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Wolf Pack Press - January 7, 2026

  • 21 hours ago
  • 4 min read

Updated: 1 hour ago

Welcome back from Winter Break. And welcome to 2026's first issue of the Wolf Pack Press!




Upcoming Events



  • Friday, January 9 - Family Friday (enjoy coffee and bring a pastry to share in cafeteria after drop-off) 


  • Tuesday, January 13 - Advisory council & SAPSA combined meeting, 5:30 - 6:15 in library.

  • Tuesday, January 13 - Information session about Murray Middle School with Principal MacKenzie. 6:15 - 7:15 in the cafeteria. See info below!

​​
  • Monday, January 19 - NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)



Information Night for Murray


On Tuesday, January 13, there will be an information night about Murray Middle School, hosted by Murray Principal Jamin McKenzie.


This will be held at 6:15 pm in the school cafeteria.

    

Questions can be asked in advance by filling out this form.



Lost & Found Reminder


Here is a short note of desperation from our Lost & Found Coordinator, Anne Schroeder:


HELLO! 


The Lost and Found is officially overflowing!


Please write your student’s last name in permanent marker (or use a sticker label) on ALL THE THINGS! (Extra credit for your phone number.) HOODIES!, snow pants, sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, that other hoodie!, water bottles, long sleeve shirts, scarves, lunch boxes. If they are labeled, we will try to get them back to your student. 


Please take a few moments to check what you have at home to see if anything is missing, ask your student, and check the lost and found when you are in the school. (For drop off, pick up, conferences, etc.) 


The Lost and Found is located at the bottom of the stairs, across from Ms. Cariveau’s room. Instead of taking a left into the cafeteria, take a right down the hallway.


THANK YOU! 



SAPSA Plant Sale Info


Dreaming of spring? The SAPSA Plant Sale Committee is too! They had this information to pass on about the 2026 Plant Sale.


 Hello SAP families! Every spring SAPSA does a big, multi-day Plant Sale fundraiser for school programs (like field trips and artists in residence) and classroom supplies. 


This year’s Plant Sale will be coordinated by Anne Schroeder, Michael Bloyer, and Sarah Clark. We’re excited to tell you about our plans and to invite you to consider helping us. 


There are two ways to buy plants at the SAPSA Plant Sale: 


The ONLINE PRESALE: There will be an online presale running March 19th through April 11th where you can pre-order plants from our Plant Sale website. (To be picked up next to the Langford Park Rec Center tennis courts on Tuesday May 12th.)


The in-person TENT SALE: There will be a traditional, in-person plant sale on Wednesday May 13th and Thursday May 14th next to the playground at the Langford Recreation Center. Look for tables and tents full of beautiful plants ready for your shopping pleasure. 


We are starting now to look for folks to help with this May’s Plant Sale. 


PLANT SALE COMMITTEE: If you would like to be a little bit involved with any of the preparations, we would love for you to join us! You don't need to know anything about plants! Some Plant Sale Committee tasks may include hanging signs in the neighborhood, collecting cardboard for shoppers to use, providing snacks for volunteers, setting up plant displays by the school entrance, etc. Send the quickest, zero pressure "I am intrigued, tell me more!" text to Anne Schroder (612) 719-0272 or email anne.elizabeth.schroeder@gmail.com 


TENT SALE WEEK VOLUNTEERING: In a few months there will be a Sign Up Genius asking for any and all happy helping hands to volunteer at the actual sale. May 12/13/14. 


Thank you! 

~ Plant Sale Committee 



What We Did on Our Holidays


The school guinea pigs, Pancake and Pumpkin, talked to the Wolf Pack Press about their winter break.


Pancake: Well, we went on the road. Or actually our cage did. We just happened to be in the cage...


Pumpkin: We stayed with students!


Pancake: Yes, and it was very different from our Science Room. 


Pumpkin: There was this...


Pancake: Cat. I think they call them cats.


Pumpkin: That looked at us like we were ...


Pancake: Well we were just glad we were inside our cage and the cat was outside!


Pumkin: And we also did some research, on ...


Pancake: Well, on us.


Pumpkin: We mean guinea pigs.


Pancake: Yeah. Like we come from the Andes mountains.


Pumpkin: I mean we, personally, are from Minnesota, but ...


Pancake: Our species is from South America. And we're close relatives of the capybara.


Pumpkin: They're the largest rodents in the world!


Pancake: And domesticated guinea pigs are their own species, but there are other cavies.


Pumpkin: That's what some people call us, cavies.


Pancake: There are other wild cavy species, and they eat grass.


Pumpkin: Yes and they kind of fill the same ecological niche as cattle. Moo!

Pancake: But we domestic guinea pigs started living with people like 6000 years ago. Some ancient cultures, like the Moche, put us in their art.


Pumpkin: Oh, and around 1500 traders brought us to Europe, and we became popular pets there.


Pancake: Yeah. Apparently Queen Elizabeth I owned a guinea pig.


Pumpkin: But anyway, we're happy to be back in the Science Room with Ms. Wilson. There are no cats in the Science Room...


Pancake: Come visit us sometime!


Note from Ms. Wilson: If you are looking for a guinea pig cage, she has a used one in good condition that she can provide for free. Just contact her at jodie.wilson@spps.org.




Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($15/kid, and $20/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.


For existing orders, shirt pickup is moved back to 10/10, not curriculum night as I initially planned.



Have a great break, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 

Wolf Pack Press - December 17, 2025

  • Dec 17, 2025
  • 5 min read

Only a few more days to Winter Break! Note that due to the vacation, there will be no Wolf Pack Press on December 31, and our next issue will be out January 7.




Upcoming Events



  • Friday, December 19 - Spirit Day! (Fancy Day)   


  • Friday, December 19 - Kindergarten Make a Memory Day, 7:45 - 9am.


  • December 22 - January 2 - WINTER BREAK!   


  • Tuesday, January 13 - Information session about Murray Middle School. 5:30 - 6:30 in the library. See below section for details


  • Tuesday, January 13 - SAPSA meeting, 6:30 - 7:30 in library


  • Monday, January 19 - NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)



Volunteers Needed for Read-a-Thon!


The Read-a-Thon is a beloved winter event at SAP, and it is usually SAPSA’s biggest fundraiser, bringing in $17-22K per year! Read-a-Thon season is upon us, and we are looking for a few additional volunteers.


What is the Read-a-Thon? SAP students record their reading times and are sponsored by family, friends, and community members to raise money for the school. They earn raffle tickets and the chance to win prizes, and classrooms win cookie parties if they meet their classroom reading goals. If the school meets the whole school reading goal, the principal will do something outrageous to reward the students!


Volunteering for Read-a-Thon is an incredibly fun and rewarding experience. It’s a fairly intensive but also very time-limited volunteer position. The projected dates of this year’s Read-a-Thon are January 12-23, with the prize assembly on January 29.


SAP parent Sara Shepard, who helped lead the Read-a-Thon for the last 4 years, says that her entire family enjoyed getting involved. She will be available as a resource to the team who takes over this role. While there are clear steps that have been followed for the past few years, there is also space for you to add your own creativity and make it your own, if you’d like!


As a Read-a-Thon volunteer you would be involved in some of the following:

  • Create the theme and materials (posters, stuffies etc.) that go along with it.

  • Set reading goals, based on reading in past years etc.

  • In some years a short video was created introducing Read-a-Thon and the theme and featuring Frost. The video was shown in classrooms to get the kids excited about the reading challenge.

  • Create the Read-a-Thon flyer and the sheet that is handed out to students for recording their pledges and reading progress.

  • Collect reading sheets and donations from the school office. Volunteers count reading minutes by student and classroom. (Lots of counting!)

  • Distribute raffle tickets earned by the students for reading.

  • Be present at the school assembly where the results are revealed and the lucky raffle winners drawn.

  • Arrange for a cookie party or similar reward for classes that meet their goals.


Please reach out to our SAPSA volunteer coordinator Lauren Cox (volunteercorrdinator@sapsamn.org) for more information about volunteering for Read-a-Thon.




Information Night for Murray


On Tuesday, January 13, there will be an information night about Murray Middle School, hosted by Murray Principal Jamin McKenzie.

    

Questions can be asked in advance by filling out this form.


In the Classroom with Ms. Phillips


Congratulations to Ms. Phillips for celebrating her 30th anniversary at St. Paul Schools this year!

Wolf Pack Press editor Joel Van Valin had a few questions about her long adventure at SPPS and SAP Elementary.



WPP: You are a Second Grade teacher now, but have you taught other grades in your career?


Ms. Phillips: I have taught grades 1-6 during my career with the most years being spent in grades 4 and 3. I taught third grade at SAP for 8 years before working as a WINN reading specialist for 1 year and then landing in 2nd grade starting in the 2024-2025 school year.  I think I will spend my final days as a teacher in grade 2 at SAP! 



What is your favorite part of teaching?


There are numerous things I love about teaching! I enjoy meeting a new group of students each year and getting to know them as individuals and learners. I also enjoy meeting their families and working together to best serve their child. I also value the collaborative nature of this job. I work with so many wonderful, funny and supportive educators. I never tire of the exchange of ideas about education and curriculum. Lastly, it is a privilege to work with students whose families come from all over the world. These experiences give educators a world view that is invaluable.



When Ms. Phillips is not having a blast teaching, what does she do for fun?


For fun, I like a balance of quiet and active! I like to spend time at home reading, cooking and watching Netflix. I also like to go to the YMCA, snowshoe in the winter and kayak in the summer. With my family, we like to have movie nights when everyone is home and spend time at a cabin or campsite for a long weekend in the summer.



Did you like school as a kid?


I always liked school as a kid! I especially liked the language arts activities we did in elementary school and humanities classes I took in high school. Of course, I always liked the social part of school, which to this day, I believe is a huge part of education—learning how to connect, respect and collaborate with other people.



Did you know anyone growing up who inspired you to be a teacher?


I did not want to be a teacher as a young person. When I look back now through my teacher lens, I see a few teachers who had qualities of good teachers. They made lessons fun and engaging. There was a common thread of involvement and dedication to the craft.



If you could travel into a book of your choice, which book would it be?


I am a huge fan of the Maud Hart Lovelace "Betsy-Tacy" series.  I have read the series at least 10 times starting when I was in elementary school and used to play "Betsy-Tacy" as a kid. In a way, I feel I travel back to the late 1800's Deep Valley (Mankato), MN whenever I read one of her books!



Wolf Ridge Calendars for Sale



Each year, SAP Elementary 5th graders take an unforgettable trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN.  This 5 day, 4 overnight camp experience builds core memories through outdoor adventures and experiential learning about MN History and the Lake Superior Area.  The cost to attend is $300/student but NO child is turned away for lack of payment. 


One way scholarships are provided is through the sale of calendars featuring Minnesota Wildlife. This year's photographer is Dominique Braud. 


Calendars cost $20  and ALL proceeds go towards funding Wolf Ridge scholarships for 5th grade students. 


Order your Wolf Ridge 2026 calendar by filling out this form:




Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($15/kid, and $20/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.


For existing orders, shirt pickup is moved back to 10/10, not curriculum night as I initially planned.



Have a great break, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 

Wolf Pack Press - December 3, 2025

  • Dec 3, 2025
  • 4 min read

Updated: Dec 5, 2025

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday. Now Winter Break is only a few weeks away!


Upcoming Events



​​​​​​​​

  • ​​Tuesday, December 9 - Advisory Council (5:30-6:30)  & SAPSA Meeting (6:30-7:30) in library

​​

  • Friday, December 12 - Family Friday (enjoy coffee and bring a pastry to share in cafeteria after drop-off)   


  • Saturday, December 13 - School Choice Fair. 9:30-2pm at the River Centre

​​

  • December 22 - January 2 - WINTER BREAK!   




School Choice Fair


The School Choice Fair will be held on Saturday, December 13, 9:30-2pm at River Centre. We are looking for two or three volunteers to represent SAP Elementary. If you are interested, sign up HERE!



Art Adventure Is Another Masterpiece


If you see 2nd - 5th grade students coming home with an amazing sculpture, painting or frieze, odds are that it was created as part of Art Adventure.


Ms. Lee's class at the end of an Art Adventure class
Ms. Lee's class at the end of an Art Adventure class

This is a program organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art and masterminded by SAP parent Sarah Langford. The MIA sends reproductions or photos of six works in the museum. Inspired by them, students create their own works as part of their Performing Arts curriculum. This year we've had:


  • Soap carvings inspired by the Jade Mountain sculpture.

  • Construction paper friezes inspired by a Malagan frieze from Papua New Guinea

  • Sculptures inspired by Picasso's bronze Baboon and Young and William Edmundson's limestone Ram

  • Painting inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's Pedernal - From the Ranch #1 and Junius Brutus Stearns' A Fishing Party Off Long Island


Each class is presented the piece of art and then given the rest of the hour to work on their own masterpiece, with art projects designed by SAP parent Todd Balthazor. Todd's creative genius has really helped the kids' creativity SOAR! 


Most classes are taught by volunteer parents who do some training or research on the art. After volunteering with my wife Lisa, I must say this is a wonderful opportunity to actually "teach" your child's class ... well, you know, with Ms. Brandvik beside you to keep chaos in check. The kids love seeing new faces and have a thousand ideas about their own piece of art. See the Gallery section below for some standout examples!


Malagan Frieze examples with some Papua New Guinea artwork Ms. Brandvik brought from home
Malagan Frieze examples with some Papua New Guinea artwork Ms. Brandvik brought from home

Art Adventure runs through mid-December, and students will create their own "museum" with their works of art. Then early next year each class will take a field trip to the MIA to see their inspirations in person. Roadtrip anyone!?


Visual arts were dropped from the SAP specialist rotation in the 2024-25 school year due to budget constraints. But thanks to the volunteers, Ms. Brandvik, and the MIA, visual arts are now back in the classroom at SAP Elementary! And thanks to you all for your generous donations to SAPSA, which pays for the Art Adventure field trip buses and art supplies.



Gallery


Below are some examples of art created in the Art Adventure program. However we hope to keep a semi-regular "Gallery" feature in the Wolf Pack Press featuring student art. Send your child's art or writing to communications@sapsamn.org!






The Student Directory Is Here!


Your student should have recently brought home the SAP Elementary 2025-26 Student Directory. Stop by the office if you need an additional copy.

    

Thanks to everyone who made the directory possible, as well as our sponsors (Life Inspired Fitness Training, Pletschers' Greenhouses, Dolly Langer at Edina Realty, and Courtney Law Office). Special kudos to Lea Chittenden for organizing it!






Wolf Ridge Calendars for Sale



Each year, SAP Elementary 5th graders take an unforgettable trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN.  This 5 day, 4 overnight camp experience builds core memories through outdoor adventures and experiential learning about MN History and the Lake Superior Area.  The cost to attend is $300/student but NO child is turned away for lack of payment. 


One way scholarships are provided is through the sale of calendars featuring Minnesota Wildlife. This year's photographer is Dominique Braud. 


Calendars cost $20  and ALL proceeds go towards funding Wolf Ridge scholarships for 5th grade students. 


Order your Wolf Ridge 2026 calendar by filling out this form:




Library Helper


Mr. Watson, our Library and Materials Management EA, would greatly appreciate help with reshelving books for an hour during the school week.


To sign up as a library helper, click HERE .




Spirit Wear


Rep your favorite elementary school! T-shirts ($15/kid, and $20/adult) and school signs ($10) are available for pre-order now. Email president@sapsamn.org for preorders. Or, look for in-person sales at school events.


For existing orders, shirt pickup is moved back to 10/10, not curriculum night as I initially planned.



Have a great week, Wolf Pack!

If you have suggestions for content or questions about anything in the Wolf Pack Press, please reach out to Joel Van Valin at communications@sapsamn.org

 
 
 
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