Media Releases Archive: 2009-2010

June

Edina youth program holds summer carnival for good cause
The Edina VEAP Food Drive and Summer Carnival kicks off July 1

Edina, Minn., June 25, 2010 – The Edina WISE Guys, a youth program run by Edina Community Education Services, will hold its annual Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) Food Drive and Summer Carnival July 1, 2010. The event serves to provide area children with a fun, safe and inexpensive way to kick off the Fourth of July weekend, while also raising money and food for area food banks. More

Edina recommends Lee for assistant director of special services

Edina, Minn., June 18, 2010 – Edina Public Schools is proud to announce its recommendation to hire Paul Lee as its newest assistant director for special services. Lee has worked for Edina for nine years, previously serving as team leader for special education services and as a school psychologist. The School Board will take action on this recommendation at the June 21 School Board meeting. More

May

Edina Public Schools hires Nash as new director of business services

Edina, Minn., May 18, 2010 – Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce its recommendation to hire Margo Nash as the District’s director of business services. The School Board took action on this recommendation at the May 17 School Board meeting.
She comes to Edina from Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, where she served as the director of business affairs for the past five years. More

Edina Elementary School receives Promising Practices Award
Creek Valley recognized for monthly assemblies promoting ethical values

Edina, Minn., May 20, 2010 – Creek Valley Elementary School was awarded a Promising Practices Award from the Minnesota Schools of Character recognition program on Thursday, May 20th at the State Capitol. The award recognizes schools in Minnesota that have developed and implemented a specific and unique practice that promotes character development in their schools. More

EPS students complete year-long service learning project with day of service at Eden Wood Center

Edina, Minn., May 14, 2010 – For the second consecutive year, more than 300 sixth-grade students from Valley View Middle School (VVMS) spent the day of May 12 doing service projects at Eden Wood Center, a program center providing services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. More

Edina Public Schools receives highest credit rating from Moody’s and Fitch

Edina, Minn., May 11, 2010 – Edina Public Schools (EPS) recently became the only district in Minnesota to receive top credit rating from two of the leading global ratings agencies. Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch recently bestowed their Aaa rating on the District, the highest assigned by either company. More

Edina High School Students to be recognized for Community Service
145 students receive letter in community service on May 20

Edina, Minn., May 10, 2010 –By packing more than 15,000 collective community service hours into their high school careers, a group of 145 charitably minded Edina High School students will be honored at an award ceremony for lettering in community service. On Thursday, May 20, Edina Public Schools (EPS) will host a recognition program for the students at 6 p.m. in the Edina Community Center Auditorium. More

April

Five Edina students awarded National Merit Scholarships

Edina, Minn., April 15, 2010 – Edina Public Schools congratulates five Edina High School seniors who were recently awarded with National Merit Scholarships. Jenny T. Rustad, Robert Fletcher, Silas Wallen-Friedman and Sharanya Srinivasan were all selected as winners of the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. Additionally, Thomas Schmidt was awarded the National Merit General Mills Foundation Scholarship. More

Valley View Middle School Service Squad will partner with Bridging, Inc. for donation drive April 23

Edina, Minn., Apr. 15, 2010 – The Valley View Middle School Service Squad decided to keep on trucking with Bridging, Inc. after positive feedback from community members and students last year. The student group wanted to incorporate the community and serve a local organization to tie-in with the charitable aspect of the All-School Party. More

Edina middle school student qualifies for USA Junior Mathematics Olympiad
Valley View Middle School student, Kevin Lu, one of 500 students to compete

Edina, Minn., April 14, 2010 – It is an honor merely to sit for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), but when Valley View Middle School (VVMS) eighth-grader Kevin Lu sat down to take it, he aimed high, scoring an 8 in an exam where the average score was a 4.2. Of the approximately 3,600 students who took the AIME, Lu was one of about 500 students invited to compete in the USA Junior Mathematics Olympiad (USA(J)MO). More

Edina Public Schools Celebrates Volunteers
Over 700 community members give time and energy to students

Edina, Minn., Apr. 9, 2010 – What better time to celebrate the volunteers who give their time and energy to support Edina Public Schools (EPS) than during National Volunteer Month. In the past year, volunteer roles have evolved from guest speakers to hands-on mentors in and outside the classroom. More

Edina Public Schools among ‘America’s 25 Best Schools for Your Housing Buck’
Forbes.com found Edina to be the best value of communities with a median house price of $400,000 or under

Edina, Minn., April 6, 2010 – National business publication Forbes.com recently named Edina Public Schools (EPS) one of “America’s 25 Best Schools for Your Housing Buck.” Edina placed at the top of its category, communities with median house prices valued at $400,000 or under. The 25 best schools are featured in the April 6 edition of Forbes.com.More

Edina Center for Adult Education offering free community enrichment
From camps for the recently unemployed to a community speaker series, this Spring there is something for everyone.

Edina, Minn., April 5, 2010 – Call it self improvement on a budget. The Edina Center for Adult Education is offering several upcoming events free of charge – from sports junkies to out of work employees, this lineup has something for everyone. More

March

Edina Middle School student to compete in National MATHCOUNTS
and Robotics Competitions
Kevin Lu took second place at the local math competition on March 13th.

Edina, Minn., Mar. 23, 2010 – Kevin Lu, an eighth-grade student at Valley View Middle School, was the second highest scorer at the March 13 MATHCOUNTS competition. What is he going to do next? He’s going to Disney World! More

Edina Public Schools to discuss 2010-11 budget at community meeting
Meeting scheduled for April 8 at 7 p.m.

Edina, Minn., March 18, 2010 – Edina Public Schools (EPS) will host a community meeting on Thursday, April 8, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. in the Edina Community Center auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss planning efforts and budget challenges facing the 2010-11 school year. More

Edina seventh-grader wins Minnesota Seven County Metro Area Regional Spelling Bee for second straight year

Edina, Minn., March 15, 2010 – For the second year in a row, Anja Beth Swoap is headed to Washington, D.C. to test her spelling skills against the best students across the country. More

Edina High School to host college fair
Over 90 colleges, military organizations, specialty schools attending

Edina, Minn., March 11, 2010 – It’s never too early to start thinking about one’s post-graduation life. Students from Edina High School (EHS) will get an opportunity to do just that later this month. More

February

Anderson chosen for Rotary Youth Exchange Program
Edina High School senior to leave for South Africa later this year

Edina, Minn., Feb. 19, 2010 – One Edina High School teen is getting a worldly education, in a very literal sense of the word. EHS junior Molly Anderson will leave for South Africa later this year, where she will study as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange program. More

EHS Concert Band to perform with nationally renowned musician

Edina, Minn., Feb. 18, 2009 – Some lucky Edina High School (EHS) students this week are getting the next best thing to working with Old Blue Eyes himself.The EHS Concert Band is proud to welcome Ray Coussins, formerly Frank Sinatra’s pianist of 14 years, to its 57th annual POPS Concert this weekend, Feb. 19 and 20. More

Edina High School senior awarded Free Spirit Scholarship

Edina, Minn., Feb. 11, 2010 – Edina Public Schools is proud to announce that Edina High School (EHS) student Hailey Lee was recently named a Minnesota recipient of the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship. More

Edina High School principal named Principal of the Year

Edina, Minn., Feb. 5, 2010 – The Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) named Dr. Bruce Locklear, principal of Edina High School (EHS), the 2010 Minnesota High School Principal of the Year. More

January

Edina Public Schools’ Project Lead The Way program receives $20,000 grant from Kern Family Foundation

Edina, Minn., Jan. 22, 2010 – Edina Public Schools (EPS) is proud to announce that it has received a $20,000 grant from the Kern Family Foundation to expand the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Tech Ed program at Edina High School (EHS). More

Charity 5k run/walk to benefit the Edina chapter of the A Better Chance Program

Edina, Minn., Jan. 22, 2010 – Runners across Edina will be voluntarily freezing their buns off this month for a good cause. On Saturday, Jan. 30, the Edina chapter of the A Better Chance (ABC) Program will hold its first-annual 5k run/walk fundraiser at Rosland Park in Edina. More

Edina Public Schools offer free Early Childhood Screening

Edina, Minn., Jan. 13, 2010 – Edina Public Schools will offer free early childhood developmental screening for Edina Public Schools children who are three and a half through five years old and who have not previously participated in an early childhood developmental screening. This screening is required prior to starting kindergarten in all Minnesota public schools.More

Two teachers from Edina Public Schools named TIES Exceptional Teachers

Edina, Minn., Jan. 06, 2010 – Two teachers from Edina Public Schools – Jennifer Buckley and Tracy Purdy – were named TIES Exceptional Teachers at the TIES 2009 Education Technology Conference in Minneapolis on Dec. 15. 65 teachers from 33 districts were chosen by their superintendents for this award, which recognizes teachers who model the best practices in using technology in their classroom and engaging students in learning. More

Dr. Schmidt named director of research and evaluation for Edina Public Schools

Edina, Minn., Jan. 04, 2010 – Edina Public Schools (EPS) is pleased toannounce its recommendation to hire Dr. Chad Schmidt as the director of research and evaluation. The School Board will take action on this recommendation at the Jan. 11 meeting. Schmidt will replace director Dr. Thel Kocher, who served in this position since August 2004 and retired at the end of 2009. More

December

Edina High School named a Silver Medalist School by national news magazine
Edina’s college readiness index higher than any recognized Minnesota school

Edina, Minn., Dec 17, 2009 – News magazine U.S. News & World Report named Edina High School (EHS) a Silver Medalist School due to its high performance on state assessment tests and its college readiness scores. More

Edina Public Schools selects Buettner as new technology director

Edina, Minn., Dec. 07, 2009 – Edina Public Schools (EPS) is pleased to announce its recommendation to hire Steven Buettner as the director of media and technology. The School Board took action on this recommendation at the Dec. 7 School Board meeting. Buettner will replace the current director Dr. Mike Burke, who is retiring at the end of December. More

Project Lead the Way classes receive certification to offer college credit

Edina, Minn., Dec. 21, 2009 – Edina Public Schools students interested in science, technology, engineering and math, now have the opportunity to earn college credit for their coursework. More

Dr. Kenneth A. Dragseth Wing at South View Middle School receives architectural excellence award

Edina, Minn., Dec. 04, 2009 – The Dr. Kenneth A. Dragseth Wing at South View Middle School now has an award that confirms its aesthetic appeal. The Minnesota branch of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Minnesota) bestowed the structure and the architecture firm that designed it – Perkins & Will – with a Minnesota Honor Award. More

Three Edina Public Schools teachers achieve National Board Certification

Edina, Minn., Dec. 04, 2009 –– Edina Public Schools congratulates three teachers who have recently achieved National Board Certification: John Hannemann, physical education teacher at Normandale Elementary; Steve Sanger, science teacher at Edina High School; and Elizabeth Barniskis, language arts teacher at Edina High School. More

November

CNN reporter to speak to Edina students and community about his international investigative reporting on human trafficking

Edina, Minn., Nov. 18, 2009 – On Friday, Nov. 20, Richard Lui, a national anchor for CNN Headline News, will speak to Edina students and the community about his investigative reporting in Indonesia on underage sex slavery and human trafficking. More

Valley View Middle School bus food drive benefits VEAP

Edina, Minn., Nov. 12, 2009 – A friendly competition between the bus drivers and students on Valley View Middle School buses 44 and 91 has transformed into a successful food drive that is serving community members in need. More

Natural play space at Edina elementary school brings learning and fun outside

Edina, Minn., Oct. 29, 2009 – At any point during the school day at Highlands Elementary, students can be found digging through clay, jumping from wood stumps, playing on dirt mogul hills, sitting around a paver pit or exploring a river bed in a new outdoor learning and natural play space. Situated next to the school playground, this growing project is showing students how to play and learn in the outdoors. More

Two Edina High School seniors honored with 'Achievement Awards in Writing'

Edina, Minn., Oct. 8, 2009 – Last month, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) honored 544 high school seniors for outstanding writing skills, and two Edina High School students were among them. Seniors Tom Schmidt and Sharanya Srinivasar were both named winners in the 2009 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing, which recognizes some of the best student writers in the nation. More

Concord Family Service Night lets families give back

Edina, Minn., Nov. 5, 2009 – The Concord Elementary PTO, Concord Cares Club and the local nonprofit Doing Good Together are working to create a culture of service, social action and charitable giving in our community by sponsoring the third annual Concord Family Service Night, opportunity for families to work on projects that support the local community. More

October

Students to take part in World Cultures Day at Creek Valley Elementary School

Edina, Minn., Oct. 19, 2009 – Students at Creek Valley Elementary School will participate in the second bi-annual World Cultures Day on Friday, Oct. 23. The event, which is sponsored by the Global Citizens Fund, will be held from approximately 9:40 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the school, which is located at 6401 Gleason Rd. in Edina. More

Edina Public Schools to offer free early childhood screening

Edina, Minn., Oct. 8, 2009 – Edina Public Schools will offer free early childhood developmental screening for children who live in the Edina District, are between the ages of three and half and five, and who have not previously participated in an early childhood developmental screening. More

September

17 Edina High School seniors named National Merit Semifinalists

Edina, Minn., Sept. 16, 2009 – Edina Public Schools congratulates the 17 seniors who were recently named National Merit Semifinalists. Approximately 16,000 students nationwide completed the National Merit Scholarship qualifying test (PSAT/NMSQT®) and were recognized as National Merit Semifinalists. More than 1.5 million juniors in more than 21,000 high schools participated in the 2009 National Merit Program. More

Valley View Middle School students to participate in creative pep fest

Edina, Minn., Sept. 16, 2009 – Students at Valley View Middle School are set to show their school spirit one week early. In anticipation of next week’s Edina High School Homecoming football game versus the Wayzata Trojans, the school is hosting a pre-pep fest on Friday, Sept. 18, at 9:08 a.m. in the school’s south gym. The event is expected to last a half hour. More

August 2009

Edina Public Schools strives to make AYP in 2009-2010
Subgroups improving but more work needs to be done

Edina, Minn., August 10, 2009 – Despite some notable progress, Edina Public Schools (EPS) recently learned it did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), a federal measure mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. More

July 2009

Edina students exhibit strong growth in science
Edina students outperformed state peers on the Minnesota Science Assessment

Edina, Minn., July 17, 2009 – Students of Edina Public Schools breezed through the recently beefed up Minnesota Science Assessment. All grade levels tested showed strong growth on the assessment. Furthermore, the percentage of Edina students who scored in the proficient range was about one and a half times greater than the corresponding number for the state. More

Edina Public Schools students continue to perform well on MCA-II assessment
Middle and high-school students exceed state average by 20 to 33 percent

Edina, Minn., July 6, 2009 – Edina Public Schools (EPS) recently learned the results of the 2008-2009 MCA-II assessments in reading and mathematics, and the results show that Edina students continue to perform well above the Minnesota average. More

National magazine names Edina a top 10 town for families
Edina Public Schools receives a perfect score

Edina, Minn., July 7, 2009 – National magazine Family Circle scouted the country for the 10 best towns for families and determined that Edina was among them. Edina Public Schools stood out in the survey, receiving the highest school ranking – 10 out of 10 – of any of the towns recognized. More