April 10, 2015 
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 31

  

CLASSROOM SNAPSHOT 
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Creek Valley time-travels to Colonial America
Fifth graders study Colonial America through role-play
Fifth graders at Creek Valley Elementary School have travelled back in time to Colonial America to learn about the American Revolution. Classes built models of a Boston street, complete with shops and businesses from that time period. In Diana Weiland-Karas' class, the models were a bit larger. Students created "business families" and portrayed characters such as a Wigmaker, Blacksmith, InnKeeper and Silversmith. As students learned about different pre-revolutionary events, each "business" would have to decide how to react. Would they protest after being taxed? Would they put up signs? 
Headlines
EPS HEADLINES
The latest stories about what's happening in our schools
Volunteering puts retired engineer back to work in classroom

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month - thank a volunteer today! 




SOPHOMORE'S LEAD ROLE FUELS PASSION FOR ACTING
Mabel Thomas, an Edina High School sophomore, began her acting career at age 5 playing the ghost of a tuberculosis victim for a cemetery walk. Since then Mabel's roles have been characters among the living and have offered increasing challenges for her.  
READ MORE
TRENDA IS TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Meggie Trenda, an EHS Spanish teacher, is one of 10 teachers from across the state recently named a finalist for 2015 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. This year's honoree will be announced on May 3. 
SECONDARY SPACES PILOT STUDIES
Their titles say it all - Movable Parts, Hallway Furniture and Transforming Science 6 Spaces. These three middle school pilot studies are looking at new ways to use classrooms, school spaces and furniture to create flexible Next Generation learning spaces
READ MORE

ONLINE NEWS ARCHIVES
Referendum
FACILITIES REFERENDUM UPDATE
Updates on the May 5 Bond Referendum
Check out the latest video outlining the components of the upcoming Bond Referendum

  

Correction to recent referendum mailing

View the brochure here.

Recently the district mailed an information brochure to all district residents about the upcoming Bond Referendum on Tuesday, May 5. The brochure includes information about the tax impact, polling locations and other general information about the Next Generation Facilities Plan.

 

Unfortunately, this publication contained an error regarding the polling location of Edina residents in Precinct 7. While the address of the polling location listed was correct, it should have said 

Normandale Lutheran Church rather than Normandale Elementary. We sincerely apologize for the confusion and want to assure Precinct 7 voters that their polling location has not changed since the last general election in November 2014 and that they are scheduled to vote at Normandale Lutheran Church (6100 Normandale Road) on Tuesday, May 5.

 

Want to view more district referendum publications, presentations and videos? 
All district referendum communications are archived on the website here.

 

Join the conversation: Referendum Community Conversation, April 20 at 7 p.m. at Edina City Hall 

Read more in Upcoming Events. 

Absentee voting available now
Vote in-person at Edina City Hall or by mail
  • U.S. MAIL -  Download an application from the City of Edina website and submit it 8to the contact information on the form. You will receive your ballot by mail and can then submit your ballot by mail or in person at the City offices
  • IN PERSON - Starting March 20, you may go in person to the City of Edina administration office to fill out and submit an absentee ballot application. You will receive your ballot immediately and can cast your vote at the same time.
Edina Public School residents can vote absentee in the following ways: Learn more at www.edinaschools.org/vote2015.
Teachers
TEACHER TUESDAY SPOTLIGHT
Get to know our amazing teaching staff!
Kristie Kriss
Engineering & Technology Teacher, Valley View Middle School
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.

Education: Kristie received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Science and Math for Elementary Education from the University of St. Thomas. She received a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University. 

Experience
: This is Kristie's ninth year at Valley View. In her first year, she taught 7th grade science and 6th grade science in her second year. For the last seven years, Kristie has been teaching Flight, Space and Electronics, a Project Lead the Way course. Prior to Valley View, Kristie taught grade 6-8 science at Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights, Minn. EPS asked Kristie what it's like to teach middle schoolers. 
 
Do you know a teacher or group of teachers who deserve recognition? Send your nominations to communications@edinaschools.org to be considered for the weekly blog spotlight.
 
INTHENEWS
EPS IN THE NEWS

EHS student featured in KSTP story 

EHS club raises awareness of human trafficking

The Teens Against Modern Slavery Club at Edina High School co-sponsored a community meeting at Edina City Hall on April 9 in an effort to raise awareness of human trafficking in Minnesota. The story aired Thursday morning on KSTP (Channel 5) and is available online

Ric
RIC'S REFLECTION
A message from Superintendent Ric Dressen

Edina's Amazing Educators 

Celebrating the talents and skills of us all

Ask residents why they move to Edina, and many will say because of the schools. Ask families what they like most about Edina Public Schools, and you will hear stories of a special teacher or staff member who made a difference in their or their student's life.

 

At this time of year, I am especially cognizant of the many great educators in Edina Public Schools. I use educator in the broadest sense of the term - as we all play a role in the planning, directing and instructing of learning and learners.

 

Regarding our Edina Public Schools staff educators, I thank those of you who, after serving our learning community these past years, will be formally leaving our organization at the end of the year. You may be retiring on moving on to other adventures, but your impact on our learners, their families, and your colleagues, will not be forgotten.  

 

I also thank those educators who will continue to be a part of our 2015-16 district team. I am excited about the future and feel fortunate that your talents and skills will help create new successes and solutions for our learners, both in and out of the classroom. Similarly, I am appreciative for the educators who are seeking future employment with our district. Each will surely bring with them tremendous potential and expertise that will help shape the Next Generation of Edina Public Schools.

 

Finally, I continue to be amazed with the abundance of talent and creativity that our extended team of educators - parents, volunteers and community members - bring into our schools everyday. It is truly a team effort that helps define Edina Excellence, and it will require the continued partnership of all of us as we look to advance that excellence in the future.

 

Our world, including the world of public education, continues to evolve and change. We are routinely faced with numerous challenges and unlimited possibilities. Edina is fortunate in that our amazing educators are discovering, designing and implementing strategies that will ensure our schools stay strong and our learners are ready to thrive in this rapidly changing world. It is important that as a district we work hard to find creative ways to support all of our educators. By providing appropriate training, time and tools for all educators, we can capitalize on the talents of us all.

 

Being an educator is hard work, but, as we often hear from former students and families, it is also incredibly rewarding. I extend a big thank you to all of our amazing Edina educators. I am humbled to work with you as we forge a new path of success and excellence.

 

Ric Dressen

Superintendent

 

SchoolBoard
SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE
Recent news from the Edina School Board

APRIL 13 REGULAR MEETING

The School Board will hold its regular monthly business meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, April 13, during which the Board will recognize the state champion EHS Math and Boys' Alpine Ski teams.

 

The Board will then hear a leadership report of strategic study updates as well as an update on the May 5 Bond Referendum, and they will discuss proposed instructional size guidelines for next year. Among the items scheduled for Board action at the meeting are:

  • 2015-16 General Fund Budget Adjustments,
  • eLearning2 recommendations for 2015-16,
  • a plan to install video cameras on district school buses, and
  • 2015-16 School Board meeting dates.

Full agendas are available online.  

 

Previous School Board Meetings  

Recaps and videos of past School Board meetings are available online.

StaffNews
COMMUNITY NEWS
Important EPS community news

Applications for DMTS student internships available 

EHS students interested in a summer job in a technology field need look no further than their own school district. Applications for paid summer internships with District Media and Technology Services (DMTS) are being accepted through April 24.

 

"These internships are really a win-win opportunity. We get some much needed help with key summer tasks and projects, and the students receive a first-hand look at what it is like to work in the technology field," said Steve Buettner, DMTS director. "It's a great way to promote real-world experiences and help students think about their future."

 

Keeping eLearning2 up and running around the district requires a heavy summer workload for district tech staff. Two years ago, DMTS started hiring student interns - eight in 2013 and 11 last year. They work on a wide variety of projects, including: recycling old computers and updating inventory; rewiring classrooms and computer labs; organizing network closets; placing wireless access points; running updates and imaging computers; prepping new devices and Chromebook carts for students and staff; and teaching eLearning2 Boot Camp classes to younger students.

 

Interns are selected through a formal interview process. They typically work from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and are required to have transportation to and from the Edina Community Center. Interns frequently arrange carpools to ensure they are able to travel during the workday; it is not required to have your own vehicle. Interns spend the first few days creating their own guidelines and norms in order to hold themselves accountable for the type of work they will be doing. After the first few days, the group is broken into teams that begin conquering the summer to-do list.   

 

"The experience gives students the ability to experience real-life teamwork in a technology-based setting," said Jack Salaski, an instructional technology specialist who supervises the internship program. "Additionally, it is a wonderful first job because we make sure the kids have fun every day.  What I really like is the fact that I get to connect with the kids in a setting that gives them self-confidence and pride in the work they are doing."

 

Click here for application details.

 

Calling all shutter bugs

The City of Edina has opened the submission period for its 12th-annual "Images of Edina" photo contest, co-sponsored by Edina Magazine. The contest is free to enter and is open to amateur and professional photographers who reside, work or attend school in Edina. The deadline for this year's contest is 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 15. Entries should be submitted online through Edina Magazine's website, www.EdinaMag.com. Printed copies of contest entries will not be accepted.
Photos must have been taken in Edina between June 13, 2014 and June 15, 2015, and must be entered in one of the following categories representing the City's vision statement:  

  • Living - People
  • Living - Plants/Wildlife
  • Learning
  • Raising Families
  • Doing Business

Photographers may submit a maximum of five photographs. All submissions must be the original artwork of the photographer. Gift certificates, plaques, and recognition at a future City Council meeting and will have their work displayed for up to two years at Edina City Hall. Submitted photographs will also be posted online at www.EdinaMag.com between June 16 and July 17 for readers to vote for their favorite entry for the "Readers' Choice" award. Winners will be notified around July 31. To submit photos, view a complete list of rules and contest criteria and to view the City's Submitted Photo & Original Artwork Policy, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/PhotoContest or www.EdinaMag.com

 
Events
UPCOMING EVENTS

Final referendum community conversation April 20 

The last in a series of three community conversations about the updoming facilities bond referendum will be Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Edina City Hall. This event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters-Edina.

 

Superintendent Ric Dressen and other district leaders will talk about the components of the Next Generation Facilities Plan, details on how referendum dollars would be spent, as well as the design process and future input opportunities should the referendum pass on May 5. There will also be time for questions and answers. The public sessions were in addition to more than 50 small group presentations and dialogues about the referendum. Plan now to attend on April 20.

 

Edina Student Art Show at Edina LIbrary through April 16 

Artwork by students from six Edina elementary schools will be displayed at the Edina Library from March 19 through April 16. A public reception celebrating the show and the artists was held. The student art show is sponsored by the Friends of the Edina Library.

 

EHS Thespians Spring Showcase, April 16-18
Edina High School Thespians present The Spring Showcase. Enjoy three nights of performances on April 16-18, each starting at 7 p.m. in the Edina Performing Arts Center (EPAC). 

  • Thursday, April 16 will be dedicated to the Literature of the Theater class. Students will perform student-directed and designed scenes from five well known plays.
  • Friday, April 17 will feature the Thespian Club Cabaret. Students will perform various songs and monologues from musicals and plays.
  • Saturday, April 18 will feature the first-ever 24hour Play Festival, in which up to 10 teams of artists, each with one playwright, one director and actors, will be writing, staging, rehearsing and performing an original play - all within 24 hours. A secret theme will be announced after Friday's Cabaret, and the teams will have one hour to meet before the writers go home to write an 8- to 10-minute play based on the theme. Each play must incorporate a particular prop announced when the teams are assigned, and a specific line must be incorporated into the drama. The writers, directors and actors will arrive at the theater as early as 7 a.m. to begin off-stage collaboration and rehearsals. Each team is allotted stage time between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m to rehearse. The show will begin at 7 p.m. 
Tickets for the three-day show are $15 for adults and $10 for students and senior citizens, and give you access to all three nights of the showcase. They are available at the door or at edinatheater.org

4th Annual Edina Technology & Learning Fair, April 18 at ECC

See how technology is transforming learning in Edina Public Schools (EPS) at the annual Technology and Learning Showcase, Saturday, April 18 from 9 to 11 a.m. Students, teachers and technology specialists will share the learning they've experienced with real-life demonstrations about activities happening in EPS classrooms. 

City plans 'Days of Remembrance' event April 19 

The City of Edina Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) will hold its annual Days of Remembrance event in conjunction with the state-recognized Genocide Awareness and Prevention on Sunday, April 19 at Edina City Hall. The program is called "Days of Remembrance: From the Armenians to the Holocaust."  

 

The event will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust. The program will feature a presentation from World Without Genocide Executive Director Ellen J. Kennedy on Holocaust and genocide denial. Holocaust survivor Dora Eiger Zaidenweber will share her personal story of her family's incarceration in a Polish ghetto, imprisonment at Auschwitz, transfer to Bergen-Belsen and liberation. Copies of her book "Sky Tinged Red" will be available for purchase. A performance of the play "Upstanders: Saving Armenians and Jews" will tell the story of courageous Armenians who fled from Europe during the Armenian genocide and then paid it forward to save victims and survivors during the Holocaust. The event is free and open to the public. Continuing education credit is available for teachers.  

 

South View to perform 'Footloose, The Musical'
 
April 23-24, 7 p.m. and April 25, 2 p.m. in the SV Auditorium

Journey back to the 80s with more than 100 South View Middle School students to a small midwest town called Bomont, where dancing, of all things, is banned. The dancing will knock you off your feet in this energizing, fun-filled musical for all ages.

Tickets for "Footloose, The Musical" are $8 for students and seniors, and $10 for adults and are available to purchase here

 

Student Wellness Challenge, April 25 at South View

This year's Student Wellness Challenge will take place Saturday, April 25 in the main gym/auditorium at South View Middle School from 9-11:30 a.m. The Challenge will feature student stations, which will include topics such as: nutrition, Pros of the Rope, Tai Chi, cooking, and hand-eye coordination. There will also be several speakers who will cover topics such as adolescent psychiatry, benefits of yoga, stress management and anorexia. Watch for more details to come!

 

DidYouKnow
DID YOU KNOW?

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month

Volunteers play a very important role throughout Edina Public Schools. Whether it is a few hours during the year, or on a regular basis each week, volunteers support district staff in the work of personalizing learning and helping to create the unique and excellent learning experiences that happen in Edina schools. Volunteers assist in classrooms and schools with projects, lessons, events and field trips. The list is really endless. Thousands of hours are volunteered throughout the district each year by devoted and caring adults who make time in their lives to support students through volunteerism. During the month of April, please be sure to thank a volunteer in your child's classroom or school. And if you are a volunteer -thank you from all of us for sharing your time, talent and expertise with our district's learners. You are making a difference!

Interested in volunteering?
Contact the Edina Volunteer Program at 952-848-4924 or volunteer@edinaschools.org

Help us keep the 2014-15 school year Hope & Happiness theme alive. 

Contact the communications team at 952.848.3919 or email us at  communications@edinaschools.org with news, story ideas or photos! 
Missed an issue of EPS In The Know? Click here for archives.
 
 
5701 Normandale Road 
Edina, MN 55424
952.848.3000