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.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent

Austin Public Schools is pleased to announce that, beginning with the 2023-24 school year, current Sumner Elementary School principal Sheila Berger will become the district Coordinator of K-4 Curriculum, Teacher Mentorship, and EL Programming, and current Woodson Kindergarten Center principal Jill Rollie will become the new principal of Sumner Elementary School.

"After five incredible years at Woodson Kindergarten Center," said Ms. Rollie, "I am honored and excited to serve the students, staff, and families of Sumner Elementary School."

In addition to her duties as K-4 Curriculum Coordinator, Ms. Berger will help support both the EL and teacher mentorship programs.

"My time at Sumner Elementary has been one of the greatest experiences of my career," shared Ms. Berger, "but I am excited to use my knowledge and experience to help support APS learners across the district."

Austin Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joey Page shared, "Both Ms. Berger and Ms. Rollie are highly respected members of the Austin Public Schools, and their dedication to education and student success is well-known. They are terrific leaders who bring valued experiences and leadership in their new roles."

To learn more about Austin Public Schools, please visit http://www.austin.k12.mn.us.

We hope this message finds you well! We wanted to inform you of an exciting change to our school supply list process for the upcoming school year.

To make things easier and more streamlined for families/caregivers, students will receive all necessary supplies for their grades when they arrive at school. We ask that students purchase a backpack before the start of school.

We believe this new process will save you time and ensure your child has everything they need to start the school year off on the right foot. Additionally, we're pleased to offer these supplies at a competitive price compared to what you would spend if you purchased the supplies individually.

What's Changing:

We will no longer provide a class supply list for grades PreK-4. The school will provide supplies, and families/caregivers will make a $40 payment per student. It's that easy!

3 Reasons For The Change:

1. Convenience for families/caregivers: By offering school supplies directly through the school, families no longer have to spend time and effort searching for and purchasing each item on the school supply list. This can be especially helpful for families/caregivers who may not have easy access to transportation or live far from stores that sell school supplies.
2. Standardization of supplies: By providing school supplies, the school can ensure that all students have the exact supplies, which can help to minimize classroom distractions and ensure that everyone has access to the materials they need to learn.
3. Cost savings: By ordering supplies in bulk, we can negotiate better prices and pass those savings on to families/caregivers. Additionally, school-purchased supplies can help families/caregivers avoid purchasing unnecessary items, which can add up quickly. This is also a cost-saving for families as the typical list of supplies can be over $60.

Overall, changing the school supply list will make things easier and more convenient for families/caregivers while ensuring all students have access to the materials needed in the classroom.

Note: There are no changes in the process for grades 5-12.

Bylaw amendments to Adapted Athletics and Boys Volleyball were approved Tuesday, May 9, 2023, when the Minnesota State High School League's Representative Assembly convened for its annual meeting at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. The 48-member Representative Assembly is the legislative body of the League that is responsible for creating and amending bylaws. We will need to gather more information about Austin Public Schools' implications. Read more here.

Congratulations to the APS Minnesota Principals Academy (MPA) 2023 graduates. They recently completed a two-year intensive executive leadership program using the National Institute of School Leadership's Executive Development Program tailored for Minnesota educators at the University of Minnesota. This professional learning is made possible through generous funding from the Minnesota Legislature, the Minnesota Department of Education, the University of Minnesota, and Austin Public Schools.

Participants have read the research, collaborated with colleagues, developed strategies, evaluated progress, and prepared an Action Learning Project (ALP) over the past two years.

MPA Participants and ALP:

• Ryan Barnick & Lynn Hemann: Meeting the Literacy Needs of Multilingual Learners – EL Shadowing Protocol
• Karen Dunbar: PBIS and Equity
• Allison Gunderson & Matt Schmit: Packer Profile
• Derik Gustafson: High-Quality Classroom Environment
• Blake Henely: Tier One Math Framework
• Joni Irvin: Establishing Best Practices in a Setting III Program
• Jen Lawhead: Effective Implementation of a New Early Childhood Curriculum
• Jill Rollie: High-Quality Classroom Environment

Each of the participants will also be presenting their ALP to their staff. Congratulations to the APS team.

We are excited to announce that AOA will be offering Summer Acceleration Courses this year! We have four 6-week course options to choose from, all of which start on June 12. The summer curriculum is fully asynchronous, with access to teacher support as needed. This means students can work at a time and pace that works best for their schedule while moving them one step closer to graduation!

Online registration is OPEN NOW until June 9. Please visit our summer website for registration details and reach out with any questions!

Website: https://online.austin.k12.mn.us/summer-acceleration

Great things are happening at Austin Public Schools! With a wide range of partnerships and programs to benefit our students, staff, and the community, our #PackerPride shines through in all we do. Learn more here.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is pleased to release our Annual Report to the President and the Secretary of Education for the fiscal year 2022.

Throughout the 2022 fiscal year, OCR actively pursued our mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights.

OCR's FY 2022 Annual Report is available here.

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• Could my child have autism spectrum disorder?
• Coping with seasonal allergies

Check out these Summer Youth Programming options. Due to the generous support of the Hormel Foundation, the YMCA at ACRC is offering scholarships to those who qualify. These grant-funded scholarships are available to cover a certain percentage of the program applied for, provided funds are still available. Apply here.

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 French teacher Emily Wakefield.

"[She] does an outstanding job teaching her students French! I love how she’s nice, caring, and shares her knowledge of French culture and language with her students. The class is very enjoyable and it’s one of my favorite classes because of her!"

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!

• APS Board turns down K-4 building realignment plan

• GMA honors teacher who went from lead custodian to substitute teacher

• Court hears oral arguments in school segregation case

• Minnesota Supreme Court takes school desegregation case to the kids

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.

You can review previous issues here.