FOCUS on Anoka-Hennepin - May 2025

May 7, 2025

Students are our future, and what we do today matters. Staff may never realize the difference that they make each day, but they are valued.

We can all see how much they care, and you can join us in honoring, recognizing and celebrating school district staff that make a difference in our school communities. Consider a few ideas for celebrating the Anoka-Hennepin Schools’ Employee Appreciation Week:

• Encourage your student to share a handwritten note of appreciation for a staff member that impacts their days at school.
  
  

• Share a smile, and/or tell a staff member how they make a difference for your student or your family.
  
  

• Get involved in your school’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and see if there are ways you can volunteer or donate as a token of appreciation.

🎓 Graduation rates for students in the Anoka-Hennepin School District continued to outpace state averages by 1.4% for 2024, graduating 85.6% of all seniors in four years.

📊 Outpacing the state: Anoka-Hennepin students continue to perform above the record-high state graduation average overall and in all but two of the 15 measured student groups. Student demographics in the Anoka-Hennepin School District closely mirror averages across the state of Minnesota.

By the numbers: The 2024 overall district 4-year graduation rate decreased 1.1% from last year, however, the 7-year graduation rate was 93.0%, 0.7% higher than last year, resulting in the highest 7-year rate in district recorded history. The 2024 combined 4-year graduation rate for the five traditional high schools - Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids - is 91.5%. 📖 Read the full story.

Providing the academic planning students and families need often goes beyond the school year. Counselors at each of Anoka-Hennepin’s comprehensive high schools are continuing an option to fill that gap with regular office hours two days a week over the summer months.

A counselor will be available for walk-in service or appointments to assist students from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting June 17 and continuing through August 13 at Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids high schools. Service will not be available the weeks of June 23 through July 4 over the holiday.

The expanded hours aim to provide a consistent time for customer service to students and families. Counselors are also available the full week following the school year and the full week prior to the school year starting. Students are encouraged to contact their counselor for exact availability prior to the end of the school year.

The input of parents and guardians is valuable in helping improve the district’s service to students and families. The Anoka-Hennepin School District would like parents’/guardians’ opinions on the schools your children attend.

To gather this information most cost-effectively, the district is administering a brief survey online. All answers to survey questions will remain confidential.

A letter with a login code will be sent through U.S. Mail to all families. Surveys may be completed any time between May 12 and June 13 using the login code included in the letter. 📊 Visit the district website for more information on the 2025 PASS Survey.

Action of the School Board provides brief summaries of Anoka-Hennepin School Board meetings. View the latest Action of the School Board from the May 5, 2025.

For agendas, meetings and minutes visit ahschools.us/schoolboard.

Coon Rapids High School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (CRHS) senior Cole Burnett has earned the highest honors a graduating senior can receive. Burnett was named a 2025 National Merit Scholar.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced this year’s winners, who have earned the distinction of being a National Merit Scholar and the $2,500 scholarship that comes with it. Burnett is one of just 46 seniors from Minnesota and 2,500 students nationwide to be named a National Merit Scholar. 💻 Read more about the National Merit Scholar program.

🎉 Coon Rapids High School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (CRHS) career-technical teacher Bobby Miller was surprised with a Fox 9 Top Teacher Award on May 7. The Fox 9 Top Teacher Award recognizes outstanding teachers in Minnesota who encourage, inspire and bring learning to life inside and outside the classroom.

Miller was nominated by the parent of a CRHS student and was celebrated by his fifth hour class and the marching band. Fox 9 and Royal Credit Union presented Miller with a $1,000 check for the school and a pizza party from Papa Murphy's. Miller will appear on Fox 9 News on May 7 at 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. 📸 View photos from the recognition event.

🌟 Congratulations to Anoka High School career and technical education photo/video teacher Paul Heida on being named a KS95-Radio Teacher of the Week! Heida accepted the award May 7 from on-air talent Crisco, who can be heard in the mornings on KS95. Award recipients receive a classroom visit and $100 toward classroom supplies from Amazon. A banquet honoring teachers recognized with the award will be held next week, where he will have a chance to receive $1,000 prize for him, and $1,000 for the school.

🎧 Listen to Paul's on-air interview on KS95.

👩‍💻 Five Blaine High School students are among 92 across the state to earn recognition for their work in computer science by the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Awards (MNAiC).

🐅 Blaine High School’s Gabriella Watson earned honorable mention honors while classmates Alayna Kurland, AnnaSophia Lor, Sandara Sihavong and Anushkaa Sinha were named Rising Star award winners in the 13th Annual MNAiC Computing Awards.

Honorees were selected for competence and strong scores, as evidenced by their outstanding engagement in a variety of technology and leadership experiences provided by their high school, and community partners, and through online learning experiences. 💻 Learn more about the MNAiC awards.

🏆 Five female student-athletes — one from each of Anoka-Hennepin’s five traditional high schools — have been recognized for their hard work in the classroom and athletics.

🏃‍♀️ The Athena Award is given to one senior female athlete from each participating school who has distinguished herself in a special individual athletic achievement or superior achievements in one or more sports.

This year’s Anoka-Hennepin Athena Award winners are:

• Mackenzie Jones, Andover High School.
• Maddy Freking, Anoka High School.
• Katelyn Wozniak, Blaine High School.
• Abby Hibbs, Champlin Park High School.
• Lily McKenzie, Coon Rapids High School.

The student-athletes were recognized at the 53rd Annual Minneapolis Athena Awards luncheon on Friday, May 2, at the Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. 💻 Read more about the accomplishments of this year's Athena Award winners.

🤖 Engineering students at Blaine High School - Center for Engineering, Mathematics and Science (BHS) and Coon Rapids High School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (CRHS) squared-off in a friendly Clawbot competition on Friday, April 4 at CRHS.

After designing and programming Clawbots, teams of students took control in a 1-versus-1 battle. Following the design process, students had to assemble and program the Clawbots to make them operational. Working in teams, students from each school went head-to-head in bracket play.

In a highly competitive and festive environment, the match of the day was between BHS principal Jason Paske and CRHS principal John Peña. 📸 View photos from the Clawbot competition.

With the spring sports and activities season wrapping up, here’s a look at who’s heading to state, and how they fared when they performed and played. Also included is information about postseason awards earned by student-athletes and coaches.

Speech

The 2025 Minnesota State High School League Speech State Tournament was held Saturday, April 26, at Shakopee High School.

Anoka-Hennepin was represented at the state tournament by Anoka and Blaine high schools. Anoka placed 21st out of 37 in the team standings.

Isaac Stokes of Anoka High School placed third in the finals of the Serious Interpretation of Drama competition with the selection Angry Alan by Penelope Skinner. 💻 Learn more in the 2025 spring sports and activities round-up.

🧮 On Friday, April 25, fifth-grade students from three elementary schools participated in the regional Math Masters Challenge in Shoreview.

Math Masters is open to fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students and challenges participants to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in mathematics, while recognizing academic effort and achievement.

Anoka-Hennepin was represented by five teams from Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy (CBPA) for Math and Science, six teams from Rum River Elementary and four teams from Sunrise Elementary. CBPA will also send three fourth-grade teams to a Math Masters competition in the coming weeks. 💻 Learn more about Math Masters.

🚲 Madison Elementary School students are equipped for rolling to school and around the neighborhood, thanks to bike safety gear and tips shared by community partners - made possible by an event organized by the school and financial support - thanks to a grant from the Anoka Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF).

📷 Read the full story and see photos from the event.
📺 Watch the video from North Metro TV.

🎶 CCX-Media visited with sophomore Janae Rupert at Champlin Park High School this week to share how her musical talents represent #AHSchools in the state honor band, and how she represents student voice serving on the Minnesota Youth Council, advising the governor and the state legislature. 📺 Watch the video.

Some elementary students at Brookside Elementary got a chance to understand what it’s like to be blind or visually impaired. A new Community Education class for youth introduced students to the different levels of vision loss and taught them how to communicate with braille.

Led by Traci Chur, an Anoka-Hennepin teacher for the blind and visually impaired, the class aimed to raise awareness about the importance of braille and help mainstream students recognize some of the challenges that people who are blind or visually impaired face.

A grant from the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) helped purchase supplies for the class including braille cards and braille beads.

Community Education hosted its highly anticipated annual districtwide middle school dance competition on Wednesday, April 16, drawing a packed crowd of enthusiastic supporters to Anoka High School. The event, a long-standing tradition, brought together A and B teams from schools across the district to showcase their talent, energy, and dedication.

💻 See how the teams ranked and watch a short video highlighting the performances.

• Monday, May 12 - Special School Board meeting
• Monday, May 19 - Regular School Board meeting
• Monday, May 26 - District closed.
• Sunday, June 1 - Blaine, Andover, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids high school graduations.
• Monday, June 2 - Anoka High School graduation.
• Wednesday, June 4 - Sandburg Regional High School graduation.
• Wednesday, June 4 - Anoka-Hennepin Technical High School graduation.
• Friday, June 6 - Last day of school.
  
  

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