In the Know - February 26, 2024
February 26, 2024
Prepare to change your employee password in March and April
💻 Keeping data safe and protected is the driving factor behind having a secure network password. Last year, all Anoka-Hennepin employees changed their passwords to the new secure 16-minimum character standard.
With the new secure password standard in place, employees in the district only need to change their password annually. Starting in March, users will be prompted by their machines to change their password.
Considerations: Employees are encouraged to consider changing their password before the deadline and at a time of day when they have access to technology support. Be sure to be connected to the Anoka-Hennepin network when you change your password.
Tips on how to create a strong passphrase: First, start with a long word or phrase. Try to pick something memorable to you personally, but does not include personal information. Your name is sensitive information, never include your name, address, ID number, or any details about your family or life in your passphrases.
Strong passphrase choices include:
- Favorite sayings.
- Funny phrases.
- References to something you like but would be difficult for others to guess, even if they know you.
Next, add to your strong word or phrase. For example, Gold Crown. This can be made stronger by making it more complex: The Queen Wears a Gold Crown. This is still easy to remember, but harder to crack.
Your passphrase goal:
- Create something long, memorable, and difficult to guess.
- Be ready to change your password when promoted.
Once you change your password in A-HConnect, you will be logged out of Google, iCloud, and Microsoft on all devices and you will need to log in again using your new passphrase. This is a Google 2-step verification requirement. Please be prepared with your phone or your preferred method of 2-step verification during the change.
Fourth free online educational class for employees is Feb. 27: Retire with Confidence
A partnership between the Anoka-Hennepin Labor Relations and Benefits Department and Capital Street Financial Services, Inc. has led to the Anoka-Hennepin Financial Education Program. The goal of the program is to provide employees with practical knowledge, skills-building opportunities and resources they can use to manage their finances with confidence.
💵 Class information: Retire with Confidence
🗓️ When: Feb. 27, 2024 - 5-6 p.m.
📝 What: How does one establish a plan for retirement? If you consider retirement a destination and your plan as a road map, you will discover why it is so important to start planning that trip now.
🔍 Learn more about the partnership and see dates for other classes.
Apply now for summer school positions
☀️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.
💻 Visit ahschools.us/jobs to browse positions and apply online.
District to begin budget reduction and realignment process this spring
W-2s now available for printing
Employee 2023 W-2s are now available to print within Skyward Employee Access. Follow the instructions below to view/print the W-2.
Please contact Payroll at 506-1050 or email Payroll.Help@AHSchools.us with questions.
- Click on the Lock and Key, enter your username and password.
- Select the Skyward icon and go to Employee Access.
- Click on the W2/W2-C Forms icon within Employee Access.
- Under the W2 Forms heading, click the down arrow icon next to the W-2 year you wish to print a W-2 form for.
- Select one of the options to print your W-2 form from the menu.
- Print - Masked SSN: Selecting this option generates a PDF copy of the W-2 form that masks the first five digits of your Social Security Number.
- Print - Full SSN: Selecting this option generates a PDF copy of the W-2 form that includes your social security numbe
- Print the PDF.
Practice the PoWEr of Kindness
Have you ever been the recipient of an act of kindness? That warm fuzzy feeling when someone pays you an unexpected compliment or generously pays for your coffee? In our fast-paced world, benevolence and compassion often end up taking a back seat to self-interest. People are so wrapped up in their own lives, instead of experiencing the power of kindness.
The truth is, kindness is vital to our human existence – we are “wired” for it! Science shows that being kind and treating others well has a positive influence on those who practice it. It’s a boost for your mental and physical health. And the art of kindness expects nothing in return.
- Kindness feels good.
- Kindness reduces anxiety.
- Kindness keeps us health.
- Kindness relieves stress.
So, start your day asking yourself, “How am I going to show kindness today?” Practice the power of kindness and plant those positive seeds in your mind … where focus goes, energy flows! Be an inspiration – be kind.
Call the Employee Assistance Program toll-free 1-800-626-7944 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. View more information about this free resource here!
Diverse backgrounds honored in student-led Multicultural Show
Blaine High School (BHS) student leaders honored Black History Month with a Multicultural Show Feb. 22, acknowledging and celebrating all student cultures. Students titled the event, “Harmony in Diversity: A Kaleidoscope of Cultures.”
🌎 Across the city, across the globe: Over the course of the day, approximately 4,000 students were in attendance at the five shows from not only the high school, but Northdale and Roosevelt middle schools in Blaine, as well. Performances ranged from singing, dancing and a fashion show to share examples of unique characteristics of a variety of cultures. Flags from countries all over the world were also displayed around the entire auditorium.
🎤 Student voices: The show was planned over the course of the past year by student leaders from the school’s Student Council, Men’s and Women’s group, Black Student Union, Muslim Student Association, African dance crew, National Honors Society, American Indian Education, HOSA and BPA groups.
“It’s beautiful that we can all come together to acknowledge and appreciate each other’s cultures,” said Anita Simons, BHS student.
“We’ve seen how our differences create a rich, vibrant community,” said Mahad Arif, BHS senior, concluding the show. “Let’s take this harmony beyond today and continue to celebrate every culture.”
Funds from the Anoka-Hennepin Education Foundation supported the BHS Multicultural Show.
Battle of the brains: Knowledge Bowl events test middle school minds
🧠 On Feb. 15, district middle school students participated in the Middle Grades Knowledge Bowl Regionals Meet at Northdale Middle School (NMS) to showcase not only their brain power but also their ability to work together as a team. In Anoka-Hennepin Schools, all six middle schools have teams that participate in Knowledge Bowl competitions throughout the school year.
The big picture: The Middle Grades Knowledge Bowl is a season of academic competitions where students in grades 6-8 answer written and oral questions about history, literature, mathematics, science, current events, and everything in between.
The regional meet: NMS hosted 55 teams from 17 metro middle schools for the Middle Grades Knowledge Bowl Regionals Meet. From Anoka-Hennepin, Anoka Middle School for the Arts, NMS and Coon Rapids and Jackson (JMS) middle schools had multiple teams participate in the event. Guided by a JMS team named ‘The Fermented Icecubes’ who placed fifth overall, there were seven teams from Anoka-Hennepin who finished in the top 20. ‘Northdale Team One’ were recipients of the Spirit Award. 📸 View photos from the regional meet at NMS.
What they’re saying: "Knowledge Bowl truly is a unique experience," said Shaun Felegy, a teacher and Knowledge Bowl advisor at NMS. "They are young, eager, and competitive. But they are also polite, graceful, and encouraging to their peers, judges, and hosts."
Inside the bowl: SparkPath (formerly Success Beyond the Classroom) hosts Knowledge Bowl and has a 30-plus year history of working with schools to provide relevant, highly-valued enrichment programs to students across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Every program is designed to accelerate discovery, ignite creativity and inspire confidence.
Parent Education Series: Next Parent Engage 360 event set for Thursday, Feb. 29
Join parents and guardians from the Anoka-Hennepin Schools community for information and resources to support the needs of students today.
The big picture: Anoka-Hennepin will host three Parent Engage 360 community and parent education events during the 2023-24 school year, aiming to provide resources for parents and guardians to support their students and others in the community. Topics range from mental health, chemical health, internet safety, and more. Parent Engage 360 forum events are offered both in-person and in virtual formats and are free and open to the public.
Advocating for your child: The second Parent Engage 360 event will feature Beth Lovre, family peer educator with the National Alliance of Mental Illness Minnesota. The event, titled "You’re the Expert: How to successfully advocate for your child," will provide parents/guardians with information and resources on how parents can be an advocate for their child in the doctor’s office, the mental health system and in public education settings.
🗓️ When: Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m.
📍 Where: Champlin Park High School auditorium
✅ RSVP: Register for this event (registration is not required, but helps with planning).
What’s next: The next topic will be focused on Chemical Health: Tobacco and vaping prevention, and is scheduled to be held Monday, April 1 at the Andover High School auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Leading the event will be speaker Claire Weiss, Youth Programs Coordinator, myHealth for Teens and Young Adults.
🎧 Go deeper: For more resources, tune in to the award-winning Parent Engage 360 Podcast which is available on more of your favorite podcasting platforms. Listen to the podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts. To register and learn more about Parent Engage 360 events, please visit ahschools.us/parentengage360.
Morris Bye Elementary students go ‘wild’ for fitness and healthy habits
🏒 The Minnesota Wild Faceoff for Fitness school assembly program visited Morris Bye Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 21 to promote the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle through an energetic presentation.
🍎 Students learned more about hockey and the importance of nutrition and physical activity from former Wild forward Stéphane Veilleux and former Minnesota Whitecaps forward Kalli Funk. Inspired by an energetic former Wild in-arena announcer, Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy got in on the fun and completed part of his daily workout routine for students.
During the event, Veilleux, Funk, and the Minnesota Wild revealed a donated set of street hockey equipment to the school, including sticks, nets, and goalie equipment. Students also received a pack of Wild hockey cards which feature fitness and nutrition tips and information.
View photos from the school assembly with the Minnesota Wild.
Other schools across the district have also participated in this program in the past two years and have received visits from the Wild organization.
Winter sports and activities roundup
With the winter sports and activities season wrapping up, take a look at who’s heading to state, and how they fared when they performed and played. Updates are available from:
- ⛷️ Boys and girls alpine skiing.
- 🎿 Boys and girls nordic skiing.
- 💃 Dance.
- 🏒 Girls hockey.
A new device at the JMS observatory opens more eyes to the universe
Rum River Elementary - School Spotlight
Rum River Elementary enrolls over 850 students in Andover where staff realize the importance of knowing and understanding students as individuals. Check out the school spotlight to learn more about Rum River.
District STEM fair provides opportunities for students to experiment
🔬 The Anoka-Hennepin School District hosted a K-12 STEM Fair Feb. 10 at Anoka High School, as an opportunity for students at all grade levels to present findings on research projects and experimentation they’ve completed to the general public in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The fair also provided students an enriched experience that can’t be duplicated in the classroom, while improving their critical thinking, public speaking and research skills.
This year, 250 students participated, while a total of 150 parent, teacher and community volunteers attended the event. 📸 View photos from the 2024 STEM Fair.
“The STEM Fair provides students the opportunity to learn science by actually being scientists,” said Kevin Molohon, STEM Fair coordinator and science teacher at Champlin Park High School. “It allows students to do authentic science and the experience is invaluable for them moving forward."
Anoka-Hennepin has a rich history of science fairs dating back to the late 1960s.
Winners of the annual bus safety poster contest to be recognized at transportation department meeting
🎨 The Anoka-Hennepin transportation department held its 29th annual school bus safety poster contest this winter, which began during Winter School Bus Safety Week (Jan. 8-12).
🚌 This year’s theme was Driving Safely Into the Future. The transportation department invited students in all grade levels to submit their best artwork for the competition. Each school held its own poster contest, with one winner chosen from each grade level. The winning poster for each school was then entered into the district contest.
The objective of the contest was to encourage students to think about school bus safety, while also presenting an opportunity for discussion during school bus safety week.
The winners are:
- Kaeto Evuleocha, kindergarten, University Avenue Elementary.
- Benjamin Vu, first grade, Jefferson Elementary.
- James Gala, second grade, River Trail Learning Center.
- Asher Dahl, third grade, Sunrise Elementary.
- Gianna Archer, fourth grade, Jefferson Elementary.
- Rosalyn Norton, fifth grade, Jefferson Elementary.
- Cameron Kelly, sixth grade, River Trail Learning Center.
- Fatima Muhamed, seventh grade, Northdale Middle School.
- Brielle Whitney, eighth grade, Oak View Middle School.
- Emilio Ramirez Magana, ninth grade, River Trail Learning Center.
Congratulations to this year’s winners! Visit the website to view all of the winning posters.
The winners will be recognized at the district transportation safety committee meeting on March 6. Winning posters will be displayed in buildings across the district to continue the promotion of school bus safety.
AMSA student magazine, The Storm, receives award
🌪️ A student magazine at Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) titled, The Storm, has been selected to receive the rank of Superior in the 2023 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) program.
This year, schools in 46 states and five countries nominated 375 student magazines. Magazines from middle school, high school, and higher education were welcomed for the 2023 contest.
The Storm is a journal composed of AMSA students’ original writing and artwork completed independently or as class assignments in any subject area. The process begins in February with a collection of student submissions and ends with the unveiling of the journal and student readings during the Arts Fest in May.
In the news: AHEF featured on North Metro TV
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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.