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The Community’s Guide to the District
June 2021
HopkinsSchools The Community’s Guide to the District
Hopkins Public Schools June 4
A total of 530 seniors graduated from Hopkins High School yesterday! We celebrated their accomplishments and handed them their diplomas at two different ceremonies held at the 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. Congratulations scholars, we are proud of you!
Residential Postal Patron ECRWSS
#HopkinsGrad2020
The Hopkins School Board unanimously approved a structurally balanced budget for the 2021-22 School Year. The approval marked the culmination of an eight-month collaborative process between multiple stakeholders as well as district administrators and principals. During the budget process, Hopkins created a predictable staffing model, which aligns each building’s resources to its enrollment, the primary funding source for the District. In addition, each building receives discretionary funding, allowing principals to have a level of autonomy over their schools.
AliceSmith270 June 3
There were big smiles and teary eyes at our 6th grade graduation today. Congratulations to all our 6th graders as they move on to junior high school! HopkinsMeals June 4
2021 Free Summer Meals for Youth! Find out where to get your free summer meals here! http://bit.ly/HPSMeals
CONGRATS GRADS!
Class of 2021: Confident, Global, Empathetic, and Holistic
HOPKINS CLASS OF 2021 STATS 530 scholars made up the Hopkins Class of 2021 2
National Merit Finalists
6
National Merit Commended
37
Bilingual Seals
Hopkins Balances Budget for the 20212022 School Year
217
Graduated with Honors
Class of 2021 Graduates with Honors HopkinsSchools June 11
Last week, the Timberwolves mascot, Crunch, helped us celebrate the end of the school year. He led us in a wellness activity and hyped us up for summer! HopkinsSchools June 15
This year, we celebrated 41 retirees in our district! To make sure they are ready for their next adventure, our young scholars wanted to give them some advice and break down the fundamentals of retirement. Watch the video here: https://instagram.com/p/ CQJLvDonW8K/
Eagle Feather Ceremony Honors Two Native American Seniors
18 graduated Summa Cum Laude (cumulative GPA of 4.0) 125 graduated Magna Cum Laude (cumulative GPA of 3.75-3.99) 74 graduated Cum Laude (cumulative GPA of 3.5-3.74) Class of 2021 Plans Post-Graduation 60.4% Four-Year College 14.6% Two-Year College 8.6% Undecided 8.2% Other
6.2% Work Full Time 1.4% Technical College 0.6% Military
GET CONNECTED, STAY CONNECTED
Countries Represented by the Class of 2021 Angola, Argentina, Belarus, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Oromia, Poland, Puerto Rico, Somalia, South Korea, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Ukraine, United States, and Vietnam
HopkinsSchools.org/update Need to enroll in Hopkins for the fall? Finalize your child's enrollment for the 2021-22 school year. Summer drive-up drop off options are available. Visit HopkinsSchools.org/enroll or email Enrollment@HopkinsSchools.org.
Two Native American seniors were honored on June 2 at an Eagle Feather Ceremony hosted by the American Indian Education Program. The traditional ceremony honored Austria Lewis and Freddy Esters for their accomplishment of graduating high school and offered a blessing as they move on to the next phase of life.
June 2021
Hopkins High School Scholars Graduate as the World Opens Up
The Class of 2021 graduated in two ceremonies on June 3. Being together as a class was especially meaningful for these scholars who spent a third of their high school experience in distance learning.
On June 3, 530 seniors graduated from Hopkins High School. Due to the pandemic, some of the typical traditions looked different than past years, but the day was filled with all the excitement and celebration that you would expect from any graduation. To keep the crowd size down, graduation was divided into two ceremonies. Both ceremonies were held at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, which was large enough to accommodate the audience size and allowed for proper spacing. Last year, Hopkins High School was not able to host an in-person graduation. Dr. Rhoda MhiripiriReed, superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools, noted the significance of this in-person graduation in her speech to scholars and families. “Personally, I find it ironic that your commencement coincides with society opening back up,” she said. “I see your graduation like the sun, emerging from the clouds, shining for each of you a bright way forward.”
later. Many students started the school year believing they would never be in-person as highschoolers again. Ending the year in-person and together as a class signified hope, joy, and the end of the pandemic. “We’re ending the year with happiness,” said Hopkins High School senior Julia Amato. “I just want to see all the people I have not talked to all year. I want to say goodbye.” One unique feature of this year's graduation is that prom was held that same evening outdoors on the Hopkins High School grounds. A student committee planned the details around both graduation and prom, provided they followed COVID-19 health and safety restrictions. Prom was held the same night as graduation to make both events possible. Hopkins High School leadership did not want one event to cancel out the other due to the possibility of quarantines from potential COVID-19 exposure.
Although hosting prom and graduation on the same night felt synonymous with cramming An untraditional high school experience signature high school experiences together, it also Due to the timing of the pandemic, the class of felt appropriate for a year that required 2021 stopped in-person learning in March of their flexibility, creative solutions, and out-of-the-box junior year and did not resume it until nearly a year ideas. Because prom was held at the high school, See Class of 2021 Graduates, inside
DATES IN THE COMMUNITY *Events are subject to change depending on current health guidelines.
Enroll Your Child This Summer Visit our Enrollment Office from 8 a.m.3 p.m., M-F to enroll your child. Driveup hours are Wednesdays, 1-3:30 p.m. in June, July, and August. Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Hwy. 7, Hopkins Enroll online: HopkinsSchools.org/enroll
Gatewood Elementary Outdoor Kindergarten Tours Fall 2021 kindergarten families can explore outdoor classrooms and meet staff this summer. HopkinsSchools.org/gatewood Watch for upcoming tour dates on Gatewood's school calendar.
FACES OF THE CLASS OF 2021 The graduates that Hopkins aspires to deliver to the world will: Be critical thinkers • Be global and well-traveled • Be confident • Have a voice • Be holistic • Be empathetic
Freddy Esters
Judy Omwando
Stuart Fish
Freddy will attend the University of Minnesota to pursue a career in agricultural engineering.
Judy will attend Kansas State University to study pre-dentistry.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? Having a voice. Coming into Hopkins in kindergarten and being able to leave Hopkins not only being able to advocate for myself but for my communities has meant the world to me — and it has made a world worth of difference.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? Having a voice of my own is very good! I feel like before Hopkins, my opinions didn’t matter, but now I’m outspoken and outgoing. The confidence I have now is not what I had before.
Stuart will attend Brigham Young University in Utah where he will work toward a STEM undergraduate in either mechanical engineering, computer engineering, or molecular biology. What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? Being global and well traveled. There is just so much diversity at Hopkins that it provides me with such a greater global perspective. I think that global aspect has been really good for me.
Class of 2021 Graduates, continued from cover
students were able to play an active role in organizing the experience. The theme was an enchanted forest, and it was planned and brought to life by scholars working alongside a professional party planning company.
“I want this to be really special for them,” she said. “Seeing those smiling faces when they see how good prom looks will make all these early mornings and late nights worth it.”
“This will be a prom that no one saw coming,” said Hopkins High School sophomore Anna Kim.
This was Principal Crystal Ballard’s first year as principal of Hopkins High School. During the 2021 graduation ceremonies, she acknowledged the difficulty of the dual pandemic of the past year and held a moment of silence for those who lost their lives to COVID-19 and systemic racism.
Kim took a leadership role in planning prom despite being too young to attend. She had family and close friends graduate last year in Hopkins' graduation car parade and wanted to contribute to the end-of-year experience for this year’s graduates. Planning for prom also kept her involved and engaged in her high school experience at a time when it was easy to feel isolated. Planning a prom that no one thought would happen gave her a sense of purpose and belonging. While the entire high school was in Minneapolis at the graduation ceremonies, Kim stayed back working with party planners to transform the high school parking lot into an enchanted forest, which needed to be ready by 7 p.m.
“You took on a challenging school year without a roadmap,” she told students. “You have the spirit of warriors!” In her address, Mhiripiri-Reed highlighted that the class of 2021 scored in the top one percent for social awareness in a recent nationwide survey. The definition of social awareness in this survey is how well students are able to consider the perspectives of others and empathize with them. These skills are sought by colleges, universities, the United States military, and even Fortune 500 companies looking for people who are not just smart and hard working, but also socially aware. “Being psychologically open, recognizing and respecting difference, and demonstrating empathy for others as well as for difficult situations — these are all foundational traits that will enable you to easily navigate this world,” she said. “The world needs you.”
On May 24, Hopkins hosted its first-ever hybrid retirement celebration, which included a drive-thru recognition parade at the Eisenhower Community Center followed by a virtual ceremony hosted by the Hopkins School Board.
Tally Shaver
King Nguyen
RJ will play football on a scholarship at either St. Thomas More or Texas Christian University.
Tally will attend the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences to study biochemistry.
King will be attending Chapman University in California where he will study business administration with an emphasis in marketing.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? When we have what we need, when we feel supported by our peers — confidence just plays into that — it fuels learning more, thinking more critically, and being able to ask questions. Hopkins’ nurturing environment has been conducive to stepping out of my comfort zone and asking questions.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? The Vision 2031 traits that resonate with me are being holistic and global and well-traveled. I am a first-generation student. My family immigrated to the States before I was born. At home I speak Vietnamese so I grew up having to translate everything for my parents.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? Being confident. I’m really bold and I always feel comfortable. I think I got it from my dad — the charisma — it makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. Having a voice is another trait I resonate with. I feel like having a voice is very important, especially being African American in the world we live in.
DR. MHIRIPIRI-REED
Resilience of the Class of 2021
A Festive Goodbye for Our Class of 2021 Retirees
RJ Chakolis
FROM SUPERINTENDENT
Parade participants drove past a crowd of cheering supporters and Hopkins’ mascot Leo the Lion, while the high school’s Lean Mean Performance Machine played. Hopkins School Board and Cabinet members handed out popcorn, candy, and cupcakes for each retiree to enjoy while watching the virtual recognition event on YouTube later that evening. Together, this year’s retirees served a total of 1,022 years. Congratulations 2021 retirees — thank you for your dedication and service to our programs and scholars! Want to learn more about the class of 2021 retirees? Visit HopkinsSchools.org/district/retirement-2021.
Class of 2021 — A Graduating Class Like No Other At our commencement ceremonies held on Thursday, June 3, we celebrated our 530 graduates and their incredible achievements. We also acknowledged that not everyone could make it; we have loved ones who lost their lives to the unforgiving pandemic. These important people were on our minds and in our hearts during this monumental day. It is both natural and essential to fully celebrate the important milestone of high school graduation, while also feeling a sense of loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of a traditional school year, loss of social experiences that are so important to our young people. Some of our students experienced substantial loss this year. Others experienced gains in surprising and positive ways. The members of the Class of 2021 earned significant academic and athletic achievements and were admitted into competitive schools. And, we discovered that this graduating class had another unique quality — collectively, they possess a strong sense of social awareness. Here’s how we know this unique and valuable fact: In Hopkins, we use an instrument called Panorama to measure the health and well-being of our students. Of the millions of students surveyed nationwide, Hopkins graduates scored in the top one percent in social awareness — that is, how well they consider the perspectives of others and empathize with them. Specifically, 99% of Hopkins seniors surveyed said they get along with students who are different from them. And 96% of those surveyed said that when others disagree with them, they are respectful of their views. Our Hopkins graduates are more empathetic and more socially aware than 99% of other recent graduates surveyed nationwide. This data about who our students are and how they think is powerful. Perspective-taking and empathy development are critical attributes. The military calls these traits psychological openness. Universities, the military, nonprofits, and Fortune 500s are searching for individuals with these traits — not just smart and hard-working but socially aware and empathetic, a combination of characteristics not easy to find. Being psychologically open, recognizing and respecting difference, and demonstrating empathy for others are foundational traits that will enable Hopkins students to be difference makers in the world. Hopkins scholars will make a difference in thought leadership, as social media influencers, in solving community and world problems, and as innovators and entrepreneurs.
Wardlyn Dualu
JT Zell
Ezana Tedla
Wardlyn will attend New York University Shanghai in China where she will study pre-med and biology.
JT will be attending the University of Minnesota to study journalism.
Ezana will attend Yale University on a full four-year scholarship through the QuestBridge program.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? Being empathetic can get you a lot further than people think. Being respectful of everyone you talk to will get you a long way. You also have to be confident and make sure you have your voice. Never be afraid to say what you are thinking but also say it with your chest and make sure you aren’t going to back down from what you stand for.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? The primary one is empathy because the skills you have are not anything if you are not able to express them with people. They have to serve a social purpose. The second is critical thinking. Critical thinking isn't rare, but we often don’t force ourselves to go through that process and I think we all have that potential. It’s definitely the trait to harness because it’s not just in one area, it’s across areas that you need to have the ability to critically process things.
What traits of a 2031 graduate resonate with you? Being confident. I’m really bold and one of the Vision 2031 traits that resonates with me the most is having a voice. I feel like Hopkins has always given me an opportunity to express myself and they've always prompted me to do it and encouraged me. I used to be really shy, but my teachers always encouraged me to talk and ask for help if I needed it. I just feel so cared for.
As we build our classrooms and school learning environments in the upcoming school year, we will incorporate what we learned from the pandemic into what we do next. We know our students and staff are more creative, thoughtful, resilient, and agile than they ever thought themselves to be. Our students told us they want meaningful relationships with their teachers and their peers and flexibility in their learning schedules. Our educators told us they want a voice in the decision-making process and for their expertise to be valued and leveraged. We look forward to the bright future that Hopkins Schools can offer our early learners to adolescent scholars in the coming school year. The future is filled with hope and possibility. Until then — have a relaxing and renewing summer. Sincerely, Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed Superintendent