SUMMER 2021
WPS NEWS Excellence. For Each and Every Student.
iring!rking H e r ’ e W erested in wo ls?
choo u int Are yo ublic S Kids yzata P g Wayzata a W r fo in ir h a tly aff nd curren , Culinary st istrict. We’re ff d a t s h re ss t e childca sionals acro and s g in s n fe e o ese op parapr h t t a t s u o ie Check r opportunit obs othe .info/j
ols tascho wayza
Scott Gengler Named Principal of the Year Wayzata High School’s Scott Gengler has been named the 2021 Minnesota High School Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MAASP). Scott has served as Wayzata High School principal for the past seven years and considers school culture to be his greatest responsibility. Wayzata High School’s focus is that every student is prepared for post-secondary success, regardless of race, class, gender or ability. This purpose has become known as the “Wayzata Promise” over Scott’s tenure. The promise is a commitment shared by all staff to ensure that each student is afforded an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe, secure, nurturing and supportive environment. Congratulations, Scott!
Excellence in Unprecedented Times In January and February of this year, the school district commissioned a series of three parent and community surveys through the Morris-Leatherman research firm. These random sample phone surveys provide us with a wealth of knowledge to help in planning and program enhancements, while also offering some helpful comparisons to other school districts. Some highlights of what we learned: • 95% of our community and 97% of parents rate the quality of education in Wayzata Public Schools as excellent or good! • Even with everything we’ve been through this year, about half of residents think the overall quality of education we provide is somewhat or much better than three years ago. • Nine out of ten residents believe the community receives a good value from its investment in our schools. • On measures of trust, Wayzata Public Schools frequently outperforms other districts in the metro area. A few examples of how we are viewed: > 88% trust the district to do what’s right for children
•
•
•
•
> 76% believe we do a good job involving the community in decisions about the schools > 86% rate the financial management of the district as excellent or good While we – along with most Minnesota public school districts – lost enrollment this school year due to the pandemic, families who left still consider Wayzata Public Schools a high-quality district with outstanding academics and great teachers. The majority left due to COVID learning model restrictions, and many are likely to return for the 2021-22 school year. Families who chose Distance Choice give it high marks: 79% rate it excellent or good, and one-third couldn’t identify anything to improve. 89% of parents rated their child’s hybrid learning experience (combination of in-person and distance) as excellent or good; 77% of parents rated their distance learning experience the same way. Both of these are higher than what’s been seen elsewhere in the metro. 95% of parents say the district has done a good job communicating its plans for managing school this year.
Become a COMPASS Mentor Today WPS News 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@wayzataschools.org with questions or comments.
Join our COMPASS team! You can make a difference in the life of a Wayzata High School student. We are seeking professionals to mentor students in four different classes: Graphic Communications, Ecology of Food and Nutrition, Cybersecurity and Applied Mathematics, and Business Management and Economics. COMPASS is Wayzata High School’s Professional Career Studies Program for careerfocused juniors and seniors. Through this program, students have an opportunity to earn high school and college credit while working side-by-side with professionals in the workplace. Contact Miriam Lejonvarn at miriam.lejonvarn@wayzataschools.org for more information.
WPS Welcomes New Staff Wayzata Public Schools is pleased to welcome the following new administrators who joined the district July 1, 2021 to our school community. Congratulations! New Associate Superintendent Dr. Nathan Flansburg has been selected to serve as the district's new associate superintendent. Nathan has been an administrator and teacher with Mounds View Public Schools since 1997. New Executive Director of Finance & Business - The new executive director of business and finance will be DeeDee Kahring. DeeDee was most recently the director of finance and operations for Eastern Carver County Schools. She replaces Jim Westrum, who retired after serving in the role for 13 years. New Executive Director of Teaching & Learning - Dana Miller has been hired as the district’s new executive director of teaching and learning. Dana is currently the principal of Pioneer Ridge Middle School with Eastern Carver County Schools. She also served as teaching and learning coordinator, high school and middle school assistant principal and middle school counselor. Dana replaces Jill Johnson, who retired after 11 years with the district. New Director of Athletics & Activities - Meghan Potter has been named the new director of athletics and activities at Wayzata High School. Meghan has been the activities director for Hibbing High School since 2013 and succeeds Jaime Sherwood who retired after 25 years in the role. New Central Middle School Principal - The new Central Middle School principal will be Xavier Reed. Xavier was most recently the associate principal at Irondale High School in Mounds View Public Schools and also has experience as an equity specialist. He replaces Clark Doten, who will return to teaching at Wayzata High School.
Congratulations Class of 2021! More than 89 percent of the 866 graduates in the Wayzata High School Class of 2021 are making plans to attend two- or four-year colleges or universities. The summary of post-high school plans for the class of 2021 includes the following: • University of MN, all campuses: 174 • Minnesota four-year state universities: 24 • Minnesota four-year private colleges/ universities: 67 • Minnesota one- and two- year colleges: 57 • Out-of-state four-year public colleges/
universities/academies: 292 • Out-of-state fouryear private colleges/ universities: 101 • Out-of-state one- and two-year colleges: 4 • College bound, school undecided: 52 • College bound, nonU.S. colleges: 5
• Total college bound students: 776 The remaining Wayzata students have indicated the following choices for their post-high school plans: • Other education: 24 • Military: 3 • Work: 9 • Other plans: 54
WHS Recognized Among Best in Nation
I would like to speak for a moment about kindness and empathy. Although you didn’t invite all of the recent events and challenges into your life, they all found you! Perhaps during these challenges you discovered a silver lining when you offered or received random acts of kindness and empathy. A favorite book of mine is titled, It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership by General Colin Powell. “Always show more kindness than seems necessary, because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know. Don’t just show kindness in passing or to be courteous. Show it in depth, show it with passion, and expect nothing in return. Kindness is not just about being nice; it’s about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.” (pp. 45-46) Powell continues with the following:“Being kind doesn’t mean being soft. Kindness is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of confidence. If you have developed a reputation for kindness and consideration, then even the most unpleasant decisions will go down easier because everyone will understand why you are doing what you are doing. They will realize that your decision must be necessary, and is not arbitrary or without empathy. As the old saying puts it, ‘To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.’ ’’ (p. 48)
Chace B. Anderson is the Superintendent of Wayzata Public Schools Chace.Anderson@wayzataschools.org
Nonprofit Org. US Postage Wayzata, MN Permit 43
Thank you for all the kindness and empathy you have shared with our staff and students this year. The countless stories I have heard about random acts of kindness warmed my heart. It has never been more important and is really what the world could use more of now. I always appreciate hearing your thoughts and ideas.
ECRWSS
With an overall score of 97.6 out of 100, Wayzata High School (WHS) was recently ranked #2 among traditional public high schools in Minnesota by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking, which factors data on 17,857 public, charter and magnet high schools across the nation, is based on state assessments and preparation for post-secondary education.
Wayzata Public Schools 210 County Road 101 N. P.O. Box 660 Wayzata, MN 55391-0660
Dear Wayzata School Community, We made it to the finish line! Thank you to everyone in our school community for all you did to support our students, families and staff through the Dr. Chace B. school year that was like no other. We couldn’t have Anderson done it without your partnership through all of the challenges and constant uncertainty that the pandemic brought. On June 4, we honored Wayzata High School seniors at the University of Minnesota. It was surreal to be back in a large group gathering and be able to honor our graduates in an in-person, meaningful way. Here are some of the remarks that I shared with graduates and their families:
Excellence. For Each and Every Student.
From the Superintendent