September 30, 2022

Anoka-Hennepin Schools, with support from the district’s employee wellness program, Where Wellness Matters, will offer flu shots at several schools and sites Sept. 26-Oct. 13.

Due to limited staffing, employees are required to schedule appointments to attend and complete an immunization screening questionnaire when registering (photo of UnitedHealthcare insurance card required). Participants should stay home if feeling sick.

Members of an Anoka-Hennepin UnitedHealthcare health insurance plan may receive the flu shot without a co-payment at one of the available sites. Anoka-Hennepin’s self-insured health plan will cover the cost of the shots for all covered employees.

All employees not covered by an Anoka-Hennepin health care plan may receive a flu shot for $45, which may be paid at the clinic site via cash or check.

Learn more about the flu shot clinics and register for an immunization appointment.

Students from the five traditional Anoka-Hennepin high schools gathered in the Anoka High School - Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (AHS) auditorium Sept. 26 to provide important feedback for the Superintendent Search.

Dr. Antoinette Johns from the search firm School Exec Connect administered the meeting and asked the students to voice their thoughts to help determine the strengths, challenges, and the characteristics or skills to search for in the next superintendent. With around 30 students in the room, responses included wanting an empathetic leader who interacts with the students, someone who listens to the teachers on what is happening in the schools, and understands the mental health struggles of the students. View photos from the student input session.

Community members have the opportunity to provide anonymous written feedback to the consultants by completing a survey at ahschools.us/superintendentsearch. This information will be used to develop a profile of the desired skills and characteristics in the next superintendent. Please submit feedback by Oct. 4.

The Anoka-Hennepin School Board will conduct interviews and complete the superintendent hiring process by early December. The new superintendent will begin service in July 2023.

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 23 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.

The district has a system in place to ensure students are receiving a high-quality education while maximizing the efficiency of the educational supports, programming and resources. By acting now, the district aims to equitably serve all students for years to come.

A formal presentation of all proposals and initial feedback from the community was presented to the School Board at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Sept. 26. A second round of community cluster meetings will be held in October for the board and district staff to receive additional feedback from community members. The community meetings will be held in-person and streamed online:

• Blaine cluster community meeting:
  Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Blaine High School cafeteria.

To discuss proposed changes impacting Jefferson, Johnsville, McKinley and Sunrise elementary schools; and Northdale and Roosevelt middle schools.

• Champlin cluster community meeting:

Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Champlin Park High School cafeteria.
To discuss proposed changes impacting Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy, Dayton, Evergreen Park, Monroe and Oxbow Creek elementary schools.

• Anoka cluster community meeting:
  Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Anoka High School cafeteria.
  To discuss proposed changes impacting Franklin, Lincoln and Ramsey elementary schools.

Additional community meetings will not be held in the Andover and Coon Rapids clusters of schools, as there are no proposed changes. View opportunities for feedback, the timeline for implementation and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Learn more about boundary adjustments.

September is National Suicide Awareness Prevention Month. Starting July 16 of this year, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is now 988. Call, text, or chat 988 to be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network.

The goal of co-curricular activities in Anoka-Hennepin Schools is to provide a fun, safe and engaging opportunity for students and community members to support high school students and student-athletes as they perform in sports, fine arts, and other activities.

The following guidelines are in place to ensure that all who attend a co-curricular activity experience a safe, welcoming and positive environment.

It is important to remember that athletic events are governed by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), and that student conduct at school and district events is governed by the Anoka-Hennepin Schools Policy Handbook.

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.

Backpacks and outside food or drink (if concessions are sold on-site) are not allowed.

Anoka-Hennepin prohibits the following at school events:

• Weapons.
• Alcoholic beverages.
• E-cigarettes / vaping.
• Tobacco products.
• Controlled substances.

For more information, please visit ahschools.us/eventpolicies. Spectators who are unwilling or unable to follow the rules, regulations, or directions from event staff may be asked to leave the event.

Anoka-Hennepin realizes the importance of athletics and activities in the communities it serves and wants to ensure participants, fans, and community members experience a positive environment at each event.

Construction for a building addition at Sunrise Elementary School is set to begin this fall. The addition to the school, which opened in the fall of 2019, adds eight classrooms to provide space for approximately 200 students.

The target completion date for the addition is August 2023. During construction, the district will take steps to ensure safety and minimal disruption to the students, staff and community.

The decision to add to the building is due to rapid growth in the Sunrise attendance boundary area that exceeded original expectations and enrollment projections. This year, six sections of kindergarten classes were temporarily relocated to Johnsville Elementary School due to the capacity of the school and to accommodate the population growth in the Sunrise attendance area. There are nearly 1,250 students enrolled at Sunrise this school year, which includes the six sections of kindergarteners at Johnsville.

The addition is intended to ensure adequate space for students in the proposed attendance boundary beginning in the fall of 2023, and in the years to come. The Anoka-Hennepin School Board approved a bid for construction at its Sept. 12 work session. The addition is funded by the original Fit for the Future bond, which was approved by voters in the fall of 2017.

Parents and guardians may have recently been invited to sign up for the first round of parent/teacher conferences for this school year, and they may be wondering what to expect or how to prepare for conferences with your child’s teacher or teachers.

In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator; Nikole Wodash, Sunrise Elementary School assistant principal; and Jill Alton, Coon Rapids High School assistant principal, hope to answer what parents can expect from conferences, how to prepare, and ways that parents/guardians can work with their child’s teacher(s) in partnership to support success in the classroom.

Tune in to the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360.

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.

Four Anoka-Hennepin seniors were recently named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, and one of them, Champlin Park High School senior Maura Wahl, has been featured in CCX Media's Standout Student segment.

Read more about the district's National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

• Action of the School Board, September 26.

• School Board approves substitute pay rate increases, retention incentives.

• District to host hiring event for operational positions Oct. 12.

• Keith Paulson retirement party.
• Parent/guardian participation needed for district Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC).
• Resources available for teachers and staff serving students who have a seizure disorder.
• SEED seminars to be held for staff again in 2022.

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