Dct 2 27 14

Page 1

Dakota County

Tribune

Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas www.dakotacountytribune.com

NEWS Abdallah’s looks to grow Dakota County candy maker looks to expand its operation, which may mean leaving its longtime location. Page 2A

OPINION Don’t deny school lunches The 2014 Minnesota Legislature should approve the governor’s proposal to support schools in providing lunch to all students. Page 4A

THISWEEKEND

February 27, 2014 • Volume 129 • Number 52

Snow day doesn’t stop the learning Farmington district embraces online option for assignments, classwork at home by Jennifer Chick SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

This past week’s snowstorm may have kept kids home but it didn’t keep Farmington students from learning. The snow day gave Farmington Area Public Schools a chance to test their flexible learning policy implemented earlier this month. Because of a large number of missed school days due to subzero temperatures and now heavy snowfall, the district decided to test drive flexible learning days. The first implementation of this flexible learning time was over Presidents Day weekend. Rather than add another school day Monday, Feb. 17, the district designated that weekend as flexible learning time. The option is possible since every district student has access to an iPad as part of the district’s technology plan. With one flexible learning day behind them, Friday’s snow day was much easier to handle. Forecasts had warned of heavy snow on the way so

teachers and students were prepared that a snow cancellation might occur. Superintendent Jay Haugen posted a public letter to parents and students Thursday outlining what would happen if students got the call to stay home. “We are lucky again to be able to address a school closing so naturally, through a flexible learning day,� he wrote. “Because of our digital learning platform, Schoology, and the fact that over 95 percent of our students have Internet access in their home, the learning does not stop. If school is cancelled tomorrow (or any day in the future for that matter), the plan will be to have all teachers post work by 10 a.m. for the students they would have seen that day.� Dan Pickens, Farmington’s head of instructional technology, was thrilled at the way the two flexible learning days bookended last week. “It was great that it happened so quickly,� he said. “For some people, it forced See SNOW, 8A

Encounters in engineering Frozen Apple concert

by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

SPORTS

The Rosemount High School gymnastics team reached new heights at the state meet this past weekend. Page 9A

Approximately 250 students and their families participated on Feb. 18 in hands-on engineering and science activities during Engineering Encounter at Riverview Elementary School in Farmington. Students and their parents could try their hands at stations called Crazy Cars, Circuit Play, Fizz Rockets, Magnetic Bridges and Wind Turbines. Members from Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers and staff from The Works Museum, a hands-on engineering museum for kids based in Bloomington, were at the event, which was during Science Week at the school. (Photos contributed by MnSPE)

To receive a feed of breaking news stories, follow us at twitter.com/ SunThisweek. Discuss stories with us at facebook.com/ SunThisweek.

INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 11A Announcements . . . . 13A Thisweekend . . . . . . . 15A

News 952-846-2033 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000 Delivery 952-846-2070

See MARIJUANA, 10A

Farmington Elementary School students, staff enjoy building upgrades by Jennifer Chick SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

When students returned to Farmington Elementary School after Christmas break, they unwrapped a whole wing of presents. They returned to a brand new cafeteria, music room, kindergarten and first-grade classrooms and two new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. In January, phase two of Farmington Elementary School’s $6.23 million renovation project was completed. The project started the day after students left school last June and continued through

was really proud of them.� Because of extensive remodeling and enlarging classrooms in the kindergarten/first-grade wing, the school decided to move those approximately 200 students, to the Instructional Services Center, about a block and a half away. That meant a lot of trekking back and forth through the connecting alley for staff members. Januschka said the plan worked well, but students and staff are happy to be back under one roof. Extensive remodeling in the cafeteria also meant displacing students during lunch. So Farmington Elementary came up with a

:( 3$< 723 '2//$5 $

the fall months. With a rebuild and expansion of the school cafeteria, as well as enlarged kindergarten classrooms and a new music room, the staff and students of Farmington Elementary found that flexibility was the biggest lesson learned last fall. The renovation expanded classroom sizes by 150 square feet and also included outside concrete and asphalt work. “It was a lot smoother than I thought,� said Ben Januschka, principal at Farmington Elementary. “It was a beast, but the staff did a great job being so flexible as well as the students and parents. I

Fourth-grade students go through the serving line in Farmington Elementary School’s expanded kitchen and cafeteria. Recent renovations at Farmington Elementary School were completed in January and included a revamp of the kitchen and cafeteria with new equipment and an improved traffic flow. (Photo by Jennifer Chick) plan to feed students in the nuschka said it was like school’s old gym. Meals catering a meal every day were brought in every day from another school. Ja- See UPGRADES, 10A

GET CA$H FOR YOUR GOLD, SILVER & COINS! CHECK US FIRST OR CHECK US LAST!

!""'! !

Dakota County’s top two law enforcement officials are urging people to press state legislators Jim to strike down pro- Backstrom posed medical marijuana legislation. County Attorney James Backstrom and Sheriff Dave Bellows spoke to a group of Rosemount leaders Thursday, Feb. 20, to tell them why the bill as proposed shouldn’t become law. They say in states where similar bills were passed with the intention to help people with serious illnesses, a result has been marijuana ending up in the hands of people who don’t really need it for medical purposes. “If we approve it for medical use, we have just approved it for recreational use,� Bellows said, referring to the experiences in other states. The bill has too many qualifying conditions for patients who would be able to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana, according to Backstrom and Bellows. Those conditions range from can-

cer to severe pain. In Colorado, they said 3 percent of cancer patients were approved for medical marijuana while about 95 percent of people with chronic Dave or severe pain were Bellows approved. Supporters say generally medical marijuana laws in 20 states and Washington, D.C., are working well and providing patients with relief and protection from arrest, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Backstrom and Bellows said most of the patients using medical marijuana are young while males. They added that 50 percent of medical marijuana purchasing cards were approved by 12 doctors in Colorado – an indication that there is lax oversight and abuse in the system. The state has about 900 doctors who can approve use. The county attorney and sheriff said they are sympathetic to people who suffer from serious medical conditions, but feel that there are medications on the market that have

Lessons in flexibility

ONLINE

&

Where there’s smoke ... County’s top law enforcement officials want to put out medical marijuana bill

This year’s Frozen Apple music series concludes March 1 with a concert by Michael Monroe at Valleywood Golf Course. Page 15A

Rosemount leaps up

While the Friday, Feb. 21, snow day meant a day away from school for Farmington students, learning did not stop. Students logged on to Schoology, the district’s digital learning platform, to receive assignments and to chat with teachers. While students like Abby Steinke, a first-grade student at Farmington Elementary School, did not have their mini iPads at home, they still worked on homework packets sent home earlier in the week, logged on to the Internet to use apps and completed reading assignments. (Photo by Jennifer Chick)

%% )% #%5 , )#' % 4,, ' 7 '$ )1 )#' 4,, ' 7 )%% 1#)' '6 '1 )% #%5 , 6 %,7 1 ,%#' #%5 , % 11#' ,) --#)' % 4&#-& 1#-1 )' 1

&& # 1 7& '1 )4 !))- ) %%

( 3"/ ." 3 2

:( 3$< 723 '2//$5 * 23* # )%% 1 ,1+ 1 2. 4,'-5#%% 666+ , 1 $ - )#'- + )&

" *8" 1+ *8"2

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.