PAGE 3
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE
Anoka High School marching band participants gathered outside U . S . Bank Stadium to celebrate their championship on Oct . 21 .
High school marching bands hit a high note at State and Class Championships
Anoka High School placed first in Class A ; Champlin Park High School placed second in Class AA
Anoka-Hennepin ’ s five traditional high schools competed in the Minnesota State Championships and Class Championships at U . S . Bank Stadium this fall , competing with over 35 high school and college bands ; among 49 unique performances in one day .
• In Class A , Anoka High School took first place as Champions .
• Andover High School placed second , and earned the “ Percussion Champion ” award .
• Coon Rapids High School placed seventh ; and earned the “ Color Guard Champion ” award .
• Blaine High School placed eighth .
• In Class AA , Champlin Park High School placed second .
Anoka High Schools ’ first place finish in the prelims sent the team to compete in the Marching Band Championship Finals later that day ; and earned a caption award for the best winds and brass . n
Hayuu Seeroo balances school work and his transition to mplans to continue writing with the goal of making “ Agent Ace ” a future series .
RMS sixth-grader publishes novel
As a fourth-grader at Sunrise Elementary School , Hayuu Seeroo spent time drafting stories in his English Language Arts ( ELA ) class . It was there that his dream to become an author was inspired - and became a reality as he started sixth grade at Roosevelt Middle School in Blaine .
Seeroo ’ s book , “ Agent Ace ,” was published this fall . Krista Cullen , his fourth-grade teacher , is now reading the story out loud with her current class and enjoys wrapping each story segment with her students on a chapter-ending cliffhanger to add to the suspense ! “ It ’ s an honor that Hayuu was inspired in my class , but his accomplishments are also a testament to all of his teachers and his family who have supported him in this journey ,” Cullen said . n
Students showcase creativity in annual kindness poster contest
As part of October ’ s National Bullying Prevention campaign , Anoka-Hennepin held its 21st annual kindness poster contest .
This year ’ s theme was Kindness Takes All of Us . Students were encouraged to create a poster with that message in mind and delivered a variety of themes to spread kindness in their schools . Nearly 170 posters representing each school ’ s winning submissions
Kindness poster contest winners :
• Lillian Raschke , kindergarten , Sunrise Elementary .
• Gabe Zuk , first grade , McKinley Elementary .
• Ollie Miller , second grade , Sunrise Elementary .
• Mayvis Yang , third grade , McKinley Elementary .
• Addison Bartley , fourth grade Dayton Elementary .
Students were recognized at the January 27 , 2025 School Board Meeting , Katie Tran ’ s winning poster is shown to the left .
advanced to the final balloting at the District level on Nov . 5 .
The event supports a districtwide initiative to support safe and welcoming schools . Research has demonstrated kindness as one of the most significant contributors to a positive school climate ; safe and welcoming schools continue to be a district priority . Winning posters are in school buildings across the district . n
• Sabreen Zeinu , fifth grade , Sunrise Elementary .
• Madeline Parrott , sixth grade , Anoka Middle School for the Arts .
• Ada Hammond , seventh grade , Northdale Middle School .
• Fatima Muhamed , eighth grade , Northdale Middle School .
• Katie Tran , ninth grade , Andover High School .
JMS student named state ’ s top gifted student
Sydney Hagel , seventh-grade student at Jackson Middle School , was recently selected as a recipient of the prestigious Star of the North Gifted Award , presented by the Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented .
The Star of the North award has been presented annually since 2012 to one student in the state who demonstrates outstanding accomplishment in academics , visual or
Sydney Hagel performing arts and leadership . Hagel was presented with the award at the Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented ( MEGT ) Mid-winter Conference in St . Cloud , Minn . on Feb . 2 .
Hagel is the first student from Anoka- Hennepin to receive the Star of the North Award . n