In the Know - March 4, 2024
March 4, 2024
Announcing recipients of 2023-24 Above & Beyond Awards
🌟 Fifteen outstanding district employees have been selected to receive the Anoka-Hennepin School District’s 2023-24 Above & Beyond Award, a program to recognize outstanding employees for innovation, creativity, caring and commitment.
The recipients are:
- Marta Biegler, Jackson Middle School, special education teacher (DCD and PI) and case manager.
- Melyssa Carlson, Educational Service Center, technology, technology facilitator.
- Cory Davis, Champlin Park High School, physical education teacher and coach.
- Amanda Eilertson, Champlin Park High School, academic intervention teacher.
- Lori De Jong, Lincoln Elementary, school office supervisor.
- Sheila Joslin, Oxbow Creek Elementary, school office supervisor.
- Mindy Meyers, Waapishki Kiisis Ikwe, Educational Service Center, American Indian Education Program Coordinator.
- Bich Lieu Nguyen, Educational Service Center, technology, instructional technology facilitator.
- Corinna Nunnery, Oxbow Creek Elementary, Adventures Plus, site coordinator.
- Ray Richardson, Educational Service Center, buildings and grounds, maintenance manager.
- Denise Schnabel, Evergreen Park Elementary, principal.
- Hannah Schrempp, Oak View Middle School, secondary reading teacher.
- Julia Stock, Brookside Elementary, teacher, grade 2.
- Penny Walsh, Riverview Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), parent and family educator.
- Coral-Lyn Wyman, Champlin Park High School, assistant principal.
The 2024 Above & Beyond Awards ceremony to honor these 15 exceptional employees will take place Wednesday, April 3 at the Educational Service Center (ESC).
The Above & Beyond Awards involve students, staff, parents and community members in recognizing and rewarding Anoka-Hennepin employees. Over 150 staff members were nominated for the 2024 awards, the 27th year of a recognition program in the school district’s history.
The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) and Anoka-Hennepin Schools sponsor the Above & Beyond Awards program jointly.
Be alert, do not respond to “boss gift card scam” text messages
A number of district employees have received fraudulent text messages requesting they purchase gift cards. The messages say they originate from a person who says they are Cory McIntyre but these are not legitimate messages and employees or others should not respond. We are alerting all employees as a precaution and for your protection.
Take these steps: Should you get a suspicious text message asking you to purchase gift cards please take the following steps:
Look at the phone number of the person who texted you. These messages came from a person who said they were Cory McIntyre at a (302) area code located in the State of Delaware. This is a national scam and not something unique to our organization.
Don’t respond. These messages have a conversational tone but indicate a sense of urgency, possibly including text such as “are you available,” “let me know if you got this text,” and then stating they are heading into a meeting and they need your help.
Don’t send pictures or click on links. The more you interact the more detailed the requests become. You will be asked to purchase gift cards and that you will be reimbursed. This is not true. Do not purchase any gift cards.
Take screenshots. Take a screenshot of the interaction to document and assist in any investigation into this matter.
Inform us immediately: Send screen shots and your contact information to info@ahschools.us for further investigation. It is likely that the scammer found employee mobile numbers posted publicly on the internet but the district will need to confirm that through an investigation.
Private information protected: The district takes action to protect the private information and electronic records of employees and no private information about employees was shared as a result of this scam.
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. Classified staff that never log into a machine will need to find a machine onsite to change their password and should do so at their earliest convenience.
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, 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.
School Board officers elected
At its meeting Feb. 26, the School Board elected its officers, establishing:
- Kacy Deschene (District 3) and Zach Arco (District 2) to serve as Co-Chairs,
- Jeff Simon (District 6) serving as Clerk,
- and Matt Audette (District 4) serving as Treasurer.
The School Board will not have a vice-chair for 2024 as co-chairs will alternate the process of running meetings while working in collaboration on board leadership matters throughout the year. The votes for all board leadership positions were unanimous. This form of organization was developed in collaboration, with an expressed commitment to shared decision making and this model is designed to ensure involvement by all members in board decisions.
Follow updates from the School Board and watch archived meetings at ahschools.us/schoolboard.
District to begin budget reduction and realignment process this spring
The district is pursuing an informed, thoughtful, planned process to reduce and realign the budget over the next two years to provide time and input from stakeholders to ensure the best decisions are being made to maintain the quality of education in our schools.
UnitedHealthcare March engagement toolkit: Women’s mental health
To support Anoka-Hennepin School District employees, UnitedHealthcare has created a monthly engagement toolkit to support employee health and well-being.
The March engagement toolkit offers resources and content on topics related to women’s mental health. March 8 is International Women’s Day, so this month’s focus is on supporting women’s mental health, through major life transitions and challenges.
Included in this month’s engagement toolkit:
- A live, one-hour training session on menopause and mental health.
- Articles on coping with infertility and showing support for a loved one who is struggling with infertility.
- Interactive guidance on postpartum depression and anxiety signs and symptoms.
- A podcast titled “Seeing Invisible Labor.” Description: How we divide chores and childcare is an age-old problem, with women historically handling most of the work in the home.
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.
Apply 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.
Contract approved: School Board approves new two-year contract with AHEM
Superintendent McIntyre visits Champlin Park High School for roundtable discussion
On Feb. 23, Anoka-Hennepin Superintendent Cory McIntyre visited Champlin Park High School (CPHS) for a conversation with students for the sixth of several scheduled student roundtable discussions throughout the district.
Why it matters: Superintendent McIntyre values student voice in the decision-making process and ensures the district provides a safe, welcoming, positive school environment. During the hour-long sessions, McIntyre and other school district administrators aim to gather student perspectives on the high school experience.
What they’re saying: “Having the leaders in our school building gives me hope,” said Paul Hodari Scott, II. “It gives me so much excitement that we can share our story and make a difference in our school. The superintendent isn’t someone you get to talk to every day, it’s just a chance to make a difference and I love chances.”
The big picture: Students shared their favorite classes at CPHS and discussed their thoughts on what classes they would recommend all students take during high school. CPHS students also shared how they were proud of their school’s diversity and felt that students accept one another’s differences.
🗞️ Read more about the Superintendent roundtable discussion at CPHS.
📸 View photos from the Superintendent roundtable discussion at CPHS.
AHS students ‘rise’ to the occasion, explore careers and shadow Lincoln teachers
Anoka High School (AHS) students interested in education careers were able to envision themselves pursuing their future aspirations as part of their school day on Wednesday, Feb. 28, when they visited Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts to shadow teachers - an opportunity provided through the Educator’s Rising program.
🙌 Why it matters: Educators Rising is a program that introduces students to the teaching profession and allows them to gain a realistic understanding of the nature of the profession and the roles of educators in various areas of expertise. The program advisor at AHS, Katie Hale, explained, “It’s such a great resource for students to be able to discover if education is for them.”
⭕ A full circle experience: Mahogany Mechelke, an AHS sophomore who hopes to one day be an elementary school teacher, had the unique opportunity to shadow teacher Hailey Skinner, a 2015 grad of AHS. Skinner first explored her interest in teaching by participating in a child development class at AHS as a student herself. Skinner is currently in her second year teaching first grade at Lincoln Elementary, following her experience teaching preschool at the school, in addition to Riverview Early Childhood Center.
🫶 Not only teaching: Another AHS sophomore, Cedar Kilby, spent the afternoon in a music classroom - focused on exploring how psychology fits in a school setting. Kilby enjoys participating in after-school opportunities to support students at school. “We have helped with a book drive, write cards for kids in hospitals and help with activities at other schools.”
📰 Read the full story.
📸 See photos from the Educators Rising visit at Lincoln Elementary.
Parent Engage 360 - You’re the Expert: How to Successfully Advocate for your Child
Anoka-Hennepin hosted parents/guardians and community members in-person and online Feb. 29 for the second of three events in the Parent Engage 360 series this school year.
In case you missed it: Beth Lovre, a family peer educator with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota, was the keynote speaker on Thursday, Feb. 29 at the Champlin Park High School Auditorium. Lovre provided parents/guardians with information and resources on how to advocate for their children in the doctor’s office, the mental health system and in public education settings.
🎥 Watch a replay of the event.
Learn more about Parent Engage 360: Parent Engage 360 events aim to provide resources to parents and guardians to support their students and others in the community. Anoka-Hennepin Schools realize the importance of parent engagement in maximizing student success.
What’s next: The final Parent Engage 360 event is set for Monday, April 1 at Andover High School and will feature Claire Weiss, youth programs coordinator with myHealth for Teens and Young Adults and Anoka-Hennepin chemical health prevention specialists Josh VanHeuveln and Abigail Rice for a discussion on tobacco and vaping prevention.
To learn more and register to attend this event, please visit ahschools.us/parentengage360.
Tune in for more: For more resources, tune in to the award-winning Parent Engage 360 Podcast which is available on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts.
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:
- 🤼 Wrestling.
- 🏊♂️ Boys swimming and diving.
- 🏒 Girls hockey.
- 🤸♀️ Gymnastics.
The “Book-a-teers” from Roosevelt Middle School win 2024 Battle of the Books competition
📚 A team from Roosevelt Middle School proudly held the Battle of the Books traveling trophy Feb. 29 at the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Service Center, as the annual competition challenges middle school students to prove their knowledge and understanding of literature.
📖 How it works: Teams of students first compete within their middle school community, with the winners advancing to a district-level Battle of the Books competition. The annual competition promotes reading and comprehension of literature in a fun and engaging format. A total of 19 teams representing all six middle schools battled to prove they learned key concepts from 25 books chosen for this year’s competition.
🏆 The champions: The winning team, who chose the name of “Book-a-teers,” was Hazel Schmitt, Sydney Schlichting and Siena Zaiser from Roosevelt Middle School. The Battle of the Books coordinator at RMS is Jodi Blair, a sixth grade teacher. 📸 View photos from the competition on Feb. 29.
"This competition was really fun and I made some friendships along the way,” Schmitt said. “It made me read a lot more books than usual."
Coon Rapids High School musicians perform at annual music educators conference
🎵 The Coon Rapids High School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (CRHS) music department received high honor on Saturday, Feb. 17 with multiple ensembles performing at the annual Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) annual Midwinter Clinic at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
CRHS was selected to perform its annual Traditions Concert, which included the Concert Choir, Bel Canto, Raven Street Project, Concert Orchestra, Cardinal Strings, Wind Ensemble and Jazz 1. To be considered for the clinic, schools must submit recordings of performances from the last two school years and be selected by an MMEA panel of educators.
Anoka-Hennepin students jam at annual Middle School Jazz Festival
🎶 For around 20 years, middle school students in Anoka-Hennepin have gathered for a mid-year concert full of talented musicians and a festive evening at the Middle School Jazz Festival.
🎷 Get in the groove: On Feb. 29, a full house of parents/guardians and family members clapped and sang along as students from all six middle schools in Anoka-Hennepin displayed their talents.
Each jazz band performed three songs during the festival and the night concluded with teachers from all six schools joining on the stage for a surprise staff performance, which was a hit with the audience, especially the middle schoolers.
What they’re saying: “It takes a lot of dedication from our students to be in a jazz band,” said Lora Ukaegbu, band director at Anoka Middle School for the Arts, Washington. “Students spend extra time rehearsing and performing in extra concerts and it shows in our band classes too, the extra dedication.”
“It is a nice offshoot from band,” said Sabrina Olson, band director and music competition teacher at AMSA, Fred Moore. “Jazz music is more technically challenging, the rhythms are more technically challenging and the key signatures that students read in. There are so many different parts to jazz music, including improvisation.”
🗞️ Read more about the Middle School Jazz Festival.
📸 View photos from the Middle School Jazz Festival performances.
Students earning top gains honored at Academic Growth Award event
What does it feel like to be one of the top five percent for increased academic achievement in your school? Students and families answered that question at the second and final Academic Growth Award recognition event held Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Blaine High School.
🌟More “wins” for students: Schools have traditionally recognized the high honors in academics, athletics and artistic accomplishments of students. The Anoka-Hennepin School Board developed the Academic Growth Award program to celebrate additional “wins” for students in the areas of math, reading and language acquisition.
📏 Measuring progress with data: The district found ways to gather data using the existing tests such as the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA), CogAT and ACCESS tests. Growth was measured by comparing performance on two of the same assessments in any of the three examined areas.
📚3,000 successful stories: Approximately 3,000 students meet the criteria each year, receiving a certificate at the school level. The top students from each school are recognized in person by the School Board and district leaders at the Academic Growth Award recognition events.
“Working with district administrators to study academic data, the School Board is using this platform to honor the determination of students that made significant academic growth over the course of a school year,” said Dr. Mary Wolverton, associate superintendent of elementary schools.
The event on Feb. 28 recognized students identified at Blaine and Coon Rapids-area elementary and middle schools, and Compass programs.
📺 Watch the archived live stream of the event Feb. 28. (40 minutes)
📸 View photos from the Feb. 28 event.
In the news: CCX features collaboration between CP orchestra, English class
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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.