishing a classroom environment where it is safe to take risks and make mistakes
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Structuring the day to provide cognitively stimulating experiences that build students' background knowledge
- Providing explicit and systematic instruction in vocabulary with attention to hands-on/visual/ interactive experiences
- Monitoring the pace of speech, increasing wait time, and allowing students multiple ways to demonstrate understanding
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Ensuring that ELLs have many and varied opportunities to talk with adults and peers and to use language for academic purposes as well as to negotiate social interactions, which may differ from their home cultures (e.g., interrupting existing play, inviting another child to play, taking turns, getting someone's attention, asking for help, etc.)
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Encouraging the use of the child's home language (L1) and helping students bridge the connection between what they know in their L1 and what they are learning in English
- Promoting biliteracy for all students and advertising the strengths of multilingualism
- Recognizing differences within the community of ELLs in each class and honoring their diverse experiences and wealth of cultural knowledge
- Committing to continued learning and reexamination of our own biases
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Preschool teachers have a direct and lasting impact. To reach all our learners, it’s important to teach English and not just use it to teach.
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Johnson, D. C., Stephens, C., Nelson, J. J., & Johnson, E. J. (2017).
Violating LAU: Sheltered English instruction programs and Equal Educational Opportunity. Journal of Education Policy, 33(4), 488–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2017.1380847
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Poe, M. D., Burchinal, M. R., & Roberts, J. E. (2004).
Early language and the development of children's reading skills. Journal of School Psychology, 42(4), 315–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2004.06.001
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Interested in Expanding Your Knowledge of Early Literacy?
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Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) is required for teachers in grades K-5, but studies show the foundation of literacy begins at a young age. Early Childhood professionals deserve the same level of professional learning as K-5 educators to effectively reach students and prepare them for future success. This is where you come in!
The LETRS for Early Childhood Educators course includes 4 units that are aligned with the Science of Reading and address the what, why, and how of literacy instruction. The sessions are led by a LETRS certified facilitator, are supported by SLPS professional development throughout the school year, and take place during the instructional day. Best of all, they’re free for SLPS Pre-K teachers.
If you’re interested in the cohort beginning in school year ’23-24, please complete this interest form.
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New Spotlight: MTSS Corner
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Shifting the Framework: “MTSS with Early Childhood Education”
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The Academic Office continues to define the shift from RTI and explain the why, what, and how of MTSS. As we share equitable practices, a special group of scholars whose foundation of learning is embedded in Tier 1 practices are our youngest learners, our Pre-Kindergarten scholars!
Learning at this stage lays the foundation for cognitive and social development. Research states that scholars who have been exposed to an enriched, engaging preschool setting show significant gains in critical thinking skills, social development skills, and emotional regulation, which helps them learn strategies that promote future academic success.
In addition, Tier 3 supports allow for early intervention of identified scholars with the goal of gradually reducing supports as scholars make gains and become more autonomous. MTSS for young scholars includes explicit teaching of social emotional learning in order to gain confidence, take risks, and understand themselves and others. For Pre-K scholars, the most important elements of MTSS are consistency, intentionality, and time.
Below are considerations for Multi-tiered Systems of Supports in the Early Childhood setting:
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As we continue the transition to the MTSS framework, it is important to remember the ‘Why, What, and How of MTSS.” Below is a one pager to support our collective work moving forward.
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For more information regarding MTSS and resources for each tier, please contact Ravetta Jackson, MTSS Specialist - Ravetta.Jackson@slps.org
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Department Spotlight: Curriculum and Instruction
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Curriculum and Instruction Gears Up for Summer PD & Curriculum Updates
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The SLPS C&I Department functions as a professional learning community. Part of our PLC processes include the implementation of a 5-Step Cycle of Continuous Improvement (Analyze Data, Set Goals, Learn, Implement New Learning, and Monitor/Assess/Adjust Practice). This continuous improvement cycle guides our work in the delivery and monitoring the fidelity of a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (SB Curriculum Plans, Assessments, Other SB Resources, PD, and Direct Support) Our Evidence of Impact based on a review of scholar growth and achievement, with positive outcomes demonstrating success and negative outcomes revealing areas to investigate and resolve.
The C&I team uses the Evidence of Impact Data, observation data, and data from other qualitative resources to develop an action plan for professional development and curriculum updates. Teacher Leaders from across the district participate in a month long experiential based professional development activities designed to teach them about the development and delivery of a guaranteed and viable curriculum. The outcome includes updated standards-based curriculum plan documents customized to meet the needs of teachers and learners in St. Louis Public Schools.
This summer the team will be focusing on fortifying MTSS supports, identifying experiential learning opportunities, developing aligned checks for understanding, refining pacing recommendations, and making lesson planning more efficient. We anticipate these updates will support educators by providing accessible and targeted support to engage in deeper learning through the “Key 3” and achieve/exceed standards-based proficiency.
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For more information please contact Dr. Kimberly Moody, Director of Curriculum and Instruction - Kimberly.Moody@slps.org
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Saint Louis Public School District is proud to announce that Deputy Superintendent of Academics, Dr. Marion Smith Jr., has been accepted into the inaugural National Leadership Institute of Men of Color in Educational Leadership (MCEL). Dr. Smith Jr. is one of the 16 national fellows selected from a large pool of impressive applicants.
The National Leadership Institute is a 1-year immersive leadership development experience that follows the hybrid/cohort model. MCEL, a national non-profit of educational leaders from across the educational leadership spectrum, supports male leaders of color who are uniquely positioned to disrupt current ecosystems, lead through their authentic selves, and serve as critical levers to student success.
Let's all congratulate Dr. Smith Jr. for this tremendous accomplishment!
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Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum for School Year 2023-2024
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During the 2022-2023 school year St. Louis Public Schools utilized TWO different SEL programs, selected by the Office of Student Support Services. Sown to Grow was used in grades K-12 with a primary focus of engaging students in weekly SEL check-ins. In grades K-8, schools also used ReTHINK which has a very broad and deep catalog of SEL lessons.
A panel of school-based personnel and central office staff reviewed both programs and a decision was made to move forward with one (1) SEL Curriculum for grades K-12. For school year 2023-2024, the districtwide SEL curriculum to be used by each school is ReTHINK. We will discontinue use of Sown to Grow. Professional Development is being scheduled, scope and sequence is being set, and protocols for implementation are being finalized. ReTHINK has added a weekly check-in component that was part of Sown to Grow.
Any questions can be directed to Elizabeth.bender@slps.org
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Congratulations to Our Newly Minted Graduates
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Let's acknowledge and congratulate the 10 SLPS leaders who earned their doctorate degrees in the 2022-2023 school year!
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Dr. Benecia Nanez-Hunt
Principal - Long International Middle
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| Dr. Brandon Clay
Principal - Carver Elementary School
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Dr. Oluyemisi Folarin
Principal - Herzog Elementary School
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| Dr. Azalia Carter
Assistant Principal - Collegiate High School
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Dr. Larry Robinson
Principal - AESM Middle School
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| Dr. Deborah D'Andrea
AIC - Mann Elementary School
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Dr. Chavon Curry
Assistant Principal - Mason Elementary School
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| Dr. Shaimeka Humphrey
Principal - Peabody Elementary School
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Dr. Julia Kaiser
Principal - Hodgen Tech Academy
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| Dr. Lisa Brown
Principal - Mann Elementary School
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Camp SLPS 2023 will be held from Monday, June 5th through Friday, June 30th at sites across Saint Louis Public Schools (no summer learning on Monday, June 19th in recognition of Juneteenth holiday).
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Professional Development for Staff
Camp SLPS staff must save the date for the following professional development dates leading up to Camp SLPS beginning on Monday, June 5th. Staff are expected to participate in all scheduled professional development:
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- Wednesday, May 31st- Full day district professional development
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Topics and locations by staff member role are available at this link.
- Thursday, June 1st- Site-based professional development (AM) & Classroom preparation time (PM)
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Friday, June 2nd- Classroom preparation time (PM) & Camp SLPS Open House (time established by Summer Site Leader)
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The Camp SLPS staff professional development sessions previously scheduled for after school on Wednesday, May 4th, May 11th, and May 18th have been canceled. This was communicated in the April 13 and April 27 issues of the Academic Newsletter.
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Transportation
We currently have more than 6,300 SLPS students registered for Camp SLPS 2023! Students and families will receive transportation letters during the week of May 15th. Letters will be sent to students’ home schools and the Transportation department will send individual bus letters to parents.
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If there are new summer enrollees after May 10th, schools will need to send the demographic information for the student to slpstrans@slps.org
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Registration for students is now available!
Please register online at https://www.slps.org/summer or use the QR codes below! A list of site assignments is also posted on the SLPS website.
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Curriculum Specialists:
- Dr. Esther Palsenberger, Elementary ELA, 314-779-5939
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Judine Keplar, Secondary ELA, 314-532-6427
- Zehra Khan, Secondary Math, 314-532-3574
- J. Carrie Launius, Elementary Science, 314-934-5258
- Dr. Valentina Bumbu, Secondary Science, 573-544-6835
- Dr. Glenn Barnes, Social Studies, 314-934-5267
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John Grapperhaus, Visual Arts, 314-934-5320
- Kaye Harrelson, Performing Arts, 314-934-5445
- Dr. Taresa Wright-Fraser, Elementary Math, 314-943-5266
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