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2018 Kindergarten Playground Nights
Update Hopkins Public Schools
The community’s guide to the District.
Royal Reps Help Hopkins Schools Go from Great to World Class
Great to World Class
Hopkins Public Schools is Hopkins Public Schools on a mission to go from Great to World Class. As a first step of this work, we have gathered a group of savvy Hopkins High School students to engage the community. You may see these “Royal Reps” at community events throughout the summer. They will be interacting with every demographic of the community in an attempt to learn what World Class means to the people we serve. We will use the responses to begin shaping detailed elements of our strategic planning work.
Hopkins Envirothon Team to Compete at Nationals
The Hopkins Envirothon team will represent the state of Minnesota at the national competition July 22-28 at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Envirothon is a competition requiring a team of five members to take knowledge quizzes on environmental topics, do an oral presentation, and solve a complex environmental problem. Team members Sarah Clay, Isaac Daitzchman, Sylvie Gitler, Jasper Johnson, and Anna Von Duyke will compete against the best teams from each state, Canadian provinces, and areas of China.
Summer 2018
Get excited for fall 2018 kindergarten! Explore the playground and meet school staff before the start of school. For dates and times, visit HopkinsSchools.org/kinder or call 952-988-4110
com m u ni t y Vehicle Fair
Join us for the Hopkins Early Childhood free Open House & Vehicle Fair! Explore a police car, fire truck, front-end loader, and more! Also enjoy face painting and fun classroom activities. Sept. 7, 5:30-7 p.m. Harley Hopkins Family Center 125 Monroe Ave. S., Hopkins
Rock-n-Royal Block Party with HEF Celebrate the beginning of another great school year with food, music, and friends! Sept. 8, 6:30-11:30 p.m. Hopkins Center for the Arts 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins Tickets: call 952-988-4097 or visit HopkinsEducationFoundation.org
Saying Goodbye to the Class of 2018 Three Hopkins High School seniors share their unique stories On June 7, 511 seniors graduated from Hopkins High School. As a final farewell to this memorable class, and as is tradition in the last edition of the Update, we profiled three seniors — Ilham Nur, Isaac Eng, and Amarya WardWest — each of whom have their own unique success story. We wish them and the entire class of 2018 all the best as they head off into a bright future. Ilham Nur: Think globally, act locally Ilham Nur had a global perspective before entering firstgrade. At that point, she had already lived in Somalia, Denmark, and Minnesota. She went through the American immigration process in kindergarten and spent her entire K-12 career at Hopkins Public Schools. She currently speaks three languages and can read Arabic.
Ilham Nur has spent her high school career creating a positive culture for Hopkins High School.
is designed to push high-potential students into a rigorous course load and eventually to college. In fact, many AVID students become the first in their families to attend college. Because of the program, Nur took AP (Advanced Placement) and honors classes throughout high school. She was also chosen by her peers to give a speech at the annual AVID banquet. She credits her AVID teacher, Ms. Heimlich, for challenging her to dig deep and push herself beyond what she thought was possible.
Nur has spent the greater part of her high school “Ms. Heimlich wants the best for all of her students,” Nur experience focused on bringing people said. “She has opened the door for many together. In her sophomore year, she was a I have always to get to college, and she is always pushing co-founder of HHS Responds, a studentyou to be better. This makes us want to do loved the teachers led group that is focused on creating an more.” inclusive and positive culture for Hopkins at Hopkins. I don’t High School. Nur emphasized that the In the fall, Nur plans to attend group is for everyone, although its mission Normandale Community College for think I have had is to provide a voice for students who have two years and then transfer to a four-year a bad experience not always had one. university. She’s not quite sure what she wants to do with her life because she is “We are heavily focused on kids who are with anyone; my interested in many things. She could see not being heard, who are primarily students herself pursuing education because it’s teachers have of color,” she said. “We respect all people, critical for students to see teachers of color. and we love to hear ranging points of view. done a good job On the other hand, she loves kids, so a Different mindsets have come into the career in pediatrics is appealing. Or maybe club, and because of the club, they view challenging she will take business classes and explore situations differently.” a more corporate road. Regardless of the me. path she chooses, it’s clear Nur knows how HHS Responds does not shy away from to define success for herself. controversial topics. They were key contributors to bringing gender neutral bathrooms into the high school. Isaac Eng: Up for the challenge They helped organize a student-led walkout to protest Isaac Eng is a person who likes to test his limits. In junior gun violence, and this year they focused on removing the high, he was in the gifted ALM (Autonomous Learning stigma from mental health issues. But the first time they Model) program. As he progressed into high school, he were instrumental in bringing the whole school together took several AP classes and performed well enough to was in 2016 after the election, which caused tension earn the prestigious AP Scholar with Distinction award. among the student body. HHS Responds organized a He was involved in several activities, sports, and clubs facilitated dialogue known as a fishbowl, where students including HopCares, baseball, jazz band, and the Nordic practice active listening and share their personal truths — ski team, where he served as captain, and this summer he and it helped. is running a marathon, just because. The list goes on, but you get it — Eng is not one to sit idle. And Hopkins has “This was one of my favorite fishbowls,” said Nur. “We set offered an array of experiences that have challenged him. aside being red or blue, and focused on coming together as a school community and respecting one another.” “I have always loved the teachers at Hopkins,” said Eng. “I don’t think I have had a bad experience with anyone; The other thing that stands out to Nur during her time at my teachers have done a good job challenging me.” Hopkins is her participation in the AVID program. AVID see The Class of 2018 inside