In the Know - Aug. 5, 2022

August 5, 2022

The In the Know e-newsletter has a new look for the 2022-23 school year, and it comes with a number of benefits:

• Translation: A translation tool is available for those wishing to receive information in another language. Recipients may click anywhere on the message to open it in a web browser and at the top of the page, select a language from the dropdown menu.
  

• Accessibility: Built-in tools for readers to increase font size, if needed, or utilize a high contrast viewing mode, incorporating ADA compliance.

Schools will also move to the new e-newsletter platform, Smore, by December 1, 2022. The Communication and Public Relations team is currently working with schools individually to develop a training plan and timeline to make the switch. This will give schools the opportunity to send e-newsletters, event information and emergency messages in a format branded to their own school.

E-news contacts will also notice benefits:

• Designs unique to each school: E-newsletters, event information and emergency messages are designed in a consistent format, branded to their own school.

• Ease of creating and editing: The concise format makes creating professional messages simple, and team folders allow for collaboration.

• Streamlined contact lists: Messages will be sent through the Blackboard Mass Notification tool, which utilizes up-to-date contact information for families.

• Email and text message capability: Send messages by both email and text with a few clicks using the same interface.

• Analytics and readership data: To help school and district leaders better understand how to more effectively communicate with their school communities.

Opportunities to share feedback will be available soon. Stay tuned!

Get a variety of back-to-school information, including supply lists, handbooks, Lifetouch “picture days,” and more by visiting the district’s back-to-school website at ahschools.us/bts.

A special back-to-school edition of Anoka-Hennepin’s FOCUS newsletter will soon be in the mailbox of all households with one or more students enrolled in a district school. This newsletter provides a wide range of information on various topics, from introducing the district’s new interim superintendent, Kate Maguire, to information on transportation, school meals, the district calendar, open house information, and other back-to-school basics.

View the Back-to-School FOCUS newsletter for 2022-23.

Anoka-Hennepin and Allina Health have partnered to provide district teachers and staff with a library of resources to support employee health and mental wellness. Listen to the SupportingYoU podcast to learn how you, an educator, can help support student mental wellness in your classroom.

Topics will also include guidance on how to navigate difficult conversations and how to share important school climate themes with school administrators. This information could inform school support programming, curriculum, or school practices for teachers/staff to listen at any time that is convenient.

Six episodes are currently available to listen to, with an additional 33 episodes set to be added to the podcast resource by the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.

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.

Listen by visiting ahschools.us/supportingyou.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District has updated its school handbook for the 2022-23 school year. Parents/guardians will be required to view and sign off on the handbook as part of the district’s back to school verification process through A-HConnect, and families can preview the School Handbook now for important information and updates about the upcoming school year.

To access the forms through A-HConnect, click on the lock icon and log in at the top right corner of any district or school website. Then, select "my student information." For login/password assistance, call 763-506-HELP or email 506help@ahschools.us.

The Fit for the Future plan, which was supported by voters in 2017 when the community approved a request for new funding to make the plan happen, promised to create safe and secure learning environments by removing all portable classrooms across the district, construct additional schools and classroom space, provide solutions for maintaining quality schools at every building in the district, and address class sizes at every level.

Learn more about the projects.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District is considering a plan to repurpose the use of Franklin Elementary School in Anoka due to declining enrollment, available classroom space in neighboring schools and to maximize efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

The repurposing plan would maintain Franklin as a school facility that would serve students in the Bridges and Pathways special education programs. These students are currently served from leased spaces in shopping malls in Andover and Coon Rapids. Current Franklin attendance area students would attend neighboring elementary schools as determined through the boundary adjustment process this fall and will also remain in the attendance area for Anoka High School and Anoka Middle School for the Arts. Read more details about the Franklin Elementary repurposing consideration.

Anoka-Hennepin held a community meeting for families, neighbors and community members Wednesday, Aug. 3. Watch a replay of the meeting and view the frequently asked questions.

• Obit: Celebration of life event in honor of Jill Parent set for Aug. 12.
• Action of the School Board, July 11.
• District to host hiring event Aug. 15 for operational positions.
• 2022-23 calendar published.
• Text message alerts for A-H staff.

To translate this information to another language, please click anywhere on the message to open it in a web browser and at the top of the page, select your language from the dropdown menu.