May 8, 2015 
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 34

  


South View courtyard garden planting kicks off spring
Students partner with Whole Foods Market
South View students planted vegetables in their courtyard garden last week. The garden is facilitated by South View media specialist Cathy Heller with the help of many parent volunteers, and was started with a grant from Whole Foods Market. Its purpose is to educate students about healthy eating habits, a part of being a "well rounded person," one of the district's six educational competencies. The garden is tended to by students in the SURGE program and Edina Community Education community gardening classes during the summer. In the fall, South View and Concord team up to put on an educational cooking event to show healthy eating habits. View more photos here.
Headlines
EPS HEADLINES
The latest stories about what's happening in our schools

Edina voters approve referendum, support facilities plan

Design phase for facilities improvements begins

 





PASSIONATE SOPHOMORES PRESENT PROJECTS
For Edina High School's sophomores, a yearlong research project culminated in a presentation for peers, teachers, parents and community members on April 28 at the Passion Project Fair. Pre-AP 10 language arts students created Passion Projects, which required them to write a research paper and complete a service-learning component.
READ MORE
DECA STUDENT BRING HOME NATIONAL TROPHIES 
Edina High School students brought home three national trophies from the DECA International Career Development Conference, including a first-ever first place trophy. Eighteen EHS students competed April 25-29 in Orlando.
NAT'L MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
Ellen Smalley has been named a National Merit Scholarship 
recipient. She is one of about 1.5 million students who entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. Only about 15,000 were named Distinguished Finalists and of those, 2,500 are selected for a National Merit Scholarship and are recipients of a $2,500 scholarship.
READ MORE
ALL STATE MUSIC, MATH STUDENTS CHOSEN

Eighteen Edina High School (EHS) band, choir and orchestra students and three math team members have been selected for All-State honors. They will join Minnesota's stop students to perform and compete.

READ MORE


ONLINE NEWS ARCHIVES
Referendum
FACILITIES REFERENDUM UPDATE
Updates on the May 5 Bond Referendum
 
 

Referendum passes with 57 percent of vote 

6,654 total votes cast May 5, 43 percent opposed
Voters approved a $124.9 million facilities bond referendum on May 5 to support security enhancements at all school buildings, infrastructure improvements throughout the district and transform learning spaces for Next Generation learners. The district will now begin the next steps of design development. Watch for more details about this process in the coming weeks.

Below are more detailed election results by precinct:
 
Teachers
TEACHER TUESDAY SPOTLIGHT
Get to know our amazing teaching staff!
Laurie McNamara
Licensed School Nurse (LSN), Cornelia Elementary School 

Hometown:  Mequon, Wisconsin

 

Education: Laurie received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. 

 

Experience: Laurie worked as a hospital nurse on a surgical unit, an orthopedic unit and a surgical-trauma unit. She also managed an arthritis / orthopedic clinic, then spent 7 years developing quality/cost improvement programs called clinical pathways at Hennepin County Medical Center and Fairview University health systems. EPS asked Laurie about her position as a school nurse. READ MORE
 
Do you know a teacher or group of teachers who deserve recognition? Send your nominations to [email protected] to be considered for the weekly blog spotlight.
 
Ric
A message from Superintendent Ric Dressen  

Dear Edina Public Schools families,

Thank you were the two words that first came to my mind upon learning that our community approved the bond referendum on Tuesday's ballot. Thank you to the voters for trusting the district with their tax dollars. Thank you to the many people who helped shape and share the district's facilities plan. Thank you to our amazing staff for their unwavering commitment to our learners. And thank you to our parents and families for trusting and partnering with us as we prepare all learners for success in college, career and life.

So what's next for our school district?

The bond referendum is only a part of our promise to advance excellence in Edina. Our commitment to the goals and outcomes of our Next Generation Strategic Plan has not changed. We will continue to look at ways to better personalize learning for all students, to ensure a coherent and comprehensive educational program for all learners, and to promote effective and valued district partnerships. A key component of this commitment involves pursuing new ways to better align all of our resources, including facilities, to learning so that we can ensure all of our students have the skills they need to thrive in this rapidly changing, global society.

I am pleased that our voters gave us this vote of confidence with respect to how we can update our spaces for Next Generation learning. It is now the responsibility of all of us to continue to partner with and serve our students, families and community to the best of our abilities, and to be creative in our efforts to continuously improve and look to the future.

Every child has only one chance to experience school. Let's make certain that we give our students the best experience that we can provide during their time with us, especially as we wrap-up another school year.

I look forward to this next chapter in Edina Public Schools, and am excited for opportunity to continue working together to advance our Edina excellence for all learners.

Sincerely,

Ric Dressen
Superintendent 

SchoolBoard
SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE 

School Board Meeting 

May 5 Work Session Recap

Following a closed session to discuss a personnel matter, the board held a work session to discuss several strategic updates with administration. The Leadership Update included a Referendum Update, and Next Generation Strategic Plan Updates on the Secondary Program Study and  Birth to Grade 5 Program Study. The Board discussed the next two years of leadership actions and implementation timelines of the Next Generation Strategic Plan. READ MORE

The next regular meeting of the School Board will be Monday, May 18. A special meeting of the School Board will be held on Monday, May 11 to certify the results of the referendum election. 

 

Full agendas are available online.  

 

Previous School Board Meetings  

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

Events
UPCOMING EVENTS


'Synch or Swim' to make waves May 11

Edina Synchronized Swimming Team presents exhibition

The Edina Synchronized Swimming Team will present "Synch or Swim," an entertaining exhibition of their 2015 synchronized swimming routines.  The show will be Monday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Art Downey Aquatic Center, South View Middle School, 4725 South View Lane, Edina.  Tickets are available at the door for $5.00.

 

 

EHS Choirs present Happenin' 15, May 15-16
7 p.m. in Fick Auditorium
The EHS Happenin' Concerts are happening Friday and Saturday, May 15-16 at 7 p.m. in Fick Auditorium. They bring the vocal music season to an end with a wide ranging repertoire of pop music. The concerts feature the Varsity Choir, Bel Canto and a number of special acts. The evening's performances will include: I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Awesome '80s Medley, September, You Can't Stop the Beat, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and Landslide.

 

Tickets are $10 for reserved seats and $8 for general admission. The online ticket sales close 12 hours before each performance, with any remaining tickets to be sold at the door starting at 6 p.m. on both concert nights. All tickets ordered online will be available to pick up at Will Call one hour prior to each performance. Click here to order your tickets now. Any questions regarding tickets may be sent to [email protected].

  

 

Ed Fund Golf and Tennis Classic May 17-18

Have fun while supporting Edina students!

Don't miss out! Sign up now to attend the Kick Off Dinner for the Edina Education Fund Golf & Tennis Classic. Don't play golf or tennis? Don't worry. The dinner is an "all-comers" event where you'll be able to enjoy the company of 300 friends, old and new. The dinner includes a night of food, friendship and fundraising. With a world class silent auction and live auction that include a shorkie puppy, exotic travel destinations, Octane Fitness Zero Runner and more. This night is critical in raising funds to enrich public education right here in Edina. And, if you don't want the fun to end, you can sign up for the golf or tennis events that take place on Monday, May 18.

 

New to the event?
Q: Do I need to play golf or tennis to attend the dinner?
A: No! While golf and tennis are played on Monday, the kick-off dinner on Sunday is open to all and attendance is encouraged.
Q: What should I wear to the dinner?
A: Anything goes. Informal cocktail attire is appropriate.
Q: How is seating assigned?
A: At registration enter a "seat with" request or we will assign seating you to a super fun table if no preference is indicated.

Check the Education Fund website for details and to register.

 

Class of 2015 commencement May 31
About 670 seniors from the Edina High School Class of 2015 will graduate on Sunday, May 31. Commencement ceremonies will be held at 7 p.m. at Mariucci Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Tickets are not required to attend commencement.

 

DidYouKnow
DID YOU KNOW?

Is meditation for you?

Try different styles of meditation in sampler class

Have you wondered if meditation is for you? Did you know there are many different types of meditation? Sign up for the Meditation Sampler, a new class offered through Edina Community Education Services (CES). Learn the basics and try at least six different kinds of meditation and find the one that works for you. The hour-long class meets at the ECC Mondays, May 11 - June 8 (no class on May 25), and costs $95 for all four sessions. Click here to learn more and register. 

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

Contact the communications team at 952.848.3919 or email us at  [email protected] 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