News and events Dec. 20, 2024

December 20, 2024

Dec 23-Jan 1: No School- Winter Break

Jan 3-Jan 9: 2025-26 Registration Window Open for Grades 9-11

Jan 20: No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan 30: Tri 2 Parent-Teacher Conferences

Feb 17-18: No School- Presidents’ Day & Professional Development

Principal Pena welcomed students off their buses today by surprising them from the rooftop. With his signature smile and good cheer, Mr. Pena wished students and staff a happy last day before break and even tossed out some candy canes to students!

Earlier in the week, Mr. Pena greeted students from local elementary schools who came to watch the CRHS Theatre production of "The Mitten," which is the annual children-focused production ahead of the holidays.

CRHS would also like to wish you and your family a wonderful, relaxing Winter Break! We hope that, in a busy season, you can find time together as a family- connecting, sharing stories, and making some new memories. We're so thankful to serve the Cardinal Nation community and look forward to having you back in the new year!

As a reminder, Winter Break runs from December 23rd to January 1st. Classes resume on Thursday January 2nd.

Last weekend, the Coon Rapids High School Music Department hosted their annual, much loved Traditions Concert with a 2024 theme of “Finding Peace.” Under the direction of Ryan Palmer, Michael Watson, and Josh Kainz, the Coon Rapids High School Band, Orchestra, and Choir programs performed both individually and together in incredibly creative arrangements- taking their show out from the stage and performing across the Auditorium to engage and entertain the audience. It was a wonderful night of celebrating our students and their amazing performances!

Thank you to all our students and families, the CRHS Music Department, and all the volunteers who helped make it such a special show!

The CRHS Boys’ Basketball team squeezed out a hard fought 60-58 win against Bloomington-Jefferson on Tuesday night. In the process, Jaxon Young scored his 1,000th career point on the final bucket of the game making him just the 4th player in program history to reach that milestone!

Congratulations to the team on a great win and to Jaxon Young and his coaches and family for accomplishing an awesome feat!

The Cardinal hockey teams participated in the annual "Hockey Day Coon Rapids" series on Saturday December 14th. The CRHS Boys' and Girls' JV and Varsity teams all played on Saturday at the Coon Rapids Ice Arena with both varsity teams earning wins!

Thanks to all players, families, and spectators for coming out for this awesome tradition and helping our teams to victory!

On Thursday night, the CRHS Theater Department put on their annual, children-focused holiday production with this year's show- "The Mitten." The auditorium was full of current and future Cardinals and their families laughing through an incredibly entertaining show!

Thank you to all CRHS Theater students and staff who helped put the show on- we're so lucky to have this tradition for our community and are already excited to see next year's show!

On Thursday night, the Coon Rapids Wrestling Team went to Totino-Grace and came home with two wins! The Boys' Varsity Team defeated Totino-Grace HS 42-35 (T-G is ranked 7th in the state in Class AA) and also defeated Park Center HS 32-31.

A shout out to senior captain Hayden Skillings on his two wins at 285 to close out each dual win and to junior captain Jack Bridenstine who earned his 100th career win! Congratulations Jack on an awesome accomplishment and to all the Cardinals wrestlers and their coaches!

As part of an ongoing partnership, CRHS Tech Ed & Engineering teacher Scott Storrick connected with Anoka County-based Aggressive Hydraulics to create a collaboration with CRHS students.

Thanks to this partnership, students in Mr. Storrick’s Engineering Design Development (EDD) class took a field trip to Aggressive Hydraulics to see their manufacturing facility in operation. The Aggressive Hydraulics Engineering Team then challenged students in the EDD class to improve parts of their facilities’ operation. Mr. Storrick’s students had two week to work on this project, and yesterday groups from Mr. Storrick’s EDD class presented their findings to Aggressive Hydraulics employees and Anoka-Hennepin leaders.

CRHS would like to extend our gratitude to the following for their support for CRHS students:

• Thank you to all students in Mr. Storrick’s class and to Mr. Storrick on a great job- we’re so excited to see you take your learning and apply in the real world.

• Thank you to Aggressive Hydraulics for taking the time and energy to support our students in their learning- we’re so thankful to to partner with you.

• Thank you to Anoka-Hennepin School Board Member Dr. Michelle Langenfeld for taking the time out of her busy schedule to visit the class and watch our students’ presentations.

This week, AVID Alumni from the class of 2024 returned to CRHS to talk to current AVID students about their experiences after finishing their first semester of college. Among the schools they attend are University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Duluth, Minnesota State Mankato, St. Kate’s, Augsburg, St. Thomas, and Anoka Ramsey. They are studying majors such as Environmental Studies, English, Neuroscience / Psychology, and Health Sciences.

Graduates reflected on their coursework, activities, and volunteering that they believe contributed to their success in college so far. They also talked about topics like earning scholarships, dorm life, and study habits. We appreciate their willingness to share what they’ve learned to help our AVID students be as well-prepared for college as they can be.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new podcast, CRHS Beyond the Beak! This podcast is your front-row seat to all the amazing things happening right here at Coon Rapids High School. From thrilling sports moments to creative projects, from outstanding student achievements to the incredible teachers who make it all possible, we’ll take you behind the scenes and beyond the classroom.

In the inaugural episode, we are joined by Lana Rice who is our Project Lead The Way Coordinator here at Coon Rapids. We chat about what Project Lead The Way offers to students and about the upcoming registration process. Plus, we celebrate CRHS student Jaxon Young's recent accomplishment on the basketball court.

Stay connected and stay informed—because here at CRHS, we’re all about celebrating the Cardinal spirit. And remember, it’s always a great day to be a Cardinal!

Check out CRHS "Beyond the Beak" Episode One here.

The remaining Late Start Mondays mornings in Trimester 2 are on the following days: Jan 6, Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 24

Registration for next school year (2025-26) begins right after Winter Break- so now is the time plan!

Remember, registration is an incredibly important opportunity to “Choose Your Path” by registering for classes that fit your interests/passions, help you meet new people, build skills for after high school and challenge you to grow! Registration also affects a student’s entire school year, so please take time ahead of Registration to review the information below as a family. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us- we’re here to help!

• CRHS Registration website: Check out the website link for registration info and resources and to get more information on classes available and requirements for graduation!
• January 3-9: Registration Window Open- Registration for current 9th-11th grade students runs from Friday January 3rd-Thursday January 9th. Students will complete their registration by entering course requests into StudentVue during this time. Online registration in StudentVue and students’ hard copy registration form are due Thursday January 9.
• Monday January 6: Registration Course Preview Event- We’ll hold a course preview event in the Atrium before school during Late Start on January 6 from 7:15am to 8:15am. During the time, CRHS staff will be at tables by department ready to discuss the many courses we offer and answer questions students may have heading into registration for next school year.
• Registration Support: From January 3-9, counselors will be available for assistance before and after school outside of the Counseling Office and also in the lunchroom during lunches. For a quicker response, students are encouraged to use the in-person counselor support options. For more detailed registration questions, students may also email your specific counselor directly.

We know that the holidays paired with breaks from school can be fun but also challenging, bring many emotions and changes to our normal routines. Please know that you’re not alone and that it’s very normal!

During this break, give yourself extra grace, allow time to take a breath and regroup if things become difficult, and create a quiet, calm space or activity for you or those in your family to use if they need some space.

CRHS created this brief video presentation focused on supporting you during the break with information and resources to help you and your family.

Getting Through the Long Winter Break Slideshow

Quick reminder- if your student is feeling ill during the school day, they should get a pass to the health office to be assessed by the nursing staff and then contact parents if they want to go home. If your student contacts you to go home, please remind them that they need to check in at the health office before they leave.

Any student going home sick during the school day will receive a pass from the Health Office to give to the staff at the Welcome Window to show they are going home. This process allows your student to be marked correctly for attendance and also helps keep your student safe. Please help support your student's safety with this protocol.

Please contact Julie Swanson, licensed school nurse, with any questions at julie.swanson@ahschools.us.

Click on the button below to check out the CRHS Activities running this week. We'd love to see you come out and support Cardinal Nation!

Click Here for CRHS Activities Calendar

CRHS Boys' Hockey is having a season-long dine-to-donate fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings - both the Coon Rapids and Blaine locations.

The Senior Class of 2025 website is up and running! This website is your “go-to location” for important information and updates on everything “Senior Class” so bookmark it today and check back often!

The Class of 2025 Senior All Night Party committee is starting to plan for the event which will take place following graduation on Sunday, June 1, 2025. One of the best parts of the Senior All Night Party is all of the great prizes! Every student who attends goes home with a fabulous prize. The committee is looking for donations for the Class of 2025 Senior All Night Party and we’ve made it super easy to donate with a handy dandy Amazon Wish List!

Class of 2025 Senior All Night Party Wish List

Students--Buy your 2024-25 yearbook NOW at the lowest price of the year. Check out ordering details below:

• This year's book is on sale at Jostens.com but hurry as the "Back-to-School" deal expires at midnight on Sunday!
• Payment plans available through Jostens.
• Email Ms. Berg with any questions.

Attention Senior Parents- Senior year is an important milestone in many student's lives and it’s important to find creative ways to commemorate your student’s senior year, celebrate all of their hard work and accomplishments throughout their school career, and let them know that you love and are proud of them. A fun and easy way to do this is to place a Recognition Ad, or an “Ad for Grads”, in the 2024-2025 Yearbook. This is something that your student can look back on for years to come. It is very simple to create an “Ad for Grad.” Just follow the details below:

• Visit www.jostensadservice.com to begin creating your ad today using your favorite photos of your student and a personal message.
• Choose any photos you like: a baby photo, a grade school photo, or just a photo of your student that you love--you can even take a picture of the photo you want to use and upload that image from your phone.
  
• Photos may be in color or black and white, and you pick the fonts and background.
• Ads are available in two different sizes, 1/4 page for $60 or 1/8 page for $40.
• The Ads for Grads deadline is February 1, 2025.

If you have any questions or need tips on how to upload the pictures you want to use, please email Kari Berg at karilee.berg@ahschools.us or check out this sheet from Jostens with FAQs.

Yearbook Ad FAQ

Join Google Classroom:

CRHS Youth Service 2024 - 2025 class code: na4fsra

Contact Mrs. Borman if you have any questions julietta.borman@ahschools.us

Youth Service Volunteer Opportunities

Requesting Transcripts for College Applications

Brenda Mitshulis, our College and Career Specialist has sent out communication to seniors on how to use SCOIR to request transcripts.

How Do I Request an Official Transcript for My College Application

Setting Up SCOIR Account

Seniors, if you have not set up your student SCOIR account yet, here are the directions on how to do this: Setting Up Your SCOIR Account

12th Grade Counselor Meetings

The 10th - 12th grade counselors have been meeting with all of their Seniors to support their current plans for senior year and beyond. Check out the Class of 2025 Page for important information and updates.

Coon Rapids Community Scholarship Application

The Coon Rapids Community Scholarship application process will open up in January and run through February. Qualifying seniors will be sent an email with further information on how to apply. There will be a few information sessions for students to apply. The first session will take place during Core on Thursday, January 9 in the auditorium. This is an opportunity seniors do not want to miss! Over 200 scholarships were given out to recipients totaling $284,000! We have an amazing and generous community that supports Coon Rapids seniors!

Seniors planning to attend ANY post-secondary institution next fall may apply. Financial need is not a factor and scholarships are awarded based on academics and school/community involvement. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Corneil-Smith in the Counseling Office at 763-506-7128 or julia.corneilsmith@ahschools.us

Here are some of the words of wisdom Seniors had for our current Freshman:

December Career and College Newsletter