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Backpack Online - June 30, 2023
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June 30, 2023
Introducing Superintendent of Schools, Cory McIntyre
Meet Cory McIntyre, who begins his service as Superintendent of Anoka-Hennepin Schools July 1. McIntyre has been visiting district schools and sites since being selected as the next superintendent by the School Board Dec. 7, 2022, following a comprehensive superintendent search process.
On June 5, McIntyre visited with staff from Anoka High School, Anoka Middle School for the Arts and Madison Elementary in Blaine as part of a tour of facilities. Watch his greeting, and learn more at ahschools.us/superintendent.
District to replace ash trees in response to emerald ash borer
Anoka-Hennepin buildings and grounds is in the middle of a multi-year project to remove ash trees across the district as part of a required emerald ash borer mitigation plan in the metro area.
This project is part of the Long Term Facilities Maintenance Plan and is in alignment with the district’s strategic investments and Strategic Priority 3.4 - Bond construction and facilities improvements.
The emerald ash borer is an invasive insect that has killed millions of ash trees throughout the eastern half of the U.S. and southeastern Canada. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Minnesota forests are home to an estimated 1 billion ash trees and Minnesota cities have an abundance of ash trees, making up 60 percent of the trees in some communities. More information is available on the Minnesota DNR website.
The district removed nearly 200 trees during the 2022-23 school year and the plan calls for the removal of an additional 300 trees in 2023-24 and 310 more in 2024-25. In total, roughly 800 trees are marked for removal to help mitigate the spread of emerald ash borer. Learn more about this project.
Summer Food Service Program
District participation in the Summer Food Service Program makes meals available to children at select school sites
The Anoka-Hennepin School District will participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides meals to all children 18 and under, free of charge.
Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, at 14 sites across the district. The program will start Thursday, June 15 at most sites. Meal availability and serving times vary from site to site and are subject to change. Review a list of sites and meal times for more information.
Meals will be served inside school buildings. Parents accompanying their children may purchase a meal. Adult breakfast is $3.00 and lunch is $5.00. Exact change is required, and no checks will be taken. Anoka-Hennepin employees may use their meal accounts as long as there are funds available in your account.
The SFSP was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that children could continue to receive nutritious meals during summer break, when they may not have access to school breakfast or lunch.
For more information, please contact Anoka-Hennepin child nutrition at 763-506-1240 or staff.CnpEnrollment@ahschools.us.
Chromebooks available to most high schoolers over the summer, protect the device
Beginning in the fall of 2023, students will be responsible for the same Chromebook for their secondary school careers - creating a culture of care with electronic devices. Anoka-Hennepin Schools coordinates with Google software updates, which are supported and updated with security and feature enhancements for the life of the device.
Chromebooks will be available for most high school students to keep and use over the summer months, however, tech support during this time frame is limited. In the event that your device is lost or damaged, please contact the main office at your child’s school for assistance as soon as possible. It’s important to address any damages as soon as possible to ensure your device is ready for learning in the fall.
To protect your device over the summer months, or at the start of the 2023-24 school year, families have the option to enroll in the Device Protection Plan now. Visit ahschools.us/techprotect to learn more.
Spring sports and activities round-up
Grad spotlight: Morgan Wolfe - From Blaine High School to the broadcast screen
Turn on the local news and you can find Morgan Wolfe at both the anchor desk and reporting out on the scene for KARE 11 television – but this isn’t the first time she’s pulled double-duty pursuing her interest of sharing stories in her community.
A 2012 Blaine High School (BHS) graduate, Wolfe took the TV journalism class not once - but twice - in her time at the school. She notes that participating in the morning announcements program gave her experience and confidence being in front of the camera before deciding to study broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota. Read more about Wolfe's journey to obtaining her "dream job" at KARE 11, and how community connections continue to inspire her work.
Parent Engage 360 - Podcast Episode 33: Supporting the whole student
Anoka-Hennepin Schools provide structures of support for students to attain the skills and knowledge to succeed. Systems are in place to support students in all areas of academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs.
In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard was joined by Angela Ronay, school social worker at Champlin Park High School, and Julia Corneil-Smith, school counselor at Coon Rapids High School, to learn more about the student support model used in Anoka-Hennepin, and the number of ways students can seek support in their school buildings. Learn more about the districtwide Student Support Model.
Tune in to the Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360. The Parent Engage 360 Podcast is also now available on Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts.
Just Call: online mental health resource to help you find the support you need
Are you or someone you love struggling with a mental health crisis? 24-hour mental health support is available in the Twin Cities Metro area by visiting justcallmn.com. Just Call is an online resource to help you find the support you need. Learn more about Just Call.
For those who need immediate support, you are not alone. 24-hour support is available by phone by calling or texting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or on the Crisis Text Line by texting MN to 741741.
Middle school students gain knowledge of the automotive industry at Nitro-X Camp
The Nitro-X Camp for middle school students provides the opportunity to learn more about the automotive industry and for students to get their hands dirty. The camp ran from June 12-15 at Anoka Technical College and the Anoka-Hennepin Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP) locations.
Led by Theron Busse, an automotive teacher at STEP, the camp taught seventh and eighth grade students how to tune and race remote control electric trucks; modify and tune suspension systems, tires and wheels; and disassemble and reassemble engines.
The students painted and customized their own remote control (RC) car bodies and then showcased their new knowledge and skills on a custom race track that was constructed by one of the teachers of the camp. View photos from the camp.
“I thought the hobby grade style of RC cars were interesting because all the parts are replaceable and not a lot of people know about them,” said Ben Duneman, a seventh grade student. “It’s cool because they are fast.” Read more about the Nitro-X Camp.
University Avenue Elementary named a national Leader in Me Lighthouse School
One of two schools in Minnesota to achieve this status
University Avenue Elementary - Aerospace, Children’s Engineering and Science (UAE ACES) continues to perform at a high level and has now been certified as a national Leader in Me Lighthouse School by FranklinCovey Education. With this distinction, UAE ACES has become the second school in Minnesota to reach this status.
With Leader in Me, students learn to become self-aware, interdependent, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, be considerate of others, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, live a balanced life, and contribute to society.
For perspective, of the more than 5,000 schools in 50 nations that have adopted the Leader in Me process, 650 have achieved the prestigious Lighthouse Certification.
FranklinCovey Education has designed the Lighthouse Rubric to establish high standards for quality and, ultimately, school outcomes. Schools use the Lighthouse Rubric to measure outcomes in three areas: teaching leadership principles, creating a leadership culture, and aligning academic systems. Schools also measure their success as it relates to their unique school. Lighthouse Schools serve as exemplars to their community and to other schools. Read more about University Avenue's certification.
STEP automotive program named Exemplary Secondary Program of the Year
On June 23, the automotive program at Anoka-Hennepin Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP) was recognized as the 2023 Exemplary Secondary Program of the Year by the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence (TCOE).
The Exemplary Secondary Program of the Year award showcases secondary level transportation programs that serve as exemplary models of institutional support, instructional leadership and program-wide excellence.
The automotive program is led by instructor Theron Busse. He is an experienced automotive teacher with a passion for empowering students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the automotive industry.
“It’s a big honor,” Busse said. “I’m never one for vanity and recognition, but we try hard out here. I found that working on customer and student vehicles is by far the best way for these students to learn and apply the content they get in the classroom. High school students will rarely see what they get here in a lab setting. I’m honored and thankful for the award.” Read more about the Anoka-Hennepin STEP automotive program.
New outdoor space expands learning opportunities for early childhood families
After more than a year of planning, phase one of Riverview Early Childhood Center’s new outdoor classroom area is complete. The first group of children and parents were able to use the new space starting the second week of June.
The Early Childhood Family Education program (ECFE) formed a Parent Nature Advisory team to come up with ideas for the outdoor space in Brooklyn Park.
“I feel that it’s really exciting that they get to have a say in it because it’s their kids that are going to grow in this program,” said parent educator Penny Walsh.
Then, with the help of 3Owls Play Consultants from Duluth, and a locally owned landscaping company, J’s Lawn and Landscape Inc., the dream became reality.
Read more the on the Anoka-Hennepin Community Education website.
Register now for summer youth programs!
From arts and crafts, to sports, theater, language, and engineering, Anoka-Hennepin Community Education offers a class or camp to engage and delight youth of all ages.
Browse summer opportunities and register.
The summer months are a perfect time for children to try new things, stay active, have fun, make friends! Choose from a variety of youth programs and activities scheduled to take place in June, July and August.
Here are just a few:
- Intro to Esports
- Monster High Musical Theater Camp
- Sports of All Sorts Multi-Sports Camp
- Glow-in-the-Dark Engineering
- Cooks in the Kitchen
- Robotic Pet Lab
- Babysitting: American Red Cross Certified
- Archery and Outdoors Camp
Programs are open to all families, and most will be held at Roosevelt Middle School in Blaine. Depending on the activity, some classes will also be held at off-site locations. Programs are available for children in preschool to grade eight.
Additional news
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This e-newsletter is published by Anoka-Hennepin Schools. It's sent to Anoka-Hennepin families and community members who subscribe on a weekly basis during the school year, excluding breaks (and periodically during the summer). Questions, comments or concerns about the Backpack Online e-newsletter? Contact us.