June 2011 Wayzata Public Schools Communicator by Wayzata Public Schools

June 2011

COMMUNICATOR Board approves budget for 2011-12 school year

(NOTE: This is the first in a series of stories about the community survey conducted for the district in April 2011. More information will be included in future editions of the Communicator.)

Survey provides community insights of district

s part of its interest in gauging community attitudes and perceptions of the district, the school board and administration of Wayzata Public Schools regularly conduct a survey of community residents. The latest survey was completed in April 2011 by Decision Resources, Ltd., a national polling firm based in Minneapolis. The firm has conducted numerous surveys for the district in the past several years. Survey respondents were asked to “rate the quality of education provided by Wayzata Public Schools.” Seventy-five percent of respondents gave a response of “excellent” to the question. The chart above shows

the responses from the April 2011 survey and from similar surveys in 2005 and 2008. Respondents were asked to respond to several statements with a response of “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree.” For the statement, “Our community receives a good value from its investment in local public schools,” 21 percent stated “strongly agree,” and 70 percent stated “agree.” Only three percent gave a “disagree” or “strongly disagree” response with seven percent giving a “don’t know” response. Ninety-four percent of respondents gave a “strongly agree” or “agree” response to the statement, “The high quality of the Wayzata Public Schools increases home values for residents in this district.” Two percent disagreed and four percent gave a “don’t know” response. Additional results from the survey will be included in the August Communicator.

District continues work on strategic road map

arlier this year, the district’s school board, administrative team and principals began the process of developing a strategic road map, strategic directions, vision, mission and core values to serve as a guide for the district’s future work.

The process has been guided by consultant Dennis Cheesebrow with Teamworks International, a Twin Cities based consulting firm specializing in strategic planning for school districts and other organizations. The strategic road map includes the following components: • Mission – identifies the core purpose of the district

• Vision – identifies what the district intends to create and experience • Core values – identifies the drivers of the district’s words and actions • Strategic directions – identifies the focused allocation of resources The implementation of the strategic road map will also include the use of “Vision Cards” (a modified version of what are often referred to as balanced scorecards) which identify the measures and metrics to assess the district’s progress toward achieving its vision. Work on the strategic road map will continue throughout the summer. Plans are underway to plan and conduct community input sessions in the fall to seek input from community members, parents, and staff members on the strategic road map before it is finalized. More information will be provided on these input opportunities in late summer or early fall.

t its June 13 meeting, the school board of Wayzata Public Schools approved the 2011-12 budget. The general fund budget, which covers the overall operations of the district, totals $117,781,779 compared to $120,400,096 for the 2010-11 school year.

The district receives about 68 percent of its funding from the state. At this writing, the legislature has not yet established final revenue levels for school districts. Because of this, the budget will likely be adjusted after final revenue numbers are provided by the state. State law requires school boards to approve the budget for the next school year by June 30. The 2011-2012 general fund budget includes adjustments to cover a $2.5 million gap between projected revenue and expenditures. Per pupil funding from the state has not increased for three years, which is the primary cause of the district’s budget gap. The following adjustments were made as part of the budget development process. These adjustments may be changed, depending on the legislature’s final action. The 2011-2012 budget adjustments totaling $2.5 million include the following: • Eliminate contributions to severance and OPEB (other postemployment benefits) funds -- $500,000. The district’s actuarial valuations indicate that the severance and OPEB funds are fully funded to cover future obligations so the district can suspend payments into these funds and still be adequately covered for the future. • Use portion of building and categorical budget carryovers -$500,000. The district currently has some budget funds that have carryover or surplus amounts, which can be used to balance the budget without harming current programming. • Transfer amount from capital operating fund -- $500,000. For the past three years, the legislature has allowed districts to transfer funds from the capital fund to the general fund to assist in budget balancing. Wayzata made these transfers, but has not until now used part of these funds to balance the budget. • Combine integration, special education and regular transportation contracts -- $300,000. The terms of the district’s transportation contracts allow for financial modifications for these three areas of district transportation, which gives the district an opportunity to negotiate favorable rates for all three areas under our current provider. • Increase in resident student enrollment referendum amount -$210,000. The district is experiencing an increase in the number of resident students who attend district schools. Resident students generate about $1,500 per student more than open enrollment students. This change generates more revenue for the district. • Shift cost of bus garage lease to capital fund -- $170,000. The district currently leases a bus garage facility and pay for this cost from the general fund. Shifting this cost to the capital fund will mean a savings to the general fund. • Use a portion of the federal jobs allocation -- $150,000. Two years ago, the district received $600,000 in stimulus funds from the federal government. In August 2010, the district received $750,000 in federal jobs money. The $600,000 in stimulus funds is expiring, which leaves a net amount of $150,000 that can be used to balance the budget. • Save utility costs with energy retrofits -- $100,000. Last year, the district issued bonds to complete several energy retrofit projects such as window, lighting and boiler replacement. These retrofits will bring significant savings in energy cost, which comes from the general fund. • Increase high school activity fees or other savings -- $70,000. The fees charged for students to participate in activities at Wayzata High School are currently below many other metro area districts. A small increase in these fees would bring the district closer to the metro average and generate additional revenue. • TOTAL -- $2.5 million

Post graduation:

Where are WHS grads headed

ore than 90.5 percent of the students in the Wayzata High School class of 2011 are making plans to attend two or four year colleges or universities. This compares to about 88 percent for the class of 2010. The total number of students in the graduating class was 825. The summary of post-high school plans for the class of 2011 includes the following: • University of Minnesota, all campuses — 144 students • Minnesota four-year state universities — 200 students • Minnesota four-year private colleges/universities — 102 students • Minnesota one- and two-year colleges — 30 students • U.S. Service Academies – 1 student • Out-of-state four-year public colleges/universities — 245 students • Out-of-state four-year private colleges/universities — 112 students • Out-of-state one- and two-year colleges

Wayzata High School’s class of 2011 celebrates graduation with the traditional hat toss following the commencement ceremony. — 6 students • College bound, school undecided — 48 students • Non U.S. colleges — 3 students • Total college bound students — 747 students The remaining Wayzata students have indicated the following choices for their post-high school plans: • Technical schools — 25 students • Military — 7 students • Work — 19 students

Wayzata High School senior class president Drew Donlin addresses his classmates as the first of three senior commencement speakers at graduation in the Target Center.

• Other plans — 27 students The top 10 colleges chosen by 2011 Wayzata graduates are the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus; Iowa State University; University of Wisconsin, Madison; University of North Dakota; University of St. Thomas; University of Minnesota, Duluth; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Normandale Community College; St. Cloud State University; and University of Kansas.

Seniors in the class of 2011 listen and celebrate as their classmates’ names are called to receive their diplomas.

Twelve WHS students named Scholars of Distinction

welve students from Wayzata High School have been named 2011 Minnesota Scholars of Distinction. This years Scholars of Distinction from WHS are seniors: • Ishmam Ahmed – dual awards – Scholar of Distinction in Math and Science • Evan Chen – Scholar of Distinction in Science • Anna Hashizume – Scholar in Theater Arts • Duligur Ibeling – Scholar of Distinction in Science • Naveen Jain – Scholar in Science • Haley Kurr – Meritorious in Theater Arts • Partha Naidu – Scholar in Science • Dan Piering – Scholar in Theater Arts

• Alec Spencer – Meritorious in Science • Bo Sun – Scholar in Science • Lawrence Wang – Scholar in Science • Jeff Zhang – Meritorious in Science Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius honored 43 high school students from Minnesota for their achievement in the Minnesota Scholars of Distinction program, which encourages high school students to perform at highly rigorous levels in five specific academic areas and rewards their depth of knowledge and skill in application. The program was developed by the Minnesota Department of Education through a partnership with professionals and educators with expertise in each specialty area.

3 District to implement scheduling adjustments to better implement professional learning communities model

uring the 2010-2011 school year, Wayzata Public Schools has been implementing a Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model for teachers in every school. The PLC model has been implemented in school districts across the country and is a proven method to provide teachers more concentrated time to meet together to address specific student needs. The PLC model is a simple, but powerful idea. Teachers meet in grade level or subject area teams to discuss student progress, review assessment and test data, and plan strategies to assist individual or small groups of students. By regularly meeting to discuss student needs, teachers can more effectively personalize learning for students. Wayzata’s initial implementation of the PLC model has been met with great success. While some adjustments will be made for the 2011-2012 school year, the work of the PLCs has proven to be another powerful tool to help teachers meet the needs of students. One of the changes for the 2011-2012 school year will be an adjustment in school schedules at elementary schools and Wayzata High School to make more time for the PLCs to meet during the school day. The specific changes to be implemented at each level are included below.

Elementary schools

The school start and end times will not be changed at elementary schools to accommodate for the change in the PLC implementation. Instead, teachers will be provided with 20-30 minutes daily to meet in PLC teams. During the time that teachers will be meeting together in PLCs, students will reinforce their learning and be supervised by other school staff in their classrooms. Students with special needs will be supervised by staff members who know them and are trained to meet their needs. Specific implementation may be different for each school, but the outcome will be each teacher having time to meet with PLC colleagues.

Middle schools

No change in schedule is needed at the middle schools because the current schedule allows time for grade-level teachers to meet. PLC meetings will occur during the time already dedicated to grade-level meetings.

Wayzata High School

The additional PLC time at the high school will be accomplished by having late starts on the following Wednesdays during the school year: • September 14, 21, 28 • October 5, 12, 26

Board hears progress report on facilities study

t its May 23 work session, the school board of Wayzata Public Schools heard a report from Wold Architects on the progress of the district’s facilities study, which began last summer. The study was commissioned by the board and administration to provide a comprehensive facilities analysis and educational adequacy analysis of all district-owned buildings and facilities. The executive summary from the study is organized in the following five major areas: • Student enrollment and capacity • Condition of facility equipment, systems and infrastructure • Safe, secure and healthy environments for students and staff • Optimize the student learning environment • Minimizing impact of operating costs The highlights from each of the five major areas are included below.

Student enrollment and capacity

• The district’s student enrollment is projected to be relatively stable for the next 5-10 years. • The district has very little excess building capacity based on current class sizes. • Core facilities in some buildings – such as cafeterias,

kitchens and gyms – are undersized to meet existing building capacity needs. • The enrollments at Birchview, Kimberly Lane and Plymouth Creek elementary schools have been running above building capacities.

Condition of facility equipment, systems and infrastructure

• Maintaining district facilities has been a high priority for many years. • Maintenance needs are ongoing and require regular investment. • State funding for maintenance of facilities does not keep pace with the ongoing need. Additional investment will be needed to keep pace with building repair and maintenance needs. • The first impression areas of facilities are good, but some improvements are warranted.

Safe, secure and healthy environments for students and staff

• Safety and security issues have been well maintained, but need continued investment. • The district has effectively maintained healthy environments in its schools.

District leases space in new IOCP facility

• November 2, 16 • December 7, 14 • January 4, 11, 18, 25 • February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 • March 7, 14, 21 • April 11, 18, 25 • May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 On these days, teachers will meet in PLCs from 7:15-8 a.m. Classes for students will begin at 8:09 a.m. on late-start days rather than 7:30 a.m. for all other days. On late-start days, buses will run on regular schedules and structured instructional supervision will be provided to students who arrive prior to the start of the school day. Students with special needs will be supervised by staff members who know them and are trained to meet their needs. Students who drive will be expected to arrive in time for the start of the school day at 8:09 a.m.. There will be no change in school end times. The PLC model will also be implemented with our early childhood special education (ECSE) staff. Time for PLC meetings for ECSE staff will be incorporated into regular weekly meetings so no change in schedule is necessary. More information and details about these schedule changes will be provided to parents and students in August.

he school board of Wayzata Public Schools recently approved an agreement with Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners (IOCP) to lease a portion of IOCP’s new facility near County Road 101 and County Road 6 in Plymouth. Several Hennepin County programs will also be housed in the facility. The district’s community education department will occupy a portion of the building and will offer early childhood programs, adult basic education, adult English as a second language, classes for active older adults and seniors, academic support for K-12 students,

and high school service learning opportunities at the site. The department will continue to offer programming at its current locations in the district. “The opportunity to share space in IOCP’s new facility is exciting for our district’s community education program,” said Bob Wittman, director of community education. “We will be able to expand our programming to reach more people in the community and do it as part of a powerful partnership.” The district programs in the IOCP facility will be available beginning fall 2011.

Optimize the student learning environment

• Some spaces in existing school facilities are not equitable based on state guidelines or are too small for their current function. • The ongoing challenge of learners’ needs inspires continual evaluation and change. • Evolving program needs will require some space redefinition. • Other programs in the district – such as extended day kindergarten and early childhood – are growing and emerging. • Co-curricular needs are growing. • Future changes in the delivery of education may call for reworking school buildings to accommodate an expanded or flexible learning day.

Minimizing impact of operating costs

• Current operating costs of district facilities are lower than most Minnesota school districts. • Continued investment in energy efficient building components will result in potential energy savings. More details from the facilities study report will be included in the August Communicator.

WPS approves 2011-14 district transportation contract

he school board of Wayzata Public Schools approved a new transportation contract with First Student for July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2014 at its May 9 regular meeting. The district negotiated rates with First Student, Inc. for the second three-year

period of the current regular and special education transportation contract. The contract represents a savings in the district’s transportation costs over the three school years since the district is using a single provider and has combined all of its transportation needs.

4 WHS synchronized swim team wins fifth state championship

he Wayzata High School synchronized swim team won its fifth consecutive state championship on May 27. The team placed first in 13 of the 15 events and scored a meet high 169 points. The team took 23 routines to the state meet this year and 21 of these routines earned points by placing in the top seven. This is the first team in Wayzata High School’s history to win five consecutive state championship titles. The 2011 WHS syncrhonized swim team celebrates their trophy for their fifth consecutive state championship season. In addition to the team victory, several individual first-place awards were earned by • Lydia Boike, Colleen Donlin, Morgan Foote, Kaitlyn Becca Hunkins, Riley Mangan, Katelyn Osmek, Erika WHS swimmers including: Haller, Lucy Liu, Trisha Morrison, Hannah Ogren and Weimer and Tara Williams; juniors Nicole Kullback, Ellie • Hannah Ogren and Amanda Urke – First place in Emily Turnquist– First place short team Magnuson, Kathleen Poppendeck and Laurel Streed; solo • Amy Erickson, Gillian Mangan, Katrin Ree, Haley sophomores Morgan Foote, Mara Halvorson, Megan • Hannah Ogren and Colleen Donlin – First place in Ruegemer, Amanda Urke and Hannah Weas – First place He, Gillian Mangan, Paige Muncy, Kjirsten Ree, Ruth short duet in long team Schaefer and Samantha Snidarich; freshmen Lydia Boike, • Katrin Ree and Haley Rugemer – First place in long • Natalie Bodin, Cayla Ebert, Alese Halvorson, Paige Kaitlyn Haller, Trisha Morrison and Emily Turnquist; duet Muncy, Kjirsten Ree, Ruth Schaefer, Laurel Streed and eighth graders Amy Erickson, Katrin Ree, Haley • Natalie Bodin and Cayla Ebert – First place in Tara Williams – First place in extended team Ruegemer, Amanda Urke and Hannah Weas; and seventh extended duet Five students were also named All-State athletes and graders Colleen Donlin, Lucy Liu and Hannah Ogren. • Colleen Donlin, Lucy Liu and Trisha Morrison – First include seniors Natalie Bodin, Cayla Ebert and Alese Team captains are Natalie Bodin, Cayla Ebert, Audrey place in short trio Halvorson; and sophomores Paige Muncy and Kjirsten Elsner, Alese Halvorson and Tara Williams • Katrin Ree, Haley Ruegemer and Amanda Urke – Ree. The team is coached by head coach Signe Hensel, Ali First place in long trio Team members of the WHS synchronized swim team Bodin, Rachel Hoffart and Ann Rushfeldt. • Colleen Donlin – First place in short figures include the following: Seniors Natalie Bodin, Larissa • Amanda Urke – First place in long figures Borg, Cayla Ebert, Audrey Elsner, Alese Halvorson, • Natalie Bodin – First place in extended figures

Seven WHS students place well on 2011 National German Exam

F The 2011 Empty Bowls event raised more than $7,000 for Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners to fight hunger.

Thank you to the sponsors and patrons of Empty Bowls

illing a bowl with soup for dinner seems such a simple task, but far too many people have neither the bowl, nor the soup and spend the evening listening to their hunger and wondering when they will have their next meal. I have watched students at Wayzata High School grasp this concept for 20 years and have been amazed by the level of talent these students achieve as they craft art bowls to raise money for hungry Twin Cities’ residents. But I am also profoundly touched, and especially this year, by the hundreds of patrons who arrive at our annual Wayzata High School Empty Bowls event to donate their time and money for this cause. A very special thank you is deserved by the many local businesses that provided the meals, financial support and talent to make this year’s event the most financially successful the school has hosted

in the last 20 years. This year’s event raised more than $7,000 to benefit Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners and its fight against hunger in the Twin Cities. Your contributions have made it possible for many residents to know when their next meal will be, promoted the arts among our children, brought together our community for a good cause and instilled in me another moment of awe and respect as I watched a simple lump of clay transform into a bowl, then a meal and finally into a community of love and nourishment. Sincerely, Nancy Hanily-Dolan WHS pottery instructor

our students from Wayzata High School scored at the 90th percentile or above on the 2011 National German Exam and an additional three students placed as state winners scoring above the 80th percentile. The national winners are: junior Rachel Mohr and sophomores Akash Batra, Gretchen Struckmeyer and Kallan Swenson. The state winners are: junior Zachary Barenburg and sophomores Shai Ann Cain and Katie Corwin. The students are taught by Barbara Melbye Janssen and Karen Nickel.

WHS student places in top 15 nationally on USAJMO

bram Sanderson, a sophomore at Wayzata High School, placed in the top 15 in the country on the United States of America Junior Math Olympiad which is a nine-hour exam to solve six problems. Sanderson is part of the Wayzata Public Schools district math program and a member of the WHS state champion math team.

5 WHS 2011 yearbook inducted into gallery of excellence

he 2011 Wayzata High School yearbook has been inducted into the Walsworth Publishing Company’s Gallery of Excellence. The Gallery of Excellence is a showcase of the company’s top yearbooks. Gallery books demonstrate true mastery of a yearbook’s purpose – to provide thorough coverage of the school year with interesting stories that highlight all types of students using wellwritten copy, stunning photography and trendy design. Only a small percentage of yearbooks published by Walsworth enter the Gallery each year.

The selection of the 2011 WHS yearbook is an acknowledgement of the yearbook staff’s dedication to producing a high-quality publication. The Wayzata High School “Wayako” Yearbook is the largest yearbook that the Walsworth Publishing Company prints, at 412 pages of full-color, ad-free content. WHS is one of only a select few schools in Minnesota who do not have ads. In addition, WHS prints a 36-page supplement with a turnaround time of less than one week. Each year the school sells 2,200-2,500 yearbooks.

Eight WHS students place well at SkillsUSA competion

ight students from Wayzata High School placed well at the state SkillsUSA competition held the weekend of March 26. Junior Andrea Caflisch and sophomore Maddy Maki took first and second place, respectively, in the SkillsUSA culinary arts state competition. Juniors Kelan McQuinn and Brady Pate earned first place in video production. Senior Bri Rosen and freshman Kitty McKee took second place in video production and juniors Max Ulmen and Ben Leighton took third place in video production. This is the second state win for Caflisch and the second time WHS students have placed first, second and third in video at state.

WHS senior wins first place nationally for InvestWrite essay

ack Alexander, a senior at Wayzata High School, won first place in the state and national SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite student essay competition, sponsored by the SIFMA Foundation and SIFMA member firms at the Best Prep awards event. Alexander will be awarded with a “Wall Street Experience” and he will travel to New York City this summer for three days where he will visit financial landmarks and even go on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Best Prep is a statewide, nonprofit organization with a mission to best prepare Minnesota students with business, career and financial literacy skills through experiences that inspire success in work and life. The SIFMA Foundation is proud to partner with Best Prep to deliver The Stock Market Game and InvestWrite in Minnesota.

WHS student named 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar

ayzata High School senior Rohit Agrawal was named a U.S. Presiden-

tial Scholar. He will be honored for his accomplishments during the national recognition weekend, held in June in Washington, D.C. During this trip, Presidential Scholars are guests of the commission and enjoy an expensepaid trip to meet with government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished people. Scholars have the opportunity to visit museums and monuments and to attend recitals, receptions and ceremonies. To commemorate their achievement, the scholars are awarded Rohit Agrawal the Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

11 WHS students place well in 2011 BPA competition

leven Wayzata High School students placed well at the 2011 Business Professionals of America competition. The following WHS students competed and placed this year: • Leah Bolin, junior, management marketing human resources • Leona Chao, senior, entrepreneurship • Eddie Chen, senior, administrative support concepts and management marketing human resources • Aakash Deshpande, senior, C++ programming • Genet Jean-Pierre, junior, entrepreneurship • Jonathon Liou, senior, visual basic programming • Richard Lu, senior, Java programming and management marketing human resources • Will Marshall, senior, computer networking technology concepts • Sean Monson, senior, financial math and analysis, PC servicing and troubleshooting, information technology concepts and Java programming • Charlie Wusands, senior, administratice support concepts • Ben Zhang, sophomore, computer security Business Professionals of America is a national organization for high school and college students preparing for careers in business and office occupations and provides networking opportunities among education, business and industry and contributes to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic and technological skills. The students are advised by WHS teacers Tika Kude, Candy Lee and Tyler Shepard.

WHS debate students place well at state tournament

ix Wayzata High School students placed well at the state debate tournament. Junior Meghna Sohoni, and senior Miranda Ehrlich, earned second place in varsity debate at the Minnesota State High School League Tournament in January at the University of Minnesota. They were scheduled to debate senior Luke Plutowski and junior Alex Bahls, another team from WHS in the semi-final round. All four of these students were recognized for their incredible dedication and hours of work to be ready for some of the most intense tournaments

in the nation. These four students were on the school’s traveling team and competed with distinction at select national tournaments. They all received the “Arts out Front” award for being in the top four teams at the state competition. Naveen Jain and Alex Kristensen, both juniors, won the Junior Varsity State Championship run by the Minnesota Debate Teachers Association to honor the best second-year debaters in the state. The students are coached by WHS teacher Gail Sarff.

Alliance Franciase de Minneapolis scholarship awarded

nna LaCombe, a junior at Wayzata High School, was awarded a one-year scholarship to the Alliance Franciase de Minneapolis/St. Paul’s non-profit cultural center and language classes. Since 2003, the Twin Cities’ Alliance Française has offered students the opportunity to study French language and culture at no cost to them or their families. These scholarships include membership to the Alliance, books and tuition for four class sessions (one calendar year), a total value of $2,000 per participant.

Four WPS teams place in top 20 at Destination ImagiNation finals

ll four teams from Wayzata Public Schools that competed in the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals on May 25-28 placed in the top 20. The following results are from the Global Finals competition: • The Permanent Markers from Oakwood Elementary took fourth place in the elementary level for Challenge C, Triple Take Road Show and were state champions – Team members are Duffy Davidson, Ali Gabler, Conor Greenberg, Mara McCollor, Elizabeth Page, David Sandall and Erica Svendahl; team managers are Jeff Page and Pete Sandall • Psychedelic Hippie Kaleidoscopes from Central Middle School took 17th place in the middle level for Challenge D, Mythology Mission and were state champions – Team members are

Justin Greenberg, Maia Miller, David Mo, Arman Shah, Abby Trouth and Leighton Zhao; team managers are Robb Greenberg and Diane Miller • Six DIgrees of DImagination from Oakwood Elementary took 11th place in the elementary level for Challenge B, Spinning a Tale – Team members are Christopher Caryotakis, Abby Kassmir, Elizabeth Mack, Derek Rosenberger, Ellie Shaver and Claire Weiss; team manager is Paula Caryotakis • The DInamites from West Middle School and Oakwood Elementary school received an “excellent” rating in the middle level challenge for Project Outreach – Dynamic Networks – Team members are Simran Chugani, Kyle Eckman, Frank Fetrow, Hannah Hagen, Madeline Tapper, Isaac Polum and Lucas Waskosky; team managers are Holly Tapper and Kristin Tollison

6 WHS receives 2011 Global Education Excellence Award

ayzata High School received a national recognition for excellence in global education by the Education First Foundation for Foreign Study, the leader in high school exchange programs. Awarded annually, the Global Education Excellence Award is presented to schools that demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to international understanding and global awareness. WHS was one of a select group of schools recognized across the U.S. for the 2010-11 school year. This year, WHS welcomed Education First Foundation exchange students. Not only were the students accepted into the school, they became an integral part of the school’s academic and extracurricular life.

Four WHS students place well in DECA

our Wayzata High School students placed well at the 2011 International DECA competition held April 30-May 4 in Orlando, Florida. The following WHS students placed well at state and earned a trip to the international competition: • Shannon McDermott, senior, earned second place at state in retail merchandising • Monica Wilson, senior, earned third place at state in hotel lodging • Max Hanson, junior, earned third place at state in quick service management • Ali Heiring, junior, earned first place at state in retail merchandising

DECA, an association of marketing students, provides students marketing-related and leadership-development activities that enhance classroom study toward careers in marketing, management and entrepreneurship. Minnesota DECA combines career exploration with schoolbased learning and sponsors a competition at the district, state and international levels. Participation in DECA develops skills in leadership, management, civic consciousness, job responsibility, motivation to excel, good work habits, critical thinking and problem solving. The students are advised by WHS teacher David Chvojicek.

Eight WHS students place well in Future Problem Solvers

ight Wayzata High School students placed well in the Future Problem Solvers competition. The following students earned top honors in the 2011 Future Problem Solvers competition: • Lydia Boike, 9th grade, second place at state in the Middle Division Written Competition • Isaac Foote, 9th grade, second place at state in the Middle Division Written Competition • Christina Gu, 10th grade, second place at state in the Senior Division Written Competition • Jenny Lai, 10th grade, second place at state in the Senior Division Written Competition • Soumya Marasakatla, 9th grade, second place at state in the Middle Division Written Competition • Trisha Morrison, 9th grade, second place at state in the Middle Division Written Competition • Amy Xiong, 10th grade, second place at state in the Senior Division Written Competition • Zachary Yan, 10th grade, second place at state in the Senior Division Written Competition The students are advised by WHS teacher Jonathan Honza.

WHS students earn high marks on 2011 National Spanish Exam

large number of Wayzata High School students placed well on the 2011 National Spanish Exam. The National Spanish Exam is an online, standardized assessment tool for grades six-12 and measures proficiency and achievement of students who are studying Spanish as a second language. The following students earned high marks on the exam:

Gold awards

Aly Tisthammer, 9th grade, level 1

Silver

Maxwell Anderson, 9th grade, level 1 Paige Fellows, 9th grade, level 1 Aditi Goel, 10th grade, level 2 Kaitlyn Haller, 9th grade, level 1 Margaret James, 9th grade, level 1 Alyssa Le, 9th grade, level 1 Annelies Odermann, 9th grade, level 2 Lindsey Palasek, 11th grade, level 4 Rohan Patnaik, 9th grade, level 1 Michael Pearce, 10th grade, level 2 Matt Prisby, 9th grade, level 1 Caroline Qian, 11th grade, level 4 Brett Schnobrich, 12th grade, level 3 Katherine Spurlock, 9th grade, Level 1 Courtney Walker, 9th grade, level 1 Lewin Xue, 12th grade, level 3

Bronze

Erica Aarons, 10th grade, level 2 Leah Benthin, 11th grade, level 3 Julia Bevington, 11th grade, level 3 Briana Cullimore, 10th grade, level 3 Anne Denniston, 10th grade, level 3 Nicklaus Dotzenrod, 12th grade, level 4 Avery Gault, 9th grade, level 1 Doyeon Kim, 10th grade, level 3 Sarah Lerner, 12th grade, level 4 Casey Liveringhouse, 12th grade, level 3 Carly MacDonald, 10th grade, level 2 Amy Mueller, 9th grade, level 1 Madeline Naffziger, 10th grade, level 2 Emily Newman, 9th grade, level 1 Drew Paige, 11th grade, level 3 Liese Peterson, 9th grade, level 1 Alicia Poplett, 11th grade, level 2 Shreya Ramanujan, 10th grade, level 2 Lahiru Samarasinghe, 10th grade, level 2 Samantha Schmidt, 11th grade, level 5 Katherine Sherman, 9th grade, level 1 Amelia Stach, 9th grade, level 1 Ryan Tisthammer, 10th grade, level 2 Sarah Urke, 12th grade, level 4 Nathan Volkman, 11th grade, level 3 Arthur Walther, 10th grade, level 2 David Watts, 11th grade, level 3 Christopher Wipson, 10th grade, level 2 Graham Wrase, 10th grade, level 2

WHS junior earns perfect score on National Latin Exam

uligur Ibeling, a junior at Wayzata High School, earned a perfect score on the 2010-11 National Latin Exam. Only 586 students out of more than 137,000 have attained this distinction.

2010-11 Career Teacher Award recipients honored

Mary Coleman

Nancy Hanily-Dolan

he 2010-11 Career Teacher Award recipients were honored with a ceremony held April 26 at Central Middle School. Career Teacher Honorees for 2010-11 are Mary Coleman, sixth grade teacher at West Middle School; Nancy Hanily-Dolan, pottery instructor

Candy Lee

Debbie Mossefin

at Wayzata High School; Candy Lee, business marketing and technology teacher at Wayzata High School; and Debbie Mossefin, media center teacher at Kimberly Lane Elementary School.

In Brief Peppermint Fence Preschool West will open in IOCP building Wayzata Public Schools community education department is opening Peppermint Fence West in the new Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners building in Plymouth at 1605 Highway 101. The new location includes the same licensing, curriculum, enrichment activities, parent involvement, resources, and international accreditation for which Peppermint Fence Preschool is known. The lead teacher will be Janet Stroebl, a seasoned, highly regarded professional on Peppermint Fence’s staff. Peppermint Fence will open up 10 spots for four-year-olds (5 girls and 5 boys) in fall 2011. To learn more about Peppermint Fence programs, curriculum, and additional services, go to www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/ces select Birth to 5, then Family Learning Center. On August 1, information regarding registration for Peppermint Fence West will be available at this website or at 763-7455294.

District plans new website launch August 5

ayzata Public Schools plans to launch its new website on August 5. The address for the site will remain www.wayzata.k12.mn.us and during the weekend of the switch, visitors to the site may continue to see the old site as the system updates itself with the new content. The new website offers many features for parents that include subscriptions to individual teacher pages, sections of the website and buildings newsletters. The site continues to offer methods to pay for lunches and products online.

It is important that parent emails are up-to-date in the district’s database for both the new website parent login piece and the district’s Alertnow emergency notification system. Please take a moment to verify you have your correct address for receiving notifications and subscriptions on your Family Access page. More information about how to use the site and sign up for subscriptions to newsletters and teacher pages will be available in the August issue of the “Communicator.”

12 WHS students qualified for national Quiz Bowl competition

welve Wayzata High School students qualified for the national Quiz Bowl competition this year. The following students qualified for the national competition: seniors Rohit Agrawal, Nick Ahamed, Mohamad Akef, Larry Lee, Ganesh Raman, Gaurav Singh, Brian Tu and Lewin Xue; juniors Mitch Croal, Oliver He and Duligur Ibeling; and sophomore Nirupa Galagedera. Minnesota High School Quiz Bowl is a game of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge. A moderator reads

questions to two, four-person teams, whose players endeavor to buzz in first with the correct answer, scoring points for the question. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins the game. A typical Quiz Bowl tournament involves four to six preliminary matches followed by playoff rounds. This year, 12 WHS students represented the district at the National Quiz Bowl Tournament in Chicago during Memorial Day Weekend. The students are coached by WHS teacher Meaghan Decker.

Eight WHS students place well on State and National French Exam

Trojan Tots Registration open for fall 2011

Wayzata Public Schools is looking for potty-trained 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds to participate in the Trojan Tots program taught by child psychology II students at Wayzata High School. Dates and times are September 19 through November 3 from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. For registration materials or more information, contact Miriam Lejonvarn at 763-745-6884 or by email at miriam.lejonvarn@wayzata.k12.mn.us. The new-child registration form is also available for parents to complete on the district’s website at www. wayzata.k12.mn.us.

ight Wayzata High School students placed well on the 2011 State and National French Exam. The following students placed well on the exam: • Samuel Cady, 12th grade, third place national exam, first place state exam at level 4E • Jennifer Flanery, 9th grade, seventh place national exam, second place state exam at level 1E • Megan Grappa, 9th grade, 12th place national exam, fourth place state exam at level 1E • Sam Hlywka, 10th grade, seventh place national exam, first place state exam at level 3E

• Tatum Odland, 10th grade, 14th place national exam, first place state exam at level 2E • Cecilia Pompeo, 9th grade, 11th place national exam, third place state exam at level 1E • Isabel Rayas, 9th grade, first place national exam, first place state exam at level 1E • Justin White, 9th grade, fifth place national exam, fourth place state exam at level 3C The 2011 National French Contest, or Le Grand Concours is a 60-minute examination taken by students across the country that are enrolled in French courses.

Important School Board Election Dates for 2011 August 2, 2011................................... First day to file as a candidate for school board August 16, 2011................................ Last day to file as a candidate for school board

Culinary Express price increase approved

At its May 9 regular meeting, the school board of Wayzata Public Schools approved a price increase for Culinary Express lunches for the 2011-12 school year that reflects the increased cost in food. Lunch prices for the 2011-12 school year are as follows: • Elementary lunch price is $2.50 – an increase of $.20, of which $.05 is attributed to milk or beverage • Secondary lunch price is $2.85 – an increase of $.25, of which $.05 is attributed to milk or beverage • Adult lunch price is $3.65 – an increase of $.35, of which $.05 is attributed to milk or beverage • Milk price is $.50 – an increase of $.05 due to market conditions • Elimination of the $.95 processing fee charged to families who chose to pay electronically

August 18, 2011................................ Last day to file affidavit of withdrawal as a candidate for school board October 19, 2011............................... First day absentee ballots must be available to voters November 8, 2011............................. Election Day

CMS students make sandwiches for those in need

Birchview Elementary principal hired

ason Wenschlag will be the new principal at Birchview Elementary School. Wenschlag is currently the principal at Sheridan Hills Elementary School in Richfield, Minnesota. He received his bachelor of science degree from North Dakota State University, his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and his education Jason Wenschlag specialist degree from St. Thomas University. “We are pleased to recommend Jason to the board as the next principal of Birchview Elementary School and are excited about his potential to continue the school’s strong tradition of excellence,” said Superintendent Chace Anderson.

Employees of the Month Two employees have been recognized as Employees of the Month since the previous edition of the Communicator. They are: • May 2011 — Kathy Cartwright, office paraprofessional at Sunset Hill Elementary School •June 2011 — Yvonne Lachmiller, second grade teacher at Sunset Hill Elementary

Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Wayzata, MN Permit 43

Central Middle School students in Amanda Leddy’s language arts class wrote persuasive letters to create change for their last written assessment. Sixth grade student Grace Huenemann wrote to the Blue team teachers to ask the team to think about the organization 363 days and making sandwiches for the founder to deliver. Her letter successfuly persuaded the team to pursue this action and with help from students and parent volunteers, the group made 450 sandwiches on June 3 to deliver to those in need.

The Communicator is published for residents and staff of Wayzata Public Schools. Contact Bob Noyed, director of communication, at 763-745-5068 or robert.noyed@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

June 2011

Change of enrollment notification needs to be completd online

ayzata Public Schools’ yellow “Change of Enrollment Notification” cards will no longer be sent home with students and instead, the form should be filled out on the district’s website at www.wayzata.k12.mn.us. The district’s Change of Enrollment Notification form should be filled out by families moving out of the district, moving to another address in the district or not attending Wayzata Public Schools for any reason in the 2011-12 school year.

To fill out the form online, visit the district’s the registration page on the district’s website and find the form under the enrollment menu item, or search change of enrollment on the site. Smart phone users can scan the code above to complete the change of enrollment notification form on the district’s website.

Plymouth Creek student wins National Chess Championship

ndrew Titus, a third grade student at Plymouth Creek Elementary School, won the 2011 National Chess Championship in the primary (K-3) championship section held in Dallas, Texas on May 6-8.

Titus won the first place in a three-way tie becoming the National Primary Co-Champion. Joshua Titus, a second grade student from Plymouth Creek also played in the tournament and won 14th place in the K-3 Under 800 section.

Requirements for early entrance into WPS

M Smart phone users can scan the code above to view more information on current and past employees of the month.

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, contact Gabriel Lofton, director of academic excellence and equity, at 763-745-5094, or email Gabriel.Lofton@wayzata.k12.mn.us by May 6, 2011, for more information and to request an application. Students under consideration 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 process, the fee is $250 payable at the time of application. Financial assistance may be available.