The Messenger

February 2023

Candidates for the 2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award have been announced and Anoka-Hennepin has nine educators who were nominated.

The teachers are:

• Andrea Albright, Social Studies, Blaine High School.
• Rachel Brisbin, ESL Teacher, Hamilton Elementary School.
• Wendi Delmore, Grade 2, McKinley Elementary School.
• Johanna Mueller, Grade 4, Hamilton Elementary School.
• Lisa Neaderhiser, Special Education Teacher (EBD), Jackson Middle School.
• Kelley Nelson, Special Education Teacher (SLD), Champlin Park High School.
• Kristin Rutz, Special Education Teacher (SLD), Brookside Elementary School.
• Lisa Thul, Kindergarten, Ramsey Elementary School.
• Stephanie Ylvisaker, Math, Blaine High School.

The nine Anoka-Hennepin teachers are among 131 candidates for the award statewide.

This year’s program will name the 59th Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrating the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Eligible candidates include pre-kindergarten through grade 12, Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools.

The 59th Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be announced May 7. Over the coming weeks, a panel of community leaders will name a group of semifinalists and finalists.

Read more about the award, or see a statewide list of all of the candidates on the Education Minnesota website.

This is the 28th year that the Anoka-Hennepin School District has held the School Bus Safety Poster Contest. This year's theme is "Safely Rolling to My Destination". We had many fantastic entries into the contest, however we are only allowed to choose one winning poster per grade level. Congratulations to this year's winners, who are pictured below with their winning poster. Their posters will now be entered into the district contest.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

The McKinley PTO would like to thank everyone who participated in the Cherry USA Fundraiser. The early results indicate that PTO will receive over $10,000 in profit from the fundraiser. Thank You!

Pick up for the products will take place in the McKinley cafeteria on Thursday, February 23 from 4:30 - 7:00PM.

Parent teacher conferences are scheduled for February 16, 21 and 23 from 4:10 - 8:10PM each day. Parents/guardians may have an in-person conference or elect to have a virtual conference with their child's teacher. Our goal is that every student's parent/guardian have a conference with their child's teacher. Log in to MyConference Time to schedule an appointment. Please contact the office if you need assistance scheduling an appointment.

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become Bolder, Prouder, and Stronger Readers. AND—as always—every book they buy earns rewards for our school.

Here’s what you need to know about the Fair, which will take place from February 16 - 24 in the McKinley Library.

This year, say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet—your child’s digital payment account. Before the Fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases. Anyone can contribute! Share each child’s eWallet so friends and family can add funds and give your kids more books to enjoy. Teachers also have the opportunity to create eWallets so that families can donate directly to classroom libraries. The following teachers have set up their eWallets. Please click the teacher’s name if you would like to contribute.

K- Develice

1-Carlson

1-Olson

2-DuHamel

3-Geiselhart

3-Lynum

5-Keuning

If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping:

McKinley Book Fair

The countdown to more reading is on! Catch you at the Fair!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Rarden

February is I Love To Read Month. All month long we are celebrating our love of books with the theme of Star Wars: Be a Reading Rebel. Teachers are decorating doors, dropping everything and reading, and much more. Here are a few of our planned events:

• Tissue Box Decorating Contest in the Media Center - entries due by February 15.
• Book Fair - February 16 - 24
• Bingo for Books
• Classroom Buddy Reading Activities
• Special Star Wars Dress up Days
• February 14 - Yoda One for Me- wear read, white, or pink
• February 15 - Wookie Wednesday- wear warm and fuzzies like a Wookie
• February 22- Out of this Galaxy- wear mismatched or space themed outfits
• EVERY Friday - Read My Shirt- wear any shirt with words

Orders for the 2022-2023 McKinley Yearbook can be placed at ybpay.com with the Yearbook ID Code: 1708323

There are many packages available, with the most popular softcover book starting at $12.50. A limited number of extra yearbooks are ordered each year, so be sure to place your order so you don't miss the opportunity to get this year's copy. Orders are being accepted online until April 5.

Kindergarten Explorations:

The Kindergarteners are going to begin a unit on Plants! We will learn about the parts of a plant–what their structures are, and what each one does for the plant. (There is a song to go with this; maybe you can get your child to sing it to you!) We will be planting bush bean seeds, and learning about a plant’s growth sequence. Plants are fun!

First Grade Explorations:

This month, first graders are studying Economics: How to make smart choices! They are learning that each choice has benefits (good things about it) AND costs (things they will have to give up, including money and alternative choices).

A fun way to explore this would be to give your child a small “either/or” choice. When they make their choice, ask them why they made it. What benefits did they think about? The cost of their choice is that they can’t have the other option. Enjoy conversations with your child about making choices they will still be happy with in the next hour, and the next day!

Second Grade Explorations:

The second grade students have finished their Ojibwe History Unit, and will be beginning a science unit on Motion and Force. Big ideas include that forces are pushes and pulls, and forces are needed to cause and to stop motion. We will directly explore the forces of magnetism and gravity, and also investigate how slope relates to speed by creating marble “roller coasters!”

Third Grade Explorations:

The third graders are deep in their exciting Crayfish Unit! They have learned a lot of things. Ask them to tell you about the structures of a crayfish, and what these structures are used for! Soon, we will be learning about the crayfish life cycle and observing more crayfish behaviors. We will also be getting ready to demonstrate our knowledge in a quiz before the end of the month.

• February 14 - Grade 3 Field Trip
• February 16, 21 & 23 - Parent Teacher Conferences
• February 20 - Presidents' Day - No School
• February 21 - Staff Development Day - No School
• March 6 - PTO Meeting
• March 7 - McKinley Showcase
• March 9 - Last Day of Trimester 2
• March 10 - Staff Planning Day - No School
• March 13 - 17 - Spring Break
• March 20 - Staff Development Day - No School
• March 21 - First Day of Trimester 3
• March 22 - Class Picture Day
• April 11-12 - MCA Reading for Grades 3-5
• April 18-19 - MCA Math for Grades 3-5
• May 2 - MCA Science for Grade 5 only