Westonka Public Schools
Westonka Public Schools

WESTONKA News ~ May 31, 2013  

The Westonka Edge: Small school advantages, big school opportunities, real-life success stories!™
This Week's News
Borg Report
Summer Construction
Technology Plan Update
MWHS Graduation
Westonka Summer Institute
Wolf Ridge
DARE Graduation
Super Team Day
Memorial Day Program
Best Place to Raise Families
Westonka in the News
Sports Highlights
Upcoming Events
Quick Links





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Scott Eidsness Returns to Westonka--
As Shirley Hills Principal

Staff Kevin Borg Superintendent

As many of you are aware, Shirley Hills Primary School will have a new principal next year. But you may not know that Scott Eidsness is an old friend of the Westonka School District.

 

He was a social studies teacher at Mound Westonka High School from 2001-2006 before joining Grandview Middle School as dean of students. In 2007, he took a job as assistant principal at Chaska Middle School West.
 
Please join me in welcoming Mr. Eidsness back to Westonka!

 

Shirley Hills and MWHS--
Closed for Summer Construction
As of May 31, there is no public access to Shirley Hills Primary School or Mound Westonka High School due to summer construction. The offices of those buildings will be temporarily relocated to the Educational Service Center.
 
Look for monthly Facilities Update e-Blasts this summer with progress reports from the construction sites.
Technology Plan Update--
Launching Westonka EDGE21
In March, we shared information with the community about the Westonka School District's new technology plan, EDGE21. Since that time, the district has continued its work to bring the plan to fruition. 
 
Implementation plans are now in place for the next three school years.
 
Class of 2013 Celebrates Important Milestone--
At MWHS Graduation
 
The 95th Annual Commencement Ceremony at Mound Westonka High School on May 26 marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication for the 199 members of the Class of 2013.
 
Westonka Summer Institute--
Returns to Peru
The Westonka Summer Institute, a credit-bearing immersion program, will be taking its second trip to Peru this summer.  

 

A group of 12 Mound Westonka High School students and two teachers leave June 4 for a two-week trip during which they will work alongside archeologists and experience firsthand the diverse Peruvian culture.
 
Annual Wolf Ridge Adventure--
For Westonka Fourth-Graders
In what has become a long-standing tradition in Westonka, fourth-graders from Shirley Hills and Hilltop primary schools made the annual spring trip to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in May. 
 
The students enjoyed many hands-on environmental classes as well as activities including making fire with flint, canoeing, papermaking, raptor program, setting live traps to study small mammals, fishing and making dream catchers. 
 
Grandview Sixth-Graders--
DARE to Say 'No'
Grandview Middle School sixth-graders participated in DARE graduation May 24. At the conclusion of Drug Abuse Resistance Education sessions with DARE Officer Steve Sturm, the students prepared essays on drug abuse education topics.

Carsten Doepner-Hove, Annalise Bruening and Shane Stevenson were selected to read their essays at graduation.
 
Shirley Hills Students Enjoy Sunshine--
On Super Team Day
The sun finally came out just in time for Shirley Hills Primary School students to take part in the traditional Super Team Day last Friday. 
 
Field days are an end-of-year ritual for many primary school students, but Shirley Hills' event emphasizes team and cooperative activities. From opening ceremonies to an all-school picnic to a variety of games, relays and races, Shirley Hills students enjoyed the entire day outside.
 
Westonka Students Honor Military--
At Community Memorial Day Program
Westonka students participated in a local Memorial Day ceremony to honor the men and women, past and present, who have served our country in the military.
 
The Mound Westonka High School Band performed several selections, and essays written by Grandview Middle School sixth-graders were read aloud during the program.
 
Westonka Ranks First in Nation--
As Best Place for Families to Live
Online residential real estate brokerage and technology provider ZipRealty, Inc. released its first annual ranking of the 10 Best Places for Families to Live this month, and the Westonka School District earned the top spot in the country!
The public school rankings were compiled by factoring each school district's School Score on ZipRealty.com--which measures district performance based on test-score data as well as student/teacher ratios--with median price per square foot in that district. Westonka was the only Minnesota district to make the Top 10.

 

Westonka in the News
Lileks: Add 'creative' to the list of our Top 10 traits
Minneapolis was also named the "No. 1 City for Families" by a real-estate brokerage, which cited the schools in Westonka and the housing prices in the western suburbs.

Usual contenders are in place for adapted softball tournament
The adapted softball state tournament on Friday and Saturday at Coon Rapids High School has a familiar team favored to win ...
Star Tribune

Minnetonka 2013 Readers' Survey
Best High School Teacher: Alan Hiebert, Mound Westonka High School
Celebrating his 18th year of teaching--14 of them at Mound Westonka High School--Alan Hiebert has made a name for himself as a high school social studies teacher. 

Mpls. Ranked No. 1 Place for Families to Live in U.S.
Based on the region's high-performing school districts and low-priced real estate, ZipRealty named the Minneapolis area as the best place to raise a family in the nation.
Twin Cities Business

Wayzata Wins Clay Target League Conference
A number of Lake Minnetonka-area high school students excelled in clay-target shooting competition in the 2013 season.

White Hawks tennis headed to state for second year
The Mound Westonka High School tennis team is heading to the state tournament for the second straight year.

Girls golf seeks section improvement
Improvement is the goal for the White Hawks girls golf team in the final weeks of the regular season.

MWHS softball wins first game of section playoffs
The Mound Westonka High School girls softball team won its first playoff game, propelling it into the double elimination portion of the Section 5AA Tournament.

MWHS track and field competes at conference meet
The Mound Westonka High School track and field team completed their regular season at the Wright County Conference Championships ...
Sports Highlights
White Hawks Boys Tennis--
Completes Dream Season
The MWHS boys tennis team completed a perfect season last week, capturing the Section 2A trophy and earning a repeat trip to the state tournament. To top things off, three individuals also advanced to state competition.

 
Tigers Defeat White Hawks--
In Softball Sections
The MWHS softball team put in a solid performance in the Section 5AA tournament, but their playoff run ended May 23 in a tough loss to a strong Delano team. Three White Hawks graduated in 2013: Jenna Hoogeveen, Brooklyn Pouti and Allie Brady.
 

Looking for a New Fall Sport/Activity?-- 
Bowling Team Offers FREE Summer Bowling
Country Club Lanes in Tonka Bay, home of the Westonka Bowling Club, has joined with the Bowling Proprietors of Minnesota to offer free bowling for Westonka students this summer.

Upcoming Events

Friday, May 31

Teacher Workshop Day

Track & Field Section Finals, Gustavus Adolphus, TBD

 

Monday, June 3

Shirley Hills and MWHS offices relocate to Educational Service Center 

for the summer

Food Service relocates to Hilltop

Baseball Sections, MWHS, TBD

School Board Meeting, Thaler Arena Meeting Room, 7:00

 

Tuesday, June 4

Boys Tennis State Tournament, MWHS vs. Luverne, 2 p.m.

Baseball Sections, Loretto, TBD

 

Wednesday, June 5

Boys Tennis Team State Tournament Continues

 

Thursday, June 6

Boys Tennis Individual State Tournament

Baseball Sections, Loretto, TBD

 

Friday, June 7

Boys Tennis Individual State Tournament

Track & Field State Tournament, Hamline

 

Looking Ahead

 

May 31-August 19

No Public Access to Shirley Hills or MWHS

 

August 6, 7

MWHS Link Leader Training

 

August 22

MWHS "Fast Start"

 

August 26

Teacher Workshop Week

 

August 27

GMS Open House

 

August 28

MWHS 8th-grade Orientation

MWHS 8th-grade and New Student/Parent Information Night

GMS WEB 5th-grade and New Student Orientation

Hilltop, Shirley Hills and Early Childhood Center Open Houses

 

September 3

First day of School for Grades 1-12

 

September 5

First Day of School for Kindergarten

Westonka News Contact

Feel free to contact me with suggestions or questions heistadb@westonka.k12.mn.us.

Becca Heistad, Communications Coordinator
Community Relations  
Westonka Public Schools

5901 Sunnyfield Rd E   

Minnetrista MN 55364

952.491.8003 | www.westonka.k12.mn.us  
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