S
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
potlight
Summer 2015
District196.org 196
#
Volume 55

Number 4
Survey shows support
for safety, space and
technology projects
District 196 received high marks for
quality, job performance and value in a
telephone survey of 400 randomly selected
district residents conducted the first two
weeks in April. The survey also shows a
majority of respondents support the safety, space and technology improvements
that were recommended by a district task
force this spring.
Results were presented at the
April 27 School Board meeting by pollster
Bill Morris of The Morris Leatherman
Company, which also conducted a survey
for the district in July 2013. This scientific
survey has a margin of error of plus or
minus 5 percent.
“This survey is one of the strongest we
have presented in some time,” Morris told
the board. “As for a referendum, people
seem to be ready, the package of components is well-liked and the amount of the
tax increase appears not to be an issue.”
Learning about the trades
Careers in the construction trades were featured at the Construct Tomorrow event held at
Eagan High School earlier this year. Students could lay a course of bricks, paint a wall
with a virtual paint gun and make a foam football while learning about the insulation trade.
Representatives of 14 trade associations, including Iron Workers Local 512 (pictured), gave
students an idea of the work they do, the wages they can earn in their trade and what is
needed to get started in an apprenticeship. District 196 high schools offer a variety of courses
teaching trade skills, including vehicle services, small engines, welding and milling, custom
metal works, cabinet making and more.
The $180 million total cost for the
recommended improvements sounded
like a “fair price” to 35 percent of the survey respondents, compared to 47 percent
who disagreed and 19 percent who were
uncertain or did not answer. After learning
the tax impact of a $180 million bond referendum would be $9.30 per month on a
$200,000 home, 59 percent of respondents
said they would support the referendum.
When asked a second time, after hearing
reasons for supporting and opposing a
referendum, the percentage of support
increased to 65. “This is a very solid place
to be as you head toward a referendum,”
Morris said.
continued on page 2
District continues to focus
spending on the classroom . p.4
Free summer meals for children
to be served at two sites . . . p.5
Valley Middle School of STEM
becoming a true magnet . . . p.6
Educating our students to reach their full potential
District News
Survey results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
continued from front page
Bucking the trend
Considering that District 196 voters
approved an operating levy increase less
than two years ago, Morris said the results
were better than expected in several key
areas, including perceptions about the
­district, property taxes and job performance. “You have gone counter trend to
anything that we have seen in terms of the
after-effects of a successful referendum,”
Morris said. “You have an uptrend going
on here.”
The percentage of respondents who
trust the School Board to do what is right
for children in the district increased by
6 percent, from 85 percent in 2013 to
91 percent this year. Eighty-eight percent
of respondents believe school district
leaders are held accountable for the quality of education provided, up 9 percent
from 2013. And 65 percent of respondents
believe the district asks for tax increases
only after considering all other financial
alternatives. That number was 63 percent
in 2013.
“The district had a good foundation
two years ago, with some challenges,”
Morris said. “It’s clear to us that those
challenges have pretty much been met.”
The challenge going forward, Morris said,
will be keeping people focused on the tax
impact for individual homeowners and not
the $180 million total.
Sixty-four percent of respondents
indicated they would be willing to increase
their taxes, by varying amounts, with the
Independent School District 196
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
Public Schools
3455 153rd Street W.
Rosemount, MN 55068
651-423-7700
651-423-7717 (TTY)
651-683-6969 (voicemail)
www.District196.org
Spotlight is a quarterly publication mailed
to every household in District 196 to inform
parents and other residents about district news.
Send comments on Spotlight to
Tony.Taschner@District196.org
District 196 does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion,
national origin, sex, marital status, disability,
­status with regard to public assistance, sexual
orientation, membership or activity in a human
rights commission or age. The Director of Human
Resources, 3455 153rd Street West, Rosemount,
MN 55068, 651-423-7632, has been designated to
respond to inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies, including inquiries under Title IX.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
median at $7.44 per month. Compared to
neighboring communities, 53 percent of
respondents consider taxes in their community to be somewhat or very high, with
42 percent saying they are about average.
Compared to neighboring school districts, 49 percent consider school taxes in
District 196 to be somewhat or very high
and 45 percent about average.
•
Expand and renovate STEM pathway
schools – 70 percent support/28
­percent oppose
•
Renovate elementary space to meet
district standards – 70 percent
­support/29 percent oppose
•
Additions to elementary magnet
schools – 69 percent support/29
­percent oppose
Support for improvements
•
Update technology infrastructure
– 67 percent support/27 percent
oppose
•
Renovate RHS entrance and performing arts learning space – 64 percent
support/35 percent oppose
•
Reconfigure drop-off/pick-up areas
– 63 percent support/35 percent
oppose
•
Provide 1-to-1 technology access for
students in grades 4-12 – 62 percent
support/37 percent oppose
•
New elementary school to relieve
overcrowding – 60 percent support/
37 percent oppose
Based on what they have heard or
seen, 94 percent of survey respondents
rated the district’s school facilities as good
or excellent. Likewise, 94 percent agree the
district provides a safe and secure environment for students and 92 percent rate the
district’s current technology opportunities
as good or excellent. Seventy-one percent believe the ability to use computers
and other technology for learning is very
important or essential, while 24 percent
consider it only “somewhat important.” On
early learning, 81 percent believe the district’s preschool programs are very important or essential in determining a student’s
success in school.
Respondents were asked if they would
strongly support, somewhat support,
somewhat oppose or strongly oppose
a property tax increase for each of the
improvements recommended by the task
force. There was majority support for all
13 recommended improvements, ranging from a low of 58 percent support for
replacing worn-out furniture to a high of
75 percent support for building security
improvements. The others, in descending
order of support, are as follows:
•
Classroom space to expand targeted
preschool – 72 percent support/28
percent oppose
•
Renovate middle school space for
STEM – 72 percent support/28
­percent oppose
•
Increase technology access for K-3
students – 71 percent support/27
­percent oppose
“When we look at the list, there is
nothing here that would endanger a
­referendum,” Morris said. “To the contrary,
they all look like they would contribute to
the success of a referendum.” Sixty-seven
percent of respondents said they support
or strongly support the overall package of
recommended i­mprovements, compared
to 27 percent who oppose or strongly
oppose them.
The board will use the survey results
to determine next steps toward a possible bond referendum question in the
Nov. 3, 2015 General Election. The district
is already scheduled to conduct a School
Board election Nov. 3.The board has until
early August to pass a resolution calling
for a referendum question to be added to
the ballot.
High performance ratings
When asked about the quality of
continued on next page
Si usted habla español y tiene
preguntas, favor de llamar
al teléfono (952)431-8993.
HADDI ADD SOMAAALI TAHAY
OO AAD QABTID WAX SUAAL
AH FADLAN LA SOO XIRIIR
FAISAL MADAR (952)769-7625
If you speak (Spanish/Somali/Arabic) and have questions, call… .
2
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
Superintendent’s Message
Capture rate data and survey results
show District 196 brand remains strong
By Jane K. Berenz, superintendent
T
he measure of success in business is the bottom line, which is
dependent on whether customers are buying your product and what they
are saying about your product to other
potential customers.
As superintendent of District 196, I
am happy to report that we are continuing
to serve the vast majority of school-aged
­children who live in our district. The story
on page 4 has information about our
87 percent “capture rate,” which is considered by a former state demographer to be
among the highest in the state. Realtors
also confirm that District 196 remains a
district of choice among families moving
into the area, which keeps property values
strong in our district.
The capture rate data shows that a
high percentage of potential customers are
choosing the quality of education provided
in District 196. They are using the product
that is supported by their state and local
tax dollars, but what are they saying about
District 196 schools?
In early April, the district hired The
Morris Leatherman Company to conduct a
scientific survey of 400 randomly-selected
district residents. The purpose of the
survey was to measure residents’ satisfaction with the district and their willingness
to support a tax increase to make safety,
space and technology improvements that
were recommended by a district task force
this spring. These improvements are recommended in order to continue the quality of education District 196 residents have
come to expect.
Veteran pollster Bill Morris said that
overall, the survey results were some of
the strongest he’s seen in the metro area
in quite some time.
Seventy-eight percent of survey
respondents rate the performance of
our School Board as good or excellent
and 91 percent of respondents said they
trust the board to do what is right for the
children of this community, an increase
of 6 percent over the most recent survey
in 2013. Our board understands what
the community wants and expects, and
provides the support – both financially
and philosophically – that district administrators and teachers need to implement
­effective, research-based instructional
strategies for learning.
Survey results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
continued from previous page
­ ducation provided in District 196,
e
95 ­percent of respondents rated it as
good or excellent. Ninety-two percent
agree the community receives a good
value from its investment in local public
schools and 69 percent agree the district spends tax money effectively. When
asked to identify the most serious issue
facing schools, lack of funding received
the most responses at 24 percent,
followed by “nothing” at 20 percent.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents
agree the district does a good job
involving parents and interested citizens
in decisions about the schools, down
3 ­percent from 2013.
On job performance, 78 percent
of respondents gave the School Board
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
a ­rating of good or excellent, up from
73 ­percent in 2013; 79 percent rated the
superintendent and administration good
or excellent, up from 71 percent, and
93 ­percent rated District 196 teachers
good or excellent, up from 87 percent.
On fiscal management, 57 percent rated
the district good or excellent, down from
60 percent in 2013. Morris said anything
greater than 50 percent support is positive on ­financial questions.
Respondents selected the district’s
quarterly Spotlight newsletter, the district
website and local newspapers as the
three most credible sources for information about the district. When asked about
possible sources for information, friends
and neighbors led the way followed by
Spotlight and local newspapers.
3
Residents continue to have the
utmost respect for the quality of our
teachers. An amazing 93 percent of survey
respondents rated the performance of
District 196 teachers as good or excellent,
up 6 percent from 2013. I am excited to
see our teachers receive this well-deserved
recognition for their efforts to continually
improve instructional practices that will
benefit s­ tudent learning. One example is
the Literacy Collaborative being implemented in kindergarten through sixth
grade. Elementary teachers begin school
a week early in the fall to assess the reading level of each student, which gives them
the information needed to provide their
students with personalized instruction
from the first day of school. This endeavor
requires additional training for teachers
and a change in their practices.
Ninety-two percent of respondents
feel District 196 schools are a good investment of their tax dollars. In addition to
providing students with an excellent education, high-quality schools help maintain
high property values. Sixty-five percent of
survey respondents cite increased property values as a reason to support the
­recommended improvements.
Recalling the $34 million in budget
adjustments from 2009 to 2012, 65 percent
of those surveyed responded that the
­district only asks for tax increases as a last
resort. Unfortunately, due to insufficient
and unpredictable state funding, locally
funded operating levies–originally for the
“extras” school districts wanted--are now
necessary for daily operating expenses for
school districts statewide. We are most
appreciative of the support District 196
has received from taxpayers and we
will c­ ontinue to do our best to be good
­stewards of your tax dollars.
Thank you for trusting us with the
education of your children and for your
support of District 196.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
District News
Most resident students
attend district schools
Eighty-seven percent of schoolaged children who live in District 196 are
­attending District 196 schools this year,
according to student enrollment and
­census data maintained by the district.
There were 28,858 school-aged
children living within District 196 on
Oct. 1. Of those children, 25,050 attended
District 196 schools this year, giving the
district an 87 percent “capture rate” among
resident students.
Anything over 80 percent is considered high, according to former state
demographer Hazel Reinhardt of Hazel
Reinhardt Consulting. She says capture
rate is a reflection on the quality of local
public schools, as well as the presence of
charter schools, nonpublic schools and
other educational alternatives in and near
the district.
Of the 13 percent who did not attend
District 196 schools, 7.6 percent were
home schooled or attended traditional
non-public schools and 5.4 percent attended charter schools or public schools in
other districts.
District continues to
focus spending on
the classroom
District 196 spent nearly $500 per
pupil less than the average of the 10 largest districts in the state last year while
spending a higher percentage on regular
instruction compared to school districts
statewide and in the metro area.
Comparable expenditure data for
f­iscal year 2014 (see table) shows that
District 196 spent less per pupil than the
averages for the state, metro area and 10
largest districts in four of the 10 general
fund expenditure categories, including
operations and maintenance, student
transportation, district-level administration and pupil support services. Regular
classroom instruction is one area where
the district spent more per pupil than the
averages for the state and metro area.
“Our teachers make the biggest
difference in our students’ learning
and that is where we will continue to
focus our efforts to attract, train and
retain the most effective teachers,” said
Superintendent Jane K. Berenz.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
Filing period opens July 28 for four board seats
Four of the seven at-large positions
on the School Board of Independent
School District 196 are up for election in
the Nov. 3, 2015 General School Board
Election. The terms of Joel Albright, Rob
Duchscher, Jackie Magnuson and Bob
Schutte expire Jan. 4, 2016. The term of
each open position is four years, from
January 2016 to January 2020.
r­ egistration is required under
Minnesota Statute 243.166.
The two-week filing period for School
Board candidates will open Tuesday,
July 28, at 7:30 a.m. and runs through
Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 5 p.m. All candidates
must file during this two-week period in
order to be placed on the ballot.
Once the filing period opens, affidavits of candidacy will be available in the
Superintendent’s Office at the District
Office. Completed affidavits must be
returned to the Superintendent’s Office by
5 p.m. Aug. 11, along with a $2 filing fee or
a petition with at least 500 signatures of
eligible voters in place of the filing fee.
The School Board is responsible for
developing policy to ensure the proper
care, management and control of ­district
affairs, and supporting the district’s
­mission of educating our students to reach
their full potential.
•
•
•
•
•
Any person may be a candidate who:
is eligible to vote;
would be at least 21 years old upon
assuming office (Jan. 4, 2016);
is a resident of the school district for
at least 30 days before the election;
has not filed as a candidate for any
other office at the upcoming general
election, and
is not a sex offender who has been
convicted of an offense for which
Five or more voters may also draft a
candidate by filing an application on behalf
of the candidate. The candidate must
indicate his or her willingness to serve by
signing the application. The same filing fee
requirements and timeline apply.
Persons considering running for one
of the four open positions may call the
Superintendent’s Office at 651-423-7736 for
more information.
Expenditures Per Pupil for Fiscal Year 2014
District
196
State
Average
Metro
Average
10
Largest**
Average
Regular Instruction
$5,199
$4,797
$4,832
$5,288
Special Education
2,217
1,987
1,904
2,194
Operation, Maintenance & Other*
703
881
850
846
Student Transportation*
548
638
641
649
Instructional Support Services
541
536
542
612
School-Level Administration
469
425
423
441
District-Level Administration*
361
457
470
423
Student Activities & Athletics
285
294
280
209
Pupil Support Services*
247
312
312
377
Career & Technical Instruction
139
140
122
142
$10,709
$10,466
$10,376
$11,183
Expenditure Category
TOTAL
General Fund Operating
Expenditures
* Category where District 196 spent less per pupil than the averages for the state, metro area and
10-largest districts.
** The 10 largest school districts in Minnesota in FY2014 were, in order from largest: AnokaHennepin, St. Paul, Minneapolis, District 196, Osseo, South Washington County, Rochester, Elk
River, Robbinsdale and North St. Paul-Maplewood.
4
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
District News
Soliday is next director of elementary education
Echo Park
Elementary School
Principal Sally
Soliday was selected
in March to be the district’s next director of
Elementary Education.
On July 1, Soliday will
replace Julie Olson,
who is retiring at the
end of this school year after 38 years in
District 196, the last 11 as the elementary
director.
Soliday started working in the district
in 1980 as an elementary teacher. After
returning from a family move, she was
rehired as a teacher at Echo Park in 1992.
Two years later, Soliday became a teacher
on special assignment, mentoring teachers
and working with curriculum, before she
was hired to be Echo Park’s principal in
1997.
Soliday has a bachelor’s degree in
elementary education from Bemidji State
University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of
Minnesota, and a specialist degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State
University, Mankato.
The district is in the process of hiring
a principal for Echo Park, as well as Oak
Ridge and Red Pine elementary schools.
Free meals for all children at two schools this summer
Free breakfast and lunch will be available for any child who shows up at Cedar
Park Elementary STEM School in Apple
Valley or Echo Park Elementary School in
Burnsville during a five-week period in July
and August.
Cedar Park and Echo Park qualify for
Summer Food Service Program funding
from the USDA based on the percentage of students who qualify for free or
reduced-price meals. The goal is to help
as many children as possible get the nutritious meals they need during the summer
when they are not attending school.
Children do not need to attend Cedar
Park or Echo Park to receive the free summer meals and there is no income eligibility requirement or need for reservations;
just show up.
Lunch will be served at the two sites
Monday through Friday, July 6 through
Aug. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at
Cedar Park and from noon to 1 p.m. at
Echo Park. Breakfast will also be available
from July 27 through Aug. 13, when the
district’s Camp Propel summer camp is in
session; serving times will be 8-8:30 a.m. at
Cedar Park and 9-9:30 a.m. at Echo Park.
Adults may also eat during these times; the
cost is $2 for breakfast and $3.70 for lunch
(cash only).
For more information about the free
summer meals program in District 196,
call the Food and Nutrition Services
Department at 651-683-6957.
Elementary attendance-area adjustment approved
In April, the School Board approved
an attendance-area adjustment to a parcel of mostly undeveloped land in Apple
Valley’s southeast corner to maximize use
of space at Highland and Parkview elementary schools.
The parcel is located west of Pilot
Knob Road, between County Road 42
and County Road 46. The land is being
developed into residential neighborhoods
named Regent’s Point and Quarry Pond.
The first residents are expected to move in
this summer. Enrollment projections estimate 27 elementary aged children will live
in the 109 homes planned for these neighborhoods when fully developed.
The land is currently located in the
Parkview attendance area. Parkview is
the district’s fastest-growing elementary
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
school, increasing by 240 students since
2004, to 854 this year. During that same
time period, enrollment at Highland has
stayed the same, at approximately 660 students. Parkview’s enrollment is projected
to continue growing at a faster rate than
Highland.
Director of Elementary Education
Julie Olson proposed moving this parcel
from the Parkview to the Highland attendance area, and keeping it in the Scott
Highlands Middle School and Rosemount
High School attendance areas. She said
these types of adjustments, made before
residents move into the neighborhood,
have been used in the past to help balance
enrollments and make best use of school
space.
5
District has part-time
and substitute openings
District 196 has openings for the
2015-16 school year for substitute teacher,
clerical/paraprofessional and nurse positions, as well as bus drivers and food
service associates. For more information
about these and other job opportunities
in District 196 and to apply online, go
to www.District196.org and click on the
“Employment” tab on the right side of the
top navigation bar.
Substitute teacher pay rates are
$120 for a full day and $70 for a half day.
To be a substitute teacher in District 196,
applicants must have a current Minnesota
teacher’s license or have a four-year
degree, obtain a short call substitute
license from the state and attend district
training.
The substitute clerical pay rate is
$11 per hour and substitute paraprofessional pay rate is $12.25 per hour.
Applicants must be available Monday
through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. most
weeks; be willing to work as a special
education paraprofessional at multiple
schools; pass a pre-employment physical
and background check; complete online
Personal Care Assistant training and
attend a clerical orientation session.
The substitute school nurse pay
rate is $22 per hour. Applicants must be a
licensed LPN or RN (preferred), be available weekdays during the school year and
attend a substitute nurse orientation.
The bus driver pay rate is $16 per
hour and benefits are available to employees who work 25 or more hours per week.
Part-time and substitute positions are
available, with preference for individuals
who can be available for both morning and
afternoon routes. Applicants must have a
high school diploma or GED, a Minnesota
driver’s license with a good driving record,
enjoy working with children and be able
to lift/drag up to 125 pounds. The district
provides training to obtain necessary licensure.
The food service associate pay rate
is $14.45 per hour ($10.20 per hour starting
wage for substitutes). Regular and substitute positions are available, three to five
hours per day. Applicants must have a high
school diploma or GED and be able to
safely lift up to 40 pounds. Responsibilities
include food preparation, meal sales and
service, cashiering and clean-up.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
In the Schools
More than 2,000 students will graduate from district schools this year
More than 2,000 students are scheduled to graduate from District 196 schools
this year. The estimated diploma count of
2,073 includes 428 from Apple Valley High
School, 575 from Eagan High School, 525
from Eastview High School and 545 from
Rosemount High School.
The high school totals include 163
seniors from the School of Environmental
Studies; 16 from the Area Learning Center
alternative high school program; 31 from
the Transition Plus and Pathway programs,
which serve young adults ages 18-21 with
special needs, and 75 adult learners who
will graduate from Community Education’s
Adult Basic Education (ABE) program.
At right is a complete schedule of
commencement ceremonies in the district.
Information about location changes due to
weather conditions will be available on the
school websites the day of the event.
Graduations on video
Most of the graduation ceremonies will be videotaped for playback
throughout the summer on the cable
systems that serve District 196 residents, including Charter (District 196 TV
Channel 189) in Apple Valley, Lakeville
and Rosemount; Comcast (District 196
TV Channel 19) in Burnsville and Eagan,
and Town Square TV (Channel 20) in
Inver Grove Heights. The graduation
ceremonies will also be available to
webstream at District196.org.
•
Adult Basic Education – Tuesday,
May 26, 7 p.m., at Falcon Ridge
Middle School
•
Area Learning Center – Thursday,
May 28, 4:30 p.m., in the multi-­
purpose room
•
Transition Plus and Pathway
– Monday, June 1, noon, at the
Rosemount Community Center
•
School of Environmental Studies
– Thursday, June 4, 7 p.m., at the
Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater
­(weather permitting)
•
Apple Valley High School –
Saturday, June 6, 6 p.m., in the
­stadium (weather permitting)
•
Eagan High School – Saturday,
June 6, 2:15 p.m., in the stadium
(weather permitting)
•
Eastview High School – Saturday,
June 6, 7 p.m., in the stadium (weather
permitting)
•
Rosemount High School – Saturday,
June 6, 7 p.m., in the stadium (weather
permitting)
Valley Middle School of STEM offering districtwide transportation this fall
District 196 is expanding schoolchoice options to the middle school level
this fall with the addition of districtwide
transportation service to Valley Middle
School of STEM in Apple Valley.
Valley Middle has been a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)
school since 2012, but transportation has
not been provided for students who live
outside the school’s attendance area. The
district has offered magnet school choice
with transportation at three elementary
schools for the past eight years; Valley will
be the first magnet option with transportation at the middle school level.
The enrollment application is available
on the front page of the district website
at www.District196.org. Students who
apply before May 22 will be considered for
enrollment in the initial selection process.
If necessary, a lottery will be used to determine enrollment. Students selected in the
initial process will be notified no later than
June 3. Students who apply after the deadline will be enrolled if space is available, or
Did You Know?
All three elementary magnet
schools in District 196 received
School of Excellence awards this
year from Magnet Schools of
America.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
placed on a waiting
list.
Valley is the
middle segment of
the district’s STEMeducation pathway,
which begins with
inquiry at Cedar
Park Elementary
STEM School and
ends at Apple
Valley High School
with graduates who
are college and
STEM-career ready.
STEM education utilizes handsEighth-grader Uzoma Ngwu uses one of the 3D printers in Valley
on, experiential,
Middle’s fabrication lab that opened earlier this school year.
inquiry-based learning in the themes
cutter, CNC router and CAD software;
of science, technology, engineering and
•A community space known as The Aviary
math. The collaborative design model used
where students can work individually
in all classrooms inspires students to think
or in groups, and
critically and problem solve while engaging
in the curriculum, which includes the arts
• Achievement and leadership opportunito support a well-balanced framework for
ties through National Junior Honor
learning. Students learn in a collaborative
Society, Citizen Scholars and Student
environment where they can explore the
Leadership Process.
world around them as they form their own
For more information about Valley
identities.
Middle or the application and enrollment
In addition, students at Valley Middle
School of STEM have access to:
•A fabrication lab that gives them ability
to create using 3D printers, a laser
6
process, call Principal Dave McKeag at
952-431-8300 or district Coordinator of
Innovative Programs Cathy Kindem at
651-423-7911.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
In the Schools
District students win four titles and 27 medals in state speech
Jon Crepeau in original oratory and
Teja Lawrence in extemporaneous
reading, and Apoorva Malarvannan
of Eastview in extemporaneous
­speaking.
District 196 students won four of the
of 13 first-place titles and 27 of the 104
total medals awarded at this year’s state
speech tournament for Class AA schools
April 18 in Lakeville.
State champions are Tessa Dahlgren
and Trevor Taylor of Apple Valley High
School in duo interpretation, Keiaireyona
Brown of Apple Valley in original oratory,
Varoon Pazhyanur of Eastview High
School in extemporaneous speaking, and
Siri Dove of Eastview in extemporaneous
reading. Including this year’s results, Apple
Valley and Eagan high schools continue to
rank first and second, respectively, in total
state speech titles won since 1969.
•
5th Place – Three medals, Rickey
Williams of Apple Valley in poetry
interpretation, Sarah Knutson of
Eastview in informative speaking
and Ryan Poehler of Rosemount in
extemporaneous reading.
•
6th Place – Three medals, Eagan’s
Daniel Reynolds in poetry interpretation, Kaylan Fernandez in prose
interpretation and Matt Balascak in
storytelling.
Medals are awarded at the state tournament for places one through eight in
each of the 13 categories of competition.
Apple Valley won 12 medals, Eagan High
School eight medals, Eastview six medals
and Rosemount High School one medal.
•
7th Place – Three medals, Henry
Dikeman of Apple Valley in discussion, Hannah Perendy of Eagan in
humorous interpretation and Anu
Muppirala of Eastview in informative
speaking.
Four District 196 students were state
runners-up: David Immen and Nick
Saxton of Eagan in duo interpretation,
Megan Lough of Eagan in informative
speaking and Kate Nechanicky of Apple
Valley in great speeches. Third-place medals were awarded to Yassin Abasher of
Apple Valley in great speeches, Cassandra
Edlund of Apple Valley in poetry interpretation and Bianca Nkwonta of Eagan in
humorous interpretation.
•
8th Place – Five medals, Apple Valley’s
Stephanie Kahle in humorous interpretation, Sarah Grambo in original
oratory and Annabel Higgin-Houser
in prose interpretation, Sarah Gong
of Eagan in storytelling and Kendall
Bradley of Eastview in discussion.
District 196 students who medaled in
places four through eight are as follows:
•
4th Place –Three medals, Apple Valley’s
Thirty-two of the 39 state tournament qualifiers from Section 3AA were
from District 196. Head speech coaches
in District 196 are Kathleen Johnson at
Apple Valley, Joni Anker at Eagan, Ryan
Roseen at Eastview and Carol Sylvester
at Rosemount.
Instrument donations needed to make Band For All
If you have a gently used
musical instrument that is no longer being used, please consider
donating it to the district’s Band
for All program. This year, more
than 230 students participated in
band with a donated instrument
from Band for All.
More than 60 additional
instruments are needed to meet
the needs of next year’s fifthgrade students who would like
to participate in band but do not
have an instrument to use. All
gently used band and orchestra
instruments are accepted and
used.
Instruments can be dropped
off at Oak Ridge Elementary
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
­ uring school hours. If unable
d
to drop off the instrument, email
bandforall@District196.org to
make arrangements for pickup. Include name, address and
phone number on a piece of
paper inside the instrument case
if you would like to receive a
donation letter for tax purposes.
Band for All also accepts
monetary donations to repair
donated instruments. Monetary
donations can be sent to Valley
Middle School of STEM, c/o
Cindy Hanson, 900 Gardenview
Dr., Apple Valley, MN 55124
(checks should be made payable to Valley Middle School of
STEM).
7
Thirty students qualify
for nationals in June
Thirty District 196 high school
students qualified to compete at
the National Speech and Debate
Association tournament that will be
held June 15-19 in Dallas. Students
earned spots for the national tournament at qualifying events this winter.
Eagan High School has 15
s­ tudents who earned 11 qualifying
spots: the teams of David Immen and
Nick Saxton and Jackson Cobb and
Maddie Sell in duo interpretation;
Aekta Mouli in original oratory; Ben
Pankow in domestic extemporaneous speaking; Collin Westgard in
­international extemporaneous speaking; Yodahe Heramo in dramatic
­interpretation; Bianca Nkwonta in
humorous interpretation; the teams of
Leah Dunlevy and Ridhima Mishra
and Lulu Qian and Suraj Shah in public forum debate, and Ben Portzen and
Rylee Smith in congressional debate.
Apple Valley High School has 12
students who earned 10 qualifying
spots: the teams of Tessa Dahlgren
and Trevor Taylor and Claire Doty
and Lauren Troldahl in duo interpretation; Keiaireyona Brown, Naomi
Seleshi, Jane Michaelson and Moti
Begna in original oratory; Grace
Hoffa in international extemporaneous
speaking; Stephanie Kahle in humorous interpretation, Claire Hoffa in
Lincoln-Douglas debate, and Margo
Sanders in world’s debate.
Eastview High School’s Alex
Baker qualified in domestic extemporaneous speaking and Varoon
Pazhyanur in international extemporaneous speaking.
Rosemount High School’s William
Lai qualified in domestic extemporaneous speaking.
Did You Know?
The quality of local schools is one
of the most important factors in
maintaining high property values
in a community.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
In the Schools
Apple Valley’s one act
stars at state festival
After watching and critiquing eight
dramatic productions, a panel of judges
rated Apple Valley High School and four
others “starred performances” at the
state One-Act Play Festival in St. Paul in
February.
Representing Section 1AA, Apple
Valley’s performance of “Eurydice” by
Sarah Ruhl was directed by Joshua
Campbell. Cast members were Tessa
Dahlgren, Rickey Williams, Felipe
Escudero, Nick Lane, Lu’Cinda Peña,
Claire Doty, Ashley Suter, Kyle Klose,
Brynn Berg and Leah Andrews. Support
personnel were Abra Allen, Tessa Lexa,
Bella Clark, Jeremy Vogel, Chloe
Culler, Matt Kotlan, Neb Meseret,
Samson Ghirmai, Sam Brandt and Riley
Chouanard.
The One-Act Play Festival does not
involve direct competition. Judges rate
the plays according to specific criteria,
including pace, blocking, costuming and
projection of the play’s meaning. Each production is limited to 10 minutes of stage
preparation and 35 minutes of actual performance. The judges consult after each
production and then openly critique each
The cast and crew of Apple Valley High School’s one-act play, “Eurydice,” earned a starred
­performance rating at the state One-Act Play Festival.
in front of the cast, crew, and audience.
Starred performance ratings are determined by private balloting of the judges.
ance at the state festival, the first since
1990, and eighth starred performance
­rating.
This was Apple Valley’s 10th appear-
2015 Eagan High School Community Theater Presents
AUDITIONS
May 26: (6:30-9 p.m.) High school age only
May 27: (7-9:30 p.m.) Adults
May 28: (7-9:30 p.m.) Adults
May 29: (7-9:30 p.m.) Dance Auditions - All are
encouraged to participate whether a “dancer” or not
Open to high school students (including incoming 9th graders)
and adults of ALL ages
Auditions held at Eagan High School; enter lower east lot
CALLBACKS: June 2, 6:30 p.m.
©Disney
FINAL CAST POSTED: June 8
REHEARSALS: June 15 - July 16
Monday - Friday, 7-10 p.m.
2-3 Saturday sessions (TBA); no rehearsal July 3, 4 and 5
PERFORMANCES
JULY 17 - AUGUST 1
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
Please do not audition if you are involved in summer sports
or have major conflicts between June 15 - August 1
8
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
In the Schools
Apple Valley wrestlers
make it 10 in a row
Apple Valley High School won its 10th
straight state wrestling team title and four
District 196 wrestlers won state titles in
the individual competition at this year’s
Class AAA state wrestling tournament in
February.
Individual champions were Adam
Hedin of Rosemount High School and
Apple Valley wrestlers Bobby and Gable
Steveson and junior Mark Hall, who
won a record-tying fifth state title and was
named National Wrestler of the Year by
InterMat.
The Eagles posed for photos with the championship trophy on the Target Center court.
Apple Valley boys win state basketball title
The Apple Valley High School boys’
basketball team won the Class 4A state
championship over previously unbeaten Champlin Park 64-61 March 14 in
Minneapolis. It was Apple Valley’s second
state basketball title in the last three years.
The Eagles reached the championship game with victories over St. MichaelAlbertville in the quarterfinal round and
defending state champion Lakeville North
in the semifinal round. The win over
Champlin Park in the championship game
avenged one of Apple Valley’s two losses
on the season, finishing at 30-2.
Members of the state championship team are Brock Bertram, Jordan
Bolton, Steven Christiansen, Donovan
Dalton, Aaron Ertz, Isaiah Hall, Miles
Hendrickson, Tre Jones, Cameron
Kirksey, Austin Korba, Luke Martens,
Levi Oberg, Evan Ordahl, Riley
Parham, Jordan Reddick, JáQuan
Robinson, Spencer Rolland, Gary
Trent, Jr. and Sam Wubishet. Bertram,
Jones and Trent, Jr. were named to the
Class 4A All-Tournament Team. Student
managers are Jordan Fronk, Sami
Hayward, Hannah Larson and Mikayla
Nielsen. The head coach is Zach Goring
and assistant coaches are Greg Olson,
Jadee Jones, Dave Edison, Reid Edison,
Dalen Dirth, Donny Dalton, Jeff Groves
and Brett Bresnahan.
Dakota United Hawks win floor hockey titles
The Dakota United Hawks adapted
floor hockey teams brought home the
state championship in the cognitively
impaired (CI) tournament and consolation
championship in the physically impaired
(PI) tournament in March.
The PI Hawks lost their quarterfinal game to five-time state champion
Robbinsdale, but rebounded to defeat
Wayzata/Minnetonka and South Suburban
to earn the state consolation championship.
The CI Hawks, the #1 seed in the
south division, defeated previously
unbeaten North Suburban 4-2 in the championship game. The Hawks gave up only
nine goals total in three games at the state
tournament.
school, are Jacob Czyz, Joey Gallup and
Nolan Sherman of Rosemount Middle
School; Kane Cartwright, Bryce Jahnke,
Nevar Olson and Philip Teravskis of
Apple Valley High School; Carl Fagre,
Matthew Haugen, Laura Heberle,
Tyler Lupie Voss and Blake St. Mane
of Eagan High School; Al Charles and
Keegan Murphy of Eastview High School,
and Austin Hanisch, Kennard Lyles and
Emma Roiger of Rosemount High School.
Student managers are Isaiah Avery
and Emma Charles of Eastview High,
and Zachary Mills and Kaylin Yunker
of Rosemount High. The head coach is
Brett Kosidowski and assistant coaches
are Scott Kunze, Tim Charles, Mary
Hautman, Julie Hansen and Dana Beck.
Members of the CI team, listed by
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
9
This was Apple Valley’s 23rd state
wrestling team title in school history. This
year’s team ended with a 22-2 record and
a 17th place national ranking. Other members of the team are Brady Gross, Nate
Larson, Sebas Swiggum, Kyle Rathman,
Devin Roberts, Abdi Said, Jalen Thul,
Seth Elwood, Zach Chytka, Brock
Morgan, Tony Watts, Arthur Quinones,
Andrew Walock, Prince Hyeamang,
Mitchel Nelson and Grant Studer. The
head coach is Dalen Wasmund and
assistant coaches are Josh Barlage, Jake
Avre, Rudy James, Nic Barclay, Darryl
Johnson, Jamell Tidwell and Tony
Abbott.
A total of 22 District 196 students
qualified for the individual competition at
state, including nine from Apple Valley,
two from Eagan High School, seven from
Eastview High School and four from
Rosemount. State runners-up included
George Farmah and Luke Dodd of
Eastview. Third-place finishes were earned
by Apple Valley’s Larson and Elwood, and
Eagan’s Sodan Ka and Joe Dubbels.
Eastview’s Tim Duffy finished in fifth place
in his weight class.
Guebert is Miss Basketball
and Player of the Year
Eastview High
School senior guard
Madison Guebert
was named Miss
Minnesota Basketball
by the state coaches
association and the
Gatorade Minnesota
Girls Basketball Player
of the Year for 2015.
Guebert plans to attend South Dakota
State University this fall on a basketball
scholarship.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
In the Schools
Eagan boys win state
swim and dive title
The Eagan High School boys’ swimming and diving team won the Class
AA state championship in March at the
University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
The Wildcat swimmers and divers had 13
top-16 finishes to score 226 points in the
12 events at state. The next closest was
Minnetonka High School at 210 points and
Eden Prairie High School took third with
194 points.
Parents see impact of technology on learning
Students in Shellie Wilson’s fourth-grade classroom at Diamond Path Elementary School
of International Studies showed parents how they have been using technology to enhance
their learning this year. Wilson’s is one of 46 beta classrooms where each student has had
a district-owned iPad mini to use at school and home. Amy Sutton (left) and Laurie
Volpano were among a group of parent leaders and school site council members who talked
with teachers and students in several beta classrooms during a technology learning journey
sponsored by the Superintendent and Teaching and Learning departments in March. The
recommendations of the district’s Strategic Planning Facilities and Equipment Task Force
call for increased access to technology for students in all grades, phased in over three years
beginning in 2016-17, if funds are available.
Register now to save on bus service for 2015-16
Fee-for-service transportation will be
available again next school year for families of students not eligible to receive free
bus transportation to and from school
based on current service distances.
radius, except
transportation
for individuals
with special
needs.
The annual cost of this optional transportation service will remain $275 per
student, with a $550 family maximum for
the 2015-16 school year. Families whose
children qualify to receive free or reducedprice school meals receive the service for a
discounted rate. Families who register for
the service before Aug. 1, 2015 will receive
an approximate 10 percent discount.
Many districts, including
District 196, have chosen to offer better
service than required by state law. The
district’s current transportation policy
sets one mile from school as the starting
point for elementary bus service and one
and one-half miles for secondary students.
Students living within these distances of
their school are not currently eligible for
transportation, except those who would, if
they were to walk to school, need to cross
a railway or roadway defined by district
regulation as hazardous.
Minnesota law requires districts to
provide transportation for students living
two miles or more from their school and
for students who receive special education
services and require transportation as part
of their individual education plan, regardless of how far these students live from
the school they attend. State law allows
districts to charge a fee for any transportation provided within the two-mile minimum
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
For more information about the feefor-service option and registration, visit
the Transportation Department website at
District196.org or call 651-423-7685.
10
In the individual events, state runners-up were Eagan’s Parker Lemke in
the 100-yard backstroke and in the 200yard medley relay with teammates Max
Stigman, Eli Broman and Sam Zenner.
Third-place finishes went to Zenner in the
50-yard freestyle, Nic Lemieux in diving and the team of Jasper Appleton,
Tal Shub, Mac Johnson and Zenner in
the 200-yard freestyle relay. Others who
contributed to the team score were Alex
Crow, fourth place, diving; Appleton,
fifth place,100-yard freestyle; Lemke and
Appleton, sixth and eighth place, respectively, 200-yard freestyle; Broman, ninth
place, 100-yard butterfly; Zenner, 10th
place, 100-yard freestyle; Broman, 10th
place, 200-yard individual medley, and
Stigman, 12th place, 100-yard breaststroke.
Other members of the state championship team are Anders Broman,
Patrick Collins, Zach Dawson, Scott
Franklin, Ryan Grunert, Joel Holm,
Alec Jurish, Michael Kehoe, Alex Kong,
Vessna Lundgren, Andrew Miller, Max
Najlis, Jordan Nguyen, Garrett O’Keefe,
Adam Pugh, Quenton Steffen and
Joseph Strobel. The head coach is Chris
Morgan, dive coach is Amy Morgan and
assistant coaches are Angel Doughty and
Emily Lubuz. Chris Morgan was selected
the boys’ Coach of the Year in Class AA by
the Minnesota Swim Coaches Association.
Services available for
homeschool students
High school students who live in
District 196 and will be homeschooled in
the 2015-16 school year may enroll in a
maximum of two courses per grading period and participate in cocurricular activities
at their attendance-area high school. Band
is available for students in grades 5-8 at
their attendance-area school. The deadline
to register for shared-time courses offered
in 2015-16 is June 1; call 651-423-7722.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
In the Schools
Students learn about
naturalization process in
school gym ceremony
Twelve area residents become
naturalized U.S. citizens during an educational ceremony held in the Pinewood
Community School gym March 10.
Pinewood parent Trudy Kenney
arranged for the ceremony in support of
a lesson on the naturalization process
that is taught in third grade. Kenney, who
has a third-grade son at Pinewood, is a
supervisory immigration services officer in
the St. Paul office of the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security. The third graders
learned about immigration and the naturalization process in their classes in the
weeks leading up to the ceremony and
sang “You’re a Grand Old Flag” as part of
the ceremony.
Pinewood students stood with right
hands raised and recited the words along
with the 12 new citizens as presider U.S.
Magistrate Judge Jeffrey J. Keyes administered the oath. During his congratulatory
remarks, Judge Keyes spoke about the
great freedoms provided by U.S. citizenship, as well as the significant responsibilities that come with it.
The ceremony included a videotaped
message from President Obama and a
music video of the Lee Greenwood song,
“Proud to be an American.” Eagan High
School student Elizabeth Maleska sang
“The Star-Spangled Banner” and the Eagan
Police Department Honor Guard posted
the colors to open the ceremony. It was
believed to be the first naturalization ceremony held in Eagan.
The 12 new citizens immigrated to
the United States from Ethiopia, India,
Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Laos, Mexico, China,
Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine and the United
Kingdom.
Apple Valley High School students posed with their Crystal Pillar awards following the Student
Production Awards ceremony at the Mall of America.
District students dominate video awards
The journalism and video production
programs at four District 196 high schools
brought home 16 of 23 Crystal Pillar
awards presented at the regional Student
Production Awards ceremony in April at
the Mall of America.
The Student Production Awards are
sponsored by the Upper Midwest Chapter
of the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Apple Valley
students won nine awards, Eagan and
Eastview three each, and Rosemount took
one. The 16 winning entries, listed by category, are as follows:
•
Newscast: Eagan AM, Eagan High,
“600th Episode”
•
Newscast: EaglEye, Apple Valley High,
“#117,” anchors Moti Begna and
Jazmin Armijos
•
News General Assignment-Serious:
The Flash, Eastview High, “Roger
the Custodian’s Recovery,” Katelyn
Toner, Katie Lord, Sunita Dharod,
Anita Dharod and Jillian Welborn
•
•
Laos native Phouthone Sivongxay of
Eagan posed with U.S. Magistrate Judge
Jeffrey J. Keyes after the ceremony.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
•
Ivan Calixto-Rosas and Taylor
Bahm
•
Non-Fiction: EaglEye, Apple Valley
High, “Names,” Maddi Engel
•
Sports Live Event: Apple Valley
High, “Eagles Basketball vs. Park
Cottage Grove,” Sara Jaroscak,
Jacob Aguilar, Yassin Abasher,
Mitch Johnson, J. Hill and Brooklyn
Schwiesow
•
Public Affairs/Community Service:
Eagan AM, Eagan High, “The Future of
Lebanon Hills”
•
Commercial: Eastview High, “Heart
Rate Monitor Cheats,” Jack Groves
and Peter Liffrig
•
Animation/Graphics/Special Effects:
Eagan AM, Eagan High, “Virtual
Reality”
•Editor: Mike Rapuano, Rosemount
High, “Singing Souls of Paradise”
•Photographer: Marcus Nelson, Apple
Valley High
News General Assignment-Light:
EaglEye, Apple Valley High, “Coach
Bobby,” Maddi Engel, Marcus
Nelson and Maddie Saice
•Talent: Moti Begna, Apple Valley
High
News General Assignment-Light:
EaglEye, Apple Valley High, “Sleep
Deprivation,” Maddi Engel, Kasey
Lanenberg and Jazmin Armijos
•Writing: Maddi Engel, Apple Valley
High
Arts and Entertainment/Cultural
Affairs: EaglEye, Apple Valley High,
“Teen Independence,” Isabel Abeln,
11
•Writing: Jillian Welborn, Eastview
High
Staff advisors are Cliff Dodge
and Drew McCluskey at Apple Valley
High, Paul Saxton at Eagan High, Nick
Fornicoia at Eastview High and Mark
Hubbard at Rosemount High.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
Achievements
Congratulations!
A sampling of recent student and staff achievements throughout District 196
The Eastview High School Science
Olympiad team took third place at the
state finals in March and four students
­finished first in their individual events.
Kelly Larson and Pavi Guttipatti were
tops in Cell Biology and Andrew Erickson
and Kunal Sujanani finished first in the
Wright Stuff event.
Eastview High School finished fifth,
Eagan High School 15th and Apple
Valley High School 17th of the 33 teams
that competed at this year’s Minnesota
Mathematics League state tournament.
Eagan senior Utkarsh Koshti was the top
finisher among district students, taking
sixth place out of the 351 students who
participated.
The Dakota Hills Middle School
MathCounts team took second place in
the South Capitol Chapter competition and
qualified to compete at the state tournament in March.
The Apple Valley High School
mock trial team took fourth place at the
Minnesota State Bar Association’s state
competition, which was held in a courtroom at the Hennepin County Government
Center in March. The team finished with
a 2-1 record, which included victories
over last year’s state champions and
­runners-up.
Eastview High School students Sunita
Dharod, Anita Dharod, Jillian Welborn,
Katie Lord and Katelyn Toner won first
place in the high school news feature
­division of the Student Television Network
Nationals for their story titled “Valley
Scare.”
Rosemount High School Math
Teacher Brian Fendrich received the
Aspirations in Computing Educator Award
from the National Center for Women and
Information Technology for his support
and encouragement of young women’s
interest in computing and information
technology.
Superintendent Jane K. Berenz has
been selected to receive a 2015 Teacher
Leader Award from the Reading Recovery
Council of North America for her significant contributions to maintaining the
high standards and expansion of Reading
Recovery, a short-term, early intervention
program that has been used with selected
first graders in District 196 for more than
20 years.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
Learning about leadership
Newly-acquainted students practiced their unique handshakes as part of an icebreaker activity at a leadership conference for students in the Advancement Via Individual Determination
(AVID) program. More than 250 students from across the district attended the March 19
conference at Shepherd of the Valley Church in Apple Valley. Eastview High School class of
2000 graduate and former Miss Minnesota Dottie Cannon gave the keynote address and
students could attend a variety of breakout sessions on topics ranging from leadership to life
after high school.
Eighth grade students Maxim
Zagrebelny of Black Hawk Middle School
and Kendyl Green of Scott Highlands
Middle School qualified for the SCRIPPS
Spelling Bee held at Augsburg College in
March.
Jesse Laursen of Scott Highlands
Middle School qualified to participate in
the state geographic bee held at St. Cloud
State University in March.
The Eastview High School quiz
bowl team qualified for the National High
School Championship Tournament May
29-30 in Chicago.
Eastview High School students Hee
Jin Hong, Daniel Mclean and Tim Sever
won first place at a regional competition
in February and qualified to participate in
the National Japan Bowl held in April in
Washington, D.C. The three take Japanese
classes at Eastview.
Eagan High School junior Mikey
LaSusa was selected to receive an allexpenses-paid trip to Los Angeles in
February to play guitar in the Grammy
Camp Alumni Band at an event preceding
the 2015 Grammy Awards.
12
Eastview High School student
Danielle Wong was selected by the
Asian American Journalists Association
to ­participate in a week-long multicultural journalism training program for
high school students at the University of
Minnesota in August.
The Falcon Ridge Middle School
Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of
John Greene, placed first in the middle
school division of the Eau Claire Jazz
Festival in April. Outstanding soloist certificates were awarded to Ian Kenney, Ryan
McClure and Ben Orzolek.
Eastview High School Jazz
Ensemble One earned third place in
the large-school division at Jazz in the
Meadows Jazz Festival near Chicago in
February.
The competition cheer teams from
Apple Valley and Eastview high schools
both finished runner-up in Class AA
non-tumbling divisions at the Minnesota
Cheerleading Coaches Association state
competition and qualified to compete at
nationals in Orlando.
continued on next page
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
Achievements
Congratulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
continued from previous page
Forty-six District 196 students were
named to the American Choral Directors
Association’s Minnesota Honor Choirs for
2014-15. They are Kate Brause, Alexis
Cairy, Ethan Elumba, Zoe Gabor, Ellie
Kuchera, Arianna Rotty and Anya
Wilson of Apple Valley High School; David
Guthertz, Tessa Maas, Julia Pelton,
Atulya Reddy and Rachel Soukup
of Eagan High School; Abby Braun,
Emma DesLauriers-Knop, Megan
Eden, Ellen Hahn, Jordan Homstad,
Isabella Huerta, A.J. McDermott,
Maren Reimann and Kacie Riddle of
Eastivew High School; Sophia DePaulis,
Meghan Hayes, Petra Holtze, Caroline
Kelly, Anna Scinto, Ezekiel Town and
Heather Wilharm of Rosemount High
School; Adam Bartl, Quinn Hoffman,
Noah Kunze, Annie Suckow, Irene
Swain and Sahitha Takkella of Black
Hawk Middle School;
Garrison Allen of
Dakota Hills Middle
School; Alexandra
Bernstein,
Mackenzie Donais,
Jack Lewison, Sam
Lewison, Taylor
McMahon, Noah
Nelson, Thor
Reimann, Noah
Stamboulieh,
Alex Sulistyo
and Sourabh
Terakanambi of
Falcon Ridge Middle
School, and Jayden
Johnson of Valley
Middle School.
Colleen Moore
of Apple Valley High
School, Rachel
Wall of Eagan High
School, Madison
Guebert of Eastview
High School and
Ellie Vraa of
Rosemount High
School were selected
by their schools as
the 2015 Athena
Award recipients in
District 196. Athena
Awards are given
each year at more
than 50 Twin Citiesarea high schools
Spotlight
based on excellence in individual sports or
for participation and accomplishments in
team sports.
Burns of Eagan High School in 17th place
and Luke Doolittle of Eastview High
School in 10th place.
The Eastview High School girls’
hockey team won the Section 3AA tournament and participated in the state tournament in February.
Rosemount High School freshman
Josey Schlie took second place in floor
exercise, fifth in vault, 21st on the uneven
bars and finished 16th in the all-around
competition of the state gymnastics meet.
Shelby Neumann of Eagan High School
took eighth place on the uneven bars,
Shannon McCoy of Eagan was 16th in
floor exercise and Megan Creese of
Rosemount was 17th in vault.
The Eagan High School boys’
Nordic ski team qualified for the state
meet in February and finished 13th in the
team competition. The top individual finisher was Patrick Acton in 21st place.
The Eastview High School girls’
Nordic ski team qualified for the state
meet in February and finished sixth in the
team competition. Junior Margie Freed
was the top finisher, taking third place
overall.
Five District 196 students qualified
for the state alpine ski tournaments in
February. The top finishers were Erin
Champion of change
School of Environmental Studies (SES) science teacher Craig
Johnson was recognized as a Champion of Change for Climate
Education and Literacy at a White House press event in February.
As one of only eight honorees in the nation, Johnson was selected for
his work in helping students understand the many facets of climate
change. Johnson has led students on numerous field study trips during his 14 years at SES to show them how people in different parts
of the world interact with their environment. He also helped SES
become one of only two high schools with official observer status at
the United Nations’ annual convention on climate change. Johnson
has accompanied students to the U.N. convention in five of the past
six years, including this past December in Lima, Peru.
• Summer 2015
13
Fifteen District 196 students had
top finishes at the Distributive Education
Clubs of America (DECA) state competition and qualified to compete at the
national conference in April in Orlando.
Eight Rosemount High School students
earned six qualifying spots: William Lai in
the economics in marketing and business
finance series events (double qualifier), the
teams of Lizzie Johnson/Anna Peterson
and Alexa Mack/Paige Zemke in the
hospitality services team event, Tanner
Manske and Caleb Pavelka in the buying and merchandising team event, and
Monica McDonald in the hotel and lodging management series. Seven Eastview
High School students earned qualifying
spots in three events: Kendall Qualey,
Joel Iverson and Logan Engst in public
relations campaign, Katie Coyne and
Taylor Leighton in marketing communications team, and Pavi Guttipatti and
Rishabh Gupta in hospitality services
team.
Ten District 196 students had top
finishes at the Business Professionals
of America (BPA) state competition in
March and qualified to compete at BPA’s
National Leadership Conference May 6-10
in Anaheim. Seven Eagan High School
students earned qualifying spots in six
events: Matthew Brotzman in fundamentals of web design, Josh Edelstein
in banking and finance, Bartosz Janczuk
in management/marketing/human
resources, state BPA President Ridhima
Mishra in economic research-individual,
Subha Ravichandran in interview skills,
and Aisha Tahir and Mariam Tahir in
broadcast news production team. Three
Eastview High School students earned
three qualifying spots at nationals: Nick
Hilger and Nicole Bichsel in fundamental
spreadsheet, and Nicole Ruf in fundamental word processing.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
Just the Facts
Asbestos removal projects scheduled this summer at four district schools
The District 196 Office of Health and
Safety has completed surveys confirming that all asbestos-containing materials
in district buildings are in good physical
condition and therefore do not indicate a
hazard or require immediate removal. The
district’s asbestos management plan and
related records also passed review.
and Rosemount high schools, Rosemount,
Scott Highlands and Valley middle schools,
and Cedar Park, Diamond Path, Echo Park,
Greenleaf, Highland, Northview, Parkview,
Rosemount, Southview, Thomas Lake and
Westview elementary schools.
taining materials. Last summer asbestos
removal projects included pipe fittings at
Rosemount High and flooring removal at
the District Service Center, Rosemount
High, Rosemount Middle, and Diamond
Path and Parkview elementary schools.
The asbestos management plan,
which includes information about the
asbestos-containing materials, was developed following an inspection of all district
buildings in 1988. (Buildings constructed
or leased since 1988 are inspected before
opening.)
Each school has a list of the
location(s) and type(s) of asbestos-containing material found in that school. That
list and copies of the district’s asbestos
management plan are available for public
review in the office of the building chief at
each school. The plan is also available at
the district’s Facilities and Grounds Office,
14445 Diamond Path W., Rosemount.
Asbestos removal and repair projects are scheduled this summer to abate
flooring at Rosemount High, Apple Valley
High and Rosemount Middle, ceiling tile at
Valley Middle and Transite panels at Apple
Valley High and Rosemount Middle.
The 16 buildings where asbestoscontaining materials exist are Apple Valley
The district plan calls for systematic
removal of some of the asbestos-con-
Forms needed for
students transported
to or from a daycare
Recruiters can request data; parents can opt out
Parents of elementary school ­children
who attend a daycare in District 196
that is eligible to receive transportation
to and/or from the daycare site must
submit the appropriate form described
in Administrative Regulation 707.5.2AR,
Transportation for Elementary School
Students in Daycare.
Refer to 707.5.2AR on the district
website at www.District196.org/District/
schoolboard/policies/700/707.5.2AR.pdf
for the appropriate forms and submission
deadlines.
2015-16 calendar
available online
The district calendar for the 2015-16
school year is available at www.District196.
org.
The calendar for next school year
is similar to this year, with 171 days of
school for middle school and high school
students, and 169 days for elementary
students. The elementary calendar also
includes two days for individually scheduled student assessments, which will be
conducted Aug. 25-26.
The 2015-16 school year will begin
Tuesday, Sept. 8 for all students and will
end Wednesday, June 8 for elementary
students and Friday, June 10 for middle
school and high school students.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
Under state and federal laws, military
recruiters and institutions of higher education can request from school districts the
names, addresses and home telephone
numbers of students in grades 9, 10, 11
and 12.
Parents of students in these grades
have the option to refuse the release
of this information by completing form
505.2.4.3P, “Denial of Release of Directory
and Yearbook Information,” checking the
appropriate boxes and submitting it to
their son or daughter’s school. The form
For more information or questions
about the district’s asbestos management
plan or scheduled removal projects, call
Health and Safety Supervisor Christopher
Pint at 651-423-7735.
is available at all middle school and high
school offices. This is the same form
parents and guardians may use to deny
the release of specific “directory” and
yearbook information about their child.
For more information, contact your child’s
school.
State law prohibits armed forces
recruiting personnel from further distributing this student information. State law also
requires that school districts provide information to the requesting military recruiter
within 60 days of receiving the request.
Reimbursement for nonpublic transportation
District 196 residents may request
reimbursement for a portion of their costs
for having transported their child during
the 2014-15 school year to a nonpublic
school to which the district does not provide transportation and does not have a
comparable nonpublic school available
within its boundaries.
Requests for reimbursement for nonpublic transportation must be submitted
prior to June 30, 2015 to: Independent
School District 196, Director of Finance
and Operations, 3455 153rd St. W.,
Rosemount, MN 55068. For more information or to obtain a reimbursement form,
call 651-423-7715.
Homeschools are required to report to district
Families living in District 196 who
plan to homeschool their children for the
2015-16 school year must submit a completed Compulsory Instruction Report to
the director of Community Education by
Oct. 1.
Information about the report and
other programs and services will be
addressed at an orientation meeting
Aug.18, 6:30 p.m. at the District Office,
14
3455 153rd Street W. in Rosemount.
Families that homeschooled in 2014-15
and those who will be new to homeschooling this fall are encouraged to attend.
Homeschool packets will be available
at the orientation meeting and are also
available on the district website at www.
District196.org/cewww/HomeSchool/
Index.cfm#packet. For more information,
call 651-423-7722.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
Just the Facts
Immunization requirements for students to attend school this fall
To enroll in child care, early childhood programs and school in Minnesota, children must show they have had the immunizations
listed below or file a legal exemption. Parents may file a medical exemption signed by a health care provider or a conscientious objection
signed by a ­parent/guardian and notarized.
This information must be on file with the school nurse before the first day of school on Sept. 8, 2015. Students will not be
able to attend school until they have shown proof of vaccination or legal exemption.
To read the chart, find the child’s age/grade level in one of the columns and read down to determine which immunizations are
required and how many doses, shown by the number of check marks. Each column is meant to be read separately; do not add up the
rows of checkmarks for each vaccine.
If you have questions, call the nurse at your child’s school or call the district’s Health Services Coordinator Joan Bertelsen at
651‑423‑7909.
Birth to Age 4
(Early Childhood programs)
Ages 5-6
(Kindergarten)
Hepatitis A
√√

Ages 7-11
(Grades 1-6)
Age 12 and older
(Grades 7-12)
___
___
___
Hepatitis B
√√√
Hepatitis B
√√√
Hepatitis B
√√√
Hepatitis B
√√√
DTaP/DT
√√√√
DTaP/DT
√√√√√
Tetanus and Diphtheria
containing doses
√√√
Tdap
√
Polio
√√√
Polio
√√√√
Polio
√√√
Polio
√√√
MMR
√
MMR
√√
MMR
√√
MMR
√√
Hib
√
___
___
Meningococcal
√ and booster
___
___
___
Varicella
√√
Varicella
√√
Varicella
√√
Pneumococcal
√√√√
Varicella
√
‚
ƒ
„
ƒ
ƒ
†
‡
ˆ

‚
ƒ
First graders who are 6 years old and younger must follow the polio and DTaP/DT schedules for kindergarten.
„
†
‡
Fifth shot of DTaP not needed if fourth was after age 4. Final dose of DTaP on or after age 4.
ˆ
One dose is required beginning at grade 7. The booster dose is usually given at 16 years but timing depends on when the first dose
was given.
Not required after 24 months.
If the child has already had chickenpox disease, varicella shots are not required. If the disease occurred after 2010, the child’s doctor
must sign a form.
Fourth shot of polio not needed if third was after age 4. Final dose of polio on or after age 4.
An alternate two-shot schedule of hepatitis B may also be used for children age 11 through 15 years.
Proof of at least three doses of diphtheria and tetanus vaccination needed. If a child received Tdap between ages 7 and 10 another
dose of Tdap is not needed. Td does not meet the Tdap requirement.
Looking for records? For copies of your child’s vaccination records, talk to your doctor or call the Minnesota Immunization
Information Connection (MIIC) at 651-201-5503 or 1-800-657-3970.
Spotlight
• Summer 2015
15
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
Independent School District 196
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
3455 153rd Street West
Rosemount, MN 55068
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Rosemount, MN
Permit No. 1
School Board
Rob Duchscher, chairperson
Jackie Magnuson, vice chairperson
Gary Huusko, clerk
Art Coulson, treasurer
Joel Albright, director
Mike Roseen, director
Bob Schutte, director
Jane K. Berenz, superintendent
Time Value Material
Please Deliver Promptly
Tony Taschner, communications director
Community Education
engage • inspire • enrich
Community
swim lessons
summer
fun!
& learning
Look for this icon on your
school’s website
(or visit www.District196.org/ce)
to try something engaging,
inspiring and enriching this
summer!
Every child
deserves a chance
to learn to love
the water. Learning
to swim with
District 196
Community Swim
Lessons is the
place to start this
­summer! Our caring and dedicated
instructors are
trained by the
American Red
Cross to help your
child develop swimming and water safety skills in our positive learning environment. For convenient dates,
times and locations, visit www.District196.org/swim or call 952-431-8777.
Sizzling summer STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)!
STEM education utilizes hands-on, experiential, inquiry-based learning in the
themes of science, technology, engineering and math. The collaborative design model
used in all classrooms inspires students to think critically and problem solve while
engaging in the curriculum, which includes the arts to support a well-balanced framework for learning. Students learn in a collaborative environment where they can explore
the world around them as they form their own identities.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mobile Game App Design (ages 9-12)
JavaScript Game Coding and Web Development
(grades 3-6)
Minecraft Coding with Python (grades 4-8)
LEGO® Robotics (ages 10-12)
Robotic Engineering with LEGO® EV3 (grades 4-8)
STEAM Academy (grades 1-6)
And more!
I
®
EGO
like L , so this
s]
[brick rocks!
class things and
d
make
o buil
I get t rograms to
use p hem move. GO
t
e LE
grad nt
a
k, 4th
– Nic ss particip
cla
Kindergarten Camp Propel
Kindergarten Camp Propel is a
­ rogram for incoming kindergarten
p
­students enrolled in District 196 who would
benefit from a summer transition experience. Classes will be held Monday through
Thursday, July 27-Aug. 13, 2015 at many of
the district’s elementary schools. Visit
www.District196.org/ecfe/preschool or call
952-388-1953 for more information.
ECFE summer family fun
Parents and their prekindergarten
c­ hildren can attend classes Tuesdays
through Thursdays, July 7-30, at the Dakota
Valley Learning Center. Age-specific and
free baby classes*, along with topic classes
for mixed age groups, will be offered
both daytimes and evenings. Visit www.
District196.org/ecfe or call 952-388-1953 for
more information. Register by June 16 to be
included in the lottery.
*Baby classes are free to District 196 families. Out-of-district
­families pay a fee. Enrollment is subject to availability.
Providing quality lifelong learning opportunities for all residents. • www.District196.org/ce • 651-423-7920 • 15180 Canada Avenue, Rosemount, MN 55068