FFA Halloween costume contest winners 2020

The FFA members chose the winners today.

Submitted by Ms. Andrea Nthole

1st place Anaya W.

2nd place Fatima L.

3rd place Ashok P.

The Top performer winner is from Humboldt High School in St. Paul, MN.

See who fans voted as the to performer from Sept. 14-19.

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine

Joe Deuitch, St. Paul Humboldt. The senior midfielder played the part of playmaker in the Governor's’ 10-0 rout of St. Paul Johnson on Sept. 17. Deuitch tallied five assists along with his first goal of the season, leading the Governors. Deuitch leads the state with 13 assists this season, based on stats submitted to the MN Soccer Hub.

Read the full article here from the MN Soccer Club. 

The U.S. has a “racial tech gap” problem, Deutsche Bank study shows

By David Brancaccio, Candace Manriquez Wrenn, and Daniel Shin (Sep 18, 2020)

The economic disparity between minorities and white Americans has manifested itself in a variety of ways, such as gaps in employee diversity, wages and minority-owned businesses.

A new study from Deutsche Bank shows Black and Hispanic Americans are also experiencing a “racial tech gap,” which could threaten their future ability to gain meaningful employment and grow wealth in a digitized economy, according to Deutsche Bank Global Technology Strategist Apjit Walia.

“The staggering divide in the numbers we found was when it came to race, especially in urban areas, with Black and Hispanic communities 10 years behind the white community for the last 20 years,” Walia told “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio.

Read more here. 

A First Week Unlike Any Other

The first week of school feels a little different this year. For me, there's nothing like the exhilaration of a new school year. So many possibilities, so many new opportunities - and so many new faces! This week, we begin a new year in a new way. For most of you, your connections will be through distance learning. Others will resume their commitment to serving children in childcare settings or delivering meals to families throughout our community.

No matter your role at SPPS, I want you to know your work is important and you are valued.

I will never forget putting the key in the door of my first classroom. There was extra excitement because it was my former classroom as a student in the same school. I had wonderful mentors and colleagues, shared stories of success and failures, but what I enjoyed most was how my students truly brought room H6 to life. Each class was a community, made up of students with different talents and interests, personalities and life stories. 

You have likely heard or read me espousing the importance of working together in all that we do. In an organization of our size, it can feel daunting. As for our work assignments, we represent different schools, departments, grade levels, content areas, languages spoken, specialized services. Each of us also possess rich and unique backgrounds and histories. My plea is that you recommit to working together, not because it sounds like the right thing to say. More importantly, our success as a district depends on it.

I am calling on you to create the time and structure for relationships, our family pulse surveys overwhelmingly indicated this was the greatest concern. I know you will all do a great job welcoming students back.

Finally, I would like to take this time to restate and reframe a previous message I sent. Earlier this week, I referenced joint language in our ongoing collaborative work. A portion of the statement read, “...agree to maintain learning equity for our students during this time.” I received and read my statement just as you did. I failed in articulating my beliefs about my commitment to equity. The word maintain may very well assume that our past and current system supports an equitable experience for students, staff and families. I do not believe this for a minute. I apologize for this poor attempt at framing my beliefs about equity. The call for equity means that we hold ourselves accountable for ensuring the same high level of expectations for all students, and that we create whatever support is necessary to ensure access and success.     

I am grateful to be your colleague and join you in being a proud member of Team SPPS.

 

In partnership,

Joe Gothard, Superintendent