S H A K O P E E P U B L I C S C H O O L S

2 0 1 5Y E A R I N R E V I E W

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January 2016 As we open the door to 2016, I wanted to take a minute to reflect back on 2015 and highlight some of the memorable events that occurred within our District. It amazes me the caliber of students, staff, and Saber Pride that is shared within this publication. Thanks to our community, we celebrated a successful referendum this past May. We are able to ease our enrollment crunch in our buildings and provide increased access to technology to our teachers and to our students with a secure funding source. It also gave us the ability to re-imagine what our High School and Pearson 6th Grade Center will look like in the future. A lot of work has been done since the passing of the referendum. Teachers, coaches, and staff of the District, along with parents and community members, have formed committees to ensure that the needs of students and community will be met. Construction is scheduled to begin summer of 2016, with the project complete in fall of 2018. In 2016, as every year, we are committed to providing the best educational experience possible. Our focus is on continuous improvement and communication. We will continue to update you through our newsletters, School Board Briefs, and District emails. Take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. I hope you enjoy this 2015 Year in Review and feel the same sense of pride as I do about the dedication of our staff and quality of our eductaion. Thank you again for your continued commitment to our students and entire school community. Dr. Rod Thompson Superintendent, Shakopee Public Schools

High School Class of 2015 Commencement Almost 500 students of the high school class of 2015 received their diplomas at Grace Church on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Shakopee Public Schools is dedicated to providing our students an education experience that makes them college and career ready. The senior class of 2016 is again almost at 500 students and will be receiving their diplomas on Saturday, June 11, 2016.

Kindergarten Class of 2027 Graduation

This past year was the first year the District implemented all-day, every-day programing for our kindergarteners. New kindergarten classrooms were added onto each of our elementary schools to accommodate the new program. We incorporated new comprehensive, literacy-rich curriculum, integrated with technology through the use of iPads to ensure our students get a great start to their educational journey.

Shakopee Schools joins CAPS Network and Offers New Programming We were pleased to announce our network membership in the Blue Valley's Center for Advanced Professional Studies located in Kansas. "We believe in what the CAPS Program can do for our students providing an authentic, real-world experience that will benefit them for a life-time," said Dr. Rod Thompson, Shakopee Superintendent. The CAPS Program is an elective program for juniors and seniors that immerses students into authentic career experiences with the help of local business partners. Students earn dual credit with Shakopee High School and Normandale Community College. Shakopee partnered with two area businesses to rollout the program in the fall 2015, St. Francis Regional Medical Center and Shutterfly. Students in the Healthcare and Medicine CAPS Program at St. Francis Regional Medical Center were fully immersed in the healthcare field with unprecedented access to real-world experiences. Students in the Digital Design CAPS Program explored areas of graphic design, web design, and digital photography on the campus of Shutterfly's Shakopee location. They also learned about design methods, theory, and creative problem solving that are used in the design industry today.

Focus on Professional Development for Staff Our Teaching & Learning Department is the District’s leaders in professional development. They are dedicated to researching best practices, supporting and encouraging ongoing reflection and innovation for individual learners and teachers. They strive to inspire, encourage, and support all learners as they look to maximize their potential. Teaching & Learning provides programs and services in the areas of curriculum and instruction, academic support for the entire range of learners, research and assessment, instructional technologies, and professional learning and development. Some of the areas of focus in 2015 were;

• Literacy best-practices • Technology integration • Gradual release of responsibility • Innovative programming • Data retreat • Training and planning through articulation

teams • Site visits to see innovative and

transformational learning spaces • Add Vantage Math Recovery • Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s)

Referendum Victory and Post Vote Committee Work Following the successful May 5, 2015 Special Election, the School District organized a number of groups that helped guide the next steps for the construction process. Planning and user groups consisted of staff, students, School Board, and community members whom provided input, established priorities, guided design and assisted with transition planning for the high school addition and related projects. Although the Shakopee School Board makes the final decisions, they were looking for input in the design and development phase from community and school leaders. There were many decisions to make moving forward and having input from all stakeholders was important.

Saber Pride Throughout

2015

Congrats!

District Opens Welcome Center for a One-Stop Enrollment Center The District’s Welcome Center is a one-stop location to enroll your children in school. When families come to the Welcome Center they can learn more about the District and complete necessary paperwork to enroll. We can also help connect you with community resources, athletics and activities information, preschool registration, and more. The Welcome Center is located in our District Office (1200 Town Square) and regular hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tiny Girl Big Dream with Friendship Benches Shakopee Public Schools and My Appliance Source of Shakopee came together to ‘bench’ bullying in our schools with the Tiny Girl Big Dream initiative. Tiny Girl Big Dream places friendship benches in schools all around the country. The program was started by 12-year-old Acacia Woodley, who was born

without complete arms. Her goal is to create a place at schools where students can go when being bullied or having a bad day so that others will know when that student needs a friend or a show of support by sitting on the bench with them. We were excited and thankful to My Appliance Source who donated this special bench to each of our elementary schools and Pearson 6th Grade Center. The benches are great additions to the bully-free environment that all of our schools are working hard to create.

The Shakopee Alumni Association operates as a voice for Shakopee alumni and friends and focuses on five key goals:

1. Encourage a continuing relationship between alumni and the Shakopee School District 2. Organize alumni activities and support class reunions 3. Contribute human and financial resources to the Shakopee Public Schools 4. Establish an Athletics and Activities Fund (AAF) to provide a permanent source of income to

support athletics and activities in the Shakopee Public School District 5. Establish a Fine Arts Fund (FAF) to provide a permanent source of income to support fine arts

activities in the Shakopee Public School District

The only requirement for alumni association membership is a love for Shakopee Public Schools. Become a member to start connecting with the network of Shakopee High School alumni and to help support current Shakopee Public Schools members. You can join by visiting the membership page at www.shakopeealumniassociation.org. The Shakopee Alumni Association would like to thank all who were able to celebrate the 2015 Hall of Fame. Inductees were honored on September 25, 2015 by friends, family, and community members. Congratulations again to all inductees! If you have someone you would like to nominate for the 2016 Hall of Fame contact Denise Doran, Communication Specialist, at ddoran@shakopee.k12.mn.us or at 952-496-5992.

Hall of Fame Class of 2015

Climate Change Conference Representative Shakopee High School science teacher Billy Koenig was chosen as one of 10 Education Ambassadors from the United States to attend the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris, France.

TIES Exceptional Teacher Award Congratulations to Sara Connell, kindergarten teacher at Sun Path, and Kaitlin Wermerskirchen, kindergarten teacher at Jackson, for receiving the TIES Exceptional Teacher Award.

Outstanding Lifetime Contribution Award Congratulations to Mike Burlager, Director of Business Services. He received the MASBO (Minnesota Association of School Business Officials) Outstanding Lifetime Contribution Award and was the very first recipient of this prestigious award.

All-State School Board Shakopee School Board Member Mary Romansky was named to the 2016 All-State School Board in early January. This is Minnesota School Board Association’s most prestigious award. Congratulations to Mary on a well-deserved honor.

Started the 2015-16 school year

with 8,188 students

Ended 2015 with

1,914 Followers

Our volunteers clocked in

28,000 documented hours

FROM THE DESK OF...

SuperintendentDr. Rod Thompson

1 MILLION

Our College in the Schools students earned more than

WORTH OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CREDITS LAST YEAR

To learn more about referendum and construction updates subscribe to our From the Desk of Superintendent Dr. Rod Thompson’s newsletter by visiting www.shakopee.k12.mn.us/page/7334

Shakopee Public Schools1200 Town Square - Shakopee, MN 55379

www.shakopee.k12.mn.us