Overhauling Security
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A N O K A
BACK TO SCHOOL 2013
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H E N N E P I N
S C H O O L
D I S T R I C T
Andover’s Simeon Toronto meets President
during whirlwind ‘month of a lifetime’
A
Northdale’s Youth for
Change makes differences
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ndover High School (ANDHS) senior
Simeon Toronto’s summer has been
busy. Heading to Washington, D.C.
for a national mock government program and
being elected president was intense. But meeting the President while there—well that was
just crazy, he said.
“Oh my gosh. The man comes in with the
biggest smile on his face, and there I am with a
big smile, too,” Toronto said of meeting
President Barack Obama. “Say what you want
about politics, the fact is he’s the leader of the
free world and he made time for us. It was
pretty cool.”
“If you could save a life,
why wouldn’t you?”
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Toronto was in D.C. for something called
Boy’s Nation, an American Legion sponsored
mock government and civic training adventure
that only two students from each of the 49
participating states get to be a part of. While
there, each of the 98 delegates get a handson and fairly real-life look at the process of
government by taking part in mock senate
proceedings. They also elect a Boys Nation
President, vice president and senate secretary
among others.
“I was lucky enough that I ran for president
and was actually elected,” Toronto said. “It’s
just remarkable—this whole experience—it’s
the most remarkable experience of my entire
life.”
Winning elections might be becoming
old-hat for Toronto. In fact, when it comes to
being elected to things, he’s never lost.
Andover High School senior Simeon Toronto is sworn in as president
of Boy’s Nation on July 24. Boy’s Nation is a prestigious mock
government event hosted annually each summer by the American
Legion in Washington, D.C.
He’ll be ANDHS’s student body president this coming year—
winning election last spring. Before that, during his junior year,
Toronto was elected to the school’s Student Council.
Even at the precursor event to Boy’s Nation—something called
Boy’s State—which was held in June in Marshall, Minnesota,
Toronto was elected the group’s Governor, which is the highest
position. There were 306 Minnesota students altogether at Boy’s
State, including others from Anoka-Hennepin, he said, and being
elected to that role was what allowed him to be one of the two
Minnesota delegates who went to Washington, D.C., for Boy’s
Nation.
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District launches unique program
to help students with mental
health concerns
By Supt. Dennis Carlson, Anoka-Hennepin School District
W
hen the economy
took a turn for the
worse we saw many
of our families struggling
with job loss and foreclosure. Not surprisingly, we
saw increases in the number
of our students who were
and are struggling with mental health problems. Our students are not alone. A national
study by researchers at five universities confirmed that teens are suffering from depression
and anxiety more now than at any time since
the Great Depression.
Because mental health problems have a
negative impact on learning, we decided we
needed to take steps to help students deal with
these concerns so they can lead happier,
healthier lives and do well in school. Last year
we hired a mental health consultant, Dr. Nita
Kumar, who did an extensive evaluation of the
district’s current support system we provide
for students. She found some duplication of
service and some gaps and recommended a
number of changes that will be implemented
this coming school year.
One of the biggest changes in the area of
mental health is our new School-Based Mental
Health Program. It will go well beyond the
prevention and intervention services we have
provided to this point. In the past, if it was
determined that a student needed clinical mental health services, the family was required to
make arrangements and bring the child to a
community-based mental health provider. This
often meant parents had to take time off work to
transport their child. They were not always able
to follow through, especially if they didn’t have
health insurance coverage. Beginning this year,
students will be able to receive clinical mental
health services at school – but only after we get
permission from parents or guardians.
We know that young people’s need for help
doesn’t go away in the summer when school is
not in session so our program will be available
year-round and therapists will be able to conduct sessions at families’ homes if necessary.
Another unique aspect of this program is
that much of the cost will be covered by billing
students’ health insurance plans. District funds
will cover costs for students who are uninsured
or underinsured so that a child who has a documented medical need for help will be able to get
it.
Mental health services will be provided
through a contract we signed with Headway
Emotional Health Services. Headway will
provide 14 full-time clinicians who have either
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