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
  
• High School Site Improvements Bid
• 2023-2025 Administrative Assistant Contract
• 2023-2025 Salary Schedule MOU Between EMC-I and C-I Schools
• Non-Renewing Probationary Teaching Contracts Resolution
• Policy 606 - Textbooks and Instructional Materials
• Policy 613 - Graduation Requirements
• Policy 619 - Staff Development for Standards
• Policy 704 - Development and Maintenance of an Inventory of Fixed Assets and a Fixed Asset Accounting System
• Policy 706 - Acceptance of Gifts

Bluejacket Education Foundation Future Fest Event

The Bluejacket Education Foundation will be holding its second annual Future Fest on April 19. Proceeds from this event goes to supporting educational and enrichment opportunities for Cambridge-Isanti students.

Retired Teacher Luncheon

Speaking of those who support our school district and students, I was able to attend the retired teacher luncheon. It was so fun to reconnect with familiar faces and listen to so many stories about the work and impact that this group had on so many of our students over the years. As Bluejacket educators, we truly do get to stand on the shoulders of giants. This group helped lay the foundation and set so many traditions of our distinct. We are very thankful for their dedication and support!! GO BIG BLUE!

C-I Schools Receive 2024 Youth Skills Training Grant

Congratulations to our Career & Technical Education team for recently receiving the 2024 Youth Skills Training Grant! Cambridge-Isanti Schools was one of seventeen partnerships to receive the YTS grant. View the press release from the Department of Labor and Industry for more information.

By: Shawn Kirkeide

Bluejacket Celebration

The deadline for submitting nominations for the annual Bluejacket Celebration awards was Friday, April 12. We are excited to announce the winners of the Teacher of Excellence, Support Staff Person of the Year, PBIS, Friend of the Cambridge-Isanti Community, and the “Bluejacket Way” at the Bluejacket Celebration on Tuesday, May 21 at 4:30pm in the Performing Arts Center at CIHS. We’ll also be celebrating our retirees and Years of Service award winners during this celebration, as is customary. It’s going to be a fantastic event!

Insurance Open Enrollment

Our annual Insurance Open Enrollment period is coming up on April 22. We’ve partnered with OneDigital and Aflac representatives again this year to offer personal coaches to employees who will walk them through the Open Enrollment process in a personalized phone call. There will also be a video tutorial for staff to reference and in-person information sessions if they prefer. The representatives will be able to explain all of the available benefit options and answer any questions employees may have during the process.

By: Christopher Kampa, CFA

Finance

More than 70% of school districts are projecting budget shortfalls for next fiscal year. In response, school districts have announced significant budget reductions. Thankfully, our district’s financial standing is comparatively stable due to strategic measures taken over recent years. While we have implemented some reductions for the upcoming year, we’ve managed to minimize their impact both students and staff. However, without significant structural reforms in education funding, future years may pose greater challenges. Conversations with legislators suggest recognition of last year's funding shortcomings, fueling hope for improvements in the current session to provide stability for school districts statewide.

Transportation

Our bus drivers serve as the initial cheerful greeters for our students each morning and the final providers of encouragement each evening. They are instrumental in ensuring student safety and welfare while maintaining an efficient logistical process that aligns with our dedication to delivering dependable transportation services. Through ongoing collaboration and clear communication, we aim to tackle obstacles, optimize resources, and ultimately elevate the educational journey for all our students.

Food Service

March was a great month in the Food Service Department as it provided a double celebration with School Breakfast Week and National Nutrition Month. It marked a time of heightened awareness and appreciation for the importance of healthy eating habits, particularly among students. School Breakfast Week encouraged schools to highlight the significance of starting the day with a nutritious meal, ensuring that students have the energy and focus needed for learning. Concurrently, National Nutrition Month inspired individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles through mindful eating and physical activity. Together, these events fostered a collective effort to promote wellness and instill lifelong habits for improved health and vitality.

Building & Grounds
The first stage of the district-wide facility assessment, aimed at pinpointing ongoing needs, has concluded. This assessment will guide our planning endeavors for the next decade. Despite having tackled critical infrastructure requirements in our recent construction project, the ongoing aging of our facilities necessitates continuous attention. We anticipate presenting the assessment findings to the School Board in the upcoming months for deliberation.

Technology

In early April, the Cybersecurity Committee convened alongside representatives from our insurance company and a member of the MNIT Cyber Navigators Team to deliberate on the Incident Management Plan and conduct a tabletop exercise focused on a compromised database server. This session offered a valuable opportunity for us to enhance our preparedness and response capabilities for potential cybersecurity incidents.

By: Christina Thayer Anderson

Pyramid Model

Pyramid Model is the early childhood model for PBIS, implemented and taught in a developmentally appropriate way for our youngest Bluejackets. Pyramid Model focuses on evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development. Strategies include social and emotional skill development, prevention of challenging behaviors through focused and systematic instruction, and emphasizes the importance of family engagement throughout their child’s schooling. We are excited to share in our fourth year of the five year federal grant cycle, all of our preschool teachers have been Pyramid Model trained, and individual classroom assessment shows rapid growth towards implementation with fidelity.. cs. This work directly supports PBIS and a student’s transition to kindergarten.

Volunteer Appreciation

This month we celebrate our hundreds of volunteers who generously give their time and resources to supporting our students, staff, and schools. Last year, volunteer hours were equivalent to 6 FTE. We anticipate we will meet that again this year, and are excited for the many new opportunities happening in buildings across the District. Thank you to our Volunteer Coordinators, Nicki Hasser, Amy Huntley, and Angela Lindell, who work tirelessly on behalf of our learners and schools. Our school community is better and stronger because of our Volunteer Coordinators and many selfless students, parents, caregivers, and community members who serve in our buildings and programs.

Summer Hiring

Summer is one of the busiest seasons for Community Education. We are currently hiring for summer enrichment, recreation, and Adventure Center programs. We have entry level and lead-support positions available. Due to the Great Start Stabilization grants from the state of MN, staff working in Adventure Center will receive stipends upon completion of summer program in addition to their hourly wages. If you are interested in working with youth and learning more about these opportunities, please contact our department at ceregister@c-ischools.org.

By: Dr. Brenda Damiani

Data and Assessment

MCA / MTAS Testing will be administered in all grade 3-12 buildings over the next few weeks. The deadline for Math and Reading MCA is May 3 and Science is May 10. Thank you to all of the building assessment coordinators for their hard work on preparing a successful testing session and to all of the proctors and IAs for administering the assessments.

PBIS

Each year, Minnesota PBIS recognizes schools and districts that have completed PBIS implementation and are continuing to achieve positive student outcomes. We are excited to share that our schools and district have once again applied for sustaining exemplar recognition! We are proud of the district wide PBIS program we have in place and the on-going commitment to this work. In addition, our buildings applied for and received PBIS mini grants which will go toward funding PBIS projects this spring.

MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports)

As the first two-year MnMTSS grant cycle wraps up, the District MTSS Team has been reviewing our district action plan and making recommendations for the next two-year grant which will extend through June 2026. Our priorities will continue to focus on strengthening our infrastructure for continuous improvement and aligning multi-layered supports, so every student receives the support they need to reach learning standards. We appreciate the professional development and growth opportunities the grant has allowed us and celebrate all we have accomplished thus far.

By: Dr. Julie Williams

As the end of the school year draws near, we are planning for Extended School Year (ESY)! Registration forms will be sent by case managers to parents of students who qualify for ESY based on their IEP. These forms are due April 26 which will help us gauge what is needed to staff the ESY program this summer.

We are hiring staff for ESY and need teachers and Instructional Assistants! Please consider working the session even if it is not your typical department - we will train you! We have a great time for the 10 days and the students love to see familiar faces in July! Please reach out if you have any questions.