Backpack Online -September 30, 2022
September 30, 2022
Boundary changes: Review proposals, timeline and provide feedback
The district has a system in place to ensure students are receiving a high-quality education while maximizing the efficiency of the educational supports, programming and resources. By acting now, the district aims to equitably serve all students for years to come.
A formal presentation of all proposals and initial feedback from the community was presented to the School Board at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Sept. 26. A second round of community cluster meetings will be held in October for the board and district staff to receive additional feedback from community members. The community meetings will be held in-person and streamed online:
- Blaine cluster community meeting:
Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Blaine High School cafeteria.
To discuss proposed changes impacting Jefferson, Johnsville, McKinley and Sunrise elementary schools; and Northdale and Roosevelt middle schools. - Champlin cluster community meeting:
Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Champlin Park High School cafeteria.
To discuss proposed changes impacting Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy, Dayton, Evergreen Park, Monroe and Oxbow Creek elementary schools. - Anoka cluster community meeting:
Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Anoka High School cafeteria.
To discuss proposed changes impacting Franklin, Lincoln and Ramsey elementary schools.
Additional community meetings will not be held in the Andover and Coon Rapids clusters of schools, as there are no proposed changes. View opportunities for feedback, the timeline for implementation and frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Parent Engage 360 Podcast: How to prepare for parent/teacher conferences
Parents and guardians may have recently been invited to sign up for the first round of parent/teacher conferences for this school year, and they may be wondering what to expect or how to prepare for conferences with your child’s teacher or teachers.
In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator; Nikole Wodash, Sunrise Elementary School assistant principal; and Jill Alton, Coon Rapids High School assistant principal, hope to answer what parents can expect from conferences, how to prepare, and ways that parents/guardians can work with their child’s teacher(s) in partnership to support success in the classroom.
Tune in to the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.
Policies in place to provide safe and welcoming environment at district events
The goal of co-curricular activities in Anoka-Hennepin Schools is to provide a fun, safe and engaging opportunity for students and community members to support high school students and student-athletes as they perform in sports, fine arts, and other activities.
The following guidelines are in place to ensure that all who attend a co-curricular activity experience a safe, welcoming and positive environment.
It is important to remember that athletic events are governed by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), and that student conduct at school and district events is governed by the Anoka-Hennepin Schools Policy Handbook.
Students from the hosting and visiting schools must be prepared to show student identification at events, and middle school students and younger must be accompanied and supervised by an adult chaperone. Students from any other schools/non-participating schools must also be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Backpacks and outside food or drink (if concessions are sold on-site) are not allowed.
Anoka-Hennepin prohibits the following at school events:
- Weapons.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- E-cigarettes / vaping.
- Tobacco products.
- Controlled substances.
For more information, please visit ahschools.us/eventpolicies. Spectators who are unwilling or unable to follow the rules, regulations, or directions from event staff may be asked to leave the event.
Anoka-Hennepin realizes the importance of athletics and activities in the communities it serves and wants to ensure participants, fans, and community members experience a positive environment at each event.
Anoka High School student and "Tornado Pals" program featured on WCCO
Blaine High School celebrates Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2022
(Left to right): Matt Hendricks, Dave Nelson, Kristina (Bunker) Borgen
The 2022 class of the Blaine High School (BHS) Athletics Hall of Fame was enshrined Sept. 23 prior to the Bengal Homecoming football game.
The outstanding accomplishments of Kristina (Bunker) Borgen, Matt Hendricks and Dave Nelson were celebrated with an on-field ceremony at Bengal Stadium.
Congratulations to this year’s BHS Athletics Hall of Fame class. Read more about the inductees.
For more information on the hall of fame or to nominate for future induction classes, visit the BHS Athletics Hall of Fame website.
Input valued in Superintendent Search
District students gathered to participate in feedback forum
Students from the five traditional Anoka-Hennepin high schools gathered in the Anoka High School - Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (AHS) auditorium Sept. 26 to provide important feedback for the Superintendent Search.
Dr. Antoinette Johns from the search firm School Exec Connect administered the meeting and asked the students to voice their thoughts to help determine the strengths, challenges, and the characteristics or skills to search for in the next superintendent. With around 30 students in the room, responses included wanting an empathetic leader who interacts with the students, someone who listens to the teachers on what is happening in the schools, and understands the mental health struggles of the students. View photos from the student input session.
Community members have the opportunity to provide anonymous written feedback to the consultants by completing a survey at ahschools.us/superintendentsearch. This information will be used to develop a profile of the desired skills and characteristics in the next superintendent. Please submit feedback by Oct. 4.
The Anoka-Hennepin School Board will conduct interviews and complete the superintendent hiring process by early December. The new superintendent will begin service in July 2023.
National Suicide Awareness Prevention Month resources
September is National Suicide Awareness Prevention Month. Starting July 16 of this year, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is now 988. Call, text, or chat 988 to be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network.
Parents needed for special education advisory council
Join the district’s Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year. A broad range of parents/guardians are needed, from those representing early childhood, all the way to elementary, middle school, high school, and transition-aged students - with a full continuum of student disabilities.
Those interested in participating in future meetings should complete an application either by completing a Google form, or by contacting Mary Esch at 763-506-1362, or mary.esch@ahschools.us. Parents/guardians who wish to be part of SEAC are asked to make an effort to attend all four meetings as council members. The application process will close October 10. Learn more about SEAC and what it means to be involved.
Construction for building addition at Sunrise Elementary set to begin this fall
Construction for a building addition at Sunrise Elementary School is set to begin this fall. The addition to the school, which opened in the fall of 2019, adds eight classrooms to provide space for approximately 200 students.
The target completion date for the addition is August 2023. During construction, the district will take steps to ensure safety and minimal disruption to the students, staff and community.
The decision to add to the building is due to rapid growth in the Sunrise attendance boundary area that exceeded original expectations and enrollment projections. This year, six sections of kindergarten classes were temporarily relocated to Johnsville Elementary School due to the capacity of the school and to accommodate the population growth in the Sunrise attendance area. There are nearly 1,250 students enrolled at Sunrise this school year, which includes the six sections of kindergarteners at Johnsville.
The addition is intended to ensure adequate space for students in the proposed attendance boundary beginning in the fall of 2023, and in the years to come. The Anoka-Hennepin School Board approved a bid for construction at its Sept. 12 work session. The addition is funded by the original Fit for the Future bond, which was approved by voters in the fall of 2017.
New this year: Tech protect for middle, high school students
Technology plays an important role in preparing students for life, and Chromebooks are utilized as a daily learning tool in Anoka-Hennepin middle and high school classrooms. Anoka-Hennepin students in grades 6-12 are assigned a Chromebook from the school district to ensure access to technology systems that support classroom learning.
New this year: Device Protection Plan.
Encourage students, families to visit ahschools.us/techprotect to learn more and select or decline coverage on their district-issued Chromebooks. Flyers will be available in middle and high school buildings prior to parent-teacher conferences in October.
District to host hiring event for operational positions Oct. 12
The Anoka-Hennepin School District will host an in-person hiring event for operational positions Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 2-6 p.m. in the Erling Johnson Rooms A and B at the Educational Service Center (ESC), located at 2727 N Ferry St. in Anoka (enter Door 7).
Join us to learn more about employment opportunities and have a same-day, on-site interview for the positions listed below. Participants are strongly encouraged to begin filling out an application ahead of time at ahschools.us/jobs and come prepared to interview with hiring managers.
- Special Education Paras - Full-time (benefited positions); $17.50 to $20.40/hr and up depending on experience.
- Elementary Para (recess/lunch attendants) - Part-time; $16.50 to $18.90/hr.
- Bus Paras/Assistant - Part-time, a.m. or p.m.; $16 to $18.40/hr.
- Custodians - Full-time, 2nd and 3rd shift (benefited positions); $16.50 to $16.80/hr.
- Custodians - Part-time; $15.30/hr.
- School Food Service - Part-time; $15.30/hr.
- Before and after-school child care (Adventures Plus) - a.m. or p.m.; $14 to $17.25 depending on experience/education.
- Substitute for any of the above positions - Part-time/casual.
For those interested in being bus drivers, the bus companies used by the district will be at the event.
Anoka-Hennepin has employment opportunities for any phase of your work life. Full-time, part-time and substitute positions are available, including flexible weekly schedules with hours ranging from early morning, mid-day, late afternoon or evening opportunities.
Everyone plays a role in student achievement; help your community succeed by applying today!
Upcoming events:
- Operational hiring event: Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 2-6 p.m. at the ESC.
- Operational hiring event: Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 2-6 p.m. at the ESC.
Visit ahschools.us/jobs or call 763-506-JOBS for more information.
Apply for educational benefits for the 2022-23 school year
All Anoka-Hennepin families are encouraged to apply for the educational benefits program for the upcoming school year. A new application must be submitted each school year.
By completing this application, students may receive free or reduced fees for transportation, meals, academic, and co-curricular activities. Please visit ahschools.us/freereduced to set up, or log in to your SchoolCafe account, and complete an application for free or reduced-price meal and other benefits.
The educational benefits program not only ensures that students have access to nutritious meals, it also provides critical federal funding for schools.
As a reminder, the federal subsidy to provide free school meals for every student will no longer be available this school year.
Only one application is needed per household. Please contact the child nutrition department with any questions or assistance at 763-506-1240 or staff.CnpEnrollment@ahschools.us.
National Merit Semifinalist featured as "Standout Student"
Four Anoka-Hennepin seniors were recently named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, and one of them, Champlin Park High School senior Maura Wahl, has been featured in CCX Media's Standout Student segment.
Read more about the district's National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
Upcoming events and important links
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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.