In the Know - Jan. 13, 2023

Jan. 13, 2023

Employees utilizing UnitedHealthcare benefits now have access to Real Appeal®, an online weight loss program proven to help members achieve real, lifelong results — and live a healthier, happier life.

Get started with the enrollment process. (Have your health insurance ID card ready to enroll.) Learn more from this informational flyer.

If you know someone who does amazing work for children, you’re strongly encouraged to nominate them for the Above & Beyond Awards. The Above & Beyond Awards involve students, staff, parents and community members in recognizing and rewarding Anoka-Hennepin employees and groups who consistently go that extra mile so students can be successful.

Nominations are being accepted for outstanding candidates through Friday, Jan. 20.

Anoka-Hennepin employee 2022 W-2s will be available for viewing, downloading and printing by logging into Skyward Employee Access.

To access Skyward, first sign in to A-HConnect, then click Skyward. In order to receive the W-2 electronically instead of a paper copy, please complete the opt out form titled "Confirm W2 Delivery 2022" in Employee Access of Skyward. Please contact Payroll at extension 61050 or Payroll.Help@AHSchools.us with any questions.

The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) has opened the first round of grants for the 2023-24 school year (grant application). Grant awards typically range between $200 and $7,000 depending on the scope and depth of the proposed project.

Applications close on March 31, 2023, with funds available after July 1, 2023, for implementation in the 2023-24 school year. Questions about the grant process should be directed to Tess DeGeest at 763-506-1107 or via email at Theresa.degeest@ahschools.us. Read more about the benefits of AHEF grants.

Every year, the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) hosts a fun, lively party called the Northern Stars Celebration, to celebrate the excellence that is our Anoka-Hennepin students, schools and Foundation. Tickets are still available for this year's event. Register today for the Northern Stars Celebration as a limited number of tickets remain.

This year's Northern Stars Celebration is set for 5:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Bunker Hills Event Center in Coon Rapids. The evening includes a social hour, silent and live auctions, games, dinner, a special appeal, and entertainment. Get your tickets now. For more information, please contact Tess DeGeest, executive director of the AHEF, at 763-506-1107.

Anoka-Hennepin is currently seeking teachers and paraeducators for early childhood, elementary and secondary Extended School Year and Targeted Services summer positions.

Paraeducators and teachers who are not available for working the entirety of the summer schedule are encouraged to still apply and reach out to the appropriate supervisor indicating your availability. Sub coverage is still needed in the summer and your availability may help to fill that need.

Most positions follow the extended school year calendar (Tuesday, June 20 - Friday, June 23 and Monday, June 26 - Thursday, July 20; with no school July 3-7.) View details, find links to apply online.

SupportingYoU, an employee wellness podcast, aims to provide teaching and school district staff with a library of resources to support employee health and mental wellness. Topics support student mental wellness, offer guidance around difficult conversations for teachers, and share important school climate themes with school administrators. This information could inform school support programming, curriculum, or school practices for teachers/staff and be available for listening at any time that is convenient.

The SupportingYoU Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Allina Health and made possible by a grant funded by the Anoka County Children and Families Council.

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board held its first meeting of 2023, Monday, Jan. 9. The agenda for the first School Board meeting of the year serves as an organizational meeting, where the board selects officers and receives appointments for committee assignments along with conducting annual business functions.

The organization of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board did not change following this year’s meeting. Marci Anderson (District Two) will continue to serve as chair and Nicole Hayes (District Five) as vice chair. Erin Heers-McArdle (District One) will continue to serve as treasurer and Jeff Simon (District Six) as clerk. During the meeting, the School Board also approved a listing of planned meetings and work sessions through July 8, 2024. To watch a replay of the meeting online, or catch up with details of School Board meetings in the Action of the School Board publication, visit ahschools.us/schoolboard.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District will host an in-person hiring event for operational positions Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 2-6 p.m. in the Erling Johnson Rooms A and B at the Educational Service Center.

The most authentic referral is from members of our team. Help the district with recruitment efforts by sharing opportunities with friends, neighbors and community members that would be a good fit for your school or our district. Learn more about the upcoming hiring event.

Ten Anoka-Hennepin student-athletes have been nominated for the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Triple “A” Award for the 2022-23 school year.

Each year, the MSHSL honors student-athletes who excel in Academics (3.0 GPA or better), Athletics (at least one MSHSL-sponsored athletic activity) and Arts (MSHSL-sponsored debate, one-act play, speech, visual arts, and instrumental or vocal music). The award is given to one senior female and one senior male in the state.

The Anoka-Hennepin nominees for the Triple “A” Award are:

• Andover High School: Chloe Voss and Andrew Haglund.
• Anoka High School: Layla Alm and Danny Ness.
• Blaine High School: Shalom Sulungaine and Bradyn Nordeen.
• Champlin Park High School: Gabby Wahl and Cody Cramer.
• Coon Rapids High School: Kennedy Martinson and Nate Larson.

On Jan. 6, eighth graders at Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) immersed themselves in Latin culture with the school’s annual cross-curricular event - Unmasking the Cultures of Latin America Day.

AMSA has its own collection of Latin American masks, which was turned into an exhibition in the media center. The exhibition collection was expanded thanks to the resources from the Northwest Suburban Integration School District multicultural library and generous contributions from AMSA staff members. Learn more about Latin America Day activities at AMSA.

Each year, the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) along with community partners Anoka, Coon Rapids and the Blaine/Ham Lake Rotary Clubs, the Ramsey and Dayton Lions Clubs, and Connexus Energy, donate dictionaries to every third grade student in the district.

For more than 20 years, these organizations have provided roughly 2-4,000 dictionaries per school year to students across the district. On Dec. 16, Anoka-Hennepin School Board Director Kacy Deschene joined Coon Rapids Mayor Jerry Koch and Coon Rapids Rotary Club member Alan Hamel to distribute dictionaries to third grade students at Mississippi Elementary School.

• No school on Monday, Jan. 16, district holiday.
  
• School Board votes to amend 2022-23 school year calendar.
• Increased security in place to ensure safety at school events.
  
• Information sessions available for Grow Your Own Program offered through the University of St. Thomas.
  

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