Coyote Chronicles
Happy New Year! I hope you had a memorable winter break with your family. As we return to school today and look ahead to the remainder of the year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education. We are excited to work together in the second half of the year to ensure every Coyote has the tools and encouragement they need to succeed. One important area we are focusing on at this time of year is fostering a love of reading, which is essential for both academic success and personal growth. It’s like a circle: the more they read, the better they become, and the better they get at reading, the more their love for it will grow. We just need to get started!
With this in mind, I encourage you to consider making one of your New Year’s resolutions to support your child's reading every day. Whether it’s reading to your child, setting aside quiet time for independent reading, or enjoying a family reading session together, your support will make a big difference. Together, we can help our Coyotes develop strong literacy skills that will benefit them for years to come. And remember, your child does not need to wait for “Media Day” to check out books from our media center. It’s open every day, and we have many students visiting regularly. In fact, let's aim to keep Mrs. Eklund busy all year long—trust me, no one would be happier about that than Mrs. Eklund herself!
Thank you for your continued partnership, and we look forward to a year of growth and learning in 2025!
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on February 18 and February 20, 2025. Each day has morning options.
Winter Conference Dates & Times:
Feb. 18 - 7:30 - 8:30 AM and 2:10 - 8:30 PM
Feb. 20 - 7:30 - 8:30 AM and 4:10 - 8:10 PM
Schedules will be ready for parents to access on Monday, January 6, 2025. Directions to schedule your preferred times are below.
1. Go to: MyConferenceTime
(https://myconferencetime.com/andover)
2. Click on the name of your child's teacher
(If you have more than one child
attending our school, click on "Register
for Multiple Conferences" and follow the
prompts to schedule your children.
3. Select the desired date/time for your
conference by clicking on "sign up."
4. Submit the requested information.
You will receive an email confirmation and reminder of your conference, as long as you enter your email address. If you need the conference time changed after signing up, contact the school office at 763-506-1700.
Families interested in applying for in-district transfer or open enrollment should check out ahschools.us/enroll for details and forms.
The applications must be postmarked no later than January 15th. Applicants will receive a written response by February 15th.
Specialty and Magnet School Options
Specialty and magnet school options provide family choice in Anoka-Hennepin.
Anoka-Hennepin Schools offers 12 schools that provide in-demand educational options such as the arts; science, technology, math, engineering and biomedical sciences (STEM/STEAM), as well as International Baccalaureate (IB).
Specialty and magnet school options are available to all students at no additional cost, designed to provide family choice. Students who live within the Anoka-Hennepin boundaries are eligible to apply to any of the specialty or magnet schools. The magnet schools belong to Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) which provides transportation. Students may join the specialty programs using an in-district transfer process without transportation.
Six sites offer specialty programs, which students can access via in-district transfer; and six sites are magnet schools, available choices for families through the NWSISD. View the full article to learn more about Specialty and Magnet School options available to all families in Anoka-Hennepin Schools.
The specialty and magnet schools are hosting information nights/open houses for parents to learn more about the programs offered. These events range from November - mid January. For specific open house dates and more information on each of the specialty and magnet schools and the application/enrollment process, visit ahschools.us/specialtymagnet.
Happy New Year!
First, I'd like to say thank you to the many who have volunteered their time at Andover Elementary so far this school year. This includes everything from stuffing open house folders, making thousands and thousands of copies (YES, it's a lot!), helping with events, and chaperoning field trips. Without you generously giving your time, we simply couldn't do many of these things.
January is a BIG month for volunteering. Our annual Coyote Carnival and Raffle for Readiness will be held on Thursday, January 30th. Here are all the volunteer opportunities:
Raffle ticket counting - Must be 18+ - daily opportunities Jan 10 - Jan 24
Coyote Carnival - ADULT VOLUNTEERS
Coyote Carnival - HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS
Please contact me with any questions.
Kelli Anderson, Volunteer Services Coordinator
email: kelli.anderson@ahschools.us
phone: 763-506-1723
Visit the Coyote Spirit Shop
- Easy online ordering
- Two shipping options: ship to school* (no cost) or ship to home (fee applicable)
- New items and designs will be added periodically
- No due dates - order anytime!
Please note, if the ship to school option is chosen, items will be delivered to Andover Elementary on the second Friday after your order is placed (regardless of "shipping notification email"). For example, an order placed on Monday, October 14th will be delivered to Andover Elementary on Friday, October 25th. Items may not go home until the following Monday, depending on how many orders are received and volunteer availability to deliver items, etc.
Items are printed and fulfilled by The Branding Wearhouse.
Contact Kelli Anderson, Volunteer Services Coordinator, with questions.
email: kelli.anderson@ahschools.us
phone: 763-506-1723
District Budget News
School Board action addresses $26 million budget gap for 2025-26 school year
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board endorsed a $26 million budget reduction and reallocation plan at its November 25 meeting, a decision that completes a process that unfolded over the past several months and allows planning for the 2025-26 school year to remain on schedule.
A number of factors converged in early 2024 that led to the need to reduce district expenditures. Read about the impact to Anoka-Hennepin Schools.
Winter weather reminders
Minnesota weather is shifting gears, and the Anoka-Hennepin School District has plans in place for when extreme winter weather arrives.
The safety of all students is the first priority when determining if schools should stay open in adverse weather. If a determination is made to close school due to extreme winter weather, the district will alert families in a variety of ways, including:
Phone, text or email message from AHlert system (for Anoka-Hennepin parents/guardians only).
District and school websites.
District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
Media outlets including WCCO, KSTP, FOX 9, KARE 11, CCX Media, WCCO radio and Star Tribune newspaper.
Those responsible for activities scheduled in schools over the weekend will determine if adverse weather conditions necessitate a cancellation.
Read more about the district’s policies on extreme winter weather at ahschools.us/weather.
01/01 - District Closed - Winter Break
01/02 - School Resumes
01/15 - Enrollment Options Deadline
01/16 - APTCO Meeting - S. Media Center - 6:30 PM
01/17 - No School for Elementary & Middle Schools
01/20 - District Closed - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
01/30 - Coyote Carnival
02/13 - APTCO Meeting - S. Media Center - 6:30 PM
02/17 - No School - Presidents Day
02/18 - No School for Students - Staff Development/Conferences
02/20 - Conferences