Newsletters 2018-19 Focus newsletter, [2] Fall | Page 4

LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
Awards
Northdale’s Amanda
Herman named
Minnesota’s Family
and Consumer Sciences
Teacher of the Year
Amanda
Herman, Family
and Consumer
Sciences (FCS)
teacher at
Northdale
Middle School
in Coon Rapids,
was selected
the 2019 Minnesota Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences
Teacher of the Year.
As an FCS teacher, Amanda edu-
cates her seventh and eighth graders
on topics like financial literacy and
managing money, nutrition and well-
ness, communication, child develop-
ment, careers, digital citizenship and
how to sew.
New associate superintendents and
principals in place as school year begins
Nine Anoka-Hennepin elementary schools will have new principals,
and the district will also have two new associate superintendents
following a summer of retirements, new professional opportunities,
and the voter-approved construction of two new elementary schools
as part of Anoka-Hennepin’s Fit for the Future plan.
Associate superintendents
Dr. Timothy Gadson, III
Associate superintendent
for high schools
By winning the state award, Amanda
is now eligible for the national FCS
Teacher of the Year award from the
American Association of Family and
Consumer Sciences. She’ll need to
apply to be considered for that award,
which will be announced next summer.
In the meantime, by winning the state
award, Amanda will be representing
the FCS teaching profession at profes-
sional events around Minnesota over
the next year. n
Cory McIntyre
Jackson’s nutritional
manager, Gretchen
Schroeder, gains regional
award for excellence
Over the
last 12 years,
Gretchen
Schroeder has
transformed
the traditional
school cafeteria
into a full-ser-
vice operation
at Jackson Middle School - A Specialty
School for Math and Science (JMS).
Her cheerful approach and high
standards have resulted in popular
food presentations, the addition of
a grab-and-go breakfast program
and a positive experience for all
students.
Schroeder’s dedication was recog-
nized through receiving the School
Nutrition Association (SNA) Midwest
Regional Manager of the Year, which
is considered the highest honor a
school nutrition manager can earn.
The award recognizes a cafeteria
manager who has demonstrated
dedication and ingenuity to improve
his or her school meal program. She
advanced to regional honors after
collecting the state regional manager
of the year. n
PAGE 4
Associate superintendent
for middle schools and
student services
Dr. Timothy Gadson, III
is a new associate
superintendent for high
schools, taking over for
Jeff McGonigal, who
retired in July. Before
joining Anoka-Hennepin,
Dr. Gadson worked
with Robbinsdale Area
Schools as a consultant,
and has previously been
an associate superin-
tendent for Atlanta
Public Schools and the
director of high school
operations in
Austin,Texas.
In addition, Cory
McIntyre is now Anoka-
Hennepin’s associate
superintendent for
middle schools and
student services.
Previously, McIntyre was
the district’s executive
director of student
services, managing
Anoka-Hennepin’s
special education, health
services, mental health,
among others. Now he
adds the district’s six
middle schools to his
responsibilities.
Principal positions
In November of 2017, voters approved the construction
of two new elementary schools — one in Blaine and anoth-
er in Ramsey — as part of the district’s larger Fit for the
Future plan. Both schools will open during the 2019-20
school year.
Deb Shepard is transitioning from her principal position
at Rum River Elementary School in Andover to become the
principal of the new school in Blaine. In addition, Dr. Anissa
Cravens, who was principal at University Avenue Elementary
School for Aerospace, Children’s Engineering, and Science
(UAE) in Blaine, will lead the new school in Ramsey.
Meanwhile, Brian Mann, principal at Champlin Brooklyn
Park Academy for Environmental Science and Math (CBPA)
in Champlin, retired in June, and Brian Erlandson, principal
at Franklin Elementary School in Anoka, took a new profes-
sional opportunity outside of the Anoka-Hennepin School
District.
Matt Brain, previously an assistant principal at Evergreen
Park World Cultures Community School in Brooklyn Center
was chosen to succeed Mann at CBPA, and Diedre
Bloemers, who was an assistant principal at University
Avenue, was chosen to lead University Avenue with
Dr. Cravens moving.
Sheryl Ray, who was principal at Evergreen Park, moved
to Franklin with Erlandson’s departure, and Denise
Schnabel, the former assistant principal at Adams
Elementary School in Coon Rapids, is now the principal
of Evergreen Park with Ray moving to Franklin.
With Shepard moving to the new Blaine elementary
school, Rum River Elementary School will now be lead by
Jeff Clusiau, previously the principal at Ramsey Elementary
School.
Moving to Ramsey will be Dr. Amy Reed, who was princi-
pal at Eisenhower Elementary School in Coon Rapids, and
taking over at Eisenhower will be Lillian DeRung, who was an
assistant principal at Andover Elementary School. n
District collects seven
national communication
awards
Anoka-Hennepin’s communications efforts were recognized
through seven national awards for its 2017-18 communication and
public relations work during the National School Public Relations
Association’s (NSPRA) annual conference in July. NSPRA is a profes-
sional organization for communicators at public and private school
districts and post-secondary institutions from around the country.
Most notably, the district earned a prestigious 2018 Golden
Achievement Award, which recognizes exemplary work in all
aspects of school public relations, communication, marketing and
engagement, for its comprehensive communication plan for the
Fit for the Future referendum. The plan supported an informed
electorate and encouraged participation in a two-question bond
and levy referendum for the Anoka-Hennepin School District in
November 2017.
The district also won an Award of Excellence in the 2018
publications and electronic media contest for its Fit for the Future
referendum video series, as well as an Award of Excellence for
Anoka-Hennepin Community Education’s Community Ed
Connections staff e-newsletter.
In addition, the district also earned
awards of merit for its Fit for the Future
referendum infographic series, and an
informational video about Anoka-Hennepin
Community Education’s Project Power
program. Honorable mention awards were
presented for the district’s Focus communi-
ty newsletter, and the other for the district’s
staff e-newsletter, In the Know. n