April 13, 2016 Vol. 1, Issue 12

High School Theater to Present Hamlet The Shakopee High School Theater Department will present William Shakespeare’s Hamlet in three separate performances, April 22-24. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23, as well as a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday, April 24. “The cast has dedicated long hours to this production and are excited to have an audience,” Director Thom Amundsen said. The cast list includes Billy Sealy (Hamlet), Jayden Luikens (King Claudius), Ethan Martin (Polonius), Jake Russett (Horatio), Visith Kour (Laertes), Miranda Meuller (Ophelia), Talia Fittante (Queen Gertrude), Steve Strawser (Rosencrantz), Jake Limberg (Ghost), Ankith Arun (Marcellus), Phillip Hoffarth (Guildenstern), Austin Kellogg (Osrick), Markus Babris (Barnardo), TJ Abens (Fortinbras), and David Braun (Reynaldo). Those with ensemble roles include Miranda Sharp, Myia Ann Butler, Claire Gurholt, Lydia Johnson, Noelle Lynch, Frannie Mamer, Taylor Myhre, Sonya Rose, Allison Schue, Mallory Sharp, Kaitlyn Smith, Alex Thompson, and Kameryn Wilmes.

Tickets are free for Shakopee students and staff with a school I.D. Other tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students and seniors.

Bjerken Named New Principal at Pearson Dr. Kevin Bjerken, current Assistant Principal at Shakopee West Junior High, has been named the new Principal of Pearson Sixth Grade Center, effective July 1, 2016. Bjerken will replace Angela Turry, who has accepted a new principal position in the Roseville City School District in California. “Kevin is an experienced and respected leader who is committed to our vision of providing an excellent education to all students,” Superintendent Dr. Rod Thompson said. “Kevin has displayed a commitment to teacher development and instructional improvement as well as an ability to connect with students and build relationships with parents. We feel lucky to have such a strong internal candidate to fill this important position of leadership in our District.”

 

 

April 17-23 is Volunteer Week in Shakopee

April 17-23 is Volunteer Week in Shakopee Schools and an opportunity for all of us to acknowledge the important role volunteers play in classrooms and behind the scenes in our district. Our volunteers, whether they are parents, grandparents, community members, business people or staff volunteering outside of their paid work day, contribute in countless ways to student success. Last school year more than 1800 volunteers gave in excess of 29,000 documented hours of service to support district programs and staff.

Thank you to staff for your extra efforts to include volunteers as part of the educational team. You play a major role in helping our district function effectively. The warm, friendly atmosphere you provide and the appreciation you show play a part in recruiting and retaining district volunteers. Whether you work directly with volunteers or simply greet them as they come and go, your efforts are important. Please take a minute during Volunteer Week to let some of our volunteers know how much you appreciate the work that they do!

Summer Community Ed Catalog Now Available

The Summer 2016 Shakopee Public Schools Community Education Catalog has been mailed to every district household and is also available online. Shakopee Community Education offers hundreds of opportunities for people of all ages to learn, to get involved, and to serve. Drones, Belly Dancing, Swim Camp, and Taiko Drumming are just a few of the classes in this summer’s catalog. There are plenty of fun opportunities for learners of all ages! Online registration is available and many youth classes offer an early registration discount. Questions can be directed to 952-496-5029.

 

 

Two Tweets Not on … By Dave Orlowsky

Should we teach students how to respond to results/feedback? They get results that are really good, not so good, surprising, expected, or whatever. What’s their response? Fix it, ask questions, work harder, laugh, throw away, ignore, give up, reach further? Is this teachable? (280)

Red Oak Has Record Breaking Food Drive

The Red Oak Student Council Food Drive was a huge success this year as the school was able to donate 1,275 pounds of food to the CAP Agency.

Pearson Celebrates Career Day

Wednesday, March 30 was Career Day at Pearson Sixth Grade Center. Students dressed up based on what they want to be in future. This clever student decided to dress like Assistant Principal Adam Dittberner and pulled it off quite well!

 

 

AVID 10th Graders Visit Augsburg College

Shakopee High School AVID 10th graders visited Augsburg College on March 23. They participated in a Q&A with a student panel, spoke with an admissions counselor, and toured the college escorted by Auggie students.

Shakopee Celebrates Reading Event Promotes Literacy for First Graders

Shakopee Public Schools first graders attended the 10th Annual Shakopee Celebrates Reading event at the High School on Tuesday, April 12. Sponsored by the Shakopee Rotary Club, this annual event allows first graders to enjoy a program in the auditorium and take home a book of their choice along with a backpack.

 

 

Saber Athletics News & Notes

Boys’ Hockey Team Wins Section Academic Award

Boys’ Tennis Team Ranked No. 3 in Early Season Poll

Baseball Team Ranked No. 19 in Class 4A

The Shakopee boys’ hockey team, coached by Ed Loiselle, was named the Section 2AA Academic Champions for the 2015-16 season by the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association after the team posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.40.

The Shakopee boys’ tennis team is ranked No. 3 in the latest Class 2A poll distributed by the coaches association. Only Mounds View and East Ridge are currently ranked ahead of the Sabers. The team’s No. 1 singles player, senior Jackson Allen, is currently the No. 1 ranked individual in Class 2A. The team is scheduled to host Rosemount in a South Suburban Conference match on Thursday, April 14 at 3:45 p.m., before hosting Blake, the No. 1 ranked team in Class A, on Friday, April 15 at 4 p.m.

The Shakopee baseball team will be open its season this week, ranked No. 19 in Class 4A by the publication Lets

Play Baseball. The Sabers are led this season by a strong senior class including Logan Becker, Mason Gregoire, Peter Hagstrom, Drew Hanbury, Travis Larsen, Sam Loraas, Eric Nicholas, Jacob Poppitz, Pehrnel Poppitz, Ryan Rentz, and Matt Theis. The Sabers will travel to Farmington for a 4:30 p.m. game on Wednesday, April 13 before returning to Tahpah Park to host Lakeville North at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14.

Signing Ceremony Held for D3 Student-Athletes

The District held a signing ceremony on Wednesday, April 13 for a number of student-athletes who plan to continue their athletic careers at the Division III level next year. Those honored included Logan Becker, Nicole Vogel, Raja Arul, Raghu Inturi, Alex Gaul, and Ryanne Millis.

 

 

Koenig and Loiselle Present in Pittsburgh

Shakopee High School teachers Billy Koenig and Ed Loiseele, along with University of Minnesota Instructional Technology Fellow Senenge Andzenge presented at the 2016 Green Schools Conference & Expo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 1. The trio’s presentation was titled “Outdoor Classroom: Connecting Learners and Community through Environmental Science and Service Learning.”

April is Occupational Therapy Month

April is Occupational Therapy Month and so we would like to recognize our excellent occupational therapists here in Shakopee! Pictured from left to right are Steph Kaste, Jennie Rice and Becky Bernard. Beth Ausman is another of the District’s occupational therapists who is not pictured. These four individuals have been instrumental in helping a group of University of Minnesota students develop a new product called Nesel Packs (the blue backpack in the photo). Nesel Packs are backpacks specially designed for students affected by autism so they can feel a sense of comfort with them at all times. Thank you to our talented OT’s!!

 

 

Two Will Compete at State Speech Tourney The Minnesota State High School League State Speech Tournament will take place April 15-16 and Shakopee will be represented by seniors Phoebe Hessen and Bonia Biju. Hessen qualified for state in the Original Oratory event with her piece “The Power of Pessimism.” Biju qualified for state in the Serious Interpretation – Prose event and will use the memoir “My Life as a Traitor” by Zarah Ghahramani. The team competed in the Section 2AA Speech Tournament on Saturday, April 9 and had 13 students advance to the semifinal rounds. Section semifinalists: Tejesh Bhimavarapu and Koushik Mamidala in Discussion; Sithara Sunny in Extemporaneous Reading; Leticia Wamulumba in Extemporaneous Speaking; Eric Heidal and Ethan Martin in Humorous Interpretation; Alanna Hentges and Iran Sheik-Mural in Informative Speaking; Benjamin Allard and Phoebe Hessen in Original Oratory; Kamala Nair in Serious Poetry; Bonia Biju in Serious Prose; and Elizabeth Wendt in Storytelling. Five students advanced to the final round and received places in their respective events. Biju and Hessen both placed second in order to advance to this weekend’s state tournament. Bhimavarapu placed fourth in Discussion; Wendt placed sixth in storytelling; and Nair placed sixth in the Serious Poetry. “We have an amazing team this year. Most of the seniors have been involved with speech for four and in some cases five years,” Coach Rachael Evenson said. “As a result, we have very strong leadership. Having 13 students advance to semifinals and then five to finals speaks to the years of work and dedication coming to fruition for these students. Because of the example this senior group has set, and the support they have given the younger members, we have seen real dedication to quality in the team as a whole. I am very proud of all of our team members who have achieved personal success as well as competitive goals throughout the season.”

Four Selected For Concordia Honor Band Shakopee High School had four students selected to the 2016 Concordia College Honor Band. Bri King, Sara Villalobos, Alanna Hentges, and Perry Brennan were able to spend the weekend of April 1-3 on the Moorhead campus, rehearsing and performing challenging repertoire under the direction of Dr. Peter Haberman, the director of bands at Concordia College as well as guest conductors, Steven Bryant and Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant.

 

 

Play for Patrick Heart Screen Event is Saturday

Teachers and staff, please encourage any students ages 14-18, to register for the April 16th Play for Patrick event, where they can receive a free heart screening. The event will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Shakopee East Junior High. The Play for Patrick youth heart screening includes a heart health survey investigating signs and symptoms/family history of a cardiac condition, blood pressure, ECG, echocardiogram and consultation. Interested students can register online at playforpatrick.org.

Upcoming Events

Community Ed to Host 2016 Vehicle Fair Shakopee Community Education invites you to the 2016 Vehicle Fair. This free event for ALL ages is filled with many amazing vehicles, activities, door prizes, and much more! Explore a fire truck, ambulance, and race car. Learn how to make a pinewood derby car, investigate the Scott County Mobile Crime Scene Lab, and see robotics vehicles in action. Plus, rumor has it there will be a Life Link helicopter! Free hot dog meals to the first 500 participants. WHAT: 2016 Vehicle Fair WHEN: 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 19 WHERE: Shakopee High School North parking lot

 

 

Save the Date!

Calendars can fill up fast! Make sure you put these four important dates on your calendar so you don’t miss out on the fun! The Shakopee Alumni Association will host it’s second annual gala on Friday, April 22 from 5:30 p.m. to midnight at Mystic Lake. The School District will host it’s annual recognition and retiree celebration on Friday, June 3 at Canterbury Park. The grand opening for Vaughan Field will be Friday, September 9. Homecoming and the annual Hall of Fame celebration will be held on Friday, September 30.