NEMS Winter Warm-Up, Friday 1/21 @ Rushford Hall

Winter Warm-Up Fundraiser

Friday, January 21, 2011

7:00 - 11:00 pm

Rushford Hall, 2223 Central Ave NE

Support Northeast Middle School Theater by attending the Winter Warm-up fundraiser!  The event is for adults only and tickets cost $25.00 per person. This covers both food and beverages as well entertainment featuring the Americana sound of Whiskey Mondays.

NEMS Int'l Night of Sharing, Thurs., 12/9 5:30 pm

Northeast Middle School's

International Night of Sharing

December 9th, 2010

Dinner 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

School play follows (curtain rises at 7:00 PM)

A full evening of conversation, connection, and entertainment!

Northeast Middle School Beautification Day - May 15

Northeast Middle School Presents Seussical Jr.

Minutes: February 22, 2010

Attendees: Dean DeGroot (NEMS), Stephanie Ollila (Edison), Larry Umphrey (Waite Park/Audubon Park), Huy Nguyen (NE Park), Marcia Thomas (Pillsbury/NEMS), Sara Ackmann (Parks/Rec), Alita Bergan (Waite Park Community Council), Jill Davis (NEMS, MPS School Board), Liz Wielinski (Park Board), Jenny Arneson (Waite Park), Chris Aarseth (Edison), Mike Iacarella (Edison), Sarah Larson (Audubon Park Neighborhood), Kris Solz (NEMS/Edison), Bridget Altmann (Marcy/Edison), Troy Wellington (Edison), Shaun Wakaruk (Parks Wrestling), Jamison Rusthoven (Edison), John Washington (MPS District), Mandy Larson (Edison), Tammy Rusnacko (Waite Park), Angie Powell (NEMS), Kimberlee Adams (NEMS), Debbie Nelson (NEMS), Kurt Nowacki (Edison), Shannon McDonough (City Council Aide), Kevin Reich (NEMS/City Council Member), Laura Ericksen-White (Pillsbury), and Paul Werni (Waite Park/Parks Wrestling)

Jenny Arneson led a discussion on sports in NE as a follow-up to last Spring’s initial meeting on the subject.

The goal was to address sports competitiveness and gaps in offerings, with participants who were provided key questions to address. Ideas to fill these gaps were brainstormed, with special focus on middle years sports opportunities.

• What has been accomplished in the effort to fill the sports gap?
• What needs to be done, and how can we work to accomplish our goals?
• How can K-8 fit within the middle school/high school partnership?
• How can the Parks best help kids make the transition to competitive or high school sports?
• How can the community assist with the recruitment, publicity, and funding needed to make NE athletic pathways thrive?

Paul Werni said that the youth wrestling team (Minneapolis United Team) was recently involved in an individual competition at the gopher state tourney—NYAF. Kids from all over Minneapolis competed with various teams outside of the city and metro. At this point, competition is relegated mostly to one league. Paul reported that currently there are 15-20 kids from NE; some clubs/leagues have over 130 kids; most practices have been held at Edison. There is a desire to have a central location in NE, with more opportunities for competitive matches. The United Team has kids that go thru 6th grade. Minneapolis Park & Rec. can provide wrestling through 7 & 8th grades. Efforts are underway to attempt to get wrestling facilities at NE Middle School (NEMS).

According to one coach, kids can join HS teams from 7th grade onward. If wrestling occurs at NEMS, the team will need to join a league (probably outside of Minneapolis). A transition is needed for wrestling at the middle school ages—same age group competition. Middle School wrestling in the parks hasn’t seemed to work in the past. The sentiment is that if no competitive wrestling is in place, a number of wrestlers will choose to leave MPS. There is an information void about these opportunities. Some kids get brochures/etc., while others lack the information. Kimberlee Adams said NEMS is interested in having a wrestling program. Space could be made available in the cafeteria and sometimes in the gym; transportation costs would likely be covered by NEMS and possibly expenses for uniforms, but details still need to be sorted out. What other costs exist?

Deb Nelson reported that a few NEMS students are playing at the HS level to get competitive sports. How can we get separate teams so they can get same-age, challenging competition? Games played in middle school occur right after school; Parks/Rec. games occur in the evening. What may work for one sport may not work for another because of the scheduling and facility differences between sports. For example, there are limited swimming facilities: NEMS has a pool; the University of MN provides opportunities for 6th/7th graders, but it can be an expensive option. There is the need for trained staff, i.e., liability issues, and there are start time differences between sports.

Mike Iacarella mentioned the issue of park identity. Everything is spread out and no one knows where/what sports are offered at the various parks. Park Identity also plays out in terms of funding issues (e.g. Bottineau Boosters only want to fund Logan Park). Larry Umphrey told of efforts to establish several “pots" - districts that funnel kids towards Edison. Having certain parks specializing in certain sports during the seasons will enable the community to know where to go. Also, pooling kids from several parks for one sport (e.g., Upper NE Soccer) will also allow for viable teams to be created.

Laura Ericksen-White said that her local park (Windom) has been a wonderful skating rink, but it is no longer available. She was concerned that with the early closing of the rink, nearby kids will skate at St. Anthony. This is a problem, because it opens the door to kids/families exploring other options there for hockey. Larry mentioned that there are cost issues in keeping the rinks open after President's Day. Sara Ackmann stated that this will change next year. What’s the cost to keep rink open for 2 more weeks? Is this an expense that parents/organizations could cover?

Kevin Reich questioned how could we ensure resources at Parks. Perhaps there could be plans to better manage the resources? Jill Davis stated that a Middle School Sports group existed in the past. We need a NE Sports Collaborative—looking at collaborative efforts for pooling resources. Community Foundations also need to be explored. Jill stated the she recently spoke with the CEO of Graco, who is an Edison graduate, and their foundation funds sports. Kevin added that Graco is currently funding some sports efforts, but not in any systematic fashion. Perhaps we need a clearinghouse to provide this structure. Laura mentioned that parents who work at Graco can get $1000 scholarships if they volunteer for any nonprofit. Finally, Jill mentioned that Dick Mammen (MPRB) is willing to host a kick-off lunch to get something going on this topic.

Kurt Nowacki posed the following question: Can Edison Sports Foundation form a subcommittee to allot money to local sports?

Jenny asked if Bottineau Boosters Club could expand their focus. Mike wondered who to talk with there? Bernie Kunza? Dick Anderson? Gold Brick Club? We need sponsoring for teams/shirts. Lion’s Club needs to get back on track—fund NE and not St. Anthony.

Kimberlee believes that Parks & Rec sports should not compete with local school teams. Better coordinated efforts need to take place to prevent this.

Deb Nelson mentioned that kids at the schools are from all over the city, not just NE and North.

Tammy Rusnacko supported the efforts of having programs for fun vs. competition. But for those kids who want to be on competitive sports teams, the community needs to provide options. If competitive teams start younger, these athletes will be competitive in high school. What programs are going to make that happen?

Kimberlee stated that in order to build these strong programs, one needed strong parent involvement with funding.

John Washington stated that the MPS City Conference website captures the whole season of high school sports—which can be useful for parents. http://www.mplscity.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=6

When asked about linking to this site, John said that it would be expensive to add a link to other sports team sites.

Liz Wielinski mentioned that the Minneapolis Park & Rec. Board was having new IT developed, which will enable consumers to see what is happening at each field. It will then be easier to tell what is going on city-wide. It is uncertain when this site will be ready to go.

Dean DeGroot believes in the value of developing of “coaches clinics” through community education. If 1-2 classes were offered each quarter throughout the year, it would provide training for community members who may be more willing to coach amateur sports as well as provide a way of linking families with kids to the various sports offerings in the community.

Jamison Rusthoven has a vision of the Edison gym as more of a community gym, opened 24/7/365. He needs help finding ways to utilize it and staff it. He mentioned that his coaches at Edison are very motivated to be involved in the community. They are also open to conducting coaches’ clinics. John mentioned tapping into the Hennepin Youth Sports Foundation—dollars from Twin’s Stadium sources—tap into this, since money is being offered to local sports initiatives.

Mike believes there needs to be more involvement with The Northeaster—coverage of more local sports information. St. Anthony/New Brighton has their own newspaper. Marcia Thomas also stated that there are online options for covering sports. Marcia added that Pillsbury School offers cross-country skiing classes. Skis are donated. This could provide a link to middle school youth.

Key Sports Issues and Action Items:

• Funding: coordinating with organizations.
• Coordination between school, park, and community.
• Need a central sports information website with updated schedules. Who are the contacts? HS schedules are currently available, but not other levels of sports.
• Form a committee, which will report to PEN on a quarterly basis.

NE Sports Committee:

Chris Aarseth

Sarah Ackmann

Kimberlee Adams

Jenny Arneson

Jill Davis

Laura Erickson-White

Kurt Nowacki

Angie Powell

Tammy Rusnacko

Jamison Rusthoven

Kris Solz

Marcia Thomas

Larry Umphrey

Paul Werni

Liz Wielinski

Next PEN Meeting: Monday, March 15, 6:30 pm @ Edison Media Center

Agenda items: Sheridan Arts Work Group update, Special Ed./CSO Transitions Report (SEAC Rep.), Friends of NE Youth non-profit formation

Northeast Middle School 2/5K Family Fun Day!

Saturday, March 6, 9:00-12:00
Northeast Middle School (2955 Hayes Street)

Enter the 2K or 5K (starting at 9:00), go swimming, play on the inflatable obstacle course, get your face painted, play a Wii game, buy a book or participate in other wellness activities. Game tickets are $1. Most activities are one or two tickets.

Minutes: January 25, 2010

Attendees: Dean DeGroot (NEMS), Mark Jensen (Edison), Jerry Pedersen (Edison), Jean Neuman (Sheridan), Lloyd Winfield (NEMS), Marcia Thomas (Pillsbury/NEMS), Kate Anderson (Waite Park), Alita Bergan (Waite Park CC), Jill Davis (NEMS/School Board), Liz Wielinski (Parks), Jenny Arneson (Waite Park), Michelle Woster (Pillsbury), Jenn Bennington (Waite Park), Mike Iacarella (Edison), Lupe Castillo, Suzanne Durkacs (Marcy), Tony Schrepfer (Edison), Bridget Altmann (Edison), Troy Wellington (Edison), Donna Andrews (Marcy), & Pamela Vertina (Edison).

MPS Board Update: School Board Director, Jill Davis

Jill told the group about some details families should consider regarding Changing School Options (CSO).  No major time changes for kids in NE, except that all K-5 and K-8 programs will have 15 minutes added to their school day.  Transportation changes will occur for Pillsbury and Waite Park, with families receiving transportation to their community schools only, depending on where they live.  Families that live north of Lowry will be bused to Waite Park; those that live south of Lowry will be bused to Pillsbury.  Jill suggested that principals collaborate with one another to make this transition as smooth as possible rather than be competitive in these efforts. 

Pam Vertina asked about the impacts of CSO on ELL.  Apparently, no clear details have been provided on this issue but should be shortly.

Suzanne Durkacs inquired about letters being sent to 8th grade families informing them of where their children are going next school year to high school.  Jill was unaware about when/how the letters would be sent by the District but was going to get clarification.

Edison has recently been approved for offering IB, which is good news for the community.  There have been some special education program shifts made as a result of CSO.   Life Skills will be located at Edison.  Principals can exert influence over special education programs, but the community also has a say in programming. 

New schools initiatives.  Jill mentioned that February 9^th is when the Board will vote to consider recommending the start-up of two schools to start for the 2010-11 school year: Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School will start as a K-1 program and eventually become a K-5 school, located in North Minneapolis.  When asked why the District is interested in French Immersion, Jill explained that similar programs in the country have done well at reducing the achievement gap.  The other school considered for 2010-11 is the MN School of Science Charter School.  It will start as a K-6 and eventually become at K-12.  This program still needs to apply with the State of MN before it becomes operational.  These schools' focus will be the lowest performing 25% of kids in the district.

The self-governed Art School planned to be housed at Edison High School is going to be provided with more time to develop math and science resources.  It could possibly be approved to start in 2011, if all the details are completed and in place.

What’s Happening at Our Schools?—Representatives from each NE school provided a brief update based on the following points:

·       Key activities/initiatives/changes this year

·       Challenges & concerns

·       Ways PEN can help out (1-3 wishes/needs)

Suzanne Durcaks (parent) and Donna Andrews (Principal) provided an update on Marcy Open:  Currently, the school has 630 kids, which was described as “packed” and provides “Open” education and highlights arts integration, its international peace site theme, great fundraising opportunities, Labyrinth (an Artist-in-Residence program), Project Success, Minneapolis Kids, and Community Education.  The school also has connections with five colleges, with student teaching opportunities.  Marcy offers music opportunities as well, including band, rock band, and orchestra.

Wishes for Marcy: More space—like a parking lot (pretty land-locked) and having a greater partnership with Edison.

Jean Neuman (Principal - Sheridan Arts Magnet), told of the various activities happening at the school.  Although Sheridan is comprised of mostly Northside kids, efforts are underway to establish some connection with Edison.  Jean told of February being “I want to Read” month, with February 8^th being Parent Involvement Day.  Arts integration and service learning opportunities are available at the school. 

Dreams/wishes for Sheridan include: having local performance artists provide theatrical experiences for the school and community.  Also, on a practical note, having more navy blue/Kelly green uniforms available for kids would be nice.

Marcia Thomas (parent - Pillsbury) provided an update about this soon-to-be community school.  Their chess team won local City awards, and students took part in a Lego League tournament.  One of the GEMS (Girls in engineering, math, and science) teams won a regional competition, and a 5^th grade teacher won a learning fellowship in science education. 

Wishes: boots, mittens, gloves, especially for younger grades as well as snow pants, new or gently used.

Kate Anderson (staff - Waite Park Community School)  told of the various activities/efforts provided by their PTA.  Hi-5 is now available at WP, and data indicates that 75% of kids who start Hi-5 stay throughout the elementary school grades.  Kate told of some parents being rather sad about the boundary changes at WP, which will impact a number of kids/families.  She shared information about math and reading programming occurring. 

Wishes for WP: perhaps an information packet could be created which highlights programming at WP, NE Middle, and Edison HS.  Otherwise, having all 3 schools available at the school showcase downtown Minneapolis would necessitate greater recruitment.  Help the community deal with boundary issues, be an advocate, and assist with marketing efforts.

Lloyd Winfield (Assistant Principal -  Northeast Middle School):  NEMS will continue to have a 9:30 start time, offering a variety of sports, with the possibility of a wrestling program to start.  A fundraiser was recently completed, raising sufficient funds for the spring musical (“Seussical”).  Band offerings have expanded and there is now choir available.  NEMS has a debate team; some discussion was in regard to partnering with Edison in debate competitions.  A new parent group was established this school year and Mr. Winfield reminded the group that NEMS has the only middle years IB program in NE.

Wishes for NEMS: Money, equipment, signage, and PR.  There was a suggestion of possible literature drops in the blocks near NEMS, with the hope that the community better understands the great programs and opportunities that exist at the school.

Jerry Pedersen (Asst. Principal), Pamela Vertina (staff), & Bridgett Altmann (staff) gave an overview of happenings at Edison High School.  Fundraising opportunities have emerged at the school, with several events scheduled. Several new features at Edison include: recently certified as IB program, a drum line is now in place, efforts are being made to bolster the arts, with 4 Artists-in-Residence in place.  A human rights initiative started this school year, whereby several public events have and will take place. One event happening in April is about the Holocaust with a survivor providing insights to the participants; students gain service hours by taking part in these forums.  A talent show will also take place.  Later in the spring, Edison will be showcasing their first musical theatre production in years: “Bye Bye Birdie”.  The Morris Community Players will also be collaborating with Edison on productions.  During Art-A-Whirl, Edison’s parking lot will be a Park & Ride stop.

Wishes for Edison: Art props, helping kids with scripts for the musical, establishing more arts in-roads (e.g., NEMAA--) http://www.nemaa.org/, and community support in PR for  productions.

Future Considerations/next meeting: 

PEN will meet on Monday, February 22 at 6:30 – 8 PM at the Edison media center.  The agenda:  Revisiting sports opportunities in Northeast: coaches, athletic directors, park board people, and other interested community members will be present.

Winter Warm-Up Fundraiser for Northeast Middle School

Thursday, January 21, 7:00 - 11:00 pm
Rushford Hall, 2223 Central Ave NE
$25 (tax deductable)

...to benefit NEMS Theatre program! Now in its’ 3rd year, this growing program has doubled its productions and student participation. A record 75 students expressed interest in being involved with the musical, making it one of the most popular after school activities. This year we will produce both a play and musical, involving over 100 students on and back stage.

The Fall Play, The Odyssey, showcased students’ ability to tell a moving story from one of the oldest pieces of classical literature. The musical, Seussical Jr. takes us to the other end of the spectrum to the colorful and imaginative world of Dr. Seuss.

While the theatre program enjoys support from staff, volunteers and community support, it still takes money. Middle School needs to raise $10,000 to make this opportunity a reality for it’s’ students.

We are pleased to announce our Headline Entertainment, Whiskey Mondays, NEMS staff member Sean Baldwin’s American Band!

Doors open at 7:00, Silent Auction bidding closes at 9:00. Donations are still being accepted for Food & Beverage and Silent Auction items. Please contact Kimberlee Adams 612-668-1483 for more information.

Northeast Middle School's Fall Play: The Odyssey

The Northeast Middle School Fall Play, The Odyssey, showcased students’ ability to tell a moving story from one of the oldest pieces of classical literature.  The upcoming Gala Fundraiser will benefit the NEMS Theater Program, which has become increasingly active and popular among students at the school.  

NEMS Winter Warm-Up Fundraiser will be held on January 21, 7:00 pm at Rushford Hall (Italian-American Club), 2223 Central Ave. NE.  Tickets are $25 (tax deductable) and will be available at the door.

Wondering what all the talk about CSO is about?

Changing School Options (CSO) is a Minneapolis Public Schools initiative that creates three regional zones for transportation.  The North/Northeast area of Minneapolis is in Zone 1.  (Maps are available on the MPS website under "Transitioning for 2010-11").  With the exception of a few citywide options, students will attend an elementary, middle and high school in their zone.  This three zone transportation model reduces transportation costs, retains choice for families since each one offers at least three magnet options in addition to a community school and allows students to attend schools closer to home.

Each zone will offer K-8 students access to the following magnet programs:  International Baccalaureate (IB:  Elizabeth Hall & Northeast Middle School) ; Teaching philosophy:  Open or Montessori (Open: Marcy); Spanish Dual Immersion (Emerson); Curricular:  Arts and Science (Arts: Sheridan).  Each zone will offer 9-12 students access to comprehensive high school programming. Edison and Henry are the community highs schools for Zone 1.

Families with children enrolled in a citywide special education or English Language Learner program will continue to receive transportation across zones.  Based on the state's open enrollment law, families still have the option to enroll at any school in the city provided there is space available and they provide their own transportation.  Students currently attending magnet, middle or high schools outside of their home attendance area or zone will have the option of grandfathering, or being guaranteed a seat in their current school, but must provide their own transportation.

For more information:  Transitions office - 612.668.0478.  Zone 1 parent contacts:  DPAC Area A Chairs, Todd Bennington (Waite Park) and Celeste Brown (Parkview), and Zone 1 Community Liaison, Lynne Crockett.

Each month parents of all Zone 1 schools are invited to attend the Zone 1 (Area A) Parent Advisory Council Meeting.  These meetings are held to share current information about District issues and policies as well as to collect ideas and concerns from parents to take to the District at DPAC meetings. Area A meetings are the third Wednesday of every month at a different Area A school each month.  The next meeting will be at Parkview on January 27, 2010.  Please check the DPAC Meeting Schedule website for the dates and locations of future Area A meetings  (the February meeting will be at Waite Park).

Four Northeast Public School Chess Teams Represent at District Tournament!

Marcy Open: 

The 7^th & 8th grade chess team took 1st place in the District "Check It Out Chess" Tournament, and Luc Janssen won 1st  place as an individual player!

Pillsbury:
The 4th-6th grade team took 1st place in their catagory: Chris Carchi (who also won 1st place in individual scoring!), Andrew Swenson, Kegan Hackett, Tracy Shaffer, Erick Oreliana, and Utkarsh Kumar.

Waite Park:
K-3 Chess Team took 3rd place in the district: Parker Schaal, Jaden Halabi, Jamin Eisenberg, Ghangla Tsering, William Martin, Tenzin Tsultrim, & Abby Crohn.  Abby Crohn also won 1st place in individual scoring among girls in her catagory!

Northeast Middle School:
6th graders took 3rd place: Chue Moua, Mather McKay, Ian Kivi and Michael Moore.  Van Kirwin tied for 3rd place among individuals in the 7th - 8th grade catagory.

Minutes: November 16, 2009

Attendees:  Jenny Arneson (Waite Park), Dan Kemp (Edison), Kevin Matheny (Community pre-school parent), Jenn Bennington (Waite Park), Alita Bergen (Waite Park Community Council), Holly Siasoco (Edison), Mike Iacarella (Edison), Marcia Thomas (Pillsbury/NEMS), Dean DeGroot (NEMS/Henry), Diane Loeffler (Ward 1 State Representative)


Informal feedback on the NE School Showcase:  

• More attention paid should be paid to promoting the ECFE program next year

• Make the Recreational fire more visible (it was behind the building)

• Have the Edison & NE Middle School athletes run organized games with kids next year.  Kids would have liked more interaction and structured play.

• CSO transitions questions came up during the ECFE session - it may be a good idea to have a district employee in that session in the future to answer placement questions.

• We were a little crowded in the Audubon Park indoor space, but none of the other parks in NE could commit to giving us a larger space, and Audubon is very accommodating.

Despite the crowded appearance, attendance was down this year, probably because we didn't get any funding to promote the event in the Northeaster.  As this event benefits every NE school tremendously, maybe we can ask each school to donate $150 for advertising next year?   That would cover the cost of a flier in the Northeaster, which seems to make a big difference in getting the word out.  It was also suggested that we ask for more financial  help from Neighborhood associations.  This year Waite Park Community Council donated funds and arranged for food to be donated by Eastside Food Co-op.  We can also ask various Edison sports teams to do a literature drop around NE. Dan Kemp will organize sports teams lit. drop next year.   Menlo Park called Dean wanted to know if they could be at the Showcase at the last minute.  Dean said no for this year, but that he would bring it up to the rest of the PEN membership.  After some discussion, it was decided that it doesn't make sense to have contract-alternative schools at the Showcase because of the way they work - students do not choose contract alternatives, for the most part, they are placed there.

DPAC Changes:

Todd Bennington (Waite Park) and Celeste Brown (Parkview) are the new Area A Co-Chairs.  Jenny Arneson, Jenn Bennington, Tammy Rusnacko, Marcia Thomas and Dean DeGroot are all Area A DPAC Reps or Alternates from PEN.  Northeast is well-represented at DPAC!   Please attend the next Area A meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:00 pm at Pillsbury.  Refreshments and childcare are always provided.

Sheridan Meeting Debrief:  

Dean DeGroot gave an overview of the meeting attendees: several district arts personnel, Courtney Kiernat from the CSO Transition team, Dean, Marcia Thomas, Jenny Arneson & Jenn Bennington from PEN, Jean Neuman (Sheridan principal), Sheridan's new AP, Wendi Jarden, and one Sheridan parent were there.   Jenny provided background about the magnet status at Sheridan throughout the CSO process.  The MPS '10 - '11 bulletin was due that Friday, so the meeting attendees quickly changed the name of the school at the meeting to "Sheridan Arts Magnet."  Dean presented the basic theory behind the Arts Integration curriculum.  A work group has been formed and will meet monthly to plan the future of Sheridan's program.  The Sheridan work group will update the community monthly at Area A meetings.  Contact Jean Neuman, Sheridan Principal, if you are interested in being a part of the Sheridan work group.

8th Grade/High School selection process:  

The primary attendance area high school choices for Zone 1 are Edison & Henry.  Two city-wide programs: North SUMATEC & South Open/All Nations are available to all Minneapolis students.  North is no longer a community high school - students must apply to get in and it is going to be an intense math/science/technology focus.  All Nations is a school within a school (9th graders are segregated from the rest of the students at South - it is a self-contained program).  At Henry & Edison, there will still be a few specialty programs in existence, but all of those classes are now electives (i.e. cosmetology & business at Edison).  NEMS 8th-graders visited Edison & Henry on November 17, Sheridan & Marcy 8th-graders visited both high schools on November 16.  These visits are structured, small group tours with student ambassadors, presentations, lunch, etc.  If kids are interested in schools outside of their zone, they can go to Open Houses.  Edison's Open House is on Dec. 1.  Open Houses are essential for parents to learn about their high school options.

Connecting NEMS with Pillsbury & Waite Park: 

Jenny & Jenn met recently with Ann Marie Cosgrove (NEMS PR), Kathy O'Neill (Pillsbury Family Liaison), and Robin Osterberg (Waite Park Family Liaison) about new efforts toward making NE the top choice for elementary families at our two PreK - 5 schools.  Many ideas about targeting 3rd grade families rather than 4th/5th-grade, as once families have 4th/5th grade students, often they are not as open to new ideas about middle school.  Particularly, connecting 6th and 3rd-grade students seems to be effective.  NEMS, Pillsbury and Waite Park would like to arrange and event where the 6th graders "host" an event for the 3rd graders and their families.  Debbie Nelson proposed that February would be good time for such an event, perhaps an ice skating/sledding party at Windom or Audubon Park.

The new parent group at NEMS has a liaison from Waite Park PTA, who will be helping with communication between the two schools.   Pillsbury/Waite Park alumni will promote NEMS at PTA meetings and 5th Grade classrooms. There is also an idea about utilizing the babysitting cert. program at NEMS Beacons to provide childcare at Waite Park & Pillsbury events.  Parents get to know NEMS babysitters and connections are made.

New Business:

Rep. Diane Loeffler brought to our attention a meeting at Eastside Neighborhood Services about Arts funding from the State.  Last year the state gave money to the Dept. of Education for Arts Education.  This funding decision seems to have annoyed many from the arts community, who felt that the money had been "stolen."  There does not seem to be an organized constituency around arts education.  Information about a website (only available through November 20) that allowed community input about arts funding was distributed.  This information was sent to Pat Teske (MPS Arts), Jean Neuman (Sheridan Arts) and Wendi Jardon (Sheridan Arts) for further action.

Next Meeting: January 18, 6:30 pm, Edison High School Media Center

Vikings' Greenway, Dairy Council Tackle Childhood Obesity

Northeast Middle School was on televised NEWS again, when Chad Greenway visited to talk to students about the importance of keeping fit and eating right.  Kicking off the school's Fuel Up and Play 60 program, the Minnesota Viking even inspired the middle school teachers to break out dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" for the kids.  Another article about the event, printed in the Farmer, highlighted the school's proactive stance against childhood obesity.  Northeast Middle School does it again, with ground-breaking programming for our middle schoolers!

Agenda: November 16, 2009 (6:30 - 8:00 pm)

Welcome/Introductions: 5 minutes (All)

Connecting NEMS with Pillsbury & Waite Park: ideas
(30-40 mns - Jenny Arneson)

New Area A Representatives to DPAC  
(10 mns - Jenn Bennington)

8th Grade/High School selection process changes 
(20 mns - Debbie Nelson/Bridget Altmann)

Debrief: Sheridan Meeting
(10 mns - Dean DeGroot)
 

Debrief: NE School Showcase
(5 mns - Jenny Arneson/Bridget Altmann)

Climate Theater Performs at MCEA Conference

Climate Theater is part of the Northeast Middle School Beacons After School Program, and recently performed at the MCEA Conference, to rave reviews:

“I wanted to take a moment to let you know that the staff and students from Northeast Middle School did a fabulous presentation last week at the MCEA conference.

I have dedicated myself to finding ways to highlight the work of staff and students at NEMS as they exemplify such a high degree of poise, confidence, and knowledge. The Climate Theater students, alumni, and Mr. Lundeen were extremely professional and knowledgeable. I know the attendees went away with a great degree of respect for the accomplishments achieved around promoting a positive climate in the building and including such a high degree of youth voice and youth engagement. Barb Kapala provides an atmosphere where our young children can thrive and grow. I’m proud that she continues to work within Community Education and serves as a model for implementing a high quality program.”

Colleen Sanders
Community Programs Manager
Minneapolis Community Education

Come volunteer to make Northeast Middle School a more beautiful place for students, teachers, and community! If you are artistic, handy, have a green thumb or simple care about your community come make a difference on Saturday, September 19, 9am- 12pm at Northeast Middle School (2955 Hayes St NE).

Volunteer projects will include:

• Painting murals
• Building outdoor benches
• Cleaning and landscaping school grounds

If you are interested, sign-up at www.handsontwincities.org. Go to Volunteer Opportunities and find the School Beautification Project on the Project Calendar. Questions? Call Tyler at HandsOn Twin Cities - (612) 379.4900 Ext. 23

Sponsored by NE Middle School, HandsOn Twin Cities, and American Express.

Youth Voice Summer Program for Middle School Students

Any interest in Hip Hop Dance, DJ, Graffiti Art, Fashion Design and Spoken Word?
Come join the YouthVoice Summer Program!

When: August 3rd to August 21st 2009
Where: Redeem Center for Life, Peace Palace, 1800 Glenwood Avenue North
Time: 11:00 – 4:00 Monday – Friday
Cost: FREE! With bus transportation provided! Lunch and snack provided each day. Field trips to a water park, the University of Minnesota and more!

Questions?: Contact Jeri Ezaki at 612-668-3809

The YouthVoice Program is a partnership between Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education Program, Sanctuary CDC, Redeemer Center for Life and the Urban 4-H Program of the University of Minnesota.

PEN Minutes: 6/15/09

Attendees: Dean DeGroot (NEMS/Henry Parent), Julia Janousek (Marcy Parent), Pam Costain (MPS Board), Tammy Rusnacko (Waite Park/South Parent), Jenny Arneson (Waite Park Parent), Bridget Altmann (Edison Staff/Marcy Parent), Gary Arntsen (Waite Park Community Council), Brenda Cassellius (MPS Asst. Superintendent), Vicky Iacarella (NE Community), Mike Iacarella (Edison Staff), Pamela Verina (Edison Staff), Carla Steinbach (Edison Principal), Padmini Udupa (NEMS Principal), Jamison Rusthoven (Edison Staff), Jenn Bennington (Waite Park Parent)

Changing School Options (CSO):

Dean DeGroot opened the meeting by welcoming Brenda Cassellius, Assoc. Superintendent of MPS (Area B & all Secondary Schools), who was asked to attend the meeting to talk about the current status of the Changing School Options process. Brenda first provided an overview of CSO, emphasizing that the intent of the changes were to provide sustainability, save money, reduce the city's achievement gap by 75%, and raise test scores. The CSO goal is to provide cost savings that will then be reinvested into our classrooms. Due to the MPS budget deficit as well as changes in state funding, there will be layoffs/downsizing, but the district is attempting to keep the community engaged during this painful process. The new timeline will mean that the Board will vote on the revised recommendations in late September, 2009.

Pam Costain, MPS Board member, elaborated on the new timeline. Decisions about the new CSO recommendations will be made in time for the 2010-2011 academic year publicity. Pam assured the group that the NE quadrant of the city was not meant to be touched, but Pillsbury will be demagnetized, and Sheridan will be a magnet but the district will work with the broader NE community to determine the status of that magnet program. The biggest decisions being made are about high schools. Right now there is a commitment on the Board's part to retain all 7 city high schools, and to build up Edison & North. Pam stated that the CSO changes will have less of an impact in NE than in other parts of the city.

Brenda then answered questions about changes at North High School. The "SUMA TEC Prime" program will be rolling out next year, and will require incoming students to submit an essay in order to be "admitted" to the school. North will no longer be a comprehensive community high school, but will become a rigorous, specialty school. Current students at North who are not interested in attending a school of this type will have to go elsewhere. In 2010, students will no longer be assigned to North based on residency. Several PEN members had questions about whether students who are not admitted to the new program at North will then be sent either to Edison, or perhaps sent to Patrick Henry, depending on programming and capacity issues. There was concern about whether this ends up filling Edison with students who are not necessarily choosing to be there, but simply have nowhere else to go.

Pam Costain spoke up about these concerns, emphasizing that it would be best to view the situation not as one MPS school versus another. The district is trying to improve the academic quality at all city high schools. The decision to change the program at North was made in order to keep it open, though it has dwindling attendance and, overall, the smallest high school enrollment. The district does not expect that North will ever reach the numbers of a comprehensive/community school again, so it has a special status as an alternative to closing it. The new configuration enables students from the entire City to attend North High, which is also partnering with Dunwoody Academy.

Dean DeGroot commented that a specialty program at North makes sense, but what is unclear to the NE community is where pathways to Edison exist. For example, 70% of Marcy Open school kids reside in NE, and majority of those kids continue onward to South High—the only Open high school in the District. On the other hand, most of Edison's student population is made up of kids who live in North Minneapolis at this time. Northeast Middle School (NEMS) is the only middle school feeding into Edison. How do we keep Edison viable for NE kids when a lot of them are going to Patrick Henry, St. Anthony or South High School? What can the district do with pathways to keep NE kids in NE? Sheridan (K-8) has 70%+ kids who live in North Minneapolis, and there seems to be no link between Sheridan and Edison at this time. It was understood that the "four core" standardization of the high school curricula throughout the city, as well as the district's decision not to bus students to high schools outside of their neighborhoods would decrease the need for students to opt out of their own neighborhood for primary and secondary education.

In response, Brenda asked the group for suggestions about how to create pathways to Edison. The clear concern among many PEN members was that the district was maintaining the Open magnet program at South High and was still going to bus kids from NE who attend Marcy Open to South, despite its commitment to the standardized high school curriculum it declared with the "four core" idea. This will continue to drain NE/Edison of its teenagers. With Marcy and Sheridan as magnet schools, the only community schools feeding into Edison are Waite Park and Pillsbury (via NE Middle), and currently Waite Park is losing nearly half of its 5th graders to St. Anthony.

Pamela Vertina, of Edison High School, investigated the demographics in NE by zip code and found that we just don't have enough kids in the area to fill Edison. If the district will no longer provide transportation to kids from other areas of the city to Edison, how will it be able to survive?

Dean DeGroot pointed out that new statistics from NE Middle School do show that over half of the kids who have chosen to stay in the city have chosen Edison. This is a new and positive trend - during the two previous years, Patrick Henry has received the majority of 8th graders from NEMS. However, that represents approximately 70 kids entering Edison from this only established pathway. Other pathway connections are necessary!

Julia Janousek, a Marcy Open parent, stated that the open pathway needs to exist for Marcy kids. The way to bring Marcy kids to Edison is through attraction to a vibrant Arts program. In her opinion, many parents at Marcy are not there for the Open program, but are there for other reasons. They will not be committed to sending their children to South if more appealing options become available. If Edison's reputation improves, the families who live in NE will choose it.

Brenda addressed these concerns by saying that the new IB program at Edison will keep interdisciplinary methods available to kids from Marcy who have been educated according to the Open philosophy. There is a new secondary school in Illinois that combines a Montessori and an IB program. The district is looking at that as a possibility for one of the MPS high schools in the future.

Dean suggested that from a cost-savings perspective, with the IB pathway already there from NEMS to Henry, it would make more sense to bolster AP at Edison than divide IB resources between the two high schools (Henry & Edison).

Brenda replied that the idea of the "four core" learning philosophies existing simultaneously at all six comprehensive city secondary schools is beneficial partially due to different learning styles of different students. It is best to have AP, IB, a tech program, & CIS all in the same school. Teacher training overlaps between these methods as well.

Dean questioned how realistic it might be that there would be an equal number of AP classes at all high schools, with all four of these different programs in each school?

Brenda explained that there may not be an equal number of classes, but that all of the schools would be equal in quality of curricular programming. For example, there may be different classes at different schools available, but with technology allowing students to computer stream, attend classes online, and use district-provided "go to" bus passes to get around, all students would have equal access to the same quality learning opportunities.

Jenny Arneson, Waite Park parent, asked if the Middle years IB program (MYP) is really happening at all of the city high schools. Brenda replied that the 9th/10th grade IB training to teachers is happening now. More schools are adding IB & AP state-wide, so MPS is drawing state funding from a smaller pool than in the past. However, federal stimulus money will go toward professional training in these programs.

Brenda shared recent testing results with the group. Evidently, MPS students as a whole made increases (about 6%) in reading and writing and smaller increases in math (about 2%). MPS is outpacing the state-wide testing score increases this year for the first time in a while. This is reason to be proud of the work that has been done so far. It was agreed that marketing was one of the biggest problems we now face as a district and as a neighborhood. The MYP philosophy at NEMS leading to MYP at Edison is a logical pathway. Our current challenge is in changing perceptions about Edison, but investment in MYP is a good idea regardless of whether it changes the school's image. It is good for teaching and learning.

Brenda also shared that the district was considering co-location partners at Edison and NEMS. Currently the contract alternative school, Heritage Academy (http://www.heritagetech.net/) is a likely candidate for using some of the extra space available in NE. Heritage Academy is now sharing space at Folwell. Many of the PEN membership expressed concern about promising space to a program that offered an alternative educational program, especially one that's vision includes significant growth. Will a contract-alternative or charter school sharing space with a comprehensive community school be seen as housing a competing program? Brenda brought up the fact that the New Small Schools office is currently sharing space at the district administrative building, and that the district has been looking at partnering with charter schools. Dunwoody is a charter at North, for example, and they will share athletics, busing, and the teaching staff will learn from each other and share professional development opportunities. Students may even eventually be taking courses at both schools simultaneously.

PEN members were very clear about the need for the NE community to be consulted about co-location options before any decisions were made about how our schools will be sharing space with city-wide contract alternative or charter schools. Because our biggest hurdle right now is changing perceptions about NEMS and Edison, it is essential that that image be considered while these decisions are being made. Brenda agreed that the community would be made aware, and that CSO meetings would be happening during the summer.

Vicky Iacarella offered to draft a letter to the Board and the District about these concerns, spelling out the need for the NE community to be consulted before co-location decisions are made.

Brenda stated that the district's strategy right now is to grow enrollment at Edison through marketing, community activity, raising rigor though the TAP program (IFL model), and "disciplinary literacy teams" at the district level.

The biggest debate at the Board level right now is about the Marcy Open/South pathway, according to Pam Costain. It is an issue that has not been resolved and all of the stakeholders involved feel passionately about it. The way we can attract Marcy students back from South is by building up Edison. Some would argue that Open is such a specialized educational philosophy that it needs to be a unique program, but others feel that the philosophy behind Open education should be and has been put into practice at ALL Minneapolis public schools already.

Brenda assured that, ideally, there will be IB, CIS and AP at all schools, which will mean that there will be pathways to every comprehensive community high school based on attendance boundaries, not specialty programs.

As for marketing strategies for the future, Brenda explained that as of next year, 8th graders will receive a school choice guide, featuring only their community high school. Two weeks later they get a very small packet about all the other secondary schools in the city. There is also a re-branding effort beginning this July. All web-pages will be upgraded to one MPS brand.

Other Business:

The NE School Showcase will be scheduled for sometime during the first three weeks of November.

A follow-up from last month's discussion on athletics occurred. Jenny Arneson reported that she collected names of main sports contacts in NE for the Edison Athletic Director to use in recruiting; he was present and confirmed this was his plan. While Jenny has names from the park department, NE Middle School was unable to provide many names due to vacancies - it is clear that the break-down in communication and athletic rigor is at least in part due to the lack of stability at NEMS in athletics. Padmini Udupa and Carla Steinbach, principals of NEMS & Edison respectfully, reported that they were already aware of this issue and had been developing a plan to help each other in athletics. They will have a report by next month. Dr. Udupa pointed out to Brenda that part of the difficulty for middle school students participating in high school sports is the inconsistencies in start times.

Next meeting: August 17 at a NE Park TBD.