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Edison SLC Wins State Magnet Grant	Congratulations to Edison High School's Education & Public Service (Ed & PS) SLC who recently won a $57,000 State Magnet grant. The money will be used to expand existing programs, such as paying SLC students to provide math tutoring to area middle school students as well as start new programs like e-mentoring for all juniors and seniors. The Ed & PS SLC will also begin partnering with the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute and the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, as well as MCTC's Urban Teacher Education Program, to bring Public Achievement (an internationally recognized program) to Edison High School. Public Achievement empowers students to work on issues in their communities to help make a difference. For more information contact Nancy Hellander-Pung or Jon Linne at Edison (668-1300).
Washburn Students in Summer Enrichment	Junior Washburn engineering students, Dan Dolan and Sam Ellison, were nominated and participated in a summer enrichment opportunity at the High Performance Computing Center at the University of Minnesota/Institute of Technology this past summer. Both students had the opportunity to program a new Cray supercomputer and also use the supercomputer to solve real-life physics and material science problems. We hope you both enjoyed the experience!
Adult Basic Education Recognized at Literacy Awards Ceremony	The 6th Annual Literacy Minnesota Adult Basic Education (ABE) Awards Ceremony was held on Aug. 18, celebrating the success of the many accomplishments and contributions from those in the field of ABE. Minneapolis ABE is proud to announce their staff and partnerships that received awards at this year’s ceremony. ABE Leadership Award – George Ploetz ABE Teacher of the Year – Nicole Carson ABE Advocacy Award – Jama Ismail ABE Partnership Award – Assistance League of Minneapolis/St. Paul Recipients were chosen for their unique, innovative and creative contributions to the field and for their impact on the literacy effort in their communities and/or statewide. Congratulations to these employees and partnerships!
Cooper PTO Chosen as Winner in Parent Group of the Year Contest	The Cooper Community School Parent Teacher Organization has been chosen as the Midwest Regional winner in PTO Today's annual Parent Group of the Year contest. The judges were very impressed with their application/essay (pdf) and chose theirs out of several hundreds entries as one of five regional winners across the country. As a regional winner, they will receive a $500 check from PTO Today, as well as $500 in custom apparel from Educational Products Inc., which sponsored the Parent Group of the Year search. In addition, Cooper's Parent Group will be profiled in the September issue of PTO Today. Congratulations!
Lyndale Principal Receives Outstanding Educator Award	Congratulations to Ossie Brooks James, principal of Lyndale Elementary School, who is one of six educators named recipients of a $10,000 Award for Excellence. Brooks James received the Ethics in Education Award as part of the WEM Educator Awards program, which was created by the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF). The Ethics in Education Award recognizes educators who exemplify ethical behavior for the teaching profession and promote ethical practices and development for their students through classroom activities or curriculum. Thank you, Ossie, for your outstanding contributions to education!
Driver Education Teacher of the Year	Shirly Suneson of Edison High School has been named the state's Driver Education Teacher of the Year and later in the month of July, she will find out if she has earned the national driver education crown. An article about Shirly Suneson ran in the Star Tribune on Tue., July 20, on the front page of the Metro/State section. If you'd like a copy, please contact the Communications Department at 668-0236.
2004 Merit Scholarship Winners	The following students are 2004 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners: Cynthia McMurry of South High School and Elsabeth Oakley, Derek Maanum, Andrew Rausch, and Rebecca Yale, all of Southwest High School. Congratulations to each of you! Established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a non-profit corporation that operates without government assistance. The majority of Merit Scholarship awards offered each year are underwritten by approximately 500 independent corporate organizations and higher education institutions who support NMSC's efforts to recognize scholastically talented youth and provide educational opportunities for them as they continue their pursuit of academic excellence.
Board Member Judy Farmer Takes National Role	On July 1, long-time MPS Board of Education Director Judy Farmer became the Chair of Board of Directors of the Council of Great City Schools. Farmer will serve a one-year term as head of this national education policy and advocacy organization representing 62 big-city school districts. The Council's board is composed of the superintendent along with a school board member from each Council district. Founded in 1956 and incorporated in 1961, the Council is located in Washington, D.C., where it works to promote urban education through legislation, research, media relations, instruction, management, technology, and other special projects designed to improve the quality of urban education. The Council serves as the national voice for urban educators. For more information go here and for more information about the Council, visit their web site at http://www.cgcs.org.
Washburn Girls' Relay Team Are State Champs	State Champs! Four Washburn juniors from the Girls Relay Team, Kadeshia Fortune, Rachel Lee, Tereza Gorvik and Elizabeth Gorvik, won the 4x100 and the 4x200 relays at State Track and Field Championships at the National Sports Center in Blaine on June 10 and 11. They broke state records in both races. They won the 4x100 with a new state record time of 47.95 seconds. In the 4x200 they tied their own state record time of 1:40.76 seconds.
Patrick Henry High School Teacher Accepted into Prestigious Supreme Court Summer Institute	Brionna Harder, teacher at Patrick Henry High School, traveled to Washington, D.C., in June to attend the prestigious Supreme Court Summer Institute (SCSI). After a highly competitive application process, 60 teachers were selected to participate this year. The Institute, open to teachers who demonstrate outstanding ability in the field of law-related and civic education, is co-sponsored by Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society. The SCSI will offer teachers the opportunity to study recent Supreme Court cases in detail and learn innovative teaching methodology for conveying this information to students. Well known Supreme Court lawyers, reporters, scholars and educators will be among the speakers and instructors for the Institute. Teachers will be in the courtroom when the Court hands down several of this term's decisions and attend a private reception there. Upon returning home, teachers will be available to present workshops on the U.S. Supreme Court, and to meet with media to discuss how the new skills and information will apply in their classrooms.
Kenwood Service Club Delivers "Kare Kits"	Spring brought the tradition of the Service Club to the Community School and Performing Arts Magnet at Kenwood. "Kare Kits" were compiled for men, women and children. The kits included items such as soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, combs and tissue. Every kit for a child contained a special toy or book. At the end of the project, kits were delivered to Sharing and Caring Hands by the students. This year 159 full kits and an additional 600 items were collected. Over the past nine years, more than 2,000 "Kare Kits" have been delivered by more than 100 Kenwood students. One student summed up the experience by saying, "I know we helped somebody today." And they had.
Transition Plus Students Attend International Food Show	The Transition Plus (T+) Service's Culinary Arts Program at MCTC attended the International Food Show in Chicago on May 22 - 25. Instructor Chef Leon Hardeman, SEA Jay Roland, and Administrator Diane Elkerton, accompanied the students and hope to make this an annual affair. The students and staff at Transition Plus and MCTC's Culinary Arts program wish to thank the many people who have assisted in their efforts to attend the restaurant, motel and hotel trade show. Special thanks to all of their colleagues at T+ for their continued support over the school year.
Roosevelt Senior Passes A4 Steering & Suspention Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) Test in May	Steve Wurdemann is a senior at Roosevelt High School and will be beginning an internship as Apprentice Automotive Technition at Carrousel Porshe/Audi in Wayzata. Roosevelt High School is one of only six schools throughout Minnesota, and one of only a few schools within the metropolitan area, to have received AYES. AYES certification is a highly rigorous process that allows automotive students to be part of a system that raises the quality of high school technology programs to industry standards. Students have the opportunity to earn up to 16 credits applicable to colleges and universities. AYES certification also allows Roosevelt students to intern at participating car dealerships. This helps students gain entry into the industry and higher paying part-time jobs as graduates work toward their college degrees.
Howe Community School Recognized As State Champion in 2004 Reading Challenge	Congratulations to the students and staff of Howe Community School. The school was recognized as the state champion in the Reading Is Fundamental Community Reading Challenge for 2004. "Read with Me: The Community Reading Challenge" is a two week program to engage family members and communities across the country in motivating children to read. Children participating in Reading Is Fundamental sites, along with community members, take part in reading activities with the hopes of being champions. During Howe's challenge dates, the site recruited staff, family members and friends to read with children and participate in reading activities. In addition, children took a personal challenge to complete literacy-related activities at home and to meet reading goals.
North Community High Teacher Receives Certificate of Merit	Elizabeth Lasley, Community Education Director at North Community High School, recently received a Certificate of Merit from the Minnesota Community Education Association for North High's participation in "Operation Polar Bear-Ladysmith," that took place on Sept. 11, 2002. Operation Polar Bear-Ladysmith was a community service project where students traveled to Ladysmith, Wisconsin, to help residents clean up after tornado damage. The students who provided this service to the community were North High's Renaissance Small Learning Community (SLC). This mission was a team effort between the Renaissance SLC and Community Education. The students who participated agreed that this was a great experience and planned to stay in touch with Ladysmith High School students through an E-Pal Project.
High School Stuents Recognized as Top Journalists	Two Minneapolis students were recognized as top high school journalists last week by the Star Tribune and Minnesota State High School League in the first annual High School Newspaper Challenge. The challenge was created to encourage and recognize excellence among high school newspapers and student journalists in the state. Best News Reporting went to Ifrah Jimale (senior) of the Roosevelt Standard for "Budget cuts hit Roosevelt." Best Opinion Writing went to Tamar Green (senior) of The Southerner for "Finding the normal amid the chaos, finding the peace amid the war." Congratulations!
South High Students Receive Medals in Statewide French Contest	Ten students from South High School participated and received medals in the statewide French oral contest, A Vous La Parole, held at the University of Minnesota on April 20. Accompanied by their French teacher, Melissa Davis, these students performed in the poetry, theatre, song and extemporaneous reading categories. Emily Hager- Gorman and Miriam Mefleh received a third place white ribbon medal, and the following students received the first place blue ribbon medal: Mari Adams, Carolyn Feldman, Ben Gottlieb, Iman Mefleh, Margaret Pennington, Eleaonor Rose, Colin Stanley, and Kristin Watts. Bravo, students!
Field Student Takes 1st Place	Ian Snyder, an 8th grade student at Field School, won first place in the State Future Problems Solving Competition and was in the International Competition in June. Congratulations and good luck!
Roosevelt BPA Team Competes at National Leadership Conference	During the last week of April in 2004, the Roosevelt High School Business Professional of America (BPA) team competed at the National Leadership Conference in Cincinnati, OH. The finalists were Brian Turnberg - Cisco Systems Administration and Java Programming; Jeffrey Fridlund - Cisco Systems Administration and Computer Network Technology; Abdulahi Hussein - Computer Network Technology; Angela Wachira - Cisco Systems Administration, Stephen Burris - Cisco Systems Administration, and David Gilberstadt - Roosevelt BPA Advisor and computer instructor.
Washburn Students Get Literary Works Published	The following students had poems published in a hardbound book titled "A Celebration of Young Poets." The students are Fuad Ali, Emily Felland, Danielle Simpson, Jeff Nichols, Erik Coglianese, Daniel Grays, Karli Ulstrom, Michael Glenn and Deandre James.
Congratulations To Our Outstanding Principals & Teachers! The 2004 Wayne & Wilma Pierce Teachers of the Year, Finalists for Teacher of the Year & National Board Certifications	Bryn Mawr Principal Barb Braaten has received the Distinguished Service Award from MESPA; and Wellstone International High School and WOC Principal Ruth Schultz has received the Distinguished Service Award from MASSP. The Wayne and Wilma Pierce Teachers of the Year have also been announced. These are unique awards because students write essays to nominate a teacher. Thousands of essays were submitted with hundreds of teachers being nominated for the four top spots and $1,000 award. Congratulations to the following Teachers of the Year and thank you for making a difference in the lives of your students: Phirun Fricke, Webster; Carol Kane, Lyndale; Patrick O’Connor, Southwest; and Joe Rossow, Dowling. Congratulations to the Minneapolis Teachers of the Year and National Board Certified staff who were recognized at the May 25 Board of Education meeting. These teachers, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists and speech-language clinicians represent the many great professionals working in this district. Please take time to acknowledge the following people for their outstanding accomplishments: Teachers of the Year: Carol Kane, Lyndale School; Joe Rossow, Dowling School; Phirun Frick, Webster Open; and Patrick O’Connor Southwest High School. Each of these teachers received $1000 from the Wayne and Wilma Pierce Foundation, as well as Certificates of Excellence from the Board and from the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers. The selection was based on essays written by Minneapolis students and by recommendations from colleagues and principals. Finalists for Teacher of the Year: These teachers were also written about by students and received Certificates of Excellence from the Board and MFT Local 59: Kate Weidenbach, Tuttle; John Cearnal, Lucy Craft Laney; Allison Constant, Field; Liz Frisby, Parkview; Jennifer Hansen, Anthony; Martha Kirby, Cityview; Jit Kundan Windom Open; Katy Shriver, Webster Open; David Thompson, Jordan Park; Leah Williams, Sheridan. National Board Certifications: Many rigorous hours are dedicated to becoming nationally board certified culminating in a difficult all-day exam. This effort is based on being able to demonstrate skills/abilities that meet national standards. The following have been endorsed as achieving the highest level of professionalism Teachers: Melissa Lynn Davis, David Gross, Jennifer Hansen, Mary Hill, Renee Jesness, Margaret Olsen, Helene Perry. Psychologists: Amy J. Dahlstom, Paul Muyskens, Layne Neville, Kathy Robison, David Schrot. Social Workers: Michael Resig, Jennifer Crouch Physical Therapists: Michelle Hobbs, Kathy Polga Speech-Language–Hearing Clinicians: Sarah Cooper, Vicki Paek, Catherine Trapskin
Work Opportunity Center Students Have Mural Displayed	Two students from Work Opportunity Center (WOC) have had their work accepted for online display in conjunction with the Coexistence Art Exhibition currently being shown in the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza. To view the mural, go to the Coexistence web site: http://www.chgs.umn.edu/coexistence. The mural will also be displayed at the Katherine Nash Gallery on the University of Minnesota campus beginning June 11. Edgar Yanez-Herrera and Aaron J. Beaulieu created the mural out of a desire to have artwork displayed around the school that was representative of the diversity of students at the Work Opportunity Center. Being an alternative school, the student population comes from all over the city. The artists brainstormed with their class on how to make sure everyone was represented in the mural, how to illustrate the unique social dynamic of the school, as well as their lives outside of school and how to show the bridges being built as a result of students gaining a broader understanding of their differences, as well as their similarities by being in school together. This project was made possible through the efforts of WOC teachers Lori DuPont (Family & Consumer Science, Career & Technical Education) and Kathie Huettl (English & Language Arts), who secured funding from Arts for Academic Achievement and PASS Grants, and worked in collaboration with Intermedia Arts and local artists in the area. This amazing project would have never been possible without the generous donations from the Minneapolis community for supporting student success through Achieve!Minneapolis with Arts for Academic Achievement. Thank you, Minneapolis, for your appreciation for the arts and Minneapolis Public Schools.
Roosevelt Teacher Receives BestPrep's Joan Carpenter Achievement Award	At a gathering of about 300 Stock Market Game participants, educators and business executives, Roosevelt High School Business Teacher David Gilberstadt received BestPrep's Joan Carpenter Achievement Award for "Lifetime Commitment and Dedication to the Education of Minnesota Students." BestPrep is an organization of more than 1,000 volunteers from business and the community which serves more than 600 teachers and 80,000 students who participate in business, technology and economic education programs annually. Programs include "Classroom Plus" speakers bureau, "Minnesota Business Venture" summer camp and, perhaps best known, "The Stock Market Game."
South High Student Takes 1st Place at Graphic Design Competition	South High senior, Danielle Nelson, was awarded first place in the poster (Vector Software) division of the Graphic Chaos Graphic Design Competition at the Hennepin Technical College on May 12. The poster for this year's musical "Oliver!" was submitted and received highly praised reviews for her use of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. The poster was designed with the guidance of desktop publishing teacher, Susan Wolfe, and drawing teacher, Megan Longman.
Southwest High School Students Sweep Awards in High School Art Exhibit	Several Southwest students swept the awards at Concordia University’s 2nd Annual High School Honors Art Exhibit (an invitation-only event!) on Tue., May 11. They won first place, both second places and one of three third places (four of the top six awards!), plus two honorable mentions. Please congratulate these students if you know them: Caitlin Crouchet, Maria Grina, Emily Isenberg, Colleen Harris, Parker Michels-Boyce, Ian Pratt and Ellis Isenberg.
Washburn Senior Heading to Nationals in Speech	Pa Dao Yang, a Washburn senior, is heading to Kansas City in May to compete nationally in the SkillsUSA student competition. SkillsUSA is a national organization serving a quarter of a million high school, college students and professional members who are enrolled in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations. After capturing the gold medal in Prepared Speech and Extemporaneous Speaking at the annual Minnesota SkillsUSA competition, she will test her speech skills on the national level.
W. Harry Davis Collects Pop Tops for Ronald McDonald House	Congratulations to the students, staff, Ameri-Corps Volunteers and families of W. Harry Davis Academy. Together they raised 103,230 pop can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. How does that measure up? It equals 31.5 kilograms or 81.48 lbs., or 8602.5 feet or 1.6 miles. That's a lot of pop can tabs! In addition to collecting pop can tabs, W. Harry Davis Academy staff, students and Ameri-Corps Volunteers held a carnival in recognition of National Youth Services Day. Events included the moonwalk, face painting, games and food. Over 300 people attended this fantastic event! The successful carnival raised over $195. These proceeds were also donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Way to go W. Harry Davis Academy! The Ronald McDonald House program provides a "home-away-from-home" for families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. It serves as a temporary residence near the medical facility where the family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations.
Sheridan's Science Fair Takes a New Twist	Shouts rang out! “We did it! Hooray! My parachute opened and my egg didn’t crack!” Young scientists raced to test their theories. They measured, counted and timed their experiments at the annual Sheridan Science Fair, which took place on Earth Day, April 22, at Sheridan Global Arts & Communications School. Parachutes, car races,’”pocket gardens,” dioramas and smoking volcanoes only begin the list of science projects that were on display. Additionally, "Sciencetwists" demonstrated how to make their own gak and penny cleaning solution from common household ingredients. The Scientwists are a private organization comprised of former science teachers from Fridley who have brought the magic of science to Sheridan classrooms for the past two years and supported the professional development of Sheridan teachers. The Scientwists were funded by the Sheridan PTA and Sheridan’s Quality Performance Award. As a part of the promotion of science, three times annually Sheridan students bring home "Science in a Bag. " Everything a family would need to perform an experiment or science project together is sent home in a brown paper bag. Parent volunteers from Sheridan’s Hmong community have worked together to pack the bags for all of the elementary students at Sheridan. The bags have helped to increase the interest and enthusiasm for science at Sheridan, a global arts magnet in northeast Minneapolis.
North Community High School Seniors Win Vi Blosberg Memorial Scholarships	Congratulations to Pang Pha and Pa Xiong for being the winners of this years Vi Blosberg Memorial Scholarship. This $500 scholarship is awarded annually to a Minneapolis high school senior who is planning to further their education to attain a degree as a registered nurse. Both seniors attended North Community High School.
Sanford 8th Graders Travel to England, France & London	A group of 18 Sanford Middle School eighth graders and five adults traveled to London, England and France. The group toured London for three days and took the Chunnel into Paris and from there to the D-Day Beaches in Normandy, and the Loire Valley. A great deal of history, architecture and culture was experienced and it was a wonderful trip. Students were required to journal each day so when they returned home they were assigned was to create a scrapbook incorporating social studies, math, science and English that they had learned from their trip. Their scrapbooks were viewed on May 25 in Sanford's Media Center.
Bryn Mawr 4th Graders Receive Poetic Achievement Award	Bryn Mawr Elementary received the Minnesota Creative Communication's Poetic Achievement Award. Fifteen 4th graders had poems selected from tens of thousands throughout the state. They will be published in the upcoming anthology, "A Celebration of Young Poets." Congratulations to the students and to Art Specialist, Renee Desarmeaux, Media Specialist, Diane Wallace-Reid, and 4th grade teachers, Leslie Ferster, Heidi Olson and Karen Ness for their support in helping to develop outstanding student work!
Featured Schools at State History Day Competition	Five students from W. Harry Davis Academy won at the State History Day Competition on May 2 and will represent our district and state at the National competition in Washington, D.C. in June. We had two State Champions and one second place. Overall, of 28 possible winners, 13 were from Minneapolis (almost half)! Southwest High School, Patrick Henry High School, South High School, Lake Harriet, Seward and W. Harry Davis all had students win at History Day. Congratulations!
South High French Students Take Trip to France	Thirty-one South High School French students took an exciting trip to France from March 28 - April 9. They explored the D-Day beaches, visited the American cemetery and the Memorial of Caen in Normandy. They also experienced a great deal of French hospitality during a five-day family stay in and around Rennes. Students finished their trip with four days in Paris. The students learned a tremendous amount about history, art and culture and in addition, were able to practically apply their French language studies. Teachers Michele Campbell, Melissa Davis and Megan Longman were pleased to accompany the South students this year.
Viva City 2004	Viva City was a HUGE success! It was standing room only at the MPS 10th annual visual and performing arts celebration last Mon., April 26. More than 2,100 guests came to Orchestra Hall to see artwork and the performing talents of more than 500 elementary students. The crowd leapt to their feet in applause at the conclusion of the extraordinary performance of the Finlandia "Chorus" with special guest conductor Minnesota Orchestra Music Director Osmo Vanska. Catch a video replay of the entire concert on MPS Cable 15 (Minneapolis Time Warner subscribers) on Mon., May 3, at 5 p.m.; and on Sun., May 9 at 5 p.m. Congratulations to all the staff and students for such a successful evening.
Sullivan's Destination ImagiNation Team is First-Ever MPS to Attend Global Finals	Anne Sullivan's Destination ImagiNation Team is Minneapolis Public School's first-ever Minneapolis school to attend the Destination Imagination Global Finals! Destination ImagiNation is an international program that teaches life skills and expands imaginations through team-based creative problem solving. Anne Sullivan is one of 31 Minnesotan teams that will be traveling to the University of Tennessee in May to compete among more than 800 teams from 15 countries. The Anne Sullivan team, along with team manager, Bob Modaff, will be recognized by the School Board on May 11. Good luck and congratulations!
Washburn Chess Team Receives Recognition and Respect	The remarkable performance of Washburn High School's Chess Team garnered recognition and respect in the Minnesota Chess community and also nationally. Washburn sent three students (Ahmet Shapiro-Erciyas, Spencer Hokanson and Sean Eaton) to the national competition in Dallas, Texas, on April 16 - 18. The three person chess team placed 24th nationally against some of the finest chess players and academic achievers in the U.S. All three students are underclassmen at Washburn, so they will be back next year to try to surpass their already impressive accomplishments. Congratulations!
South's Music Program Takes Eight out of Nine Awards at the 2004 Colorado Springs Music Festival	The South High Music Program returned on April 27 with numerous awards. The group participated in the 2004 Colorado Springs Music Festival/Heritage Music Festival. Students from the wind ensemble, chamber strings, jazz ensemble and pop singers (93 total students) traveled to Colorado Springs for a national competition. South won eight (8) of the top nine (9) awards: Outstanding Orchestra Group, Outstanding Band Group, Outstanding Choral Group, Sweepstakes Award - Instrumental, Wind Ensemble-Gold, Chamber Orchestra-Gold, Jazz Band-Gold and Jazz Choir-Gold. This is an awesome accomplishment and a real tribute to directors Dennis Malmberg and Scott Carter.
North Commuinty's High Schools' Girls Basketball Coach Honored by School Board	North Community High School girls basketball coach Faith Patterson topped an already stellar record with a second consecutive championship when the Lady Polars took the State 3A title in March. The Minneapolis Public Schools Board honored Coach Patterson at a recent meeting, presenting her and the team with certificates, and applauding her hard work and leadership. Coach Patterson praised the team as serious scholars and incredibly hard workers; all the senior athletes will be attending college in the fall. She acknowledged the active support of her own mother and godmother, both of whom attended the Board presentation. North High Principal, Ron Simmons, said that Coach Patterson is a great example of the strength of the staff at North. She should have been named Coach of the Year, he said. The team has been in the State Championships seven of the last eight years. Coach Patterson led them to tournament wins in 1998, 1999, 2003.
Washburn Students Place First and Will Represent Their School at the State History Day Fair on May 3, 2004	Several Washburn High School students placed first in the History Day regional competition and will be representing Washburn High School at the State History Day Fair on May 3. Washburn students took first place in the following categories: Group Documentary - Rock and Roll in the 1950's - Beth Lube, Caitlyn Cramer, Sarah Millam and Linsey Palmer. Group Display - Japanese Internment Camps - Jeff Nichols and Ashlee Koehler. Group Display - Minnesota's First Infantry at Gettysburg - Matthew Craig, Henry Polsfuss, Brett Hirsch and Jens Anlieu. Individual Display - Elvis - Evan Baskerville
Sullivan's Destination ImagiNation Team Wins State Competition	The Destination ImagiNation Team of Anne Sullivan School won the state competition in the improvisation category. The winning students are Carlye Proescholdt, Laura Hauser, Murphy Johnson, Laurel Starr, Abbie Modaff, Eli Schlatter and Rachel Svanoe. The staff of Sullivan is helping this team of students raise $5,000 so they can compete in the Global competition that takes place in Tennessee at the end of May.
Washburn Teacher Receives 2004 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award	Congratulations to Ann McCarthy, Washburn High School Japanese teacher, for being selected the recipient of the 2004 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award. She has been named as an outstanding educator and is the recipient of a $5000 award for the Washburn Japanese program.
Crawford Teacher Represents Minnesota Science Teachers	We wish to congratulate Amy Elverum, Crawford School science teacher, who was selected to represent Minnesota Science Teachers as their Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2004.
2004 Nominee for Bilingual Education Paraprofessional of the Year	Mohamed Osman, ECFE Bilingual Ed./BPA, is a 2004 nominee for Bilingual Education Paraprofessional of the Year! Mohamed is one of only six persons nominated for this honor in Minnesota and has received a certificate of recognition. Through ECFE he works with Somali families at the Mona Moede NELC site and also works at Anne Sullivan school. Congratulations Mohamed!
Five Members of the Roosevelt BPA Team Qualify to Compete at the BPA National Leadership Conference	Congratulations once again to the intrepid Roosevelt High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) Team. In March, eleven state winners in high tech subjects at the regional level competed in the State BPA tournament. At State BPA, five Teddies scored in the top five in their contest from among students from all over the state of Minnesota to qualify to compete at the BPA National Leadership Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 28 May 2. Teddies triumphed in Information Technology Concepts, Java Computer Programming, Computer Network Technology and Cisco Systems Administration. This follows last year's outstanding fifth place in the nation in Software Engineering for the Roosevelt BPA team. Congratulations to the following Roosevelt BPA winning team members: Angela Wachira, Brian Turnberg, Jeffrey Fridlund, Abdulahi Hussein and Stephen Burris.
Southwest Takes 7th Place in the National Japan Bowl	Congratulations to Southwest High School for taking 7th place in the National Japan Bowl (a Level IV competition), which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. on April 4. Participants from Southwest High School representing the Minnesota region were Evan Rausch, Joseph Wilmouth and Nicholas Hara. All are students of Japanese teacher Kyoko French. In all, 17 regions participated, from as far as Guam in the three levels (II-IV) of competition. This is the first time for Southwest students to participate. Students had the chance to see the famous Cherry Trees in blossom, attend a reception at the Japanese Ambassador's residence and meet a Sumo Champion from Japan. Thanks to everyone for supporting their opportunity to participate in this wonderful educational event!
North Star Student's Invention Displayed at the Science Museum of Minnesota	Congratulations to Kprecia Ambers, North Star Community School. Kprecia's invention "Spinning Back Brush" was one of six inventions chosen from the metro-wide "What If? Young Inventors Fair" for display at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Kprecia's invention and display board will be on display at the Science Museum in St. Paul through the month of May. Congratulations Kprecia!
South High Student Wins National Merit Scholarship	Congratulations to South High School student Stephanie Kobbe for being one of five Minnesota seniors who are among 800 national winners of this year's National Merit scholarships. This scholarship is aimed at high-performing high school students. Winners receive $2,500 to attend the college of their choice. Outstanding job, Stephanie!
Wellstone International High School Receives Accreditation	Wellstone International High School was granted accreditation at the March 2004 meeting of the North Central Association Board of Trustees. Congratulations to the staff and faculty of Wellstone on becoming the eighth high school in the Minneapolis Public Schools! The accreditation is retroactive to the beginning of this school year. By becoming a member, the school is committing to maintaining the NCA standards and engaging in a continuous school improvement effort.
Washburn Resource and Adaptive Program in "Our Stories III"	Thirty high school students from the Washburn Resource and Adaptive Program (WRAP) staged their stories on Wed., March 24, in a play titled, "Our Stories III." Collaborating with the Galumph Interactive Theater Troupe, the students wrote the play and are staged it with help from students in Washburn's art department, who worked with WRAP students to make puppets and props. "Our Stories III," is the third and final year Washburn students had the opportunity to participate in this unique grant-funded collaboration. The WRAP program serves MPS students with severe disabilities, and this theater initiative is unique in its efforts to bridge relationships between students with special needs and their peers in the general education classrooms.
Finalist and Semi-Finalists for the 2004 Teacher of the Year Award	Jacquylynn Brickman, 4th grade teacher at Elizabeth Hall Community School, is a finalist for Education Minnesota's "2004 Teacher of the Year" award! A selection panel of 24 leaders in the areas of business, government and non-profits announced their selection of ten finalists from a semifinalist group of 29 at the end of March. Three additional Minneapolis teachers were semi-finalists: James Clark, 4th grade teacher at Ramsey IFAC; Nancy Hellander Pung, federal magnet grant coordinator of Edison High School; and Maria Singh, math/science teacher at Pillsbury M/S/T. The 2003 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Gino Marchetti of Lake Harriet Community School in Minneapolis, will announce this year's honoree at a banquet at The Northland Inn and Conference Center in Brooklyn Park on May 2. This year marks the program's 40th anniversary. Congratulations Minneapolis teachers!
Patrick Henry Shows Most Improvement in the 2004 MBST 10th Grade Writing Test	Kudos to Patrick Henry High School 10th grade class for improving their passing rate by almost 15 percentage points in the 2004 MBST 10th grade wring test! The Star Tribune pointed out that Patrick Henry had the most dramatic improvement in the entire metro area. Congratulations to Principal Paul McMahan and the teaching staff of Patrick Henry. You have made Minneapolis Public Schools very proud!
Sullivan's Destination ImagiNation Team Takes 1st Place in April Competition	Congratulations to the Anne Sullivan Communication Center Destination ImagiNation Team. They earned a first place finish in the regional competition this month. This is their second time as regional champs. The team is coached by one of the parents, Bob Modaff. The following students are in their fourth year as a team: Laurel Starr, Rachel Svanoe, Murphy Johnson, Eli Schlatter, Abbie Modoff, Laura Hauser and Carlye Proescholdt. They will be competing at the state meet at Blaine High school on April 17. Way to go Minneapolis Public School students!
Two Emerson Students Win Highest Honors at the WordMasters Challenge	Two Emerson Spanish Immersion students recently won highest honors in this year's WordMasters Challenge--a national language arts competition entered by more than 240,000 students annually. Third graders Elise Littel and Samantha McConnell were two of only 44 third graders in the nation to earn perfect scores in the February competition. The students were coached in preparation for the "Challenge" by Elizabeth Dwight. The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking which first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words, and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships.
South High's Speech Team Places 2nd	South High's Speech Team took second place overall at the Section 5AA tournament. South was the top public school in the tournament. State qualifiers are Nimo Afyare, Region Champion in Original Oratory, Lidiya Girma in Great Speeches (analyzing John Kerry's 1972 Winter Soldiers congressional testimony about the Vietnam War), and Parker VonSternberg in Extemporaneous Reading. South had numerous alternates to the State Tournament as well.
The Northrop Future Problem Solving Team Takes 2nd Place in the Region on Written Competition	Congratulations to the Northrop Future Problem Solving Team who competed in a Regional Tournament at Armstrong High School on Sat., Feb. 28, against twenty other junior teams in grades 4-6. They are Nakita Shedd, Osca Ortiz, Saris Ahmed and Allison Fautch. We have received word that they placed second in the region on the written competition. The topic was "Artificial Intelligence." They will now compete in the State Tournament on May 1, and hope to go to the International event held in Lexington, KY in June. Minnesota sends only five teams. We wish the team good luck at State. Congratulations to Northrop's F.P.S. coach, Dee Steele.
Field Student Takes 2nd Place in the 2004 Twin Cities Spelling Bee	Congratulations to 8th-grader Jonathan Lancrete of Field Middle School! At the 2004 Twin Cities Spelling Bee at the Science Museum, sponsored by the Star Tribune, Jonathan came in second place among the 23 district spelling champions. He won a trophy, a dictionary and a gift certificate to Amazon.com. He has made MPS very proud!
Folwell's After School Service Learning & Leadership Group Heading to Orlando, Florida for Spring Break	Students participating in Folwell's after school Service Learning and Leadership group have been selected to present and participate at the National Service Learning Conference in Orlando, Fla., during spring break. Fifteen students, many who are ELL, will be leading the conference presentation with an interactive session designed to illustrate their unique summer leadership experience. One of their activities was to plan, shop, make and serve ethnic meals to Folwell community members. The after school program is part of the Community Education Learning Center's grant and supports a teacher who instructs students and trains staff in service learning and leadership concepts. Folwell's program has been awarded a 2003 Project Award from the Minnesota Community Education Association.
Richard R. Green Student Honored with the 911 Hero Award	Seven-year-old Marcus Kellogg of Richard R. Green Central Park School was honored with the second annual 9-1-1 Hero Award on Mon., March 8, at the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center. Marcus was honored for his 911 call on Aug. 25, 2003, when his mother, Janice Kellog, had a seizure. Only six years old at the time, he calmly gave the dispatcher his address, told her that his mother was having a seizure and let the paramedics in when they arrived. Dispatcher Becky Harmon got to meet Marcus. She nominated him for the award, sponsored by the Metropolitan 911 Board. After the ceremony he visited her, and even tried on her headphones. Congratulations to our little hero!
Southwest High School Students Win First Place at the Minnesota Regional Japan Bowl Competition	Congratulations to the Southwest High School students who won first place at the Minnesota Regional Japan Bowl Competition: Evan Rausch (10th grade), Joseph Wilmouth (12th grade), Nicholas Hara (11th Grade). The Japan Bowl Competition was held at Apple Valley High School on Feb. 28. The Japan Bowl is a competition to test the ability of high school students throughout America who are studying the Japanese language. It is modeled on a quiz show format and aims to make the study of Japanese challenging and enjoyable. This tri-state competition included Northern Iowa, Minnesota, and Northern Wisconsin. The Southwest Level IV Team is now eligible to participate in the National Japan Bowl Competition in Washington, DC, on April 4, 2004. The team is now fundraising, and is willing to accept contributions, for their trip. The costs that they are trying to cover include airline tickets and hotel accommodations for the three students and their teacher Kyoko French. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact Kyoko French at kfrench@mpls.k12.mn.us or call Southwest at 668-3030.
MPS Students Honored at the Midwest Coca-Cola Bottling Company	A number of Minneapolis and Saint Paul students and schools were honored March 2 at the Midwest Coca-Cola Bottling Company's Black History Month celebration at the University of Minnesota Coffman Memorial Union. Students wrote essays on the topic, "Brown v. Board of Education, 50th Anniversary: Commemorating 50 Years of Struggle, Pain, and Progress." Students were awarded computers for their winning essays and the MPS winners were: Allison Wong, Interdistrict Downtown School (middle school) and Jessica Dunn, South High School. South High School also received a $5,000 scholarship for a student who will attend the University of Minnesota. Development awards of $1,000 each were given to schools with the greatest number of essay entrants: Richard Green Central Park School, with 195 essays from middle school students; Interdistrict Downtown School, with 75 essays from high school students; Hazel Park Middle School, with 604 essays; and St. Paul Central High School, with 221 essays. St. Paul Central High School was also awarded a $5,000 U of M scholarship. Congratulations!
University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development Alumni Society	Daniel Hertz was nominated and supported by his colleagues, as well as Wellstone International High School, and has been named one of two recipients of the William E. Gardner PreK-12 Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development Alumni Society. This award, "...recognizes a graduate of the College of Education and Human Development who has demonstrated excellence in the field of PreK-12 school-based education." Daniel will receive a commemorative plaque and a $500 cash award. Daniel is the counselor at Wellstone International School, the district's high school for older immigrant students. Wellstone is located in the Lehmann Center and was formerly known as ICALL (International Center for Accelerated Language Learning). This is his third year of service to Minneapolis students, and the staff and students are proud to have Daniel on the staff as a counselor.
Region IV Business Professionals of America	David Gilberstadt, Business Department Chair at Roosevelt High School is proud to announce that on Feb. 5, the Roosevelt High School BPA team overwhelmingly swept the Information Technology category at the Region IV Business Professionals of America contest, which included high schools from the northern half of the Twin Cities. Eleven students qualified for the State BPA tournament on March 11 and 12. Students scored first through fifth in the following categories: Information Technology Concepts, Software Engineering Team, Java Programming, Visual Basic Programming, Computer Network Technology, Cisco Systems Administration and Economic Research Project Individual. This follows up on last years outstanding fifth place in the nation in Software Engineering for the Roosevelt BPA team. Congratulations to the following Roosevelt BPA winning team members who hail from four continents: Angela Wachira, Cherry Yip, Ciedrick Griggs, Martin Lynch, Brian Turnberg, Jeffrey Fridlund, Benjamin Harms, Shawn Harrison, Abdulahi Hussein, Stephen Burris and Philip Banks.
Mayor R.T. Rybak visit North High School	The Mayor of Minneapolis, R.T. Rybak, his staff and school district office staff, toured North High School's Computers, Construction, Engineering and Information Technologies (CCEIT) Small Learning Community (SLC) on February 24,2004. The purpose of the mayors visit was to share information with staff and students in an SLC that gives students a chance to get connected to careers. The mayor and guests visited six CCEIT classrooms. Read more about CCEIT . . .
Minnesota Monthly	On Newsstands Now: North Community High School - The March 2004 issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine features an article titled "Smooth Operator: How a teen from Minneapolis North got tuned in to jazz -- and turned his gift of gab into radio celebrity." The magazine highlights North High 10th grader, Dominic Tinnell, and his work on KBEM radio. It also speaks to the hard work of radio/TV teacher, Carol Seline, and the great things about what kids can do at North. Read more here...
NHL CoolSchool Writing Contest	Congratulations to Thomas Lau of Lyndale Community School. Thomas was selected as a 5th grade winner in the NHL CoolSchool Writing Contest. His essay was titled Being a Puck. The following segment was mentioned as particularly impressive: . . . he throws me on the ice and smacks me around with an enormous hockey stick. It feels like Im flying!
Math Conference	Ryan Voeks, math teacher at Patrick Henry, would like to acknowledge the Patriot Math Team in general and four members of the team specifically. The team finished in third place in the Minneapolis conference and had the top scoring individual in the conference, 11th grader Nate Born. Nate will be participating in the State Math Meet on March 8 at Eagan High School (more information to follow). Congratulations to the four members that won the inaugural Math Bowl held at Concordia College in St. Paul on Feb. 24. Nate Born, Chelsea Lein, Karl Bonde and Joe Hill placed first in this competition over teams from Tartan, Roosevelt, Arlington, Mayer Luthern and West Luthern. This was a big victory for the Minneapolis conference and especially for Patrick Henry. These students have been working very diligently on challenging upper-level mathematics since October and their hard work has definitely paid off. Ryan is very proud to be their coach and wanted to spread the news that positive things are happening in Minneapolis despite all the negative press.
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry	About 40 Roosevelt High School top students had the opportunity of a lifetime Feb. 18 when they met a very distinguished alumnus, Peter Agre, M.D., a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. Agre is a professor of biological chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and graduated from Roosevelt in 1967. He received the Nobel Prize in October 2003 from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for discovering the long-sought "channels" that regulate and facilitate the transport of the water molecule through cell membranes, a process essential to all living organisms. "Our single greatest defense against scientific ignorance is education, and early in the life of every scientist, the child's first interest was sparked by a teacher," Agre said in his Nobel banquet speech. "Please join Dr. MacKinnon and me in applauding the individuals that foster the scientific competence of our society and are the heroes behind past, present, and future Nobel Prizes - the men and women who teach science to children in our schools."
Toyota Tapestry Large Grant	Congratulations to Jenn Rose of Olson Middle School who has been awarded a $10,000 Toyota Tapestry Large Grant for her proposal of MakeUp Your Mind (pdf). Jenn, along with the Aveda Corporation, has developed materials for this project that will be piloted this summer at the GEMS program at Augsburg College. Jenn has taken advantage of the opportunities the district has provided and found a way to take her gifts beyond the four walls of her classroom and reach the hearts and minds of other GEMS. MakeUp Your Mind will be available to all middle school teachers in Minneapolis. For more information on the grant profile, please visit http://www.nsta.org/programs/tapestry/index.htm.
General Mills Foundation	General Mills Foundation has awarded Achieve!Minneapolis a $52,000 grant to sponsor the President's Active Lifestyle Award program April 5 through May 14. The program goal is to get 2nd through 8th grade students (over 24,000) to get 60 minutes of physical activity, five days per week for six weeks. Every 2nd through 8th grade physical education teacher will participate in this grant. The program includes student and teacher incentives, materials for staff and students, gift certificates for physical education equipment (last year all participating school received $250), and award certificates and badges for students who achieve their goal. Last spring, 13,000 students won the award. In light of the concerns about childhood obesity and Type II diabetes, we are thankful to have General Mills fund a citywide physical education program that will encourage and reward physical activity for our students.
State's First Lego League	The Field Middle GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science) team "Spirit Devilz" received the state trophy for team spirit at the State's First Lego League competition at Benilde St. Margaret's on Sat., Jan. 24. Team members are Ellen Kuhlman, Maria Lowe, Elizabeth McIntosh, Jenna Radertrom, and Lauren Williams. Another Field team, "S.A.M.S" placed 8th in the State in overall competition. Field Middle student Samantha Glick (and Field GEMS) received high honors and a Science Camp scholarship at the State First Lego League competition at Benilde St. Margaret's on Sat., Jan. 24. Her enthusiasm and love of science won the judges approval. Field GEMS students Bola Agboola and Kayla Anne Glick were also finalists for this award.
New York Life Foundation Grant	Congratulations to Washburn and Roosevelt High Schools for being awarded a $869,000 two-year grant from the New York Life Foundation. The grant will be used to improve literacy for students who are learning English and who are struggling readers.
ECFE's Family Fun Night	ECFE's Family Fun Night at the Children's Museum on Jan. 23 was a huge success with over 1,600 parents and children participating. The turnout set a new record for Friday attendance at the Children's Museum! The event was a project of Minnesota ECFE Coordinated Outreach, including support from Minneapolis ECFE and sponsorship by the Minnesota College Savings Plan. For information on ECFE Coordinated Outreach go to http://www.ecfe.info/.
Dance Theater of Harlem	Eight students from the dance SLC at North High, under the direction of dance specialist Wendy Ansley, have been invited to perform on stage in "Firebird" with the Dance Theater of Harlem at the Northrop Auditorium on Feb 10 - 11. Good luck!
NHL All-Star CoolSchool Essay Contest	The National Hockey League has announced that two Minneapolis students have won the NHL All-Star CoolSchool Essay Contest for their grade level. Five winners, one each in grades 4-8, were announced in the Metro Area. Leevan Hanuman from Keewaydin Community School was the winner among all 5th grade entrants, and Eliza Steely of Anthony Middle School was the winner among 8th grade students. They each will win a $1000 scholarship, NHL All-Star Jerseys, a personalized trophy and tickets to the NHL All Star weekend events at the Excel and Rivercentre in St. Paul. The awards will be given at a special ceremony at the Rivercentre on Sat., Feb. 7.
Minnesota State High School League	The Board of Directors of the Minnesota State High School League dedicated the 2003 - 04 Official Handbook to Roosevelt High School's Athletic Director Al Frost, Jr., for his three years of service as a member of the Board representing Regions 5AA and 6AA.
Post-Apartheid Youth Development Camp	Adam Lamparske of Sanford Middle School recently returned from Cape Town, South Africa, where he volunteered at the Africa Jam 2004, a post-Apartheid youth development camp for disadvantaged youth ages 13-19. The trip was made possible by a Plank Professional Development Grant thatwas awarded to Adam. While in Cape Town, he was able to listen to experts on subjects such as AIDS and sex, racism, self-esteem, arts and cultures, violence and career options.
National Education Association Urban Grant	Educational Assistants & School Related Personnel (EASRPs): Congratulations to the EA Professional Issues Committee at the MFT Local 59 for applying for and receiving a $5,000 National Education Association Urban Grant. Reg Weaver, NEA President, wrote in a congratulatory letter to the committee, "You and your colleagues should be justifiably proud that your efforts have earned one of the NEA's very special awards in competition with your peers." The funds from this grant will be used to provide review classes in math, reading and writing for EASRP union members who are planning to take the ETS ParaPro Assessment Test to meet NCLB requirements. Dates and times for the classes will be announced within the next few weeks.
United States Presidential Scholars Program	Congratulations to Ian Young from South High School for being selected for the prestigious United States Presidential Scholars Program. The program recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional scholarship and talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. Up to 141 students are selected annually to become Presidential Scholars. Scholars are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas: academic and artistic success, leadership and involvement in school and the community.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans	Congratulations to the following middle grades programs and their staff who were awarded funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to support service learning projects: Andersen Open: John Iverson, Greg Nielsen, Victor Stoner, Sylvia Harper, Lisa Johnson Barton Open: Toni Cronin Field: John Collier Franklin: LaShawn Adams, Tange Hayslett, Ms. Helmke Jefferson: Nan Rice Nellie Stone Johnson: Sonny Shaw Lucy Craft Laney: Kimberlee Wagner-Adams, Tamara Valme',William Watkins Northeast: Gaile Sovell-Kenyon, Stephanie Gwin Ramsey: Bev Halvorson, Mary Poulsen, Cheri Tifre, Kelly Meyers, David Weisser Sanford: Meredith Davis, Ann Gallager Sullivan: Tania Wolverton-Falk
Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award	Chris Kammerer, physical education teacher at Pillsbury MST and Lake Harriet Upper, was recognized at the Feb. 10 Board of Education meeting for receiving the Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award from the Central District MAAPHER Association.
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota School Psychologists Association	Andrea (Andi) Canter, Ph.D., an MPS psychologist since 1974, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota School Psychologists Association (MSPA) at their midwinter meeting on Jan. 30. This award recognizes outstanding school psychologists who have dedicated their professional lives to the development and betterment of school psychology. Dr. Canter was lead psychologist in MPS from the fall of 1993 to the summer of 2000. She was a major contributor to the development of Minneapolis' Problem Solving Model for identifying children in need of special education services. Currently, she provides supervision and mentoring to younger members of the MPS psychology team. In this role she functions, as she has throughout her professional life, as a tireless advocate for the best practices. Dr. Canter has also served as the president of MSPA and the secretary of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Since 1995, she has been the editor of the NASP Communiqu, the association's monthly newspaper. Congratulations, Andi!
KARE 11's Academic Allstars	Ifrah Jimale, a senior at Roosevelt High School, will be featured on KARE 11's Academic Allstars. Ifrah is in Roosevelt's Open Program. You can catch her on Channel 11 on Mon. at 5 p.m., Tue. at 6 a.m. and Sat., Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.
Annual Minneapolis Youth Civil Rights Leadership Award	Taj Ruler, South High School 11th grader, has been awarded with the Annual Minneapolis Youth Civil Rights Leadership Award. The award is given to youth who have led by example in the area of civil rights and/or human rights among Minnepolis youth. This award recognizes the ability and unique contributions of youth to civil rights activism that helps make Minneapolis truly a city that has "No Place for Prejudice." Taj was honored at a luncheon on Thu., Jan. 15.
National School Fitness Foundation Grant	Here are the National School Fitness Foundation Grant winners! Congratulations to the Physical Education Departments at South, Roosevelt, Northeast Middle, Folwell Middle, Anderson Open and Whittier Elementary! Each of these schools is a part of a $1.5 million dollar grant from the National School Fitness Foundation to fund six state of the art L.I.F.T. (Leadership in Fitness Training) Fitness centers. Each center is complete with both resistance and aerobic machines, kiosks that will help to track student progress toward improved fitness, a complete medical equipment bag with air splints, CPR materials and other medical supplies and a defibrillator. Staff at all six sites have attended a one-day training that certified the physical education staff in supervision of the fitness centers, CPR and the use of the defibrillator. The fitness centers will be finished and ready for use during the second semester. Along with the fitness center at Sullivan, we now have seven L.I.F.T. centers in Minneapolis. Whittier Elementary is the first elementary school in the state to receive a L.I.F.T. center! Congratulations to all who worked to make this happen!
Imagination Fund Grant	Karen Pylka and Steve Bloden of Crawford School have been awarded an Imagination Fund Grant from the Star Tribune in support of their project, "Connecting Literature and Science." Melina Mangal, media specialist at Putnam Community School, received an Imagination Grant for a school-wide reading incentive program. Putnam Reads! Congratulations to Lynda Ott and China Guzman from Green Central Park. They were awarded an Imagination Fund grant to support a fiction and non-fiction book club! Way to go!
Minneapolis Public Schools Spelling Bee	Congratulations to the following students who were our winners at this year's District Spelling Bee held on January 28 at Sheridan School. There were 47 students in the competition. 1st Place - Jonathan Lancrete, 8th grade - Field Middle School 2nd Place - Jade Cohen, 7th grade - Barton Open School 3rd Place - Zeke Cato, 8th grade - Seward Montessori School The winning word was "accomplice." Congratulations to our winners and to all the students who participated in the District Spelling Bee. Jonathan will go on to the Metro Spelling Bee on March 11. The winner of that Bee will go to the National Spelling Bee in June.
Community Service Challenge	Congratulations to this year's winners of the Community Service Challenge awards for the Middle Grades Citywide Student Government! This yearly competition challenges schools to demonstrate how their student council serves their school and community. Community service projects were rated in terms of creativity, presentation and overall rating. This year's winners in each category are: First Place = Sanford Second Place = Lucy Craft Laney Third Place = Sheridan Presentation = Marcy Creativity = Jordan Park and Franklin (tied)
Students Published in Star Tribune's December issue of "Mindworks"	Bobbyann Jones of Lyndale Community School wrote for December's issue "Mindworks" in the Star Tribune and was published. Students recalled their favorite foods/aromas and Bobbyann told a story about one of her favorite school days. It was the day before winter break when she got to curl up with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate and seasonal music in her classroom. Another student from Field, Andy Egbert, wrote "The Food" as a response to the Mindworks essay question "Is food more than survival ?" Andy wrote about a Christmas tradition that involves Jell-O salad and candles. Seventh grade Language Arts students have been writing essay responses to all of the Mindworks questions. The current assignment is to reflect on celebrity politicians and suggest which celebrity they would nominate for president.
Teacher Nominated for First-Ever Minnesota Volvo for Life Award	Since 1998, Princess Margaret Yeboah, teacher at Lucy Laney, has helped build schools in Amponsakrom, Ghana, a village of about 2,000 people, where people have no running water, toilet facilities, roads or medical facilities. Yeboah has refinanced her Minnesota home to pay for building 16 classrooms, a medical clinic and a vocational school. She has purchased two buses, books, uniforms and six generators. She also hired teachers and paid their salary. She has helped the community by buying more than 200 acres of land and allowing families to farm for free. The Minnesota Volvo for Life Awards is modeled after Volvo Cars of North America's national Volvo for Life Awards public service program. Minnesota is the first state to conduct a local version of the national awards. The top winners will be selected in February, with a chance to win $25,000 and hold the title of "Minnesota's Greatest Hometown Hero."
South High Student Receives Scholarship	South High student Nicholas Cragoe, the son of Marilyn and Brian Cragoe, has received a $1,000 Dragon Scholarship from Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Dragon Scholarship awards $1,000 for the freshman year and is given to students who are admitted to MSUM with either a composite ACT score of 28 and above, or a high school class rank in the top 10 percent. MSU Moorhead, with an enrollment of 7,661 students, is a comprehensive university offering more than 135 majors, emphases and options, 18 areas of pre-professional studies, 32 areas of licensure preparation, and 13 graduate programs.
Community Education Programs Presented with Project Awards	Four of the MPS Community Education programs were presented with Project Awards from the Minnesota Community Education Association (MCEA). The honorees are: Folwell Community Education Learning Center - Service Learning Program: Folwell Middle School is located in South Minneapolis. Community education and school staff partner to lead efforts in service learning and leadership development for students. Projects have included an all school "Community Day," and a peer literacy program with elementary students. The program has received recognition from the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC). Access Community Volunteers: The Access Community Volunteers program is designed to assist people with developmental disabilities attain the tools and experience needed to become successful volunteers in their community. In carrying out this mission, participants serve the entire community, children and adults, through a variety of special programs and events. Wells Fargo Bank GED Program: The GED partnership between Wells Fargo and Minneapolis Public Schools Adult Basic Education Program is among the first public/private education partnerships in the country. Over 2,500 learners have attended the classes offered in the basement of the bank on the north side of Minneapolis in the last 34 years. Cedar Riverside Adult Education Cooperative: Located in the heart of the most densely populated neighborhood in the state, the Cedar Riverside Adult Education Program brings many local agencies and programs together to serve the full scope of needs in the community. This partnership is one of the twelve programs in the nation profiled by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education as part of the Community Partnerships for Adult Learning project.
South High's Debate Team Earns Top Honors	South High School's debate team earned top honors among schools with smaller debate teams at the Novice/Junior Varsity Debate Tournament. South won the tournament's sweepstakes award for schools with ten or fewer students competing at those levels. Jono Cowgill and Maggie Pennington were quarterfinalists at the junior varsity level, and Eleanor Vincent and Stephanie Fleisher were quarterfinalists at the novice level.
Field Teacher Selected By PACER To Teach	Congratulations to Scott Devens from Field School for being one of five teachers selected by the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) to teach at PACERs Simon Technology Center EXite Camp. EXite (EXploring Interests in Technology and Engineering) Summer Camp provides girls with disabilities the opportunity to explore technology and engineering through engaging activities to spark interest in these fields.
Student Published in November's Star Tribune "Mindworks"	Congratulations to Matthew Sartoria ll of Hiawatha Community School on having his article published in the November issue of Star Tribune's "Mindworks" column. The topic was, "Senses, What Would You Give Up?" The article was submitted by media specialist, Catherine Grimshaw.
South High Student Performs at Dakota Jazz Club	Congratulations to former Ramsey student and current South High sophomore, Chris Smith, who recently performed at the new Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis. Chris and several other Ramsey students have played at the Dakota under the direction of Ramsey band director, Tom Wells, through the support of the JTrain Foundation for Jazz Education.
Principal Named Outstanding Volunteer of the Year	Congratulations to Ray Aponte, principal at Jefferson Community School. He received the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award from the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation on Oct. 28.
Teacher Named Minnesota Art Educator of the Year for Elementary Level	Congratulations to Ronda Lyden, art teacher at Jefferson Community School. She has been named Minnesota Art Educator of the Year for Elementary Level.
Teacher Receives the Master Teacher School Orchestra Award	Lorie Hippen, orchestra teacher at Washburn High School and Ramsey International Fine Arts, received the Master Teacher School Orchestra Award from the Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Association (MNSOTA) on Oct. 23. They chose only one school teacher from the entire state for this award. Lorie has taught both high school and elementary strings in MPS for the last 15 years. She also conducts, judges, teaches privately at MacPhail, is a clinician and a busy free-lance violinist. Congratulations Lorie! You make us all proud to be urban teachers!
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's 2003 Champions of Health Awards	Bryan Bass, North High School Assistant Principal, was named a winner of the 2003 Champions of Health awards, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross). Bass was awarded $500, which he contributed to the Pilot City Mini Clinic at North Community High School. Blue Cross is honoring Bass for making the environment and culture of North Community High School more conscious of nutrition and physical activity. Concerned with explosive rates of adolescent obesity, Bass made significant changes at his high school. Only one vending machine still sells soda, and the rest now feature water, 100 percent fruit juice and sport drinks. Due in part to Bass efforts, North High School now allows students to drink water in class. Through his efforts to promote the physical activity of all students, he started a walking/running club after school and also recruited resources to improve the weight room and build a new aerobics/yoga room. He is committed to supporting healthy behaviors and promoting the wellness of his students.
Milken National Educator Award	Natalie D. Rasmussen, a science teacher at North High School, was named by Milken Family Foundation (MFF) Chairman Lowell Milken as Minnesotas second MFF National Education Award winner for 2003. Dubbed the Oscars of Teaching by Teacher Magazine, the Milken National Educator Awards were created in 1985 to reward, retain and attract the highest caliber professionals to our nations schools. One hundred educators will be named recipients of this national award and its accompanying $25,000 unrestricted financial prize during ceremonies in 47 states this month.
Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation	Pamela Stewart, a graduate of Windom High School and a third grade teacher at Kenny Elementary School, is one of six honorees who have been named this years recipients of Educator Awards from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) and the WEM Foundation. Stewart is one of two honorees named in the Ethics in Education Awards category, which recognizes educators who exemplify ethical behavior for the teaching profession and promote ethical practices and development for their students through classroom activities or curriculum. As part of the recognition of her accomplishments and contributions to student learning, Stewart will also receive a $10,000 award from the WEM Foundation. Stewart believes In modern society, character education is just as important as technology education.
Minnesota Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award	Christine Kammerer, a physical education teacher at Pillsbury, has been awarded the Minnesota Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award. Granted by the Minnesota Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, this award honors and recognizes exemplary teaching abilities by a teacher in elementary physical education.
US Department of Education Awarded Roosevelt High School a Language Grant	The US Department of Education awarded the district a Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant of $98,216 (for the first year of the project) to support the teaching of Arabic at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. The grant will support augmenting the Arabic program at Roosevelt, the development of curriculum and assessments, articulation with the Arabic program at the University of Minnesota, and dissemination of project materials through the Less Commonly Taught Languages web site at the U of M. A priority for funding in this round was for projects for languages of critical importance to the U.S., such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Korean. Roosevelt is the only public high school in Minnesota that teaches Arabic. For more information, please call Gaelle Berg, MPS World Languages Curriculum Specialist, at 668-5358.
Roosevelt High School Alumnus a Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry	Roosevelt High School alumnus, Peter Agre, was one of three Nobel Prize winners in chemistry. Mr. Agres research on the movement of salts and water in and out of the body's cells, has contributed to the understanding of diseases of the kidneys, heart, muscles and nervous system. Agre was born in Northfield and later lived in Minneapolis. He also graduated from Augsburg College in 1970.
HP High Achieving School Grant	Patrick Henry High School was one of fifteen schools in the nation to receive a HP High Achieving School Grant. The grant recipients were selected based on their technology plan to integrate technology into science instruction and the school's overall success in increasing student achievement. The grant includes an HP portable wireless computer lab along with funding for staff development and technical support.