In the Know - August 26, 2022

August 26, 2022

Anoka-Hennepin Schools officially welcomed nearly 300 new teachers during a three-day orientation Aug. 23-25. According to Employee Services, the number of new teachers is a record for new hires attending the orientation.

The first day brought new teachers from schools across the district together at Blaine High School (BHS) for the new teacher orientation, which was just one of a number of events held this week for staff to get acquainted with Anoka-Hennepin and prepare for the upcoming school year. New teachers in attendance shared what makes them most excited about teaching, and top themes that emerged were:

• Making a difference.

• Building/creating relationships.

• Future success.

• Growth.

• Helping kids.

• Making an impact.

• Learning.

• Connecting with others.

New teachers also heard from Interim Superintendent Dr. Kate Maguire and other district leaders, in addition to reviewing the strategic priorities for the upcoming year and getting an overview of the district. Included among the new teachers were 25 from the district’s “Grow Your Own” program and a group of alumni of district schools. Read more about the new teacher orientation. View photos from the new teacher orientation.

New UnitedHealthcare insurance cards have been arriving at employee homes this week and should continue in the coming days. Employees should note that they are arriving in a plain white envelope with the return address of Anoka-Hennepin Human Resources. Please note, even though there isn't a department with that title in our district, please be sure to open the envelope.

Five Anoka-Hennepin middle schools hosted WEB Days this week to help ease the transition for sixth graders making their next step in their academic journey.

WEB stands for Where Everybody Belongs, which is a national mentoring program that typically works with sixth graders at the school. Each school has teachers who serve as WEB Advisors and eighth graders who volunteer as WEB Leaders.

Goals for the day were to provide the students with an opportunity to learn more about the school, interact with other sixth graders and make connections with some eighth graders who are willing to help them once the school year begins.

Read more about Roosevelt Middle School's recent WEB Day.

Anoka-Hennepin Health Services provides self-study resources to teachers and school staff working with students with seizure disorders. These materials cover seizure signs, symptoms, medications and appropriate responses.

To find and utilize these resources, go to ahschools.us/healthservices and navigate to the “Seizure smart schools” section under “Information and requests.” Additionally, health services staff can be utilized for teachers and staff needing additional information and support.

Getting off to a strong start at a new school is a key strategy for ensuring students feel safe, welcome and ready to maximize opportunities. When school begins for the 2022-23 school year on Sept. 6, freshmen and new-to-district students at Anoka-Hennepin’s five traditional high schools will participate in a series of activities that aim to ease the transition to high school and build a foundation for academic success.

This is a new program for Anoka-Hennepin Schools, which is informed by “best practice” positive results from high schools from around the metro area and state who report strong results for providing positive outcomes for students. It is also aligned with a School Board strategic priority to refine and improve the high school schedule to maximize student achievement.

Read more about the first day plan.

Anoka-Hennepin and Allina Health have partnered to provide district teachers and staff with a library of resources to support employee health and mental wellness. Listen to the SupportingYoU podcast to learn how you, an educator, can help support student mental wellness in your classroom.

Listen by visiting our website at ahschools.us/supportingyou.

Thumbs Up, a non-profit organization that embraces those who are struggling and seeks to break the stigma around mental health, is holding its ninth annual 5k and 10k run/walk/bike event on Saturday, Sept. 17. The race will be held at Woodland Trails Park in Elk River and begins with an opening ceremony and keynote speaker at 9 a.m.

Learn more and register for the event (register by Aug. 31 to guarantee your race shirt) at thumbsupformentalhealth.org.

The cost of school meals for adults will increase for the 2022-23 school year. The Minnesota Department of Education recently directed all child nutrition programs to raise the price of an adult lunch to $4.95. Adult school meal pricing includes staff of Anoka-Hennepin Schools and adult visitors who want to eat a meal from the school cafeteria.

School nutrition program funds may not subsidize meals served to adults or other non-program meals, such as second meals. The meal price must cover the full cost of the meal. The 2022-23 adult meal prices are $2.45 for breakfast and $4.95 for lunch.

A recommendation to close and repurpose Franklin Elementary School as a special education facility for the Bridges and Pathways programs was approved by the school board at its Aug. 22, 2022 meeting. Please note, this action does not impact where students attend school for the upcoming 2022-23 school year.

Major reasons for this action include:

• Continued declining enrollment in the Franklin Elementary attendance area.

• Available classroom space at other Anoka-area schools.

• Demonstrated facility needs for Bridges and Pathways special education programs.

Read more about the repurposing plan process.

High school students from across the sixth congressional district convened over the summer months to develop leadership and communication skills and learn about career pathways through a Young Women’s Leadership Program. Coordinated by U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer, the leadership program offers a series of workshops that provides young women grades 9-12 a chance to interact and learn from professional women who have built careers and serve in leadership roles in government, business, education, media and other occupations. A recent event highlighting career pathways in the high-demand field of mental health support featured perspectives from Julia Messenger, assistant director of student services from Anoka-Hennepin Schools. Read more about Messenger's participation.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District has updated its school handbook for the 2022-23 school year. Parents/guardians will be required to view and sign off on the handbook as part of the district’s back to school verification process through A-HConnect, and families can preview the School Handbook now for important information and updates about the upcoming school year.

The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) is selling raffle tickets for two chances to win a pair of lower-level tickets to the Minnesota Vikings game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is set for 3.25 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium. Cost for each raffle ticket is $20 for two chances to win.

Raffle tickets can be purchased (cash or check payment only) at the AHEF Office (Room 119) inside Door 1 at the Educational Services Center located at 2727 N Ferry St. in Anoka. The winner will be drawn on Friday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m. at the AHEF Office. Participants do not need to be present to win.

KARE 11 spoke with Dr. Maguire about staffing in the district. “If there are people in neighborhoods next to schools, or retirees or young people that want jobs part-time or full-time, this is the place to be,” said Anoka-Hennepin Interim Superintendent, Dr. Kate Maguire.

CTN Coon Rapids visited with Maguire for a wide-ranging interview just hours after 300 new teachers gathered for their first workshop. Topics included job openings, building improvements, extra help for students and more.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools is a great place to live, learn and work. As a school district staff member, you play a role in preparing students for life. We are always looking for professionals, parents, volunteers or community members to join us in providing students a future without limit.

Share the new recruitment video with friends and neighbors so they can join our team!

Interested applicants can browse openings and apply online: ahschools.us/jobs.

• Action of the School Board, August 22.
• Superintendent search.
• ParentEngage360 podcast: Welcome to kindergarten!
• "Putt-ing" Kids First golf tournament September 10.
• 2022-23 calendar published.
• Text messaging alerts for Anoka-Hennepin employees.

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