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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
EDEN PRAIRIE
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BACK TO SCHOOL
If you go
Big changes in place for students this year
What: Eden Prairie Reads picks 2012 book When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7
Fifth-graders stay at elementary level; 1,000 sent to new schools
Where: Eden Prairie Library, 565 Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie Info: epreads.org
BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
It’s been a year of contentious decisions and unprecedented change for Eden Prairie schools as the district has planned for a transition from K-4 to K-6 elementary schools. There has been much talk about the possible impacts of new boundaries that reshuffle approximately 1,000 students to different elementary schools. Starting Tuesday, as children return to school, families will see that change in action. Forest Hil ls Elementary P TO president Kim Myrdahl is excited and optimistic about the year. She’s also looking forward to getting on with the school year after so much talk has been circulating in the community. “I’m just excited to just get past that,” she said. “I’m really excited about the year,” said Myrdahl, whose daughter will enter the fi fth grade. “There’s a lot of great energy at Forest Hills.” Because of the boundary change, Forest Hills will see an inf lux of students who have previously attended Cedar Ridge and Prairie View elementary schools. New parents coming in from those schools will be offering new perspectives on how to get more PTO involvement, noted Myrdahl. “It’s just nice to have people with fresh ideas,” she said. Myrdahl said Forest Hills lost some active parents to other schools, but is gaining some parents who were ac tive i n t hei r P T Os, she added.
Hungry for a good read? EP Reads choosing from 3 books for next year’s community book club BY KARLA WENNERSTROM Editor@edenprairienews.com
PHOTO BY LEAH SHAFFER
New fifth-grade teachers at Forest Hills Elementary include (from left) Cari Nesvold, Kristin Cayo and Jamee Petersen. All previously served as Forest Hills third- and fourth-grade teachers. This year, elementary schools across the district are housing kindergarten through fifth grade, and plans are to add sixth grade next year. In addition, approximately 1,000 students will attend different elementary schools around the district because of boundary changes. “I’m not seeing any apathy from parents,” she said. One good thing out of the transition is that it has led to the PTOs working together more closely than before, she said. “There’s a lot of good collaboration and energy and excitement amongst the PTO moms and dads,” she said. The PTO president at Cedar Ridge was also excited about the start of
READ ABOUT THE NEW START TIMES FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR ON PAGE 8.
the school year. Kelly Sawyer said she loves having the fi fth-graders at the elementary school. It will give them a chance to cultivate long-term relationships,
she said. She was also excited about the new programs going into effect this year such as the addition of a 90-minute literacy block and STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) projects. “The most that I hear from people is that they’re excited,” Sawyer said. Myrdahl said that with new par-
Back to School to page 8 ®
Paulsen talks debt and taxes BY LEAH SHAFFER lshaffer@swpub.com
Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen likened the current federal government spending attitude to yet another speculative bubble. “We’re kind of popping it right now,” Paulsen said while addressing members of the Eden Prairie and Edina Chambers of Commerce. The debt ceiling debate is going to continue, he noted. “The reality is you can’t continue to spend more than you’re taking in.” There were some good provisions in what emerged from the debt-limit discussion, he said. Congress is actually lowering federal domestic discretionary spending two years in a row, he added. “The problem is that it’s not enough to really make a dent in what the problem is,” he said. Though he was a “reluctant supporter,” of the debt limit compromise, he’s also a “real skeptic” of the “super committee” that has been charged with putting together some $1.5
Upcoming events The Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce welcomes Gov. Mark Dayton to speak at the group’s Governor’s Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Olympic Hills, 10625 Mount Curve Road, Eden Prairie. Cost is $35 for chamber members and guests, $60 for non-members. Info: chamber.org or adminj@ epchamber.org. trillion in cuts before the end of the year or face the threat of trillions of automatic cuts going into place to areas of the budget such as defense and domestic programs. “The glimmer of hope” Paulsen said he sees in the super committee is that they’re all elected officials and all are leaders in their field of expertise. The threat of automatic cuts, “I think is going to force the hand of
Paulsen to page 6 ®
PHOTO BY LEAH SHAFFER
Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen visited members of the Eden Prairie and Edina chambers of commerce during a luncheon on Tuesday.
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 SPORTS/9-10 CALENDAR/14 CLASSIFIEDS/20-23 LIVING IN EP/24 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6682 EDITOR: (952) 942-7885 OR EMAIL EDITOR@EDENPRAIRIENEWS.COM.
EP Reads to page 8 ®
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You can help choose the book the community will read for next year’s Eden Prairie Reads activities. The three books the committee will choose from for its ninth annual Eden Prairie Reads selection are : “So Brave Young and H a nd some” by Leif Enger, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “Until They Bring the SUBMITTED PHOTOS Streetcars Back” “So Brave by Stanley Gor- Young and don West. Handsome” by The Eden Prai- Leif Enger rie Reads Committee is set to meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at t he E den Prairie Library to make its decision. But there are more ways than attending the meeting to make your opinion known. “The Hunger You c a n r e Games” by spond online via Suzanne epreads.org or Collins leave a response at the information desk at the libra r y. T hose responding are asked to include why they think this would be a good Eden Prairie Reads selection. Committee Member Laura “Until They Langer said that Bring the there is a balancStreetcars ing act. Back” by “We want to Stanley get s omet h i n g Gordon West that people still
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