~ Points of Pride ~
ISD 279-Osseo Area Schools Points of Pride
Note: This is an ongoing list of just some of the many accomplishments of ISD 279-Osseo Area Schools students and staff. Additional submissions always welcome; send to WeListen@district279.org
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<< Points of Pride Archive 2008-2009 >>
Student Confidence, Courage, and Competence
January 2012
To promote reading, Park Center students in photography and computer art classes created posters featuring Park Center staff reading their favorite books. The project called upon students to think of creative ways to promote reading within the school.
The Maple Grove Senior High boys swim and dive team won its True Team Section meet in January and scored 300 points ahead of the 2nd place team. The team also competed at the True Team State Swim meet and finished in 6th place.
The Maple Grove Senior High dance team won the Northwest Suburban Conference title. This is the 9th year in a row the Crimson dance team has won the conference title.
Park Center junior Quinton Hooker scored his 1,000th point in a basketball game vs. Elk River. Quinton has played JV/Varsity basketball since the 8th grade.
Nikki Chang and David Her were selected as Park Center’s 2012 Sno Daze King and Queen.
Several Basswood Elementary students were selected to read personal commitment essays during the school’s DARE graduation ceremony. The students received medals and were congratulated by Maple Grove Police Chief David Jess.
The College Board has given the ACHIEVE program an Honorable Mention for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts, along with $1,000 to expand arts programming. The judges said the program is a testament to the kind of positive impact that high expectations for all students can have on their learning.
Woodland Elementary students recently won high honors in the national WordMasters Challenge – a language arts competition that draws more than 200,000 U.S. participants each year. Coached by Nicole Ewing, Woodland’s team of 4th graders tied for 7th place in the December meet. Two Woodland Elementary students also earned highest honors for individual achievement in the WordMasters Challenge: 4th grader Anika Deshpande and 5th grader Amelia Lund were among the few who earned perfect scores.
Maple Grove Senior High sophomore Jin Chang placed third in the nation at the Leadership Prep Speech Contest in Los Angeles in December. Jin was flown to Los Angeles to deliver his speech about Standards-Based Grading. In recognition of his achievement, Jin was awarded a journalism and leadership internship with a California media company.
Maple Grove Senior High junior Camren Hopkins competed against more than 1,000 students and received an Honorable Mention Award at the Chicago International Model United Nations Competition in December. In the competition, Camren represented Poland in the Historical General Assembly.
Birch Grove and Company Arts Troupes presented their annual Winter Troupe Performance to a full house in December. More than 130 students are members of dance, drama, visual arts, show choir and media arts troupes.
Twenty-four staff members at Crest View Elementary are participating in a voluntary reading challenge in which each has committed to reading 20 children’s books by May 20th. In addition, many of them will blog and meet to discuss the books. The goal is for staff members to become more familiar with children’s books from various genres in order to incorporate new texts into their teaching.
Osseo Senior High School recently named seniors Nick Dalton and Emily Spoden as nominees for the Minnesota State High School League’s Triple A – Arts, Academics and Athletics – Award. Both Nick and Emily are active in extracurricular activities and maintain GPAs above 4.0.
Five District 279 schools are participating in a grant-funded Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program that seeks to maximize academic and social behavior outcomes for students. These students at Zanewood Community School won their school’s GOLD behavior award for the first trimester. GOLD is an acronym that helps students remember to Give their Respect; Own their Actions; Listen and Learn; and Do their Best. At Rice Lake Elementary, the theme is “Rice Lake Roadrunners Model Respect, Learning, and Responsibility.” All Rice Lake staff members wore t-shirts reflecting the theme on their first day back from winter break
Maple Grove Senior High swimmer Mike Lanz was named a Star Tribune Athlete of the Week. As one of the Crimson's top swimmers, Lanz was recognized for his win in the 100 butterfly. He was also recognized for his performance in two winning relay teams as Maple Grove beat Edina for the first time in team history.
December 2011
Park Center seniors Amanda Meissner and Aaron Heisterkamp won the Minnesota State High School League Triple “A” Award. The award recognizes seniors who excel in the arts, athletics and academics.
Maple Grove Senior High senior Alex Bare was named an Outstanding Boys Stater and awarded the Ambrose Koll Award Winner scholarship for his participation in Minnesota Boys State. The American Legion Boys State Director of Minnesota and representatives from the Osseo-Maple Grove American Legion presented Bare with his award and scholarship. This is the third time a Maple Grove Senior High student has earned this award.
The Maple Grove Senior High theater department received the 2011-2012 Hennepin Theatre Trust SpotLight Award for its musical production “The Drowsy Chaperone.” As award winners, members from “The Drowsy Chaperone” cast will perform a medley from the show at the Orpheum Theatre in June.
Bill Bauman’s AP Government class at Osseo Senior High has won the Minnesota We the People state competition and will advance to national finals next spring in Washington, D.C. The competition is a simulated congressional hearing during which groups of students testify as constitutional experts before panels of judges who act as congressional committees.
Along with students from across the state, 65 Weaver Lake Elementary 6th grade scientists attended the University of Minnesota Insect Fair, where they defined their questions, hypotheses, methods and outcomes and presented their insect investigations to judges. The judges awarded 5 Weaver Lake students the “Outstanding Question” medal; 8 Weaver Lake students received recognition for “Outstanding Project.”
The Woodland Elementary Eagle Choir, funded by the Woodland PTA and supported by Woodland staff, recently performed for audiences at St. Therese at Oxbow Lake Assisted Living Facility, at the Educational Service Center and for the Woodland School community. The choir, consisting of 5th and 6th graders, has its largest participation yet --112 members.
Nearly 150 people attended Palmer Lake Elementary’s Family Fun Night, a collaboration between the Boston Scientific STEM Council, The Works, and Palmer Lake. The goal of the event is to increase student exposure to and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
As part of a learning unit, the kindergartners at Crest View Elementary took part in the school’s annual Stone Soup feast. The feast, based on the Stone Soup books, sends the message that sharing makes us all richer. Students made the soup and other items, and then came together to share the meal.
The Star Tribune recently featured the Maple Grove Crimson hockey team. In the article, the Crimson players reflected on the past year and shared their confidence about entering the current season.
The Park Center adapted soccer teams placed at the state tournament in November. The CI team took third place and the PI team took fourth. Augie Wodrich was named to the All-Tournament team.
Park Center’s Invisible Rights student group recently presented on the conflict in Uganda and the Congo during a school-wide assembly at the Osseo Area Learning Center. Students made and sold bracelets to benefit partner communities in Uganda and served at Feed My Starving Children and the Mosaic Youth Food Shelf. Some members also attended a conference on race and equality at Metropolitan State University.
November 2011
November 13-19 is American Education Week. Sponsored by the National Education Association and celebrated in schools across the country, the week spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college. It also emphasizes the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. Highlights the week include Parents Day, Education Support Professional Day, Educator for a Day and Substitute Educators Day.
Approximately 1,000 students and family members turned out for the annual Monarch Fair at Weaver Lake Elementary: A Science, Math and Technology School. The fair featured student-created artwork, movies, brochures, video lab reports, and photography, all about the Monarch. Students also presented the results of their Monarch scientific investigations.
The Star Tribune recently featured an essay by Fernbrook 3rd-grader Ruby Mae Miller, who was named a runner-up in the United Way's "Everyone Counts" contest. Ruby Mae’s essay showed she clearly understands our school district's core value, "everyone has equal intrinsic value," and our strategic objective to have all students contribute to community.
Park Center students recently toured the Hennepin Technical College campus, where they learned about the wide range of post-secondary career training available and enjoyed a three-course meal prepared and served by Hennepin Tech culinary arts students. The campus tour was funded by a grant from the 279 Foundation.
Maple Grove Senior High junior Sasha Shilko is the only Minnesota student to qualify for the top 32 in the Bickel & Brewer International Public Policy Forum debate contest. Sasha will compete in a written debate with students from Taipei American School in Taiwan. If she makes it into the top 8, she will earn an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the oral competition, which culminates with a $10,000 championship award. The International Public Policy Forum is the only contest that gives high school students around the globe the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.
Park Center Culinary Arts students Azia Berhe, Becca Carroll, Valentine Irungu, and Pheng Lee participated in the first Stars of the Future fundraiser sponsored by Hospitality Minnesota. The Park Center team was paired with the executive chef of the downtown Radisson Hotel to develop, prepare and serve a small plate appetizer for one hundred guests at the Prohibition Restaurant at the W Hotel.
J.D. Steele, of the Minnesota musical powerhouse family The Steeles, conducted the last of three vocal clinics that were held at Woodland Elementary as part of students’ preparation for the sixth-grade musical, “The Spirit of Woodland.” Steele helped students engage with the emotions of the music they will perform.
Elm Creek kindergarten held its annual Pumpkin Math Day. Dads, grandpas, and uncles were encouraged to come to school to work with a small group of kindergartners on activities involving pumpkins and math. Students answered questions about the pumpkin’s weight, circumference, vertical lines and quantity of seeds. The students drew designs to be carved by the adults, some of whom brought power tools to do the job.
Maple Grove freshman swimmer Erin Buck was recently featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Buck spoke about her two trips to state, the impact of a former teammate and her plans to make a name for herself in the backstroke.
The Maple Grove girls swim team won the Northwest Suburban Conference. The girls swim team also won the True Team Section 8 competition and took 5th at the State True Team Meet.
The Minnesota State High School Soccer Coaches Association has selected Maple Grove senior Alex Niederloh for the Honorable Mention boys soccer team.
The Maple Grove boys soccer team won the section 5AA title and advanced to state, where they beat North High School but lost the semi-final today to Eden Prairie, 0-2. They’ll compete on Thursday of this week for third place.
The Osseo football team will compete in the Section 5A finals this Friday at Wayzata. If the Orioles win, they will advance to the playoffs at St. Cloud State University this Saturday.
Osseo senior Anders Evenson has qualified to compete in the State Cross Country Running Meet this Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield.
Maple Grove Junior High Technology Education students had a strong showing at the Minnesota State Fair last summer. Nearly 30 students were chosen to display their wood production projects at the Fair.
Students and staff at the Osseo Area Learning Center recently participated in Red Ribbon Week, which is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation. Staff used videos, classroom discussions, presentations and print materials to help break the myths and misconceptions of drug use and its effects. Red ribbons were also distributed as a visual symbol of the pledge to be drug-free.
Park Center senior and adapted soccer co-captain Jack Dougba scored his 100th career goal in October. Jack is the 3rd Park Center adapted soccer player ever to score 100 goals.
October 2011
Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts and Weaver Lake: A Science, Math and Technology School are two of nine schools named Magnet Schools of Merit by Magnet Schools of Minnesota. Birch Grove and Weaver Lake were recognized for their innovative instructional strategies, student assessment techniques, and parent and community involvement.
Park Center senior, Chau-ly Phan is a Channel 12 Standout Student. Phan, who is also a National Merit Commended Student, is on track to graduate with a full International Baccalaureate diploma. She is president of the National Honor Society, captain of the tennis team and a student member of our system’s Core Planning Team. She is considering her college options, which include Yale, Princeton, University of Chicago, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Robert Fisher, who graduated from Maple Grove Senior High last spring, placed 1st in the state in the Basic Economics of Food Markets category of the 2011 Cargill Global Food Challenge. Under the guidance of social studies teacher Patricia Sheehan, Fisher studied the national and international apple markets.
Our three comprehensive high schools celebrated their homecomings with themed events, football and coronations. Park Center High School crowned homecoming king Vincent Vang and homecoming queen Julia Le. Osseo Senior High crowned king Adam Hammer and queen Mazie Comp. And Maple Grove Senior High crowned king Matt Curtis and queen Keighly Colangelo.
Madeline Thomas, currently a 7th grader at Osseo Junior High, is the winner of the 2011-2012 Xcel Energy Safety Calendar art contest. Madeline entered the contest as a sixth-grader at Elm Creek Elementary last year. Out of thousands of submissions, her artwork was one of 13 entries chosen to appear in the calendar, which is distributed to classrooms in a seven-state area.
Nearly 400 people attended Garden City’s Multicultural Night, which included food, traditional dress, music and art from India, Japan, Panama, Mexico, Bolivia, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Nigeria, Bosnia, Mali and more. The event also featured culture from American Indian and African American traditions.
September 2011
Osseo senior Shanell McCoy was named a Channel 12 Standout Student in recognition of her vocal talent and leadership skills. Her performance at the “Minny’s Got Talent” statewide talent competition won first place and a $500 prize. McCoy is also a teen director at the A-List teen center in Brooklyn Park.
Two other Osseo Senior High students performed in the “Minny’s Got Talent” competition and advanced to the finals, and in the end, Osseo students swept the podium. Nipri Williams performed a spoken word rendition of an original poem, and Shaiana Pearson Saunders sang a cappella.
Kidstop students ranked 12th worldwide for the number of minutes they read during the Scholastic Summer Challenge - reading more than 659,000 minutes. Students from 22 countries logged the minutes they read in the competition, which helps students maintain their reading skills over the summer.
Sixteen students from Maple Grove Junior High and Maple Grove Senior High recently attended BestPrep's Minnesota Business Venture, a summer program focused on career planning and financial literacy. They joined about 300 other participants from around the state to learn about business topics such as entrepreneurship, market strategies and presentation skills.
Kaylyn Busch, a fourth-grader at Basswood Elementary, appeared on KSTP's Twin Cities LIVE at the Minnesota State Fair. Kaylyn presented her recipe for crunchy pickle orzo salad in front of a live audience.
Students and families at Park Brook Elementary are harvesting the fruits of their labor in a summer garden, thanks to a partnership among the school, Northwest Suburban Integration School District’s Family and Community Empowerment program, VIA International, and the District 279 Foundation. Watermelons, tomatoes, cucumbers and more will be shared by VIA International participants and Park Brook students.
Maple Grove Senior High students Lexi Hughes and Danielle Henke and Osseo Senior High students Taylor LaFave and Haylee Schumacher attended the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference in California over the summer. The students learned a strategic framework to diagnose problems in their community and to plan interventions for change. Some of their efforts include working with the cities of Osseo and Brooklyn Park to pass a social host ordinance and working with the City of Osseo to pass a tobacco-free parks ordinance.
August 2011
Congratulations to the Park Center Marching Band for taking the Grand Champion Award at the Vikingland Band Festival Parade Marching Championship in Alexandria. The Park Center Marching Band won every parade that it participated in this summer and received more than 25 awards for its performances.
The Maple Grove Senior High Boy’s lacrosse team was voted by the Upper Midwest Lacrosse Officials Association as the winner of the Team’s Sportsmanship Award. The Crimson junior varsity team took second place.
The 2011 Maple Grove High School baseball team was recently honored for its outstanding season. The Crimson were the state runner-up with a record of 26-2 and won the Northwest Suburban Conference with a 19-0 record, the first unbeaten baseball team in conference history.
Brooklyn Junior High students Hannah Schaub and McKenna DuBois, who play for a community basketball team, placed 2nd in the National Amateur Athletic Union Wide World of Sports Tournament in Orlando. Jakob Kuppe, an Educational Support Professional at Park Center, coaches the team, which includes players from all over the metro area.
Fifth through eighth grade students in The Spot, a summer community education program, competed in a food competition called “Chopped.” Similar to Top Chef and other TV food shows, the contest involved judging students on several criteria, including cleanliness of their kitchen space, originality, and of course, taste.
Several Osseo Area Schools students were named Channel 12 Standout Students over the summer. Park Center senior and honor roll student Dominic Sudue was recognized for his volunteer service at Zanewood Recreation Center’s summer camp, where he supervises and teaches younger children. Brooklyn Junior student Jessica Thao was featured for being one of six Brooklyn Park ambassadors. In her official role, Jessica will ride in about 20 parades, do community service, and participate in a host of city events. Finally, Park Center senior Quinton Hooker was recognized for being a teen director of the A List, a teen center and snack shop in Brooklyn Park. Hooker also plays on the on school’s basketball team.
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Achieving Dreams
January 2012
Maple Grove Junior High student, Zachery Budde, has earned a spot on the USA Junior National Taekwondo team. In April, Zachery will represent the USA at the 2012 Taekwondo Junior World event in Egypt.
Maple Grove Senior High senior, Allie Kutz, has qualified for the Figure Skating Worlds which will be held in Sweden in March. Allie will leave for Figure Skating Sectionals in January and will also skate in the French Cup.
Adam Mickelson, Park Center Class of 2011, will represent the U.S. Army Cadet Command at this year's Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York in April.
December 2011
Mikayla Bailey, a senior at Osseo Senior High, was recently featured in the Star Tribune. Bailey, who has committed to play basketball at the University of Minnesota next year, shared her strengths and weaknesses on the court and reflected on achieving her dream of playing for the Gophers.
November 2011
Several seniors at our comprehensive high schools signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to play collegiate sports. Four Maple Grove Senior High students signed letters: Mitch Bauer will play baseball at Mankato State University; Dan Lochner will play basketball at Bemidji State University; Cayli Sadler will play softball at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and Mandi Mauch will play softball at Mankato State University. Osseo Senior High’s Mikayla Bailey will play basketball at the University of Minnesota; and Park Center’s Jordan Petersen will play softball at Winona State University.
October 2011
Thaddeus L. Jankowski, a 1985 graduate of Osseo Senior High School, was recently promoted to the rank of Colonel in the US Marine Corps. Col. Jankowski’s mobilizations have included deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Bahrain.
Maple Grove Senior High swimmer Mike Rouleau and Maple Grove Senior High alumnus Curt Carlson are featured in the October issue of Maple Grove magazine. The article highlights their successful coaching relationship and their accomplishments.
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Contributing to Community
January 2012
The Osseo Senior High girls and boys basketball team raised $1,500 for Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The program empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
Park Center students and staff collected 500 pounds of food for the No Barriers Food Shelf located at Brooklyn United Methodist Church. The items collected during the school-wide competition will go to area youth.
The activities coordinators from our three comprehensive high schools teamed up with local youth organizations to donate used junior high football equipment to players in need. The equipment was no longer in use and had been in storage for a number of years. Volunteers from the Maple Grove Youth Football Association, Osseo Maple Grove Football Association and the Brooklyn Park Athletic Association sorted helmets, pads, pants and various other items and then divided it equally among the three youth football organizations. This event demonstrated a collaborative effort and a commitment to community that will help all of our communities provide pads, helmets, and pants to youth in need.
The Osseo Junior High Student Leadership Council wrote 300 holiday cards for recovering soldiers at three VA medical centers, including one in Washington DC. The student leaders thanked the men and women for their service to our country and sent warm holiday greetings.
A team of more than 20 volunteers from the Beverage Department at Target Headquarters recently helped Park Brook Elementary students create gingerbread houses. Target volunteers provided all materials, helped the students build the houses, and spent a full afternoon at the school.
December 2011
James Kleinke, a Sauk Rapids businessman who was inspired by a KARE 11 report about the rise in teen homelessness, donated 50 blankets to Park Center Senior High. Students from Park Center’s Human Rights Group then delivered the blankets to the No Barriers Food Shelf at Brooklyn United Methodist Church.
In December, Basswood Elementary student council members raised $700 for the Salvation Army by arranging for students, parents and advisors to sing and ring bells at the Maple Grove Cub Foods.
Students in Judi Mohr’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes at Brooklyn Junior High turned a class project into community service by sewing and then donating school kit bags to United Methodist Committee on Relief, a global humanitarian organization. The organization will pack the bags with school supplies and send them abroad to children in need.
Boston Scientific granted Brooklyn Junior High $35,000 for its STEM program. Boston Scientific’s Community Relations Director, Marilee Grant presented the grant to principal Rob Mendolia and STEM integration specialist Dana Trouth.
Students at Rice Lake Elementary collected 1,000 food items, 77 toys and a gift card for CROSS food shelf. Rice Lake students hope that their collection will help local families during this holiday season.
The Chris Benz Foundation has awarded $2,000 to Osseo Senior High’s Action for Reaction student program. The Action for Reaction program will use the grant money to promote sound decision-making and teen suicide prevention efforts.
Forty percent of District 279 employees participated in this year’s Employee Annual Giving Campaign, raising nearly $35,000 for the District 279 Foundation and nearly $40,000 for the Greater Twin Cities United Way. Birch Grove and Crest View Elementary Schools achieved 100% employee participationin the campaign.
During the most recent grant distribution, the District 279 Foundation approved $23,000 in grant requests. Grants may be submitted in one of three categories: curriculum enhancement, performance and social development.
Osseo Senior High National Honor Society members made 1,000 sandwiches that will feed the homeless in the Twin Cities. The student leaders teamed up with 363 Days, an organization whose mission includes serving 2,000 homeless individuals every day of the year, not just on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Brooklyn Park Library hosted the Fair Oaks Family Literacy Night. Thirty-seven of the more than 150 people who attended received a library card for the first time. In addition to offering a library scavenger hunt and giveaways, Fair Oaks Elementary staff engaged kids and parents in literacy activities. Every child took home at least two free books.
November 2011
Nearly 150 students at North View Jr. High IB World School stuffed 700 bears for the Mother Bear Project. The Mother Bear Project makes teddy bears for children around the world who have HIV/AIDS. Judy Johnson, parent of a former student at North View, knitted the bears and North View students stuffed them. This is a record number of bears since North View started with the project in 2009.
Park Center Student Assistance Counselor Mitzi Heath was interviewed on Channel 12 and will be featured on KARE 11 in early November speaking about the No Barriers Youth Food Shelf in Brooklyn Center, which serves young adults ages 14-21. The No Barriers food shelf, located inside Brooklyn United Methodist Church in Brooklyn Center, was started through a team effort involving two churches, Park Center High School and several service groups.
The Osseo Senior High hockey team received the 2011 Carol Dale Award for its volunteer work through the Community Emergency Assistance Program or CEAP. This is the fourth year the team has performed yard cleanup and leaf raking for senior citizens in Osseo, Maple Grove, Dayton, Champlin, and Brooklyn Park.
Third-grade students at Fair Oaks Elementary joined Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) for a book giveaway and read-aloud event sponsored by Buddig lunchmeats. Brooklyn Park Police Cadet Officer Rafael Villamizer read to students and each received a free book for his or her home library. Fair Oaks was one of 10 schools in the nation selected to participate in the Reading is Fundamental book distribution.
Four students from Park Center were nominated by a local resident for the City of Brooklyn Center’s Random Acts of Kindness award. The resident was driving to work last year when she got stuck in a snowbank, and the Park Center students helped free her car. Unfortunately, the nominator did not know the boys’ names but she wanted to “publicly acknowledge their great act of kindness.”
October 2011
Park Center Senior High School’s cheerleaders earned a Community Spotlight Award from WCCO-TV and Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum and Carey. The squad will sell ribbons, wristbands, and other items at an upcoming game to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
Osseo Senior High School cheerleaders led a group of enthusiastic young cheerleaders as they prepared to cheer at the halftime of Osseo's homecoming game against Andover. The younger cheerleaders had participated in the Orioles' cheer clinic in September, and one of the rewards was to cheer in front of the crowd at the homecoming game.
The Maple Grove Senior High Crimson football team earned the WCCO-TV High School Sports Rally Community Spotlight award, recognizing its volunteer work at Feed My Starving Children. The team received a check for $500 courtesy of WCCO-TV and Sieben Grose Von Holtum and Carey.
More than 270 runners and walkers participated in the first annual District 279 Foundation Reading is Fun Run/Walk. Proceeds from the Fun Run/Walk will benefit media centers in Osseo Area Schools.
September 2011
The Maple Grove Senior High Crimson Football team packed more than 44,000 meals at Feed My Starving Children. That’s enough meals to feed 121 children, one meal per day for a full year. The meals were shipped to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, where there has been widespread starvation due to a two-year drought.
The Osseo Orioles track team recently performed two community service projects. The team cleaned up trash along a 2 1/2-mile stretch along Territorial Road, and volunteered at Feed My Starving Children to pack meals.
Mary Beth Kissling who teaches the Stamp Out Breast Cancer class in our school district’s community education program, was featured in the September issue of Maple Grove magazine. Kissling has been teaching a stamping class for the Osseo School District for eight years. The same issue featured Maple Grove Senior High’s new football coach, Matt Lombardi.
Osseo Senior High has rededicated its stadium/field complex as "John Hansen Stadium at Carl A. Tonn Field.” John Hansen was football coach and lead choral director at the school for 40 years. The rededication ceremony included a reunion of Osseo Orioles football alumni and former choir members, and a presentation of a plaque commemorating the rededication. Members of the Carl Tonn family were also honored in recognition of Mr. Tonn's contributions as a School Board member.
Volunteers from Hands On Twin Cities and Boston Scientific worked on school beautification projects at North View Junior High and Park Center Senior High to help prepare for the new school year. The volunteers planted community gardens, painted signs and posters, and built benches to help welcome students back to another year of learning.
Weaver Lake Elementary: A Science, Math and Technology School received a $2,500 donation as part of the celebration for the grand opening of the Maple Grove Big Lots store. Weaver Lake principal Gretchen Peel attended the event to accept the donation on behalf of the school.
August 2011
This summer, the Kidstop and Cosmic Club students at Weaver Lake Elementary decided to make a difference in other children’s lives. They collected new and slightly used books for the Read Indeed Program, and put in many hours selling donuts and cookies, raising more than $1,000. At the end of the summer, the students donated more than 2,500 books to the Read Indeed service-learning project.
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Overcoming Obstacles
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Leveraging Assets
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Lifelong Learning
October 2011
Becca Girvan, a 2010 graduate of Osseo Senior High, was named Rookie of the Year for the Luther College softball team. Girvan made an immediate impact her freshman year, earning second-team all-Iowa Conference and all-Midwest Region honors. She struck out 128 batters and tied for seventh in Luther's single season strikeout records.
Tim Jackman, a former Park Center hockey player, was profiled in the Brooklyn Park Sun Post. Jackman, who has played eight years at various professional levels, is now a National Hockey League player for the Calgary Flames.
August 2011
Maple Grove Senior High School graduate, Will Dehn, was one of the 1,000 individuals, out of 11,000 applicants, accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy for the coming year. Earlier this summer, Rep. Erik Paulsen bestowed the appointment during a reception at the congressman’s office.
Maple Grove Senior High alumna Lindsey Kurhajetz graced the cover of the July issue of Triathlete magazine. The Maple Grove resident is also the director of the Maple Grove Triathlon and director of the Maple Grove Ambassadors program.
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Mission-Driven Employees
January 2012
Governor Dayton declared January 16-20 as Paraprofessional Recognition Week in Minnesota, providing a special opportunity to honor our Educational Support Professionals, or ESPs. ESPs make up the second-largest contract group in our school district and they serve in many capacities that support the needs of students, staff and buildings.
Dawn Nelson, instructional media and technology coordinator, has earned a 2012 Making IT Happen award from the International Society for Technology Education. The award honors educational technology leaders around the world for their commitment and innovation.
Park Center’s National Board Certified Teacher Mary Condon has been selected to present on effective curriculum implementation at the Asia Pacific International Baccalaureate Annual Conference in Singapore in March. Ms. Condon will also be releasing her first published book on the same topic.
Cindy Meester, speech language pathologist at Fair Oaks Elementary, took 2nd place out of 44 nominations from around the world for her Edublog. Edublogs are education blogs for teachers, students and institutions. The purpose of the awards program is to promote and demonstrate the educational values of learner and teacher blog sites for educational purposes.
December 2011
Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius has appointed Education Minnesota-Osseo President Jay Anderson to a 35-member panel charged with developing a new evaluation system for Minnesota teachers. Mandated by the legislature as part of the new teacher evaluation law passed during the 2011 special session, the Teacher Evaluation Working Group will develop an evaluation model to be used by school districts and teachers in the event they do not agree on a local evaluation model.
District 279 teachers Tiffany McGrath and Kelly Wilson have been named 2011 TIES Exceptional Teachers. McGrath, a business teacher at Maple Grove Senior High, was recognized for her positive and innovative approach with students and technology. Wilson, a 6th grade teacher at Zanewood Community School, was nominated for being one of the first teachers to welcome personal devices into his classroom. McGrath and Wilson will be honored at the TIES Education Technology Conference this month.
Thanks to the work of our Food and Nutrition Services staff, Osseo Area Schools is the only school district in the country that earned the national Whole Grains Challenge award from the Whole Grains Council, recognizing our schools’ creative whole grain menu offerings. Our Food and Nutrition staff’s efforts were also featured in a Star Tribune article, noting our system’s collaboration with the bakery technology group at Cargill to make whole-grain bread that students love.
The Osseo Area Retired Educators hosted its annual Scholarship Breakfast at Osseo Senior High in early December. The event featured a waffle breakfast, live music and performances by the Brooklyn Park youth group The A –List, and a craft sale. All proceeds from the breakfast will go toward college scholarships for one senior at each of our three comprehensive high schools.
November 2011
The Osseo Area Retired Educators will host its annual Scholarship Breakfast on Friday, December 2 from 6 to 9 a.m. in the Osseo Senior High cafeteria. All proceeds from the breakfast will be given as scholarships to one senior at each of our three comprehensive high schools. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at the Educational Services Center.
Ten Osseo Area Schools representatives attended the AchieveMpls Education Partners Luncheon. The keynote speaker was Dr. Carol Johnson, Boston Public Schools Superintendent and former superintendent in Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, and Memphis. Dr. Johnson explored the power of public education as a fundamental civil right and offered some new approaches to achieve greater success in urban education. AchieveMpls mobilizes community support and resources to ensure academic achievement, equitable opportunities, and career and college readiness for all students.
Fair Oaks Licensed Media Specialist Sally Kimmes has earned the Lars Steltzner Scholarship. The scholarship, granted by Metronet, a state funded library network, is given annually to one staff person from a Metronet member library who is early in his or her career. The scholarship of $500 may be used for expenses for continuing library education.
Park Center track and cross country coach Dave Bauer was featured in the Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center Sun Post, in the Star Tribune and on Channel 12 for his retirement this fall after 48 years of coaching.
October 2011
Osseo Senior High girls soccer coach, Katie Ormsbee, won Section 5AA Coach of the Year from the State Soccer Coaches Association. Ormsbee has been the girl’s soccer head coach for two seasons.
Stacey Nelson, Crest View Elementary physical education teacher and Rachel Veenker, Cedar Island Elementary music teacher, received surprise visits and $1,000 worth of school supplies as part of Office Max’s “A Day Made Better” campaign. The campaign celebrates teachers’ extra efforts in the classroom, and helps alleviate the need for teachers to use personal funds to buy classroom supplies.
The kitchen staffs at Birch Grove Elementary, North View Junior High, and Park Center Senior High have won the Gold Tray Award from the Food and Nutrition Services Department. The Gold Tray Award recognizes kitchen staffs that connect with our students and support our mission.
Park Center Media Specialist Dhaivyd Hilgendorf has been elected President-elect of MEMO, the Minnesota Educational Media Organization. MEMO provides leadership and service by promoting professional growth, facilitating collaboration among its members, establishing standards, and advocating for 21st century learners. The vision of the organization is for all Minnesota students and educators to be effective users of information and technology.
Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts has a new mural, thanks to art teacher and Birch Grove alumna, Kori Brown. The mural, which stretches across the Birch Grove main entry doors, reflects the art magnet's theme. In addition, Brown earned the Artsonia Leadership Award, which honors teachers who go beyond the classroom walls to encourage family and community involvement in arts education.
Park Center math teacher Justin Jacobs has been selected by the University of St. Thomas School of Education to participate in a fellowship program designed to produce extraordinary classroom teachers. Jacobs is among five teachers selected from 105 applicants from public and private schools in the Twin Cities metro area.
Osseo Senior High teacher, Bill Huston, was recently featured in the Brooklyn Park Sun Post, highlighting how District 279 teachers use student feedback, standards-based grading and relationship building to enhance student learning.
For their leadership in the College Prep program, Terry Jaakkola, instructor for Osseo Adult Basic Education and Coordinator for College Prep, and Mary Klis from North Hennepin Community College accepted the North Hennepin Medallion Award for 2011 Innovation of the Year. The College Prep program offers free college preparation to adults who wish to transition into college.
Weaver Lake teachers, Camey Kania and Lisa Koch, and Brooklyn Junior teacher Gina Keenan were recognized by SciMathMN for their contributions to the Mathematics and Science Frameworks that will help teachers translate the state's math and science standards into classroom practice. Across the entire state, only two math and two science writers per grade level were selected for the frameworks writing teams, and three of them were from Osseo Area Schools.
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