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Backpack Online - October 18, 2023
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October 18, 2023
Positive leadership on display with the return of the WEB program at AMSA
After a seven year hiatus, the Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) program at Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) has returned to build upon a positive school culture. Unique from other schools in the district due to split campuses, the eighth-grade WEB leaders are mentoring seventh-grade students at the Fred Moore campus.
“We brought WEB back to have some leadership opportunities in the building and mentor seventh graders,” said Christine Godzala, an administrative professional at AMSA and one of three WEB advisors. “The WEB students jumped at the chance to be leaders.”
💃 In addition to WEB Day and being available daily to the students in need, the WEB leaders help promote spirit days and other activities at the school. The students have also joined special education students in the building for a dance party every Friday morning. 📸 View photos from the Oct. 13 dance party.
“This is a very positive event,” said Cooper Boylan, a WEB leader. “I like seeing the kids happy and the positiveness makes the whole day better.”
🗞️ Read the full story on the return of the WEB program at AMSA.
🎥 Watch a video about the return of the WEB program at AMSA.
Calling all artists: Submit artwork for the annual kindness poster contest
As a part of October’s National Bullying Prevention campaign, Anoka-Hennepin is excited to participate in the 20th annual kindness poster contest.
🎨 The district invites students at all grade levels to submit their best artwork for the competition. Each elementary and middle school will select one winning poster for each grade level, K-8, and each high school will select one winning poster from grades 9-12 to advance to the district-level judging contest.
This year’s kindness poster contest theme is Make Kindness your Purpose, and those words must be on the poster. All participants will help create and spread kindness messages in their schools through this competition.
Learning takes off when second graders at University Avenue visit the airport
Second graders at University Avenue Elementary School - Aerospace, Children’s Engineering and Science (ACES) brought their learning to new heights Tuesday, Oct. 17 when students visited the Anoka County-Blaine Airport for a hands-on learning experience.
“My favorite part of today was when we got to visit the control tower,” said Harlem Carter, a second-grade student. “I learned a lot of new parts of the plane.”
🛩️ Second graders at University Avenue are ‘flight experts’ and spend the whole year looking at different aspects of flight and the parts of the airplane. The students were able to take in-class instruction and go deeper with an experience where they were able to ask questions to pilots and touch two airplanes. Students learned about the LifeLink helicopter and went up to the tower’s observation deck to play 'eye spy.’
2023-24 fall sports and activities round-up
Girls soccer
⚽️ The Andover High School girls soccer team is headed to the state tournament after winning the Section 7AAA championship on Oct. 17. The Huskies earned their fourth berth to the state tournament in school history, the first since 2017, with a 1-0 victory over Centennial High School.
Boys soccer
⚽️ The Andover High School boys soccer team will make their second straight and fifth overall appearance in the MSHSL State Boys Soccer Tournament after winning the Section 7AAA championship on Oct. 17. The Huskies defeated Centennial High School 5-2 to earn another berth to the state tournament.
The MSHSL will announce seedings and the bracket for this year’s state championships on Saturday, Oct. 21. The quarterfinal round will be played Oct. 24-26.
District marching bands compete at Youth in Music Championships
🎺 All five of Anoka-Hennepin’s traditional high schools competed in the 19th annual Youth in Music Championships held Oct. 14 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The premier marching band event featured 35 teams from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Special guests included the Iowa State University marching band.
Andover, Anoka, Blaine and Coon Rapids high schools competed in the Class A division, while Champlin Park High School competed in Class AA.
CPHS placed fifth out of seven teams with a score of 71.185 in the Class AA competition.
Anoka placed fourth in Class A with a score of 65.900 while Coon Rapids finished sixth with a score of 63.050. Andover finished eighth with a score of 60.975 and Blaine placed 11th with a score of 53.800.
📸 View photos of district marching bands competing at the Youth in Music Championships.
Join the district Elementary English Language Arts review committee
Anoka-Hennepin is seeking community members to join the district’s Elementary English Language Arts (ELA) Review Committee. Applications must be submitted by Nov. 1.
The elementary ELA review committee’s purpose is to study research and best practices based on the science of reading using the READ Act legislation as a guide. The committee will analyze Anoka-Hennepin elementary student achievement results relative to the Minnesota state standards. The study will additionally integrate and study the present ELA program and stakeholder feedback.
A goal for the committee will be to provide results and recommendations to the School Board, informing next steps for an ELA curriculum pilot.
The committee will include district personnel, teachers, school board members and parents/guardians of elementary students representing each attendance area in the district.
Meetings will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Educational Service Center (ESC) located at 2727 N Ferry St. in Anoka on the following dates: Nov. 29, Dec. 14, Jan. 24, Feb. 26, March 28, April 23 and May 14.
Please complete the online application to be considered for membership. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Sangster, elementary director of curriculum, instruction and assessment at 763-506-1063 or at ann.sangster@ahschools.us.
In the News: CRMS student wins national school bus safety poster contest
🎨 Avrie Siedschlag, now a seventh-grade student at Coon Rapids Middle School, was named the winner of the 2022-23 National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest, the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) announced Sept. 18.
Siedschlag completed the winning poster as a sixth-grade student last school year. She was also named the winner of the Anoka-Hennepin poster contest and the 2023 Minnesota School Bus Safety Poster Contest. Hear more from Avrie in this news story by CTN Coon Rapids.
School Board election to be held Tuesday, Nov. 7
Three seats on the Anoka-Hennepin School Board will be up for election on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The six-member Anoka-Hennepin School Board makes policy and oversees the district’s budget, curriculum, personnel and physical facilities. Members are elected by district to four-year terms.
Details regarding impacted districts:
- District 1:Includes Anoka, western Andover, western Coon Rapids and southwestern Ramsey.
Candidates: Incumbent Erin Heers-McArdle, Linda Hoekman - District 2: Includes Blaine and eastern Coon Rapids.
Candidates: Zach Arco, Susan Witt - District 5: Includes Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, southern Coon Rapids, Fridley.
Candidates: Michelle Langenfeld, Scott Simmons, Cyrus Wilson
📍To see which district you live in, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State polling place finder.
🗳️ For more information about where and how to vote, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
Information about the election process or voter registration is available through the Anoka County Elections office or contact them at elections@co.anoka.mn.us or 763-324-1300.
Supporting students during challenging times
As tragic events of violence are unfolding in Israel and Gaza, these events are also commonly a topic of discussion in our school communities and Anoka-Hennepin Schools stands ready to support students, staff and families in this challenging time.
The ongoing events in the Middle East are being covered in the media extensively, and it is understood that students and children have questions and may be seeking reassurance.
📄 Review resources for age-appropriate discussions and supports available in school.
Additional district news
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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.