School Talk, Fall 2024 by Mounds View Public Schools

School Talk

Charging ahead

Chippewa Middle School receives nation’s top award for achievement

‘An inspiration for schools U.S. Department of Education (DOE) honors Chippewa Middle

Inrecognition of high student achievement, Chippewa Middle School has been named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). This prestigious recognition highlights schools based on student performance data including assessment results, student subgroup performance and graduation rates.

Chippewa is now the third school in Mounds View Public Schools to earn this honor. Irondale High School was named a Blue Ribbon School in 1993, and the former Pike Lake Elementary School was recognized with the distinction in 1986.

“I am so proud of our school community,” says principal Molly Hollihan. “This honor reflects the diligence of our students, the support of our families and the commitment of our teachers. We are very fortunate to be a learning community filled with innovative, creative and hardworking students and staff.”

According to the DOE, National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models of effective and innovative practices for educators across the nation.

School

On the cover:

Chippewa Middle School 7th-graders

Bethany Mechal, Harper Owens, Louis Ormanidhi and Coleton Dahl enjoy a warm fall day with the Chippewa Charger figure.

National Blue Ribbon Schools...

• Are led by leaders who articulate a clear vision of instructional excellence and uphold high standards.

• Showcase effective teaching methods and offer robust professional development for their staff.

Para asistencia en traducciones ó ayuda como intérprete, por favor llama 651-724-2854.

Editors

Megan McKeen

Colin Sokolowski

Designer

Susan Abbott

Photographers

J.J. Killins

Jolesch Enterprises

Lifetouch

Megan McKeen

Yog xa tau kev pab thiab hais ua lus Hmoob thov hu rau 651-724-0396.

Superintendent

Chris Lennox

2024 School Board

Shauna Bock

Alissa Daire-Nelson

Heidi Danielson

Jim DeMay

Diane Glasheen

Yolanda Magee

Jonathan Weinhagen

• Make data-driven instruction a hallmark, and make a concerted effort to ensure every student succeeds.

• Establish collaboration among families, communities and educators as a key component of their success.

Beyond academic excellence, Chippewa is committed to ensuring that each and every student grows socially, emotionally and academically during their three years of middle school. The school works to cultivate a culture of kindness and empathy where everyone who walks through the doors is treated with dignity and respect.

“I want to extend my gratitude to each and every member of the Chippewa community for the work that they do every day to make this such an outstanding school,” says Hollihan.

Chippewa is not alone. Outstanding academic achievement is a hallmark of the District. See more examples on pages 4-5.

Haddi aad ubaahantahay faahfaahin dheerad ah ama turjumaad, fadlan kala 651-262-4577.

Visit us: Connect with us:

across the nation’ Middle School

About Chippewa

• Located in North Oaks, Chippewa welcomes students in its attendance area, which includes parts of Arden Hills, North Oaks, Shoreview and Vadnais Heights.

• Chippewa serves 1,103 students in grades 6-8.

• After English, the top three languages spoken by families: 1) Spanish, 2) Mandarin, 3) Hindi.

• 16.1% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch

• 8.2% of students receive special education services

• 2.5% of students receive English as a second language services

Chippewa students perform 5-6 grade levels above national norms

Reading Math

Chippewa Middle School 225 237

Nation, grade 12 224 233

Spring 2024, median performance on the NWEA MAP Growth

Two or more categories 7.5% Native American .3%

6.5%

About the award

The National Blue Ribbon Schools (NBRS) Program is one of the U.S. Department of Education’s longestrunning recognition programs. This prestigious award serves not only as a symbol of exemplary American schools, but also as inspiration for schools across the nation. NBRS recognizes outstanding public and non-public elementary, middle and high schools based on their overall high academic achievement or success in closing the achievement gap among diverse groups of students. Since its inception in 1982, the goals of the program are to shine a spotlight on the best schools in the United States and to share best practices of outstanding schools across the country.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Education honors the National Blue Ribbon Schools at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Chippewa STEAM teacher Boyd Weiger, Chippewa principal Molly Hollihan and Superintendent Chris Lennox accepted the award in November.

Achievement Students

continue to perform ahead of their state and national peers.

1. Reading and math proficiency scores increased 0.3%, compared with a state where scores remained the same.

2. 3rd grade reading proficiency scores increased by 3.3%, compared with a state decrease of 0.8%.

3. 6th grade students perform three years ahead of their national peers in math and two years in reading.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) exam, spring 2024 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment 2024 High

‘Best Schools’ in Minnesota

Advanced Placement Honors

Irondale and Mounds View were both named to the College Board’s 2024 Advanced Placement Honor Roll. The award recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on their path to college success. Research shows that students who take AP courses and exams are more likely to attend college and graduate on time.

Opportunities

#1 district for concurrent enrollment participation

Irondale and Mounds View have the highest percentage of students taking concurrent enrollment classes among metro-area high schools. Concurrent enrollment allows high school students to take college-level courses for free while in high school and earn both high school and college credit.

5. Anoka High School

Class of 2022, sorted by class size

Thanks to Early College programs in the high schools, 145 students have earned an associate’s degree, since the program began.

Continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is at the heart of Mounds View Public Schools. Read below to see our goals and strategies for improvement, and turn to pages 8 - 9 to see our current progress.

Goals

All students meet school-readiness goals.

All third-grade students achieve grade-level literacy.

Close achievement gaps for all student groups.

All students graduate from high school.

All students attain college and career readiness.

Strategies

Increase the number of families who complete early childhood screening before kindergarten.

Professional development focused on the science of reading and a new stateapproved screener.

Provide early math intervention within the classroom and extra support throughout the day, and build a conceptual understanding of math skills through a common digital resource.

Personalized post-secondary plans, enhanced support for English learners, activities that support school transitions, and multiple ways for credit recovery.

Offer rigorous coursework with the support needed for students to succeed and strengthen student achievement through Professional Learning Communities focusing on research-based teaching strategies.

SCHOOL BOARD

Public engagement will inform new cell phone policy

This year, the School Board is asking the community to provide feedback regarding student use of cell phones in schools. This feedback will be shared with an advisory committee of parents, students and staff for their review. The group will identify themes found in the responses and provide recommendations to the School Board. The feedback and recommendations will ultimately be used to help inform the creation of a cell phone policy. Surveys and community discussions were conducted in October. Learn more at mvpschools.org/cellphones

2025-26 school calendar revision

2024 School Board

The Board approved a revision to the 2025-26 calendar, moving the Wednesday, September 24, 2025, non-school day to Tuesday, September 23, 2025. This is being done to better meet the needs of staff and families who observe the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. The updated 2025-26 school calendar can be viewed at mvpschools.org/calendars

Certifying property taxes

Ramsey County mailed Truth in Taxation notices in midNovember. Mounds View Public Schools will discuss the budget and the final property tax levy for 2025 at a 6 p.m. focused forum scheduled before its regularly scheduled 7 p.m. Board meeting on December 10, when it will certify final property taxes. The proposed taxes for 2025 total $64,286,578.62, which is an increase of $597,972.42, or less than 1% over the final taxes payable 2024. For more information, please visit the Budgets and Finance page at mvpschools.org

Operational Plan update

The Board heard a report from the administration regarding the READ Act implementation. The READ Act is legislation passed in the 2023 Minnesota Legislative session. Its goal is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learner and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals in order to meet grade level proficiency.

There are three key components to implementing the READ Act:

• Teachers are currently engaged in professional development.

• A new state-approved literacy screener is being implemented.

• Leaders are reviewing core resources focused on structured literacy.

Transportation service agreements

The Board approved service agreements for two contract years with American Student Transportation and Metropolitan Transportation Network Incorporated beginning on August 1, 2024, and ending July 31, 2026.

Watch a brief video illustrating the role of the School Board in Mounds View Public Schools. Visit mvpschools.org/board.

Jonathan Weinhagen, Diane Glasheen, Alissa Daire Nelson, Heidi Danielson, Shauna Bock, Yolanda Magee and Jim DeMay.

EDUCATION FOUNDATION

The Mounds View Schools Education Foundation works in collaboration with Mounds View Schools District leadership to identify programs that require funding to advance opportunities for students throughout the Mounds View District.

For more information on the Foundation visit mvsef.org

Outdoor classrooms, books, instruments and scholarships

The Mounds View Schools Education Foundation funds programs and initiatives that impact each of the 11,000 students at Mounds View’s 13 schools. Families and organizations across our District are encouraged to donate to the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation (MVSEF), which recently announced its funding initiatives for the 2024-25 school year:

INITIATIVE #1: Outdoor classrooms and environmental education (NEW)

This initiative will provide students across the District with dynamic, interactive outdoor learning environments that elevate traditional learning experiences. The goal of this initiative is to expand learning outside the four walls of the classroom, building on social-emotional awareness and human environment interactions.

INITIATIVE #2: Books for young children in the District (NEW)

The youngest residents of Mounds View Public Schools will receive an age-appropriate book each year on their first two birthdays along with resources to help families engage with the District early – as a gift from the District and its Foundation. The goal of this initiative is to engage resident families early and promote Early Childhood Education programs from birth through kindergarten.

INITIATIVE #3: Access to musical instruments (CONTINUING)

This longstanding tradition between the Foundation and District increases access for all students to rent District-owned instruments, which is significantly more affordable than purchasing an instrument. The goal of this initiative is to remove barriers for students to participate in the District’s outstanding and award-winning musical programming.

INITIATIVE #4: Equity Promise Scholarships (CONTINUING)

This ongoing initiative awards scholarships to graduating seniors with the goal of removing barriers and opening doors of possibility for their future. MVSEF believes that all students need support as they begin their next chapter after high school.

MVSEF is led by executive director Amanda Duffy and a professional group of board members who are passionate about our school district. Learn more by visiting mvsef.org.

Mounds View Schools Education Foundation is accepting donations for its funding initiatives.

Scan the QR code to donate now.

MAKING THE GRADE

Mounds View Public Schools uses a number of assessments to measure student performance and progress.

Whether the results come from state-mandated testing, District measurement systems or national rankings, Mounds View continues to hold a place among the highest-performing school districts in the state and in the nation.

The District’s Equity Promise requires that programs and services are in place to ensure that race, gender, class and disability are not predictors of students’ success. The Equity Promise serves as the framework for the World’s Best Workforce strategic plan which focuses on five goals for continued student improvement.

1. All students meet school-readiness goals.

2. All third-grade students achieve grade-level literacy.

3. Close achievement gaps for all student groups.

4. All students graduate from high school.

5. All students attain college and career readiness.

STUDENT IMPROVEMENT PROGRESS INDICATORS

1All students meet school-readiness goals.

The District is in its 11th year of providing a comprehensive all-day kindergarten literacy and numeracy program. To ensure that all students are ready for school, the District focuses on outreach to families to provide programming to children as early as possible and facilitates transitions for families and students from Early Childhood programs to kindergarten. Key social-emotional benchmarks for school readiness include students’ abilities to regulate emotions and behaviors, establish and sustain positive relationships and participate cooperatively and constructively in group settings. The percentage of pre-kindergarten (age four) students enrolled in the Mounds View Early Childhood Programs (ECSE, speech and ECFE) who meet or exceed the Kindergarten Readiness Benchmark “Accomplished” for the Social/Emotional Domain as measured by the My Teaching Strategies Assessment was 74% in spring 2024.

All third-grade students achieve grade-level literacy.

Student performance on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment for reading provides an annual check of thirdgrade literacy progress. At Mounds View, 54.1% of students are proficient (meet or exceed the standards) on this exam,

ALL STUDENTS IN THIRD GRADE ACHIEVING GRADE-LEVEL LITERACY

Class of 2023 summary

96% participated in college credit-earning courses. 90% earned college credits.

66% earned 1 semester or more of college credit (12 or more credits).

7 students earned an Associate of Arts Degree upon high school graduation.

which is indicative of students who are on track with their development of literacy skills. During the 2023-24 school year, 98.5% of students participated in this assessment. The District’s Read Well by Third Grade plan demonstrates our commitment to monitoring students’ progress in the area of literacy beginning in kindergarten. The plan can be viewed at mvpschools.org/readingwell

3 Close achievement gaps for all student groups.

To address achievement gaps, Mounds View Public Schools believes schools must first address the gaps that exist in the aspirations students have for their future, the opportunities available to them and the expectations every family has for their school.

Aspirations gap – We support the hopes and ambitions of each student.

Expectations gap – We meet the expectations of each student and their families as they pursue college and career readiness.

Opportunity gap – We provide each student with access to rigorous coursework that prepares them for opportunities of their choice after high school.These are measured through student support before and during the course, student participation and student success in earning college credit.

$4,510,000 in tuition savings (calculated based on $250 per credit) Tuition savings for students who qualify for educational benefits: $852,000 Tuition savings for students of color: $1,652,750

All students graduate from high school. Students graduating from Mounds View Public Schools will be prepared to pursue higher education or to enter the workforce. The rigorous course offerings prepare students for their next step in life. While many students (72%) choose careers that require additional education, those who elect to join the workforce directly out of high school (19%) are more likely to find greater opportunities and higher earnings with a high school diploma, which is one of the foundations for success.

Reported rates are based on percentage of students who graduate in exactly 4 years + the percent of students who continue according to their Personalized Plan.

All students attain college and career readiness. Thanks to a grant from the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation, Mounds View Public Schools was the first school district in the state to make sure every high school junior has a free opportunity to take the ACT on-site during the school day. This began in 2011 and ensures equal opportunity and access to the test.

To date, close to 98% of students participate in the exam, and Mounds View Public Schools students continue to exceed both the national and state test score average.

GRADUATING CLASS ACT SCORES

Scores represent tests taken during District and national testing.

TEAM MOUNDS VIEW PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BEL AIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Elizabeth Catterall joins Bel Air as associate principal after serving as associate principal at Island Lake for nine years.

ISLAND LAKE

ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

Cori Thompson joins Island Lake as associate principal after serving as principal on special assignment focused on supporting educational equity across the District. She previously served as principal of Sunnyside for three years.

PINEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Lena Christiansen is the new principal at Pinewood succeeding Andrew Skinner who joined Turtle Lake. She comes to the District after serving as principal of Weaver Lake Elementary School in Osseo Area Schools for five years.

TURTLE LAKE

ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

Andrew Skinner joins Turtle Lake as principal, succeeding Kristi Abbott, who retired. With 20 years of Mounds View Public Schools experience, he most recently served as principal of Pinewood.

VALENTINE HILLS

ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

Memory Heille transitions from interim associate principal at Bel Air to associate principal at Valentine Hills. She previously served elementary schools in Minneapolis for 15 years.

IRONDALE HIGH SCHOOL

Mike Schwartz transitions from associate principal on special assignment supporting risk management to associate principal at Irondale High School. He has served the District as an administrator for two decades at Chippewa Middle School, Irondale and Mounds View High School.

MOUNDS VIEW HIGH SCHOOL

Staci Souhan joins Mounds View as associate principal after serving as associate principal at Irondale High School. She previously served as principal of Turtle Lake for two years.

ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS

Gretchen Zahn transitions from associate principal at Mounds View to associate principal on special assignment supporting activities and athletics at Irondale and Mounds View. She previously served as assistant director of curriculum and instruction and a teacher at Mounds View.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Heidi Saari transitions from assistant director to director of curriculum and instruction for the District. She joined Mounds View five years ago and previously served as a fifthgrade teacher at Turtle Lake and curriculum coordinator.

RALPH R. REEDER FOOD SHELF

Shane Johnson is the new basic needs manager at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, replacing Lisa Baker who retired. He comes to the District with experience managing a food shelf, and providing and connecting the community with social services.

STUDENT SUPPORT

Muna Mohamed joins the District as the Somali Integration and Equity Liaison. She comes from Lifeworks Services, Inc., where she helped clients strategize and maximize their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

TECHNOLOGY

John Perry is the new director of technology. He succeeds Penny Pease who retired. John comes to Mounds View from Stillwater Area Public Schools where he served as the director of learning technology and design systems for more than seven years.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

New playground

A partnership between the Valentine Hills Elementary School PTO, the District and many generous donors funded a new playground. In July, parents and community members volunteered for a community build to replace the aging playground.

Student film featured in festival

Mounds View

High School senior Isaac Tsai directed the film Men of Character, which was chosen to screen at the Twin Cities film festival in October. The film follows members of the Mounds View boys track and field team as they strive to win the state championship. Isaac hosted a question and answer session after the film screened. Scan the QR code to watch the trailer for the film.

National School Lunch Week

Guest lunch server

Turtle Lake Elementary School and Mounds View High School alumna Sydney Brodt ’16 visited the school to serve lunch and visit a gym class to talk about healthy habits in honor of National School Lunch Week. Brodt plays forward for the Professional Women’s Hockey League team MN Frost, that won the inaugural national championship last year.

Great Apple Crunch

District elementary schools celebrated the Great Minnesota Apple Crunch as part of National School Lunch Week. In an effort to connect local farms to District cafeterias, each student was offered a Gala apple from Rabideaux Farms at lunch. Students enjoyed the countdown “3, 2, 1, CRUNCH!” before taking a bite of their apple together.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

Senior sunrise

Seniors from Irondale and Mounds View high schools gathered at their respective football fields this fall to watch the sun rise on their senior year. At the end of this year, they’ll gather again to watch the sun set and reflect on their high school careers.

Community Education travels to Greece

A group of 33 adults traveled to Greece on a group trip with Community Education in October. On the eight-day trip, travelers visited ruins in Mycenae and Olympia, the Parthenon, sailed on the Saronic Gulf and more. This type of organized, adult trip was the first of its kind for Community Education. The trip was inclusive of airfare, hotel, in-country transportation, excursion admissions and a skilled multi-lingual guide.

ALUMNI UPDATE

Irondale High School alumna Michelle (Howard) DeYoung ’84 and her group of friends in Wisconsin recently swam the English Channel, starting in Dover, England, and ending in Calais, France. The friends, who call themselves the WisconSWIM Mermaids, started the 26-mile race hoping to finish in under 13 hours. They finished in 11 hours and 20 minutes.

Lara Dallman-Weiss, a 2007 Mounds View High School alumna, traveled to Paris this summer to represent Team USA on the Sailing Team in the Olympics. She and her teammate came in 13th place in mixed dinghy.

Enrollment numbers increasing

Enrollment in the District has increased. Nearly 150 more students are attending Mounds View Public Schools this fall compared to last fall.

Annual notices

Read important annual notices at mvpschools.org/annualnotices.

Stepping into the lead role

Irondale High School sophomore Layla Traufler played the lead role of Nemo in Stages Theatre Company’s summer performance of Finding Nemo Jr.

Horror High Film Camp

Irondale High School senior Oliver Abarca Palma was one of 12 students selected to participate in a two-week camp to work on a professional film crew. Oliver worked with filmmakers to shoot a short horror film on a real film set and learned how a professional film crew operated. They created the film Mama’s Boy, a comic-horror short about the lengths a mother will go to to keep her son close. The completed film screened for family and friends and then premiered at the EDU Film Festival.

Irondale Drama presents The SpongeBob Musical

Meeting with Supreme Court Justice

The Mounds View High School Mock Trial captains were invited to a meet and greet at Minnesota’s federal court with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Jessica Zhang, Aaron Ellis and Alicia Liu listened to her speak and met others from the legal community during a social hour.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

String Day

Irondale High School orchestra students recently visited the University of St. Thomas for their String Day event in October. During the event, students from across the metro area came together for rehearsals, clinics, a campus tour and concluded the day with a performance for family and friends. The long-standing program brings together top student musicians from across the state to work with St. Thomas faculty alongside some of the finest professional musicians from the Twin Cities.

Teacher visits Cambodia

As part of her work with Disability Support International (DSI, Inc.), Early Childhood speech-language pathologist Maria Hermanson traveled to Cambodia in July to train educators who work with children with intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She and the DSI, Inc. team visited several schools to present a training module and observe how Cambodian children with disabilities receive special education services.

Summer orchestra

Fifth- and sixth-graders who participated in the summer orchestra program were invited to perform the National Anthem at the Twins game in September. More than 200 students learned the Anthem and performed on the field before the beginning of the game. Scan the QR code to read a parent’s perspective on the evening, as told in the Star Tribune.

Mosaic project at Pike Lake

Pike Lake Kindergarten Center art students worked to create a welcome mosaic for the school lobby. Lisa Arnold, a visiting educator from COMPAS, visited the school to teach students about mosaic art and how to complete a mosaic project. Students then sorted, selected and adhered pieces of tesserae to the welcome sign to complete the project.

Pollinating our gardens

Naturalists from the RamseyWashington Metro Watershed District visited Island Lake Elementary School’s pollinator garden and taught fifthgraders about the importance of pollinators and preserving water resources.

Irondale students Jaidyn Meaux, Max Thurman, Norah Mevissen, Andrew Davenport and Augustus Schendel visited the University of St. Thomas this fall to perform with top musicians from across the state.

WITH HONORS

National Merit Scholarship Program

Semifinalists

Three Mounds View High School students were named semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program. They join about 16,000 students nationally competing for scholarships in this highly competitive program. Semifinalists were selected based on PSAT scores and other indicators of high achievement. Finalists will be announced in February.

Commended students

Mounds View:

Benjamin Arnold

Sayudh Chowdury

Alec Corey

Kyle Dolbow

Victoria Farmer

Jillian Hoffer

James Isaacson

Michael Kivinen

Greta Lunstad

Emily Ren

Greta Seyfarth

Qiuyu Shi

Hannah Song

Graham Tebbe

Amaris Tu

Irondale:

Ronorey Kin Buyuccan

Isaac Johnson

Cy Treuenfels

Wallin scholarships

Thirteen Irondale High School students and three Mounds View High School students were awarded Wallin Scholarships. The Wallin Foundation offers scholarships of up to $16,000 over two or four years to assist high potential students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Scholarships also include advising, access to internships and other resources.

Essay contest winner

Edgewood Middle School eighthgrader Abha Routh won first place in the annual American Legionnaire Auxiliary’s Americanism essay contest. The competition gives students in grades 3-12 the opportunity to explore and understand the many facets of America and patriotism. The 2024 essay prompt was “What does freedom mean to me?”

Orchestra excellence

The Mounds View Public Schools orchestra program has been awarded the 2024 Meritorious Orchestra Program Award by the Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Association (MNSOTA). This prestigious award recognizes the excellence of the program and the positive impact made on students and the string community across Minnesota.

Award-winning student newspaper

The Mounds View High School student newspaper

The Viewer and its website won Best in Show awards at the Minnesota High School Press Association’s annual fall convention. The newspaper also won the All State Silver Award.

Salma Abdi, Irondale

Benni Belina, Mounds View

Abby Cramblit, Irondale

Hinda Duale, Irondale

Linnea Fordyce, Mounds View

Stephanie Gutierrez, Irondale

Afnaan Jama, Irondale

Garrett Mahlum, Irondale

Abdi Mohamed, Irondale

Sarah Rahmoune, Irondale

Michael Santiago, Irondale

Jimena Sichiqui Pillacela, Irondale

Becca Wahlen, Irondale

Rony Xu, Mounds View

Cole Yang, Irondale

Shaun Young, Irondale

Rahee Kim Isabella Kunc Isabel Li

IRONDALE SPORTS UPDATE

College signings

Dance team

The fall performance team welcomed the Stillwater Ponies dance team for their annual fall showcase in October.

Download the new Irondale Activities Mobile App

The Irondale Activities Department is excited to unveil a new Activities Department website and mobile app! Use the new platform to purchase tickets, register for activities and follow your favorite teams for real-time updates on schedules, scores and news delivered directly to your mobile phone.

The IHS Knights app is available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play (Android) store. Visit directly at irondaleactivities.org or navigate from Irondale’s website.

Follow the Irondale Knights on Instagram @irondale_activities

For the most up-to-date news, visit the Activities and Athletics website at irondaleactivities.org facebook.com/ IrondaleHighSchool

Get your tickets online

Ticket sales for all home athletic contests are now online. Purchases can be made on a smartphone, tablet or computer. Learn more and purchase tickets online or download the Hometown Ticket app here: mvpschools.org/tickets

Freddy Bankston, Colorado Mesa University, lacrosse

Noah Burkhart, University of Lynchburg, lacrosse

Jake Dedominces, Hamline University, basketball

Cody Glasheen, University of Wisconsin - Superior, baseball

2024 Hall of Fame inductees

This fall, Irondale High School inducted four former students and staff into the Irondale Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tennis

The girls tennis team finished seventh in the SEC conference and qualified as an Academic All State Team, which means the team maintained an average GPA greater than 3.75. Sarah Yoo and Deborah Adewumni earned Academic All State honors. Team captain Giulia Priore earned All Conference.

Marching Knights honors

Volleyball

Senior volleyball players Maria Myers and Anna Bentley received the Academic All State Award this fall.

Four-time state champions

The Irondale Marching Knights were named Class 3A State Champions for the fourth year in a row at the Youth in Music competition in October. They were also awarded for outstanding percussion and winds.

State Fair honors

The Marching Knights placed first in Class A in the 2024 Minnesota State Fair Parade. Additionally, they were named the Grand Champion of the State Fair parade. They received the highest score out of all 42 bands who participated this year.

Chinedum Oji (Class of 2009, football and baseball)

Jacob Wielinski (Class of 2015, swimming)

Jon DeMars (Coaching and teaching, Career Achievement)

Jim Olson (Coaching and teaching, Career Achievement)

SPORTS UPDATE

Football

MOUNDS VIEW

Girls tennis

The football team earned the number one seed in the playoffs after an impressive regular season record of 6-2. As of this writing, they qualifed for the state quarterfinals after winning the section championship game against Prior Lake 28-27.

Follow the Mounds View Mustangs on Instagram @gomvmustangs

For the most up-to-date news, visit the Activities and Athletics website at mvpschools.org/moundsview.

The girls tennis team was named Section 4AA champions for the seventh year in a row. They went on to the state tournament and took fourth place overall.

Sisters Rory and Reese Wahlstrand won the state doubles championship against Edina with scores of 6-2 and 6-4.

Get your tickets online

Track co-curricular activities on your mobile devices. Search MOUNDS VIEW PUBLIC SCHOOLS in the app store

Swimming and diving

The girls swimming and diving team took a sixth place finish at the True Team state tournament in October. Ellie Bina and Tyler Ostrom were individual Top 8 finishers and the 200 medley relay team (Kayley McKee, Riley Bury, Ellie Bina and Lauren Maki) also placed in the Top 8. The team is now ranked ninth in the state.

Baseball

The baseball team took second place in the state championship against East Ridge High School in June.

Prep Athlete of the Week

Junior swimmer Ellie Bina was named the Star Tribune’s Prep Athlete of the Week in September. She currently owns the state record in the 500yard freestyle at 5 minutes, 7.38 seconds and the school record in the 200 individual medley at 2:09.69.

Cross Country

New school record

Sophomore Linnea Ousdigian set a new school record in the 5000 meter race, breaking her own, at the girls cross country Conference Championships this fall with a time of 17:21. The varsity team as a whole had the fastest team average in history with 18:46.

The girls cross country team won the section championship for the seventh year in a row, going on to win sixth place at the state tournament. Linnea Ousdigian finished fourth overall.

The boys cross country team was named Section 5A Champions for the eighth year in a row, going on to place fourth overall at the state tournament. Casey Poppler finished fifth overall.

Senior Aiden Bale celebrates after catching a foul ball to end the semifinal game against Wayzata, propelling the Mustangs to the state finals in June.

Effective Schools Efficient Schools

How effective are they?

Check out the feature story inside.

How efficient are they?

See below for just a few examples.

Highest rating from S&P

Credit-rating agency Standard and Poors Global recently gave the District a bond rating of AAA — the highest possible rating, indicating an extremely strong ability to meet financial obligations. S&P credited the growing tax base and the District’s revenue, operating performance and reserve levels that have helped counterweight the recent decline in enrollment.

Financial transparency and reporting award

The District recently received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its FY2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The award is given by the Association of School Business Officials International for a commitment to transparency and high-quality financial reporting.

Mounds View

Independent School District 621 4570 Victoria St. N Shoreview, MN 55126

Targeted spending

More dollars go toward student instruction and to support achievement than any other area. This year, 77 cents of every dollar is spent on services that directly support student learning.