Weekly Newsletter
February 16, 2024
Providing real world experience for our students
Dear families,
February is career and technical education (CTE) month, a chance to celebrate the opportunities local schools provide students to develop real-world career skills. At Duluth Public Schools, we provide students with a wide variety of CTE classes in fields such as engineering, nursing, food service, construction, automotive, hospitality, and more. Last year, nearly half of all high school students in our district took a CTE course.
While essential to our students and local businesses, these classes are expensive to maintain. As you can imagine, to ensure students can learn the specialized skills they need in these classes and apply them to their future careers, it is important to have equipment and software that meets industry standards. These needs range from design software for graphic arts to blood pressure cuffs for nursing.
Today, many of our CTE classes struggle with antiquated or broken equipment. Some classes rely on donations for equipment, while in others, instructors choose to bring in their own personal tools to give students the best experience they can. Our district recently invited the News Tribune to tour several of our CTE spaces to provide a closer look at the challenges we face in keeping these programs up to date and applicable to students’ future careers.
Given the technology needs of our CTE programs, new investments in learning technology and equipment are a key goal of the technology levy that residents will vote on during the referendum on Tuesday, May 14. If voters approve the levy, our district will be able to invest in new technology, equipment, and software for these classes, in addition to cybersecurity and other digital infrastructure improvements.
Our district will be sharing more information about the referendum and how it would affect our CTE programs throughout the rest of CTE Month and leading up to the referendum in May.
In the meantime, be sure to extend a thank you to the fantastic teachers and staff who support our CTE programs for the work they do to prepare our students for success after graduation!
With appreciation and gratitude,
John Magas
Superintendent
Mentoring Day 2024
March 11, 2024, Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College Parent Day
Mentoring Day is fast approaching!
This is a day when High School students who receive special education services will have an opportunity to participate in this awesome event to learn about how to prepare for life after high school! The event will start with a check-in at 8:45 a.m. where students will receive a lanyard with their name and schedule, along with a bag of goodies to get them through the day.
Once students are checked in they will transition to the gymnasium for the keynote speaker. For the remainder of the day students will attend different breakout sessions of their choosing where they will have an opportunity to learn about various careers, employment skills, money management, post-secondary training options, apprenticeship options, recreational activities, assistive technology tools, driver’s education, self-advocacy skills, interviewing skills, and transition planning.
Students will also have an opportunity to meet with various exhibitors and employers from local and state colleges/training institutes, apprenticeships, employment agencies, recreational/leisure groups, county supports, and self-advocacy agencies and supports.
The other main component of Mentoring Day is our PARENT DAY. Parents of students with disabilities will also have an opportunity to learn about the importance of transition planning and how to better prepare for their student to transition from high school into the adult world and to live as independently as possible.
Topics:
- Parent rights in the special education process
- What is secondary transition and what does it look like in high school
- Guardianship
- County services
- Vocational rehabilitation services
- Self advocacy
- Financial planning and supports
- Parent perspective
- Post-secondary and training options
There will also be time allowed for parents to visit with exhibitors. This will provide you with an opportunity to hear from various service providers and agencies in the area on what they offer and what the transition process should look like for your son, daughter, or family member. It also provides you a time to ask questions, and network with other parents.
The event, materials, and lunch are free. Register for this event today!
Bingo for Books
Sponsored by the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee and Duluth American Indian Education
Please join us for an evening of bingo for books!
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
5:00 - 6:30 pm
Harrison Community Club
3002 W 3rd St, Duluth, MN 55806
Light dinner will be served
**This is a family event, childcare will not be provided**
Contact: Amber Greensky
Phone: (218) 409 - 8146
Email: isd709aipac@gmail.com
Black History Brunch Saturday
Join Duluth Public Schools and the Family Freedom Center for a Black History Brunch at the Washington Center on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Denfeld students celebrate Black History Month
Denfeld's Black Student Alliance celebrated Black History Month with a whole school assembly during WIN. The students put on skits to teach the school about famous Black figures in history as well as Black culture.
Tips for Literacy
During the district's World Best Workforce advisory committee meeting, many people gave feedback asking for the district to provide tips to support their children's literacy at home. This will be a weekly series that will run through the spring. We hope parents find it useful. Below you will find our next video in the series recorded by Climate Coordinator Jacob Laurent.
Let's Move Free Fitness Fun at The Depot
Head to The Depot in downtown Duluth on Saturday February 17th for a fantastic day of FREE fun fitness activities for kids in K-5! Kids will be able to move to dance fitness and yoga, run a relay, try out golf, football, basketball, biking, baseball, and more. Expend kid sized energy indoors--and connect with local health and fitness organizations and resources in our community. There will be snacks, prizes, and giveaways too!
Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/688409930085418 for more info. Brought to you by Grandma’s Marathon Young Athletes Foundation and The Depot.
Ordean East and Lakewood students rock the spelling bee
Congratulations to Yupeng Chen, an 8th grader from Ordean East Middle School, for becoming our Region 3 Champion and advancing to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.! The winning word spelled was zirconium.
Congratulations are also in order for the second runner-up Wyatt Olek, a 5th grader from Lakewood Elementary.
Yupeng Chen
Wyatt Olek
Laura MacArthur student show kindness
Chief Meteorologist Justin Liles visits Lowell
WDIO Chief Meteorologist Justin Liles visited a 3rd grade classes taught by Jenni Sternberg and Amy Larson Thursday at Lowell Elementary. He talked about the weather cycle and taught the students how radar helps him predict the weather. He talked about tornados, hail, and lightning. He did experiments showing how water molecules move, he made a cloud in a jar, and he had a machine to show how the electricity would move through us if we were hit by lightning.
Mr. Liles also had models of different size hailstones and had a few students be clouds while another student was the radar. He sprinkled in funny stories as he talked about his own experiences with weather and the things he does as a meteorologist.
Free classes for adults ages 18-99+
We have programs in the following areas:
> GED/Diploma
> Core Skills
> English Language (ESL/ELL)
> College Prep
> Career Pathways
> Computer Skills
And we have supports in the following areas:
> Childcare
> Bus passes
> Chromebook checkout
> Computer skill development
We will work with you to find the best path to reach your academic or career goals.
Get started by registering at dae.isd709.org