The following is an e-mail from the Hopkins School District: 

Welcome to Hopkins E-News for Friday, May 16, 2008.

Outstanding Students & Staff

• Hopkins West Junior High student places second in 2008 Letters about Literature contest
• Meadowbrook 6th graders receive honors in human rights essay project
• Junior high orchestras achieve excellent ratings at Music in the Parks Festival
• Hopkins West Junior High bands earn top honors at band festival
• Hopkins 8th grader scores 800 on math SAT
• Hopkins High School teacher earns Certified Journalism Educator status
• Hopkins High School nurse receives Minnetonka Rotary Building Responsible Youth Award
  

Upcoming Activities, Events & Deadlines

• Hopkins North Junior High presents Romeo & Juliet, May 22-24
  

Inside Hopkins Public Schools

• Hopkins North Junior High Student Council raises funds to fight Batten Disease
• Hopkins Public Schools receives 2008 Hennepin County Wellness by Design Award
• Still time to register for summer youth enrichment classes
• Local coalition focuses on early childhood care and education
• Collaboration makes preschool possible
  

Reminders about Previously Published Activities, Events & Deadlines

• Parent Forum--Diversity, Race, and Student Achievement: the Parent Piece, Tuesday, May 20
• Hopkins Public Schools to test Connect-ED® message system, Tuesday, May 27
• The Depot Coffee House announces youth award for creativity; applications due, Saturday, May 31
• Registrations for Champions Fund Golf & Tennis Tournament due, Saturday, June 1
• Teens Alone conducts Surf’s Up! fund-raiser, Saturday, June 21
  

School Board

• Upcoming Board discussions
  

Outstanding Students & Staff
Hopkins West Junior High student places second in 2008 Letters about Literature contest
Lisa Persson, a 7th grader at Hopkins West Junior High, won second place in the state, 7th-8th grade level, in the 2008 Letters about Literature contest. She wrote a letter to author Elie Wiesel, describing how his book, Night, inspired her. The Letters about Literature program is part of the 7th grade reading class curriculum taught by teacher Monica Pahl.

Meadowbrook 6th graders receive honors in human rights essay project
Sixth grade students at Meadowbrook Elementary participated in the annual human rights essay project sponsored by the Hopkins Human Rights Commission. The Commission awarded ribbons for the top seven essays and cash prizes for the top two winners. In addition, the first place essay was sent on to compete against essays from throughout the state. Meadowbrook’s honorees include Niyah Hall, first place; Jacob “Jake” Wright, second place; Annie Share, third place; Afsana Umutoni, fourth place, Phoebe Cohen, fifth place, Lillian “Lily” Strehlow, six place; and Sarah Katona, seventh place.

Students were given the following background information to help them with their essays:

• Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791;
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in 1948 by the United Nations;
• Minnesota Legislature passed the Fair Employment Practices Act in 1955;
• U.S. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964; and
• Minnesota Department of Human Rights was established in 1967 and Human Rights Commissions were established throughout the state in 1968.
  

Students were asked to respond to the following question: All of these laws, departments, and commissions have been in existence for some time, so why do you think discrimination still exists today?

Junior high orchestras achieve excellent ratings at Music in the Parks Festival
The Hopkins North Junior High and Hopkins West Junior High 7th, 8th, and 9th grade orchestras received top ratings at the Music in the Parks Festival in Chicago. The 7th grade ensemble scored 82 points, giving it an excellent rating and a second place finish. The 8th and 9th grade ensemble scored 86 points, giving it an excellent rating and a first place finish. Orchestra members also had fun sightseeing at the Navy Pier, Sears Tower, the Shedd Aquarium, and Lincoln Park Zoo, and attended a performance of the Blue Man Group.

Hopkins West Junior High bands earn top honors at Music in the Parks festival
The Hopkins West Junior High (HWJH) 9th Grade Band, Honor Band, and Jazz Band received first place ratings at the Music in the Parks Festival in Chicago. For the first time ever, Hopkins received the outstanding middle level jazz soloist honor, which was awarded to Mark Dierauer who plays the saxophone.

Two of the most prestigious awards given annually at Hopkins West Junior High are the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and the John Philip Sousa Band Award. These awards recognize outstanding musicianship, exceptional dedication, superior commitment, and exemplary citizenship in the HWJH program. Selection is by secret ballot of the 85-member band. Winners this year include Mark Dierauer--Louis Armstrong Award, and Timothy “Tim” Morris--John Philip Sousa Band Award. Runners up were Michael Halsey and Kimberly “Kim” Baker.

Hopkins 8th grader scores 800 on math SAT
Sreyas Chintapalli, an 8th grader at Hopkins West Junior High, scored 800 on his math Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which he took as part of the Midwest Academic Talent Search (MATS). He will be honored, Saturday, May 17, at the Center for Talent Development award ceremony at Northwestern University in Illinois. Only the top 1 percent to 2 percent of all MATS test-takers are invited to this awards ceremony. Sreyas is being honored as one of the top three students in his category in the region. The Midwest Academic Talent Search (MATS) is a program that offers above-grade-level testing to students.

Hopkins High School teacher earns Certified Journalism Educator status
Jeffrey Kocur, language arts teacher, and adviser to the yearbook and The Royal Page newspaper at Hopkins High School, has achieved Certified Journalism Educator status from the Journalism Education Association (JEA). Journalism educator certification recognizes teachers who have met national standards of preparation to teach high school journalism classes and advise student media. Certification requirements include earning college credit in news reporting and writing, communications law, and publications advising, or passing an examination, which demonstrates the educator’s proficiency in those areas.

Hopkins High School nurse receives Minnetonka Rotary Building Responsible Youth Award
Bobbi Pointer, school nurse at Hopkins High School, recently received Minnetonka Rotary’s Building Responsible Youth Award. The award honors adult volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of young people. Bobbi was nominated by Lydia Kihm, executive director of Teens Alone. In her nomination, Lydia wrote: “Bobbi has served on the Teens Alone Board of Directors for five years. She was chair of the Program Committee for two years and chair [of the Board of Directors] for the past two years. Bobbi is the perfect board member and board chair. She always has time for me even in the midst of her own busy schedule. She has ably led the Teens Alone Board through tremendous changes and growth. Beyond her hundreds of hours of service on behalf of young people in the western suburbs, Bobbi is a school nurse at Hopkins High School. In many schools, young people go to the nurse only when they are ill. Bobbi has a reputation among young people and staff that the nurse’s office is a safe place--a place to go to when it is more than a tummy ache. . . . Bobbi immediately reaches out into her wide community and works hard to help that young person or find someone who can. . . . When we talk about building assets and it takes a village, we are so fortunate that Bobbi Pointer is in our village.”

Upcoming Activities, Events & Deadlines
Hopkins North Junior High presents Romeo & Juliet
The Hopkins North Junior High players will present William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, May 22, 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 23, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, in the McConnon Courtyard at the school, 10700 Cedar Lake Road, Minnetonka. Tickets are $5, and will be available at the door.

Inside Hopkins Public Schools
Hopkins North Junior High Student Council raises funds to fight Batten Disease
The Hopkins North Junior High (HNJH) Student Council members successfully raised $400 in one day with their Hats on for Batten Disease campaign. This effort was directed toward and in honor of one of the school’s outstanding 9th grade students, John Mangum. Batten Disease is a rare degenerative brain disease that affects children. A check was given to the director of the Minnesota Chapter of Batten Disease at the 5K run, Saturday, May 10, at Lake Phalen in Saint Paul. T-shirts with the Batten Disease logo were given to all who participated in the 5K Run/Walk and in recognition of the HNJH Student Council’s donation. The name of the school was printed, along with 13 other companies, on the back of the shirt. Student Council advisers are Sue-Ellen Baird and Marcia Danahy.

Hopkins Public Schools receives 2008 Hennepin County Wellness by Design Award
Hopkins Public Schools has won a 2008 Hennepin County Wellness by Design Award at the gold level for promoting safe and healthy lifestyles among employees. The award acknowledges efforts by employers to ensure healthy work environments and to encourage healthy employee lifestyles in a number of areas including senior-level support, wellness infrastructure, assessment and evaluation, communications and engagement, programs and interventions, and supportive environment. Hopkins, along with other winning organizations, will be honored at an awards celebration and networking breakfast, Thursday, June 12, at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.

Still time to register for summer youth enrichment classes
Summer is just around the corner; however, there is still time to register for youth enrichment classes. Call 952-988-4070, or visit www.hopkinscommunityed.org.

Local coalition focuses on early childhood care and education
As a result of an early childhood business partnership breakfast in October 2007, which was sponsored by Twin West Chamber of Commerce and Hopkins Public Schools, a group of committed business, school and community members have been meeting monthly since January 2008.

The purpose of this coalition is to provide leadership, action, and information about quality early care and education for all young children and their families.

Four key areas of focus have been identified by coalition members, including:

1. creating strong partnerships with businesses;
2. developing scholarships for early childhood programs;
3. developing a volunteer base for early childhood programs; and
4. disseminating relevant information to community members.
   

It is hoped that through the work of the coalition more young children will be able to participate in quality early care and education programs and more parents will be able to access parent education opportunities.

Current coalition members include All Saints Preschool, Cargill, Inc., Hopkins Auto Body, Hopkins Center Drug, Hopkins City Council, Hopkins Public Library, Hopkins Public Schools, Jewish Family and Community Services, NexGen Associates, parents, Stages Theatre Company, St. David’s Child Development and Family Services, The International School of Minnesota, and TwinWest Chamber of Commerce.

For further information about the coalition, please contact Christine Fehst, Ph.D., Hopkins Public Schools’ early childhood coordinator, at 952-988-5000, or christine.fehst@hopkinsschools.org.

Collaboration makes preschool possible
In January 2008, Hopkins Community Education’s early childhood programs, in collaboration with All Saints Lutheran Church, initiated a pilot preschool for children who have not had preschool experience and who will be attending school in the fall of 2008. The focus of the program is to help prepare both the children and their families for kindergarten. Eleven students, all of whom are English-language learning children, participate in classes held twice a week at All Saints Lutheran Church. Parents attend monthly meetings at which a parent educator leads discussions about ways to prepare their children for kindergarten, and how to become involved in their children’s education. This unique collaboration, which blurs traditional public school and faith community boundaries, is made possible because of the in-kind teaching time by Becky Knickerbocker, a retired Hopkins Public Schools kindergarten teacher who now teaches at All Saints Preschool.

Support for the collaboration has come from in-kind contributions from All Saints Lutheran Church, Hopkins Community Education, and a School & Communities in Partnership (SCIP) grant. Support for continuation of the program during the 2008–09 school year will come from current collaborators and from the Park Nicollet Foundation.

Reminders about Previously Published Activities, Events & Deadlines
Parent Forum--Diversity, Race, and Student Achievement: the Parent Piece, Tuesday, May 20
A parent forum, Diversity, Race, and Student Achievement, will be conducted from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, in Room 215 at the Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. This forum is free, and open to all interested parents and staff members. A representative from West Metro Education Program and Hopkins' administrators and principals will lead the discussion. How are demographics changing in the Twin Cities? How does that impact schools? What opportunities and challenges does that present to Hopkins schools? What role do parents and our community play? Free child care will be available; however, registration for child care is needed by Friday, May 16. Send child care requests to cathy_rude@hopkins.k12.mn.us or call 952-988-4081.

Hopkins Public Schools to test Connect-ED® message system, Tuesday, May 27
Hopkins Public Schools will test its Connect-ED® message system, Tuesday, May 27. A message from Superintendent John Schultz will be sent to home phones and email addresses of parents with students in Hopkins Public Schools. The message will be sent at 7 p.m. Between now and then, parents can double check that the school district has their correct primary phone numbers and email addresses through Infinite Campus. Parents who do not have log-in for Infinite Campus, should send an email to portal@hopkinsschools.org. Parents can correct their own email addresses, but need to contact their school to correct any wrong phone numbers.

Connect-ED® will enable the school district to personally communicate with parents about emergency situations, school events, and other issues that have an impact on their children such as attendance and school lunch balances. It will allow the school district and its schools to send personalized voice messages to a family’s home, work or cell phones, and to send email messages. With this system, the district and its schools will be able to reach all parents in the district within minutes.

Anyone who receives the test message in error because they do not have children in the school district, should call 952-988-4128, or send an email to connect.ed@hopkinsschools.org.

The Depot Coffee House announces youth award for creativity; applications due, Saturday, May 31
In keeping with its arts mission, The Depot Coffee House is offering youth (age 14 to 20) the chance at up to $500 in funding toward their creative endeavors. An application is available on the homepage of www.thedepotcoffeehouse.com. The application deadline is Saturday, May 31. For additional information, please send an email to depotYAC@gmail.com.

Registrations for Champions Fund Golf & Tennis Tournament due, Saturday, June 1
Registration is now open for the second annual Champions Fund Golf & Tennis Tournament, Monday, Sept. 8, at the Oak Ridge Country Club, 700 Oak Ridge Road, Hopkins. All proceeds will benefit Hopkins’ student–athletes and the Champions Fund. Volunteers are needed. Tournament sponsorships and donor opportunities are available. The individual cost for golf & lunch is $150; a foursome is $600; and tennis & lunch is $50 per person. Registrations are due, Sunday, June 1. For more information about volunteering or donating, or to make reservations to play golf or tennis, visit the Champions Fund website at www.hopkins.k12.mn.us (go to the school menu/Hopkins High School/athletics/Champions Fund), or contact Dan Johnson at dan_johnson@hopkins.k12.mn.us, or call 952-988-4691.

Teens Alone conducts Surf’s Up! fund-raiser, Saturday, June 21
Teens Alone is inviting young people to celebrate the longest day of the year, Saturday, June 21, with a Surf’s Up! fund-raiser from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the St. Louis Park Aquatics Park, 3700 Monterey Drive. The cost is $3 per person or $7 per family with all proceeds going to Teens Alone. Children age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Community Programs for Students/Families
Golden Valley Days, May 15-17
Golden Valley Days, an arts and music festival, will be conducted Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17. For a complete schedule of activities, go to www.goldenvalleyfund.org. The fifth annual Art & Music Festival begins at 6 p.m. Friday, May 15, with a community picnic in Brookview Park (on Winnetka just south of Highway 55). Fireworks cap off the evening, beginning at 9:15 p.m. Saturday’s events include art, music, community parade, kids’ fun, and more. Most of Saturday’s activities take place at the City Hall campus, on Golden Valley Road and Winnetka, one block north of Highway 55.

School Board
Upcoming Board discussions   

• 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15--Performance plan for special education, and elementary reading implementation plans
• 6 p.m. Thursday, May 29--student recognition
• 7 p.m. Thursday, May 29—West Metro Education Program update, Early Childhood program strategic plan update, and presentation of 2007-08 budget
  

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