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

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE
Roosevelt’s Anandaraj
wins state geography
bee
PAGE 2
Coon Rapids students selected for
Medtronic Women in Science and
Engineering internship
Following graduation in June, two Coon Rapids High
School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and
Engineering (CRHS) seniors will gain practical job
experience before heading off to college.
Mackenzie Nash and Laura Wilson were both select-
ed for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)
internships with Medtronic, the world’s largest medical
device company.
Adhithya Ananjari with Roosevelt Middle School
Principal Greg Blodgett
Roosevelt Middle School eighth-grader
Adhithya Anandaraj won first place in the
National Geographic GeoBee Minnesota State
Competition in March, earning a trip to nation-
al competition held May 19-22 in Washington,
D.C. in the process.
The National Geographic GeoBee is an
annual competition designed to inspire and
reward students' curiosity about the world. The
competition brings out the best in the 10,000
students in grades four through eight nation-
wide including the 100 throughout Minnesota
who competed in the state competition, which
featured questions on topics that include
geography, culture, physical features, history
and earth science.
Jackson Middle School eighth-grader
William Murphy, Coon Rapids Middle School
eighth-grader Anthony Ludwig and Oak View
Middle School sixth-grader Evan Kouba also
represented Anoka-Hennepin schools in the
state competition. n
The CRHS duo were selected for highly sought after
positions from a large and talented applicant pool.
The WISE internship program at Medtronic accepts
applications from high school seniors and college
freshmen. According to CRHS Center for Biomedical
Sciences and Engineering curriculum integrator Lana
Rice, the program is limited and application numbers
are high, they could select valedictorians and fill all
positions.
“We are incredibly excited for Mackenzie and Laura
to have this amazing opportunity with Medtronic,”
Rice said. “As we have told the students, this is a
program in which if they work hard and do their best,
it may be an experience that changes their life forever
and could open doors to numerous opportunities
down the road.”
Learn more about the program at ahschools.us/crhs.
UAE ACES built on that status and was one of
10 finalist schools for the organization's national
elementary Magnet School of Excellence for
2019.
Anoka-Hennepin is on Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter:
twitter.com/ahschools
Importantly, the district's Facebook and
Twitter accounts are verified. (We’re working on
Instagram.) In an era when parody and imper-
sonation Facebook and Twitter accounts are
more popular than ever, being verified means
you can trust the messages sent from the
district’s social media accounts. n
The Center for Biomedical Sciences and
Engineering program at Coon Rapids High
School provides an integrated, rigorous
in-depth focus on science, math, and
medical or engineering courses. Project
Lead The Way curriculum builds capacity
in students with a relevant, hands-on,
problem-solving approach.
Every year, Magnet Schools of America recog-
nizes schools as either schools of distinction, or
more impressively, schools of excellence. Those
schools of excellence are then further scrutinized,
and a top 10 group of finalists for the top school
of the year award is created.
From students and staff doing amazing
things in the classroom, to breaking weather
alerts about districtwide school closures thanks
to the snow or cold — keeping up with what’s
going on in Anoka-Hennepin has never been
easier thanks to social media.
instagram.com/ahschools
Nash will attend the University of Minnesota
next fall where she plans to major in biochem-
istry. Wilson is headed to the University of
Wisconsin-River Falls where she will major in
biotechnology. n
District magnet/specialty schools
attract top national awards
Follow Anoka-Hennepin’s
verified accounts on
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
facebook.com/ahschools
CRHS seniors Laura Wilson and Mackenzie Nash
UAE ACES fourth-grade students reviewed capstone projects
by Blaine High School CEMS students during an exchange
program between the schools.
Three Anoka-Hennepin magnet/ specialty schools were
recognized for excellence at the national level, with one
school named as a finalist for Magnet School of the Year
in the nation.
Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA), Champlin-
Brooklyn Park Academy (CBPA), and University Avenue
Elementary School for Aerospace, Children’s Engineering
and Science (UAE ACES) in Blaine, all were named
Magnet Schools of Excellence by Magnet Schools of
America, a nonprofit organization that provides support
and assistance to magnet schools across the nation.
Diedre Bloemers, principal at UAE ACES was
informed that the school delivered a perfect
score when judged by Magnet Schools of
America for the excellence designation. As
UAE ACES moved through the process of
review for the top award, two representatives
from the organization flew out and visited the
school, where they met with students, staff,
and parents/guardians and reviewed strategic
partnerships. It was in February that Bloemers
learned UAE ACES was among the top 10 and
up for the national recognition.
Along with the three entries from Anoka-
Hennepin, just six other schools across
Minnesota received the honor, and only 106
schools across the nation earned the Magnet
School of Excellence designation. n