At Austin Public Schools, we value your input and strive for continuous improvement. The Austin Packer Bulletin is our weekly newsletter which aims to keep students, parents/caregivers, staff, and our community informed about important events, achievements, and opportunities at our school.

Your needs and expectations are essential, so we offer a feedback survey. Your feedback will provide valuable insights that will help us enhance the newsletter's content, format, and overall effectiveness. Your responses will be treated as confidential and used to improve the Austin Packer Bulletin.

We greatly appreciate your participation in this survey, as it allows us to serve our community better and make the Bulletin an even better resource. We look forward to incorporating your suggestions to ensure the newsletter reflects the needs and interests of our diverse audience.

Thank you for your time and continued support!

Sincerely,

Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent

Join us on Friday, June 2, at 7:00 PM for the Class of 2023 Graduation Ceremony live from AHS Knowlton Auditorium!

We have launched an informational website that aims to provide everyone with quick and easy access to information related to a potential kindergarten transition. The District plans to have kindergarten students return to neighborhood schools starting in the 2024-2025 school year. We understand families/caregivers/staff may have specific questions regarding the transition. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions covering various topics to simplify things.

The annual AHS Awards Evening was held on Wednesday, May 10 in AHS Knowlton Auditorium. At the ceremony, students receive certificates and recognition for a wide variety of scholarships and academic honors. This year, more than $70,000 in scholarships were awarded, and more than 50 students were honored for their achievements.

More than 270 students from the Class of 2023 have qualified for the Austin Assurance Scholarship and were recognized at the ceremony.

Austin Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring Mr. Kane Malo as the new assistant principal at IJ Holton Intermediate School.

Mr. Malo earned a Master's in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota State and his administrative licensure from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. He has an extensive educational background in the classroom, administration, and leadership, most recently as the K-12 principal and athletic director at Pacelli Catholic Schools. He has also worked extensively at Austin Public Schools as an EL teacher and a technology integrationist.

"We are very fortunate to be able to add Mr. Malo to our administrative team," says IJ Holton Intermediate School principal Dewey Schara. "He brings a student-focused mentality and solid leadership experience with him. His background in technology, English Language Learner instruction, and extra-curricular activities will help us expand and deepen our class offerings for all our students."

"I am looking forward to continuing the great work being done at IJ Holton Intermediate School," says Malo, "and I look forward to meeting and working with the students, families, and staff. I am excited to start this new chapter and hope to bring various experiences to serve the school well."

Starting next school year, Mr. Malo will be succeeding outgoing assistant principal Blake Henely, the new principal at Banfield Elementary School.

Austin Fire Department announced the 4th Grade Junior Fire State Poster Contest Honorable Mention Winner today at Southgate Elementary School. Carter McRae received Honorable Mention at the State Level of the 4th Grade Junior Fire Poster Contest. Fire Inspector Hansen awarded a check for $10 to Carter from the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association. Carter’s teacher, principal and classmates attended the award presentation along with his parents, Josh and Cori McRae.

Approximately 340 4th grade students participate in the Junior Fire Safety Program. Each child is expected to create a fire safety poster to be entered into the contest. Two children from each elementary school (Banfield, Neveln, Southgate, Sumner, and Pacelli) are chosen as poster winners. The overall fire safety poster winner is entered into the State competition along with two runners up.

(credit: City of Austin via Facebook)

Mayo Clinic Health System and Austin Public Schools are pleased to announce a partnership to provide access to virtual physical examinations for certain conditions using a telehealth device for the employees of our school district. The device enhances the current virtual care services Mayo Clinic Health System provides by allowing our employees to use tools to better communicate their symptoms or concerns to the clinician during the video appointment. Employees will also be able to conduct the physical examination in a private office at the school.

We are extremely pleased to partner with Mayo Clinic Health System to provide our employees with convenient, onsite access to virtual healthcare services.

The virtual physical examinations provided with the telehealth device include:

• Checking a skin condition
• Examining the throat
• Listening to the heart and lungs
• Looking in the ears

In addition to virtual physical examinations, Mayo Clinic Health System offers virtual care for the treatment of common health conditions. Some of the conditions treated include:

• Cold symptoms
• Diarrhea
• Ear infection
• Minor skin infections
• Sore throat
• Sinus symptoms/Sinusitis
• Tick exposure
• Travel-related motion sickness
• Vomiting

When the system is fully operational, employees may self-schedule an appointment via Mayo Clinic's patient portal by logging into the patient portal through the Mayo Clinic App.

School district staff who are Mayo Clinic Health System patients also have details of their visit included in their electronic health record to allow their primary care provider to follow up and coordinate continuing care. For more information, please see the TytoCare Resources section of the staff website.

We will continue sharing more details as they become available, but we wanted to inform you of this exciting new opportunity for Austin Public Schools employees.

A study of Packer Dome is underway to assess various aspects, such as reliable labor for the set-up and takedown process, financial viability, market demand, new technological requirements, and long-term structural considerations. Our goal is to gather and share valuable insights that will help inform the Board and guide the future of Packer Dome at the June 12 Regular School Board meeting.

In this week's Alumni Spotlight, we catch up with alumnus Jekap Omod.

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 our quick questionnaire 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 Austin High School FACS teacher Julia Gray.

"[Ms. Gray] is kind and sweet to all of her students and makes them smile every day. You can tell she truly cares about every one of her students."

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!

• Ask the Cognitive Scientist: Does Developing a Growth Mindset Help Students Learn?
  
• Experts say Read Act is a major investment in literacy education
• The Department of Education updates guidance on public school prayer
• Parents Are Often Nervous About Math. They Can Still Help Their Kids Learn It
• Austin debates dismantling Minnesota's first all-day kindergarten center

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.

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.

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