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February 5, 2010 -- As high school students look forward to course registration in Mounds View Public Schools for 2010-2011, upperclassmen will have some new opportunities to learn online. Next year, both Irondale and Mounds View High School will offer online hybrid courses for juniors and seniors in which a majority of the instruction is delivered online, supplemented by face-to-face instruction in a regular seminar. The development of hybrid courses is part of an effort to individualize education by offering various learning environments while retaining academic rigor. These types of courses are becoming increasingly popular in higher education. Both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system say they've seen double-digit increases in recent years in the number of students taking online courses. Increasingly some, of the online offerings are "hybrid" courses, which mix an online experience with traditional classroom learning.
Over the past several months, teacher leaders and administrators in Mounds View Public Schools have spent considerable time developing these course offerings. How do online hybrid courses work?
In a hybrid course, 60 to 80 percent of the course will be delivered online through a web-based program called Moodle, and 20 to 40 percent will be delivered through face-to-face instruction in a seminar. Seminars for hybrid classes will most often meet one time per week. Some seminars will meet before school starts (zero hour), some after school (7th hour), and some will be part of a student’s schedule (either 1st or 6th hour). Students may take a hybrid course with a seminar held at either Mounds View High School or Irondale High School.
Courses next year include courses in math, social studies, English, physical education, science, world languages and even a few Advanced Placement classes.
Once implemented, online courses promise to provide a unique learning experience for students that offers flexibility in scheduling and personalized instruction from teachers.
January 25, 2010 -- "Ten minutes a day, and the half days go away." That's the new reality of Mounds View Public Schools' 2010-2011 school year calendar that eliminates half days, increases instructional effectiveness and reduces transportation costs – all by adding 10 minutes to every school day. Next year, each school's starting time moves up five minutes earlier while the ending time moves back five minutes later. This slight shift satisfies state requirements and essentially maintains the current four-tier busing sequence for schools.
To view the new school hours, visit here. To view the 2010-2011 calendar, visit here.
For years, many families have expressed frustration with frequent half days in the school calendar. On January 12, the School Board approved the 2010-2011 calendar as proposed by the Joint Policy Committee, which is comprised of teachers, principals, School Board members and District administrators who work together within state statutory mandates to create the calendar. The 2010-2011 calendar features:
* Elimination of all half days while meeting the state's requirements for instructional time without adding any days.
* Reduction of $125,000 in transportation expenses.
* Continuation of the calendar's tradition of MEA, Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break days in the same time frame as previous years.
* Continuation of starting date after Labor Day and ending June 10, 2011.
The calendar also allows teachers to have valuable time to:
* Provide timely feedback to students and parents on major assignments.
* Participate in cross-level collaboration and to work on formative assessments.
* Continue their emphasis on student personalization, precision in instruction and staff development.
January 13, 2010 -- For years, many families have expressed frustration with frequent half days in the school calendar. In response to community feedback, Mounds View Public Schools will introduce a new school calendar next year that eliminates half days, increases instructional effectiveness, satisfies state requirements and reduces transportation costs. On January 12, the School Board approved the 2010-2011 calendar as proposed by the Joint Policy Committee, which is comprised of teachers, principals, School Board members and District administrators who work together within state statutory mandates to create the calendar. The 2010-2011 calendar features:
* Elimination of all half days while meeting the state’s requirements for instructional time without adding any days.
* Reduction of $125,000 in transportation expenses.
* Continuation of the calendar’s tradition of MEA, Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break days in the same time frame as previous years.
* Continuation of starting date after Labor Day and ending June 10, 2011.
* A shift requiring only slightly earlier starting times and slightly later ending times for schools while keeping virtually the same busing schedule currently in place.
The calendar also allows teachers to have valuable time to:
* Provide timely feedback to students and parents on major assignments.
* Participate in cross-level collaboration and to work on formative assessments.
* Continue their emphasis on student personalization, precision in instruction and staff development.
To view the calendar, visit here.
January 5, 2010 -- Stop feeling frustrated with your kids and start learning how to set firm limits, using Love and Logic. A series of free Parenting with Love and Logic sessions begins January 19 and runs through March 2 at Irondale High School. For more information on this Community Education offering, visit here.
December 11, 2009 -- Irondale High School and Mounds View High School were both named among the best high schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report (December 2009) for exceeding expectations when it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, and for preparing students for college. The magazine analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools and then placed selected schools into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories.
Irondale and Mounds View were among only 11 Minnesota high schools ranked in the silver category. No Minnesota high schools won gold medal honors.
YEAR 2 Q1 SAVINGS REPORT
YEAR 1 SAVINGS REPORT
December 2009 -- District staff and students have helped Mounds View Public Schools avoid more than $550,000 in energy costs since partnering with the Schools for Energy Efficiency® program in July of 2008. Energy analysis reports for the first quarter of year two show a total of $557,093 in energy savings from July 2008 to September 2009.
The District’s maintenance staff worked with a local mechanical contractor during the 2008-09 school year to update mechanical systems and introduce operational and equipment changes District-wide. These changes, along with updates to lighting and heating/cooling systems, made a significant contribution to the energy savings. Behavioral changes also contributed to the District’s overall energy savings. To motivate students and staff to become more energy conscious and to encourage changes to daily activities, site-specific SEE coordinators displayed energy awareness campaign materials throughout schools. Energy saving initiatives continue in 2009-10. Mechanical and equipment updates are underway this school year, along with a number of energy-saving student-focused programs.
To learn more about the SEE program and to view a site-specific savings chart, please click on the links posted above. To follow the District’s energy-saving progress and to receive quarterly reports, please subscribe to the News and Views e-newsletter by visiting www.moundsviewschools.org/enews.
With time and a continued commitment to saving energy, all District facilities are expected to achieve an overall 10 percent reduction in energy use. As we continue to work on energy saving strategies that work for the various sites, it is important to realize that every building is different and the degree to which each site can improve varies for a number of reasons. The Schools for Energy Efficiency® (SEE) group provides some explanation as to why some sites might consistently do better than others. Click here for details.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A FOX 9 STORY ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND MOUNDS VIEW SCHOOLS.
All District middle and high school students and parents now have online access to students’ Personal Learning Plans (PLP). PLPs allow parents and Deans to monitor if their student is on track to achieve proficiency, to graduate and ultimately to tackle a plan for life after high school.
How do they work?
· Throughout the year, middle and high school Deans will create unique goals for their students, drawing from academic data and personal connections.
· Students and parents can enter the parent portal SchoolView, click on a goal and view a list of recommended actions to meet the goal – from course suggestions, to tutoring opportunities, to practice tests, to increased homework check-ins.
· Families can also view the student’s progress made along the way, receiving performance benchmark data throughout the year.
To begin tapping this resource, log into the SchoolView parent portal here. To learn more about Personal Learning Plans, visit here.
Resources regarding H1N1 flu and Mounds View Public Schools will be posted here. Visit this site for the most up-to-date information we receive.
H1N1 vaccine is now more widely available from Ramsey County Health and Community Health Care Providers. Any parent interested can visit county web sites for scheduled clinics or other community health care providers. Visit www.mdhflu.com.
What are the facts?
10 things to know
What is the District doing?
The District's Influenza-like Illness Operational Plan
School closures
Education/Curriculum
Co-curriculars
Health Office Procedures
Building Maintenance Operations
Communications
Personnel
When should you keep your child home?
Screening tool for parents
Why get vaccinated for seasonal flu?
What you need to know. (Note = this information is NOT related to H1N1 vaccinations)
What about the H1N1 vaccine?
Department of Health fact sheet
How to get resources about flu?
Minnesotans with flu symptoms can call a toll-free line at 1-866-259-4655 for information and treatment options.
www.mdhflu.com
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/h1n1/basics/care
www.flu.gov
Para información sobre la H1N1 Influenza haga click aqui.
Yog Xav Paub Ntxiv Txog Tus Kab Mob H1N1 ua Lus Hmoob thov koj nias tus kab sab ntawm no.
H1N1 and Seasonal Flu resources from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in English, Spanish and
Vietnamese.
SchoolView is a parent portal that gives parents secure, electronic access to their student’s records. Teachers and staff in all of our schools will use this system to provide families with more consistent and reliable communications about their child’s progress than we’ve been able to offer before.
What's available on SchoolView?
Parents of elementary school students can view attendance records, test history, schedules, report cards and personal information. Parents of middle and high school students can view attendance records, test history, schedules, grades, assignments and personal information. High school transcripts are also available on SchoolView.
New this year for middle and high school families: Personal Learning Plans can be accessed on SchoolView. Click here to learn more.
Ready to log in?
Log in here.
New user?
Registration instructions here.
Need more help?
For additional assistance, send an e-mail to schoolview@moundsviewschools.org, with parents' names, student's name, address and phone number requesting assistance. Please note that requests may take up to a week during the beginning of school when there is high support request volume.
The first Latino Fiesta event of the year will be held on Friday, February 5 at 6 p.m. at Pike Lake Education Center. [View]
Mounds View Public Schools ranked among the top 10 districts in the state for the most National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. [View]
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