Raider Reader | May 15, 2024

Students and staff at the Roseville Adult Learning Center hosted a Culture Fair to celebrate cultures from around the world! 🎉 Did you know that there are 49 countries represented and 36 languages spoken among the adult students in our program? 🌍 At this event, Roseville Adult Learning Center students got to share aspects of their culture through fashion, dance, music, food, and art! 🎶 🎤 Some of the cultures represented included Chinese, Eritrean, Ecuadorian, Hmong, Karen, Mexican, Somali, Turkish, Togolese, Ukrainian, and Venezuelan. The Karen Organization of Minnesota's Weaving Circle even demonstrated back-strap-style loom weaving! 🌟

From family members to staff, from adult students to even some of our youngest Pre-K learners who attended this event, participants enjoyed learning about different traditions from one another. What a great way to celebrate with one another and appreciate the cultural diversity here in our schools and in our community. 😊

In Roseville Area Schools, we’ve entered the official banquet season as we have so very much to celebrate! Last week, I joined our school board in recognizing all of our district staff celebrating 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service. We also honored our retiring staff. I am thankful to them for collectively changing the lives of thousands of students.

Also, I recognize the potential burden that non-student days place on our families. When Roseville Area Schools hosts a professional development day for staff, it is important for our families and community to know that the entire day is spent planning, preparing, and most importantly LEARNING. As our students embrace new, innovative, and exciting learning methods, it is equally important for our staff members to continuously develop and refine their skills.

Our staff frequently receive training on a variety of topics. This year alone our topics have included literacy curriculum and instructional, the AVID instructional framework, grading practices, the culturally relevant co-creation of curriculum, student behavior systems, and so much more. A special thank you to Director Jake VonDeLinde, Director Delon Smith, and our entire Office of Educational Equity for leading this charge.

And thank you to all of YOU! I am aware and appreciative of your consistent support as we seek to prepare all of our students for life after Roseville Area Schools!

In Partnership,

Dr. Jenny Loeck

Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) is a new program to help families buy food for their school-age children during the summer. Families who qualify will get $120 for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. Children who get Summer EBT can still participate in other summer meal programs. Receiving Summer EBT will not affect children or families’ immigration status.

Summer EBT will be loaded onto an EBT card and mailed to your home. If eligible, you can use Summer EBT benefits to buy food like fruits, vegetables, meat, whole grains, and dairy at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other places that accept EBT benefits. Summer EBT is a convenient way for you to help your children thrive.

Many families will get Summer EBT automatically if they are getting other benefits, but some families may need to apply for the program. For information and to apply for benefits, click below.

If you have questions, email sebt.mde@state.mn.us.

Roseville Area Schools is undergoing an assessment regarding the district's technology landscape. As part of the assessment, we are collecting data to better prioritize, measure, implement, and monitor technology that is used for teaching and learning in our schools and programs.

We are asking for your input via an online assessment. We invite you to participate anonymously using the link below. This assessment will help us understand your experiences when it comes to activities like access to your child’s grades, communicating with school teachers and staff, student access to devices, etc. Your voice will contribute to prioritizing and making systematic change across our community.

The survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete and the link will remain open from May 8 through May 24.

Thank you for your participation!

– Roseville Area Schools Technology Supervisor Tina Clasen & the Instructional Technology Leadership Team (Jamie Crandall, Laura Given, Rozzie Obando-Dahlman, and Kathryn O'Brien)

Students from Roseville Area Middle School and Parkview Center School showcased their impressive talents at Minnesota History Day, presenting projects that demonstrated thorough research and creative presentation skills.

Following were the Minnesota State History Day qualifiers from Roseville Area Schools:

• Veronica (RAMS): Junior Research Paper, "A 'Monster Petition': The 32,000 Petitions that Sparked Women's Enfranchisement"
• Olivia (RAMS): Junior Individual Exhibit, "Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution: A Turning Point in Science"
• Aksel, Isaiah, and Leopold (Parkview): Junior Group Documentary, "Ending of Japanese Isolation: The Visits that Changed History Forever"
• Nupur (Parkview): Junior Individual Website, "Apollo 13 - The Successful Failure"
• Carter and Jacob (Parkview): Junior Group Website, "Bringing Democracy to South Africa"

We are thrilled to announce that Veronica placed 2nd at Minnesota State History Day and will advance to Nationals at the University of Maryland in June. (She also received a topical prize for "Turning Points in Women's History," recognizing the outstanding quality of her work. Nupur, Carter, Jacob, and Aldo earned honorable mention ribbons for their projects. Congratulations!

📸: Veronica and Olivia are pictured above with Ursala Pankonin, the Advanced Academics and Talent Development lead and an 8th English teacher at RAMS.

🌟 AVID students from Fairview Alternative High School had the chance to meet in person with their eMentors at North Star Financial Group! 🏢 The students and mentors enjoyed lunch together and the students were able to see the mentors' workspaces and learn about their work roles. 🖥 ✨ The eMentor program is offered through BestPrep and facilitates weekly student/volunteer mentor communication about topics related to careers and post-secondary education. 🎓💼

“The experience has been very positive and the messages are informative and encouraging,” says Maureen Kieger, FAHS AVID Elective and English teacher. “It was great to be able to put faces with names!” 😊

Registration for summer swim lessons will begin on Friday, May 31 at 12:00pm! ⏰ We're offering summer lessons for youth ages 9 months - 14 years, and adults/teenagers ages 15+.

Visit isd623.org/aquatics to view our summer lesson schedule and make your registration plan ahead of time! You will find all class levels and times posted under the "Youth Swim Lessons" and "Adult Swim Lessons" tabs. 🔍

Once registration begins, we recommend registering online for the best experience. 💻 Scholarships for youth lessons are available to qualifying familes. Questions? Call 651-604-3500. 📞

Do you have a 4 or 5 year old? Youth Enrichment is offering Pre-K Adventures this summer! ☀️ These summer camps are specially designed for young children. Register your child for fun opportunities like:

🌀 Pete the Cat Goes to Camp

🌀 Dynamic Dinos

🌀 Fairy, Fantasy, and Fun

🌀 Construction Zone

🌀 Bug-tastic

🌀 Dogs with Jobs: Paw Patrol Pups

...and more! 🎉 Encourage your child's creativity, friendships, and growth by registering them today. 💡

Are you an adult who is looking to learn English, earn your adult diploma, get computer certifications, or prepare for a career in the trades? The Roseville Adult Learning Center can help! We offer 5 weeks of summer classes, both online and in person, at NO COST. We even offer evening classes!

It's never too late to continue your education. If you're interested in joining us this summer, please email alc-info@isd623.org, call 651-604-3553 or visit isd623.org/ralc to get started. 📲