In the Know - August 25, 2023
August 25, 2023
Convocation 2023
Whether you are new to Anoka-Hennepin Schools or you are approaching a “first day of school” as a longtime district staff member, it’s important to stay tuned for the upcoming viewing of Convocation 2023. Anoka-Hennepin Schools has a tradition of launching each school year with key messages for all staff members to understand the theme and priorities for the year.
The pre-recorded event will be made available for schools, sites and departments to view next week. Check with the leader of your school or department to learn how and when your team will be able to view it.
In the News: Supt. Cory McIntyre meets with local reporters to share back-to-school outlook
A number of local media outlets were eager to sit down with McIntyre to hear more about the plans for the upcoming school year. View a few of the stories.
Online policy training required for licensed staff
Aligning actions in the schools with district policies is an important factor in ensuring safe and welcoming environments. An online policy training system available through the district’s Learning Management System (LMS) provides important updates, ensures compliance with regulations, and provides a shared expectation for employees.
This online policy training provides valuable information about essential Anoka-Hennepin policies including Equal Education Opportunity, Data Practices, Mandated Reporting, Harassment, Violence, and Discrimination, and Bullying Prohibition. Completing this training program is a requirement for all staff for the 2023-24 school year.
To complete this required training, log in to the A-H Connect through the district website on the Learning Management System (LMS) application through the district website using your Anoka-Hennepin credentials. Additional detailed information will be sent directly to employees via email. Employees are encouraged to complete the training module during time provided during back-to-school workshop week and no later than Oct. 2, 2023.
Contact Shelly Leciejewski, Employee Services Manager, at 763-506-1109 or shelly.leciejewski@ahschools.us for additional information.
Nearly 250 new teachers welcomed to the district
Anoka-Hennepin Schools officially welcomed nearly 250 new teachers during a three-day orientation Aug. 23-25.
The first day brought together new teachers from schools across the district to Anoka High School for the new teacher orientation, which is 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.
Superintendent Cory McIntyre welcomed the new teachers and highlighted the district theme, “The Power of Purpose,” by sharing his “why” he works in education. Teachers attended breakout sessions that featured topics around growth mindset, positive behavior interventions, student mental health, dealing with student debt, and how to find balance in work and life. View photos from the new teacher orientation. Read more about the New Teacher Orientation.
Redeem your Rally® rewards before they expire
Have you been racking up rewards through your Rally® app? Rally is the wellness program for employees utilizing UnitedHealthcare benefits. Members of the program who earned rewards between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 have 120 days after the incentive period ends (Aug. 31) to redeem their gift cards.
To claim rewards, click on the button titled “redeem.” Then, choose the gift card. Rally will send a reminder email to all members at the end of each rewards period regarding gift card redemption.
Not utilizing Rally? Get started today.
Employees can take healthy steps to earn Rally gift cards. Choose and complete any combination of activities offered to earn rewards.
If you are registered on myuhc.com:
- Sign in to myuhc.com.
- Click on Health & Wellness.
- Click on Health Resources Home.
- Complete your registration.
If you are not registered on myuhc.com or don’t have access:
- Visit the Rally registration site.
- Click on Sign Up and follow the instructions.
Gawreluk named NHSBCA Region 5 Assistant Coach of the Year
Gawreluk started coaching at Coon Rapids High School (CRHS) in 1993 and after some time as an assistant at CRHS and Champlin Park High School, became Andover High School's first head baseball coach in 2001. He joined the AHS coaching staff in 2018. Gawreluk is currently at Wilson Elementary School after teaching for more than 25 years at Franklin Elementary School.
Read more about Gawreluk's passion for teaching and coaching the sport he loves from this ABC Newspapers story.
Anoka-Hennepin and Allina Health present SupportingYoU podcast
Anoka-Hennepin and Allina Health partnered to provide district teachers and staff with a library of resources to support employee health and mental wellness.
SupportingYoU, an employee wellness podcast, has 34 episodes available now - featuring a range of topics from self-care fundamentals to the importance of gratitude.
Listen by visiting the website at ahschools.us/supportingyou.
School Spotlight : Jackson Middle School
"Jackson is so special and unique because it is such a diverse school and you can meet so many different friends with so many different backgrounds," Peter McNattin, student.
Learn more about Jackson Middle School: A Specialty School for Math and Science in the latest School Spotlight.
2023-24 Back-to-school information
Looking for more back-to-school information? Visit our back-to-school website at ahschools.us/bts for supply lists, open house dates, news and more.
The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept 5. View the district calendar for important updates.
School open house events set for Aug. 29 and Aug. 30
School open house events are a great way for students and families to connect and strengthen relationships with school staff and teachers. The events provide an opportunity to make students more comfortable before the heightened excitement of the first day. Open house events are scheduled for next week at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Elementary and high school open house events will be Tuesday, Aug. 29, while middle school open house events are set for Wednesday, Aug. 30. To view specific times for each school, visit ahschools.us/bts.
The state's Free School Meals program to begin in 2023, families will still need to apply to qualify for more educational benefits
Starting Sept. 5, 2023, every student may receive one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school year. The state’s Free School Meals program will cover the cost of one breakfast meal and one lunch meal for every student daily, however the cost of a la carte items, such as milk, other drinks, or extra meal items will not be covered. Students will need to have funds in their meal accounts to purchase any additional food items.
If a family needs access to any other educational benefits, please encourage them to visit ahschools.us/freereduced to complete an application.
The enrollment window for the 2023 Applications for Educational Benefits opened Aug. 1, 2023.
Blaine grads “Go for the Gold” earning prestigious national award
The volunteer and personal development commitments of 2023 Blaine High School (BHS) graduates Andrew Rono and Aaron Anderson were recognized with the highest honor bestowed by the United States Congress upon youth: The congressional gold medal.
The award recognizes the initiative, service, and achievement by youth from throughout the United States. Rono and Anderson are two of four students in Minnesota to earn the designation. Nationally, 574 students collected the honor.
The Congressional Gold Medal requires youth to complete 400 hours of volunteer service and 200 hours each of personal development and physical fitness activities along with three educational expeditions. The students provided valuable volunteer service to the North Anoka County Emergency Food Shelf - or NACE - over the past several years and were also active in the Bengals in Action volunteer program at BHS. To add to their list of achievements, Rono and Anderson are also eagle scouts through Boy Scouts of America.
Minnesota’s sixth district Congressman Tom Emmer presented the congressional medals to the students at BHS in August. View photos from the event.
For more information on the award criteria and significance visit congressionalaward.org.
Read more about the impact these students made in the community regarding their volunteer efforts and involvement with the Youth Services program at BHS, an effort coordinated through Anoka-Hennepin Community Education.
District high schools transition to online ticketing for athletics and activities events
All five Anoka-Hennepin traditional high schools (Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids) have made the transition to online ticket sales for athletics and activities events. With the exception of boys and girls hockey, all ticket sales for events hosted by district schools will be online using VANCO Events, the official ticketing system.
Payment will no longer be accepted at the admission gate. Fans and spectators are encouraged to purchase tickets prior to a scheduled event and be prepared to show their confirmation email with QR code to be scanned upon entry to the chosen event. Fans may show a confirmation email/QR code on their smartphone or with a printed copy.
Adult (18-59) tickets for football games are $8 and other athletic events are $6. Students (K-12) are $6 for football games and $4 for other athletic events. Fans 60 and older receive free admission to all events.
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.
Ticket information for each school can be found at the following websites:
- Andover High School: ahschools.us/huskytickets
- Anoka High School: ahschools.us/tornadotickets
- Blaine High School: ahschools.us/bhstickets
- Champlin Park High School: ahschools.us/cphstickets
- Coon Rapids High School: ahschools.us/crhstickets
Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode: Welcome back Cory McIntyre
Cory McIntyre began his new role as Superintendent of Anoka-Hennepin Schools on July 1 and has been off and running meeting with staff across the district. McIntyre joined Liz Burgard, parent involvement coordinator, in the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast to share his excitement for returning to the district, discuss the theme for the 2023-24 school year and more.
Tune in to the Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360. The Parent Engage 360 Podcast is also now available on Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts.
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.
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This e-newsletter is published by Anoka-Hennepin Schools. It's sent to all Anoka-Hennepin staff on a weekly basis during the school year, excluding breaks (and periodically during the summer). Questions, comments or concerns about In the Know e-newsletter? Contact us.