2016 Scholars of Distinction
Fifty-one distinguished Minnesota high school students were honored at the Scholars of Distinction award program on Satuday, May 14. The Minnesota Scholars of Distinction Award Program recognizes distinguished achievement by highly motivated students in the areas of: Leadership, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, STEM and Theater Arts. To earn recognition, a student must complete required work in Minnesota’s academic standards, demonstrate mastery of complex subject matter, and apply their knowledge and skills on challenging projects.
Read news release for complete list of awardees.
2016 Presidential Scholars
Each year two students from each state are selected as Presidential Scholars by the U.S. Department of Education. Minnesota's 2016 awardees are: Anna B. Biggs, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, and Gopi N. Ramanathan, Sartell Senior High School. "This year's class of Presidential Scholars continues a more than 50 year trend of honoring students who've shown excellence in their educational, artistic and civic pursuits," said U.S. Secretary of Education John King.
Read news release on EdGOV website.
View complete list of winners.
Minnesota's 2016 Teacher of the Year
Abdul Wright, who teaches eighth-grade language arts at The Best Academy in Minneapolis, was named 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. He’s the 52nd recipient of the award, and the first-ever charter school teacher to win it. The annual award is sponsored by the teachers union Education Minnesota. Wright was selected from a field of 11 finalists by an independent committee of Minnesota leaders in education, business and government.
Read EdMN press release.
Prevent Summer Learning Loss
The approach of summer is inevitable, but summer learning loss doesn't have to be. Students can slide backwards when outside of their daily learning environment... but families can fight the loss by participating in the wealth of fun and educational activities available through their local library, community education program, historical society and more. Visit our website for learning activities and resources.
Drinking Water in Schools: Guidance Materials Available
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Drinking Water Program provides guidance to school administrators on the sources and health effects of lead and copper in drinking water. The guidance manual, Reducing Lead in Drinking Water: A Technical Guidance for Minnesota’s School and Child Care Facilities, is intended for use by all public and private schools in Minnesota.
Visit the MDH website to learn more.
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Minnesota Teacher Of The Year Loved By His Students
The new Minnesota Teacher of the Year is one of the youngest people to earn the award in its 52-year history. Watch WCCO video.
Data May Help Solve Discipline Problems
"If they're hungry at 9 a.m., they're not going to stop worrying about it throughout the day," said Riverside Principal Jacque Peterson. Collecting data on students has revealed patterns... read more in the Rochester Post Bulletin.
Science Classes Have Come a Long Way
Technology has made it possible for students to do some very creative things. For example, Jennah Slayton, a junior at Stillwater High School, created a plastic violin to conduct an experiment on sound waves in her physics class. Visit CBS for full story and video.
Forest Lake Area High School’s FFA Named One of Minnesota’s Best
For the 11th straight year, the Forest Lake FFA chapter was named one of Minnesota’s “Top Ten Chapters” at the annual state FFA Convention... read full story in the Forest Lake Times.
Start Early to Develop Lifelong Healthy Eating Habits!
Most of us are familiar with the Farm to School program, and we even celebrate a whole month’s worth of Farm to School activities each October. But did you know that this program starts even earlier than kindergarten? There are many “Farm to” initiatives for various early childhood programs. Children consume as much as 80 percent of their daily nutrients while in an early childhood setting... Read more of May 16 blog.
Gifted and Talented Annual Symposium!
Join us June 13 - 16 for an exciting lineup of speakers, sessions and discussions about meeting the unique needs of gifted and high potential students. Keynote speakers include Eric Karpinski on The Science of Happiness; Maria Asp on Igniting Student Agency with Critical Thinking and Creativity in Classrooms; Anton Treuer on Equity, Culture and the “Achievement Gap.” June 13-16 in Austin, Minn. Visit the MDE website for more information or to register online.
Professional Development for Teachers - Summer Schedule
MDE's School Support division is hosting a variety of professional development opportunities this summer for teacher leaders, principals and peer reviewers. Topics include: Student Engagement, Teacher Development and Evaluation, Student Learning Goals and Introduction to Peer Review. Sessions scheduled in June, July, August and September from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the MDE offices in Roseville. Visit our website to register or learn more.
Kindergarten Entry Profile – Seeking Participants
The Minnesota Department of Education is continuing to recruit schools and districts for participation in the Kindergarten Entry Profile (KEP). KEP is an important tool that supports each district’s World’s Best Workforce goal for measuring school readiness. Participation is optional. Benefits include: Schools may choose a tool from our menu, free training for teachers and administrators, free online subscriptions for all kindergarten students in the KEP, and free technical assistance for analyzing and reporting World’s Best Workforce goal #1. Register for one of the Webinars scheduled in June and July to learn more. Questions can be sent to: mde.kep@state.mn.us.
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