School Board Update

Each month the school board is presented with non-action and action items for their consideration. A few noteworthy items that were approved at this month's meeting are included here.

Items Approved by the Board

• Gifts and Donations
• American Indian Parent Advisory Committee Resolution
• 2024-25 Athletics and Activities Spring Overnight Trip Requests
• 2025 Signing Incentive MOU Between EMC-I and C-I Schools
• Policy 410 - Family and Medical Leave Policy
• Policy 510 - School Activities
• Policy 516 - Student Medication
• Policy 522 - Title IX Sex Nondiscrimination Policy, Grievance Procedure and Process
• Policy 533 - Wellness Policy

By: Dr. Nate Rudolph

Celebrating Bluejacket Success

February has been a month full of exciting achievements and positive stories across our schools! Here are just a few examples:

• CIHS Band Perform at State-Level Event – Our talented musicians showcased their skills at the All-State Band Concert at Orchestra Hall.
• CIHS One-Act Play Earns High Honors – Our theater students delivered an outstanding one-act play performance, earning high honors at the section competition.
• CIHS Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Students Qualify for State – Seven students excelled at the Mid-Winter Star Event and will represent CIHS at the FCCLA State Competition.
• Bluejacket Robotics Team Advances to Regionals – Our robotics students continue to impress with their creativity, teamwork, and engineering skills.
• Winter Sports Teams Shine! – From wrestling to basketball and gymnastics to hockey, our Bluejacket athletes are giving their all and making our community proud as we move into “tournament time.”
• Grace Pointe Visits - On February 11, CMS's MN Junior Honor Society kicked off the first of five visits to GracePointe Retirement Community this year. Stories, crafts, and laughter were shared by all!
• IMS Kindness “Krew” - Our Kindness Krew, 25 students and our two counselors, is visiting Isanti Primary Kindergarten classes on February 20. Students will each read a couple of stories to their little Bluejacket buddies.
• I Love to Read Month Kicks Off! – IPS and CPS launched I Love to Read Month with exciting events, including a school-wide 100,000-minute reading challenge at IPS and a Reading Rocks Assembly at CPS, where staff dressed as rock stars!
• Chess and Spelling Competitions in Full Swing – CIS Chess Club continues to grow, with over 25 students participating in weekly competitions, while IIS is hosting its annual Spelling Bee, with finalists competing later this month.
• Character Education & Student Engagement – IIS/STEAM recently hosted an exciting assembly that reinforced the value of the Bluejacket Character Trait of Honesty.
• A “Little Art” – Early Childhood team wrapped up its "Imagine it, Make it" unit with engaging art shows for families that showcase BIG talent by our littlest of learners.

As we approach spring, we are excited for the continued success of our students both in and out of the classroom. Thank you for your continued partnership in creating a safe, supportive, and thriving learning environment for all.

Launching the Community Task Force

This month, we welcomed 59 dedicated community members to our newly formed Community Task Force, which is focused on assessing our district’s facility needs. This initiative stems from the work of the 2022 Community Task Force, which played a pivotal role in shaping our current Strategic Plan—now in its second year of implementation.

As outlined in Strategic Priority 4, our district is committed to broadening community partnerships to maximize resources, support district growth, and create opportunities for students. More specifically, Action Plan 4.1 directs administration to develop and maintain an innovative, comprehensive master plan to proactively address future facility and programming needs.

By bringing together a diverse group of community voices, we are taking a critical step toward fulfilling this commitment. We are incredibly grateful for the time, insight, and dedication of our community members as we work together to shape the future of our schools. Their engagement is essential to ensuring our facilities meet the evolving needs of our students and staff and that our community assets are cared for and maintained accordingly.

By: Shawn Kirkeide

Job Fairs

With the competitiveness in the job market for teachers, we have registered for two different job fairs. The first job fair is the MN Educators Career Fair job fair on April 1 at Eden Prairie High School. We are also registering for the job fair on April 7 at St. Cloud State University with over 100 graduates attending.

Insurance

The Insurance Committee began the bidding process for the July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 plan year by opening sealed bids from insurance carriers on Monday, January 27. Following an initial review, the committee convened again on Monday, February 10 to evaluate the proposals and identify the most competitive bidders.

As part of the next steps, we will request best and final offers from these carriers to ensure we secure the most favorable terms. The Insurance Committee is scheduled to meet on March 3, 2025, to finalize its recommendation for the selected insurance carrier and establish premium rates. This recommendation will then be presented to the Board of Education for approval at the March 20 meeting.

We appreciate the committee’s diligence in securing the best possible coverage for our employees while maintaining cost-effectiveness for the district. Further updates will be shared as the process progresses.

By: Christopher Kampa, CFA

Finance

The district's most recent audit reflects strong fiscal performance, demonstrating our commitment to responsible financial management and stewardship of resources. Our stable financial position allows us to continue providing high-quality education and services to our students. However, we remain mindful of the challenges ahead, including economic fluctuations and potential legislative changes that could impact funding. As we navigate these uncertainties, we will continue to prioritize sound financial planning to ensure the long-term sustainability of our district.

Transportation

The Transportation Department is happy to be fully staffed and committed to providing safe and reliable transportation for our students each day. As we approach Bus Driver Appreciation Day on February 19, we want to recognize and express our gratitude for our dedicated drivers, whose hard work and professionalism ensure students arrive at school and return home safely. Their contributions are invaluable to the district, and we appreciate their commitment to excellence. Our team takes great pride in serving our students and looks forward to continuing to support their educational journey.

Food Service

January was another successful month, with over 5,000 student meals served daily across breakfast and lunch. We have been making adjustments to both menus and will continue refining our offerings to provide the best options for our students. Like many others, we faced challenges with the recent wave of respiratory illnesses, but our team has largely recovered and is back to work. We look forward to a healthy and, hopefully, warmer February.

Building & Grounds

On Presidents’ Day, we will install access panel doors for the new water shutoff valves in the high school locker rooms, hopefully resolving the ongoing issue of inadequate hot water supply. Additionally, to improve heating efficiency on the west side of the high school during colder days, we have scheduled work over spring break to upsize a heat pump and reduce piping, enhancing the overall performance of our heating system.

Technology

In February, we submitted our E-Rate Form 470 requests for locate services and new network switches. Both requests qualify for a 70% discount, resulting in significant cost savings for the district. Throughout this month, we have been actively engaging with vendors to discuss project requirements as they prepare and submit their bids in early March.

Additionally, we are now in the third year of a five-year contract with Midcontinent Communications for district internet services. This contract also qualifies for a 70% discount, providing an annual savings of $36,120 and a total savings of $180,600 over the contract term.

By: Christina Thayer Anderson

Volunteer Services

We are incredibly fortunate to have a community that continues to show unwavering support for our students and schools through donation of time, skills, and financial resources. So far this year, we have surpassed 550 active volunteers in our buildings. This is a hundred more than this time last year, an amazing testament to our incredibly engaged community members. Additionally, with the leadership of our Volunteer Coordinators, our community partners donated more than $1,750 in food and beverages for our 900 staff to enjoy to start the all-staff required professional development day on February 14th. The impact of our sponsors and volunteers is felt every day, whether they are assisting in classrooms, supporting school events, or mentoring students. A heartfelt thank you to all of our volunteers, partners, and our dedicated Volunteer Coordinators for making this possible!

Adventure Center Program

Adventure Center has continued to hire new staff into assistant and student support roles in order to alleviate waitlists and ensure more families have access to quality before- and after-school programming. In addition to recently completing the annual certification process, all staff participated in professional development sessions on February 14, with a focus on mental health, youth development, and high-quality programming. While we understand that these training days require adjustments for families, they are essential in maintaining a strong, supportive program. We deeply appreciate the dedication of our staff and our coordinator, Pat Bourke, for their continued efforts to serve students and families.

By: Dr. Jason Bodey

Professional Development Day on February 14

On Friday, February 14, our district hosted a professional learning day centered on our Strategic Plan priorities, fostering collaboration, growth, and a positive culture among all staff. The event featured professional development sessions aligned with our Strategic Plan and included time for site-specific activities. The day allowed staff to engage in choice-based, collaborative learning tailored to their professional needs and interests. Participants had the opportunity to attend a variety of sessions focused on instructional best practices, student well-being, content area updates, and professional growth.

Key offerings included:

• Catalyst Training: 12 Foundational Skills – A deep dive into behavior management strategies designed to enhance student engagement, communication, and independence in the classroom.

• Catalyst Unconference: Positive Behavior Interventions – A collaborative session for staff to share insights, refine strategies, and develop action plans for fostering positive student behavior.

• Literacy Unconference – An interactive session focusing on foundational literacy skills, screening data analysis, and new standards implementation.

• Minnesota Math & Social Studies Standards Overview – Sessions exploring the key shifts in state standards and their implications for classroom instruction.

• Mental Health & Well-being – Workshops on Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid, stress management, suicide prevention (QPR training), and trauma-informed practices.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Workshops – Covering topics such as mental health in the workplace, seasonal affective disorder, and building successful habits.

• eduCLIMBER Overview – Training on using student data to drive instructional decisions and intervention planning.

• Physical Wellness – Hands-on sessions, including dynamic warm-ups and weightlifting techniques to promote fitness and well-being.

• Professional Skills Development – Workshops on handling difficult conversations with families, supporting students impacted by addiction, and fostering resilience through self-care strategies.

This professional learning day is designed to empower staff with practical strategies, strengthen collaboration, and support student success.

By: Dr. Julie Williams

Special Education Planning

As we continue our commitment to supporting students, the Special Education Leadership team remains engaged in regular collaboration with school staff, teams, and families to ensure appropriate services are in place to meet students' needs this year. At the same time, we are proactively evaluating our continuum of supports to address enrollment growth and program availability. These discussions are essential as we strategically plan for the upcoming school year, ensuring that we build on our current strengths while preparing for future needs.