The EMID Board will meet on Wednesday at 5:30pm on 12/18 at Crosswinds School. As usual, the board will welcome public comment at the start of the meeting. The board packet for December indicates that the board will, among other things, discuss their legislative agenda and the withdrawal of South Washington County (ISD 833) from the collaborative.
Author Archives: Eric Celeste
Perpich wins grant for Crosswinds-related project
The Perpich Center for Arts Education has won a $17,900 grant for a project that will leverage work Anna B. has done with the Crosswinds media center and local libraries into a statewide professional development project for literacy equity.
Here is the announcement from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) awards by MDE:
Perpich Center for the Arts – $17,900
“Literacy Equity: Engaging Resourceful Community Knowledge”
Literacy Equity: Engaging Resourceful Community Knowledge will build and reinforce partnerships between school media centers and local community libraries so that both are better able to engage partnerships and resources in response to the emerging needs of their communities and provide targeted outreach to under-served populations. In this professional development project, participants will develop literacies related to improving water quality and building a cross-cultural school community around a particular community need. Participants will learn strategies for identifying and partnering with organizations, individuals and families to build collective literacy about the changing quality of our shared watersheds, and to better understand and share the cultural assets of the school and local communities.
Congratulations to Perpich and Crosswinds!
Crosswinds Arts Night and Bake Sale, 12/19
Crosswinds will be celebrating the arts on Thursday, December 19, from 7-8:30pm. Come see the Orchestra, Theater, Art, and Band programs all celebrate the best of Crosswinds. And there will be a bake sale as well! Here’s the flyer.
Contact Torria at 651-379-2603 or torria.randall@crosswindsmn.org if you are interested in volunteering at the event or donating baked goods to the bake sale.
Also, if you are a current Crosswinds family, there will also be a chance to learn more about the Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports (PBIS) program starting at 4:30 the same Thursday evening.
EMID Families Meeting, 12/8
EMID Families will be meeting on Sunday, 12/8, at 3pm at the Rondo Branch of Saint Paul Public Library (461 N Dale St, Saint Paul 55103). Look for us in the Children’s Room there.
We will have an update on the legislative situation and what we as families can do to help ensure a successful handoff of Crosswinds to Perpich and Harambee to Roseville. We will also be focussed on our plans for an integration initiative to carry on a conversation about the importance of real integration in our schools to Minnesota. Please join us, we especially hope that by meeting at the Rondo Library more families from Saint Paul can take part on Sunday.
Everyone is welcome, especially families new to Harambee or Crosswinds! Please come and be part of building the future for our schools.
Crosswinds Community Partnership, 12/2
The monthly Crosswinds Community Partnership (CCP) meeting is next Monday December 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the atrium at Crosswinds. Charles will be our facilitator, Eric will present our new website, Kelly will introduce the family rubric, and more. Come be a part of this ever evolving partnership!
EMID Board Meets on 11/20
The next board meeting is on Wednesday 11/20 at 5:30 at Crosswinds.
This month’s board packet includes the legislative agenda the EMID board plans to discuss:
- We support the conveyance of Harambee Elementary School to ISD 623 Roseville Public Schools for the continued purpose of serving as a multi-district integration school effective July 1, 2014.
- We support the conveyance of Crosswinds Arts and Science Magnet School to Perpich Center for the Arts for the continued purpose of serving as a multi-district integration school effective July 1, 2014.
- We support the continuation of EMID as an Integration District supporting the East Metro Area.
- We request adequate and continuing integration funding supporting the student, staff, and family shared services to support integration and equity across the member districts.
- We request flexibility in budgeting to provide more opportunities for professional development and organizational support (versus 80% student service, 10% professional development, 10% administration) in order to make systemic changes.
If the board does adopt this agenda, we will be in a strong position to finally get conveyance of the schools to their new partners in 2014. Please join us at this meeting to urge the EMID board to speak with a unified voice on this very important agenda item.
Remembering Aaron Hilden
This week Crosswinds lost its wonderful band teacher, Aaron Hilden. This is the official notice.
Aaron Larry Hilden, age 37 of St. Paul, MN and formerly of River Falls, died unexpectedly at his home due to complications associated with Type 1 Diabetes on Sunday, October 27, 2013. A Fueral Service will be held on Monday, November 4, 2013 at 2 pm at the First Covenant Church 1374 North Main Street River Falls (use Quarry Road entrance due to construction). Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 3, 2013 from 3-7 pm at the Bakken-Young Funeral Home 805 E Division Street River Falls and on Monday from 1-2 pm at the church. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery in River Falls, WI.
We are all devastated. Here is what Perpich Director Sue Mackert just sent to Perpich staff and faculty:
Dear Friends,
Aaron’s funeral will be Monday, November 4, 2 p.m. at the First Covenant Church, 1374 North Main Street, River Falls, Wisconsin. Visitation will be heldthis Sunday evening from 3-7 p.m. at the Bakken-Young Funeral Home, 805 E. Division Street, River Falls and on Monday from 1-2 p.m. at the church. There is construction near the church, so it is recommended that you use the Quarry Road entrance.
I am so proud that the Arts High choir will be singing at the funeral. Music heals. Crosswinds students have been expressing their feelings by making beautiful, heartfelt cards. They have been writing of his humor, his ‘coolness’ and the fact that he “is the greatest teacher ever!” Today, a faculty member shared a YouTube video of Aaron with his daughter, as well as Aaron’s blog on being a parent. Aaron simply loved young people and received great joy in offering guidance and developing their skills.
So fortunate we all have been to know this fine teacher and friend. I wish you all comfort and peace.
Many of our Crosswinds students will be grieving Aaron’s loss. In such a short time he had a big impact on our families. Hold them close.
EMID Families Meeting, 11/3
As you know, EMID Families can never rest for long! Work progresses on three fronts: supporting our schools during this interim year of management by Roseville and Perpich, preparing for a legislative session vital to the permanent assignment of Harambee and Crosswinds to Roseville and Perpich, and an integration initiative to carry on a conversation about the importance of real integration in our schools to Minnesota. If you are interested in helping with any of these initiatives, please come to our next meeting!
EMID Families will be meeting on Sunday, 11/3, at 3pm at the Maplewood Branch of Ramsey County Library (3025 Southlawn Drive, Maplewood, MN 55109). Just look for us in the Community Program Room there.
Everyone is welcome, especially families new to Harambee or Crosswinds! Please come and be part of building the future for our schools.
Mike B. for Schools
If you live in the Roseville Area District 623 school district, you have a chance to vote for one of EMID Families’ own parent leaders, Mike Boguszewski, for your school board. Kitty Gogins is also running for reelection in District 623, and she has been quite supportive of Harambee and Crosswinds, but you get three votes for school board and you really should consider Mike.
If you have not met Mike yet, or would like to gather with other EMID friends who are supporting him, please join us on Sunday (yes, tomorrow, 10/20) at 2pm at Eric and Mary’s house, 1993 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul. If you can’t make it to meet Mike (so sorry about the short notice), please check out his website at mikebforschools.com and consider a donation via Paypal.
Please remember that election day is on Tuesday, November 5, this year. Many of us have school board candidates to consider, like John Brodrick who has gone out on a limb for us in Saint Paul. Make sure you get out to vote!
Chinese students visit Crosswinds
A delegation from China visited Perpich and Crosswinds this week. Take a look at this wonderful post in the Woodbury Patch, “Music reaches across cultures when Chinese students visit Crosswinds Arts and Science School,” to see more pictures and learn more about the visit.
Here is a bonus picture, that also includes a glimpse of the new orchestra teacher and our students playing for the Chinese visitors.
