Newsletters 2016-17 Focus newsletter, [2] fall | Page 6

Superintendent column cont. from page 1

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE PAGE 6

District schools help unveil US stamp recognizing Anoka as‘ Halloween Capital of the World’

It’ s a pretty big deal when the US Postal Service( USPS) unveils a new stamp, and an even bigger deal when it’ s a holiday-themed one. Sure, it sounds corny, but communities around America fight for the honor of being the city that hosts a stamp unveiling party.
So last year, when the USPS announced it had created a series of Halloween-themed Forever stamps and would choose a city for its unveiling— well that was something Anoka’ s leaders knew the city needed to be a part of. Anoka is the
Halloween Capital of the World, afterall— a congressionally proclaimed designation the city is immensely proud of.
After a large-scale campaign by Anoka’ s civic leaders, schools and community, the Halloween Capital of the World was indeed chosen to host the first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the 2016 jack-o’-lantern Forever stamps. And Anoka-Hennepin students were front and center during the event, which was attended by local, state and national officials, as well as an overflowing number of proud Anoka residents. The stamps, featuring photographs of four different hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns, are the first issued by the postal service to have a Halloween theme.
During the ceremony held at Anoka City Hall on Sept. 29, a parade of students from Franklin and Lincoln elementary schools in Anoka who were dressed in their favorite Halloween costumes strutted across the stage to kick off the event, and an Anoka High School( AHS) ensemble of band and orchestra students provided the music, and a quartet of AHS choir students sang the National Anthem.
According to Anoka Halloween, the community’ s official celebration organization, Anoka is believed to be the first city in the United States to put on a Halloween celebration to divert its youth from Halloween pranks. The first community celebration was held in 1920.
Check out photos of the day’ s event, and be sure to check out media coverage from the celebration from local and regional media. ■

Superintendent column cont. from page 1

Andover being recognized as a national leader in water conservation, but also included an all-school assembly to recognize the accomplishment, complete with a visit from Gov. Mark Dayton.
At Jackson Middle School, Brooklyn Park’ s Fire Chief presented a certificate of commendation to a sixth grade student who acted swiftly to extinguish a fire and dial 911 to signal for help. Her actions are credited with saving both her family and their home. The student recalled the lessons learned during a fire department visit to her elementary school as playing an important role for guiding her actions.
From these examples I hope you agree that schools that work in cooperation with their communities provide better outcomes for students.
In the coming months, a group of dedicated community members involved with our Fit for the Future task force will be summarizing their effort reviewing school facilities. A recommendation for School Board consideration is expected in January. Their challenge is to create a roadmap that addresses the need for classrooms due to enrollment growth and educational programming, looking ahead for the next 10-15 years. Task force members have been hard at work since April to review current facilities along with the factors that impact their use.
Involving citizens in facility planning remains a priority as the schools belong to the public and are only possible through community support.
Knowledge alone isn’ t enough to ensure success. Our students and our school system needs to learn and utilize collaboration to make the biggest impact.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools as we work diligently to pursue our mission of preparing students for life. ■
Anoka-Hennepin ' s 2016 Above & Beyond Award winners, from left: Joan Spehar, Gretchen Wibben, Derek Williamson, Marie Martineau, Linda Anderson, Colleen Heier, Brian Ross, Karla Haij, and Jon Mathisen.

Above & Beyond Award nominations being accepted through Jan. 20; all Anoka-Hennepin staff eligible

Do you know an Anoka-Hennepin staff member who goes above and beyond normal job expectations to ensure that students receive a high-quality education in a safe and nurturing environment? Maybe that person is a teacher or a custodian or bus driver? Maybe a school counselor or principal? It could be someone working in the cafeteria, a nurse or a secretary?
If you know someone who does amazing work for children, you’ re strongly encouraged to nominate them for an Above & Beyond Award. Nominations are being accepted for worthy candidates through Jan. 20, 2017.
Check out the Above & Beyond Award website, anoka. k12. mn. us / aboveandbeyond, where you can download the 2016-17 nomination form, or read additional information.
The Above & Beyond Awards involve students, staff, parents and community members in recognizing and rewarding Anoka-Hennepin employees who consistently go the extra mile so students can be successful. This program is a joint effort of Anoka- Hennepin schools and the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation( AHEF).
A student, parent, staff or community member can submit a nomination. All part- and full-time employees of Anoka-Hennepin school are eligible to be nominated unless they have already won an Above & Beyond Award. Nominations of a group or department will be considered.
A panel of staff and community members will review nomination and application forms and select the winners.
Each winner will receive an award from the AHEF. Winners will be recognized at a ceremony in April, 2017.
Completed nominations can be emailed to info @ ahschools. us.
Completed nominations printed on paper can be mailed to:
Above & Beyond Attn: Communication and Public Relations Anoka-Hennepin Educational Service Center 2727 N Ferry St., Anoka, MN 55303
For more information, visit anoka. k12. mn. us / aboveandbeyond. ■