Welcome to Hopkins E-News for Friday, April 4, 2008.

Outstanding Students & Staff

• Robotics Team earns first runner-up honors in FIRST Robotics Competition
• Junior high students receive top awards at State Science Fair
• Hopkins High School choirs receive high honors at musical festival
  

Upcoming Activities & Events

• Addiction and Adolescent Intervention workshop cancelled
• Raising Your Spirited Child parent education class, Tuesday, April 8, & Tuesday, April 15
• Hopkins High School Masterwork Concert, Friday, April 11
• Hopkins sponsors forum on Living Well for our Entire Lives, Friday, April 18
• Modern A Cappella Concert, Friday, April 25, is choir fund-raiser
• Raising Boys parent education class, Tuesday, April 29
• Hopkins High School hosts College Fair, Thursday, May 1
• Hopkins High School presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream, May 1-4
• Depot Coffee House offers programs for youth
  

Hopkins Public Schools--Its Unique Programs & Services

• Hopkins community member make Empty Bowls fund-raiser an overwhelming success
• Applications for Hopkins North Junior High Playschool being accepted now
  

Reminders about Previously Published Activities & Events

• XinXing Academy kindergarten roundup, Thursday, April 10
• Growing Up: Mothers and Daughters Connecting, Saturday, April 12
• Community invited to Tanglen Elementary School’s carnival, Sunday, April 13
• Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame induction, Sunday, April 13
• Mandatory early entrance to kindergarten meeting, Tuesday, April 15
• Free tax help available through Tuesday, April 15
• Stress and Anxiety in Children workshop, Tuesday, April 29
• Online registration now available for summer enrichment courses
  

School Board

• Upcoming Board discussions
  

Outstanding Students & Staff
Robotics Team earns first runner-up honors in FIRST Robotics Competition
The Hopkins High School Robotics Team—Technocrats--earned first–runner up honors at the Minneapolis Midwest FIRST Robotics Competition. Hopkins High School partnered with ev3, a Plymouth-based biotech company, to design and build this robot. ev3 donated a generous amount of money to allow the team to enter the competition, along with six members of their engineering staff volunteering time to help with the project. Technocrats team members include Emal Alwis, Ashley Bailey, Sara Baldvins, Robert Biss, Will Breczinski, Huy Do, Nate Ferris, Max Levin, Eliaz Plotnick, Eshaan Rao, Mark Robins, Krishna Shankar, Anne VanHorne, Jack Wanderman, Jeremy Werner, and Carl Wilcoxon. Adults include Adviser Tim Amlie, and ev3’s Ariel Chatman,  Dave Buye, Nick DeMeuse, Brian Ladd, Pushpa Samue, and Nick van der Lugt.

Junior high students receive top honors at State Science Fair
Nine Hopkins junior high students recently participated in the State Science Fair along with 425 students from across the state of Minnesota. State Science Fair award winners include:

• Hannah Borowsky, a 9th grade at Hopkins North Junior high--Bronze Medal (awarded to the top projects); Seagate First-Year Award (trophy given to the top 40 student presenters competing at the State Science Fair for the first time); and Medtronic Award (awarded to the top projects in the Medicine & Health category--$500 cash prize)
  

• Sreyas Chintapalli, an 8th grader at Hopkins West Junior High--Society for Science & the Public Middle School Award (a nomination for eligibility to enter the only national competition designed just for middle school students, which involves 30 finalists traveling to compete in Washington, D.C. next fall)
  

• Malcolm Kelner, a 9th grader at Hopkins West Junior High--Office of the Surgeon General Award (certificate signed by the Surgeon General, awarded to a project that illustrated a healthy lifestyle)
  

• Ami Yamamoto, a 9th grader at Hopkins North Junior High-- Bronze Medal (awarded to the top projects); American Chemical Society Award (certificate, periodic table, CD Rom, subscription to ChemMatters; and American Meteorological Society Award (top 2 awards in this category for outstanding achievement, and included a certificate & weather radio)
  

Hopkins High School choirs receive high honors at musical festival
Recently the Hopkins High School Choirs--103 students--participated in a  week-long performance tour through central Florida. Included in their performances were Magic Music Days at Downtown Disney, Rollins College and a choir exchange with Orange County Performing Art Magnet School. The choirs performed at the 2008 FAME Orlando Music Festival competition held at the Hard Rock Live Concert Hall on the City Walk in Orlando, Florida. Bel Canto finished fifth, the Chamber Choir took second runner-up, and the Concert Choir took first runner-up, losing grand champion by one point on a 300-point scale. During the students non-performance time in Florida, they visited different theme parks such as Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Magic Kingdom, MGM Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, & Epcot. The choir also went to Cocoa Beach for an afternoon on the Atlantic Ocean.

Upcoming Activities & Events
Addiction and Adolescent Intervention workshop cancelled
The Addiction and Adolescent Intervention workshop scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, has been cancelled.

Raising Your Spirited Child parent education class, Tuesday, April 8, & Tuesday, April 15
Raising Your Spirited Child parent education class will be conducted from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, & Tuesday, April 15, in Room 27 at the Harley Hopkins Family Center, 125 Monroe Ave. S., Hopkins. Participants will discuss parenting strategies to help them raise a delightfully challenging child. The cost is $15/adult, or $20/household. Child care for children birth through kindergarten is available, at a cost of $5 per child, per week. Register by calling 952-988-5000.

Hopkins High School Masterwork Concert, Friday, April 11
The Hopkins High School Music Department masterwork concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the auditorium at Hopkins High School, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka. The concert features the Chamber Strings along with the Concert Choir. Both groups will perform individually first, featuring composers like Stamitz, Whitacre, Ames, and Minnesota’s Eric Barnum. Then, the two groups will combine and perform Antonio Vivaldi's masterwork, Gloria, which is 12 movements of music featuring chorus, strings, soprano duet, soprano solo, and alto solo. Tickets are $7 for adults, and $4 for students or seniors.

Hopkins sponsors forum on Living Well for our Entire Lives, Friday, April 18
School & Communities in Partnership (SCIP) and Hopkins Public Schools are hosting a community forum, Living Well for our Entire Lives, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday, April 18, in Room 215 at the Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. Parents and community members are invited to attend. Featured speaker is Eric Schubert, director of communications for Ecumen. Schubert will be discussing the ramifications of Ecumen’s Age Wave Study. Earlier this year, Ecumen commissioned Decision Resources, Ltd., a Minneapolis-based public opinion research firm, to conduct the largest survey ever of Minnesota baby boomers to learn what they’re thinking about the future. The study contains the results of a survey administered to 564 randomly selected Baby Boomers--adults between the ages of 42 and 60 years old--across the state of Minnesota.

The discussion for the forum focuses on the question: “What do we need to create a vibrant supportive community for the fast approaching, unprecedented demographic transformation that is taking place in our community?” The forum is an opportunity to discuss how Hopkins Public Schools, the cities, faith communities, community volunteers, and social service agencies can work together to co-create a living, vibrant community to support residents as they age.

Ecumen is Minnesota’s largest non-profit senior housing company. Based in the Twin Cities, Ecumen provides a variety of housing choices for people 50+, housing development services and consulting services to aging services companies. The name Ecumen comes from the Greek word for “home:” “Oikos.” Ecumen works to create “home” for older adults wherever they choose to live.

For additional information about the forum, please contact Betsy Hedding, Hopkins’ School & Communities in Partnership coordinator, at 952-988-4068, or send an email to betsy_hedding@hopkins.k12.mn.us. Information about Ecumen can be found at http://www.ecumen.org/. Click on the download an Ecumen whitepaper to obtain a PDF of the Age Wave Study.

Modern A Cappella Concert, Friday, April 25, is choir fund-raiser
A modern a cappella concert, which is also a fund-raiser for Hopkins High Schools’ choirs, is planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the auditorium at Hopkins High School, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka. The concert features HHS’s Geoff and Midori, Marcoux Corner, and the Great Northern Union. Tickets are $20 in advance from Philip Brown, or $22 at the door.

Raising Boys parent education class, Tuesday, April 29
Raising Boys parent education class is planned for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, in Room 27 at the Harley Hopkins Family Center, 125 Monroe Ave. S., Hopkins. This session will give parents an opportunity to share stories and strategies for raising boys. The cost is $10/adult, or $15/houselhold. Child care for children birth through kindergarten is available, $5.00 per child. Register by calling 952-988-5000.

Hopkins High School hosts College Fair, Thursday, May 1
The Hopkins High School College and Career Center is hosting a College Fair from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Hopkins High School, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka. Participants will have the opportunity to talk to college admission representatives from two- and four-year local and national colleges, and to gather information about the college admissions process.

Hopkins High School presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream, May 1-4
Hopkins High School students will present A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare’s comedy about chasing love, getting lost, and finding forgiveness, May 1-4. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1, Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 4, in the little theater at Hopkins High School, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka. For ticket information, please visit the Hopkins High School Theater Department’s website at www.hhstheater.org.

Depot Coffee House offers programs for youth
The Depot Coffee House is offering a series of programs on environmental issues in April. The sessions are from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday,  April 7, 14, 21, & 28, at The Depot, 9451 Excelsior Boulevard, Hopkins. The series includes:

• April 7--Viewing of An Inconvenient Truth, followed by a discussion on ways to have an impact on global climate change. Attendees will be asked to signup to take an energy challenge.
• April 14--Recycling 101, including creating a mural of recycled objects for The Depot
• April 21--Composting: It’s in the Bag, which includes looking at the status of source separated organics in the schools, homes and businesses, and getting involved in a compost demonstration garden project The Depot
• April 28--Celebration of the green movement with an evening of folk music and meeting others who want to make a difference
  

Every third Sunday is also Strategy Sunday at The Depot Coffee House. Participants can pla7 classic strategy board games from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and learn tips and tactics from guest speakers. The next Strategy Sunday is April 21.

For additional information, contact The Depot Coffee House at 952-938-2204.

Hopkins Public Schools--Its Unique Programs & Services
Hopkins community member make Empty Bowls fund-raiser an overwhelming success
This year’s Empty Bowls event raised $52,954 for the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center and Intercongregation Community Association (ICA) food shelf. This year’s event included:

• 1,260 handmade ceramic soup bowls created by students and community potters
• 39 Hopkins School District art, music & elementary teachers
• 75 unique celebrity bowls for the silent auction total of $4,513
• 43 sponsors of materials and in-kind services
• 1,500 servings of donated soup and bread
• 42 Soup Kettle Sponsors ($50-$249)
• 269 volunteers and 398 entertainers of all ages
  

                                      
The $52,954 included the $31,656 Challenge to the Community Fund sponsored by SUPERVALU and 63 business & civic leaders.

Applications for Hopkins North Junior High Playschool being accepted now
Applications currently are being accepted for Hopkins North Junior High’s Playschool for April and May enrollment. The Playschool is part of a 9th grade Family and Consumer Sciences class, and is planned and implemented by students with supervision by the teacher. Parents with children, ages 3 to 5, may obtain additional information about Playschool by contacting Jane Martin at 952-988-4725, or by sending an email to jane_martin@hopkins.k12.mn.us.

Reminders about Previously Published Activities & Events
XinXing Academy kindergarten roundup, Thursday, April 10
The kindergarten roundup for XinXing Academy is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at Eisenhower Elementary School, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins.

Growing Up: Mothers and Daughters Connecting, Saturday, April 12
Growing Up: Mothers and Daughters Connecting (for mother and daughter, ages 9-12, teams) is planned for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12, in rooms 213B and 213C at the Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. The cost is $24 per team, and registration is limited to 10 teams. This class includes a morning of activities and discussions about healthy sexuality. Please register online at www.hopkinscommunityed.org, or call 952-988-4070.

Community invited to Tanglen Elementary School’s carnival, Sunday, April 13
Community members are invited to L.H. Tanglen Elementary School’s carnival, which is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at the school, 10901 Hillside Lane, Minnetonka. The theme for this year’s carnival is Undersea Adventure at Tanglen Bay. Activities include carnival games, prizes, a raffle, silent auction, food, dunk tank with teachers, and other activities.

Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame induction, Sunday, April 13
The annual Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and reception will be conducted at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 13, in the Hopkins High School auditorium, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka. Admission is free.

Mandatory early entrance to kindergarten meeting, Tuesday, April 15
Hopkins Public Schools’ mandatory meeting for parents interested in having their children enroll early into kindergarten is planned for 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, at the Harley Hopkins Family Center, 125 Monroe Ave. S., Hopkins. There is no fee for the meeting, but child care for children between birth through kindergarten is $5 per child and pre–registration is required. To arrange for child care, please call 952-988-5000.

Children need to be 5 years old by September 1 in order to enter kindergarten. However, Hopkins Public Schools will consider early entry into kindergarten for children whose birthdays fall between Sept. 2 and Dec. 31, and who are deemed ready for kindergarten.

Attendance at the early entrance meeting is the first of two steps that families need to follow if they want their child to be considered for early entrance into kindergarten. At the meeting, information will be presented about normal development, factors to consider in determining a child’s readiness for kindergarten, and a picture of a typical kindergarten day and expectations for students. After attending this meeting, parents who still want to pursue the possibility of their child entering kindergarten as an early entrant need to set up an appointment with the principal at their home school. The parents and child will meet with the principal and a kindergarten teacher. The principal and teacher will ultimately determine the child’s readiness for school and share that information with the parents.

Free tax help available through Tuesday, April 15
Trained tax preparers from AccountabilityMN will be available at the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center to help people file their taxes and property tax/renter’s rebate forms. Income limits are $30,000 gross income for a single individual, and $40,000 for a family. The Family Resource Center is an e-file site. Help is available on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, beginning at 5:30 p.m., and on Saturday morning starting at 8:30 a.m., from now until April 15. No appointments are necessary and service is provided on a first come, first served basis. Participants should bring all of their necessary paperwork such as last year’s tax return, a picture ID, social security card, W-2s, etc. For additional information, call the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center at 952-988-5350.

Free workshop offered on teenage depression, Monday, April 18
A free workshop on teenage depression (for parents of students in 7th-12th grades) is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, April 28, at Hopkins West Junior High, 3830 Baker Road, Minnetonka. Dr. Mary Wilkens will offer practical advice on recognizing excessive stress in teens and helping them set healthy limits, how depression in adolescence differs from this illness in adults, how parents can tell if their children are depressed, and how the impact that adolescent brain development has on diagnoses and treatment of depression in teens. No registration is required.

Stress and Anxiety in Children workshop, Tuesday, April 29
A workshop on Stress and Anxiety in Children (for parents of elementary-aged children) is planned for 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, at the Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. Mental health therapists from St. David’s Child Development and Family Services will provide a brief overview of the types of anxiety exhibited in children, and will help participants learn how to recognize symptoms and develop strategies for interventions to help manage anxiety. The cost is $10. Please register online at www.hopkinscommunityed.org or call 952-988-4070.

Online registration now available for summer enrichment courses
Online registration for Hopkins Public Schools’ summer enrichment classes is now available at www.hopkinscommunityed.org. An array of summer offerings are available, including golf, hip hop dance, robotics, theater, Chinese and Spanish language camps, and cooking. Catalogs will be sent home the first part of April. For more information, please call 952-988-4070.

Community Programs for Families
Minnetonka Choral Society concert, Saturday, April 12
The Minnetonka Choral Society will present its spring concert, America Singing, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, in the auditorium at Hopkins High School, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka.  A celebration of American song, it will feature Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs, and Feel the Spirit, a group of spirituals set by English choral composer and arranger John Rutter. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for those 17 and under. Additional information is available at  www.minneonkachoralsociety.org.

School Board
Upcoming Board discussions   

• 7 p.m. Thursday, April 2--Glen Lake Elementary School strategic site plan update, elementary reading program, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives
• 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10--Board workshop
• 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17--Community Education and Kids & Company strategic program plan updates, staff development for 2008-09, and technology strategic plan
  

Please note that Board agendas are subject to change.

For regular Board meeting agenda and information materials, go to the Hopkins School Board’s website at http://board.hopkins.k12.mn.us/cgi-bin/WebObjects/bms.woa/1/wo/0.0.5.1.5.0.0.3.0.2.0.7.2.0.5.1. Or simply go to Hopkins Public Schools' website at www.hopkinsschools.org and click on School Board menu on the top right of the page. (Meeting information is typically posted on the website the Friday or Monday before the meeting.)

Hopkins School Board cable TV broadcasts, online video & audio streamings available
Hopkins Public Schools is now cable casting its school board meetings. Online video and audio streamings of meetings are available as well for viewing or listening.

Broadcasts of recorded meetings are available for viewing on cable television channels in all seven of the communities served by Hopkins Public Schools.

• Channel 17: In Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, and Minnetonka, the meetings will be cablecast at 9 p.m. Tuesday, and 10 a.m. Saturday, on cable channel 17. Broadcasts of the most recent meeting will start on the Tuesday after the meeting.
• Channel 96: In St. Louis Park, the meetings will be broadcast on cable channel 96 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday the week after the meeting.
• Channel 20: In Golden Valley and Plymouth, meetings will be broadcast on cable channel 20. Residents will need to check their local listings for broadcast times.
  

Video and audio streams of the meetings are available on the school board section of the district’s website at www.hopkinsschools.org (click on the School Board menu on the top right–hand side of the page, then select video/audio).

Eileen Harvala, APR
Public Relations Director
Hopkins Public Schools
1001 Highway 7
Hopkins, MN 55305
952-988-4024
952-988-4108 (fax)
eileen.harvala@hopkinsschools.org
www.hopkinsschools.org