Mounds View Public Schools

News and Views -- April 25, 2008

Mounds Viewing
Web visitors can now regularly view a variety of short videos posted online at www.moundsviewschools.org. This month, watch the Mounds View High School Viewettes perform, learn more about H20 for Life, catch the Mounds View Physics Fair on KARE 11, check out what Super Summer is offering, catch a skit from the teachers’ Chalkboard Capers program or enjoy an Irondale bass ensemble performance. Have an idea for a great video we can share? Send your idea or video to pr@moundsviewschools.org.

Art show
The District’s annual art show will take place on April 28 at 6 p.m. at Irondale High School and will include works-of-art from schools throughout Mounds View Public Schools. Art show attendees can do their part to fight hunger by participating in the “Empty Bowls” soup and bread dinner that will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Proceeds from the $5 soup and bread dinner, and the sale of $5 ceramic bowls (crafted by students from Valentine Hills Elementary School, Pinewood Elementary School and Irondale), will go to local food shelves. For more information, contact Carol Seidenkranz or Jason Hendrix at 651-639-6209 ext. 3748 or 3728.

Board vacancy
School Board member Noreen Thompson recently announced her resignation from the School Board after four years of service. Her resignation is effective May 30, 2008. The Board is taking applications to fill the remainder of Thompson’s term that expires January 4, 2010. Interested and qualified candidates can download an application at www.moundsviewschools.org/pdf/FormBG-0113.pdf or contact the Superintendent’s Office at Snail Lake Education Center, 350 Highway 96 West, Shoreview. The application deadline is April 29. Potential applicants will be interviewed at a public work session in the evening of May 5, 2008, at Snail Lake Education Center. Details on the procedures for filling a Board vacancy are available at www.moundsviewschools.org/pdf/policyBG-0113.pdf. For information on the responsibilities of School Board members, visit www.moundsviewschools.org/sb_responsibilities.asp.

Fun Run
Join school and city officials for the annual 621 Education Foundation Fun Run and walk or run one mile, 1K or 5K to support Mounds View Public Schools. The Fun Run will kick-off with the area Cities’ Mayor/Superintendent Race at 1 p.m. on May 4, at Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton. Event proceeds will be used for classroom grants and signature projects in Mounds View Public Schools next school year. For more information, and to learn how to register, please visit www.moundsviewschools.org/news.asp.

Survey says . . .
What do our schools feel like? More than 1,000 people told us, through our online survey and our Chalkboard Chatroom last month. In general, parents and staff consider the District a welcoming, safe and respectful environment. Staff considered the recent efforts to address employee wellness “worthwhile,” however they were about evenly split on the amount of impact such efforts had on their behaviors. A wide spectrum of concerns and compliments were offered in the Chalkboard Chatroom. The most frequent themes for needed improvements included school entrance security, nutrition efforts in food service, school start times and transportation tiers, desire for improved school-to-home electronic communication and consistently addressing student-to-student issues of respect. Links to the survey results, the Chatroom comments and an executive survey are posted at www.moundsviewschools.org.

Legislative update
On April 4, 2008, the governor signed into law revised legislation allowing school board members with conflicts of interest to simply abstain from voting on contracts in which they have a conflict of interest. After last fall’s election, Mounds View Public Schools’ legal counsel notified the District that a statute required that any School Board member with a conflict of interest must either resign or be removed from elected office. As previously written, this statute had the potential to affect a recently elected School Board member whose husband is an employee of Mounds View Public Schools.

Editor's note: Super Summer
Time’s almost up. The deadline to register for Mounds View’s Super Summer program is May 2. Watch a video preview of this year’s program at www.moundsviewschools.org/news.asp?docID=1494 and download a Super Summer course brochure as well. Super Summer returns for the fourth year and is packed with fun new offerings for students currently in grades 1-7 including enrichment programs like book writing and illustrating, art, science, technology, African drumming and more.