School Talk, Summer 2013

School chool Talk SUMMER 2013

Into the

Woods

Mounds View introduces Minnesota’s 125th School Forest

ALSO: YEAR IN REVIEW • ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN 2014 • COMMENCEMENT 2013

2012 – 2013: The Another look at 10 major stories from the school year. #1 The Equity Promise Preparing all students for success after high school When it comes to addressing the achievement gap, school districts across Minnesota are arriving at a common realization: Student achievement often comes with predictors of success. “It’s not unique to our school district, but unfortunately race, socio-economic status and disabilities can be predictors of success,” says Superintendent Dan Hoverman. “Too frequently we’re seeing achievement fall into a systemic pattern, and we need to change that.”

The District’s goal to disrupt these patterns is known as The Equity Promise, ensuring that all students are prepared for post-secondary success regardless of race, class or disability. Embedded throughout the organization, The Equity Promise

Mounds View High School graduates Achidi Oketch and Taylor Iwaszko celebrate at the 2013 commencement ceremony.

“To lay out a plan like this… this openly? It’s pretty bold.”

might be most visible in the District’s Early College program, launched in fall 2012, and its recent commitment to provide a no-fee, optional, full-day kindergarten program. “It shouldn’t matter which school a student attends. The programs need to be in place at each school that will provide students what they need in order to be successful,” says Hoverman.

– School Board member Bob Helgeson

#2 Communication plans On the cover: Edgewood seventh-graders Diego Camach and Jada Pichotta, along with sixthgrader Susan Schuh, spent time in Edgewood Middle School’s forest last spring.

Students worked with teacher Jim Bias to enroll the forest in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ school forest program.

See page 7 for more.

Editors Rachel Gutierrez Colin Sokolowski

Designer Susan Abbott

Photographers Rachel Gutierrez Greg Helgeson Richard Tsong-Taatarii Submitted photos

Superintendent Dan Hoverman

2013 School Board Bob Helgeson Amy Jones Greg Madsen Marre Jo Sager Lisa Sjobeck Jon Tynjala Sandra Westerman

School Talk is published by Mounds View Public Schools, Independent School District 621.

Send correspondence to School Talk editor, 350 Highway 96 West, Shoreview, MN 55126, e-mail rachel.gutierrez@moundsviewschools.org or call 651-621-6012.

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Rethinking school-to-home communication To provide parents with flexibility, options and ongoing communication, teacher leaders and administrators created new school-to-home communication plans to enhance and streamline studentprogress communication. Across Mounds View Public Schools, changes included a shift from traditional conference days to ongoing communication hours, when families can meet with teachers. This year also featured an increased use of

year in review #3 Honored for innovation

#4 Safety improvements

Early College named top local government innovation in the state

School Board chair Jon Tynjala accepts the award for the top local government innovation in the state.

In January, Early College at Irondale High School was named the grand prize winner of a $25,000 grant awarded by The Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs in partnership with InCommons. In winning the award, the Early College program was selected the top local government innovation in the state, from a field of 111 entries submitted by cities, counties and school districts throughout Minnesota.

These days, college credit-earning programs are becoming commonplace opportunities for Minnesota students — thanks to forward-looking school districts committed to postsecondary preparation. But Mounds View’s award-winning innovation takes this commitment another step further by allowing all students the opportunity to earn a two-year associate degree for free — all while still enrolled in high school. Last fall, Irondale students were the first to participate in the program. Next fall, Mounds View High School will introduce a similar program.

“Irondale High School and Mounds View High School are absolutely leading the way for the state.”

– Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius

technology tools, including more informative teacher web pages available for parents and students. In addition, every school launched a plan that offered a schedule of events that clearly articulates each event’s purpose and intended audience, along with a description of the opportunities to receive student progress reports throughout the year.

“These plans tell families that we’re here for them in a variety of ways — not simply face-to-face, twice a year at evening conferences.”

– Teacher Stacey Vanderport

Auditors praise school security, while improvements continue In 2012, an independent, professional security assessment firm conducted a thorough audit of all sites within Mounds View Public Schools. Overall, the professionals were encouraged and pleased by the District’s security systems and procedures in place.

But when it comes to school security, there is always room for continuous improvement. Schools already have implemented a variety of improvements across the District.

Ongoing upgrades include: • Additional staffing in front offices to monitor entrances and greet visitors.

• Entrance redesigns at select sites where more secure visitor entries are necessary.

• Buzzer security systems and picture identification systems are being installed at several sites, with all schools upgraded by fall.

• An increased police presence with School Resource Officers assigned to schools that previously had no officers.

Shelley Kroska welcomes and registers visitors to Island Lake Elementary School.

“If there’s something reasonable and sustainable we can do to improve security, we must do it. And we will.”

– Superintendent Dan Hoverman

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#5 Website goes mobile Smartphone users can navigate sites more easily Staying connected to Mounds View Public Schools is important to families, no matter where they are.

That’s why in early 2013 the District launched Mounds View Mobile, a userfriendly, mobile-optimized version of District websites.

With one-touch mobile actions, visitors can quickly access school information from a site that’s easier to navigate than the traditional website.

Mounds View Mobile gives visitors all the features and fun of a smartphone app, in less time than it takes to

find, select and download an app from a store. From any smartphone, visitors can: • Look up homework assignments and find grades using the parent portal School View.

• Find teachers’ web pages.

• Get directions.

• Look up calendars.

• View lunch menus.

• Get real-time news feeds.

• Call schools to report student absences.

• Contact teachers by phone or e-mail.

The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals honored Mounds View Mobile with a Gold Medal to recognize the quality, creativity and resourcefulness of the mobile web site.

“With 91 percent of its parents and nearly two-thirds of its students using smartphones, – Star Tribune Mounds View has upgraded its website to better serve mobile users.”

#6 Curriculum improvements Flipped, revised and aligned upgrades are featured This fall, 34 teachers introduced “Flipped instruction has the flipped instructional model to kind of revolutionized classrooms throughout the District.

In this model, teachers provide the way I’ve looked at video presentations of information teaching.” for students to access outside of – Simone Haugen, Turtle Lake teacher class. During class, the students practice skills and apply information with their teachers on hand for guidance, support and instruction. This is a “flip” of the traditional model in which teachers present material in class and students practice the skills outside of class as homework.

This year, a curriculum committee also revised the secondary science curriculum and realigned programs to incorporate skills that will better prepare students for rigorous high Fifth-grade teacher Katie Greene school science courses. Curriculum “flipped” her Island Lake classroom for alignment work also proceeded students including McKenzie Galvin. throughout the year in language arts and mathematics, to assure coherence across levels of the program from elementary to middle school to high school. Instructional leaders have refined the District’s standards-based approach with the identification of the key skills and concepts emphasized as priorities in the core curriculum areas of math, science, language arts and social studies.

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#7 All-day kindergarten in 2014 The District will introduce a no-fee, optional every day program In fall 2014, the District will introduce an optional, no-fee, all-day, every day kindergarten program. Announced in spring 2013, the program expansion is part of the District’s comprehensive Pre-K – 14 initiative that includes The Equity Promise, which states that all students will be prepared for postsecondary success regardless of race, class or disability. To find room for a full-day kindergarten program, and to relieve elementary schools, the District will open Kindergarten Centers at Snail Lake Education Center and at Pike Lake Education Center in fall 2014. Turn to page 6 for more details.

“Our district has wanted to expand kindergarten, but the cost of this program and the space available has previously prevented action.

Until now.”

– Superintendent Dan Hoverman

#8 No tax increase levy ahead

#10 Three more years

Voters to decide on November 5

A new Superintendent contract

With a voter-approved levy set to expire in 2014, the School Board approved a resolution in April directing the Superintendent to take the actions necessary to place a levy renewal question on the ballot in November 2013. In taking this step, the Board also signaled its intent to ask voters to renew the levy at no increase to taxpayers.

If voters renew the expiring levy, schools will continue to receive a total of $11 million annually at no additional expense to taxpayers. Since it was approved in 2006, this levy has played a significant role in maintaining class sizes at current levels while maintaining the comprehensive programs throughout the District. For more details, turn to page 8.

The 2012-2013 year marked the final year of Superintendent Dan Hoverman’s second three-year contract with Mounds View Public Schools. In June, the School Board approved a new three-year contract with Hoverman active July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2016.

In approving the contract at the June 25 Board meeting, Board member Marre Jo Sager said, “Superintendent Hoverman is unique among Minnesota administrators in his visionary approach to education. He is innovative in his thinking, creative in problem-solving, and practical and pragmatic in getting things done.”

The entire Superintendent contract is available to download online by visiting the June 25, 2013, School Board meeting summary at www.moundsviewschools.org.

VOTE! November 5

“The levy has provided some stability in somewhat less-than-stable times.

And that has been a very good thing for this district and for the communities that we serve.”

– School Board chair Jon Tynjala

#9 New principals join the District Bel Air and Mounds View welcome new leaders Two new principals have joined the District, effective July 1. At Bel Air Elementary School, Dawn Wiegand is succeeding Sheila Eller who has joined Highview Middle School as principal.

Wiegand brings more than 20 years of educational leadership and teaching experience to Bel Air, most recently serving as principal of Northwinds Elementary School in Buffalo, Minn. At Mounds View High School, Dr. Jeff Ridlehoover is succeeding Jeff Erickson, who announced last spring he is returning to Minnetonka High School as principal. Ridlehoover has spent the past nine years as an associate principal at Wayzata High School where he was actively involved in curriculum improvements, teacher development and support for more than 3,000 students.

“The District continues to surge ahead of other districts, setting an enviable pace of accomplishment widely admired. All of this is the direct result of the Superintendent’s collaborative leadership.”

– Mounds View School Board, Superintendent appraisal summary

Wiegand

Ridlehoover

“We promised these two school communities we would find them positive, experienced and energetic leaders. I’m confident – Superintendent Dan Hoverman we have.”

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A CLOSER LOOK

All-day kindergarten coming in 2014 In April, the School Board endorsed plans to introduce a no-fee, optional, all-day, every day kindergarten program in fall 2014. In his own words, Superintendent Dan Hoverman explains how this plan developed into reality.

full-day Kindergarten Plus experience. Around the metro, many districts now offer no-fee, full-day programs, including several of our neighbors like White Bear Lake, North St. Paul, Stillwater and Forest Lake schools. For some time, our district has wanted to expand kindergarten, but the cost of this program and the space available has previously prevented action. Until now.

Legislative support During the 2013 legislative session, the legislature committed to funding all-day kindergarten for all public schools in Minnesota beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. For Mounds View, this means the District will receive the $1.6 million necessary to offset the additional costs associated with expanding our current program. Prior to this legislative action, our school board publicly committed to offering all-day kindergarten, regardless of the level of state funding provided — underscoring our district’s early dedication to this important goal.

Enrollment and facilities

Kindergarten teacher Robin Therrien works with Eli Lau at Bel Air Elementary School.

To some, I’m sure full-day kindergarten in Mounds View seemed inevitable.

But I want to share with you the background behind this new program enhancement.

The Equity Promise For many years, our district has embraced a comprehensive effort aimed at post-secondary success for all students. This Pre-K - 14 initiative includes our Equity Promise which states that all students will be prepared for post-secondary success regardless of race, class or disability. The Early College program in our high schools is a good example of the work we are doing to fulfill this promise for our oldest students.

But what about our youngest students?

Studies show there are significant benefits of fullday kindergarten, especially if the students’ educational momentum can be sustained in succeeding years. Already, half of our kindergarten families participate in our fee-based, 6

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When it comes to facilities, the timing seems right as well.

Now that our enrollment has once again reached 10,000 students, our elementary schools and kindergarten classes in particular are experiencing some stress points. As currently configured, we are limited in how many students we are able to accommodate in our full-day Kindergarten Plus program.

To find room for a full-day kindergarten program, and to address capacity issues at some elementary schools, we plan to open Kindergarten Centers at Snail Lake Education Center and at Pike Lake Education Center.

Specifically, kindergarten students from Island Lake and Turtle Lake will attend Snail Lake, while students from the attendance areas of Bel Air, Pinewood, Sunnyside and Valentine Hills will attend Pike Lake. To make room, educational programs currently housed at those two sites, including Bridges, Oak Grove schools, Adult Basic Education and the Area Learning Center, will move into leased spaces.

Next steps To open kindergarten centers in fall 2014, planning will continue throughout the next school year. I hope you will stay tuned and stay engaged as we begin our latest effort in delivering The Equity Promise for all of our students in Mounds View Public Schools.

For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit www.moundsviewschools.org.

‘Beyond the Edge of the Woods’ Students partner with the DNR to unveil Edgewood School Forest If you ask Edgewood Middle School student Jada Pichotta about her seventh-grade school year, she will likely reference Edgewood’s School Forest and the work she completed to help introduce the 125th School Forest to the state of Minnesota.

(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) class, having a hand in creating and preserving the 15-acre piece of property now known as the Edgewood School Forest will forever be remembered as a highlight of the school year.

“I like being in the environment more than sitting in the classroom and reading about the environment.”

— Jada Pichotta, Edgewood student “I like being in the environment more than sitting in the classroom and reading about the environment,” she says. For Pichotta and many of her classmates from Jim Bias’s STEAM

In May, Bias and his students like Christian Drill participated in a birdwatching tour of the School Forest with a professional birder.

In the fall, students who participated in Beyond the Edge of the Woods, a STEAM class taught by Bias, started putting together a plan to establish an official school forest. At a March School Board meeting, Pichotta, along with Bias and student Spenser Brown, presented plans to partner with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish the official school forest and to work with the school, the community, area naturalists and the school district to maintain and preserve the land for educational purposes. The Board approved the plans for the forest and supported the enrollment of the forest in the DNR’s School Forest Program.

Edgewood’s plans for the 2013-2014 school year include improving the trails, installing wood duck houses and working with volunteers to create an outdoor classroom with bench seating.

“The forest will offer many educational opportunities in 2013-2014 and beyond,” says Edgewood Middle School principal Penny Howard.

The DNR school forest program offers Edgewood Middle School

DNR commissioner Tom Landwehr reviews the outdoor classroom design at an unveiling event in June.

Beginning in August, volunteers from Boston Scientific will help construct the outdoor classroom based on the student-made model.

access to DNR education programs, specialized training, grant connections and outdoor lessons that address state academic standards. In addition, the program offers free tree seedlings and DNR forester help in creating sitespecific land management plans to maintain school forests for optimum long-term forest health. For more information about the DNR’s school forest program, visit www.mndnr.gov/ schoolforest. For more information about Edgewood Middle School, the STEAM program and Edgewood’s School Forest, visit the school’s web page at www.moundsviewschools.org.

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A CLOSERBOARD SCHOOL LOOK NEWS 2013 School Board

School Board election notice

Front row: Sandra Westerman, Marre Jo Sager and Lisa Sjobeck.

Back row: Greg Madsen, Jon Tynjala, Bob Helgeson and Amy Jones.

District Operational Plan approved Each year, the School Board approves a series of goals and related activities on which the Superintendent and Cabinet will focus their work. This is known as the District Operational Plan (DOP). At the June 12 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dan Hoverman presented a review of the priority goals outlined for the 2013-2014 school year. These include: • Preparing for a no-fee, all-day, every day kindergarten program for fall 2014.

• Conducting a comprehensive review of the District middle level program.

• Implementing the Early College program at Mounds View High School.

• Pursuing financial stability in general fund revenue through an operating levy renewal request in 2013.

• Maintaining programs, keeping class sizes within Boardapproved ranges and pursuing structural change in employee contracts to enhance financial stability and limit legacy costs.

To view the entire DOP, please visit www.moundsviewschools.org.

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This November, voters will elect three residents to serve four-year terms on the School Board.

The School Board is made up of seven citizens elected at large by voters in the District every two years to serve four-year overlapping terms.

At the end of a four-year term, members may run for reelection to successive terms. Voting takes place at general elections in November and terms begin the first Monday in January thereafter.

The period for filing affidavits of candidacy for the office of School Board member begins on July 30, 2013, and closes at 5 p.m. on August 13, 2013. Affidavits of candidacy may be obtained from and filed in the Ramsey County Elections Office, 90 West Plato Blvd., Suite 160, St. Paul, MN 55164. The election will be November 5, 2013.

Levy renewal will not raise taxes At the April 9 School Board meeting, the Board approved a resolution directing the Superintendent to take the actions necessary to place a levy renewal question on the ballot on November 5, 2013, subject to formal approval by the Board of the levy ballot question in August 2013.

Mounds View’s 2006 operating referendum will expire in 2014. It provides $11 million in general fund revenue that has provided stability in class sizes and program offerings for students.

The Board has indicated its intent to ask voters to renew the levy at no tax increase to residents.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

Summer projects and programs Summer maintenance around the District includes remodeling and updating projects at all 13 District sites, including: • Turtle Lake Elementary School roof phase one (of three) • Chippewa Middle School pool reconditioning • Mounds View High School track • Snail Lake Education Center playground replacement to meet code The District’s K-12 summer programs for 2013 are welcoming hundreds of students into the schools.

Programs include Fitness for Life, Health Education, ESL for students learning English, Orchestra, Band, Early Childhood Family Education classes, Community Education programs, credit make-up courses for high school students and Targeted Services Summer Programs designed to help students in grades K-8 maintain and strengthen skills. The North Suburban Summer Academy program is also an option for Mounds View students in grades 1 through high school.

How did the Legislative Session impact schools?

Some lawmakers have dubbed the 2013 session the “Education Session” because of the investments and initiatives in early childhood through post-secondary education. The outcome of the legislative session certainly strengthens the District.

But as is true for most districts, it does not fully compensate Mounds View for years of flat per-pupil state funding. How did the session impact Mounds View Public Schools, and how much new money will the District receive? Some of the key decisions include:

Per-pupil funding increases The per-pupil general education formula will increase 1.5 percent for each of the next two years. For Mounds View, that will result in an increase of $900,000 in 2014 and $900,000 in 2015.

All-day kindergarten The legislature committed to funding all-day kindergarten for all public schools in Minnesota beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. For Mounds View, this means that kindergarten students will generate the full amount of general education revenue rather than half of the general education revenue, currently received. This additional funding is projected to increase revenues by $1.6 million for the 20142015 school year. These resources will be used to offset the additional cost that will be necessary to expand this program to all-day every day kindergarten.

Safe schools levy increased The use of safe school levy funds was expanded to include security enhancements, improving school climate and mental health services. The formula increased by $4 per pupil which results in a revenue increase of $50,000 in 2015.

Board-approved funding In addition, legislators passed laws that would allow the School Board to convert $300 of voter-approved referendum to board-approved referendum and also convert $424 of voter-approved referendum to location equity. These laws will not result in new money for the District, and this would not create a property tax increase. The School Board has not taken action.

For a complete review of the legislative session, visit www.amsd.org.

Translation assistance To learn more about District programs and events featured in this issue of School Talk in Spanish, Hmong or Somali, please call Isabel MoralesLizano (Spanish) at 651-621-7117, Mee Yang (Hmong) at 651-621-7476 or Ayan Esse (Somali) at 651-621-7116.

Yog xa paub ntau tshaj nov txog peb lub District cov program thiab kev sib sau ua ke ntawm peb cov tsev kawm ntawv thiab niam txiv nrog rau me nyuam kawm ntawv uas muaj nyob rau hauv tsab ntawv School Talk no, thov hu rau Mee Yang ntawm 651-621-7476.

Para aprender mas sobre los programas del Distrito Escolar y de los eventos en esta edicion de School Talk, llame a Isabel Morales-Lizano al 651-621-7117.

Haddii aad dooneysid faahfaahin dheeraad ah oo ku saabsan barnaamijyada lugu soo qoro School Talk, ee ka baxa Iskuulada Moundsview, fadlan la soo xiriis Ayan Esse: 651-621-7116.

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AROUND THE DISTRICT Minnesota FoodShare High school baseball team the month of March, District schools, along with visits Turtle Lake Elementary During local businesses, churches, clubs and individuals, helped to Mounds View High School baseball players spoke to Turtle Lake Elementary School students in April about respect, responsibility, safety and sportsmanship. After speaking to the elementary school students, varsity and junior varsity baseball team members challenged the Turtle Lake staff to a game of baseball.

raise nearly 71,072 combined pounds of food and dollars for the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf during Minnesota FoodShare Month. Participating schools included Chippewa Middle School, Island Lake Elementary, Pinewood Elementary, Sunnyside Elementary, Turtle Lake Elementary and Valentine Hills Elementary. A total of 4,992 pounds of food was collected and more than $2,600 was raised. Minnesota FoodShare matched a portion of all pounds and dollars received in the month of March. All pounds and dollars will be used to replenish shelves during the summer when demand is often higher and donations are at their lowest. The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf supplies an average of 32,000 pounds of food each month to more than 400 families. To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf or how to make a donation, please visit the Food Shelf page at www.moundsviewschools.org or call 651-621-7450. To set up an appointment to receive aid, please call 651-621-7451.

Student secures grant for baseball diamond upgrade Mounds View baseball players Ethan DeCaster, Jesse Bonde, Max Knutson and Joel Fredrickson are pictured on the left.

Nate Douvier, Keith Kubitschek and Austin Smestad are pictured on the right.

CLT teacher receives ‘Pay It Forward’ check Career and Life Transition (CLT) Program teacher MaryJane Housh (pictured on right) received a $1,000 check from alumna Bridget Kenny Krein, an employee of Bell State Bank and Trust, in April.

The check was awarded to Housh as part of Bell State Bank and Trust’s “Pay It Forward” project in which Bank employees consider the needs of the community and “Pay It Forward” to the organization, person, family or group of their choice.

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Irondale High School celebrated the installation of new bullpen areas and a new home plate for the school’s baseball diamond with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 13 prior to the start of the Irondale/St. Louis Park varsity game. The field upgrades were made possible thanks to Michael Wulff (pictured with Irondale activities director Ron Broberg), an Irondale senior and varsity baseball player.

Seeing the need for the improvements firsthand, Wulff applied for and was awarded a grant from the The Minnesota Twins Community Fund's Twins Fields for Kids program. Michael also secured the required matching funds from New Brighton Community Education, Line Drive Sports and the Irondale Baseball Booster Club.

District students contribute to earth-wise initiatives Water-filling stations were introduced at a number of Mounds View Public Schools sites this school year, helping to reduce waste District-wide.

Thanks to eighth-graders Anna Bruno, Abby Rabenn and Melissa Locken (pictured at right), Highview Middle School received a free water bottle filling station this spring courtesy of Elkay and Dow Water and Process Solutions.

The girls were selected as the middle school winners of the Minnesota Safe Drinking Water contest after submitting a poster design to address ways to keep Minnesota’s water safe. The winning poster was created as part of an assignment for Maureen Haqq’s accelerated language arts

class. In addition to the water-filling station at Highview, the students received a $50 cash award. The Minnesota Safe Drinking Water poster contest was sponsored by Elkay, the Minnesota Department of Health, H20 for Life and Dow Water and Process Solutions.

On April 22, in honor of Earth Day, members of Highview Middle School’s Eco Club created an Earth Day Pledge Tree.

Students were encouraged to write a pledge on paper leaves and add them to the tree. Examples of pledges included “I will use both sides of my notebook paper” and “I will encourage my family to recycle more.” The tree and leaves were made entirely out of reused paper.

Pictured (at left) are eighth-graders Claire Kim, Casey Nygaard and Liz Axberg.

More than $3 million in energy costs avoided In July, Mounds View Public Schools graduates from a fiveyear energy efficiency audit and improvement program with the Schools for Energy Efficiency® (SEE). To date, the fiveyear performance report shows a 23 percent overall reduction in energy use since July 2008. These results exceed the District’s goal to see a 10 percent reduction in energy use over the course of the program.

In total, the District has avoided $3,075,502 in energy costs since energy monitoring with SEE began five years ago.

Not only have staff and students avoided spending more

than $3 million in energy costs, they’ve helped the District earn recognition on a national scale with ENERGY STAR recognition.

Mounds View Public Schools will continue to review energy use District-wide and implement cost-saving behavioral changes and mechanical system updates whenever possible. The District will continue to monitor energy usage and will make the reports available at www.moundsviewschools.org.

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AROUND THE DISTRICT Sunnyside students Fuel It Up with best advisors in the state Sunnyside Elementary School teachers Matt Moore and Greg Ulrich (pictured at right) were named 2013 Fuel Up to Play 60 State Program Advisors of the Year recently. The teachers were recognized as leaders among Fuel Up to Play 60 school advisors nationwide.

They were honored for creating healthier school environments and for empowering students at Sunnyside Elementary School to be active and participate in wellness initiatives. This year, 59 program advisors from 42 states were recognized as State Program Advisors — either as individual advisors or as a school’s program advisor team.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League (NFL), in collaboration with the United States Dairy Association (USDA), which empowers students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school.

In addition to engaging and empowering students to get involved in Fuel Up to Play 60 and helping students earn recognition for choosing healthy foods, Ulrich and Moore helped Sunnyside earn funding for wellness initiatives. Chet Springborn, Andrew Rockenstein and other Sunnyside staff have also contributed to Sunnyside’s healthy school environment.

Sunnyside students Lewis Weets, Morgan Medlo, Malia Friese, Griffin Bourassa and Megan Ellingson (pictured) were invited to attend NFL training day at the metrodome in April. Sunnyside was among only 20 schools from a threestate area to be invited to training day. Viktor the Viking also made a special visit to Sunnyside to celebrate school fitness successes. Mia Vallery, a Sunnyside fifth-grader, was invited to attend a Vikings game with a group of 14 star Fuel Up to Play 60 students from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

First-year musicians participate in area band festival Band students from Bel Air, Turtle Lake and Valentine Hills elementary schools were invited to attend a special Beginning Band Festival at Monticello Middle School in May. The participants were given new music as they arrived Pictured from left to right (in the back row): Megan Paal (VH), Ella Seel (VH), Morgan Dahl (TL), Jenna Peschel (TL), Rebecca Tabet (BA), Kaia Rodgers (BA), Devin VanMeter (BA), Caleb Newberg (TL) and Mrs. Brenda Sorem (band director). In the middle: Samantha Hermanson, Collin Hoyhtya (TL), Bjorn Eggen (TL), Benny Lawson (VH) and Brett Bateman (VH). In the front: Nathan Erickson (VH).

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and were given only a few hours to rehearse with a section coach and guest conductor before performing a concert for family and friends. First-year band students (pictured below) demonstrated remarkable talent and musicianship.

Project Citizen Irondale High School government/civics students headed to the Capitol in May to present action plans to address public policy issues. A total of 29 Irondale students participated in the Project Citizen 2013 State Showcase, presenting action plans to address pollution in Lake Pepin, wheelchair accessibility in schools, sulfide mining in Minnesota, street lights in Arden Hills and more. Work done during the school year prepared Irondale students to access appropriate government channels when seeking to alter public policy and required students to assemble a portfolio outlining an action plan to address their identified issues.

Irondale freshmen Carina Anderson, Megan Ellingboe and Edgar Tacheny were awarded top honors for their presentation on school lunch nutritional information. Sena Hanson and Rachel Torres won top honors for their portfolio on sodium in school lunches.

Adult Education student testifies at the Capitol

Mounds View Public Schools Adult Education student Hayet Budoumi (at right) testified in support of Representative Connie Bernardy’s (on left) adult basic education bill HF 808 recently.

Budoumi advocated for the restoration of full formula funding to support educational funding for adult education.

Pictured from left to right in the front row: Rachel Torres, Elysia Roemer, Lexus Parkin, Megan Ellingboe and Kayleigh Sonterre. In the second row: Greg Breheim, Sierra Ahlers-Moore, Sarah Anderson, Jack Grahek, Greta Nundahl, Christine Huyett, Callie Glanton, Angela Vu and Sarah Wika. In the third row: Claire Jensen, Michelle Wolney, Edgar Tachney, Carina Anderson, Shana Tran, Danika Soberano and Dan Frisco. In the fourth row: Danielle Franke, Megan Bradley, Andrew Windels, Nova Vang, Kelly Krahn, Anna Hecht, Sena Hanson and teacher Mr. Thomas Redman.

eMentor program connects Mounds View students with professional community Mounds View High School students from Cheryl Braman’s Business Management course met with professionals from Medtronic this spring after completing an eight-week eMentor program. The eMentor program, which began in February and was administered by the non-profit BestPrep, paired 35 Mounds View High School students with volunteer mentors from Metronic to learn about career planning, interviewing skills, leadership roles, teamwork, time management and more.

In late March, Medtronic hosted a celebratory event in which students and mentors were given an opportunity to meet in person to conclude the eight-week email-based mentorship program.

Pictured: Mentor Noel Schexnayder with Mounds View High School student Josef Molenaar.

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AROUND THE DISTRICT High schoolers head to middle school for Random Acts of Kindness Highview Middle School students who participate in Random Acts of Kindness (RAK), an after-school community service club, looked forward to visits from Mounds View High School SkillsUSA students throughout the year. The two groups met twice a month for social activities, career exploration, games and community service projects. The mentorship program, known as Student2Student, was introduced three years ago to help empower middle school students to be role models and leaders, promote career exploration, show students the benefits of being involved in school activities and build self-confidence.

Mounds View’s SkillsUSA team was awarded a grand prize plaque for their Student2Student Recognition Program at the National Championship and Leadership Conference in Kansas City in June. Advisor Lynn Nelson and her students also received $500 to expand the mentorship program to other middle schools in the District. In addition to the award for their Student2Student mentorship program, Mounds View students took home some of the top awards at the SkillsUSA state conference this spring. Mounds View’s wins included a first place community service award to Luke Tretsven, Marissa Carolus and Adam Wutschke for their contributions to Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

Amber Dejoode, Anna Smithknecht and Julia Sturre won first place in the American Spirit competition for their participation in the Student2Student mentoring program, for

District recognized for commitment to music education Mounds View Public Schools was honored for its outstanding commitment to music education recently when the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) recognized the District with the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) designation.

Mounds View Public Schools is one of only seven school districts in Minnesota to be honored with the award for demonstrating exceptional efforts toward maintaining music education as part of the core curriculum.

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promoting career and technical education and for supporting Shriner’s Hospital for Children. SkillsUSA is a nationwide partnership of students, instructors and industry that annually serves more than 320,000 high school, college and postsecondary students — and their instructors. SkillsUSA teaches leadership, citizenship and character development to complement technical skill training.

A winter celebration brought the two groups together to discuss the successes of the year. Pictured building gingerbread towns are Mounds View High School SkillsUSA members (from left to right in the back row) Marissa Carolus, Siri Taylor, Adam Wutschke, Renee Smith, Luke Tretsven, Andrew Wrobel and Highview Middle School students (in the front row) Claire Kim, Katie Spehn, McKenna Taffe and Katie Call.

College week at Pinewood The last week in April was known as College Week at Pinewood Elementary School. Student council students used the morning announcements to highlight colleges attended by Pinewood staff. Pinewood staff dressed their classroom doors with college posters that included information about their own post-secondary journey and wore name badges that included the name of the college they attended.

In conclusion of the week-long college events at Pinewood, students participated in an

in-school college fair where they had an opportunity to fill out a mock college application and meet with representatives from various colleges. Fourth- and fifth-graders attended a college baseball clinic on site to hear about college athletics from Bethel University baseball players and fifth-grade students were given an opportunity to meet with students from Irondale High School to talk about the importance of school community. Parents were invited to an after-school presentation about college planning.

Growing interest in afterschool STEAM programs Chippewa Middle School teacher Joel Depies helped sixth-grader Matt Kolasa build a duck house during a woodworking club meeting this spring. Eighth-grade Chippewa student Dan Heilman put the final touches on one of many duck houses that he has built over the course of a 10-week woodworking project.

Nearly one dozen duck houses, built by 20 Chippewa students, will be donated to the Anoka County Park System to be used by the Rum River.

The woodworking club, and other STEAM based after-school clubs have seen increased student interest this school year since District middle schools introduced the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) program in fall 2012.

Irondale students explore D.C. A March trip to Washington, D.C., gave Irondale High School students an opportunity to further explore some of the world history they have been studying in social studies class. The trip included a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and a meeting with Senator Franken in his D.C. office.

Eriq Smith, Brannon Jordan, Meg Forcia, Helen Anderson and Andrew Posz (pictured here with Senator Al Franken and Irondale social studies teacher Tom Franta).

Positive learning efforts earn schools state-wide honors

District high schools among best in the nation Irondale High School and Mounds View High School were both named among the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report (Best High Schools rankings) for exceeding expectations when it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, and for preparing students for college. The magazine analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools. Irondale and Mounds View were among the top 10 Minnesota high schools ranked.

Two District elementary schools are among 16 Minnesota schools identified as state-wide leaders for creating positive learning environments for students. In April, Minnesota Department of Education recognized Sunnyside Elementary School and Valentine Hills Elementary School as Sustaining Exemplar Schools. Using a program called Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS), the two schools were identified as leaders in establishing a comprehensive set of practices to support positive behavior, improve school climate and increase student achievement.

To establish a PBIS program, 80 percent of a school’s teachers and staff need to agree to implement a more positive approach to discipline. Data from participating schools show clear evidence of the program’s success, specifically in reduced In March, KSTP-Channel 5 number of behavioral incidents, produced a story on Valentine Hills fewer student suspensions and the school’s PBIS efforts. and increased levels of student Visit www.moundsviewschools.org engagement. to see the news report.

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AROUND THE DISTRICT Do you have a child newborn to age five?

Early Childhood Screening The early years from birth to the start of kindergarten are an important time of rapid learning and growth. Early Childhood Screening is a free, quick and simple check of how your child is doing. It is best to have your child screened between ages 3.5 and 4. Screening identifies possible learning or health concerns so that your child can get the needed help before starting school. Early Childhood Screening is required for entrance into kindergarten and is offered throughout the year. Call 651-621-7420 to make your child’s early childhood screening appointment today.

Parent Aware gives District’s preschool program 4 stars The District’s Ages 3-5 Preschool program achieved a 4 star rating (out of 4) from Parent Aware. Parent Aware’s Star Ratings help parents find programs that go above and beyond to prepare children for school and life. The one- to four-star ratings system measures best practices identified by research that help children succeed. Mounds View’s preschool program was recognized for using researchbased curriculum to engage children in activities that build school readiness skills to provide a successful transition to kindergarten.

Island Lake students head up north and outdoors Laurentian Environmental Center played host to Island Lake students in May, offering fifth-graders an opportunity to experience the outdoors while learning first-hand about science and nature and participating in team-building activities. Students participated in challenge courses, survival activities, nature hikes, bog exploration and more during a three-day experience to be remembered.

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Join Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) for parentchild classes including activity time and parent education.

Classes are available for infants, toddlers and preschool students age three to five. Three-week sessions will run throughout the summer at Pike Lake Education Center in New Brighton. To register, visit the Early Childhood page at www.moundsviewschools.org or call 651-621-7420.

Fall ECFE schedules will be announced in early August.

Check the web site for more information.

New to Mounds View Public Schools?

If you have recently moved into the District and have preschool students who may one day enroll in Mounds View Public Schools, it’s important that you contact the Early Childhood staff to have your family information entered into the District’s data system. This will insure that you are notified of important dates and information regarding preschool screening, parent information nights and the kindergarten enrollment process. Please contact the District’s Early Childhood Department at 651-621-7420 or at susan.stoner@moundsviewschools.org.

Please include the following information: • Parent full legal name(s) • Address/City/Zip • The full legal name and birth date of each child • Contact home or cell phone number

Lukas Lorenz (left), Thomas Gebhardt and Ezra Albright (right) learned about navigation and survival during a geocaching exercise.

WITH HONORS District teams take top spots at Science Olympiad competitions District Science Olympiad teams finished first at regional competitions this spring and seventh at the National Science Olympiad Tournament. Science Olympiad began as a grassroots assembly of science teachers nearly 30 years ago and is now one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to 6,800 teams in 50 states.

Science Olympiad’s ever-changing line-up of events in all STEM disciplines exposes students to practicing scientists and career choices, and energizes classroom teachers with a dynamic content experience.

MIDDLE SCHOOL WINS FIRST Highview Middle School’s Science Olympiad team took first place in the regional tournament in February before going on to take third at the Minnesota Science Olympiad State Tournament in March. Pictured: Nathan Chau, Henry Heinks, Helen Sabrowsky, Ellie Wessberg, Mason Huberty, Trent Oberreit, Luke Hermanson, David Malong, Brianna Woo, Phynex Schochenmaier, AJ Olson, Michael Huberty (coach) and Kathy Pape (coach).

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TAKES FIRST Bel Air Elementary School’s fifthgrade Science Olympiad team took first place at the Elementary School Science Olympiad competition at Mounds View High School in April.

Pictured in the front row from left to right: Rebecca Thompson, Tara Kluz, Emma Eclov-Reher, Kari McKay, Izzy Androff, Annika Dykstra, Natalie Wilson, Leah Morris In the middle row: Zoe Kaplan, Teja Libersky, Ayah Phuly and Isabelle Bierbach. Back row: Coaches Dalton Modjeski and Jean Modjeski, Ryan Wood, Riley Willman, Ethan Bockenhauer and Alex Presseller. Not Pictured: Cole Carley, Cole Helland, Ryan Pape, Kaia Rodgers, Evan Romes and Trent Vanyo.

HIGH SCHOOL RANKS SEVENTH IN THE NATION Mounds View High School’s Science Olympiad team finished seventh place overall at the National Science Olympiad Tournament at Wright State University in Dayton Ohio in May. The National Tournament featured competitions in biology, chemistry, earth science, astronomy, physics and technology. Pictured from left to right in the front row: Dan Butler (coach), Rachel Berglund, Kelsey Murphy, Vicky Lee, Krystal Jamison, Radhika Sharma, Phoebe Ke and Jodie Nghiem. In the middle Row: Maddie Jackson, Trevor McDonald, Connor Duffy, Denis Li, Varun Mangalick, Jonathan Wang, Ariya Ishida, Janice Palmer, Carly Bandt, Angela Nan and Michael Huberty (coach). In the back row: Mitchell Gu, Eric Chen, James Zhang, Nguyen Le, Aleksandar Guzina, Thomas Carr (coach), David Gonzalez-Dysinger and John Spear.

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WITH HONORS FOX 9 names Marvin Sims Top Teacher Irondale High School dean Marvin Sims was named a FOX 9 Top Teacher for 2013. Student Lorenzo Robb, who nominated Sims for the award, credits the Irondale dean for changing students’ lives through STRIPES, a leadership development program Sims introduced at Irondale High School and Mounds View High School.

During a surprise media presentation in April, Sims received a $900 check for classroom supplies along with a subway sandwich party for his students.

Chippewa LEGO League team takes second at nationals Chippewa Middle School’s LEGO League team, known as Height Differential, headed to Carlsbad, Calif., in May to compete in the North American Open tournament. The team brought home the Second Champions Award — ranking number two among 78 teams from around the world (teams representing the United States, Canada and Korea participated). The team, which is made up of six Chippewa students and one Mounds View High School student, was invited to compete at the national tournament after winning second place at the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) state tournament in February. Team members Grant Altenhofen, John Helgeson, Katie Riedel, Gracie Whiting, Akash D’Souza, Nicholas Riedel and Charlie Whiting were recognized for their robot design (nicknamed “Steve”), which was designed to help citizens with dementia. Chippewa’s design was selected among more than 500 Minnesota LEGO League team designs. Team coaches are Jack and Teri Riedel, Christine Altenhofen-Sonner and Ann Whiting.

All-State musicians Irondale and Mounds View rank in top 15 The Washington Post’s Most Challenging High Schools report was released recently, naming both Irondale High School and Mounds View High School among the top 15 most challenging high schools in Minnesota.

America’s Most Challenging High Schools ranks schools through an index formula that’s a simple ratio: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year.

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In April, students from Irondale and Mounds View were selected from among thousands of high school musicians auditioning across the state to participate in the All State Choirs, Bands and Orchestra. The students will participate in a weeklong summer camp in August guided by nationally known conductors. They will perform concerts at camp as well as at the Minnesota Music Educator’s Mid Winter Clinic on the stage of the newly refurbished Orchestra Hall in February.

Irondale All-State musicians Band: Amani Christenson, Nick Elscott, Audrey Kristufek, Jack Pirner (alternate), Naomi Ruetz and Olivia Young; Choir: Obiora Obikwelu, Kaiya Ruff (alternate), Ryan Bockenhauer (alternate); Orchestra: Nick Gohman and Thomas King.

Mounds View All-State musicians Band: Ellen Brough, Peter Goggin, Dennis Li, Deborah Snyder, Nathan Torunsky and Samuel Worthington; Choir: Samantha Hallgren, Maya Rao, Berit Turnquist and Yipeng Wang; Orchestra: Kelly Catlin, Skye Gagnon, Samuel Lee, Jonathan Wang, Madeline Warner and Hanwen Wong.

Chippewa students take top places at MathCounts competitions Chippewa Middle School’s MathCounts team finished second place at the MathCounts North Capitol Chapter competition this spring. The team also took third place among 27 competing teams at the MathCounts state competition in March.

High school students earn top Spanish scores More than 500 students from Irondale and Mounds View took the National Spanish Exam in early April. More than 275 of those students earned gold, silver, bronze or honorable mention certificates for their listening, reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar skills. Sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, the National Spanish Exams are the largest and most widely known exams of their kind. For details, including a list of top scorers, visit the Star Students page at www.moundsviewschools.org.

The team (pictured from left to right with the MathCounts officer) includes coach Yuan Li, sixth-grader Rebecca Li and seventh-graders Alex Li, Ravi Singh and Justin Duffy.

Irondale Robotics team among the best in the world Irondale High School’s FIRST® Robotics Team #2052 Knightkrawler took first place at the State High School League/ FIRST Championships on May 18 and earned a spot as the 1st seed Alliance Captain out of 30 teams. Irondale was among only 13 teams in Minnesota to qualify for the world championship competition in which 16 countries were represented and 400 teams competed.

Team Knightkrawler earned the seventh seed Alliance Captain spot out of 100 teams and finished as quarter finalists of the Newton Division at the FIRST Championship in St. Louis in April. In addition, Knightkrawler took home the Championship banner, the Judges’ Award, the “be FIRST” award and the “Double DECC-er” Championship trophy from the Lake Superior Regional competition in March. At the Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional competition, the team won its second championship banner of the season and the Innovation in Control Award. After a successful season that awarded Irondale’s robotics team three championship banners, the team will compete at the Minnesota State Fair on August 23 (10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.) in the Education Building. For more information, visit the team’s website at www.team2052.com.

Back row left to right: Caleb Sykes, Ian Doyle, Tyler Hybben, Patrick Brown, Matt Sondrol, James Kruse, Elyssa Edgeton, Charlie Hofer, Vishnu Namboodiripad, Matt Nelson and Zack Nelson. Middle row left to right: Bryant Wong, Chris Matko, Tori Archer, Araceli Renteria, Mary Ellen Matusovic, Kyra Schaefer, Beatrice Gulner, Mohammed Wajiuddin, Kshitij Wavre and Connor Burrows. Front row left to right: Jonathan Koller, Aaron Monn, Sean Lestina, Jenna Nelson, Paige Bebus, Logan Mildenberger, Mohammed Raziuddin and Alfonso Sainz. Not pictured: Alex Kurtz, Anthony Swanson and Annie Welty.

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WITH HONORS Mounds View economics students win top honors Mounds View High School students who are part of Martha Rush’s economics teams have been busy winning competitions this school year.

A team including Karl Keeler, Samuel Lee, Abraham Chen and Furqan Syed took first place in Junior Achievement’s State Titan Business Challenge at Best Buy headquarters in May. Also in May, Mounds View’s Personal Finance team of Chris Collins, Alex Jiang, Eric Martin and Emily Ruan took third place in the National Personal Finance Decathlon in St. Louis.

The AP Econ Challenge team of Max Wang, Sam Rush, Chris Collins and Emily Ruan (pictured with advisor Martha Rush and awards presenter Chris Caltabiano) competed in the National Economics Challenge in New York in late May and took third place.

Mounds View’s Designspire Company won an April Junior Achievement (JA) economics competition and was named Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest Company of the Year.

Brian Lee, Megan Ruan, Chris Kuehn, Sean Hinnenkamp and Furqan Syed represented the team in competition and took home the winning title and $250 each in scholarship money to be used towards post-secondary education. They were one of only 15 teams invited to a June National Student Leadership Summit at George Washington University. Designspire team members from left to right in the front row: Nick Pahl, Chris Kuehn, Sean Hinnenkamp, Megan Ruan and Furqan Syed. In the back row from left to right: Jeman Park, David GonzalezDysinger, Sam Rush and Brian Lee. Not pictured: Eric Martin, Carly Bandt and Jane Hagen.

Marketing students compete at International Career Development Conference

Irondale juniors and seniors who participated in the May ICDC DECA event include (in the front row from left to right) Alicia Christians, Jamaica Gayle, Kyra Schaefer, Jade Stigney, Olivia Kinney, Katie Landry, (in the back row) Jared Brenny, Michael Beethe, Drew Wojchik, Carl Zwieg and Evan Spehn. DECA is a Co-Curricular student group made up of students who are part of the Association of Marketing Students.

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Irondale High School DECA students attended the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in California in May after qualifying to compete in a variety of events focused on marketing, finance, hospitality and business management. Irondale marketing instructor Diane Waite attended the competition with 11 Irondale DECA students who qualified to compete among 14,000 high school students from around the country. Kyra Schaefer and Katie Landry placed in the top 10 percent nationally in their respective categories in their comprehensive marketing exam and Drew Wojchik was recognized in the top 10 percent of his presentation in the professional sales category.

Math Masters

District students compete at Super National Chess Tournament

District elementary and middle school students excelled at the regional Math Masters competitions this spring. At the elementary school regional Math Masters competition in April, Turtle Lake Elementary School was awarded first place followed by Bel Air Elementary School in second place. At the regional Math Masters Tournament at the Shoreview Community Center on March, Chippewa Middle School took first place and Highview Middle School won second place.

Students at Turtle Lake Elementary School competed at the Super National Chess Tournament April 5-7 in Nashville.

Playing against most of the country’s best scholastic chess players, Matt Nelson placed third in the 12001299 rated divisions and Carter Lessard placed second in the 900-999 rated divisions.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATH MASTERS

OTHER DISTRICT CHESS NEWS:

Fifth-grade students and teams from Bel Air, Valentine Hills and Turtle Lake elementary schools placed in the top 10 during the fact drill competition at the Math Masters regional competition.

Neha Sriram from Turtle Lake and Ryan Wood from Bel Air tied for first place followed by Turtle Lake students Meryl Wang in second place. In the individual problem solving rounds, Turtle Lake’s Valerie Heideman took first followed by Keegan Murray in second place.

Students from Turtle Lake and Valentine Hills elementary schools were among 193 chess players in the Primary (K-3 grade) Section and 176 players in the Elementary (K-6 grade) Section at the School Chess Association Statewide Chess Championship in March.

In the Primary Section, Valentine Hills’ team of Rick Nan, Nathanial Weber, Colin Marsh, Caleb Nelson and Charlotte Wise won the Primary Regional Team Award. Turtle Lake’s Case Pedersen, Justin Henderson, Daniel Lei, Raymond Guo, Justus Zerrath, Anish Saraf, Josh Lange, Kevin Zhang, Ben Wiggenhorn and Mateo Nacusi placed second. Individually, Rick Nan won a trophy for third place for second grade. In the Elementary Section, Turtle Lake’s Matt Nelson placed first. In the team competitions, Valentine Hills’ Shane Weber, Brett Batemen, Salman Adel and Alan Bergland won the Elementary Regional Award.

The School Chess Association named Rich Weber, the chess coach at Valentine Hills Elementary School, Chess Coach of the year for 2013.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH MASTERS Chippewa Middle School’s team of Michael Pak, Michael Cao, Nate Moller, Baran Cinbis and Abhi Vijayakumar tied for first place in the sixth-grade Math Masters team competition. In the fact drill round, Chippewa student Michael Pak was awarded first place followed by Michael Cao in second place. Abhi Vijayakumar took first in the individual problem solving competition followed by Baran Cinbis in second.

Visit the Star Students page at www.moundsviewschools.org for a complete list of students who placed in the top 20 at the tournament.

Chippewa musician makes the XFactor

Highview Middle School’s sixth-grade team took second place at the Regional Math Masters Tournament. Pictured: Vijay Shaw, Gabby Olson, Luke Hermanson, Mason Huberty, Sammie Selbrede, Sam Moberg and Taitt Lill.

Visit the Star Students page at www.moundsviewschools.org for a complete list of students who placed in the top 20 at the tournament.

Chippewa eighth-grader Kasilena Lee will head to Los Angeles this summer for a taping of the national television show XFactor. She was selected to audition after she sent in an online audition tape. She auditioned for the XFactor in New York in January and was selected by the show’s judges Simon Cowell and Demi Lavato to audition on the show in August.

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CL ASS OF 2013 Irondale High School Class of 2013 This spring, seniors from Irondale High School in New Brighton and Mounds View High School in Arden Hills received scholarships acknowledging their achievements during high school and supporting their educational goals post-high school. Scholarship funds came from local businesses, fraternal and civic organizations, individuals and memorials, and were coordinated by the student services departments at both high schools. Mounds View Public Schools would like to thank the donors who make this program possible.

American Red Cross Kayla Campobasso Emma Mruz

Kopp Family Foundation Jonathan Huerd Kyra Schaefer Laura Schlotterback

AXA Achievement Community Scholarship Justus Canfield

Lake Region Hockey Jessica Mularie

Elwood F. Caldwell Scholarship of the N Suburban St. Paul Golden K Kiwanis Club Caleb Sykes

Lifetouch National School Studios Ben Ojika Anne Welty Medtronic Scholarship Program Kunj Patel

Chalkboard Capers Scholarship Jordan Boll Hayden Lundborg Marisa Montero John Saja Sabrina Smith

Mounds View Community Theater Scholarship: Lucas Zuniga

Marie Greenwald Memorial Fund Kirsten Rasmussen

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Tallman Math/Science Scholarship Austin Barmore

Jeremy Wilcox Memorial Scholarship Jack Martinek

MK Memorial Scholarship Siv Palmer-McCormick

Fridley American Legion Post 303 Miranda Olson

Irondale H.S. Student Council Lakka Benti Hallal Tamene

Soup It Up (Cox Insurance Assoc., Inc.) Justus Canfield

Wallin-Schulze Education Partner Scholarships Dan Ackerman Kokou Kah Georgeanne Owiredu Anthony Tabet Ryan Weinmann

Tom Mischke Memorial Scholarship Michael Wulff

DLML Foundation Allicia Gunderman Mikayla Huesman James Kruse Edward Starr Audrey Steiner

Irondale H.S. Staff Scholarship Queen Ngale

New Brighton/Mounds View Rotary Club Ross Harrison Megan Kirby Lianna Matt Jenna Tillmann

Mounds View Lions, Waste/Witte Alicea Meaders Alexander Quanbeck Hallal Tamene New Brighton Fraternal Order of Eagles, Auxiliary No. 3718 Jessinia Ruff New Brighton Lions Club Cassandra Germundson Tyler Gilbert Anna Greene Jacob Manning Megan Rapacz Anna Wagner Carl Zwieg

SPRING 2013

Patrick Frost, Marcella Garcia and Christopher Graf are among the 380 Irondale High School students who graduated on June 4, 2013.

Class of 2013 post-secondary plans: Undecided 7% Employment 3% Military 2%

College 88%

Alexander Quanbeck was among those who graduated with highest honors. He will attend St. Olaf College in the fall.

Highest Honors Graduates Brianna Allen ....................... Iowa State University

Lianna Matt.......................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Austin Barmore .................... Northwestern College

Marissa Montero .................. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Nicole Crane ........................ Concordia College

Ashley Niedermann .............. University of St. Thomas

Isaac Druvenga .................... Bethel University

Miranda Olson ..................... Brown University

Cassandra Germundson ....... University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse

Kunj Patel ............................ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Tyler Gilbert .......................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Alexander Quanbeck ............ St. Olaf College

Alicia Gunderman ................ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Megan Rapacz ..................... Marquette University

Patrick Hennessey ................ University of Wisconsin, Madison

Kyra Schaefer....................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Charles Hofer ....................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Veronica Schloesser ............. Hamline University

Jonathan Huerd .................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Laura Schlotterback ............. St. Olaf College

Mikayla Huesman ................. Ripon College

Benjamin Severseike ............ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Kathryn Juergens .................. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Sabrina Smith ...................... Mount Holyoke College

Megan Kirby ......................... University of Kansas

Edward Starr ........................ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

James Kruse ........................ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Caleb Sykes ......................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Matthew Lynch ..................... St. John’s University

Anthony Tabet....................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Jacob Manning..................... Bethel University

Carl Zwieg ............................ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

SPRING 2013

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CL ASS OF 2013 Mounds View High School Class of 2013 Lake Region Hockey Association Alek Van Valkenburg Medtronic Wallin Educational Foundation Nicole Balzer Mounds View Alumni Association Mason Zilka Mounds View Basketball Association Ella Foran Keith Kubitschek David Le

Shanna Peterson-Pfelsticker Memorial Joshua Torkelson

Mounds View Community Theater Scholarship: Nathan Aastuen

Taiwanese American Community Robbie He

Mounds View Student Council Jonathan Young New Brighton Eagles Auxiliary Jodie Nghiem On June 6, 2013, 427 Mounds View High School seniors became alumni. Pictured: Jean-Paul Akwa and Nathan Aausten.

916 Education Foundation Rachel Dee

Eggert Family Dentistry Alexis Ault

Arden Hills-Shoreview Community Service Chris Kuehn

Sherry Engelbretson Memorial Elizabeth Kohen

Arden Hills-Shoreview Rotary Strive Jenna Olson

Fridley American Legion Connor Duffy

Robert Ashbach Family Trevor McDonald Brandon Carlson Memorial Mick Nelson Jeremy Redmond Chalkboard Capers Mari Cartwright Kristine Dahl Madeline Hulcher Taylor Iwaszko Elise Murray Comcast Robbie He

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Golden K Kiwanis Kamilyn Choi Maximillian Wang Interact Club Christina Apikelis Joseph Kunze Kelly Kwong Kopp Family Foundation David Gonzalez-Dysinger Sophia Gorham Allison Hare Anthony Pahl Megan Ruan Lauren Wedell

SUMMER 2013

New Brighton Lions Club David Liu Xinyi Nan Lauren Saemrow Katie Skwarek McKenna Splett Connor Theisen Thomas Wentworth

New Brighton Lions Club Malia Bacig Madeline Jackson Emmy Jin

Soup It Up Benjamin Zastrow

Thank You Connor Duffy Maximillian Wang Tussler Summit Masons Noble Koshy Cong Wang Vadnais Heights Community Partners Ella Foran WK Memorial Jenna Olson

Senior class officer Christina-Marie Apikelis spoke at the graduation ceremony. Apikelis, who was among those who graduated with highest honors, will attend Belmont University in the fall.

Highest Honors Graduates Lars Anderson .......................... Bethel University

David Le................................... University of Wisconsin, Madison

Christina-Marie Apikelis ............ Belmont University

Nguyen Le ................................ University of California, Los Angeles

Malia Bacig .............................. University of Denver

David Liu.................................. University of Chicago

Laura Bosshard ........................ Luther College

John Mata ................................ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Kamilyn Choi ............................ Harvard College

Trevor McDonald....................... Cornell University

Abigail Conrad ......................... Biola University

Xinyi Nan.................................. California Institute of Technology

Makella Daley .......................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Henry Nelson ........................... Grinnell College

Connor Duffy ............................ Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jodie Nghiem ........................... Rice University

Ella Foran................................. University of Wisconsin, Madison

Peter Olson .............................. Benedictine College

Emily Gilray .............................. University of Wisconsin, Madison

Anthony Pahl ............................ University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

David Gonzalez-Dysinger .......... Harvard College

Ashley Peterson........................ University of Wisconsin, Madison

Sophia Gorham ........................ Columbia University

Megan Ruan ............................ Yale University

Allison Hare ............................. University of Wisconsin, Madison

Katie Skwarek .......................... University of St. Thomas

Robert He ................................ University of Pennsylvania

Austin Smestad ........................ University of Washington in St. Louis

Reilly Howell............................. University of Wisconsin, Madison

McKenna Splett ....................... University of Wisconsin, Madison

Madison Hughes ...................... University of Minnesota, Morris

Andrew Thomas ........................ Bethel University

Madeline Jackson .................... University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Maximillian Wang ..................... Stanford University

Anna Jessurun.......................... Columbia University

Lauren Wedell .......................... Boston College

Emmy Jin ................................. University of California, Berkley

William Weightman................... Middlebury College

Nicole Johnson......................... Villanova University

Benjamin Zastrow..................... University of Wisconsin, Madison

Juliet Laske .............................. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Yan Zeng .................................. University of Wisconsin, Madison

Class of 2013 post-secondary plans:

More memories here Go online to see more from the Irondale and Mounds View classes of 2013:

Undecided 5% Employment 1%

• Watch the ceremonies

Military 3% College 91%

• Browse the photo albums • Read the commencement programs

www.moundsviewschools.org

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CL ASS OF 2013

Oak Grove High School A commencement ceremony took place for graduating Oak Grove high School students on May 30 at the New Brighton Community Center.

Oak Grove’s class of 2013 includes: Erick Hernandez, Brittany Jackman, Nick Jumping Eagle, Austin Moe, Bailey Rod, Lonzo Rosario, Nicholas Seline, Caleb Wallen, Tyler Newcombe, Anthony Thomas, Justin Walsh and Noah Wisen.

Oak Grove graduates included (from left to right) Nick Jumping Eagle, Bailey Rod, Brittany Jackman, Lonzo Rosario and Nicholas Seline.

Caleb Wallen was awarded a 916 Education Foundation scholarship for outstanding work in the law enforcement program.

Area Learning Center

Adult Basic Education On June 10, 24 students participated in the District’s Adult Basic Education program graduation ceremony at the New Brighton Community Center.

A total of 75 students received a General Equivalency Degree (GED) in 2013 and 27 students received diplomas.

The Area Learning Center’s class of 2013 included 42 graduates. Students who participated in a graduation ceremony at Bethel University on May 28 included (from left to right in the front row) Elena Carlson, Elizabeth Goodlow, Katie Andersen, Ann Marcotte, Natalie Winkler, Kayla Proell, (second row) Alejandra Lozoya, Beau Schouveller, Matt Do, Medelynne Bruins, Tom Gall, Kasey Piper, Alexis Quimby, Amy Davidson, (third row) Austin Schmidt, Keith Chambers, Amber Mason, Jesse Mokres, Kaegen Nicholson, Brittney Skipon, Yakisha Gates, Victorian Heidenreich, (top row) Riley McDonough, Kyran Thompkins, Bryan Ibarra, Luke Battles, Maxwell Roessler and Robert Johnson.

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Pictured: Family Learning Program diploma graduate Nikita Tieden celebrates with her daughter.

HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS ROUND-UP Irondale High School Boys’ Track 4th in State for 4 × 100 meter Relay: Louis Johnson, Justus Canfield, Victor James, James Kruse

State Qualifier for 200 meter Dash: James Kruse

Girls’ Golf State Qualifiers: Cassie Bauman, Lindsey Kueng

2nd in State for 110 high hurdles: Ben Ojika State Qualifier for Pole Vault: Joe Kelner

Girls’ Softball North Suburban Conference Champions

Ben Ojika ranked second in the state for 110 High Hurdles.

Mounds View High School

Mounds View High School sophomore Alec Abercrombie celebrates with his teammates after winning the Suburban East Conference and State baseball championships.

Baseball Suburban East Conference Champions, Section 4AAA Champions, State Champions Max Knutson Pioneer Press Player of the Year, Star Tribune Co-Player of the Year, All Metro Team

Photo credit: Richard TsongTaatarii and StarTribune.

Girls’ Track Suburban East Conference Champions, State True Team Sections, Section 5AA Section Champions Section Awards: Champions 4 × 800: Jordan Nustad, Christine Hessini, Natalie Nowatzke, Nicole Balzer 4 × 200: Mikayla Toninato, Elisabeth Menne, Nicole Geist, Rachel Boyer 4 × 100: Mikayla Toninato, Elisabeth Menne, Nicole Geist, Rachel Boyer

Champions 4 × 400: Nicole Balzer, Nicole Geist, Britta Messerly-Menk, Elisabeth Menne 400m: Annalee Blake 800m: Nicole Balzer Champion Pole Vault: Paige Clements Pole Vault: Kristine Dahl

Discus: Kat Tillman Shot Put: Cassidy Smestad Boys’ Tennis Suburban East Conference Champions, Section 5AA Runners-up State Tennis Doubles Qualifiers: Jacob Bartels and Henry Morris

Boys’ Track State True Team Section Champions Section Awards: Champion High Jump (tie): Chris Johnston 2nd place, 4 x 800: Joey Kaiser, Max Wang, Michael Hoff, Grant Herbert

Champion Discus: Veronica Rasmussen

SUMMER 2013

School Talk

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Located just a few hours north of the Twin Cities, Laurentian Environmental Center (LEC) is an accredited, year-round educational facility located in the Superior National Forest.

Laurentian is owned and operated by Mounds View Public Schools and funded by user fees.

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO 4112

Independent School District 621 350 Highway 96 West Shoreview, MN 55126-1951

Visit www.laurentiancenter.org for a list of upcoming events including youth hunting camps, family weekends, senior camp and more.

To register for an upcoming event, book your next group trip or get facility rental information, please call 1-888-749-1288 or 218-749-1288 or send an email to info@laurentiancenter.org.

Find us on Facebook LaurentianEnvironmentalCenter

! r e f f o to s a h n a ti n D iscover all L aure

Senior Camp

September 3-8

too old for camp!

September 3-8 You’re never activities geared

riety of Senior Camp offers a wide va A mix of indoor and outdoor to adults ages 50 and older. hery, canoeing, crafts, activities include hiking, arc rs and more.

Ojibway lifestyles, nature tou e Register by July 31 to receiv e. rat a discounted registration

ekend exploring October 17-19 Spend MEA we

the

outdoors with your family. a new family and both Register by October 1. Refer t voucher to spend in the families will receive a $25 gif Laurentian store.

Family Weekend October 17-19