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Saber Strides and Pride: Good News Items
Future Filmmaker
Congratulations to 15-year-old Logan Chelmo, a 10th grader at Shakopee High School. Earlier this month, Logan traveled to San Francisco, California to participate in the 21st Berlin & Beyond Film Festival’s Youth 4 German Cinema program.
The Y4GC program gives high school students the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and participate at the international film festival, meet industry professionals and take part in a short filmmaking camp.
Logan, a videographer and aspiring filmmaker, was chosen from a pool of more than 100 applicants. He was also one of only three students selected from the United States.
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Teacher of the Year Candidates
Four Shakopee teachers have been named candidates for Minnesota Teacher of the Year. The teacher of the year award is given out by Education Minnesota. There are 132 teachers that have been named candidates from throughout the state. In May, one of them will become Minnesota's 53rd Teacher of the Year. Over the coming weeks, a panel will name a group of finalists and semi-finalists.
Shakopee's candidates include:
Rachel Beran, Shakopee High School
Wade Laughlin, Shakopee High School
Krissy Purington, Sweeney Elementary
Susie Springer, Eagle Creek Elementary
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Shakopee Education Endowment Foundation (SEEF) 2016-17 Grants
The Shakopee Educational Endowment Foundation Board of Directors presented this year’s teacher grant awards. The foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $14,349 for innovative projects in the Shakopee schools. “With the help of your generous donations, SEEF, in partnership with our teachers, will increase the creative use of technology, expand book collections available for students and enhance learning in science, art, music and physical education classes,” according to Jack Trimbo, Foundation Chairperson. Each year, Shakopee teachers submit grant proposals for creative, educational projects they would like to implement. Since its inception in 1992, the Teacher Grant Program has awarded nearly $315,000 in grants for teacher initiatives that enrich learning opportunities for students. SEEF grants enhance all academic subject areas - technology, fine arts, early childhood education and special education at all Shakopee public school sites. Without the foundation’s teacher grant program, most of these projects would not be possible. Teacher grants are SEEF’s means of supporting the excellence that has always highlighted the Shakopee School District. Funds to support the grants come from generous donations made by area businesses, service organizations, school district staff, community members and alumni.
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Threads for Teens Minnesota
Threads for Teens Minnesota empowers girls through clothing. The charitable organization is a pop-up boutique that provides free, fashionable clothing to teen girls in foster care or from low-income households. The goal is to build self-esteem, confidence and hope through the gift of clothing, support and education. Threads for Teens was founded in 2010 by a California teenager. In March 2016, Grace and Katie Myler partnered with her to provide clothing to teen girls in Minnesota.
The Myler's attended the school board meeting to share their mission and goals to help girls in Shakopee Public Schools.
The organization has partnered with the district and will house its pop-up boutique at the district office. An event is scheduled for March. Information on how to apply to receive assistance will be released at a later date.
For more information, visit the organization's website: Threads for Teens
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Construction Updates
Construction is moving along at Shakopee High School. This week, crews continue to work on the new competition gym and field house. Assistant Superintendent Dr. John Bezek presented construction updates to the school board at Monday night's meeting to include the high school and hockey locker rooms at Shakopee's Ice Arena. Bezek reports all construction is on-time and on budget. For continuous construction updates, visit our website.
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Ford Next Generation Learning Master Plan
Our faculty and staff are dedicated to helping students excel and providing the best educational opportunities so that they are college and career ready. To help prepare students, the Academies of Shakopee will be implemented in the fall of 2018 when our expanded high school opens. The academies are small learning communities of students and teachers that will offer a welcoming, inclusive environment within a large high school setting and help improve student success in post-secondary programs and careers.
There will be seven academies: Arts & Communication, Business & Entrepreneurship, Engineering & Manufacturing, Health Science, Human Services, Science & Technology and a Freshman Academy. Our Freshman Academy is for 9th grade students who will spend time discovering their own unique interests and then chose a home academy for their sophomore through senior year.
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As we prepare to open the Academies of Shakopee, we will soon celebrate our official designation as a Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) community. Ford NGL is the philanthropic non-profit of Ford Motor Company, which has helped many districts over the past 20 years successfully transform their high schools.
The Academies of Shakopee Master Plan is a four-year guiding document for planning, implementing, and sustaining school reform in the public schools of the City of Shakopee. The master plan is a community-supported guiding document that aligns local, state, and national initiatives to provide every student with the foundation of knowledge, skills, experiences, and character necessary to excel in all aspects of their post-high school lives, whether college, career, or personal. Grounded in the research of the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, the master plan is structured around the three pillars of Next Generation Learning: Transforming Teaching & Learning, Redesigning High Schools, and Sustaining Change through Business & Civic Leadership.
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Shakopee Public Schools Legislative Grant Request
Superintendent Dr. Rod Thompson and School Board Clerk Shawn Hallett recently met with Senator Eric Pratt to present a grant proposal for the Academies of Shakopee.
The district requested investment funds to cover part of the Academies of Shakopee that are not included in our normal operating budget. With Senator Pratt's support, Shakopee Public Schools would partner with higher education and Scott County area businesses to create innovative, authentic learning curriculum options that are responsive to the needs of the current and future workforce. The proposal would not only benefit our schools, but would be a universal model to prepare students throughout the state and nationwide. The meeting was hopeful and the district expects to share more information at a later date.
A meeting is also planned with Representative Bob Loonan.
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2018-19 District Boundaries
Superintendent Thompson provided an overview of the process that will be used to form new district boundaries for the 2018-19 school year, which is detailed in the timeline below. Again, this is for the 2018-2019 school year.
March: First look and review of proposed 2018-19 attendance area changes
March 20-April 10: Public review and comment
April: 1st reading of 2018-19 attendance areas
May: 2nd reading of 2018-19 attendance areas
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Brand and Messaging Guide
Communications Supervisor Ashley McCray presented the district's Brand and Messaging Guide, which was approved by the board. To enhance the public perception of our organization, we need to reinforce our brand through the consistent use of words, images and graphics. Every piece of communication that features Shakopee Public Schools name represents an opportunity to tell our story. For maximum impact, we need every school, program, service and department to tell the same story. The guide is designed to help us strengthen our brand by consistently delivering messages and images that are clear, cohesive and compelling. In doing so, we will maximize our ability to be seen, heard, recognized and valued. We will also help our community move education forward.
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Upcoming Meetings
February 20, 2017
School Board Retreat
5PM
February 27, 2017
School Board Learning Session
6PM
March 13, 2017
School Board Business Meeting
6PM
March 20, 2017
School Board Retreat
5PM
April 10, 2017
School Board Business Meeting
6PM
April 17, 2017
School Board Retreat
5PM
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