Northfield Public Schools | ISD #659

Preschool & Childcare Open House

Heather Kuchinka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:51:45 +0000

Hand in Hand Preschool and EarlyVentures Childcare programs are holding their open house & fall registration night on Thursday, March 1, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Longfellow School. Here’s your chance to meet the teachers, play in the classrooms and see what our programs are all about. Call 507.664.3750 with questions.

There are still limited openings for the preschool program for 2011-12. Call Sara Line at 507.645.1232 if interested.

Dahle Nominated for State Award

Heather Kuchinka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:50:39 +0000

Kevin Dahle, Northfield’s 2011-12 Teacher of the Year and Northfield High School Social Studies Teacher, is among the 111 teachers who have accepted their nominations to become eligible for the honor of 2012 Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

This year’s program will name the 48th Minnesota Teacher of the Year, celebrating the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers, from public or private schools.

The 2012 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be announced May 6, at The Northland Inn in Brooklyn Park, Minn, after a 22-member panel of community leaders names a group of semifinalists, and then finalists.

Education Minnesota organizes and underwrites the Minnesota Teacher of the Year Program, which receives program and award support from the following organizations: The SMARTer Kids Foundation, The Northland Inn, the Harvard Club of Minnesota Foundation, United Educators Credit Union, McDonald’s Restaurants of Minnesota, Teacher Federal Credit Union, Pearson Education and Education Minnesota ESI.

Three Northfield educators are eligible for the state award: Bob Gregory-Bjorklund (ARTech), Kevin Dahle (Northfield Public Schools) and Laura Medwetz (Prairie Creek Community School).

Read Elected Minnesota Youth Governor

Heather Kuchinka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:25:41 +0000

Northfield High School junior Elia Read was elected as the 2013 Minnesota Statewide Youth Governor during the program’s largest yearly event in January. Read and his running mate, junior Emma Schroer (Ridgedale), will preside over next year’s Youth in Government program. The Read/Schroer campaign video was produced by Northfield High School junior Chen Ye. More than 1,458 students, representing 50 schools from around the state, participated in this year’s program. About 22 awards were given in program areas such as legislative, lobbying, media and judicial service. Northfield students received seven awards.

Upcoming GED Testing

Heather Kuchinka — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:35:05 +0000

Adult Basic Education (ABE) will be hosting a General Education Development (GED) testing from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Northfield Community Resource Center. ABE is sponsored by Northfield Public Schools Community Services and Dakota Prairie ABE.

Testing costs $120 and pre-registration is required. Testers must be 19 or older and must have a valid Minnesota ID. Individuals under the age of 19 are eligible to apply for an age waiver after taking classes through Dakota Prairie ABE.

Call 507.664.3764 or 651.460.3211 to register or for more information about the GED. Contact ABE Coordinator Claudia Kinville at ckinville@farmington.k12.mn.us for more information.

Northfield Public Schools Community Services includes recreation and enrichment programming, Early Childhood Family Education, driver education, KidVentures, EarlyVentures Learning Center, Connected Kids, Middle School Youth Center, Hand-in-Hand Preschool, Adult Basic Education and Project ABLE.

Community Garden Applications

Heather Kuchinka — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:23:02 +0000

Dreaming of growing green things in spring’s warming soil? It’s time to plan ahead for summer gardening! Greenvale Park Community Garden is now making applications available for the 2012 gardening season. Applications will be accepted beginning Feb. 6.

Greenvale Park Community Garden »

Parent Event – The No-Cry Sleep Solution

Heather Kuchinka — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:20:43 +0000

Northfield Public Schools Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) is offering three free presentations on The No-Cry Sleep Solution on Jan. 30 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., and again on Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m. in room 101 at Longfellow School. Parents of young children are invited to hear more about the sleep needs of preschool children, and how to effectively help your children get the sleep they need. Is bedtime a nightmare? Mary Loven, ECFE Parent Educator, will share information with you from sleep experts Mary Sheedy Kurcinka and Elizabeth Pantley, and offer suggestions for creating relaxing bed time routines that are pleasant for both you and your child. This event is free of charge. Call 507.645.1232 with questions.

Richardson Receives Award

Heather Kuchinka — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:31:12 +0000

Northfield Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Chris Richardson, received the Superintendent of the Year award at the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) Recognition luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 12, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The award was presented by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA).

Dr. Richardson received the MN Superintendent of the Year award from MASA President Kent Thiesse.

Dr. Richardson with the Northfield Board of Education, from top, left: Anne Maple, Jeff Quinnell, John L. Fossum, Noel Stratmoen, Julie Pritchard, Ellen Iverson, and Kari Nelson.

“I Am a Mentor” Day

Heather Kuchinka — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:00:46 +0000

In celebration of National Mentoring Month, the Northfield Public Schools Community Services mentoring program, Connected Kids, is participating in the “I Am a Mentor” Day social media campaign on Jan. 11. All week, mentors and mentees are encouraged to visit the Northfield Public Schools Community Services Facebook page, “like” us, and comment on the “I Am a Mentor” post with a story or anecdote about what mentoring means to them and the impact it’s had on their lives.

Connected Kids currently supports 96 active matches and has served nearly 200 youth since its inception 7 years ago. Over that time, over 88 percent of youth have demonstrated improvement in academic performance and over 87 percent have improved attendance.

Mentors, backed by quality mentoring programs, play a powerful role in preventing substance abuse and youth violence, as well as boosting academic achievement and workforce readiness. Studies have shown a more than 250 percent return on a $1 investment in mentoring and myriad quality of life benefits to the mentor, too. Mentors help build young people’s character and confidence, expand their universe and help them navigate pathways to successful adulthood.

On Jan. 3, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation saying, “Every day, mentors help young Americans face the challenges of growing into adulthood. By setting a positive example and sharing their time, knowledge and experience, mentors play an essential role in preparing our nation’s youth for a bright future. During National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the contributions of all those who cultivate a supportive environment for the next generation, and we recommit to expanding mentorship opportunities across our country.”

Despite the positive impact, there are still a number of Northfield youth who are waiting for a mentor. If you would like to know more about Connected Kids, visit us online. For more information and resources on quality youth mentoring, visit the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota online at www.mpmn.org.

To India and Back

Heather Kuchinka — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:46:15 +0000

Journey to India for an evening to explore the people, arts, culture, and food, while supporting the Northfield Rotary Youth Exchange. The Northfield Rotary Club will host “To India and Back” on Feb. 25 at the Northfield Middle School.

Tickets can be purchased online with credit card through the rotary club. Tickets are $20, general admission. Tickets can also be purchased with cash or check, but must be picked up, at the Northfield Public Schools Community Services Division.

Stroll through a street fair from 5 – 7 p.m. Enjoy Indian cuisine, palm reading, sanskrit and art. Experience traditional dance and Bollywood music from 7 – 9 p.m.

Tickets may also be purchased at the event. For more information visit http://northfieldrotary.org/2011/12/to-india-and-back-february-25/#more-4420.

Teachers Recognized for Technology Integration

Heather Kuchinka — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:49:50 +0000

Two Northfield educators were honored as “Exceptional Teachers” at the TIES Education Technology Conference in Minneapolis on Dec. 13. The TIES conference is one of the nation’s pre-eminent educational technology conferences. More than 3,000 educators from 22 states have been in attendance.

Northfield Middle School teacher Curt Mikkelson was honored for his work integrating technology into the middle school’s geography curriculum such as using Google Earth to provide interactive learning opportunities for his students. In addition, Mikkelson serves as the building’s webmaster and has been instrumental in its development and updating to keep parents and the community knowledgeable about middle school activities and events.

Sibley Elementary Kindergarten teacher Allison Otte was honored for her visionary work using SMART Board technology to design interactive lessons to engage her students. Otte is also a building leader in using the district’s data analysis systems to pinpoint areas of academic strength and challenge in order to develop strategies to meet the needs of individual learners.

Occupational Therapist Greg Sumner and Bridgewater Elementary Title I Teacher/Academic Coach Andrew Gilbertson presented a “poster session” called the “Livescribe Smartpen: Where Digital Natives and Immigrants Meet.”