In the Know - December 2, 2022

December 2, 2022

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board selected finalists and established a final round of interviews in their search for the next superintendent.

• Dr. Jeffery Ridlehoover, current superintendent of Sartell-St. Stephens Schools in Sartell, Minn.
  Interview scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7:15 p.m.

• Cory McIntyre, current superintendent of Osseo Area Schools in Maple Grove, Minn.
  Interview scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7:15 p.m.

Finalists will participate in a day-long series of focus groups with students, paraeducators, teachers, principals, administrators, cabinet members and other district staff following a tour of the district. Members of the public are invited to meet the candidate on the day of their interview and provide feedback from 5:30 p.m to 6:30 p.m. during an open community meeting. Then, the School Board will hold a special meeting to review feedback from the focus groups and conduct the second interview session beginning at 7:15 p.m.

The community meeting and special School Board meeting/interviews are open to the public and take place at the district’s Educational Services Center (ESC), located at 2727 N. Ferry St. in Anoka, enter at Door 7.

The School Board is expected to select a preferred candidate for the superintendent position following the interview on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and will begin contract negotiations at a later date. The new superintendent is expected to begin service on July 1, 2023.

Follow the Superintendent Search webpage for updates about the process at ahschools.us/superintendentsearch.

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board approved increased pay for substitute teachers, including a $225 daily rate, as a strategy to maintain high quality education in classrooms across the district.

A new $225 substitute teacher daily rate is now in effect for 10 schools across the district and at all sites on Fridays through the end of the school year. Substitute teachers help provide stability for students and serve an important role in maintaining educational services.

Schools included for the special rate include:

• Adams Elementary
• Anoka-Hennepin Regional High School
• Anoka-Hennepin Technical High School
• Bridges and Pathways programs
• Coon Rapids Middle School
• Evergreen Park Elementary
• Hamilton Elementary
• Mississippi Elementary
• Northdale Middle School
• River Trail Learning Center at L.O. Jacob.

Serving as a substitute teacher is a great way to gain valuable experience in education while assisting in meeting a community priority by helping children learn and develop. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree is eligible to become a substitute teacher. Contact Debbie Richter in the Anoka-Hennepin Employee Services department at 763-506-1100 or debbie.richter@ahschools.us to learn details and the process to apply.

Three information sessions are available for employees to learn more about the Grow Your Own Program, specifically The Work and Learn Program offered by the University of St. Thomas for Anoka-Hennepin employees.

Upcoming information sessions:

Tuesday, Dec. 6

• 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Meeting link: https://stthomas.zoom.us/j/7154955543

Thursday, Jan. 12

• 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Meeting link: https://stthomas.zoom.us/j/7154955543

Tuesday, Feb. 7

• 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Meeting link: https://stthomas.zoom.us/j/7154955543

Read more about the Work and Learn program.

If you are looking for local holiday entertainment, look no further than your school community. There are a variety of music concerts going on at district middle and high schools in December and January.

View the list of upcoming concerts and events.

The Coon Rapids High School (CRHS) Raven Street Project ensemble is set to perform at the Coon Rapids Community Tree Lighting Festival Saturday, Dec. 3. The community event will be held at Boulevard Plaza from 3:30-6 p.m.

Raven Street Project will perform as an ensemble and some students will perform as soloists during the celebration. Music performances by CRHS students are set to begin at 4 p.m. Tree lighting and fireworks are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Visitors are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item which will be donated to the CRHS food shelf.

Learn more about the Coon Rapids Community Tree Lighting event.

The classrooms and hallways at Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts were buzzing with a higher level of excitement on Nov. 22 due to the Lincoln Arts Jam, an all-school event that provides students the opportunity to engage in a variety of arts activities.

The school integrates and infuses the arts into everyday learning, but the Arts Jam allowed students to participate in four focused sessions where they could explore multiple areas of the arts, which included dance, visual art, music, technical arts, literary arts and theatre. The activities provided the students an opportunity to dive deeper into something they were interested in or try something new. View photos from the Lincoln Arts Jam.

“The impact the arts have on the students is huge,” said Andrea Whitcomb, curriculum integrator at Lincoln. “We know that kids learn through the arts, movement, exploration, creativity, and they really want to play. We are able to bring that to them today.”

Read more about the Lincoln Arts Jam.

Community Education provides lifelong learning for all. Whether it be as an adult learner, a student, a preschooler, an employee, a volunteer, or a parent, Anoka-Hennepin Community Ed. wants you to see yourself in your community.

Youth Cooking Club

More than a dozen elementary students are taking part in Anoka-Hennepin Community Education’s new youth cooking club at Coon Rapids Middle School.

Once a month during the three-month session, students get together in the kitchen to boost their cooking skills and learn how to make some fun foods. Most recently, the students made pretzels from scratch. They learned how to knead and shape the dough, give the pretzels a baking soda bath, create a glaze using egg wash and bake them.

In the latest Putting ‘U’ in Community Education video, take a look inside the cooking club to see how students are gaining important skills that will last a lifetime.

A new year means a new theme for the annual Scooter World physical education activity at Oxbow Creek Elementary School. This year's theme, Ohana, a Hawaiian term meaning family, featured a Tiki Room, surfboard scooters and more. Watch this story by CCX Media to learn more about this annual engaging learning experience.

On Nov. 16, WCCO-TV morning news anchor A.J. Hilton visited Sand Creek Elementary School to read to fourth grade students. He read to four classes and gave an inspiring message about chasing your dreams.

• Preview: Special School Board meetings for superintendent search set for Dec. 6 and 7.
• Anoka-Hennepin and Allina Health present Supporting YoU, and employee wellness podcast.
• Appreciation of Diversity workshop series for staff to begin Feb. 11.
• Providing family choice: Anoka-Hennepin features 12 specialty/magnet schools.

To translate this information to another language, please click anywhere on the message to open it in a web browser and at the top of the page, select your language from the dropdown menu.