Category Archives: Uncategorized

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.

Aaron Hilden

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.

Crosswinds orchestra plays for Chinese exchange visitors

Perpich Arts High School Info Session, Saturday 10/12

If you know of any 10th or 11th graders who are interested in arts-centered education for their last years of high school, please encourage them to check out Perpich Arts High School. We will be hosting the first info session of the year tomorrow, Saturday 10/12 from 1-3 pm at the Arts High School. You can find out more though the facebook event.

For those that wish to attend an info session, but can’t make it tomorrow, there will be two additional sessions on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 11 from 1-3 p.m.

Your help in spreading the word is much appreciated, as word of mouth continues to be one of the major ways that students find out that Perpich exists as an option for their schooling.

EMID Board Meets on 10/16

The EMID Board will be meeting at Crosswinds from here on out. The next board meeting is on Wednesday 10/16 at 5:30 at Crosswinds.

This month’s packet is in two parts (part 1, part 2). There are two items of note for families:

EMID has signed a contract with Kris Amundson to provide lobbying services. They have expanded the contract from previous years to include building conveyance.
There is a full EMID report in the packet which includes data on student achievement.

Dr. John Jackson for Parents United, 10/22

Our good friends at Parents United for Public Schools are having a great event with Dr. John Jackson speaking about education for all. We thought you might like to know the details of this event, so here is the announcement from Parents United:

Registration is now open! It is rare when Parents United is able to host a speaker with the distinction of John H. Jackson but we are fortunate, with the help of several co-sponsors, to do so at 7pm on October 22. Because we believe you should hear what Dr. Jackson has to say, we are making this event available at no cost.

Dr. Jackson is the CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education. In partnership with the Institute for America’s Future, the National Opportunity to Learn Campaign and the Education Opportunity Network, the foundation has launched a national campaign, An Education Declaration to Rebuild America:

For too long, policymakers have pushed an education agenda that imposes top-down standards and high-stakes testing while ignoring the supports that students need. A new approach is needed, based on these seven principles:

All students have a right to learn.

Public education is a public good.

Investments in education must be equitable and sufficient.

Learning must be engaging and relevant.

Teachers are professionals.

Discipline policies should keep students in schools.

National responsibility should complement local control.

This Declaration aligns with Parents United’s principles as we call on Minnesota’s leaders to move beyond political gamesmanship, deliver strong leadership, and engage the public productively and authentically in the urgent need of providing the best public schools for our children.

While it is free, reservations are required and space is limited. Please register today.

EMID Board Meets on 9/18

While Crosswinds and Harambee are of to a fantastic start this year, we are still counting on the EMID board to support their work during this transitional year. According to the board packet, the EMID Board will be getting an update on the schools, considering models of parent engagement, and discussing changes in the management contract with Perpich for Crosswinds. This meeting will be on Wednesday, 9/18 at 5:30pm at Harambee. Please join other families there and let the board know we continue to care about our schools and expect their support of that work.

If you would like to be involved in EMID Families organizing, we will be having a meeting of our own prior to this board meeting. All are welcome at 3pm on Sunday 9/15 at 3pm. We will be gathering in conference room B of the Stafford Branch of the Washington County Library.

Crosswinds Rises!

Not hearing as much from EMID Families this year? Mostly that’s because our schools are in good hands and everyone is hard at work. But today was a special day at Crosswinds and we thought you should know. Here’s how principal Carlondrea Hines put it:

Some Giant Inflatable Thingys took over Crosswinds Arts and Science School this morning and KARE-11 TV was here to cover it for tonight’s news!

Six teams of Crosswinds students and 11th- and 12th-grade mentors from the Perpich Arts High School artscience program in Golden Valley took plastic drop sheets, packing tape, markers, string and scissors to create an amazing array of “Giant Inflatable Thingys” on the plaza and grass in front of our school. Perpich visual arts instructor, Pat Benincasa explained: A giant inflatable thingy is where “Einstein meets Picasso. That’s where art and science ignite into possibility.”

The project was a community-building activity between our students and teachers to honor National Education in the Arts Week and to involve the students in design, problem solving and innovation. The thingys created ranged from giant cubes from the “it’s a cube not a square team,” a 30-foot crayon winning the tallest award, a spectacular waving willow tree, a “plastisaurus gorgeous,” a huge parachute with all its members inside and a monument to “Crosswinds and Perpich United.” As you know, Perpich Center for Arts Education manages both schools as of this school year.

The only rule was that the thingys had to be at least 10 feet tall. They were inflated with large portable blower fans and bounced and waved as the on-looking students and faculty cheered with excitement. State Rep. Joann Ward (Woodbury) and Perpich executive director Sue Mackert served as judges, giving awards for such qualities as widest, tallest and “wow factor.”

Thanks to all the Perpich and Crosswinds staff, faculty and students who made this project so successful! We are still accepting enrollments, so be sure and tell your friends to watch the KARE-11 TV news broadcast tonight to catch a glimpse of our students and their giant inflatable thingys.

Cordially,

Dr. Carlondrea Hines
Crosswinds Principal