CPA Tiger Talk

Just a reminder: There is no school on Monday February 21 in honor of Presidents' Day. Enjoy your day off! Thursday February 24 will be an early release day. Dismissal will be at 1pm.

CPA is currently accepting enrollment applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Currently enrolled students do not need to reapply, but you do need to turn in your Intent to Return Form so we save your seat.

If you have any family or friends who are looking to join a new school community, please encourage them to apply and send them this link! Thanks for your support.

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them."

~Marcus Aurelius

Our lives are filled with challenges that make it difficult to be positive sometimes; it happens to everyone.

Choosing to look for the positive and to stay positive are some of the greatest tools we have during times in which we struggle the most. Where there is dark, there is also light. Where there are wrongs, there are rights, a positive to every negative. Search for the possibilities and dwell in the beauty that is all around.

We are all under the same stars together. It's in how we choose to perceive what we are seeing that determines how we react to life's challenges.

Monday February 21: No School in honor of Presidents' Day

Tuesday February 22: Free COVID Vaccine Clinic at CPA for age 5 and up, 3:30-6:30pm in the cafeteria. Enter Door A. (see below)

Thursday February 24: All School Blackout in recognition of Black History Month (see below)

Thursday February 24: Early Release Day; dismissal at 1pm

Friday February 25: High School Dance, 5:30-8pm (see below)

Thursday March 10: No School for PreK-4th Grade due to Elementary Conferences

Make sure you are following CPA on social media to see all the amazing things that are happening at our school!

Follow CPATigers on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to Rusty the CPA Tiger on Youtube!

This year, high school seniors Tia, Tamia, Mikaria, Essance, Johnavia, and Kyra are working together to found a Black Student Union at CPA. All seniors at CPA participate in Legacy Projects each year, where students work to leave a lasting positive impact on the school community. These leaders chose to create a platform to support Black students at CPA.

The group has many goals for the Black Student union. They want to empower Black voices, normalize being outspoken and strong Black women, build community among Black students, work on conflict resolution among Black students, advocate for effective Black teachers and staff members, serve as role models for underclassmen, and create a school culture where all students are respected. Simply put: they want to help Black kids feel good about being Black.

The BSU leaders are meeting regularly to make plans for what the CPA BSU should look like and how it should operate. They will be recruiting junior class members to take over leadership of the group for next year, and they plan to recruit members throughout the high school and have weekly meetings. The primary focus will be creating a space to have conversations about the issues that are important to them--and normalizing these kinds of conversations.

Thanks to these strong young women for their leadership and for the impactful legacy they will be leaving behind when they graduate this spring!

On Thursday, February 24, all students and staff are invited to wear all black clothing as a showing of solidarity and support for the mission of Black Lives Matter at School. Students are expected to follow the free dress guidelines found in the family handbook for any black clothing items they wear as part of the Blackout Day.

This is not a free dress day--students not participating in the blackout should come to school in uniform. If you have any questions, please contact Kenan Moore, CPA's African American Community Engagement Specialist, at 651-280-4527 or kenanm@cpapk12.org.

CPA students are invited to submit t-shirt designs for the CPA Walk/Run!

T-shirt designs can be digital or drawn by hand. If you use any clip art, be sure it is not copyrighted. The design will only be on one side of the t-shirt, and it can only have 1 or two colors in the design. Try to include the words "Walk/Run" "CPA (or Community of Peace Academy)" and "2022" in your design.

All design entries must be turned in to the nurse's office by Monday, February 28. The creator of the winning design will receive a free t-shirt and a $10 Target gift card. Contact the school nurse Judy Thompson with any questions.

Light up the night is CPA's annual fundraiser. This year, the event will include an online auction from March 16-March 26, as well as a live virtual gathering on March 26 over Zoom. Mark your calendars--we would love to have you join us! More details will follow as the event approaches.

CPA is currently preparing for our annual fundraiser, Light Up the Night, and we could use your help!

Do you have a connection to a local business that would be willing to donate an item to our online auction? Are you interested in donating a gift basket or other item for the online auction? Maybe you are even interested in getting involved with the committee that is planning the event! If any of these are true for you, please contact Sadie Fischer at sadief@cpapk12.org or 651-280-4564. Your support is greatly appreciated!

CPA families: have you heard there is a new government program that will mail 4 free COVID tests to every household? In order to receive your 4 free COVID tests, you must order them!

Please visit covidtests.gov to order your tests--it's very easy, and it only takes a minute.

The tests are entirely free, and there is no shipping cost. It takes about 7-12 days before the tests will be shipped, so order now before you need them!

Thanks for helping us keep stop the spread of COVID in our community.

Wearing a high-quality mask helps limit the spread of COVID-19, including variants like Omicron.

Ramsey County's A Mask for Everyone program is an initiative to ensure that individuals and families in Ramsey County have access to free masks to reduce transmission of COVID-19, accurate information about the importance of wearing a mask, and instructions on proper use of masks.

Together, we want to help protect our residents and keep our communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to request free adult or youth KN95 masks (for those under 7 years old). You can request up to 5 per person, limit 20 per household.

We are excited to announce that CPA will be starting a partnership with Every Meal. Through this program, CPA families can register each enrolled child to receive a bag of food to take home each week. This program is entirely free and is open to anyone who is interested. We expect this program to be up and running later this winter.

There are 5 types of food bags available to suit your dietary preferences. On the registration form, you can see the kinds of food each bag contains and choose your preference.

Register here! We apologize that the link did not work in the previous Tiger Talk--it will work now. If you have any questions, please contact Chelle York (651-280-4509) or Sadie Fischer (651-280-4564).

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is a temporary food benefit available to Minnesota families with children who would have received free or reduced-price meals if schools were open. This is a support for families when schools shift to distance learning, or when a student misses school due to COVID.

Click here to learn more about this benefit.

CPA will be hosting several free COVID Vaccine Clinic for ages 5+, and you and your family are encouraged to attend. Below is a list of upcoming COVID Vaccine Clinics at CPA that will be open to age 5 and older:

• Tuesday, February 22, 3:30-6:30pm
• Tuesday, March 15, 3:30-6:30pm
• Tuesday, April 12, 3:30-6:30pm
• Tuesday, May 3, 3:30-6:30pm
• Tuesday, May 24, 3:30-6:30pm
• Tuesday, June 14, 3:30-6:30pm

The COVID Vaccine is free, and these clinics are open to the public. Pfizer and Moderna boosters are also available for those who are eligible. Participants should enter CPA through Door A on Magnolia and wear a mask.

Click here to read the COVID Vaccine Letter that was sent home with PreK-6th grade students on Friday November 5, which contains additional vaccine resources.

Are you a renter who has fallen behind on rent due to COVID?

Ramsey County and the City of Saint Paul have teamed up to create the Saint Paul - Ramsey County Rent Assistance Program, a new tenant assistance program for Ramsey County renters struggling to pay rent due to the financial burdens of COVID. Eligible renters include households that earned 80% or less of area median income in 2020, or in the most recent month.

Click here to learn more or to apply!

This newsletter can be auto-translated using the buttons on the top right of the page.

If you prefer, our liaisons will be happy to translate or explain any announcements in Tiger Talk or answer any questions you have about CPA. Contact Maikao Lee at 651-280-4545 (Hmong), Mariana Majil at 651-289-3742 (Spanish), or Paw Nay Bu at 651-280-4591 (Karen) for support.

Teaching Peace. Building Community. Developing Character.

Email: connect@cpapk12.org
Website: cpapk12.org
Location: 471 Magnolia Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-776-5151
Facebook: facebook.com/CPATigers