Hopkins Update Winter 2023

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Hopkins Public Schools

December 3

Gatewood students were treated to a visit from The Works Museum where they learned the science behind light, mirrors, and the kaleidoscope. They examined how light travels, changes direction, and is refracted while building and engineering a colorful kaleidoscope to take home!

Read more: bit.ly/3YauIHV

Hopkins Public Schools

February 7

Our Chinese immersion students celebrated the upcoming Lunar New Year with a performance! The students danced, sang, and showcased their language skills on stage in the Hopkins High School auditorium. Thank you to the amazing teachers and staff who worked tirelessly to create such a memorable experience for students, families, and community members.

Read more: bit.ly/3YgPvK0

Hopkins Public Schools

February 9

Congratulations to Director of Bands Nora Tycast, who was recently named Schmitt Music Educator of the Year!

Tycast’s dedication and craft go beyond the technique of musicianship. We are grateful to have her in Hopkins where she shares her passion and dedication for music education with our students.

Read more: bit.ly/3jM1LE0

Hopkins Schools

February 10

Hopkins High School

welcomed Nike’s Director of Business Operations & Enablement Sterling Shury as part of the BOOST Speaker Series! The series was created to connect Hopkins High School scholars with professionals and introduce career path options for life after high school.

Read more: bit.ly/3kw9K8q

Royal Opportunities!

Building

SPOTLIGHT CONCERT RECAP

Students in the Hopkins High School orchestra collaborated with singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith for the Spotlight Concert on Feb. 24. This was the third time Messersmith has collaborated with Hopkins students at the annual concert. He said the experience is just as meaningful to him as it is to our scholars.

“[Working with students] reminds me of how much fun it is to make music when you're that age especially when you're playing some songs for the first time and I think it’s really special because they get to play the songs with the artist who wrote them,” Messersmith said.

See more photos and video from the concert here: bit.ly/3EKALfb

Gatewood Elementary

Named an International Baccalaureate (IB) Candidate School

West Junior High transforms into Community School

Gatewood has been accepted as an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school. This means that Gatewood will begin to pursue an authorization as an IB World School. IB provides a rigorous curriculum framework that encourages students to think critically and solve real-world problems. IB also complements Gatewood's outdoor learning model.

Three Hopkins Teachers are Semifinalists for Minnesota Teacher of the Year

When John Williams walks down the hall at West Junior High, he refers to students by name, picking up on conversations from the last time they saw each other, making plans for their free period, and offering up a quick fist bump. He has a relationship with students that is built on a mutual respect and love for each other.

Williams works for Change Equals Opportunity (CEO), an organization focused on mentorship for youth of color. He was attracted to West Junior High in particular because CEO’s mission aligns seamlessly with the goals and beliefs of a community school.

In January 2022, West was awarded a Full Service Community School grant through the Minnesota Department of Education. As a community school, West partners with local organizations and businesses to provide a range of services and programs beyond traditional academic instruction.

The convenience of having services accessible within the school building means families don't need to leave or miss a work day to transport a child to an appointment. It also ensures that students aren’t missing a part of their school day that could be integral to their academic success.

“The community school model is ensuring that our students feel like whole people and that they are able to enter this space feeling equal to their peers regardless of their circumstances outside this building,” said Leanne Kampfe, principal of West Junior High.

Three Hopkins teachers have been named semifinalists for the 2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award! Fatuma Ali, Lin Niu, and Allyson Wolff are among 33 candidates nominated across the state. Seven Hopkins teachers were initially nominated. Finalists will be selected in March and the winner will be named at The Teacher of the Year banquet in May.

Community Schools are built on four pillars: collaborative leadership, family engagement, learning enrichment, and integrated services. These services include vision, healthcare, mental health, a barber shop, and even a food shelf where families can pick up essential items.

Kindergarten Bridge

One thing that separates a community school from a traditional school model is the collaborative leadership and family engagement efforts. Community schools prioritize meaningful relationships not only with students but also with their families. By engaging with families outside of an academic setting through school events, staff and caregivers can get to know each other on a deeper level and will be better prepared to partner in their child’s education. In that way, administrators co-create decisions with families so they feel welcomed and valued as partners.

See West Junior High Community School, inside

2023 Graduation

Join us for an in-person family-friendly event at your child's elementary school! Kindergarten Bridge will introduce your child to the classroom, allow you to meet other families, and provide you with resources on how to prepare your child for their first day.

Bridge events are held at your child's school May 11-23

Learn more at HopkinsSchools.org/kinder

Celebrate this year's graduates at our commencement ceremony!

Tuesday, June 6 12-2 p.m. U of MN, Maturi Pavilion HopkinsSchools.org/graduation

Partnerships are central to a community school. (left) Students help build solar-powered suitcases for communities in Kenya. (right) Dan Narr, ICA Food Shelf's executive director, and Dr. Kampfe, principal of WJH, celebrate the school market opening.

Residential Postal Patron ECRWSS

ROYAL SPOTLIGHT

Betsy Julien

5th & 6th grade teacher at Glen Lake Elementary

Betsy Julien has been the spokesperson for vigilant equity this year. She has guided her classroom at Glen Lake Elementary in their efforts to raise money for an accessible playground, so that students in wheelchairs can enjoy outdoor play time as much as any other child.

“My students have seen that as a barrier at our school, and are boldly leaning into fixing that discrepancy, and am so proud,” Julien said.

The students have been making headlines in local and national news for their fundraising efforts. Julien was recently featured on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" to talk about the project. The story is not only heartwarming, but it has shown students just how powerful their voices and actions can be as they find ways to better the community around them.

What do you think of how much publicity the accessibility project has achieved?

Our favorite part has been sitting down and reading all the emails, letters, stories, and notes that people have written. It has touched everyone’s hearts in such a beautiful way. People are seeing the good in the world and like me, they have hope for our future knowing that this is our next generation of change-makers.

A proud moment when you felt great about doing your job?

When former students email, write a letter, stop by for a visit, or post on social media. love hearing and seeing what amazing things they are doing with their lives. I also love to hear what they remember about school. It was usually a field trip or a special event — or that made them learn how to knit in class and they actually loved it!

Teaching philosophy: Be the kind kid!

ALUMNI CORNER

Anthony Walsh

Stats: Bachelor of Arts from University of North Dakota • Juris Doctorate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Fun Facts: As a graduate of Katherine Curren Elementary School (a former Hopkins elementary school), Anthony Walsh experienced a full-circle moment when he went back to read to his former teacher’s students. Walsh is the author of the children’s book "Hockey Is for Everybody". Walsh’s former teachers, Paul Spreitzer and Lori Palesch asked him to visit a Glen Lake classroom and read to their students.

“Seeing Mr. Spreitzer was exhilarating, and it brought me right back to my Katherine Curren Elementary days,” Walsh said.

What Hopkins teacher made a difference?

Marsha Baisch would always start the day with morning announcements. At the end, she would say, “make it a great day, or not.” One day it changed to “make it a great day.”

Dr. Baisch changed the phrase because no matter what the circumstances were, we were always in control of how we viewed our day. Choose to have a great day.

How did Hopkins prepare you for the future?

My teachers gave me the confidence to be myself, and encouraged me to stand out in a world where everybody else tries to fit in.

STUDENT VOICE

Sam Schwartzentruber Meadowbrook Elementary, Grade 5

Writing poetry is one of Sam Schwartzentruber’s pastimes, so when he heard about the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Contest, he put his pen to paper and began rhyming. Inclusion, equality, and justice were the themes for the contest, which was open to students in grades E-12 who live in Golden Valley, attend a school in Golden Valley, or attend a Robbinsdale District or Hopkins District school. Schwartzentruber was one of the winners! “I am reminded by Sam’s words that our future is in good hands,” said Natalie Sawatzky, principal of Meadowbrook Elementary.

What would you like to do in the future?

have a lot of different opportunities and it depends on my choice in the future. I could be a poet, I could be an engineer, I could be a professional sports player — but let’s face it, that’s pretty rare. I could be a lot of things, but it depends on the choices I make.

Why is student voice important?

think other students should also be able to share their voice because if only one person shares their voice, no one else would get a say.

Love is the only thing holding us together

By Sam Schwartzentruber

Check out Sam's poem following this link or scanning the QR Code. bit.ly/3IfnRHh

“It’s opening the doors to a different way of operating the school where it’s not only the principal making all the decisions,” Kampfe said.

Providing students with real-world experiences

Through partnering with local organizations like CEO, West can offer opportunities to make learning more relevant and help students build connections that will open the door to future opportunities.

“We try to expose kids to different opportunities within their life and within their world that they might not be exposed to,” Williams said.

Williams uses many methods to enhance the lives of students including a Black History Month Speaker Series in which successful adults were brought in to inspire students and open their minds to being a part of exciting opportunities available to them.

Additionally, through a grant with Hopkins Education Foundation, Williams will be co-creating a podcast with students called “We are WJH.” Students will use real podcasting equipment and learn the process of producing a podcast.

CEO has brought an abundance of opportunities to West Junior High students and it is a major component of a community school offering. Principal Kampfe said providing opportunities that connect students to the real world can have big impacts.

Another partnership with We Share Solar gave students hands-on experience building solar-powered suitcases, used as generators, for communities in Kenya. Students built the solar suitcases last year and were recently notified that they were delivered to schools and community centers to ensure access to electricity.

“The solar suitcase event was such a beautiful example of how the community and kids came together to do this thing that impacted people on the other side of the world,” Kampfe said.

Investing in a community school

Community schools have staff dedicated to their growth and development. Lindsey Leseman is the community school coordinator at West. Her role is integral to the success of the operation. She is the person on the ground building relationships, partnering with organizations, and creating the space for the school to thrive. Leseman is committed to fostering these partnerships because she believes in the mission and overall goals of a community school.

“Access to basic needs and services create better academic outcomes for kids,” Leseman said.

While West has made significant progress, it can take 3-5 years to fully implement a responsive community school and for improvements in student outcomes to show up in measurable ways. There is momentum building for the cause, however, funding may run out before the program can reach its full potential so staff are seeking additional grants and resources to help.

Kampfe said that West is just starting to see the benefits of this transition to a community school and expects that to increase. Several students who didn’t feel connected to school before are now walking through the halls with big smiles on their faces. She hopes to see the community school services grow so that it can continue to serve students and families in a positive way.

“We’ve seen gains, but there are far greater gains if we continue to invest in our kids,” Kampfe said.

SECONDARY SCHOOL UPDATE

Hopkins Public Schools prepares for grade reconfiguration

Beginning next year, students in Hopkins will experience a significant change as the grade reconfiguration transition takes effect. The transition is the result of the Hopkins 2021 Re-imagine Schools task-force which recommended that sixth-graders join the middle school and ninth-graders move up to high school. Here is what you can expect next year:

North and West Junior High name change

No longer junior highs, North and West will require new names. The transition team has recommended each school explore renaming next year with their newly configured school communities. While the renaming process is underway, North and West will be referred to as North Middle School and West Middle School.

2023-24 start times

The anticipated start times for elementaries, middle schools, and the high school are now available. You can view the start times and also read why the district will continue with a three-tier bussing system at this link: bit.ly/3F0Qffk

Athletic practices

The ability for seventh and eighth grade students to participate in athletics is important. Because next year the middle schools will end slightly after some athletic practices start, both schools have created a schedule that will allow athletes to participate in practices without missing academics. Transportation will also be provided.

Before- and after-school enrichment

The Kids and Company child care program is intentionally creating before- and after-school supervised enrichment opportunities for our middle school students. More information will be available soon.

Our Competitive Advantage in Hopkins

Where you send your children to school is important. In Hopkins, our goal is to provide rigorous learning that is personalized, culturally affirming, and inquiry-driven. In addition to engaging learning in child-centered classrooms, research suggests that the quality of a school community (the students, teachers, and staff your child interacts with on a daily basis) is a powerful contributor to a students’ current and future success.

Compelling research from some of the nation’s top universities finds that students who are educated in diverse, integrated schools (like the ones in Hopkins) benefit in the following ways:

1. Engage in more critical thinking and are stronger problem solvers: In Hopkins, we are building students’ skills so they can demonstrate the graduate traits of critical and holistic thinker. We build these skills in multiage classrooms, through interactive, project-based learning, and through International Baccalaureate programming.

2. Have a higher sense of belonging: In Hopkins, every student belongs. All families are celebrated and we empower all voices to be heard. Teachers help guide our students to develop empathy, perspective-taking, and behaviors that demonstrate inclusivity. Authentic inclusivity is a core value in Hopkins.

3. Participate in more civic engagement: In Hopkins, voice and choice are important ingredients in helping students see that they can be agents of the change they want to see in the world. There are many opportunities for students in Hopkins schools to practice civic engagement — mock elections, advocacy groups like Hopkins Speaks Out, serving on Student Council, and social-change learning.

4. Feel an increased sense of physical safety at school: Students in diverse schools report higher levels of physical safety than students in racially-isolated schools. Diverse schools create a space and place where everyone can feel authentically included and therefore feel a greater sense of safety and belonging.

5. See more growth in test scores, particularly in the high school years: Because integrated classrooms yield higher levels of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, these skills and attributes eventually contribute to higher test scores. Unlike segregated school districts where the racial gap in test scores is larger — integrated school districts have a reduced disparity in test score results.

To create a sense of community among incoming scholars, North and West are hosting communitybuilding activities like creating murals at each school.

6. Have more practice using leadership skills and are better prepared for the real world: In integrated settings, there are more frequent opportunities for students to exercise leadership and demonstrate their expertise in an area of interest. Students who spent their E-12 years in Hopkins have been educated in a real-world setting for 13+ years. Transitioning to the world beyond Hopkins is a natural segue.

Being educated in classrooms that truly reflect the real world adds immeasurable value to our students preparedness and ability to engage in critical thinking and demonstrate global-mindedness. This is why, in Hopkins, we are working swiftly toward personalized learning that focuses on strong academic skills — to ensure that our students are prepared to lead and thrive into their brilliant futures.

Hopkins High School hosted a preview night in January to welcome incoming ninth and tenth grade students. The event featured an overview of the high school, student-led tours, and engaging activities.

Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed Superintendent

A pop-up barber shop provides free haircuts to students at WJH as part of the school community services.