Speaker 1: ♪♪ ♪♪ The school enrollment process is as easy as one, two, three. First, you can explore your school options to find the best fit for your student. Your options will include your community school and citywide magnets. Second, you can request up to three schools, either through our online request portal or with a paper request form. To have the best chance of getting a spot at your first requested school, you'll want to be sure to submit your request by the due date for our first round of school placements. And third, you register with your school. You can complete this online or in person after you receive your school placement notification. Now, let's cover more details about each step. Step one, exploring your school options. Finding the right school for your student can feel overwhelming, but just know that we have tools to guide you along each step of the way. Of course, we have our Explore MPS website that has a lot of information about our schools. If you prefer to look at the website in one of our other main languages, you can do so using the translation feature here. On our website, you'll find our Explore school guide that provides the essential information that you need all in one place. This is a good place to start to get a sense of what you need to know about the school request process. Once you've reviewed the school guide, use the school finder, which is exactly what it sounds like. It helps families find the school options available based on the home address. When you visit the MPS Explore website, the first thing you'll see is a big blue box at the top of the page. This is where you fill in your home address, including the city and zip code. Then just enter your child's grade level. For example, if you're looking for a pre-kindergarten program for your child who will be four years old by September 1st, you would select high five. Then simply click find your school button and you'll see all the locations available to you for high five. Now let's look at an example for a student entering Minneapolis Public Schools as an incoming senior. Just like before, you would enter your home address, but this time select grade seven. Now you'll see that your community school, in this case your community middle school, comes up as an option along with several citywide magnet options. Your community school is just what the name suggests. It's the school that specifically serves your community and neighborhood. Students who live in the attendance area for their community school but live outside its walk zone will be eligible for bus transportation. And magnets are what that name suggests. They draw students from many parts of the city and have a focused theme of instruction that appeals to students' interests and ways of learning. For any of your options to find out more about each school, click on view school to learn more. You can see where the school is located and what the start and end times are for the school. And you can find more details about the school program. You'll also see what the middle and high school pathway options are for the school. So those are the highlights of the school finder and how it can help you in your school enrollment process. But just know that if you're still not sure which option is best for your student, consider using our school matchmaker tool that asks questions to help you identify which features of a school are most important for you and your student, such as magnet theme, start time, or location. Another important step to finding the right school for your student is to visit the schools that are listed as your options. Schools provide both in-person and virtual open houses during the school request season so you can meet school staff and get a good feel for the program and school community to see if this is a best fit for your student and family. To find out when the schools you're interested in are holding a school request, please contact the school or visit their website. And don't forget that the Explore MPS website is filled with information, including a timeline of the key dates that are important to keep in mind. Now, step two, requesting a school. Once you know which schools you want to request, you're ready to complete and submit your school request form to let us know your top one, two, or three school choices for next year. Because there are a limited number of seats at each school, it's best to list more than one school in case your top choice fills up. If you're requesting your community school as your top choice, you don't need to list additional schools. But if you're putting a magnet school first or two magnets as your first and second choices, we recommend that you be sure to list your community school as well. And be sure to verify all the information you've entered is correct before submitting the form. In some cases, you may be asked for proof of address. And if you need more time to think, you can come back later. Just make sure to submit your request by the due date, February 7, 2022. Step three, registering with your school. After you've made your school request, you'll receive a school placement notification in early March to let you know which school your student will be enrolled in. Your placement notification will let you know the name, address, and phone number of your child's school for the 22-23 school year and will explain next steps for completing school registration and participating in welcome events at your new school. To finish the enrollment process, it's very important to complete school registration as early as possible so your child's new school can start planning to welcome your child. Your new school will have some additional forms to fill out. Please be prepared to provide the following. Documentation of your child's name and birth date, your child's immunization record, and your child's early childhood screening summary. If your child is starting MPS for the first time and is requesting high five or kindergarten. Then in late summer, your school will have an open house where you can meet other families and your child can meet other students, the principal, their teachers, and other staff. If your child qualifies for transportation, you'll receive a notice in August letting you know your child's bus stop and the pick-up and drop-off times. One last thing to remember is that it's very important to make sure your school has your most current contact information, including your home address, phone number, e-mail, and emergency contact information. If any of this information changes from the time you register with your school, please contact your school as soon as you can to give them the latest information. This will help make sure your child's bus and other important services are all set for the first day of school. I hope this was helpful. I know this is a lot of information to remember, but please know that our friendly student enrollment staff are here to help you every step of the way. ♪♪♪