Author Archives: Eric Celeste

EMID Families meets Wednesday, 10/1

Please join us for our first EMID Families group meeting of the new year. We will start at 7pm on Wednesday 10/1. We will probably meet at Crosswinds in the health/cooking room (first floor, straight back, under the stairs), that is being confirmed. If you need child care in order to attend, please contact Eric.

Get an update on the 622 timeline (including 2009/2010 transportation plans), the Mahtomedi plans, and EMID board actions! Help us set our schedule for the year, with feedback from our survey. Hear about a 10/20 Parents United meeting with Mary Cecconi and upcoming school board elections. We have a busy year coming up, be a part of it!

Meeting with Superintendent Carl Wahlstrom, 7/22

The EMID Families group has arranged to meet with EMID Superintendent Carl Wahlstrom this month, on Tuesday, 7/22, at 11am. We will be meeting in the “Annex” at the Harambee school to discuss the progress with district 622 plans, EMID plans for new participants in the collaborative, and the ways families can be helpful to the district.

If you would like to join us for this meeting, send a note to Eric saying you will be there. We need a count so that the EMID staff can prepare a properly sized room. This meeting is open to all, just RSVP so we can get the count. Thanks!

EMID Families meets Wednesday, 6/25

Please join us for our next EMID Families group meeting. We will meet at Crosswinds in the health/cooking room (first floor, straight back, under the stairs). We will start at 7pm. Amy’s older kids can provide childcare, but Amy asks that you let her know if you will need this service.

Get an update on the 622 timeline, the Mahtomedi plans, EMID board actions and more!

Mounds View partners with 622

The Pioneer Press ran a story that “Mounds View Public Schools officials have decided to explore an integration collaboration with neighboring districts.” It goes on to say, “The district will team up with the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale and Mahtomedi school districts to study the idea. A formal collaboration has not been formed, but it’s on the horizon.”

Full story is here.

Mahtomedi sets up group to consider integration plan

At tonight’s EMID board meeting Kevin Donovan (651-407-8983, mksbdonovan@comcast.net) shared the news that the Mahtomedi School Board is setting up a group to consider their integration investments, including the pros and cons of continued participation in EMID. This was just a brief announcement during the Board Forum section of them meeting, so it did not appear on the agenda. After the meeting Kevin told me that the Mahtomedi board expects the group to conclude its work and issue a report by January 2009. Note that the next deadline for pulling out of the EMID collaborative is during February 2009. Kevin stressed that Mahtomedi hopes to get parents involved in the group and told me the best way to indicate interest in taking part would be to contact the Superintendent, Mark Wolak (651-407-2001, mwolak@mahtomedi.k12.mn.us).

No recording of EMID board meetings

The EMID board determined at its work session that it was not going to follow up on the suggestion of a digital video camera for the schools to record the board meetings. It sounds like the board calculated at the work session that getting professional-quality recordings of the board meetings would cost $8,000-12,000 per year, dwarfing the cost of equipment. This means that those families who had pledged to support the purchase of the camera are now officially off the hook.