This week, the Austin Public Schools Poetry Contest judges proudly announced the 2023 poetry finalists. Finalists are announced in alphabetical order.

All finalists and their families are invited to attend the Night of Poetry at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, at the Hormel Historic Home. The finalists from each building will read their poems during the event. School winners will be announced after all poems are shared. Certificates and awards will also be presented. This event will be live-streamed. All finalists will get a letter in the mail with additional information.

Thank you to all the 2023 Austin Public Schools Poetry Contest participants and the Austin High School Language Arts Department for their willingness to judge all the entries. Congratulations to the finalists from Gifted and Talented Services and Austin Public Schools!

Sincerely,

Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent

Austin Public Schools is pleased to announce Tanner Lange as the district's new Director of Food and Nutrition.

Mr. Lange earned a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Minnesota State University—Mankato and completed a dietetic internship at Utah State University—Salt Lake City. He has served as Austin Public Schools' dietitian since March 2018.

"I am excited to work with everyone at Austin Public Schools to help our students make a positive difference in the world," says Mr. Lange. "We will continue to build off the great work our department has done in years past while bringing in fresh ideas to serve our students best."

"I am excited to work with everyone at Austin Public Schools to help our students make a positive difference in the world," says Mr. Lange. "We will continue to build off the great work our department has done in years past while bringing in fresh ideas to serve our students best."

"We are excited to welcome Mr. Lange into this leadership role with Austin Public Schools," says Executive Director of Finance and Operations Andrew Adams. "His background in dietetics and nutrition will help us continue providing nutritious meals to help our students be successful both in the classroom and in life."

Mr. Lange will be taking over for outgoing Director of Food and Nutrition Mary Weikum, retiring after 21 years of service to both Austin Public Schools and the Austin community at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

Austin Public Schools is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values the diversity of its employees and does not discriminate against any employee or candidate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, familial status or membership or activity in a local commission. The school district strongly encourages anyone interested to apply to join our teams. Reasonable accommodations to access job openings or to apply for a job are available. Click here to learn more.

Minnesota Bilingual and Multilingual Seals were legislated in the Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS) Act in 2014. Austin Public Schools may award Minnesota bilingual and multilingual seals to our high school students upon graduation who have demonstrated the required levels of language proficiency through assessment in languages other than English, including American Sign Language (ASL) and Indigenous American Indian languages. The required proficiency levels are ACTFL Advanced Low for a Platinum Seal; ACTFL Intermediate High for a Gold Seal in all of the four modalities—listening, reading, speaking, and writing—Contact Council for Educational Equity Integration Collaboration Coordinator Kristi Beckman with any questions.

Communities in Mower County are full of people doing great work to reduce food insecurity, but often these individuals and organizations are working in silos, doing their own projects and having an impact but not connecting with others who have a stake in tackling this problem. Food insecurity is a complex issue requiring a response that exceeds the capabilities and resources of any one individual, organization, or sector.

The Hometown Food Security Project (HFSP) was launched in May 2022 to galvanize the community behind the cause, empower local leaders, build long-term bonds of collaboration, maximize the effective use of resources, and ensure mutual accountability for results. The HFSP Coalition is comprised of a diverse group of organizations and individuals representing different sectors in order to take advantage of a wide set of resources and expertise, all while ensuring broad community ownership. The Coalition is now ready to grow, and we need you!

You can join the Hometown Food Security Coalition for an in-person gathering on Wednesday, April 12, as we strategically assess the structure and procedures of local food delivery systems, review previously identified resources and gaps, make collaborative decisions for change, and create collective action plans to ensure no one goes hungry in Mower County. Click here to get registered.

As we celebrate the final state championships of the winter season, we want to express gratitude and appreciation to all of our schools' teams for their participation and hard work throughout the season. The commitment to teamwork, sportsmanship, and athletic excellence has not gone unnoticed, and we want to thank you, educational leaders, for all of the time and effort that goes into a successful winter season of activities and athletics.

The majority of our Spring sports and activities are now underway. We look forward to snow and ice melting and the promise of exciting seasons. See the full MSHSL newsletter here.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month off their internet bills (or up to $75 per month for households living on Tribal lands), as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 off an eligible connected device like a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. In many cases, households can get high-speed internet without paying a dime by choosing a fully covered internet plan.

This announcement serves as a reminder that a household is eligible to participate in the ACP if a child in the household receives free or reduced-price school meals. Therefore, under the ACP rules, every household with a child attending a school participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program is eligible for ACP benefits.

Households can learn more and apply for the ACP at GetInternet.gov​.

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In this week's Alumni Spotlight, we catch up with alumna Daniel Gerlach.

Are you an alumnus of Austin Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

We're excited to hear about your accomplishments and are eager to share your successes and advice with our current students, families, and the Austin community. Please take a few minutes to complete the quick questionnaire at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/district-resources/alumni-spotlight regarding your current position and your career trajectory.

Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all your wonderful stories!

At Austin Public Schools, our mission is to inspire, empower, and accelerate every one of our learners, and we know that the only way for us to reach this goal is through the efforts of all our incredibly hard-working staff.

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we’re highlighting Oakland Education Center Mental Health Practitioner Josh Rubio.

"Josh is one of the easiest people to work with and one of the most liked staff by all students. The amount of empathy and patience that he demonstrates on a daily basis is effortless and radiating. He goes above and beyond to ensure everyone around him is doing alright. He is loved and genuinely appreciated."

Congratulations!

If you’d like to nominate an outstanding Austin Public Schools staff member for our weekly Staff Spotlight, please take a moment to fill out the form at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/district-resources/staff-spotlight. It only takes a minute and can truly make someone’s day. Thanks!

We are providing the opportunity for you to offer the Austin Public Schools feedback with “snapshot data.” Each week, we will open a quick 1-minute survey for you to share your thoughts on the district for the week. These data can generate insights into trends and patterns over time, which can help inform our decision-making and strategic efforts as well help us address concerns and celebrate successes.

Thank you in advance for your time!

• Learner, educator support needed to encourage underrepresented students to take advanced courses

• In The Principal's Office
• Black men comprise less than 1% of Minnesota's teachers
• Minnesota Holocaust survivor pushes for genocide curriculum for middle and high school students
• Minnesota school workers push Legislature to solve 'staffing crisis' with $25-an-hour minimum wage
• APS to halt Lunch Tray Project after Walz signs the universal school meals bill

APS offers a wide range of student activities, including competitive athletics, intramurals, academic clubs, fine arts, and performing arts. View schedules and learn more here.

You can review previous issues here.