Newsletters 2014-15 Focus newsletter, [1] fall | Page 6

LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

PAGE 6

Four schools will have new principals
Retirements and new career opportunities
resulted in four Anoka-Hennepin schools getting
new principals for the 2014-15 school year.

Andover High School
Becky Brodeur is Andover’s
new principal, replacing
Rhonda Dean, who left to
become principal at
Washburn High School in
Minneapolis.
Most recently, Brodeur has
been an assistant principal at
Coon Rapids High School (CRHS). She also has
experience teaching at Andover High School —
she was a science teacher at the school when it
opened in 2002. Brodeur began her educational
career with Anoka-Hennepin schools in 1999.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Bethel
College, St. Paul, in life science and secondary
education. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership, also from Bethel, and completed
the administrative licensure program at Hamline
University.
According to Associate Superintendent Jeff
McGonigal, Brodeur’s work with teams of teachers
at CRHS has resulted in impressive gains in student achievement. She is known as a visionary
leader who keeps students at the center of every
decision. ■

Hamilton Elementary School
Melissa (Missy) Monson is
principal of Hamilton
Elementary School in Coon
Rapids, replacing Principal
Diane Merritt, who retired at
the end of the year.
Monson was assistant principal at Eisenhower
Elementary School in Coon Rapids. She began her
career as a kindergarten teacher at Hamilton in
1998 and also taught first grade there. Monson
has also taught second grade at Crooked Lake
Elementary School in Andover, and worked as a
district intervention specialist and instructional
coach. She was an administrative intern at Oxbow
Creek Elementary School in Champlin before
becoming an assistant principal at Eisenhower in
2012.
Monson earned a master’s degree in elementary
education and literacy development from St.
Mary’s University-Minnesota, to go with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St.
Cloud State University. She also earned her administration licensure from St. Mary’s.
According to Associate Superintendent Mary
Wolverton, Monson is known by her colleagues as

Allie’s Wish
cont. from page 2

Her original application really had
nothing to do with the Prudential Spirit
of Community Awards, she said.
Originally, Kanyetzny was simply applying for scholarships. She found the
Prudential Spirit Scholarship, and since it
was community service-based, thought it
could be a good fit.
“Plus, if I won, I’d get to go to the
White House to participate in a nonprofit seminar,” she joked. “That would
be cool, I thought.”
Months passed, and in January, she
was called down to the main office.
“They told me: ‘Remember that scholarship you applied for way back when? Well,
you won something,’” Kanyetzny recalled.

a “true leader” and someone who is creative,
resourceful and flexible. She is also someone with
deep understanding of instructional strategies, and
works hard to provide support to teachers as well
as students. ■

Jefferson Elementary School
Mark Hansen is principal of
Jefferson Elementary School
in Blaine. He is replacing
Principal Marcia Beyer, who
retired at the end of the
school year.
Hansen was previously the
principal at Mississippi
Elementary School in Coon Rapids, a role he’s had
since 2004.
Hansen earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Bethel College and received a
master’s degree and principal licensure from St.
Mary’s University-Minnesota. He has spent his
career in the Anoka-Hennepin School District,
starting as an elementary teacher at Madison
Elementary and handling a variety of administrative responsibilities at Ramsey, Jefferson and
Andover elementary schools.
Wolverton said colleagues know Hansen as a
leader who seeks collaboration with parents and
staff, and who is committed to the success of each
student. He’s highly regarded by staff and parents
at Mississippi.
Hansen is looking forward to the opportunities
and professional growth that comes with working
in a different school, Wolverton said. ■

Mississippi Elementary School
Neil Klund-Schubert is
principal of Mississippi
Elementary School in Coon
Rapids, replacing Mark
Hansen, who transferred to
Jefferson Elementary School.
Klund-Schubert supported
technology and information
services at the district level. Prior to his current
assignment, he was principal at Johnsville
Elementary School. He also served as principal at
Champlin Elementary School and as an administrative intern at Oak View Middle School.
Klund-Schubert attended the Air Force
Academy, earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St. Cloud University and went
on to complete a Master’s degree in arts education
and administrative licensure from St. Mary’s
University of Minnesota.
Wolverton said Klund-Schubert has a strong
background of education experience and that he’s
excited to get back to being a principal. ■

In being named a finalist, she doesn’t
receive a scholarship, but she did receive
letters of recognition from the U.S.
House of Representatives and Senate,
and even President Barack Obama.
Kanyetzny says the recognition, much
less her success with Allie’s Wish, wouldn’t be possible without the staff and her
education at AHS, which she says has
prepared her for life.
“I would not be where I am today
without Anoka High School,” she said. “I
view the world differently than I did
when I got here. The school has helped
broaden my horizons and make me a
better person.”
As for the desire to give back,
Kanyetzny credits her family for instilling
philanthropy in her. “There’s so much
love in my family. I want to give the love
that I’ve been given — celebrate that

In addition to new principals, Anoka-Hennepin’s
schools will also have a number of new assistant
principals who are either new to the district, new
to their administrative role, or new to the buildings
they’ll be at for the 2014-15 school year. Here’s a
look at who they are.

Elementary schools:
• Curt Wallrath, 10-month assistant principal,
Adams Elementary School.
• Kim Krause, administrative intern, Eisenhower
Elementary School.
• Katie Jarvi, administrative intern, Franklin
Elementary School.
• Am y Reed, administrative intern, Hamilton
Elementary School.
• Kim Nelson, administrative intern, Johnsville
Elementary School.
• Erika Luongvan, administrative intern, Lincoln
Elementary School for the Arts.
• Lisa Newberger, administrative intern, McKinley
Elementary School.
• Gretchen Eychaner, administrative intern, Monroe
Elementary School for Mathematics, Science and
Children’s Engineering.
• Isaac Smieja, administrative intern, Morris Bye
Elementary School.
• Anne Roehrich, administrative intern, Oxbow
Creek Elementary School.
• Diedre Bloemers, administrative intern, University
Avenue Elementary School for Aerospace,
Children’s Engineering and Science.
• Matthew Brain, administrative intern, Wilson
Elementary School.

Middle schools:
• Raymond Brodeur, administrative intern,
Anoka Middle School for the Arts,
Washington campus.
• Laura Hendricks, assistant principal,
Compass Programs.
• Gretchen Johnson, assistant principal,
Coon Rapids Middle School.
• Robert Cahow, 10-month assistant principal,
Coon Rapids Middle School.
• Sean Beggin, assistant principal, STEP high school.

High Schools:
• Tim Feine, assistant principal, Andover High School.
• Susan Hagerty, assistant principal, Anoka High
School.
• Michael O'Neil, administrative intern, Blaine High
School.
• Sherri Schendzielos, 10-month assistant
principal, Coon Rapids High School.
• Andrew Frosch, assistant principal,
Coon Rapids High School.
• Shannon Madison, assistant principal,
Coon Rapids High School.

gift,” she said. That idea is now the
motto for Allie’s Wish: Celebrate the gift
of giving.

tears of happiness. It just really changed
my outlook on life and I knew I wanted to
keep (Allie’s Wish) going,” she said.

Allie’s Wish started simply enough. For
her 10th birthday, she decided she didn’t
need anything — no presents or cards
filled with cash.

Since then, every year has been different for Allie’s Wish. Kanyetzny and her
organization has donated supplies, time
or money to St. Jude’s Children’s
Research Hospital, Feed My Starving
Children, the Children’s Hospital and
Clinics of Minnesota, and others.

“Instead, we asked for new and used
clothing that we could donate to the
Sharing and Caring Hands homeless
shelter in Minneapolis,” she said. “That
and bath items, too. You know, the
necessities.”
Some 27 full boxes of donations later,
a 10-year-old Kanyetzny found herself
standing in a room full of kids, receiving
a standing ovation from the very children
who would be using the items she was
donating.

With college around the corner,
Kanyetzny said she’s getting excited for
the next chapter in her life, but one
thing is weighing on her mind.
“Someone needs to take the reigns on
the AHS Dress Drive,” she said. “If
there’s a junior or sophomore at AHS
that wants to take it on … we need
someone. I won’t be here.”

“That moment was everything. I just
stood there, totally baffled, crying humble

Want more information about Allie’s
Wish? Visit www.allieswish.org. ■