Backpack Online - May 28, 2024

May 28, 2024

On the morning of Friday, May 24, students at Oak View Middle School (OVMS) gathered in the cafetorium for its annual Memorial Day assembly. For 28 years, OVMS has traditionally hosted an assembly that includes student musical performances by the band, orchestra and choir, patriotic readings and a special message from a guest speaker.

“The purpose of our time together is to provide a brief history of why we celebrate Memorial Day, and through shared readings, musical selection and a shared message, honor and remember those who sacrifice so much for the freedom that we enjoy today,” said principal Gary Lundeen.

Eighth-graders gather to watch the event in person and the 45-minute assembly is live streamed by QCTV into all sixth- and seventh-grade classrooms.

📺 A video archive of the event is available for the community to watch.

📷 View photos from the event.

Students at Morris Bye Elementary in Coon Rapids received a real world civics lesson from leaders who live in their community of Coon Rapids on Monday, May 20.

🇺🇸Coon Rapids VFW Post 9625 and American Legion Post 334 rep esentatives Nathan Morgan, Randy Nelson, Anne Steffen, Susan Thompson and Richard Lien teamed up with an overview of Memorial Day, including the history of the holiday, the reason it is recognized, how the holiday is celebrated and the differences between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Go deeper: Commander Nathan Morgan, who is also a parent of Morris Bye students, helped make the connection. Student response to learning from those in their community provides a personal perspective regarding the importance of Memorial Day both across the nation and in the community.

📸 View photos from the event.

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board took action to amend four days in the 2024-25 school year to ensure district teachers are well prepared to meet requirements of a newly approved state reading program.

The big picture: Minnesota’s Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act) requires Minnesota schools to satisfy teacher professional development requirements for reading instruction. Changes in the calendar are necessary at the elementary, middle school, River Trail Learning Center (RTLC) at L.O. Jacob and Two Rivers Transition Program at Franklin. The high school calendar was not amended.

Four dates are changing to allow time for READ Act professional development to include:

• Friday, October 4 would move from a K-12 school day to teacher professional development at the elementary level only. No school for elementary students. Middle school and high school students will attend school.

• Monday, October 7 would move to a teacher professional development day at the elementary and middle school level along with RTLC and Two Rivers Transition Program. No school for elementary and middle schools, RTLC and Two Rivers Transition Program. High school students will attend school.

• Friday, December 20 will change from a K-12 school day to a teacher professional development day at the elementary and middle school level, RTLC and Two Rivers Transition Program. High school students will attend school.

• Friday, January 17 will change from a K-12 school day to a teacher professional development day at the elementary and middle school level, RTLC and Two Rivers Transition Program. High school students will attend school.

The bottom line: The professional development effort is consistent with a school board strategic priority to increase proficiency in literacy. The professional development includes approximately 1,800 teachers across all schools.

Go deeper: Review the updated 2024-25 K-12 calendar, along with other district calendars at ahschools.us/calendar.

🎓 Anoka-Hennepin will hold graduation ceremonies for Andover, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids high schools on Sunday, June 2 at 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus. Anoka High School will hold its graduation ceremony Monday, June 3, at Goodrich Field.

Graduation times on June 2:

• Andover High School - 10 a.m.
• Champlin Park High School - 1 p.m.
• Coon Rapids High School - 4 p.m.
• Blaine High School - 7 p.m.

Graduation time on June 3:

• Anoka High School - 7 p.m.

Sandburg Regional High School, Anoka-Hennepin Technical, Bridges and RTLC graduation ceremonies

Graduation ceremonies are scheduled on campus at the following dates and times:

• Pathways at Pathways on Wednesday, May 29 at 6 p.m.
• Sandburg Regional High School at Anoka Technical College on Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. - Watch live
• Bridges at the Downtown Center on Thursday, May 30 at 12:30 p.m.
• Anoka-Hennepin Technical High School at Anoka Technical College on Thursday, May 30 at 6 p.m. - Watch live
• River Trail Learning Center program completion on Friday, May 31 at 12:30 p.m.

Anoka High School (AHS) hosted its annual STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Showcase Thursday, May 16. Students research and design solutions and share their findings and experiences with other students, staff and community members. 📺 Take a look at what students presented this year in a video submitted by Blair Hull, English teacher at AHS.

🔍 Learn more about STEAM at AHS.

🛫 Zach Crowe’s (‘17) journey from Blaine High School (BHS) to the cockpit of a Delta Airlines jet was a meticulously charted course.

🧭 After attending both Johnsville Elementary and Roosevelt Middle School in the district, Crowe enrolled in the Center for Engineering, Mathematics and Science (CEMS) program during his sophomore year at BHS, with the initial intent to pursue engineering. However, his experience in an Aerodynamics class initiated a change of direction. “The main thing [from that class] that stuck out to me was putting the science behind how airplanes are able to fly,” Crowe explained. “That’s really when I started to look into it and decided that was what I wanted to do.”

📚 Crowe took an “Introduction to Aviation” class his senior year in high school offered to students through the Anoka-Hennepin Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP). Aviation courses allow students to explore potential careers with field trips, hands-on air traffic control simulators in the classroom, and exposure to relevant topics such as weather; flight training; and general, corporate and commercial operations.

🦅 As the crow flies: Get the full story about Zach's journey into pursuing aviation.

Adams Elementary is a school tucked into a wooded neighborhood in Coon Rapids and its campus is a designated School Forest by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, providing students with unique outdoor learning opportunities. Watch the School Spotlight to learn more about what makes Adams Elementary a unique school.

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 post-season awards gathered by student-athletes and coaches.

Adapted Softball

The Minnesota State High School League Adapted Softball state tournament was held May 17-18 at Chanhassen High School. Team championships were awarded in two divisions: Cognitive Impairment (CI) and Physical Impairment (PI).

Anoka-Hennepin was the No. 8 seed in the state tournament and opened tournament play on May 17. The Mustangs lost 16-0 to eventual state champion the Dakota United Hawks. In the consolation bracket, the Mustangs put up a strong showing, falling 16-15 to St. Paul Humboldt.

🏃🏻‍♂️The sprawling grounds of Coon Rapids High School played host to one of the most anticipated events on the middle school sports calendar: the districtwide track and field meet. With more than 540 students from all six middle schools converging, the air was charged with excitement as young athletes geared up to showcase their skills on the track and in field events.

Coordinated by Anoka-Hennepin Community Education, the event brought together students, staff, and volunteers from across the district. Track events formed the core of the competition, with sprinters, distance runners, hurdlers, and relay teams taking to the track in a display of speed, agility, and determination. From the explosive starts of the 100-meter dash to the endurance tests of the 1600-meter run, each race was a showcase of talent and tenacity.

📖 Read more about the districtwide track and field.

📷 View photos from the event.

Providing students and staff with a safe educational environment in our schools continues to be our first priority. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is teaming up with Anoka-Henepin Schools to share an important message about proper gun storage and safety.

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 noon on Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting June 17 and continuing through August 14 at Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids high schools. The week of June 17-21, counselors will be available on Monday, June 17 and Tuesday, June 18. Service will not be available the weeks of June 24 through July 5 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.

Donors to the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) recently funded $30,889 in the first round of grant funds for school projects and students for the 2024-25 school year. These funds are in addition to the $24,000 in perennial grants that AHEF funds each year. A second round of grants for the 2024-25 school year will open in August and awarded in October 2024.

Through AHEF, donors funded the start-up costs of high school competitive cooking teams (AH ProStart Competition Teams), the materials to launch a K-5 Community Education Braille class for sighted students to build understanding and empathy, and a grant to bring more books in other languages to all K-12 libraries across the district. A list of the 16 grants awarded is below.

“Our donors make these grants possible,” said Tess DeGeest, executive director of the AHEF. “Thank you to everyone: teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and community partners, for making these equitable and innovative experiences possible for our students.”

• Action of the School Board, May 20, 2024.
• Middle school programming under review, feedback needed.
• District to begin budget reduction and realignment process this spring.
• Summer Community Education activities for students in grades K-8.

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