Start of School 

Grades 1-5
First day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 2

Kindergarten Information
Alice Smith's Kindergarten Visiting Day is Tuesday, September 2, 10-11 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Parents or guardians will join their child with the kindergarten team for a brief overview presentation and Q & A. You will learn important information for the school year and you will go home with your child after Visiting Day.

The first full day of kindergarten will be on Wednesday, September 3.

 

 Start/End Times

 

Alice Smith will start at 9:33 a.m. and end at 4:03 p.m.

 

 Supply Lists

 

Supply List

Do you need support for collecting school supplies? 
ResourceWest provides school supplies to help students start the school year strong. Their Back-to-School program offers a new backpack filled with basic, grade-specific school supplies to registered K-12 students.

For more information about how to register or donate, visit the ResourceWest website.

 

 Calendars

 Nutrition

 

The Free School Meals Program was signed into law in the spring of 2023. This state-funded program allows us to provide meals at no cost to all students.

The Free School Meals Program offers one free breakfast and one free lunch to each student every school day.

Additional food items will require payment. See rates below:

Second Student Meal: $5.25

Extra Milk: $0.60

Extra Student Entree: $3.30

Extra Fruit or Vegetables: $0.75

Students must have money in their accounts to purchase any additional items.

Complete your Educational Benefits Application today:

It is very important that all families continue to complete and submit meal benefit applications for educational benefits.

School funding is impacted by our free and reduced price eligibility, so it’s important this number is as accurate as possible. In addition, students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Download an application for meal benefits at HopkinsSchools.org/nutrition or call Nutrition Services at 952-988-4060.

Breakfast & Lunch Menus  Special Diet Request Form  Free Meal Benefit Application

 Transportation

 

All general education families who are assigned a bus will receive their bus route information on August 22 by email. Please know, at this time, you are not able to look up transportation information in Infinite Campus. We are using a new routing software and are working through integration complexities. We expect to have this resolved soon, but for now, please refer to your emails for your routing details.

If you have questions, please email schoolbus@hopkinsschools.org. We will get back to you as quickly as possible, but due to back-to-school routing our response may be delayed.

  Visit the transportation webpage for more information. 

Safety Patrol 

Hopkins Public Schools is working to address safety concerns regarding the newly implemented transportation plan, to include a focus on students who may walk to school.

For Alice Smith and Eisenhower Elementary, we understand that crossing MN Highway 7 & 12th Avenue may pose safety concerns.In collaboration with the Hopkins Police Department and the Hopkins Fire Department, school safety teams have developed a Safety Patrol System to address these concerns.

The Safety Patrol System consists of a Safe to School Liaison and designated staff to assist in the directing and escorting of students through crosswalks, while monitoring traffic with the use of signs and signals. Safety Patrol Staff will be present at both ends of the crosswalk, before and after normal school hours.

Arrival

• Students can begin entering the building at 9:15
• No adults are allowed into the building unless they have a scheduled meeting, or their child has accommodations on their IEP that indicates a different need
• Multiple child households should DROP OFF at the youngest siblings drop off zone

Dismissal

• Multiple child households should PICK UP at the youngest siblings pick up zone
• Parents picking up early should check their student out before 3:30, or may be asked to wait until dismissal due to class schedules. Please plan ahead to help out our front office staff. Dismissal is a busy time.

Kindergarten Drop Off and Pick Up

For the last four years, we have been very fortunate to be able to use Gethsemane Road & the Gethsemane Church Parking spots as our Drop off & Pick Up location for our Kinders. This has been a great new practice for our school because it allows for Kinder families to accompany their kids and personally drop off or pick up.

In order to maintain a positive relationship with our neighbors, PLEASE abide by the following expectations:

1. Use Gethsemane Road as the main road to and from pick up. Cutting across the Chapel View Health Care Center main entrance or parking in their parking lot is creating a lot of stress and could revoke this privilege for our school
2. IF you want to park and walk your kinder to the Kinder Drop Off zone, PLEASE park in the Gethsemane Church Parking Stalls and NOT on the road blocking traffic or in Chapel View's parking lot.
3. SLOW DOWN when driving on Gethsemane Road! We have so many excited kids that dart through the line of cars and I don't want anyone to get hurt!

If we can collectively be great neighbors, show patience during these busy times, we should make this year FUN and SAFE for our Kinders and their families

 Attendance

 

If your child is ill or will not be in school for other reasons, please fill out our attendance form or call the absentee number at 952-988-4210.

Leave the following information: student's name, teacher's name, and reason for absentee or tardy. If your child will be absent due to travel or for some reason other than illness, please contact the school for instructional activities.

Attendance Form

 

Before/After School Care

 

Kids & Company is Hopkins Public Schools' before- and after-school and summer care program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. A fee-based program, Kids & Company is offered in each of the District's six elementary schools.

At this time Kids & Company is at full capacity for the 2025-26 school year.

Our Kids & Company Management Team meets weekly to review staffing levels to accommodate contract requests. As soon as we have sufficient staff to safely and satisfactorily accommodate more children, we will begin accepting additional contracts from the waitlist.

If you have a contract on the waitlist, you will be notified by email when your contract is has been accepted. You can continue to monitor your placement on the Kids & Company Placement Dashboard.

We are encouraging all families to explore additional childcare options as there is no guarantee of placement before the school year starts. You can visit Hopkins Community Education Youth Enrichment for before and after school classes.

Kids & Company

 

Policies & Legal Notices

 

NEW - Parent Visitor Policy
Due to recent district changes in our safety protocols, we are no longer allowing adults to be inside the building unless they are here for a pre-scheduled meeting with a staff member. Parents are not to be dropping students off at their classroom teachers door. See arrival procedures below.

NEW - Cell Phone and Smart Device Use Policy
Students are not allowed to use cell phones or smart watches from the time they enter the building at 9:15 a.m. until dismissal at 4:03 p.m. All devices should be put away during this time.If a student does not put a device away when asked, the adult will collect it, and the student will receive it back at the end of the day. If a student has a second incident, the device will be brought to the office, and a parent or caregiver will need to come in to retrieve it. Thank you for supporting a focused and respectful learning environment.

All school policies are available in each school office, from the District’s Administrative Office, and on our website.

Policies

 

Communication Systems

 

Canvas Learning Management System
Canvas is our District-wide learning management system. Using Canvas, teachers can collaborate to build world-class, student-centered experiences delivered in person, distance, or hybrid. Canvas allows each student’s learning to be in one central place. In addition, parents are able to observe and access their child’s classroom experience.

All parents and caregivers should create a Canvas Observer Account (parent account). 

Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Parents and guardians can access attendance, schedule, fees, and final grade reports in their Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you have not logged in for a while, this is a great time to check your contact information and to verify that your census and ethnicity information is up to date. If you have a student attending North Middle School or West Middle School, you will also use the parent portal to view assignment scores. If you do not have an account, you can request an account on our website.

Hopkins Technology, Media, and Information Services
Hopkins Technology Service Desk:  952-988-4111. Calls are answered every school day from 7 a.m.- 4 p.m. 
Hopkins scholars interact with digital tools daily as a part of their academic experience. At Hopkins, technology is used collaboratively in an engaging way that brings ideas, perspectives, and new learning to every learner. Hopkins staff are supported by highly skilled technical staff who keep the focus not on the tool but on the outcomes that it can help achieve. Learn more at our website: HopkinsSchools.org/technology. 

School Closings, Emergencies, and eLearning DaysOur email notification system will be used to inform you about unexpected delays, school closings, or a need to shift to eLearning. We will also post this information on our website (HopkinsSchools.org), social media, and television stations such as WCCO TV (Channel 4), KSTP TV (Channel 5), KMSP TV (Channel 9), and KARE (Channel 11). An announcement will be sent as early as 5:30 a.m. when a school needs to close, start late or shift to eLearning. Early dismissal from school in session will be announced approximately one hour before dismissal.

Translations/Interpreters Hopkins offers translation and interpreter services for families whose primary language is not English. Please contact your school if you need support.