Newsletters 2017-18 Focus newsletter, [2] Fall | Page 7

LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
PAGE 7
Anoka-Hennepin’s communication
and public relations team earns
national recognition
Anoka-Hennepin’s communication and public
relations team earned a slew of national recogni-
tions over the summer.
The National School Public Relations
Association (NSPRA), which is a professional
organization for communicators at public and
private school districts and post-secondary insti-
tutions from around the country, announced
Anoka-Hennepin the winner of 10 awards for its
2016-17 communication work during the group’s
annual conference in July.
The district earned a prestigious 2017 Golden
Achievement Award, which recognizes exempla-
ry work in all aspects of school public relations,
communication, marketing, and engagement, for
The communication and public relations team:
• Director Jim Skelly
• Assistant Director Kay Villella
• Communications Coordinator for Community
Education Heather Peters
• Communication Specialist Courtney Markuson
• Communication Specialist Derrick Williams
• Communication Assistant Janet Kimmel
its Got Veggies poster and community outreach
campaign to get more elementary kids to
choose healthful foods at lunch, including
vegetables.
The team also won an Award of Excellence in
the 2017 publications and electronic media
contest for a video series aimed at secondary
students illustrating the trauma of bullying and
what to do when students witness it or are
victims, and drug use.
In addition, the team also earned awards of
merit for its community e-newsletter, Backpack
Online, the district’s 2016-17 back-to-school
video, and four Anoka-Hennepin Community
Education videos focused on the district’s
Adventures Plus program, including:
• Working for Adventures Plus illustrates what
it is like to work in the Adventures Plus
school-age care program and is used in
tackling recruitment efforts. Vacant positions
were reduced by approximately 40 percent
after staff used the video at job fairs, recruit-
ment events and on social media to accom-
pany job postings.
• Three additional videos were produced to share how valuable
the program is for our schools and our community. The program
(Adventures Plus school-age care) is aligned with the K-12
academic curriculum and provides additional opportunities for
students to learn and grow outside of the traditional school day.
Two of the videos were created to illustrate how the summer
programs ease the transition to kindergarten (Adventures Bound)
or middle school (Peak Adventures) for the students moving into
a new school in the upcoming school year.
The communication and public relations team also earned two
awards of honorable mention. One was for the district’s Focus com-
munity newsletter, and the other for the district’s staff e-newsletter,
In the Know. ■
Anoka-Hennepin safety
video honored with national
award of excellence
Sat., Jan. 20 I 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Roosevelt Middle School • 650 – 125th Ave. NE, Blaine
This year Anoka-Hennepin Community Education will host the tenth annual
Community Wellness Day, which aims to help residents learn more about
healthy lifestyle habits by connecting them with local resources, partners in
health, and ideas to improve health and wellness for the whole family.
The event is FREE and includes:
• Sampler fitness classes for adults
• Educational wellness seminars
• Youth gym sponsored by AKA Sports --
offering multi-sport and fitness activities
for school-aged youth
• Early childhood activities, bounce house
• FREE open swim (1:30 - 3:30 p.m.)
• Family book and DVD Swap
Keynote speaker:
Sunday Burquest
Contestant from “Survivor: Season 33”
Minneapolis native and former
contestant on the hit television
competition, “Survivor,” which
was filmed in Fiji in 2016, will speak
about how surviving a breast cancer
diagnosis in 2012 gave her the
courage to pursue “Survivor,”
the television show.
Burquest will talk about overcoming obstacles in health and
well-being in her message, “Survivor Strong,” in which she
describes as a tug of war between herself and breast cancer.
Presented by:
Sponsored in part by:
Register to attend
beginning in November
Participation in sessions is
free, but registration is rec-
ommended. Walk-in partici-
pants will be accommodated
as space allows. Online
registration for Community
Wellness Day activities,
classes and workshops will
open in November.
Bringing the community
together for health and
wellness
Community Wellness Day
is an excellent example of
community education part-
nerships in action! Sponsors
and community education
staff work to bring communi-
ty resources together to
provide an environment that
supports the nutritional and
physical well-being of those
who live, work, and play in
the community.
Learn more: www.ahschools.us/communitywellnessday
Michelle Day-Millett, Anoka-Hennepin technical support technician, worked closely on the
production of the video with Anoka County Sheriff Deputy Jon Mathiesen, Andover High
School school resource officer (left), and Deputy Cory Bowker, Oak View Middle School
school resource officer (right).
During times of emergency, an effectively trained and prepared school staff
coupled with a coordinated approach with law enforcement make a difference to
ensure safety.
A training video that supports Anoka-Hennepin staff with proper direction to
maximize safety has been recognized for excellence by collecting the Hometown
Video Award, a national competition coordinated through the Alliance for
Community Media.
The video provides structured advice to direct staff actions in times of emer-
gency and includes remarks from Superintendent David Law and Chuck Holden,
the district’s chief operations officer. Produced in cooperation with the Anoka
County Sheriff’s Office and Quad Cities Community Television (QCTV), the
video plays an essential role in the district’s internal training program and is not
available for public viewing. Anoka-Hennepin Technical Support Technician
Michelle Day-Millett coordinated production in cooperation with the partnering
organizations.
The Hometown Video Awards are highly competitive, honoring the