March 17, 2016 | VOLUME 4 ISSUE 29

SNAPSHOT: EHS senior Kenrick Bjelland entertained the crowd at the state Math Bowl on Monday by reciting 509 digits of Pi. March 14 is Pi Day, recognizing the symbol and numeral that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to it's diameter, the decimal representation of which is never ending. KARE11 captured Kenrick's performance. Click on the image above to see his feat and hear his memorization technique.
Headlines
EPS HEADLINES
Congratulations, Michael!
It's a three-peat for Michael Tang, EHS junior, who won the state Math Bowl last weekend for the third year in a row. KARE11 was at the competition and captured the final moments of the tournament. They also talked with Michael about his love of math. Click on the link (right) to view the story.


MULTI-SENSORY APPROACH GETS YOUNG STUDENTS READY TO LEARN
Kate Erickson's Pre-K students learn about shapes, colors, numbers, animals and the weather. What is different, however, is how they are learning. Read more
DECA STUDENTS TO COMPETE AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Nine members of the EHS DECA team will advance to international competition following the annual Minnesota DECA State Career Development Conference March 6-8. Read more


facilitiesupdateFACILITIES UPDATE

City Council approves subdivision of property
On March 15, the Edina City Council approved the subdivision of the property at 7600 Metro Boulevard for the district's new transportation services facility. This was the last item that the school district needed to complete during the due diligence period. The school district is satisfied with its due diligence investigation and intends to proceed towards closing, which is to occur within 35 days after expiration of the Due Diligence period, which expires on March 24, 2016.
 
Board hears updates on furniture procurement, district office schematic design
At its March 14 work session, the School Board heard updates on plans for student furniture procurement and the schematic design for the district office relocation to the third floor of the ECC.
 
The furniture update included a review of criteria that was determined by the Student Furniture Task Force (SFTF), comprised of teachers and staff from early learning through high school. Additional input was also collected from students and specific user groups, including special education and media specialists. Individual site teams are finalizing furniture selections for classrooms, extended learning areas and media centers. The Board reviewed the furniture options and proposed timeline for delivery and installation, which will align with building construction projects. In addition, administration discussed plans for taking inventory and determining what current furnishings will be kept, as well as options for disposal of unneeded inventory.
 
The School Board then reviewed a schematic design for the third floor of the Edina Community Center (ECC) showing how district offices, currently located on the second floor, will be relocated. In addition, the design articulates a plan for accommodation of Community Education classrooms and fitness spaces, as well as tenants currently renting space at the ECC. The timeline for the project notes renovation work occurring during the 2016-17 school year, with the relocation slated to be complete by spring 2017. The second floor space currently occupied by the district office will be renovated for an expansion of Normandale Elementary. View the presentation on these updates here.

Board discusses budget alignment plan
At its March 14 regular meeting, the School Board heard and discussed the draft budget alignment plan for the 2016-17 school year. The plan was developed by administration with input from principals, the Board Finance Committee, and the Budget Advisory Task Force (BATF), which consisted of 23 parents, community members, students, teachers and staff. The BATF met three times in February and March providing guidance for the prioritization of areas for budget adjustment, and in generating ideas for ways to align the 2016-17 budget, as well as budgets in future years. The budget alignment plan presented on Monday outlines total adjustments in the amount of $535,200, which includes areas of revenue generation, reallocation, reductions and savings, as well as one-time enhancements for next year as Next Generation strategic recommendations and implementation plans are advanced. Read more details in the Board presentation.
READ MORE HEADLINES!
iameps
I AM EPS
Meet four EPS volunteers recognized for Connecting With Kids
Connecting With Kids (CWK) honored four Edina Public Schools volunteers March 4 for their support of students. CWK is a program of the Edina Community Foundation that is committed to building a healthier Edina for its youth. Meet the EPS volunteers who were honored for making a difference in students' lives.

Read about all the ways they are improving lives for Edina youth and why they volunteering is important to them.

Clockwise beginning top left, Dulce Torres, Cathy Cella, Owen Stidman and Becky Briggs
StaffNews
STAFF NEWS
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 [email protected]
  • Congratulations Josh Jansen, Creek Valley physical education teacher, on the birth of his son, Crawford Elias.
  • Congratulations to Jonathan Heeringa, South View social studies teacher, on the birth of his daughter, Chloe.
  • Congratulations to Danyel Mattson, South View Spanish teacher, on the birth of her son, Brock Ivan.
  • Condolences to Stephanie Hatcher, South View building repair staff, on the passing of her father.
Safety reminder: Keep valuables out-of-sight
A reminder to staff, parents and students to always store valuable items out of sight when leaving your car, even for a short time. Cell phones and electronics, purses and billfolds, backpacks and brief cases can be lost in moments if left on a car seat or the floor of your vehicle. There have been a few "smash and grab" incidents around school buildings this year, including one this week, where valuable items were stolen from vehicles that were unattended for a matter of minutes. The police department is aware of these incidents. Take the time to put valuables in the trunk or glove compartment, even when you are making quick stops to drop off, pick up or have a short meeting. 

Check out TIES class offerings
TIES logo Although we will be moving to a new student information system next fall, we are still a TIES member district. Check out the class offerings in the latest TIES newsletter. Saturday classes are Free to member district, and we get a discount for events like AppSmach, The TIES Institute (Google) and iPadpalooza. See more information in the TIES newsletter, or contact Mike Walker with questions: x4050.

Need help communicating with families? Call Language Line Services
The district has contracted with Language Line Services to help teachers and staff communicate effectively with non-English speaking families. Interpreters are available in more than 200 languages and can help you make important one-to-one connections with families. You'll find information on how to access Language Line on the Staff Resources page of the district website, and also here.

schoolboard
SCHOOL BOARD
School Board Meeting March 14

Highlights of Monday's School Board meeting included:
  • Recognition of the EHS boys alpine ski team, state champions for the second year in a row (pictured right)
  • Update on the K-5 reading program materials
  • Updates and discussion on the 2016-17 budget alignment plan, student furniture procurement and district office schematic design. (Read more in Facilities Update above.)
The next regular meeting of the School Board will be Monday, April 11, 7 p.m., ECC Room 349

Complete agendas and meeting minutes are available online.
Watch video of past School Board meetings on the district website
savethedate
SAVE THE DATE  

TONIGHT: March 17 Opening Reception for Student Art Show
  • Opening night reception with student artists - Thursday, March 17, 6-8 p.m.
  • Show features artwork by students from all six Edina elementary schools
  • Art Show will run March 17 through April 17 


March 17 - 19: Valley View Thespians present
Seussical the Musical
  • Thursday & Friday, March 17 & 18, 7 p.m. at EPAC
  • Saturday, March 19, 1 & 7 p.m. at EPAC
  • $8 students/seniors; $10 adults
  • Box office opens at 6 p.m. (Noon for matinee)
  • Doors open at 6:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. for matinee)
March 24 - EHS ComedySportz
  • Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m., EPAC
  • $5 general admission; $3 for students
  • An evening where improv comedy is a sport -- four teams of EHS actors compete for laughs while a referee calls fouls and gets suggestions from the audience
March 28 - April 1: No School/Spring Break
  • No School PreK-12
  • Check out non-school day youth enrichment programs for a wide variety of classes and activities through Community Education Services
March 30 - MnDOT Open House for Hwy 100 construction information
  • Wednesday, March 30, 5-7 p.m., Groves Academy (3200 Hwy 100 South, St. Louis Park)
  • Information about construction schedule and traffic impacts for two projects on Hwy 100 between Hwy 62 in Edina and W. 36th Street in St. Louis Park
  • Construction begins in April and will include several weekend closures of Hwy 100, a highway bridge demolition, and multiple short- and long-term ramp closures
  • MnDOT engineers and project managers will be available to discuss the reconstruction projects, traffic impacts and detours, and to answer questions

April 8 - Edina Give and Go Annual Fundraiser

  • Friday, April 8, 6-8 p.m. at Meg & Tony Rodriguez home (6624 Mohawk Trail)
  • A fun, casual party to raise funds to help Edina Give and Go advance its mission to bring life and learning opportunities to EPS students who are economically disadvantaged
  • RSVP now - space is limited!
  • If you are unable to attend, go to Edina Give and Go website to find out how you can help!
didyouknow
DID YOU KNOW  
Growing Up Workshop: Father & Son Connecting
Saturday, April 16, 9-Noon, ECC Room 165, Cost: $40/pair

Growing up can be exciting, exhilarating, confusing and scary - all at the same time! Join staff from myHealth for Teens & Young Adults for a fun and informative three-hour workshop that will take some of the mystery out of puberty and the questions out of adolescence. The workshop is geared to boys ages 10-13 and their father or other trusted male adult. For more information, view the flyer or go to edina.thatsommunityed.com/

 

Contact the communications team at 952.848.3919 or email us at  [email protected] with news, story ideas or photos! 
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5701 Normandale Road 
Edina, MN 55424
952.848.3000