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Dear Parents and Friends of Humboldt Senior High:

Welcome to Humboldt Senior High School!  We look forward to educating your child and we will continue to work to ensure a quality education in our school.  Please come to our orientation on Thursday August 28^th from 2:30-6:00 PM.  Students will have an opportunity to drop in and get their class schedules, locker information, bus schedules, lunch PIN, student ID cards, athletics and other program information.  Pizza will be served at 5:00 and an orientation will occur from 4:00-4:45 PM.  Please plan on attending.

Humboldt Junior and Senior High School are growing into environmental studies/college and career prep focus.  We will be expanding our focus toward environment, recognizing we have finite resources and our need to be efficient.  We are expanding our college and career focus; we’ve graduated our first AVID class and will continue to expand AVID strategies throughout the curriculum.  We also have filled ten more student internships with local businesses and expect this growth to continue!  If you child isn’t involved in college access program, such as GEAR UP, Admission Possible, Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search or AVID, contact a guidance counselor today at 293-8604

We are having a College Access Open House on Monday September 8th 5:30-7:00 PM.  Dinner is served 5:30-6:00 PM, program and presentations, 6:00-7:00 PM.  Come learn about the various programs and services Humboldt has to offer.

New this year!  All SPPS High Schools have switched to a quarter system.  Humboldt Senior High School will continue to have a six period day with a daily advisory, however we will now have only one progress report per quarter and one formal parent teacher conference night per quarter.  The quarter system moves quickly.  Please keep on top of your students’ progress through the district’s Parent Portal at:  https://ereport.spps.org/campus/portal/stpaul.jsp  I expect grades to be updated using this system, please let me know if you experience a problem.

We also had the following programmatic and staffing changes:

·            The Special Education Program for Social Development, serving 9^th-12^th grade Humboldt Senior High School students labeled E/BD was moved to Highland Park Senior High;

·            The special education Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program, serving 9^th-12^th grade Highland Park Senior High School students was moved to Humboldt Senior High School;

·            Welcome Terry Schommer, DHH teacher, Mariam Hausladen, social worker, Andrea Candlin, speech therapist, Diana van Deusen, audiologist, who came to us from Highland Park Senior High and District programs;

·            We will be replacing Chris Thiers, Highland Park Senior DHH teacher who recently resigned and was moving to Humboldt with the program move;

·            Mr. Jim Clasen, special education EBD teacher, retired; his position moved to Highland with the program move;

·            Ms. Charity Rogers, DHH teacher, is replacing Mary Schultz, who retired;

·            Ms. Kari Johnson, math teacher, was hired new to Humboldt replaced Jan Severson, who retired;

·            Mr. Michael Bednar, adaptive physical education teacher, transfer from Arlington replaced Jan Tiller who retired;

·            Ms. Betsy Daub, science teacher, was hired to replace David Rezny who accepted a position closer to his home;

·            Ms. Kristin Kusche, instrumental music teacher, was hired to replace Aaron Perrine who accepted a position closer to his home;

·            We will be hiring a curriculum coach to replace Ashley Cannaday who accepted a position as the district gifted and talented curriculum coach;

·            Ms. Mai Xie, English teacher, resigned from SPPS, her position will not be filled until second semester.

Please welcome new students and staff to the Humboldt family and best wishes to the students, staff and programs which past through our doors!

Humboldt Senior High did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), as measured by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments-II (MCA-II).  Our 10^th and 11^th graders were not proficient on the math and reading portions of the MCA-IIs.  Our students test scores increased by 4% in reading and increased by 5% in math, however, these growths did not meet AYP.  Humboldt staff are examining data and developing curriculum to best meet our students’ needs.  Humboldt receives federal Title I funds because more than 75% of our students qualify for free/reduced lunch, we are therefore subject to state and federal sanctions.  Schools not making AYP, but not receiving Title I funds are not subject to state or federal sanctions.  We are using what worked last year and focus and expand on it.  One of our “sanctions” is “Supplemental Educational Services” or free tutoring with several for-profit tutoring agencies if your child qualifies for free or reduced lunch.  Please take advantage of this “sanction”!    You should have received a letter from the District offering you the opportunity to transfer to another high school and also information about these tutoring services.  Maintain your faith that our current upward trend will continue.  We are definitely on the upward swing and I want you and your child to take advantage of our renaissance.

Finally, for those of you who don’t know me, I’ve taught students with emotional/behavioral disorders in Saint Paul and surrounding suburbs for eight years and was an administrative intern for one year at Highland Senior, became the assistant principal at Humboldt Senior in 2002, acting principal in February 2005, and principal since 2007.  I enjoy fishing, biking and catching a movie with my wife of ten years.  I have high expectations for myself and Humboldt is part of me; and I am driven to succeed.  I look forward to working with you and your child. 

Please recognize we are focusing on our successful interventions.  We are embracing the “sanctions” of free tutoring services to students who qualify for free/reduced lunch, to address our MCA-II scores.  We want you involved in addressing your child’s needs and we want you all to remain part of the Humboldt family.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 651.293.8600 ext. 1017

Sincerely,

Mike Sodomka

Principal

UPCOMING EVENTS

Open House & Orientation                                   Thursday August 28, 2:30-6:00 PM

First Day of School:                                           Tuesday September 2 @ 7:30 AM

College Access Family Night:                           September 8 dinner @ 5:30 PM, presentations @ 6:00-7:00 PM

Underclass Picture Day:                                      September 19^th

Senior Pictures:                                                  Contact Photographer’s Guild at 651-646-3239

First Quarter Report mailed:                                 September 30th

Early Release Day:                                              Wednesday September 24 @ 12:00 noon

Homecoming Week:                                            Monday-Friday, October 6 through October 10

Homecoming Game:                                           Friday, October 10, at 3:30 PM vs Central

Homecoming Dance:                                           Friday, October 12, from 7-10 PM (Door close @ 8PM sharp)

Parent Conferences:                                        October 7^th  4:00-7:00 PM

Picture Re-take                                                  October 24^th

Early Release Day:                                              October 29^th @ 12:00 noon

End of First Quarter:                                           November 6^th

Professional Day/No School:                               November 7^th

Second Quarter Begins:                                       November 10^th

First Quarter Final Grades Mailed:                        November 13^th

Parent Teacher Organization Meetings:                 1st meeting August 25 then 1^st Monday of the month, all 5:45-6:45 PM

Site Council Meetings:                                         2^nd Monday of the month, 6:00-8:00 PM, beginning Sept. 10^th

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