In the Know - February 20, 2024
February 20, 2024
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.
District demographic projections; enrollment expected to remain steady
The district recently published demographic projections in an article in the Winter 2024 edition of the the FOCUS newsletter, detailing enrollment projections shared at the Anoka-Hennepin School Board meeting Nov. 27. The comprehensive study and analysis of current and future student population was conducted by Hazel Reinhardt, a consultant who served as the first demographer in the state of Minnesota.
Why it matters: The study was intended to provide district leaders with a comprehensive analysis of the current and future student population to best inform future planning and decision-making - with a focus on five-year projections out to the 2028-29 school year; and ten-year projections out to the 2032-33 school year. The study outlined the school board's commitment to proactive planning for the future. Read the full story.
Sampling school meals, studying family savings from Universal School Meals
School Board members sampled school meal items before a presentation from Child Nutrition director, Noah Atlas, at the School Board work session Monday, Feb. 12 at the Gathering Place cafeteria located at the school district’s Educational Service Center in Anoka.
🍳What’s cooking: Samples included southwest chicken salad and Philly beef sandwiches, orange chicken and rice, alfredo chicken pasta, bean and cheese pupusas, buffalo veggie nuggets, black bean burgers, turkey avocado wraps, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, along with assorted fruits and vegetables.
✅ Taste tests: Approximately 10 new meal items are piloted in schools each year. Of those new meal items, usually, only three stay on the menu long-term based on student interest.
👛 Atlas shared data from Anoka-Hennepin Schools related to Universal School Meals, a new state law providing breakfast and lunch to students at no cost to families. The law went into effect this school year.
Health service program facilitator represents Minnesota at the national level
Anoka-Hennepin health service program facilitator Kathy Schulz was elected by her peers as the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Director for the School Nurse Organization of Minnesota (SNOM).
🩺 Why it matters: As the NASN director, Schulz serves as a liaison between the state and national organizations and shares the work of both groups. She represents the state of Minnesota at the national level. She joins NASN in Washington, D.C. to meet with other state directors from around the country to advocate and lobby for legislative priorities surrounding school nurses.
Schulz began working in Anoka-Hennepin as a school nurse in 2003 and was hired as an infection control nurse in the fall of 2020 before transitioning to her current role in 2022.
🗣️ What they’re saying: “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve in this role,” Schulz said. “Because that means that they have trust and faith in me that I will advocate for them and do my job. I’m coming back [to Anoka-Hennepin] with the best practices and if we can get our nurses to utilize their skills and best practices, we can make a huge difference in the lives of students.”
📰 Learn more about Schulz and her role as Anoka-Hennepin’s health service program facilitator.
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 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.
Donors, sponsors give generously at the 2024 Northern Stars Celebration
🌟 The Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation’s (AHEF) annual Northern Stars Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 10 was a great success, with donors and sponsors giving an unprecedented $88,000 for the Anoka-Hennepin students, schools, and foundation.
“Once again, our sponsors and donors went all in and we can’t thank them enough,” said Lynn Montgomery, event chair and board secretary for the AHEF. “We have such deep and generous support from our community, from our sponsors and from within the district. As a grandparent of students in the district and as a volunteer, it’s very affirming.”
Read more about this year's AHEF Northern Stars Celebration.
District to begin budget reduction and realignment process this spring
Anoka-Hennepin Schools is facing budget challenges similar to school districts across the state that have created a budget imbalance that must be addressed. Action is being taken now in order to lower the impact on classrooms with a phased, two-year plan to remedy a preliminary $30 million adjustment prior to the 2025-26 school year.
Overall goal: 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.
School Board director, Dr. Michelle Langenfeld, to serve on MSBA Board of Directors
Anoka-Hennepin School Board director Dr. Michelle Langenfeld was recently elected to the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) Board of Directors representing District 5.
Langenfeld was elected to fulfill the final year of the three-year term previously held by former board member Nicole Hayes. She will represent Anoka-Hennepin, St. Francis, Centennial, Spring Lake Park, Fridley and Columbia Heights school districts on the state-wide board.
The MSBA Board consists of 13 district directors and two officers.
Langenfeld was elected to the Anoka-Hennepin School Board in November 2023 and took an oath of office on Jan. 8, 2024. She represents District Five, which includes residents in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, southern Coon Rapids and Fridley.
As a member of the board, Langenfeld serves on the following committees: Association of Metropolitan School Districts, Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, Minnesota State High School League board representative for Champlin Park High School, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee, and Student Services Advisory Committee.
Ten district student-athletes recognized for their work in sports and the arts
🏃 Ten Anoka-Hennepin student-athletes have been nominated for the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Triple “A” Award for the 2023-24 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.
Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids high schools represent Region 5AA while Andover High School is in Region 7AA for the MSHSL Triple “A” Award.
Each school in the state can nominate one senior female and one senior male student for consideration. Triple “A” Award recipients are selected through a multi-level process involving member schools of the league, the league’s administrative regions, and a special committee of educators, business leaders, and members from the fine arts and athletics communities.
The Anoka-Hennepin nominees for the Triple “A” Award are:
- Andover High School: Claire VanGheem and Finnian Dillinger.
- Anoka High School: Grace Morphew and Evan Freking
- Blaine High School: Angelina Drews and Nathan Taylor
- Champlin Park High School: Emily Whitehouse and Charlie Hibbs.
- Coon Rapids High School: Jaida Gray and Charles Schulte.
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.
Grad Spotlight: Champlin Park grad giving back to the community by empowering youth in the Brooklyns
She didn’t travel the path she thought she would, but 2009 Champlin Park High School (CPHS) graduate Chia Lee Xiong is where she is meant to be. After a stop at Three Rivers Park District doing community outreach work, Xiong is a data, evaluation and youth participatory action research coordinator at the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth (BBAY).
At BBAY she is part of a team that shares a vision of contributing to each young person thriving, particularly those who have been historically marginalized, by challenging inequities and creating conditions that build hope.
Born in California, Xiong’s family moved to Minnesota in the mid-1990s and she began school in Anoka-Hennepin in third grade at Evergreen Park Elementary. She then attended Jackson Middle School - A Specialty School for Math and Science where she developed a love for science after taking an elective health class.
Superintendent Cory McIntyre visits STEP for roundtable discussion
On Feb. 9, Anoka-Hennepin Superintendent Cory McIntyre facilitated a conversation with students at the Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP) for the fifth of several scheduled student roundtable discussions throughout the district.
Why it matters: The conversation with students attending STEP proved to be a little different than those at the traditional high schools. Students choose to attend courses at STEP, while also having experiences to draw upon from their home high schools.
What they're saying: The comments students shared included having the best teacher-to-student relationship they have ever had, feeling the expectations are higher because of a more focused learning environment, and that STEP has provided a space to discover who they are. 📸 View photos from the superintendent roundtable discussion at STEP.
The big picture: Superintendent McIntyre values student voice in the decision-making process and ensures the district provides a safe, welcoming, positive school environment.
The students had the opportunity to ask questions, which led to learning more about what a superintendent does, why the high school schedule starts earlier than the other levels and the hope for more career exploration programming at five traditional high schools.
🗞️ Read more about the Superintendent roundtable discussion at STEP.
BHS student set to lead at the state level
🩺 From a young age, Elaine Phan knew she wanted a career where she would be able to help people in need. Currently, the Blaine High School junior is gaining valuable experience with both the school and state chapters of HOSA – Future Health Professionals, which will guide her closer to her professional goals.
Leadership role: Phan has taken her experience to the next level and is currently the president-elect of Minnesota HOSA. This year she is the mentee to the president and is in training to become leader of the state organization next school year.
“My entire HOSA experience has been an extremely introspective one,” Phan said. “I’ve learned about how I best communicate, lead others and learn from others. I never stop learning in HOSA.”
Sense of community: In the school chapter, she is the social media manager and has helped to build a positive reputation for the club at the school. Phan said she has loved the leadership and community aspect of HOSA and networking with professionals in the health industry.
“Knowing the community Minnesota HOSA has created, I feel excited, comfortable and supported in the transition as my future position as president.”
Looking to her future: After high school, Phan plans to study neuropsychology to help those struggling with their mental health. 🗞️ Read more about Phan and learn about HOSA.
Third-graders cash in on economics basics with “Market Days” activity
Students in Maya Keating’s third-grade classroom at Rum River Elementary School recently merged their math skills with creativity and concepts they learned in a recent economics unit in a pretend, hands-on experience she dubbed, “Market Days.”
The big picture: “Students were able to learn about competition and scarcity, and how to be responsible with their money,” Keating explained. “The activity strengthened their knowledge of economics vocabulary that can be difficult to understand, and money - while also building upon their social skills with each other.”
- Students earning top gains in the district honored at Academic Growth Award recognition event.
- Applications open for AHEF's first round of grants for 2024-25 school year.
- UnitedHealthcare February engagement toolkit: Food and mental health.
- Next Parent Engage 360 event set for Thursday, Feb. 29.
- Curriculum open house set for Feb. 21: Two Rivers Transition Program at Franklin.
- Action of the School Board, January 22, 2024.
- Contribute to a 403(b) retirement plan.
- SupportingYoU an employee wellness podcast, has 34 episodes available.
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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.