Feb. 27, 2014 | Vol. 2, Issue 26

In this Issue:

newsEPS News

 

Creek Valley Peace Readers make connections to Olympic 

movement of peace through sport

3rd grade classroom participates in teacher Rosie Rink's annual service-learning program

 

The Olympics are over, but the message of world peace carries on in Rosie Rink's 3rd grade classroom at Creek Valley Elementary School. In 2010, Rink created a program called Peace Readers that incorporates service learning with reading fluency, comprehension and literacy skills. After applying for and receiving a mini-grant from Edina Public Schools' Service Learning Leadership Team in January 2011, Rink built a "Peace Library" for her class, which could be shared throughout the whole school. READ MORE
 
 

Middle School French Hosting Program expands in its fourth year

One-of-a-kind partnership with Vistas In Education brings French and American students and cultures under one roof

  

In 2010, South View Middle School French Teacher Betony Osborne received a cultural exchange program invitation from Vistas in Education, a Minnesota organization that coordinates travel and family-stay study abroad opportunities in France and the U.S. 

READ MORE

  

 

Hornet Football Coach helps launch 

mentor-reading program in EPS

Captains promote literacy while teaching younger students valuable life lessons

  

Most of us can recall our childhood role models. They represented greatness, gave us a picture of integrity, and in turn, inspired us to be our best selves. We encountered some of those people through close friendships, sports competition,

watching TV or reading a book, but many times, 

it was an interaction in the classroom that provided the deepest impact. READ MORE

 

 

EPS Teachers Find Greater Purpose in Earning National Board Certification

Claris Hanssen and Geneva Fitzsimonds join 16 EPS colleagues in highest classification of American educators

 

Claris Hanssen, Edina High School (EHS) Spanish teacher, and Geneva Fitzsimonds, South View band teacher, have earned the highest credential available to American educators by recently becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Hanssen and Fitzsimonds join 16 other EPS teachers who have achieved this level of honor. READ MORE

voiceEd Fund Update

 

Ed Fund Awards 2014 Innovation Grants

EPS staff receive financial support for classroom learning enhancements

 

The Edina Education Fund awarded 13 Innovation Grants to the Edina Public Schools on Feb. 20.  These grants were for a variety of projects that will touch the lives of many K-12 learners. The Edina Education Fund applauds staff members throughout the district who take the time to submit their grant proposal ideas, implement their grants into action and disseminate information about the outcome of these teaching and learning enhancements in their classrooms.

Beth Cornwell accepts an Innovation Grant 
for Parent Education Luncheons.

Innovation Grant awards-as titled by the grant authors-for 2014 include:

 

Every Voice Matters provides Highlands' classrooms with sets of multi-cultural picture books and novels, which will allow students to learn about a variety of cultures through literature.

 

The Leader in Me provides Creek Valley with teacher training, curriculum and data notebooks to implement Stephen Covey's Leader in Me philosophy into their school.

 

Picture This! provides technology for the Edina High School Chemistry department to stream live video and images to student devices, allowing chemistry demonstrations to be seen up close in the classroom and out in the field.

 

Student Health Fair supports a district-wide event to be held in April targeted for middle school students, providing engaging displays, speakers and activities in health-related fields.

 

Stepping Up to Fitness: Fitness/Wellness Trackers as Motivators provides physical education classes at Edina High School with two sets of fitness trackers, which will focus on students' health and wellness- specifically, activity, sleep and nutrition.

 

Pilot Project of iPads for the Arts supports four grants written for iPads that will assess the effectiveness of this technology used within the art and music classes at various elementary and secondary building sites in the district. Schools that wrote these grants include South View, Concord, Cornelia, and Countryside.

 

The Voices of Edina Students: Literacy and Social Emotional Learning for All provides culturally responsive literature for the Young Scholars program at all elementary schools in the district.

 

Digital Dialogue and Portfolios will grant technology at Highlands to utilize online blogs and portfolios, providing opportunities for all students to communicate and interact with each other, learn from captured dialogue, and post their work to their own dedicated page. 

 

Parent Education Luncheons will provide guidance to Valley View parents of students in the AVID program, assisting families to navigate the education system and build stronger ties between home and school.

 

Classroom of the Future provides new classroom furniture at Concord that will allow for a more flexible learning environment, with collaborative spaces the encourage more movement and personalized learning for students. 


teachersTeacher Tuesday Staff Spotlight

Barb Hodne

Special Education Transition Coordinator at EHS

 

Since coming to Edina Public Schools in 2010, Barb Hodne

has played a pivotal role in the digital transformation of the

Special Services department at EHS. With the teamwork of her Professional Learning Community, Hodne developed an 

e-portfolio system for students with Individual Educational Plans. The resource serves around 140 EHS students every year 

and provides surveys, activities and research databases  

to prepare them for life after graduation.  

 

From her beginnings in special education to her current

position at EHS, Hodne shares her passion for helping 

students succeed. READ MORE

  

 

Know a teacher or group of teachers who are deserving of recognition? Send your nominations to communications@edinaschools.org to be considered for the weekly "Teacher Tuesday" spotlight, a new website section housed under the District News, Meet Our Teachers link.

 

staffnewsNews for EPS Staff

 

Staff Milestones 

To submit an entry for Staff Milestones, please include staff name, job title/type, employment location and major life event/announcement information to communications@edinashools.org. 

  • Our condolences to Susan Tennyson, Data Analyst at the District Office, on the recent passing of her mother.
  • Our condolences to Jake Mathiason, School Psychologist at Countryside, on the recent passing of his father-in-law, Robert Baum.
NEW! Order Your Own Business Cards Online
Staff can now order their own business cards online at any time of the year. Follow the instructions below to complete your order. 

  

Ordering Instructions:
  1. Visit http://www.jessenpress.com and click on "customer login" in the upper right corner
  2. Login using the Edina Public Schools account:
    • Username: edinapublicschools 
    • Password: edinaschools1!
  3. Click on "Document Library" in the left side navigation
  4. Select the quantity of business cards you would like to order and click "continue"
  5. Enter your information as you would like it to appear; any fields left blank will not appear on your card; once you are finished, click "preview"
  6. The site will generate a preview of your order; click "order" to place order or "modify" if you need to make changes
  7. Fill in the requested information and click "submit request" at the bottom of the screen

Special Thanks to Our Staff
Edina Public Schools would like to extend a warm thank you to all staff for braving the elements last Friday. In particular, special thanks to the bus drivers for safely getting students to and from school during difficult weather conditions. We are so grateful for our exceptional transportation team!
 
 
Attention: Flex Account & Annual Insurance Adjustment Update 
  • If you have a Flex account, the original deadline to submit claims (Feb. 28),
    has been changed to     March 31. 
  • Also, If you are paid during the school-year only, on 19 or 21 pay periods, this is a reminder that we are making a one-time adjustment as described in the online staff handbook. For more information, read about insurance deductions on the district
    website's     benefits page.
 
April 5th, App Smash Day at TIES Event Center
Unleash your students' creative powers with AppSmashing

AppSmashing is the art of using multiple apps in conjunction with one another to complete a task or project.  This high-energy day will introduce different "Smashtivities" that take iPad projects to a redefinition level in the classroom. Participants will have an opportunity to experience the workflow of each Smashtivity and create a Smashtivity project. Cost is $39. Register by clicking here.



snapshotClassroom Snapshot of the Week

 
Highlands Elementary performs The Principal's New Clothes
 
As a product of what they learned during Highlands' annual Theaters of Learning class series, students from all grades performed 5th grade teacher David Sponheim's rendition ofThe Principal's New Clothes on Feb. 20. For many students, the acting experiences was their first encounter with memorization. With a large crowd of parents at the back of the classroom, students let their personalities shine while embracing the play's key lesson: it's not what's on the outside, but on the inside that really counts.

  

boardSchool Board News
 
Feb. 24 School Board Meeting Recap

The Board met for a work session on Feb. 24 to continue discussions on budget and staff leadership plans for 2014-15, as well as long-range planning. 

  

During the regular meeting, the Board recognized recent National Board Certified teachers Claris Hanssen and Geneva Fitzsimonds, as well as Edina Magazine's Best Teacher award-winner Ryan Gallagher. 

 

Superintendent Ric Dressen provided the Board with a financial update, highlighting past budget adjustments, initial plans
for the 2014-15 budget and long-range fiscal planning. Administration is working on a proposal to achieve $500,000-$750,000 in total adjustments. A task force is drafting proposals for reductions and reallocations, and is looking at requests from schools and programs for one-time and ongoing budget enhancements. READ MORE

  

Upcoming School Board Meetings 

 

The next regular School Board meeting is scheduled for
March 17. Note: the April regular meeting has been
rescheduled from April 14 to April 24. 

 

Previous School Board Meetings
langEPS In The News

 

Edina works to overcome language barriers

 

Imagine being forced to leave your own war-torn country and start life anew in a place where you may not understand the language or the culture.
 
This is the reality that many immigrants, particularly from Somalia or East Africa, face each day. Uprooting one's life, finding housing and employment can be a struggle, but communities throughout the metro area are trying to bridge culture gaps and language barriers. 

READ MORE from the Sun Current's Lisa Kaczke.
 
eventsUpcoming Events

Detailed calendars of events for each school can be found online. Important upcoming dates include:  

sleepy

Edina Concert Band's OlymPOPS Concert

Feb. 27-28 and March 1 in Fick Auditorium at 7 p.m.

The Edina Concert Band will play their instruments with a salute to the Olympics, celebrating the spirit, work ethic and jubilee that characterize the historic event. Titled OlymPOPS, the show will feature an opening ceremony parade of instruments by section, videos of band members undertaking Olympic endeavors, skits and a variety of Olympic-themed musical arrangements. An abbreviated, MiniPOPS,version of the play will be on March 1 at 1 p.m. in Fick Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased online, or at the door.

 

cityState of the Community

March 3 at Edina City Hall at 7 p.m.

The annual State of the Community is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. The address is a combination of the state of the city, given by Mayor Jim Hovland and City Manager Scott Neal, and the state of Edina Public Schools, given by Superintendent Ric Dressen. 

islamWomen and Islam

March 6 in Edina Community Center Room 165 from 7-9:00 p.m.

This community education class gives an overview of the role of women in society according to Islamic teachings. Islamic Resource Group will talk about common misconceptions regarding Muslim women, and explain gender equity in the spiritual, social, and economic aspect of life. Muslim women and culture/diversity will also be discussed. The presentation concludes with examples of Muslim women and their role in history and today.The cost to attend is $10. Click here to register online.  

  

Edina Public Schools staff receive 20% off all Edina Community Education classes. Please call 952-848-3952 to register. 

 

 

parenting

PCN LogoPCN presents "Learning From Mistakes: 

Moving Outside Your Comfort Zone"

March 10 at Creek Valley Gymnasium from 7-9 p.m.

This free forum will prove engaging for parents, grandparents, teachers and children ages 9 and older accompanied by an adult. Paul Bernabei, Director of Top 20 Training, will provide training seminars and materials to empower youth and adults to develop their potential and the potential of others.

  

  

 

russiaRussian Dinner Party Favorites

Tuesday, March 11 in Edina Community Center, Room 165 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

In Lesson 3 of Blini, Borscht, and Beyond: A Series on Russian Cuisine, learn to make exquisite versions of Russia's most beloved entrees and small bites. Prepare satisfying Cabbage Rolls, rich and luscious Beef Stroganoff, and fluffy Russian blini topped with classic garnishes. Master these and other recipes to wow your guests - don't be surprised if questions about your Russian heritage arise around the dinner table! The cost to attend is $59. Click here to register online. Instructor Gary Krasner has held the Executive Chef position for the past fourteen years at Moscow on the Hill.

 

Edina Public Schools staff receive 20% off all Edina Community Education classes. Please call 952-848-3952 to register.   

 

 

pcnPCN Annual Open House

March 12 in the Edina Community Center, Room 351 at noon

Learn what the Edina Parent Communication Network (PCN) is all about. This is your chance to connect with other dynamic members and leaders of our community. A complimentary, light lunch will be served for all attendees, so come hungry and ready for some engaging conversation. 

  

  

comm youthCommunity Opportunities for Youth

Looking for additional youth/family events and activities happening in and around Edina? Want to advertise your group's activities? Then check out the Community Opportunities for Youth Facebook page.

  

  

  

calendarDid You Know?

 

Reminder of make up days for recent cancellationscalendar

District will use planned staff days to recapture lost student learning time

EPS students are in session on the following days:

  • Friday, March 7, previously scheduled for conferences and as a professional day.

READ MORE

Which A/B Day is it anyway?
Students and families in South View and Valley View Middle Schools should note that both make up days have been designated as B Days based on the number of B Days that were missed during school cancellations. Please note the following:
  • Friday, March 7 - B Day  
For more information on the A/B Day schedule, visit the South View and Valley View A/B Day calendars.   
 

Be(e) a part of the Buzz

 
Help us make the Weekly Buzz REMARKABLE. Contact the communications team at        952.848.3919 or email us at  communications@edinaschools.org with news, story ideas or photos!

Missed a past issue of the Weekly Buzz? Check out archived issues online in the Staff Resources section of the district website. 



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