Backpack Online - Jan. 20, 2023
Jan. 20, 2023
Last chance: Nominate someome for an Above & Beyond Award
Do you know an Anoka-Hennepin staff member who goes above and beyond normal job expectations to ensure that students receive a high quality education in a safe and nurturing environment? Maybe that person is a teacher or a custodian or a paraprofessional? Maybe a school counselor or principal? Perhaps someone working in the cafeteria, or a nurse or a secretary?
If you know someone who does amazing work for children, you’re strongly encouraged to nominate them for the Above & Beyond Awards. The Above & Beyond Awards involve students, staff, parents and community members in recognizing and rewarding Anoka-Hennepin employees and groups who consistently go that extra mile so students can be successful.
Nominations are being accepted for outstanding candidates through the evening on Sunday, Jan. 22.
CPHS Unified Club goes all in on winter activities for team-bonding event
Members of the Champlin Park High School (CPHS) Unified Club gathered at Mississippi Gateway Park Jan. 18 for a morning filled with team bonding activities, including snowshoeing, making snow art and playing sports in the snow.
The Unified Club at CPHS aims to create a school climate where students with disabilities feel welcome and routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions.
Up next for the CPHS Unified Club is the regional basketball tournament which will be held Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the Eagan Community Center where the Rebels hope to earn a spot in the state Unified basketball tournament for the second straight season.
Anoka and Coon Rapids high school DECA chapters recognized
The DECA chapters at Anoka (AHS) and Coon Rapids (CRHS) high schools achieved Thrive Level recognition in both the membership campaign and chapter campaign programs. The chapters will be commended at DECA’s International Career Development Conference (ICDC) held April 22-25 in Orlando, Fla.
AHS and CRHS were two of about 1,300 chapters internationally to earn achievement or thrive level through DECA’s chapter campaign program.
Each fall, DECA offers four campaigns for chapters to complete as part of their program of leadership for the year. These campaigns are designed to grow membership engagement and build lasting partnerships within the school and local community. DECA chapters that earn Thrive Level will receive a pennant, flag and plaque. Since both chapters earned Thrive Level in both the membership campaign and chapter campaign, they will be able to send up to six DECA members to participate in the Thrive Academy at this year’s conference. Learn more about the recognition earned by both the AHS and CRHS DECA programs.
Mid-year leadership workshop creates opportunities to plan for 23-24 school year
Principals and administrators from across the district gathered for the annual mid-year leadership workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 18, to hear updates from interim superintendent Dr. Kate Maguire, and other members of the school district’s cabinet. The group reviewed and discussed draft Strategic Priorities for the 2023-24 school year, which will be brought to the School Board for consideration at its meeting Monday, Jan. 23.
The Strategic Priorities process is a system that creates shared expectations for how resources are utilized along with a disciplined approach from governance to implementation. The district’s continuous improvement model is an essential element to match resources with decisions to achieve the School Board’s direction to meet the mission and vision for the district. Each year, the strategic priorities are informed by significant staff and community input, including survey responses that include feedback from thousands of stakeholders.
A survey was sent directly to district families this week to weigh in on district strategic priorities.
Approximately 250 principals and administrators were in attendance for the workshop.
Interim superintendent Dr. Kate Maguire led presentations.
Small group sessions created opportunities to discuss and share feedback.
Transportation announces 28th annual bus safety poster contest
The Anoka-Hennepin transportation department is accepting submissions for the 28th annual school bus safety poster contest. The contest got underway during Winter School Bus Safety Week (Jan. 9-13).
The district is inviting students at all grade levels to submit their best artwork for the competition. Each school will hold its own poster contest, with one winner being chosen from each grade level, and the winning poster for each school will then be entered into the district poster contest. The winning posters from each school must be submitted to the transportation department by Feb. 3, to be eligible for the district contest.
The winners of the district contest will advance to the Minnesota school bus safety poster contest and winners of the state competition will be submitted to the national poster contest, which will be in November 2023.
The objective of the contest is to encourage students to think about bus safety and provide opportunities for activities and discussion during winter school bus safety week.
Poster specifics
This year’s theme is Safely Rolling to my Destination, and those words must be on the poster. The poster must also feature a yellow school bus or a portion of a yellow school bus. Posters must be on 11” x 17” or 12” x 18” (most submitted use the 11” x 17”) and can be horizontal or vertical. View the complete rules and poster specifications.
Let’s Talk About It - The Power of Connection
by Rebecca Velline - Chemical Health Prevention Specialist
The opposite of addiction is connection. This is my favorite phase in the chemical health field. I have witnessed the power of connection in many of my clients throughout the years. Why is this an important topic currently? Throughout the winter months, it is difficult to feel motivated to go on social outings and outdoor activities. This can lead to the winter months feeling more isolating, resulting in increased substance use. Furthermore, COVID-19 has made socialization more difficult in the last few years.
A growing wealth of research demonstrates that social connection is as vital a need as our requirements for food, water, and shelter. Humans are hardwired to be inherently social creatures, and this has ensured our survival and evolution. We are more socially connected than any other animal on the planet. Read the rest of the blog on our website for tips on improving human connection.
Special project in the Nebula program provides enriched learning experience
Appeals window for the program now open
Students in Nebula, a school-within-a-school program for third through fifth grade gifted students at Eisenhower Elementary School, are utilizing elements from the NASA Mars 2020 mission to engage in enriched learning experiences that provide real world context to various coding and research skills.
Thanks in part to a Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) grant for LEGO® kits, drones, robots, and a 3D printer, the students at each grade level have the opportunity to participate in a unique project. Through these hands-on experiences the students are developing collaboration skills, technical reading skills, problem solving skills, perseverance, and adaptability. Learn more about the Nebula project.
Nebula is a talent development program which provides a core curriculum specialized in supporting acceleration by compacting and extending Minnesota academic standards while still providing differentiated learning experiences that foster curiosity, exploration, and academic growth.
The appeals window is now open for students who do not meet the Nebula program selection criteria, or live outside the district, through Friday, Feb. 17. Students considered are those who consistently score in the 98-99 percentile in math and reading. For more information on the application process and to apply, visit ahschools.us/Nebula.
School Board votes to amend 2022-23 school year calendar
The School Board approved a change to the district calendar at its December 12 meeting, converting June 8 to a non-student contact day at the elementary level. There will be no change to the schedule at the secondary level. The last day of school for elementary school students will be Wednesday, June 7, while the last day of school for secondary students will remain Thursday, June 8.
This change will allow elementary staff additional time to prepare for transitions that will occur from the current school year to the next, including the closing of Franklin Elementary School and boundary changes across the district.
Additional district news
- School Board meeting set for Monday, Jan. 23.
- Testing opportunities for students to earn a World Language Proficiency Certificate or Bilingual/Multilingual Seal.
- New $225 substitute teacher rate at select sites and on Fridays now in effect through the end of the school year.
- Winter weather information.
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This e-newsletter is published by Anoka-Hennepin Schools. It's sent to Anoka-Hennepin families and community members who subscribe on a weekly basis during the school year, excluding breaks (and periodically during the summer). Questions, comments or concerns about the Backpack Online e-newsletter? Contact us.