Austin Packer Bulletin - 11/03/23
Volume 2, Issue 14
Austin Public Schools Community Education Director Jen Lawhead was awarded a Regional Community Educator Award by the Minnesota Community Education Association. The award "recognizes, thanks, and celebrates the outstanding contributions made by practitioners and supporters of community education from across Minnesota. Nominees represent the best of the best: persons committed to working together, creating opportunities, persisting through challenges and partnering with others."
"It has been my great privilege to work with Austin Public Schools as the Community Education Director for the past five years," says Ms. Lawhead. "The incredible staff in this program serve our community members from the moment they are born, and all our programs embody the Austin Public Schools mission to inspire, empower, and accelerate our students and program participants. I am honored to have been nominated and to receive the Community Educator award from MCEA."
Lawhead, who received the award at the Minnesota Community Education Conference last week, was one of nine recipients of the award in the state.
"Jen Lawhead's well-deserved recognition is a testament to her and the team's commitment to filling gaps and building bridges with the school district and our community," said Austin Superintendent Dr. Joey Page.
Lawhead oversees Austin's Community Education program, including Austin Adult Learning, Community Education, Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Preschool Programming, the Kids Korner program, and more.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent
A few months into another school year, I find myself reflecting on my own time as a student at Austin Public Schools. I graduated from Austin High School in 1997 and received a great education that prepared me well for both my career and my identity as a life-long learner. As an Austin native, I hold immense pride in our district, dedicated staff, and wonderful students. I enjoy watching my own children walk the halls of the schools I attended - nostalgia is a powerful feeling. Now, as a member of the school board, I am excited to see the bright future ahead for our district.
Austin is a place like no other, a community that has undergone significant growth and transformation as we have welcomed many new residents from around the world. Diversity continues to enrich our district and community, making it a truly unique part of our state and region.
Looking ahead, enrollment in our district is expected to grow by more than 15% in the next 10 years. To prepare for the future, the school board has approved a long-term strategic plan focused on four goals. These objectives include providing support and resources to ensure a safe and welcoming learning environment, creating a "Packer Profile" for all learners, ensuring district-wide, multi-tiered systems of support for all learners, and demonstrating efficient and equitable management of dollars and resources.
As we move forward in pursuit of these goals, our district and school board invite your questions and feedback. For deeper insight into our strategic vision, please visit AccelerateAustin.org. Together, we will shape a bright future for Austin Public Schools.
Carolyn Dube, Austin School Board Member
A survey was sent to you from School Perceptions. The survey aims to gather input on how to inform our planning process.
You will have the opportunity to participate in this survey. Therefore, be on the lookout for an email from School Perceptions. School Perceptions is an independent education research firm we work with to administer the survey. If you do not receive an email invitation, please check your spam/junk/promotions folder.
Thanks in advance for participating. Please check in your inbox to complete the survey.
Beginning the 2024-2025 academic year, we're thrilled to announce a significant enhancement in our educational approach. Our dedicated elementary teachers will have at least 285 minutes of weekly preparation time within the instructional day, up from 225. This is not just an investment in our teachers but a testament to our commitment to providing the best education for our students.
But that's not all!
We're introducing science specialists across all elementary buildings to ensure new state Science standards and instructional methodology are implemented. This strategic move is designed to better integrate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) throughout our system and simultaneously focus on critical literacy and math instruction.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families Implementation Office has begun sending a monthly newsletter with updates on the transition process. If interested, please sign up for the monthly newsletter here. Past editions of the newsletter are available on the DCYF Implementation Office webpage.
The Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center invites you to take the Cancer-Focused Needs Assessment. This anonymous 15-minute questionnaire asks about cancer risk factors and how cancer burden affects your community. The survey results will help the Mayo Clinic develop health education programs, recommend health policies, and provide cancer-related interventions to improve health and quality of life in the communities it serves. Help spread the word: English | Spanish
Participants will receive a $15 gift card for completing the survey, which takes between 15-20 minutes.
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/alumni-spotlight regarding your current position and your career trajectory.
Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all your wonderful stories!
