April 2012
COMMUNICATOR Facilities study proactively plans for future
F Central Middle School Principal Steve Root will retire June 30 and hand the reins of CMS over to current West Middle School Associate Principal Clark Doten.
CMS Principal Steve Root to retire June 30
Clark Doten named new principal
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entral Middle School Principal Steve Root has come full circle. Root started in 1975 as an English teacher when CMS used to be Wayzata High School, and will be ending his career in the same building when he retires June 30, 2012. During Root’s 37-year career in education, he has served students and staff in many roles including: teacher, assistant athletic director, chemical health coordinator and assistant principal at Wayzata High School; associate principal at Jackson Middle School in the Anoka Hennepin School District; assistant principal at Wayzata East Junior High; and as principal of Central Middle School since 1999. He also coached hockey, football and baseball from 19751989. When asked what he’ll miss most, Root shared, “It’s all about relationships. I’ll miss the relationships I’ve developed with kids, staff and parents the most. The adolescent years are such an important time to help kids grow and I’m proud of the positive impact Central staff has had on kids at such a crucial time in their lives.” Staff members like Michelle Reinke at Central are going to miss Root’s shared leadership. “I’ve always appreciated the opportunities Steve provided for teachers to be leaders. And he always did what was best for kids, even if it wasn’t popular,” shared Reinke. “It just felt like the right time to retire,” said Root. “We’re in a good place and with a new strategic planning process just underway, it seemed like the logical time to make a change.” Clark Doten, who has been associate principal
at Wayzata West Middle School since 2006, was recently named Root’s replacement effective July 1. “We have a wonderful staff at Central and I think they will thrive under Clark’s leadership,” said Root. “Clark is a strong leader with an exceptional ability to work well with staff, parents and students,” shared Nancy Vogt, former PTA president at West. “He has a thoughtful approach when working with others, which allows everyone involved to walk away with the feeling that their voices were heard.” As far as what’s next for Root, he doesn’t know for sure. “I love education and want to stay connected and see what possibilities are out there. I’m looking forward to the flexibility retirement will give me to spend extra time with my parents, grandkids and the rest of my family.” Central Middle School’s PTA is sponsoring an ice cream social for parents and students to honor Root on Thursday, May 31 from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. at Central. This event is open to the public.
Current WMS Associate Principal Clark Doten will begin July 1 as the new CMS principal.
or the past two years, Wayzata Public Schools has been taking a comprehensive look at its facilities to proactively plan for the future.
Together, the School Board and district administration have been working on a multi-phase plan to make sure our buildings are properly maintained, operating efficiently and have adequate capacity to meet the learning needs of students and families in Wayzata Public Schools. Phase I: Maintain Quality of Current Facilities Thanks to a provision granted by the Legislature in 2011, the district was given permission to generate capital funds to make necessary repairs and maintenance updates to schools and district buildings starting this summer. “The Alternative Facilities Program will allow us to do much-needed maintenance and repair work to our schools and facilities without additional impact to the local taxpayers,” shared Jim Westrum, executive director of finance and business for Wayzata Public Schools. School districts qualify for this funding based on student enrollment and the average age of facilities. Qualifying projects include roof repair or replacement, parking lot repair, replacement of air quality equipment, updates to flooring and lighting, and other similar projects. Alternative Facilities funds are intended to provide districts with the resources necessary to maintain the quality of current facilities. These funds can only be used to replace like items with like items, not to build or upgrade existing facilities. Two-year and 10-year plans for Alternative Facilities projects have been completed based on priority and equity among buildings. Work on the projects approved in the two-year plan will begin in summer 2012. Phase II: Elementary Capacity and Program Needs “It is a good situation to be experiencing resident student enrollment growth, but it is not without its challenges,” shared Superintendent Chace Anderson. Wayzata Public Schools is one of only a few districts in the metro area with increasing resident student enrollment. “Our elementary schools are currently either nearing, at, or beyond capacity and this enrollment growth will eventually affect our middle schools and high school in the not too distant future,” said Anderson. Changes for 2012-2013 School Year Due to space limitations and higher than expected kindergarten enrollment, four sections of Extended-Day Kindergarten students from Plymouth Creek Elementary have been offered placement at the Family Learning Center, which is located at Central Middle School, for the 2012-2013 school year. In addition, one section of Extended-Day Kindergarten students from Kimberly Lane Elementary will be housed at Gleason Lake Elementary School for the 2012-2013 school year. Planning Underway for 2013-2014 School Year The Wayzata School Board endorsed a plan to address long-term elementary capacity and program needs at its March 26 work session. This plan includes building additional classrooms and other instructional spaces at Greenwood, Oakwood and Sunset Hill Elementary Schools. Due to its academic programs and staffing formulas, Wayzata elementary schools are at greatest efficiency when they have approximately 24-26 classrooms for students in grades 1-5. In an effort to “right size” additional elementary schools for optimal student learning, Greenwood, Oakwood and Sunset Hill were selected for classroom additions. There will be a total of 12-14 new classrooms among the three buildings, consisting of a combination of new construction and remodeled existing rooms. The additional elementary instructional space will be mostly paid for using existing lease levy authority provided by the state. This will allow the district to make low-interest annual payments over 10-15 years at no increased cost to local taxpayers. A process is also underway to study boundary/attendance areas in order to balance the number of students in each of the elementary and middle schools once the new space is in place. The classroom additions will be completed for the 2013-2014 school year, and any changes to
Facilities continued on Page 3
A cut above
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Birchview teachers Scott Sykes and Dave Jackson walk through the crowds of cheering students after receiving their haircuts as part of the Birchview Elementary book fair, One For Books campaign held February 16.
Birchview raises more than $1,100 for One For Books
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Second grade student Tiara and and her first grade brother Timber Boisselier, spent time early in the evening picking out books during the Feburary 16 book fair. They later both won the limbo contest held as one of the family events during the fair. Smart phone users can scan the code at right to view more photos from this event.
n the week leading up to the Birchview Elementary book fair held February 16, students participated in the One For Books campaign through Scholastic. For every dollar raised, Scholastic donates a book to one of three charities. Students quickly surpassed the initial goal of $600 after seven staff members offered to have the letters “BV” shaved into their hair if the goal was reached. “I have seen book fairs before, but this one was a week-long community event! Parents were eating and reading with their children each day of the sale, we raised over $1,000 to purchase books for children who need them, and the Family Night was just another example of our school celebrating its community,” said Birchview Principal Jason Wenschlag. The school collected more than $1,100 dollars – almost twice the goal. Not only did that mean over 1,000 books were donated on the school’s behalf, but staff were able to use that money right at the book fair to buy
books that were delivered to classrooms the next day. “We were able to support our media center and classroom libraries with new books, but the whole event means much more to us than that,” said Wenschlag. The seven staff members that participated in the special hair cut were teachers Scott Sykes, Dave Jackson, Aaron Benesh, Delroy Tuorila, Robert Schultz, custodian Chris Michaelson and Principal Wenschlag. Scholastic donates books to the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation, Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., and the Kids in Need Foundation. Events like this happen a lot at Birchview because the staff and parents are committed to creating life-long memories for students. “Regardless of which event is happening during the year, I am always impressed by the leadership and commitment I see from everyone involved. Birchview is very fortunate to have such wonderful people dedicated to its success,” said Wenschlag.
Birchview Elementary Principal Jason Wenschlag shows off his newly mongrammed hairstyle to students and parents that attended the school’s book fair. Wenschlag was one of seven staff members to promise a “haircut” if the students reached the goal of raising $600 for the One for Books campaign.
3 Going about being excellent…
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’d like to start my column this time by sharing a story taken from the book, “The Innovator’s Way: Essential Practices for Successful Innovation,” by Peter J. Denning and Robert Dunham. “It is the year 1720. You, a traveler, arrive in the Italian town of Cremona in search of the best violins made. You look on the street of the violin shops. At the mouth of the street, immediately to the left, you see the majestic calligraphy: ‘Best Violins in All of Italy.’ Farther down on the right you see the shop belonging to the Gagliano family. In its window is an even grander sign: ‘Best Violins in the Whole World.’ Down at the far end of the street, tucked in the shady culde-sac, you find a small shop belonging to the Stradivarius family. In its window there is a small card. You have to lean over and squint to read the handwritten message: ‘Best Violins on This Street.’ The lesson is that being excellent on a global scale begins with being excellent in the neighborhood. That excellence begins with yourself. You can cultivate the excellence in the way you interact with others to help them adopt innovations. There is a second, more subtle lesson: understated excellence. Stradavarius is not pretentious. It does not waste energy trying to tell everyone it is excellent. It just goes about being excellent. And the world knows.” In my almost four years as superintendent of Wayzata Public Schools, I have been fortunate to witness this excellence on a daily basis. This excellence can be seen in everything from our students’ amazing accomplishments in academics, the arts, athletics, community service and countless other activities, to the caring, compassionate
teachers, parents and other adults who come together to support our community’s kids. The Strategic Road Map, approved by the Wayzata School Board last December, provides a framework for us to, “go about being excellent.” The Vision of the Wayzata Public Schools is to be a model of excellence where all students discover their unique talents, develop a love and tenacity for learning and demonstrate confidence and capacity for success through: • Exceptional Student Learning, Experiences and Relationships, • Community Trust, Confidence and Partnership, and • Operational Excellence Since the school board approved the Strategic Road Map, district staff have been working hard to develop measurable goals and objectives that will tell us that we are on track toward achieving our mission of: preparing each and every one of our student’s to thrive today and excel tomorrow in an ever-changing global society. Once these measures are in place, our goal is to provide meaningful information about our progress in achieving excellence in the following five Strategic Directions outlined in the Strategic Road Map: A. Increasing the high levels of student achievement and college/career readiness without predictable gaps. B. Elevating the consistency and effectiveness of the district core processes of teaching, assessment, intervention and learning. C. Supporting all staff in the increasing accountability for individual and collective performance. D. Enhancing the connection to and partnership with families and other constituents in our community.
Facilities from Page 1
to consider some preliminary options to accommodate enrollment. It is believed that increases in middle school enrollment can be managed by repurposing existing space and through boundary/attendance area adjustments. There are no current plans to add classrooms to any of the three middle schools. Some additional space will be necessary to accommodate projected enrollment growth at Wayzata High School and preliminary planning and discussions are already underway. A second part of Phase III is to determine our “educational adequacy”, which refers to the functional status of our existing classrooms. This assessment will lead to classroom enhancements that better accommodate changing educational
attendance boundaries that are approved would also take effect for the 2013-2014 school year. Phase III: Middle and High School Future Capacity and Program Needs & District-Wide Educational Adequacy Now that Phase I (Maintain Quality of Current Facilities) and Phase II (Elementary Capacity and Program Needs) are underway, Phase III of the facilities planning will ensue to determine the best approach to managing anticipated increases in student enrollment at the district’s three middle schools and high school. District administration has been working with architects
Superintendent’s Column
“As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to ‘go about being excellent’ in order to best meet the learning needs of all students in Wayzata Public Schools.”
— Chace Anderson, Superintendent
E. Implementing effective practices in governance, management and consultation. For example, school principals and other members of the Teaching and Learning Leadership Team, under the guidance of Dr. Jill Johnson, executive director of teaching and learning, have been working to establish metrics that align with standardized test scores and other district measures to help us ensure each student is reaching their maximum academic achievement. The intent of this strategic direction is to ensure a rigorous academic program resulting in college and career readiness. We are excited to share more progress as the Strategic Road Map process unfolds in the coming months. As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas about how to “go about being excellent” in order to best meet the learning needs of all students in Wayzata Public Schools.
needs. Educational adequacy adaptations will take into consideration the recently approved Strategic Road Map and how the district can best achieve its Mission and Vision through efficient and effective delivery of its educational program in high-quality facilities. This work will be exciting and challenging at the same time. All involved will do their best to coordinate these projects in a way that minimizes any disruption to student learning. We are looking forward to making these changes to accommodate our enrollment growth and to improve our facilities and their function for the benefit of all students. Watch for facilities planning updates in future issues of the Communicator.
Exciting changes coming in Vision 21 program
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uring the 2010-11 school year, a thorough review was conducted of the Vision 21 Program — the district’s program for gifted and talented students. Teachers, administrators and parents were actively involved in evaluating the Vision 21 Program, providing valuable input to guide the program into the future. “Some exciting changes will take place in the Vision 21 Program as a result of this on-going program review process,” shared Gabriel Lofton, director for academic excellence and equity for the Wayzata Public Schools. “These changes will elevate the consistency of our student identification process into the Vision 21 Program, increase the effectiveness of our early enrichment programming, and support all staff through a standardized delivery model designed to facilitate high levels of learning for each and every student.”
The following changes in the Vision 21 Program will take effect during the 2012-2013 school year: New Young Scholars Program A Young Scholars Program will be created to nurture, guide and support the academic potential of all first grade students, prior to being identified for possible inclusion in the Vision 21 Program starting in second grade. This new program will focus on continuous academic growth beginning in first grade through differentiation and acceleration of the curriculum. Vision 21 teachers will work side by side with classroom teachers to make sure students have the basic skills needed for growth in reading and mathematics. They will also provide challenging learning experiences that help young scholars acquire the advanced knowledge, understanding and skills they will need in order
to be successful when completing more challenging learning in the future. Standardized Delivery Model The Vision 21 Department will be working closely with Vision 21 teachers and building principals to develop guidelines for consistent curriculum and learning experiences across the seven elementary schools in the Wayzata Public Schools. These guidelines will include a standardized system for how students are identified for inclusion in the Vision 21 program starting in second grade. Additional improvements are being planned for the Vision 21 Program that will be shared in future issues of the Communicator. Contact Gabriel Lofton, PhD, at gabriel. lofton@wayzata.k12.mn.us to learn more.
WHS students named Region 9 high school music listening contest champions
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ayzata High School senior Jeff Zhang and sophomores Andy Xue, Rohan Patniak and Evan Block were recently crowned Region 9 Minnesota High School Music Listening Contest Champions. Nearly 150 teams from across Minnesota participated in nine regional competitions on January 20. The WHS Music Listening Team moved on to the state competition on
February 3 at Augsburg College where they took an unofficial fifth place out of 18 teams. This is the second year Wayzata High School has had a team in the competition. The team, led by senior Jeff Zhang, has moved on to State Competition both years. The Minnesota High School Music Listening Contest expands the music experiences of students - primarily through
the use of Western art music, commonly referred to as classical music. The contest materials cover classical music, global perspectives and a variety of musical influences. The objective of the contest is to inspire students to become lifelong participants in the musical experience. Students are provided with a study guide and recorded examples of the music being studied.
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Evan Chen
WHS student named Intel Science finalist
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ayzata High School senior Evan Chen was named Minnesota’s only Intel Science Talent Search finalist. Chen joined an elite group of 40 students named from across the country who will journey to Washington, D.C. this spring to compete for $1.25 million in awards with a $100,000 top prize. He earned the honor for his project, “CD24 Induced Muscular Regneration: Unraveling the Mystery Behind Satellite Cell Differentiation.” The Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) is the nation’s most prestigious pre-college science competition. Alumni of STS have made extraordinary contributions to science and hold more than 100 of the world’s most coveted science and math honors, including seven Nobel Prizes and four National Medals of Science. The Intel STS recognizes 300 students and their schools as semifinalists each year to compete for $1.25 million in awards. From that select pool, 40 student finalists are then invited to Washington, D.C. in March to participate in final judging, display their work to the public, meet with notable scientists and compete for the top award.
WHS freshman Jenna Meyers and senior Bridget Madden begin to spin during the Trojet jazz team’s performance of “Rolling” at the Wayzata High School Dance Team Invitational on January 21.
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WHS Jazz Dance Team wins state championship
he Wayzata High School Trojets jazz dance team won the class AAA state championship on February 17. The championship title followed their conference and section championships. This is the 10th state championship for the Trojets dance team. The jazz team won for its performance of “Rolling.” Team members Mariah Champ and Tia Vegemast were named to the Jazz All-Tournament Team. The WHS Trojets high kick team also earned a trip to the state championship for the first time in three years and took fifth place in the
competition for its performance of “Gaga.” Team members: seniors Mariah Champ, Bridget Madden, Elise Path, and Tia Vegemast; juniors Elyssa Chanen and Catherine Christian; sophomores Ashlyn Bunning, Naomi Burnett, Maddie Honke, Mia McMurray and Ari Wolk; and freshman Annie Carlson, Jenna Meyers, Monique North, Megan Olmscheid, Callie Rahm and Brooke Talen. The Trojets are coached by head coach Leslie Swiggum and assistant coach Alyse Iorio.
Sunset Hill student named National Geographic Bee semi-finalist
Paige Tuszkiewicz
WHS junior selected for 2012 American High School Honors Performance Series
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rul Belhe, a fourth grade student at Sunset Hill Elementary School, was named a Minnesota National Geographic Bee semi-finalist by the National Geographic Society. Competitions were held in schools with fourth through Arul Belhe eighth grade students throughout the state to determine each school’s winner. School-level winners then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. The top 100 scoring students in each state, as well as the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools and the U.S. territories, are invited to compete at the state level. The 2012 Minnesota National Geographic Bee was held at St. Cloud State University on Friday, March 30.
Ta-Coumba Aiken, an artist-in-residence at East Middle School this winter, worked with students to create a mural that celebrated the similarities and difference in our lives and learning styles.
EMS students work with artist-in-residence
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tudents at East Middle School worked with artist-in-residence Ta-Coumba Aiken to create murals “celebrating the similarities and differences in our lives and learning styles.” Under Aiken’s direction, the students worked to discover a constructive way of having their own voice heard through the visual arts. The project brought Aiken’s life experiences, artistic talents and skills together with students of all demographics to create a set of murals for the building that reflect the similarities and differences of all the students. EMS art teacher Sandra Woodhull worked with the artist and her students to give professional guidance and constructive direction on the project. Woodhall and Aiken collaborated on the lesson plan for the art project, which was made possible through a grant Woodhall received from the Education Minnesota Foundation.
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aige Tuszkiewicz, a junior at Wayzata High School, was selected for the 2012 American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in February. Tuszkiewicz auditioned this fall for the series and was accepted after review by the selection board committee. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication and achievements demonstrated in her application and audition recording. Tuszkiewicz joined other performers from the U.S. and Canada for a special performance at Carnegie Hall. Tuszkiewicz studies music with WHS teacher Rebecca Wyffels and is a member of the Wayzata High School Bell Canto Choir. Additionally, she is active in DECA, WHS Leadership Council and will be touring Europe in July with the Minnesota Ambassadors of Music.
5 Eight teams from WPS advance to state Destination ImagiNation tournament
Josh Thorson
WHS student named Runner of the Year
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Wayzata Public Schools Destination ImagiNation teams gathered for their annual celebration at Central Middle School following the regional tournament in February.
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ollowing the Destination ImagiNation West Metro Regional Tournament on February 25 and the North Metro Regional Tournament on March 24, eight teams from Wayzata Public Schools qualified to compete at the State Destination Imagination tournament April 14 at Jackson Middle School and Champlin Park High School. Overall, six teams earned first place awards and three of the teams earned the Renaissance Award for outstanding design engineering or performance. The Permanent Markers, fifth grade team, and The 7 Oodle Noodles, fourth grade team both from Oakwood Elementary and The D’ice Creams from East Middle School, earned Renaissance awards. The Permanent Markers team members are: Duffy Davidson, Conor Greenberg, Abby Kassmir, Mara McCollor, Elizabeth Page, David Sandall and Erica Svendahl. The 7 Oodle Noodles team members are: Cole
Hartman, Grace Kyllo, Katie Polum, Luke Polum, Nirali Somia, Lindsay Tapper and Jonas Waskosky. The D’ice Creams team members are: Shelby Diesen, Neha Hunapati, Priyadarsani Kanajan, Natalie Poteryakhin, Gowri Rao and Gayathri Rao. The following teams will also be competing at the state level: • SPAM from Greenwood Elementary took first place in the elementary level for Challenge A, Unidentified Moving Object. Team members are: Sierra Chen, Charlie Erdahl, Edgar J. Hanson, Sam Roach, Angela Sun, Anni Wickman and Ian Zukor; team managers are Jason Erdahl and Leondra Hanson • C.A.P.S. (Creepy Awesome People) from Greenwood Elementary took third place in Challenge C, Triple Take Road Show. Team members are: Ella Colbert, Kellyn Pause, Divya Periakaruppan, Harshini Venkatachalam, Julia Willis and Florence Yared.
• The Sole Survivors from Oakwood took first place in the elementary level for Challenge B, Spinning a Tale. Team members are: Christopher Caryotakis, Sophia Christopherson, Benjamin Greenberg, Annay Layne, Derek Rosenberger, Ellie Shaver and Claire Weiss. • Psychedelic Hippie Kaleidoscopes from Central Middle School took first place in the middle level for Challenge D, Mythology Mission. Team members are: Justin Greenberg, Maia Miller, David Mo, Arman Shah, Adam Tapper and Abby Trouth; team managers are Robb Greenberg and Diane Miller • The JK’s from West Middle school took first place in the middle level for Challenge B, Spinning a Tale. Team members are: Kate Bernhardt, Katie Erdahl, Jacob Hoffner, Julia Hoffner, Jack Stetler and Kira Stetler; team managers are Angela Bernhardt, Jason Erdahl and Jim Stetler.
osh Thorson, a senior at Wayzata High School, was named the 201112 Gatorade Minnesota Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Thorson is the first WHS student to receive this honor. The award recognizes athletic excellence, a high standard of academic achievement, and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the race course. Thorson is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award. He joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports. Thorson raced to the Class 2A individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:29.9. A three-time First Team All-State selection, Thorson earned sixth place and was the second Minnesota competitor at the Nike Cross Country Nationals Heartland Regional championships, crossing the line in 15:38.5. He qualified for the 2011 Nike Cross Country Nationals Final where he finished 73rd in 16:15. He has maintained an 11.49 GPA on a 12-point scale in the classroom. He is an accomplished vocalist in the WHS choir, has served as the online editor of the WHS Trojan Tribune and has volunteered locally on behalf of the National Honor Society. “Josh Thorson is as impressive an athlete as I have ever coached,” said WHS boys cross country head coach Bill Miles. “He has been a leader of our team since his sophomore year and has proven to be someone who can step forward and say what needs to be said in order to motivate his teammates.”
WPSEF awards two ‘From Excellent to Exceptional’ projects
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his year, the Wayzata Public Schools Education Foundation (WPSEF) selected two projects that will extend the regular curriculum in collaborative and innovative ways as part of its “From Excellent to Exceptional” grant project. These projects total $11,780 in grants. The following are the 2012 recipients: • Increasing Middle School Alternative Academic Achievement through Individualized Educational Programming: (submitted by William Kuendig from East Middle School) Students in the Middle School Alternative Program qualify under one of 12 characteristics, including, but not limited to, homelessness, chemical dependency, abuse in the home or significant academic need. The Middle School Alternative Program at Wayzata East Middle School develops individualized instruction to help at-risk students find success inside and outside of the classroom. In support of this important objective, WPSEF purchased iPads to be used by students in this program to improve overall academic engagement and technology awareness. The technology will also be used to improve student
At left, William Kuendig receives his grant from WPSEF co-chair Michael Hagerty. At right, Chad Libby received his grant from WPSEF co-chair Jenny DeWall. achievement and increase standardized test performance. • Enhancing Peer Coaching Technology to Improve Student Learning: (submitted by Chad Libby from Birchview Elementary School) Providing accurate feedback to teachers is one of the most important practices that improve student learning. In the Wayzata School District, 13 peer coaches serve more than 750 educators who, in turn, instruct approximately 10,200 students. WPSEF purchased iPads to help facilitate
accurate feedback to teachers from peer coaches. Using this system, teachers can immediately see and hear the instruction and student interaction of a particular lesson, and benefit from feedback that directly relates to the objectives of the peer coaching session. Since 2007, WPSEF’s “From Excellent to Exceptional” grant program has provided more than $100,000 to projects in the Wayzata Public Schools in a variety of academic areas.
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23 WHS students win Scholastic Art awards
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wenty-three students from Wayzata High School won 2011-12 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards with eight students taking top honors. In the category of digital art, senior Jon Leininger earned a Silver Key award, junior Austin Smythe earned an honorable Abigail Haselman mention and freshman Lindsey Turner earned an honorable mention. In the category of ceramics, Gold Key awards were earned by seniors Alec Almquist, Emily Andres and Elizabeth Haas. Silver Key awards were earned by seniors Alec Almquist, Sam Blake and Jessica Kay. Honorable mentions were also awarded to Caitlin Ellsworth Almquist, Haas and Kay. In the category of jewelry, senior Abigail Haselman earned a Silver Key award. In the category of photography, junior Ana Christina Plansky earned a Gold Key award. In the category of drawing, Gold Key awards were earned by seniors Sean Hawkinson and Katie Cornille, sophomore Tessa Hysjulien and freshman Jenica Jessica Kay Zhong. Silver Key awards were earned by seniors Katie Cornille and Caitlin Ellsworth, junior Kaitlin Hackett and freshman Jenica Zhong. Honorable mentions were awarded to seniors Hannah Fazendin, Sarah Brooks and Ulysses Sibomana and junior Joe Silbaugh. In the category of painting, an Katie Cornille honorable mention was awarded to junior Christina Gu. In the category of mixed media, creative arts by offering visibility and honorable mentions were awarded to scholarships. Gold Key award-winning juniors Kaitlin Hackett and Paige Spry. work is automatically entered in the The Scholastic Art Awards were national competition in New York, designed to foster creative expression where panels of prestigious members by secondary students and to recognize of the arts and education communities and encourage achievement in the judge the entries for technical
Alec Almquist
Ana Christina Plansky
Elizabeth Haas
Emily Andres
Jon Leininger
Kaitlin Hackett
Sam Blake
Sean Hawkinson
proficiency, originality and emergence of personal style or vision. Smart phone users can scan the code to the right to view a photo gallery of all winners. Tessa Hysjulien
Pictured from left to right are: Daniel Qu, Rishav Desgupta, Duligur Ibeling, Michael Cai, Derek Feriancek, David Mo, and Daniel Ibeling.
CMS team takes first at Quiz Bowl
Plymouth Creek students donate to Ella’s Halo
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ifth grade students in Angie Kostik’s class at Plymouth Creek Elementary School spent time this winter creating fleece blankets to donate to Ella’s Halo, a non-profit organization created to provide some of the comforts of home to babies and families
during extended stays in Twin Cities Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Kostik’s class made more than 50 blankets to donate to Ella’s Halo and the Plymouth Creek PTO donated fabric to make 80 more blankets during the Plymouth Creek Elementary Community Night.
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ix eighth grade students from Central Middle School competed and took first place in the Minnesota Academic Quiz Bowl on March 10. The team is now qualified to compete in the national tournament in April. The students on the CMS Quiz Bowl team are: Derek Feriancek, Daniel Ibeling, Daniel Qu, David Mo, Rishav Desgupta and Michael Cai. The team is coached by Wayzata High School senior Duligur Ibeling. Cai also earned a second place individual award. The Quiz Bowl tournament is comprised of 23 teams across the state and the questions include topics from literature, world history, physical sciences, math, sports and pop culture.
7 WHS Math Team wins fifth straight state championship
In Brief Coaches of the Year named
Wayzata High School Boys Golf Coach Allan Christopherson and Girls Golf Coach Mike Schumacher were named AAA Coaches of the Year in Golf for 2011 by the High School Golf Coaches Association. The Boys Golf Team won their fifth overall state title in 2011. This was the team’s third state title while coached by Christopherson. The Girls Golf Team won its first state title in 2011.
Phone payments discontinued for Culinary Express PayPams is discontinuing its phone-in payment service for student meals on April 15. After this date, payment options for student meal accounts will include online through the website www.paypams.com, and cash or check delivered to your child’s school. We are encouraging all parents to make use of the online payment option because of its ease of use and no processing fee. If you have questions regarding this change, please call 763-745-5154.
Summer enrichment available through WPS Wayzata Public Schools offers a wide variety of enrichment opportunities throughout the summer for learners of all ages. More information is available at www. wayzata.k12.mn.us/ces under the ages served menu and then summer enrichment.
Students required to choose a fruit or vegetable for lunch Recent changes in federal regulations to school lunches will have a minimal effect on the offerings in Wayzata Public Schools cafeterias due to the work Culinary Express has done in exceeding past guidelines and regulations. The noticeable change that will have an effect on students and parents is the new requirement that a fruit or vegetable must be on each student’s lunch tray to make the meal reimbursable through federal funding for the district. Culinary Express staff has always encouraged students to choose a fruit or vegetable, but beginning fall 2012, students will be required to take a fruit or vegetable item as they pass through lunch lines. Culinary Express is already taking steps to meet the following requirements listed in the new guidelines that are not currently being met: • Eliminating trans fats in baked goods • Increasing variety of colors of vegetables offered weekly • Limiting amount of bread offered weekly In addition to the lunch regulation changes, a set of breakfast regulation changes was also made that won’t go into effect until the 2013-14 school year. These changes are part of federal legislation called, The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, that was signed into law in 2010. The changes begin to take effect during the 2012-13 school year with some changes being phased in over a 10-year period. A complete table of the law’s changes, as well as how the changes affect the district, can be found on the district’s Culinary Express website.
T The members of Oakwood Elementary School’s Team F.I.R.E. Lego League team are pictured with their awards following the regional tournament.
Rookie Oakwood Elementary Lego League team takes first at state
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eam F.I.R.E. (Friendly Intergalactic Robotics Experts) took top honors at the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Minnesota State Tournament in Robot Performance and in Technical Design. The rookie team finished eighth overall in the state competition. Team F.I.R.E. is a team of Oakwood Elementary students. First place in these categories at the state tournament is unprecedented for a rookie team so young. Team F.I.R.E. members are fifth grade students Abby Kassmir, Elizabeth Mack and Ava Monro and third grade students Charlie Kassmir, Michael Layne, Ben Mack, Isaac Monro and Henry Strom. The team is coached by Andy Mack and Jeff Matuza. Team F.I.R.E.’s third and fifth grader students competed in the FLL Division I State Tournament against 41 other teams of fourth through sixth grader students. To qualify for the state tournament, each team had to place near the top of their regional tournament with 389 teams competing in one of 13 regional tournaments in Minnesota. Team F.I.R.E. placed first in Division I Robot Performance with a top score of 192 points. They accomplished this despite a unique and unpredictable setback in their robot’s computer, which led to malfunctions in two of their three scoring attempts. Team F.I.R.E. also placed first in Technical Design for their design of Fireball, a Lego Mindstorms programmable robot. The team achieved their top score and best robot design of Fireball by
adhering to the engineering design principle known as KISS (Keep It Simple Silly!). They used no electronic sensors in their robot, primarily motorless attachments, and simple programs to solve 11 out of a possible 15 missions in less than 150 seconds! In addition to the Robot Challenge, Team F.I.R.E. researched a food contamination issue for their FLL Research Project and demonstrated their embodiment of FLL Core Values. The team studied salmonella in eggs and developed an innovative solution to inform consumers of the safe handling of uncooked eggs. The team also conducted a scientific survey and used the results to bolster their solution. The team is currently considering a trademark for their unique solution, which is a warning sticker to seal all egg cartons. The FLL Challenge for fourth-eighth grades consists of a Research Project, a Robot Challenge, and a demonstration of Core Values. This year’s theme was the Food Factor Challenge. Teams researched food contamination issues, identified a real world problem, and developed and presented an innovative solution. The Robot Challenge uses a Lego Mindstorms robot designed, built and programmed by the kids to win points by solving several missions with the autonomous robot on a four-foot by eight-foot table in less than 150 seconds. The Core Values emphasize team work, cooperation, helping the community, and friendly competition. The theme for next year is Senior Solutions.
he Wayzata High School Math Team took home its fifth consecutive state championship on March 12. This is the team’s eighth championship in the past 10 years. Team members at the competition include: seniors Oliver He, Duligur Ibeling, Jacob Kautzky, Sunny Liu, Sahiba Singh, Max Radermacher and Jeff Zhang; juniors Miri Choi, Abram Sanderson and Roy Zhao; sophomores Apekshya Panda and William Zeng; and freshman Jenica Zhong. The team is coached by Tom Kilkelly and William Skerbitz. The team also had a very successful year in other competitions, most notably the American Mathematics Competition in which eight students progressed to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) level, an exam for students who fall in roughly the top 5 percent of all math students nationwide.
Gail Sarff
WHS teacher Gail Sarff nominated for Outstanding Education Award
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ayzata High School communications teacher Gail Sarff was nominated for a 2012 WEM Foundation Outstanding Educator Award. Sarff’s passion for teaching and learning has made a significant, positive difference in students’ lives. The nomination is an honor for the district as well as for students, staff and community, and serves as a testament to the great things happening at Wayata Public Schools.
Eight WHS students excel on National German Exam
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ight Wayzata High School students exceled on the 2012 National German Exam with one student achieving the highest score in Minnesota for Level 2. WHS freshman Jessica Mohr placed
in the 99th percentile with the highest Minnesota score in Level 2 and participated in the oral interview. An additional seven students placed as state winners scoring above the 80th
percentile. These students are juniors Evan Stuempfig, Christian Sarmiento and Kaitlin Hackett in Level 3 and sophomores Ricky Bartz, Josh Markworth, Andres Cornell and Caleb Trouth in Level 2.
Middle School Honors Choir
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Registration for 2012-13 Home Base available online
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egistration for Wayzata Public Schools’ Home Base before- and after-school daycare program is now available online. The registration period for 2012-13 school year priority (for students currently enrolled in Home Base, new kindergarten and Bright Start) registration is April 13-19. Open registration for all families not currently enrolled in these programs is April 27-May 3. To register online, visit www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/ces.
Employees of the Month Three employees have been recognized as Employees of the Month since the previous edition of the Communicator. They are: • January 2012 — Kathy Mueller, building secretary at Gleason Lake Elementary •February 2012 — Paula Henn, sixth grade teacher at East Middle School • March 2012 — Margaret Hanrahan, Culinary Express site manager at West Middle School
Smart phone users can scan the code above to view more information on current and past employees of the month.
Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Wayzata, MN Permit 43
Eighth grade choir students from Central, East and West Middle Schools were invited to participate in a festival where they were paired with Wayzata High School choir students on January 11. Middle and high school students enjoyed making connections with students from other buildings as they rehearsed in a massed choir of 120 singers, conducted by Jeff Dahl at WHS. Prior to the event, eighth grade students worked with their directors; Katie Baker, Chris Larson and Mary-Lynn Rhodes to prepare the music. Now in its 20th year, the festival has been a Wayzata tradition since 1992.
The Communicator is published for residents and staff of Wayzata Public Schools. Contact Amy Parnell, director of communications and community engagement, at 763-745-5068 or amy.parnell@wayzata.k12.mn.us with questions or comments.
COMMUNICATOR
Wayzata Public Schools 210 County Road 101 N. P.O. Box 660 Wayzata, MN 55391-0060
April 2012
WHS hosts 21st annual Empty Bowls fundraiser and first juried alumni arts festival
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ayzata High School’s 21st annual Empty Bowls fundraiser is set for Thursday, May 17, from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Wayzata High School (WHS) cafeteria. All of the proceeds from this fundraiser benefit Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners (IOCP). The suggested donation for the event is $10. For the suggested donation, each bowl chosen by the patrons, is filled with steaming soup and a piece of bread. Students, alumni and staff work with donated clay throughout the year to craft approximately 1,000 bowls. Patrons of the event have always found the bowls to be collectibles and the students inscribe the bowls with their name and the date of the event. Last year, the event has raised more than $8,000 for
IOCP to directly benefit the fight against hunger in the Twin Cities. In the 20 years WHS has held the event, Empty Bowls has raised $70,524 for IOCP. Tickets can be purchased at the IOCP office in Plymouth, the WHS activities office, the second floor office at WHS and the CES office at Central Middle School, as well as at the door on the evening of the event. In conjunction with the Empty Bowls event, the WHS art department is hosting the first WHS Alumni Juried Art Festival from 4 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria. The Art Festival is free and open to the public, and was created to expand the appreciation of visual art education within Wayzata Public Schools through the promotion and sale of WHS alumni artists’ work. All artists will be credited and their artwork will be showcased on the school’s website.
Requirements for early entrance into WPS
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innesota law states that children must be five years of age by September 1 of any given year in order to enter kindergarten. Wayzata Public Schools offers an early entrance option for children in the district with birthdays between September 2 and October 15. Children who demonstrate superior intellectual ability and advanced social/emotional development can be considered for early entrance to kindergarten. This acceleration through early entrance is a way to provide for the educational needs of a small number of decidedly more capable children. If you would like your child to be considered for early
entrance to kindergarten, visit the district website at www.wayzata.k12.mn.us and complete an application form located under: Academics/ Gifted & Talented/ Early Entrance Option. Applications will be accepted through April 30. Students who are eligible will be interviewed in June and a decision will be made by June 30. The state of Minnesota does not provide funds for this assessment. If you choose to proceed with this option the fee is $250 payable at the time of application. If you have additional questions, please email rosemarie.valencour@wayzata. k12.mn.us or call 763-745-5093.