The Ethnic Studies Working Group Application for MDE is now open. Applications will close on March 22, 2024. MDE is seeking:

• Teachers with experience teaching Ethnic Studies to students in kindergarten to grade 8
• Parents or guardians of public kindergarten through grade 12 students
• Ethnic Studies high school teachers
• School board members or school administrators (including curriculum directors or directors of teaching and learning)
• Minnesota-based college-level faculty experts in Ethnic Studies and community members with a demonstrated commitment to Ethnic Studies or education about Minnesota’s racial, ethnic, religious, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or cultural diversity

Please read the Ethnic Studies Working Group Assumptions for Adults.

Additionally, MDE is seeking public school students in grades 11 and 12 during either the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 school year. Before applying, students should read the Ethnic Studies Working Group Student Assumptions and complete the separate student application. All student application materials should be sent in a single email to mde.academic-standards@state.mn.us with the subject line Ethnic Studies Working Group Student Application.

Applicants must agree to the assumptions and the timeline and be available for all meetings from April 2024 through October 2024. In addition to the scheduled full group meetings, additional small group meetings may be scheduled to draft pieces of the guidance between meetings. Please read the Ethnic Studies Working Group Assumptions before completing the application.

Sincerely,

The School Board has approved the 2025-2026 school calendar.

Thanks to the generous donation from Hormel Foods and Jim & Tammy Snee, Austin High School now boasts three modern food service carts. These new carts, sporting an upgraded design, are bigger than their predecessors. This means we can now offer a wider variety of fresh and nutritious breakfast options to our students. More choices lead to increased participation, allowing students to enjoy more of their favorite breakfast items each day.

Currently, we’re serving hundreds of breakfasts daily at AHS, and this number is on the rise each week. It’s fantastic to witness a steady increase in student involvement in our breakfast program, a trend we haven’t seen in years. We’re optimistic that we’ll continue to see more students opting for school breakfasts each week!

Here in Austin, our goal is to Inspire, Empower, and Accelerate our students as we prepare them to make a difference in the world. We know that this lofty goal is only attainable through the tireless efforts of innumerable people. Today, on Minnesota School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, we’d like to take the opportunity to honor our bus drivers, without whom our students would have a much more difficult time getting to school.

So, please take a moment to thank a bus driver today. Their tireless efforts, genuine caring, and nerves of steel have a direct impact on many of our students and, by extension, each of us.

Congratulations to Southgate Elementary School Instructional Coach Christy Halsey on being named the interim Dean of Students at Woodson Kindergarten Center. Christy’s years of experience working with young learners made her a natural choice to step into this new role.

“We are thrilled to have Ms. Halsey join the team at Woodson this spring,” says Woodson Kindergarten Center Site Administrator Jen Lawhead. “Her wealth of experience will be a wonderful support for staff and students as we finish an amazing school year.”

Ms. Halsey is "excited for this opportunity to support the Woodson community in Ms. Baker's absence. Participating in the wonderful learning experiences and daily operations of the kindergarten center will be valuable as we transition into K-4 buildings next year."

Christy will be taking over for current Dean of Students Michelle Baker who will be out on maternity leave for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year.

Congratulations again to Austin's Joee Winter, Chris Gogolewski, and Emily Hovland on being nominated for the 2023-2024 Southeast Service Cooperative STEM Forward Outstanding Educator Award and to Emily on being named the winner.

"Being nominated for an award like this is an honor for our school and the STEM work and learning we all are embracing," says IJ Holton Intermediate School Project Lead the Way teacher Chris Gogolewski. "STEM allows students to think freely in their world and come to a learning that fits their personality as well as the world they know and live in."

STEM Forward is a collaborative group of southeast Minnesota K-12 school districts, post-secondary partners, and community businesses, IBM, Mayo Clinic, The Hormel Institute, and Workforce Development, Inc., who promote STEM excellence in our K-12 schools.

"STEM is the future in almost every career path a student will take after high school," says Austin High School Math and Computer Science teacher Joee Winter. "Learning STEM will allow [my students] to excel in any area they choose to focus on in the future."

The STEM Forward Outstanding Educator Award "recognizes K-12 professionals who strive toward the highest levels of excellence … with a focus on initiative and continuous improvement in every aspect of their work."

"I am incredibly fortunate to work with the students at Austin High School, and getting to see them grow and reach new goals is one of the best parts of my job," says Austin High School Packer Profile Coordinator Emily Hovland. "STEM education allows students to explore areas of interest, develop skills that will support them in their future endeavors, and allows them to engage in hands-on learning that is engaging and enriches their learning."

Are you looking for stuff to do this weekend in Austin? Check out the all new Go! Austin, MN app and discover all your favorite local restaurants, stores, gas stations and coffee shops to keep you and your vehicle fueled up.

GET THE APP: https://onelink.to/goaustinmn

Riverland will host a PSEO Informational Night on Wednesday, March 6, at 6:30 pm. The meeting was rescheduled from February 7.

Here are a few details about the event:

• Attendees can attend in person at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre (Austin East Campus)
• Attendees can attend virtually via Zoom ( https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/93341045388)
• We will be recording the event for those who cannot attend
• Here is a link to the event and further information: riverland.edu/pseo

Spring Season is just around the corner.

• Austin High School: Spring sports registration is OPEN.
• Ellis Middle School: Registration opened on February 12.
• IJ Holton: 6th grade students will have some athletic opportunities available this spring.

Please check out these flyers. ALL athletes, grades 6-12, MUST have a current sports physical on file to see any offerings in the Infinite Campus School Store.

• Mayo Clinic expert on screen time do’s and don’ts for your toddler’s brain
• Can vitamin C keep the common cold away?
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Can cold weather cause a cold?

Are you an alumnus of Austin Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to hear about your accomplishments and are eager to share your successes and advice with our current students, families, and the Austin community.

All you need to do is take a minute to answer a few quick questions at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/alumni-spotlight.

Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all your wonderful stories!

At Austin Public Schools, our mission is to inspire, empower, and accelerate every one of our learners, and we know that the only way for us to reach this goal is through the efforts of all our incredibly hard-working staff.

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we’re highlighting Neveln Elementary School Grade 3 teacher Brenda Hackensmith.

"Brenda is an excellent educator who truly cares for her students. She acknowledges [their] positive characteristics and works to challenge [them] in the classroom. Thank you, Brenda!"

Congratulations!

If you’d like to nominate an outstanding Austin Public Schools staff member for our weekly Staff Spotlight, please take a moment to fill out the form at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/district-resources/staff-spotlight. It only takes a minute and can truly make someone’s day. Thanks!

• Housing Affordability in Southeast Minnesota
• The high price paid when kids skip school
• 4-day school week could become more common in Minnesota with proposed law
• How AI is enabling students—and teachers—to create their best work

APS offers a wide range of student activities, including competitive athletics, intramurals, academic clubs, fine arts, and performing arts. View schedules and learn more here.

The school district strongly encourages anyone interested to apply to join our teams. Reasonable accommodations are available to access job openings or apply for a job. Click here to learn more.

You can review previous issues here.