Hello everyone. I'm David Law, superintendent of Minnotonka Public Schools. >> And I'm Kimray Foss, the vice chair of the Minnitankka School Board. >> We're glad you're able to join us for our schoolboard recognitions program. It's important to take time to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our
students, staff, and community members. >> We begin most of our regular board meetings with recognitions to highlight the positive impact that so many different people make in our district. Tonight we are recognizing National Merit semi- finalists from the class of
2026. ACT top score earners from the class of 2026. 202526 student honored teachers national merit commended students from the class of 2026.
Newly named AP scholars with distinction from the 2425 school year. a Minnesota Department of Education Scholar of Distinction and an award earned for the design of the new Vantage Momentum building. >> We will begin with our National Merit
semi- finalists, ACT top score earners, and honored teachers. These groups were celebrated last week at our fourth annual scholars breakfast. 28 Minnotonka High School seniors were named the 2026 National Merit
Semi-finalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. >> The students scored among the nation's best on the PSAT, which serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is taken during the junior year.
>> As semi- finalists, these students are eligible for incredible scholarships to support their post-secary education. They represent the top 1% of all PSAT test takers. Our National Merit semi-finalists from the class of 2026
include Olivia Babe, Luke Breton, Milan Dargy, Cooper Dobbins, Tyler Dodge, Jacob Gendro, Lucas Granucci, Henry Gustiffson, Adam Hail, Thomas Holland,
Anora Islam, Simron Core, Benjamin Krauss, and Grayson Lee. Alexander Matson, Isa Moheit, Matias Murdik, Delain Navorska, Oliver Nelson, Christenza Nielsen, Adith
Rebello, Maximus Ren, Manuel Romero Maspoli, Jada Silver, Liam Sullivan, Annie Tan, Mark Turkot, and Khloe Joe. Congratulations to each of you.
During the scholar breakfast, we also recognized students from the class of 2026 who have earned the top score of 36 on the ACT. Those students include Lucas Granucci, Eric Kowalsski, Benjamin
Krauss, Alexander Matson, Manuel Romero Maspoli, and Liam Sullivan. >> Congratulations students. During the scholars breakfast program, each of these students had the opportunity to recognize a Minnotonka teacher who has made a profound impact on their
education. >> Students shared remarks about their teachers at the event and we are pleased to present those remarks now. >> Hi, my name is Olivia Babe and I am honoring Mrs. Katov. Mrs. Katov, my years in Navigators with
you seem like a long time ago, but I will always carry the foundations I learned and the skills I learned as part of my character. I learned how to be curious and never stop asking questions, which has followed me today and to my future. I learned to chase what I am
passionate about because everything we discussed and learned about from ancient philosophies to the extensive history and culture behind the winter solstice you made so fascinating and thoughtprovoking that it made acquiring knowledge in itself a love of mine.
Thank you for inspiring me to learn, challenge myself and grow. Thank you. >> Okay. Hi, my name is Milan Dargy and I'd like to honor M. Rogers. I had Miss Rogers as a AP human geo teacher freshman year and I couldn't have asked
for a better teacher to launch me at MHS. She's always so supportive and a tireless advocate for her students. So, for example, when I wanted to start a club, she was our adviser and helped me push through so many challenges in that endeavor. And although I was a stious
kid who always sat in the front, midway through the year, she had to move me to the back to be like a role model for some of the, let's say, less studious kids. And she knew that they would benefit from seeing some more people around them working. But more importantly, she knew
that I would grow with this leadership opportunity. And I think that's one of the things that demonstrates how Miss Rogers really knows and cares for all of her students. So, thank you for everything, Miss Rogers. So today I'd like to nominate a teacher
in whose class I got a uh straight C's. So I I'm Cooper Dobbins and today I'd like to nominate um my 11th grade AP English literature teacher um Miss Hayden. Um, I
English was not necessarily my best subject for most of my life, but she provided a class that I found engaging, enjoyable, and truly challenging in a way that I learned could be genuinely valuable. I loved my classmates and our material, but because of Hayden's teaching, the class simultaneously
became one of my hardest classes and the one I looked forward to most every single day. I think she genuinely helped me realize what literature could mean, what it can do in a way I would have never experienced otherwise. And even as I was not always her best student, she
was always my best teacher. Uh, I'm Tyler Dodge and I would like to nominate uh John Douglas. Now, I always thought I was pretty good at this English thing until I uh got my first essay back in his class and got a straight B. Um, but
after that point, I realized like, you know what, maybe I have a little more learning to do. And John Douglas was the perfect person to teach me that cuz he does more than just like preach or lecture when he teaches in the classroom. He shows a passion not just
for the the books in class, but the subject of literature as a whole. And that passion and love of the subject uh translates to everything he does in that class from dramatic readings of a Shakespeare in general to anecdotes of his own storied life connecting to the
lesson every day. Um outside of class, I've gotten to know him as my extended extended essay adviser. um where he's currently reading my draft um and giving me comments about why it's terrible um inspiring me to be a better writer every
single day. [Applause] >> Hi, I'm Jacob Jendro and I want to honor Miss A. So, one sec, one sec. Miss A, uh I want to
be completely honest. I have no idea what your official role was at Minawashta. Not a clue. But it didn't matter because every day we got to learn from you was a genuinely awesome day. You made learning everything that it has
become for me. You came every single day with a smile on your face, jokes ready to crack, made us dress up as an Amelia Bedilia talent show one time, which is pretty interesting. But Mrs. today. Even though I might not remember your official role, to me,
you'll always be known as my favorite teacher ever. Thank you. [Applause] >> Hi, my name is Lucas Granuji and I'd like to nominate Miss Mcuarter.
[Applause] I couldn't have asked for a better class and teacher for my junior year than Minnetonka Research with Miss Mcuarter or Miss Mick. Miss Mcuarter has a magical ability to create a serious fun environment in her class, allowing
discussions about hypothetically turning the school into an algae farm to run a mock while still pushing every student to do their best. I knew I wouldn't have had the success in school or at science fairs without Miss Mcorder. Keep making your class the place to be and the
highlight of students days. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] >> My name is Adam Hail and I'd like to nominate Miss Batterman. Miss Batterman made the learning extremely fun every day and I looked forward to her class at
the start of every day. Every moment with her was like a new lesson learned. whether it was about microeconomics or just life in general. I could go to her with any problem I had and she would provide me um with safety and comfort. I felt like I not only had a great
teacher, but I also had a great friend. [Applause] Hi, my name is Anora Islam and I'd like to nominate Miss Ron, my AP biology teacher. Miss Ron is an amazing teacher that goes above and beyond in so many
ways. Having her for AP biology truly cemented my love for the subject because of her incredible teaching skills and her her magical ability to connect with people. She has supported me immensely through my junior year and her encouragement is part of why I want to pursue biology after high school. I am
truly so grateful to have her as my teacher and I know that I will carry the lessons she's taught me both in biology and in life with me as I embark on the next journey. [Applause] Hi, my name is Simancor and I would like
to nominate Mr. Nommen. Domin, when I complained to you about the DiffyQ final because the review packet had the wrong answers, you said something to me that really struck a chord. I know we have a good relationship because you aren't afraid
to get mad at me. At the time, I brushed it off and resumed losing my mind. But I later realized that I wouldn't have been able to speak my mind like that in the past. I learned that skill from you. You aren't afraid to tell people the truth. You don't sugarcoat what you say, and
your words carry so much more meaning because of it. Thank you for bringing out that part of me, and I will forever be grateful that I was in your class. [Applause] >> Uh, okay. Good morning, everyone. I'm Eric Kowalsski and I'm honoring Miss
Nandukumar, my ninth grade physics teacher. [Applause] Uh, so Miss Nundukumar, I would really like to thank you for your wonderful influence on my education, on my view of learning and on my personality. Um, so I
don't know if you do this every year, but there's this class photo we took the day before the day of our AP exam. Uh, recently resurfaced. I was uh sent it last year. Um, and there's a few people in this photo who are with us today and then people in the audience of course as well. And so I took it uh being the
ninth grade social anxious mess I was um as the first physical sign of kind of the web's thriving community um at MHS and especially in your class because we did a lot of group work uh and interclass collaboration. Uh and so in all my years in high school, I've been
able to enter your room to that culture of seizing communication. Um it's something I've lived by. So, thank you so much for being kind, for being thorough, um, and for instilling such a strong value for working with people. Thank you.
[Applause] >> Um, good morning everyone. My name is Grayson Lee and today I'm very excited to nominate Miss Mcuarter again. Um, I'm sorry for dragging you here so early in the morning. Um, I just wanted to say thank you so much for being a constant
source of support both inside and outside of the classroom. Um, you always have gone the extra mile for all of your students. Um, whether it's helping work through experimental design or helping advise club um
or you know sharing connections with your students that help them grow to their highest potential in research. Um, though I've only been enrolled in one of your research classes, I've attended probably around three or four. Um, and in each one of those, I can say that
your unique ability to dissect confusion um, into just crystal clear um, plans moving forward um, brings your classes together. And more than that, your genuine kindness and excitedness to see us learn has really made every class
that I've witnessed of yours a real joy. So, thank you so much. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] >> Hello everyone. Uh, I'm Alex Matson. I think this is kind of a full circle
moment for me. Uh, two years ago, I got to stand different room, different recognition, but same teacher and I was just starting a class. And when I took it, it was kind of like I wasn't English wasn't my thing. It was the subject I sacrificed. But I think this is really a
teacher who challenged me uh helped me find my voice in my writing, in my speaking, and helped me discover my love for public policy. So without further ado, please join me in thanking Miss Harley. [Applause]
[Applause] >> I'm Matias and I'm nominating Dr. Se for this award. [Applause] Dr. Se teaches chemistry and forensic sciences at MHS and two years ago she
taught my AP chemistry class which was the class that I have the fondest memories of out of any class I've ever taken. Dr. Se is very intelligent and has a deep understanding of both chemistry and how to teach it to her students. But more importantly, she has a very deep love for teaching and for her students, which I'm certain that all
of her students could attest to. Dr. to say thank you for one year of the best memories ever. >> Hey everyone, uh my name is Oliver Nelson and I will be nominating Mr. Rydermire. Um I was only in his class first semester of 9th grade. So um
forgive me if I get some details wrong. That was three years ago. Um but I remember one class period in particular um when we were watching an hourong YouTube video about something like population pyramids. I didn't care at all about population pyramids, but Mr.
Writer had this very genuine enthusiasm about it. Um, and it was totally contagious, at least for me. Um, and that was to the point that I really enjoyed the video and learning about the topic later on. And this was true about many topics in that class. Um, one more
thing is that he made us talk to each other a lot, which was very important as freshman's um, learning the ropes of the high school. Um, and both of those things really stuck with me. So, thank you, Mr. Rydermire. >> Uh, good morning. My name is Christen
Zenielen, and I'm honoring Miss Finn Somerfeld. I can't say enough about Miss Finn. She is insightful, quick-witted, and warm. I'm so delighted to have this opportunity today to recognize her with this award. One of the greatest honors I've received is a passing comment Miss
Finn made to my mom my sophomore year that I reminded her of herself when she was my age. to become even more like Miss Finn would constitute real success. For so many years, orchestra has been a haven. Walking through the door and being greeted by Finn with a smile, I know that for an hour I can feel relief
and joy. Miss Finn has made my day every day for three years. Miss Finn, thank you so much. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Hello, my name is Audra and I'm um
honoring my microeconomics teacher, Mr. Coleman. Mr. Coleman, you opened the door to the industry of economics and finance that I otherwise might not have explored. You were so kind and answered all of my questions after class, which I stayed
for, for quite a bit of time. And believe me, there were quite a lot of questions. At the same time, you urged me to think critically and apply my knowledge to issues around the world. You helped me both professionally and personally. We talked about everything from our weird
Spotify wrapped playlists, our love for the wicked movie, and your alternate persona as a DJ. Jazzy, I won't spill all your secrets today. Um, you're a major reason I want to go into finance in college to both continue the passion I cultivated with you in the classroom
and to open up the doors for others who might not be in the same place I was last year when you opened the door for me. Our conversations always provided me with economies of scale. Thank you, Mr. Coleman, for igniting my curiosity and helping me become the person I am today. [Applause]
[Music] Hi, my name is Manuel Romero Makoli and I will be nominating Miss Nanukumar. Hi, Miss Nanukumar. So, Miss Nanukumar was the best guide I could have asked for in high school. In ninth grade, she laid my foundations, urging me to ask
questions, even if it meant stopping the entire class. I think we counted at the end of the year in one class period. I asked like 35 questions in one class. It was crazy. She was patient with me and always willing to help even after ninth grade. In fact, as part of a Vantage
Shark Tank project, she was happy to stay after school and work out some design problems with us, helping us reach far in the competition. So, on questions or big projects, Miss Nanukar was always there and for that, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
[Applause] [Music] [Applause] Um, my name is Jada Silver and I'm here to honor Dr. Se who I had for uh AP chemistry and forensics. Uh, Dr. Se, thank you for caring so much
about your students and being so supportive, accommodating, and understanding. Dr. say is always someone that your um her students can go to about anything and she is always there to listen and to help as she has done for me on numerous occasions. Uh Dr. Se,
thank you for genuinely caring so much about your students well-being and for understanding the stress that we deal with and making it very clear that you're going out of your way in your class to do anything you can to lessen that stress. Um thank you for always going the extra mile and for being so passionate about what you teach. It has
made such a big impact for me. We are so lucky to have you at MHS. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] My name is Liam Sullivan and I'd like to honor my fourth and fifth grade teacher,
Ali Alawani. Mrs. Alawani made learning fun for me and encouraged my interest in all kinds of subjects. I couldn't have achieved the same things I have now without the amount of encouragement and engagement that I got from her class. It was always a lot of fun to be in and she still
focused on learning at the same time. I remember how excited she got one time when discussions started to get really good and the strong sense of community that she always had in her classroom. Thank you for a wonderful elementary school experience.
[Applause] Hello, I'm Annie Tan and I have I'm beyond excited to get the opportunity to also nominate Miss Nanda Kumar for this wonderful award. Um, she was the teacher
that everyone called the dragon, but also the teacher that set our standards for a MHS educator skyhigh. She was the one who taught me how to love learning instead of loving to obsess over your schooly grades. She saw the value in
questions and at times even push back lessons so our class could ask away. There was never a question too hard for this class or too easy to go over again. She always found a way to encourage our curiosity. Thank you so much Miss Nanda
Kumar. [Applause] Hello, I am Mark Turkot and I am nominating Miss Ikler for this award. [Applause] I doubt you remember this story. Uh but
back freshman year, I had skipped pre-calc to be in your calc class. And about this time of year, I started to be like that was maybe a mistake. Uh uh and I remember coming into your
classroom during sale time of all things early uh and saying something along the lines of uh why am I doing this to myself? Why am I taking calculus? And I just remember hearing from across the room, because you're good at it.
Uh and I look up and there you were smiling at me. Uh, and I just want you to know that I still will think back to that moment and that quote when I am feeling insecure about my abilities and that was uh the cornerstone of my
college essay that I wrote this year. So, thank you >> teachers. Thank you for the difference you make each day for our students. We are truly grateful for your dedication and impact. Congratulations again to our students and thank you to the families, teachers,
and friends who have supported our students in their efforts throughout their time in Minnetonka. >> Next, we'll recognize three more groups of students who have achieved outstanding academic honors. the class of 2026 National Merit Commended
Scholars, the AP Scholars with Distinction from the class of 2024-25, and a Minnesota Department of Education Scholar of Distinction. >> Earning these awards requires an incredible amount of hard work and dedication. We asked these honores to
share a class at MHS that has inspired them and has had an impact on their academic journey. >> Here's what they shared with us. Hello, my name is Andreas Waxson and I'm a sophomore. I am very honored to have received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. Even though it was a struggle, I
pushed through it and I'm very grateful for my friends, teachers, and parents for helping me work through it. I think the AP course that most impacted my studies was AP Physics. While it seemed scary at first, it turned out to be a lot of fun and it completely changed the way I see the world.
>> Name is Isaac. I'm the class of 2026 and a senior. One class that significantly impacted my future was AP Physics Mechanic C. Uh Mr. Gelder is a great teacher. He made the class very fun and engaging. He also taught a lot about
systems and how different forces work as well as how they are going to be applied in real life. And that altered my tra future trajectory by making me want to focus more on mechanical engineering.
And I hope to be able to apply the concepts I learned here into my future career. >> My name is Bean Baker and I'm a freshman at Kansas State University, Minnetonka graduate of 2025. I've taken AP Spanish, AP Literature and Language, AP Language
and Composition, AP Calculus, and AP Psychology, as well as a few IB classes like IB Bio, IB Littton Lang, and Spanish. Through taking these courses, I was able to adequately prepare for the college workload and establish study habits that have set me up for success. They've taught me to ask for help, use
the resources provided, and create connections in and outside of the classroom. With a multitude of projects, long hours of studying, and college exams, my experience in these courses pushed me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine that requires hard work, persistence, and determination. Thank you so much to Minnotonka Public
Schools for all the incredible experiences and opportunities that have shaped me into the student person I am today. >> Hi, my name is Amelia Moreno and I'm a junior. Two classes that really shaped my education were a push and AP Lang composition. A push gave me a deep understanding of a country's past and both AP lang and a push through the few
response questions made me a better essay writer and effective usable evidence. Mr. Mundle made a push super engaging and one of my favorite classes. >> Hi, my name is Daisy Wong and I'm a junior and the mindset I learned to adopt after being successful in multiple AP courses is the mindset that you are
capable of doing well in the class. Although the material may seem complicated or overwhelming at times, AP is not made to be impossible or make or to make you suffer. They are challenged. AP classes are a challenge that can be taken on with the right strategies and positive mindsets. And also the ability
to understand yourself and how you learn is also very important as well as learning the actual material and being engaged in class and present every day that you are. National Merit commended students are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for showing outstanding academic promise.
They have all scored within the top 4% of PSAT test takers nationwide. This year, 46 Minnitankka High School seniors have been named National Merit Commended Scholars. Our National Merit commended students from the class of 2026 include
Zoya Agamirzi, Lux Bodell, Aiden Brindle Larson, J Bucler, Elliot Burroughs, Michael Kai, Logan Cole, Tatum Angerson,
Savino Fales, Sha Fes, and Matthew Fry. Brady Ginsburg, Bradock Hokinson, Garrett Holtgrren, Giana Jordan,
Michaela Kangas, Riley Kelly, Maximleian Kenny, Mi Kurana, Alexander Coralv, Eric Kowalsski, and Braden Lzinski, >> Curtis Lindall, Drew Maul, Ryan Matthew,
Samuel McHugh, Nik Nikita Natraj, Alexandra Nelson, Katherine Nielsen, Naomi New Patton, John Prisbella, Aniroode Pulvaryy, Jacob Roach, Isaac Schmidz,
>> Zachary Seer, Salony Sivatum, Alexander Sue, Henry Stilly, Augustine Stro, Reese Ulette, Abigail Venel, Michael White, Sylvia Wong, Victoria
Wyatt, Isaac Yang, and Asher Zipkin. The AP Scholars with Distinction designation is granted by the College Board to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all of their AP exams and who receive a score of three or
higher on five or more of these exams. The students we will recognize tonight achieved the AP scholar with distinction recognition for the first time based on their AP exam scores from the 202425 school year. Student honores from the
class of 25 include Natalyia Abizova, Matteo Alde Kosa, Madison Ambrose, Lillian Anderson, Megan Baker, Sophia Bevvis, Michael Brandright,
Reese Carlson, Olivia Carney, Llaya Cashman, >> Claire Chapman, Gustaf Davidson, Tully Desmond, Benjamin Dvolve, Isabella Dirks, Alex Dragsith, Evan
Ferrell, Leo Feist, Zoe Garcia, Lauren Gernis, >> Tespanesh Goodall, Ayana Griswald, Nicole Grimova, Leah Grund, Archerald, Hadley Morris, Molly Hansen Hilton,
Elliot Hill, Dylan Hudgens, Khloe Johnson, Jack Cano, James Cohhat, Bridget Coller, Evan Kolupo, Joshua Larson, Grayson Lewis, Jude
Lenir, Jack Malik, Amelia Mallet, Harvey, Joe McCannalie, Anthony Macaulay, >> Wyatt Nie, Beckett Nestrom, Silver Oakman, Ari
Elias Petran, Ava Pint, Lucas Poppin, Fiero, Ruby Rock, Ethan Robinson, William Rolf, >> Anna Rosen, Mia Rush,
Marin Sabins, Owen Sali, Charlie Scholman, Sasha Shukalovich, Benjamin Sipple, Maisie Smith, Kiara Squires, Grace Stall,
Hunter Stockm, Arjun Thompson, Charlotte Timba, Haley Townsend, Levi Trombbley, Athena Timchuk, Audra Unlab, Cash Wagner,
Megan Weekes, and Jacob Weiss. AP scholars with distinction from the class of 2026 include Jacob Adams, Lara Axen, Carmen Alexander, Aninsley Allen,
Garrett Alstrin, Ryland Ascoff, Vera Ballard, Benjamin Barnescus, Ireland Kalen, Clara Carlson, >> Benjamin Carney, Leard Cassidy, Elizabeth Cpek, Payton Christensen,
William Clint, Logan Cole, Connor Cox, Cooper Dobbins, Caroline Dosek, Quinn Ericson, >> Aiden Fine, Nathan Fine, Colin Fiser,
Martino Francisco, Ty Gaffne, Isabella Gillis, Brady Ginsburg, Lucas Granucci, Siona Harris, Rehea Harris, Paris, >> Joseph Heights, Garrett Holtrren, Daxton
Hurt, Anora Islam, Benjamin Jabs, Caleb Johnson, Libby Krueger, Tobiiah Lang, Brock Larson, Yenna Lots, >> Meer Langaling,
Alexander Levenson, Johannes Lindon, Ezer Lipnik, Evelyn Long, Sadi Longo, Alexander Macccasco, Ilana Mockler, Daria Maxwell, Regan
McCarthy, >> John Paul Mary, Dorothy Moral, Matias Murdock, Rachel Newton, Naomi New Patton, Amelia Olsen, Matilda Olsen, Colin Ostendorf,
Dylan Oley, Scarlett Penhalo, >> Claire Pening, Oscar Post, Ava Proninski, Lucy Pranzinski, Lucas Quackenbush, Jaden Radel, Cooper
Rena, Adith Rebello, Karishma Rebello, Elise Rashuse, >> Lewis, Ripple, Sha Rook, Anushia, Saddle, Isaac Schmidz, Rory Shane,
Becket Jinski, Stella Scott, Isabella Seaffort, Dane Samurski, Tez Chirol, >> Anna Seagull, William Stein, Lydia
Stevenson, River Stein, Augustine Stro, Raymond Taha, Dominic Tanutso, Andrew Ty, Graham Thompson, Reese Ullette, Sophia Wallace, Bodie Whitnner,
Nina Yakalev, Aiden Zabzaka, and Alexander Show. AP scholars with distinction from the class of 2027 include Braden Abbott, Bridget Abizova,
Emma Agraoroy Bolos, Anas Ali, Ryik Emmerath, Andre Anderson Barrera, Kate Anderson, Ana Aurora, Amelia Oed, Harris Benson,
>> Natalie Berg, Kyle Best, Reed Bevvis, Tieran Bar Klene, Anne Buffington, Owen Kai, Thomas Calhoun Lopez, Ania Carlson, Isabelle Chen, Nadia
Chose, >> Laura Coen Ortiz, Cooper Kulch, Margaret Andrew Donaldson, Elizabeth Donahghue, Davis Doran, Anthony Dosef, Oscar Doyle, Kyle
Drew, Sarah Duffy, Aiden Dwang, Megan Eisenman, Bo Elder, Noah Farnum, Jquelyn Fitzgibbons, Audrey Get, Emma Goldsmith, Anukica
Graham, Evelyn Hill, Emma Hollands, >> Lydia Hul, Ava Husted, Thomas Jacobosquez, Mera Giant, Robert Jyn, Oliver Jones,
William Keenan, Stella Keller, Aaliyah Kamsa, Aaron Kim, >> Adam Clobe, Hingen Kong, Benjamin Coal, Sophia Mason Kyper, Tyler Lambert,
Eloise Luin, Van Lee, Joshua Lee, Allison Lei, >> Bella Lassinski, Cali McFarland, Lucas Malheros, Blake Maul, William Martin,
L. McIntyre, Taylor Meyer, Amelio Moreno, Emerson Morgan, Rebecca Moss, Vivian Nuin, Ananda Newivanes, Bang,
River Olsen, Loe, Alexandra Perry, Samantha Patuis, David Pant, Arouche Pomar, Carson Roush, Michael Ratford, Zeke Rosenstein,
>> Asher Ruby, Lucia Ruhof, Brody Samira, Elias Simmons, Mila Sloan, Marcus Solto, Luke Sonerol, Eric Stannerson,
Stella Sushi, Gus Sullivan, >> Nolan Sullivan, Sawyer, Tatty, Eve Sander, Tan, Daniel Trifenov, Kendrick Trin, Finnegan Vanhee, Adithia
Vasant, Nikita Vashish, Simone Vesladal, Xander Vulby, Floor, >> Pavle Waloff, Wilson Walker, Daisy Wong, Joselyn Wong,
Elizabeth Watt, Connor Waxel, Audrey Williams, Joseph Wolf, Isabelle Wong, Ari Yavelman, Natalyia Yreco,
Eric Jien, Lucas Jiang, Grace Xiao, and Eva Simone Zorn. And AP scholars with distinction from the class of 2028 include Mingchi Mur,
Alexander Miller, Alex Ren, Addison Shei, Evan Trang, and Andreas Wallixson. Congratulations again to each of our AP scholars with distinction. This summer, the Minnesota Department of Education
announced its scholars of distinction awards. To earn this recognition, a student must complete required work in Minnesota academic standards, demonstrate mastery of complex subject matter, and apply their knowledge and skills on a challenging project.
>> Senior Melen Darji was one of only 15 students from across the state selected for this honor and one of five in the science category. Milan was recognized in the science category for his project custom enzymes to custom care re-engineering enzyme specificity. In
it, he developed a methodology that he could speed up the development of new medicines and help lessen environmental waste. >> Congratulations for achieving this outstanding honor. Milen, >> our last recognition of the evening is one earned for the Vantage Momentum building. The building earned the
outstanding design distinction by American School and University magazine in their annual education interior showcase. >> This is the 12th award of this type that Minnotonka Schools has earned for facilities design and construction since
2008. Congratulations to Paul Bourgeois, executive director of operations and finance, and to all of our community stakeholders, including students, teachers, administrators, community members, and professionals who are involved in the design and construction of this amazing learning environment.
That concludes our recognition program for this evening. Thank you again for celebrating with us. >> The school board meeting will begin shortly. I'll now call the November 13, 2025 meeting of the Minnotonka School Board to order. Uh first off, I want to introduce our student board
representatives, Izzy Shas and Lucas Gran. And now we'll all rise and say a pledge to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> May I have a motion to adopt the agenda? >> So moved. >> Dan, may I have a second? >> Second. >> Camarie, uh, any discussion, changes, or additions?
Hearing none. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? We have an agenda and the first item on that agenda is a school report from MME Superintendent Law. Mr. Chair, members of the board, each month we have a different school in the district present to the board at the
start of a school meeting or start of a board meeting, excuse me. Today's school report is Minnotaka Middle School East. Each of these reports is intended to be an update on what's happening in the school and also an update on some of the board goals. Tonight, you're going to hear a little bit about our new middle
school schedule. Principal Dimit. >> Good evening, Superintendent Law, Mr. Chair, and members of the board. I have with me uh this evening our student government executive officers and I've asked them to come tonight to talk a little bit about uh their perceptions
and the feedback they've heard from other students about how the new middle school model has been um has been going for them. So, as you know, this fall we made substantial uh changes to the middle school model, including moving to
a block schedule, um changing the registration process and elective opportunities for our students and offering a significant number of new courses, elective courses for our students and uh core courses as well.
And so, uh, given the complexity of our master schedule, uh, probably there's not another middle school in the country that has a master schedule as complex as ours, given that we're running two different immersion programs, uh, three tiers of of courses in most of our core
classes, and a vast variety of different elective opportunities. We knew that, uh, making these changes was going to be a huge lift. And so uh we also knew that it was going to require us to do a significant continuous uh monitoring and
adjusting as we unrolled the schedule. And we also knew that we needed to be looking at a timeline of of at least 3 years uh before we got everything dialed in and had everything performing uh the way that we wanted. And so this fall
when we rolled out the schedule after a lot of uh blood, sweat, and tears, uh we were uh equal parts proud of actually accomplishing this uh and nervous and excited to see how it was going to actually play out and what students
would think about it. And now here we are uh one quarter into the school year. And one quarter in is is the first mark where I feel we've had enough time under our belt where we could take a step back and start asking how is it going, what's
working, and where do we need to make adjustments. And so to help me with that work, I've really tapped into our student government officers and I've challenged them to uh get out there and talk to the students and ask the students uh how they were feeling things
were going and specifically asking them to um get feedback on how is the block schedule working uh how is the new advisory format working? uh how is the new crew academy course uh working and
uh how are the new elective courses that we're offering working and so I'm really excited to have our officers with us tonight and they're going to walk you through each of these categories and share feedback that they've received from students in terms of what are the wins and also what are the areas that we
could look at improving both this year and and as we implement uh year two. So, uh, I'm going to call up our student executive board officers, Brooks, Eli, Mave, and Leah. Hi, my name is Brooks and I'm the vice
president. What I'll be talking about is some of the things that are going really well with the block scheduling and what I've heard from students that they really like about it. Oh, yeah. Uh, one thing that we've seen is that students find it really useful for
managing their time. They think that with the longer blocks, they get more work time, which means that they have less homework and that makes their managing their time a lot easier. Another thing is that with having core classes every other day other than math,
it allows for them to have two nights for each of their homework assignments. And a lot of students I've talked to think that that's a really good way for them to kind of space out their work and in the end have less homework. Another thing is that the teachers, from what
I've seen, are actually adjusting really well to the new schedule. I came to school on the first day thinking maybe it would take a really long time for the teachers to kind of dial in how much they need to teach, how to space it out. But what I've seen and what a lot of the
students I talked to have said is that it's actually the teachers have transitioned really easily into this and they've actually found a way to find a good balance between teaching time and study time during each hour even though
they only teach every other day. So, that's definitely a huge win. And I'm going to be passing it to Eli to tell us about some ideas. >> Uh, hello. My name is Eli Shaw. I am the publicist and I'll be talking about some
of the ideas that students have come up with for the ideas of improving. Uh, some the student the students that I've been that I have talked to say that classes can be hard to focus for 82 minutes. I know that some of them may have some learning disabilities that
make it hard for them to focus and it is challenging for some. And then another one is some teachers are still figuring out pacing. Some teachers may put in they've said that some of their teachers may put in two lessons and some may not
and uh they may not like it or not. And then another one is some feel math every day is a lot. We have math every day instead of every other day. And then we have the skinnies. And most students that I've talked to have said they don't really
enjoy it that way. I'll be passing it on to um uh Leah and Mave for advisory. >> Hello, my name is M. I am the treasurer and secretary for our student leadership. and I'm going to talk about
the pros or the wins of having advisory this year. Um, as an immersion student, we are all really glad to all have advisory this year. We think that's it's very nice that we have that and not just um non-emersion students. Another thing
is that most students enjoy having mixed grades. We feel that it's a great way to connect and we also feel like it's a great way that students can ask questions and um get their work done. Another thing that is helpful about
advisory is having flex two times a week because it's sort of a study hall and we get to get our work done as well as ask questions to this teacher that we have. And now I will be talking or Leah will be talking about the cons or the uh
ideas for improving for advisory. >> Hi, my name is Leah and I am the president of student leadership. Um some of the ideas for improvement and advisory is that a lot of students said that they would prefer having advisory towards the end of the day because they
feel that they are more productive and they have had all their classes. So if they feel like they want to get homework done, they would prefer having it at the end of the day. And one thing about advisory is um balancing the activities. Um we feel that there is character strong which is a great thing but also a
lot of kids would like to go outside since during our 82 minutes we do not go outside and so they feel they feel like having advisory towards the end of the day would give them a more opportunity of going outside for breaks. Um they believe that the character strong activities can once in a while get
slightly repetitive. um with Crew Academy. They feel that they are good for everyone to learn, but they feel like it might be better if we move them to Crew. Um next, I'll passing it back to Mave um for elective courses.
Um for elective classes, seventh and eighth grade love having more options this year for both of us. And um immersion students also get to choose two quarter classes, which is definitely new to us. And we feel that it's very nice that we get to have that. And also
students gain new options based on their own interests because we got to choose them. But some ideas for improving was that sixth graders felt like they would want more elective choices as they are required to do computer science, facts,
and STEM. and improving the elective registration process because us as students we felt a little rushed at the time that we did registration for these classes probably because it was so new. But we kind of want to slow it down a bit and get more of an idea of what
these classes could be. And now I'm going to pass it back to Leah to talk about the new class crew. Hi. As you all know, we have the new class of Crew Academy, and there are definitely some wins that we have with this new class. So, one thing that a lot
of students said while we interviewed them is that they really liked the hands-on activities where they got to move around the room and talk to new people. They said that it really helped them engage with more students and create new connections, and they did really enjoy those because they felt more physical and they got to move
around. Um, another thing is that students did like and feel it's helpful to learn the seals, the social emotional learning. They feel it's really important and that crew is a great place to do this. And um, lastly, for one of our wins, um, students said that Crew
Academy was really good for helping them stay organized and learn how to manage their homework and their time. Um, next I'll be talking about some ways to improve Crew Academy. Um, a lot of students said that they feel like there needs to be more of a balance with the
social emotional learning focus and more su su success skills. Um, seventh and eighth graders did say that they would prefer more um, high school prep. Um people say that they were told that this class was to prepare them for high school and they did feel that it is but
they feel like they would like slightly more of it and that it's more towards social emotional learning and they would prefer more preparing for high school. Um, another thing is that they said it might be good if we move seals. Um, the way we did last year was putting them around once a month during advisory and
students did actually really like that. And so, um, yeah, once again, seventh and eighth graders feel it would be better to have crew more preparing for high school and sixth graders to learn their time management and how to manage their homework. Thank you. And lastly, we will take any questions.
Thank you very much for that insight. Um Sally has a question. >> I do. Thank you very much. One of the things that I really appreciate about your presentation is your cander um about what's happening, what is working well in the opportunities for improvement. I would like if one or more
of you would share in an 82minute block that you feel is working well. What does that look like? How what's the mix of activity and interaction? that sort of thing. >> Um, well, something that is good about
having 82-minute classes is how we are allowed to have a lot of time to get our homework done so that we don't have to do it at home. It's and it just feels great to not have that after school. And also teachers usually doing one lesson
and also or just another fun lesson would be great. Um cuz they do that very often and it's just very nice of them to do that because they know that it's very long for us and that it can be hard to focus. Um yeah so for the 82 minute classes
it's usually our core classes and then our quarter classes and most of the time kids say that it is okay and it is every other day. So, it is 82 minutes and then you get two days to do your homework, which a lot of kids do really appreciate that. Um, some most teachers keep it to
one lesson like they would um in last year with the normal schedule. And um they what students say is that with the new block schedule, some teachers do put two lessons in one day and then they give the homework and then you have two
days to do it. and other teachers, they stick to having one lesson and instead they give more work time to answer questions and help out with the homework. So hopefully that answered your question. >> It does. Thank you. >> Okay, Camry, >> thank you for that great presentation. You guys are really articulate. It was
wonderful. I'm interested in the fact that you said the middle schoolers are more productive at the end of the day. Um, which is fantastic. I'm usually the opposite. Um, and do you attribute that would would you have said that in the previous
schedule when you had more classes were they has that flipped in other words with less classes in the daytime? What do you how do you take that? >> Okay. So, um, what I when I said that they were productive more towards the end of the day, that is true. I think
compared to last year, I'm not really sure if I'm going to be completely honest if they did feel more productive. I think it's kind of balanced because last year we did have all our classes in one day so that could get tiring but then this year our classes are longer and people say that the school day does feel longer. So I think with the thing
being more productive towards the end is that when you just get to school um advisory there's flex time which can be used to take makeup tests and a lot of kids have said that it's sort of hard to come into the day and start with a test or start with their homework from the
night before. Um so that's why having advisory towards the end of the day would um you feel more prepared for a test and then you don't have any classes after that right so then you would go straight home or um they said that it'd be nice because you already had all your
classes and so if you don't have any homework from the day before you can do the homework that you got in those classes and do them more towards the end of the day. >> That makes sense. Thank you. >> All right board members Dr. Uh this is a great presentation, kids.
Um thanks for coming here and doing this. This question is actually for your boss. Um Principal Dimmit, um you had mentioned uh when you were when you were introducing that there there's sort of a continuous monitoring process. Are there any areas that you've identified so far
either that you are already starting to make some changes in or you're thinking about making some changes in? Yeah, I'd say the area that we're already continuously making changes most substantially is around pacing. Um,
you know, we we tried to do as much staff development last year as we could and gave the teachers as much um uh opportunity to think through this and to listen uh from other teachers that have
been down this road and to have these uh ideas about how you set up a lesson plan for an 82-minute block. Uh but the reality is until you're there and living it yourself uh it's it's merely theoretical. And so I think um I think
there were a lot of stressed out teachers the first uh few weeks of the quarter trying to figure out how does this work and how do I get through what I thought I was going to get through and how do we keep the kids engaged and what's that magic recipe for uh keeping
engagement and where do you have your movement breaks and how do you uh make it engaging and so that's probably been the single greatest area where we're uh monitoring and adjusting on the fly here. You know, the whole idea of
whether we move advisory to later in the day uh whether which classes we continue to run as as mini classes versus full block classes. Those are are things that we would need to look at year two. Those
are things that we can't make changes on the fly. Um, but some like I'd say probably right now the biggest changes are to how teachers go about structuring their blocks. >> Great. Megan, >> thank you all for being here. Um, my
question is particular to electives. Um, were you guys able to get kind of your I know you ranked which electives you you wanted to take. Were you mostly able to get the ones you wanted? And second part, are there any that you are really excited about or that you took and that
were new and that you felt was like a really good class that you recommend? >> Okay. >> Okay. Um so for the registration um we did rank them. Yes. and we kind of got
to pick a selection and we had backups if the um if already a bunch of kids already registered for that one. So, it was more on kind of luck and how an
interest by like um sorry about how filled the class already was. But a lot of us did get at least one class that we really wanted cuz it was specific to um
if you want to, you can choose this gym elective or this art elective. And for me, I had drama and that's like always been around, but it was also very new to the eighth graders. And um we feel that it's great that we still get choice in it even if you didn't get all the
classes that you wanted. >> Um I totally agree with Mave. Most kids did get their first choice. Some kids did have to get their second, but it was placed where there were many options. And one thing is that sixth graders did not get to choose. Um they are required to do fax, STEM, and coding. Um my new
elective course um was culinary innovations, and I really did enjoy that one. I loved my teacher, Miss Wedlin, and um it was learning how to become a food entrepreneur. And I think it was so fun because we went from the beginning to the end. We watched Shark Tank. We
did a bunch of really good stuff and we started from slogans and logos and then we did actually do a food truck project at the end which was um a really a lot of fun and I wish it wasn't a quarter class. I wish it was for the whole year because I really did enjoy that class. >> Um yeah, what I've seen is I feel like
most kids that I've interacted with have said they got one of their top choices. I mean, there's I I do know a couple people who weren't super happy with the classes they got, but I think that is kind of a natural part of doing a random ranking and having to pick classes. And
also, I think with time getting more used to like introducing students to all the new classes that they can choose, I think that kids will be more happy with what they get. I know I um third quarter I'm going to have history of USA sports which I'm looking forward to because I
think there's a lot of there's electives for everyone in eighth grade and seventh grade especially that they can choose from. So no one feels like they have to take anything cuz they can kind of pick something they're interested in. Um, the thing I think about electives, I
definitely do like the fact that eighth graders get so many options cuz I think it helps us with high school cuz it can boost our interests and we can find what we're interested in and what we don't
want to do. But like if we do his something involved with history, but we want to continue on with science in high school, we can do that. we can see what our interests are and aren't based on like what we like in the new choices in middle school. And then they also give
us like in seventh grade they give us gave us really detailed descriptions of them. Some were better than most, but they were all pretty good in detailed so we knew what we were getting into when we were signing up. >> Thank you.
>> Some comments from the students. Yes, go ahead. I don't really have a question, but it's more of just a statement. And my little sister goes to MMW, and she's told me that she loves the schedule and that she has a ton of like like you guys were saying, she has a ton of time to uh
get her homework done and she's with her friends and and she was also talking about the mix between grades and how she can talk to people outside her grade. So, I think that's a really good thing and I think it's good that they have more time in school for their homework and then they can spend time outside of
school with their friends and more social aspects. >> Thank you. >> All right. Well, thank you all for this fantastic report. Really appreciate you. >> Thank you. [Music]
>> Okay. We have reached the time on our agenda for community comments. Uh that's community comments is an opportunity for the public to address the school board on an item included on this agenda in accordance with the guidelines printed on our agenda. Do we have anyone here who wishes to address the board?
All right. Then we'll move on to the next item on our agenda which is canvas of election superintendent law. >> Mr. Chair, members of the board, within a certain time period after each election period, the board is responsible for can canvasing the elections and approving those election
results. Tonight, executive director of finance and operations with some responsibility over elections. Also, Paul Bourgeois is going to be canvasing the elections for your approval. Mr. Bourgeois, >> thank you, Superintendent Law. Um, Mr. chair and members of the board. Uh the
school school district held a a school board general election on November 4th, 2025 for three seats that are becoming vacant uh at the end of their four-year term from when they were elected originally in 2021. So, uh the election was uh held on
November 4th, 2025 at five precincts. We run our own elections in off years for a number of the precincts. And I just do have to take a second to give credit to Eloise uh Wyel who's our coordinator of purchasing insurance and elections. Uh Shannon Wagner and Molly Anstad Olsen
who is uh all three of them are the election crew and they put it together and everything ran smoothly and are responsible actually for a lot of the work that's done to tally and and uh make sure that everything is all the eyes are dotted and te's are crossed. So, thank you to them. On the uh at the
general election, uh a total of 8,763 voters of the district voted in the election. Uh the uh uh the results of the election are as follows. Uh candidate Celinger uh received 4,987 votes. Candidate Colinger re received
4361 votes. Candidate Jordan received 3,730 votes. Candidate Schumer received 3,127 votes. Candidate Batitali received 3,05 votes. And there are 118 writins.
Uh candidates Celinger, Colberg, and Jordan having the highest number of votes uh are elected to four-year terms be beginning Monday, January 5th, 2026. The first Monday in January, which under Minnesota statute 123b.59
is the commencement of new terms. Uh the so the school district clerk then upon your approval is directed to uh certify the results of the election to the county auditors in which a school district is located in whole or in part which is Henipin County.
>> Thank you. So um so you uh next step would be for you to approve the uh proposed uh motion that is was written for us by our council. >> All right. May I have a motion to approve the resolution as presented canvasing the return of votes cast for the November 4th, 2025 school board
general election. >> So moved. >> Mike, may I have a second? >> Second. >> Sally. Any discussion or questions? >> All right, we have a motion to second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed?
>> Motion carries. >> Oh, all right. Okay, next item um is item 6B is the canvas of the November 4th special election. Uh so the first time since uh April 23rd of 1996, Minnitonka ISD 276 ran a special
election for a building bond refere referendum um to uh for facilities projects around the district. The uh school board special the the school board ran the special election also concurrently on November 4th, 2025.
Uh the um uh total votes cast in the district are as follows. Uh there were 5,445 votes in favor and 2476 voting against approximately a 69% to 31% approval
rate. Uh the um so that being said, upon uh passing of the resolution, the school board or the uh the the district will be able to issue bonds for the proposed projects and uh move ahead with the pro the proposed pro proposed projects over the
next several years. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Bourgeoa. May I have uh a motion to approve the resolution as presented canvasing the returns of vote cast for the November 4th, 2025 special election? So moved. >> Megan, may I have a second? >> Second.
>> Chris, any further discussion? We have a motion, a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Bourgeoa. Okay. Next uh item on our agenda is the
approval of inclement weather procedures. Superintendent Law. >> Mr. Mr. Chair, members of the board, this agenda item comes up on an annual basis as a requirement under recent statutory changes that we have an agreement with our teachers association on the process for determining snow
days. So, I'm going to first give a little background information about the process of determining whether we can safely have school. I'll share our agreed upon um procedures for weather related closures and then you'll approve those very brief procedures. As a
reminder to the public, when we determine whether or not we can safely have school, we're looking at the windows of time where students arrive between 6:30 and 9:30 in the morning and students are dismissed between about 1:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon. We're looking that we can safely transport students to and from school and students
can safely wait outside during that period of time. Um, there is not a set threshold for temperature or snow. We're really looking for those those two windows of time and can we safely get kids to and from school while waiting at bus stops. As a reminder to the public,
the National Weather Service about 3 days ahead of a weather event holds webinars for superintendent daily and then sometimes twice a day the day of the event uh giving us detailed information about the amount of snowfall or the cold temperature. It is our goal
to make those decisions as early as possible, preferably the night before. With cold weather, the National Weather Service says they're about 95% or more accurate at the exact hours of the day and the temperature. With snowfall, they can be inaccurate with an hour of the time of the event,
which makes it much more difficult. So, our goal is to provide communication to parents as soon as possible whether or not we can have school. Our options for not having school are a late start, an early dismissal or a cancellation. Our least preferred solution is an early
dismissal with the understanding that if people can't be transported safely, our elementary students could be going home to an empty house. So that is a last uh option that we would choose. A late start would happen only if the weather will significantly improve between 6:30
and 9:30 and we can safely get kids to school later. Uh, as a general reminder to the public, news snowfall amounts usually cover the entire event. That could be as much as 18 hours. We're looking at that very tight window of time. So, it's not
uncommon for the news to say there'll be 14 in of snow over the next 24 hours. And during either of those windows, there won't be three or 4 inches of snow on the ground. The biggest complaint I hear as superintendent is people saying, "If there's 14 in of snow, how can you have school?" oftentimes during the
windows we're departing or arriving it's significantly less just as a trying to help myself with few less emails in a few weeks here. Um for the purpose of board approval our snow day procedures are that the first
weather related closure would be a snow day a complete cancellation for students and staff. The second and beyond for secondary students would be asynchronous and depending on the number and uh proximity of those days move to synchronous. For
the elementary students it would be a snow day in the first day. The second day would also be a snow day and then after that they would become asynchronous andor synchronous depending on the number and the proximity of those days. What you're approving tonight is that we have agreed with our employee
groups to have a snow day on the first day, begin asynchronous instruction on the second day for secondary students and elementary students on day three. I'd re be happy to answer questions if you have them, but that's what you're being asked to approve tonight.
>> All right. U board members, any questions or discussion of that proposal? All right. Uh yes, Dan. Just curious um what the implications are for students on IEPs and things like that when we're got like a a
spur-of-the- moment asynchronous learning day or something like that. >> State statute says on weather related closure um all if it's not safe to have staff get to school all our staff are at home. Those students would be served in the same manner that I just said that it
would be snowed in on day one for all students. Secondary students would start with asynchronous. Elementary would start on day three. Those students individual education plans should cover any special needs that a student might have on asynchronous instruction or on synchronous instruction. That went into
place about a year ago and they should those discussions should be happening as students and teachers meet about how should we handle those days. >> Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. >> All right. Uh may may I have a motion to approve these uh these guidelines?
>> So moved. >> Camry second. >> Second. >> Megan. Any further discussion? >> Seeing none, we have a motion in a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> The motion carries.
All right. Uh next item on our agenda is an educational technology update. Superintendent Law. >> Mr. Mr. Chair, members of the board, um tonight's update comes on the heels of parent feedback last summer about a
discussion about screen time and how are we monitoring screen time? How are we advising our teachers to effectively use screen time as a supplement and where are we at with technology today? We're very fortunate that the timing of this presentation came with some national information about best practice and
screen time in school. So tonight we'll have a presentation from our executive director of technology instruction, Amanda Fay, and our director of instruction and materials, Alena Kane. Amanda,
>> good evening everyone. Good evening, Mr. Chair, superintendent law, members of the school board. Tonight I will be providing an update on educational technology in Minnitonka public schools. We'll cover our district philosophy, the data we're seeing, and we'll be highlighting the 2025 Kosen screens and
balance report and our multiaceted approach to supporting students and our community. I also have the pleasure of having with me tonight um Ela Kaine who is our director of K12 academic programming. And um I'm going to allow Elida to
introduce herself since I believe this is her first time in front of the board. uh she joined our school district in July as a member of our teaching and learning team. >> Thank you. Good evening, Mr. Chair, members of the board, superintendent law, members of the community. As Amanda said, my name is Ela Kaine and I have the privilege of serving as the director
of K12 academic programming here. Um I wanted to join Minnotonka Public Schools because of the clear commitment to student centered excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement. And in the first short few months that I've been here, um I have been able to see that commitment played out in our classrooms. We truly have extraordinary educators
and administrators. In my role, I oversee systems, structures, and support for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and the paired professional learning across all grade levels. And tonight, Amanda and I are going to share some of the tools and resources that we have in place to support technology use in the
classroom while um committing to academic excellence. Thank you. To start, technology exists for instructional purposes. It's not a replacement for high-quality instruction and it can truly serve as a catalyst to accelerate learning. Minnitanka Public
Schools is a research-driven institution where proven and promising teaching and learning practices form the basis of our educational technology decisions that we make. While we know that technology is a catalyst for learning when used appropriately, our community and our
society in general, um are not always given windows into our classroom to see what this looks like in practice. So, while I was thinking through the complexities of technology, how we use them in classrooms, screen time, um as being both essential for learning and also hearing concerns regarding screen
time, the image of a yin-yang came to me. So the yin-yang is the concept that there exist cosmic principles or forces that are opposites but also complimentary which interact interconnect support and perpetuate each
other. Together they form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the inter inter independent components excuse me and both parts are essential for the cohesion of the whole. So, as a community, we're living in a little bit of a paradox, an interesting
time. We've never been here before. So, we see this both in statewide and our local data. And we all recognize this feeling knowing that technology is vital for our students, for ourselves, for our futures, and also knowing that
technology moves so fast that it's kind of hard to keep up as well. So, um, this actually came to my attention after, um, the Morris Leatherman Company presented to a group of our Vantage public policy students and then Superintendent Law sent it out
to the rest of us. So, this was a 2025 August statewide survey of 800 random Minnesota residents via a phone interview focused on a variety of questions from property taxes to the quality of education and the importance of technology, which is what we're going
to be focusing on today. So, as you can see here, 99% of parents statewide said that technology was essential, very, or somewhat important. Also, at the same time, 54% of parents
expressed some concern about screen time in schools. In addition, as we look to our annual survey that went to our Minnitonka public schools community, we see this same paradox present. 74% of elementary
school parents, 81% of middle school parents, and 86% of high school parents said that technology is very important to their child's learning. Along with that, 29% of elementary school parents, 40% of middle school parents, and 31% of
high school parents also stated that they're at least somewhat uncomfortable with their child's average daily amount of screen time. So, as you can see, both statewide and present in our local Minnitankka community, we have a bit of a a paradox here, right? So, how do we
address this? How do we how do we have this conversation moving forward? Well, as Superintendent Law mentioned, this uh Kosen 2025 Blashki report, screens and balance, education, technology, and community conversations
came out about a month and a half ago. Um, and it really seemed like the perfect time. And so, we're going to spend a little bit of time talking about this. So, technology used both in school and and at home are often lumped together. When we hear the term screen
time, it's a very broad term. um it's referred to on the news and social media as simply screen time. So, one of the first steps that we believe is really being more precise with how we define screen time.
This recent Kos Kosen Blaski report notes that the term screen time is part of the problem. It lumps everything together making a productive conversation almost impossible. So, we need to distinguish between the different forms of screen time.
Uh the report identifies three distinct forms of screen time. Number one is educational technology. This is our primary focus in Minnitanka public schools as a school district. Second, it identifies smartphones and social media which are a major source of connection
but also of distraction. And third um screenbased entertainment which is often via passive use and consumption typically at home. Our district has beliefs, practices, and policies to address all three of these. So, we're going to talk a little bit more about
that together. This is our Minnetonka educational technology belief statement. This was started uh just before co then as we all know the world sort of blew up a little bit and when we came back we really
needed to re-evaluate this and decide is this still what we believe. We brought together a group of stakeholders throughout the district, including parents, teachers, district administrators, community members to really hone in and refine this belief statement. We come back to it every year
to make sure that it's still what we believe and see if we need to make any tweaks, adjustments, or changes. So, I'm just going to read it out loud so that we can all kind of ground in um the Minnitankka Educational Technology beliefs. We believe that technology is a powerful catalyst that serves as a core
tool to accelerate learning, promote innovative mindsets, and strengthen student success. Technology is a means that adds value by increasing engagement, enhancing student- centered learning, promoting deeper learning by empowering students to know and access
tools and resources, encouraging students to gain, transfer, adapt, and apply understanding to new and existing situations. Increasing efficiency and effectiveness in practices and processes. Providing each student unique
opportunities that promote voice and choice, encouraging individuals to approach problems more creatively, think more critically, collaborate more skillfully, and communicate more effectively, and providing access to tools and resources as a means to support each
individual students needs. To kind of sum it all up, we recognize that technology is not static. It will continue to evolve. Students must be taught and supported to use technology in healthy, balanced, ethical,
responsible, and safe ways. So, our beliefs guide the decisions that we make. As stated earlier, Minnotonka uh we view educational technology as a catalyst to accelerate learning, not a replacement for high quality instruction. We believe that technology should add value by supporting our
multi-tered system of support, increase student engagement, and deeper learning that enables students to use creativity and have choice and voice in their learning. And we intentionally teach students to use technology in a balanced, ethical, and safe way, recognizing that digital literacy is now
a core life skill. Of course, student safety comes first. We have prevetted app store and multiple filtering layers to protect students online um on our district designated devices both in school and at home. In practice, educational technology is
intentionally tied to instruction, not just used for its own sake. And students and students and teachers are supported through district guidance and instructional technology coaching in the buildings and classrooms. We have a development developmentally aligned structure. For example, in most cases in
grades K through three, devices remain at school and students do not have email until the sixth grade. Additionally, we use Seessaw in grades early childhood through third grade and Schooly in grades 4 through 12 to ensure that our students and family have consistent
organized learning environments that are the just right fit for each age group. Again, safety is of our utmost importance for our students here in Minnotonka. Our goal is to not just teach students to use technology, but to use it wisely,
safely, and with balance. With that being said, we do have a formal um K12 digital citizenship curriculum. In the elementary schools, all six of our schools are common sense certified and students are uh intentionally uh taught
uh about safety in their library media specialist time. At the middle level, students receive instruction through the crew academy focusing on respons responsible social media, digital health, and responsible use of AI. And at the high school, lessons are built
into anchor time and in their health courses, focusing on again responsible social media and cell phone behaviors. We are not only giving students access to technology, we're teaching them how to use it safely, ethically, and with balance. Um there is a state statute that
recently came out um as of March of 2025 um regulating that every school district had to have a policy on cell phones. In Minnotonka, we're very lucky. We have had a cell phone policy uh for about 20 years prior to the requirement for us to have a cell phone policy. Um, and as as
you all well know, um, our policy really kind of guides us, but it's really our procedures and practices, uh, that that really drive what happens in our buildings. And as times change, as the availability of cell phones change, um, we change our procedures and practices
to be responsive to that. So, currently, uh, our elementary school students, K5, are discouraged from bringing cell phones to school, but if they do choose to, um, they need to stay in their backpacks. Um, in addition to that, our middle school students, our cell phones are expected to stay in their backpacks during the day. So, from bell to bell,
they're not to have access to their cell phones. Obviously, um, there are supports if a student needs to, you know, take a call or whatever it might be, they can always, excuse me, ask for permission. And at our high school, the new practice started this year of the cell phone caddy pockets. And, um, we
have heard really positive feedback both from students that we've talked to, from the administration. And um I personally work with a a Vantage student that I mentor in the education pathway and and she was recalling an experience for me. She's like, "I was in band class and I
reached for my phone in my pocket, realized I didn't have it, so then I talked to people." So pretty great. We believe in being a partner to our families and to our Minnitonka community in all aspects of our students lives. So
we do believe that the best mitigation is home routines. We have a plan at school. We have expectations around devices, how they're used, when they're used, cell phones. Um and so we do truly believe that families having a plan for at home is really the best path forward
to being successful with technology and screen time. This also helps students learn through modeling practices of the adults that are in their life how to set themselves up for success when they don't have those people telling them what to do and not to do. We provide a
lot of resources on our amazing district website um to support our community. So, one resource that we have on our website that I would specifically like to call out is the family technology plan format. So, this is from Common Sense Media. Um it's linked on there. You can
Google and find a million of them as well. But it really just provides a format to have those conversations as a family about uh what you believe as a family around technology, how it's used, when it's used, where it's used, um recommendations around having tech-free
zones, for example, the dinner table, bedrooms, right? Are there certain places that as a family we agree we don't have technology here? Um having charging spots, right? like a common charging spot for technology at night so that it doesn't go into bedrooms and
spaces. Um, having regular check-ins is really key, too. Having the conversations, right? We have to talk about technology, about how we're using technology, um, because that really helps our students learn and be successful at the end of the day. Um,
I've also added a link to to the um, Kosen 2025 bli report on our um, digital health and wellness page on our district website as well for anyone that might be interested in in reading further and checking that out. So, as a school district, we also offer parent
education. We recently had a community education class that was a speaker that the talked about from apps to laps, what young children need in a digital world. And um of course we have our family help desk too that's always available if um any members of our community or families
have questions or concerns or are just looking for some support. So to sum up the Kosen 2025 report screens and balance says screens are now a permanent feature of K12 schooling. The central challenge is not whether they belong in classrooms, but how they
can be integrated in ways that strengthen learning, promote equity, and preserve public trust. We hope that by sharing this information, including the many resources we provide as a school district, that this is a start to
preserving our public trust. We understand that technology will continue to evolve and our commitment is to ensure that educational technology use is intentional, aligned with instructional outcomes and responsive to community concerns. We believe that by
focusing on our core beliefs, supporting our teachers, and partnering with families, we seek to fulfill our mission of preparing Minnotonka students to be competitive and successful in a complex digital world.
Any questions or comments? >> Thank you, board members. Oh, yes. >> I'd just like to say about the caddies. At first when I got the email in summer and my mom did too, we were like talking and we're like, "Yeah, this is stupid. Like, why would I put my phone in? I'm
going to bring a burner or something and put it in." And then uh but as it kind of went on and everyone was doing it, it was better than I thought. and I find myself like being more productive and instead of like when I have, you know, a dead five minutes, I don't go on my phone, I find
something else to do. So, I think it's good for school for sure. >> Yes. Go ahead. Um, I also do see a difference with the caddies. For about the first two weeks for me, I like just those first couple days, I did meet new
people and expand my like boards with people and it was just very interesting. I personally don't feel any like new product. I don't feel more productive, but socially it's better in my opinion. >> Great. Appreciate that. Board members.
Yes, Megan. Um, I just wanted to highlight something you said that I thought was super important, which is the use of technology being intentional because I think that is kind of a common misperception is that parents don't really understand what is being done on
the iPads. And so, um, just highlighting that the teachers are using the iPads for specific instructional purposes tied to curriculum is really important. Um, they're not being used as babysitters or entertainment while they're at school. and um you know what they do when they
leave school we can't control. So uh we can only you know act on what's in our paradigm and I think uh the just highlighting that teachers are being intentional is great. Thank you. >> Thank you. And our our filters that we do have on our iPads do follow students. So we do have some control right over
what they do and can access but you know how much time they spend on it things like that. That's where we we do truly need partnership with our with our families. >> Thank you. Okay, thank you very much. Oh, super >> for that rare family that maybe didn't
watch the board meeting tonight, a summary of this presentation will go out in my end of November superintendent's letter to the community as well as links to the report and the web pages that we provide for people to go back and get that information. So, if you didn't get it tonight in the presentation,
uh Amanda Fay and I are putting together a letter for the committee that is as a brief summary. Yes, Dan. >> And I I hesitate to even bring it up because it's such a huge topic and it could take a study session or or retreat all on its own, but the topic of AI and how we're going to integrate that and
tackle that in education, I know it's on our minds up here and everybody's constantly wrestling with it. So, just >> was going to be very surprised if no one brought it up. with um I actually had the privilege uh on Halloween nonetheless of co-eing with
one of our middle school STEM teachers a lesson on AI. So she's you know sort of uh teaching uncharted territory to our students and reached out and was like, "Hey, would you have an interest in coming in?" Um I'm a former I say forever middle school English teacher.
So an opportunity to see if I still have it in me, I was I was all about it. Um, but it was a really great opportunity. I spent a lot of time actually talking with the middle school students about uh what they think and what they think they should have access to and why and why
not and how it would serve them and how and how it might not. Um, as we know the rules around AI change every day, right? Um last year we had a lot of interest at the high school level of having AI tools open for students to access and most of the tools um really had a cut off at 18
and so they were saying you know students have to be 18 or older to access this tool and so um you know it was hard to say oh yeah we can use this tool or that tool because the tools themselves were telling us no right um however there's been a lot of positive
progress in that regard and a lot of the tools that we already use as a school district have really made um changes and worked on making their AI tools developmentally appropriate for students. So Google Gemini, for example, is now part of the Google education
workplace. So we've started with opening that tool up for the high school uh this quarter and really having conversations about how we're using it intentionally, really empowering teachers to talk to their students around when it's appropriate
and how it should be used. Um and then we're really monitoring to see how that goes and decide where do we go from there. Do we open up tools at the middle level um and and how does our conversation continue? Um however there are also like I said there's crew academy lessons where even if AI tools I
mean and we all know AI tools are available for students because when we we talk about AI we're talking about maps we're we're talking about everything right it's it's embedded into everything we do. So I should specify uh that I'm talking about generative AI. um we are are teaching students, right?
We're talking about generative AI even if uh we're not necessarily giving them explicit access to a tool. Same thing with our elementary our uh media lessons. We do have um STEM lessons where students are learning about coding and computer science. And so really
they're learning the the basic concepts around AI and how generative AI works um without actually accessing generative AI. They're playing with tools like Google Draw and talking about how how does this work? How does it know as you're drawing a shape that you're
drawing a cat even though you just drew a big circle and one tiny circle? >> So, >> not an answer, but >> I would add that all of our uh principles have gone through a several hour training on best practice with AI
as a school leader. And then at the high school level for sure and I think moving into middle schools, we're doing trainings with that same person who talks to educators about how to personally use AI to be more effective and efficient with your work and how to use it as an a tool in classroom and how to have students use it. And so I I
think we are I'm not going to say we're on the cutting edge, but we're certainly in the game in terms of being informed ethical consumers of AI. >> Absolutely. More to come. Thank you.
All right. Thank you very much. Welcome to the board, Elena. Okay. Next item on our agenda is acceptance of bids in summer 2026. >> One of our favorite parts, Mr. Chair, members of the board, is uh getting
ahead of the bidding window and seeing how much Mr. Bourgeois has saved for next summer. So tonight, and I won't introduce each bid separately, I'll introduce executive director of finance and operations Paul Wois to provide bid the bids you see in your board packet bids A through F. Mr. Bourgeois. Thank
you, Superintendent Law, Chair Leo Howerin, members of the board. Uh just a a quick note as a reminder, we have our our facilities insured for replacement value of approximately $800 million. So, uh, steady reinvestment in them and keeping them in a state of good repair
is a way to both, uh, ensure that they're there for the long term and and since they were built by prior taxpayers, uh, honoring their investment and paying it forward that like they paid it forward to us. So, uh, projects that we have, um, this is the, uh, another slate. Uh, we've been doing this
all all fall. So, this is uh pretty much our last slate of of items that we're going to be doing next summer for as part of long-term maintenance. Uh acceptance of window replacement, a bid for window replacement at Clear Springs. Uh the budget for the project is
784,000. We opened bids at 200 p.m. on October 30th. We had six bids uh and the low bid was Lindy Construction in the amount of 555,000. We'd ask that you approve this uh the low bidder. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bourgeoa. May I have a motion to accept the low bid of Lindy Construction Services LLC in the amount of $555,000 for replacement of windows in the 1958 and 1960 wings of Clear Springs Elementary School in summer of 2026? >> So moved.
>> Dan, may I have a second? >> Second. >> Sally, any discussion or questions? We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. >> Any opposed? >> The motion carries. Mr. Bourgeoa, >> thank you. Our our next item is acceptance of bid for window replacement
at Minowashta Elementary School. Our project estimate was $715,000. Uh bids were opened at 1 p.m. on October 30th. We actually had three bids. Uh so less biders, but they are all very competitive. Uh and CM Construction
Company is a low bidder at $631,900 and we'd ask that you'd approve of the low bidder for this job. >> Thank you. May I have a motion to accept the low bid of CM Construction Company, Inc. in the amount of $631,900 for replacement of windows in the 1955
and 1993 wings of Clear Springs Elementary School in summer of 2026. >> So moved. >> Camarie, may I have a second? >> Second. >> Mike, any discussion? Hearing none, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed?
>> Motion carries. Mr. Bers, >> thank you. Our next item is acceptance of bid for roofing replacement at Deep Haven Elementary School. Of course, uh, keeping a sound roof over over your abode or any of your buildings is important in keeping it in a state of good repair, keeping roof leaks from
letting water in and doing further damage. So, we do a lot of roofing every summer on different sections of our buildings around the district. Uh, so this is for a big a big section of Deep Haven Elementary School. The budget estimate for the project is 5 735,000.
There were actually 14 biders on this one. We opened on November 6, 2025. And the low low bidder is a company called Gag Sheet Metal Incorporated for 561,000. We'd ask that you'd approve them to do this work for us in summer of 2026.
>> Thank you. We have a motion to accept the low bit of gag sheet metal ink in the amount of $561,000 for replacement of a portion of the roof at Deep Haven Elementary School in summer of 2026. >> So move. >> Chris, may I have a second? >> Second. >> Megan, any discussion or questions?
We have a motion and a second. And all those in favor, please say I. I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Mr. Bourgeoa. >> Thank you. Uh item D as we kind of come down the backstretch and head for home. Um acceptance of bid for roofing replacement at Mininoashta Elementary School. Uh this is a budget estimate, a
little bit bigger project, but the estimated budget was $882,000. Uh we've got uh 11 biders on this one, so very competitive again. and Balman Roofing and Coding is the low bidder at $585,645. We'd ask that you could approve them to
do this work for us. Thank you, Mr. Bourgeoa. I'd entertain a motion to accept the low bid of Balman roofing and coating in the amount of $585,645 for replacement of a portion of the roof at Minasha Elementary School in summer of 2026. >> So moved. >> Mike, may I have a second?
>> Second. >> Dan, any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Mr. Bourgeo, >> thank you. Um um the uh next item is acceptance of bid for roofing
replacement at Minnotonka Middle School East. And uh we are going to be doing a lot of work there with the bonds that were approved by the voters for some additions and renovations. But this long-term facility maintenance work also will be ongoing next summer. And a chunk of the roof at Minnitanka Middle School
lease needs replacement. Uh this had a budget estimate of $882,000. Also, uh eight bids were received on November 6th and uh the low bidder is Equity Builders and Construction Services Incorporated in the amount of $472,500.
We'd ask that you approve them to do this work for us in the summer of 2026. >> Thank you, Mr. Bourgeois. I have a motion to accept the low bid of Equity Builders and Construction Services, Inc. in the amount of $472,500 for replacement of a portion of the roof at Mitaka Middle School East in the
summer of 2026. >> So moved. >> Camarine. May I have a second? >> Second, >> Sally. Any discussion? Hearing none. There's a motion, a second. Uh all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> The motion carries. Mr. Bourgeois,
>> thank you. And crossing the finish line on our race for bidding here. Uh the uh acceptance of bids for roofing replacement at Minnotonka Middle School West. Likewise, we have a section of the roof at Minnitankka Middle School West that is due for replacement. The budget estimate for the project was $99,000.
We again opened bids. Actually, we opened all four of these one after the other. So, it kind of helped with the pricing because people got more competitive as we went. And uh Balman Roofing and Coding is the low bidder out of seven at $773,297. We'd ask that you'd approve them to do
this work for us in summer of 2026. >> Thank you, Mr. Bourgeois. May I have a motion to accept the low bid of Balman Roofing and Coding in the amount of $773,297 for replacement of a portion of the roof at Minnitankka Middle School West in the summer of 2026. >> So moved.
>> Mike, any I may have second. >> Second, >> Chris, thank you for all of that work. Any discussion or questions? >> All in favor? >> Well, any discussion? >> Oh, sorry. >> I'm asking for discussion. Any discussion? >> All right. Yes, Dan.
>> I just want to reiterate, I feel like we say this every time, but thank you for budgeting conservatively and giving us so room for so much room for these. As I tally it, we we came in under our budget estimates by about 1.3 million or so, which gives us some room to work and
bond for additional projects. So, appreciate it. >> Thank you. All right. Any other discussion? Seeing none, there's a motion in a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you very much, Mr. Bour.
>> Next item on our agenda is an authorization to sell 2026A general obligation school building bonds. Superintendent L. >> Mr. Chair, members of the board, we have been talking about this $5 million as part of our tiered borrowing to make
sure that our property tax payment related the building doesn't go up. You've seen this number many times. Today, we're putting in action. Executive Director of Finance and Operations, Mr. Bourgeois, will be uh putting together a proposal to do our next step in the process to actually get
work done next summer. Mr. Bourgeois, >> thank you, Superintendent Law, U Chair Leo Howland, and members of the board. Again, this is our first trunch of four that we communicated to the public of our $85 million rather than issuing all the bonds at once and increasing their taxes. Again, we're spreading the
tanches out over about two and a half years so that they can the uh additional bond payments come on while others drop off to keep the net prop general obligation property um um building bond property tax levy at net zero. So um and
the public approved again that again at 69 to 31. So now that you canvased the election and approved the canvas, now we actually we are free and clear to have you authorize the sale of the first trunch of bonds. 2026A general obligation school building bonds are in
the amount of 5 million. What we're going to be doing is using that to do all the designing and permitting on the two middle school projects. Those are the two largest projects of the 85 million. In total with design and construction between the two of them, it's approximately 55 million of the 85
million. So we will be working for the next uh six to seven months working on the design and then the permitting. Uh and then uh we will become coming out for bid in probably July and breaking ground in August. Uh the um uh we will also be issuing a the next trunch as we
communicated to public to the public in uh June and that will be a $50 million trunch. But this is for 5 million to get get the uh ball rolling so to speak. And uh we'd ask that you approve this resolution that was approved or that was um uh written for us uh by Dorsy Whitney
who is our bond council. And this will allow us to start the process. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh let's start with a motion to approve the authorizing resolution as prepared by Dorsian Whitney. >> So moved. >> Megan. May I have a second? >> Second. Camry,
any discussion? Mr. Bourgeoa, I'd like to take the opportunity once again thank you for all the work you put into this particular bond referendum and the creative structure that you've used for these bonds to allow us to do so much more uh
at net zero on the property tax levy. Really appreciate that work. >> Well, thank you. But, you know, we just we all do the best we can and you hear we've heard all all meeting here about the great things that everybody does with the talents that they've been given and uh makes it easy to work for a place like this. So, but I appreciate it.
Thank you. >> All right, we've got a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Thank you again. >> All right. Uh may I have a motion to adopt the consent agenda?
>> So move. Chris, may I have a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> Dan. Uh, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion carries. Uh, next we have board reports. Sally Brown.
>> All right, get ready for some acronyms. So, Minnetonka is a member district in the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, MA AMSD. And last Friday, the there was a AMSD board of directors meeting and the member districts were invited to bring
their legislative action committees, their LAC's. And for Minnitonka, that is the uh oh my gosh, I'm going to have to look at my notes for this one. See, too many community action for student education. We usually call it case. And we had three rep community representatives
there along with um two administrators and myself. And the focus of that session was on effective legislative advocacy. One of the guest speakers was House District 45A rep. And Andrew Meyers, so one of our own representatives. Um just some great
stuff coming out of there. But the um to share that resources that people who want to do advocacy would be um find useful. But I want to use this opportunity to say that we are ramping up for the 2026 legislative session
which starts on February 17th. I believe. And so the case committee will be um we as a district will be preparing our legislative platform and uh we'll be wanting to ramp up the case committee and we invite members of the community
to visit our district website and look at the case committee um description there and sign up to become part of the case committee. We've got an exciting year ahead of us. Thank you, Sling. Uh, yes. Go ahead, Cabri
>> from Minnetonka Community Education. Um, today is actually National Community Community Education Day. There's a proclamation signed by Governor Walls. So, I wanted to make sure to get that announced. Uh, for the community, fall
family fling is this Saturday. Let me put my glasses on. Um, from 9:00 to 10:30. So, there's an open gym for families. glitter tattoos, which sounds exciting. Um, snacks and more. So, it's a good way for the community to get out there and see what the amazing
Minnitankka preschool community education has to offer. And that is at 4584 Vinehill Road. So, that's a good thing to check out. And just another update from the Explorers task force that has been going on. They have shrunk
the explorers weight list from over 300 to 114 currently which has been an amazing team effort from the explorers um effort. So I wanted to make sure to let everybody know that. And that's my update.
>> Thank you. Any other board reports? >> Superintendent report. >> I have a couple updates. First of all, as we have our school student school board reps here tonight, uh I'm proud to share that Mitaka was selected by the
National School Boards Association to do a presentation about our innovative approach to use students to define how they could be involved uh in the school board and this board has done a variety of very interesting things adopting a grade levels board members to visit with them student former at the high school
and letting students create a model to have student representation on the school board. We will be presenting uh in San Antonio in April and bringing a student from the winning team of that panel with us to tell that story.
Along those lines, our current public policy process, directly related to what board member Brown said, at the next board meeting, students will be sharing the winning team. If there was a winning team, they're all amazing. Their ways to find additional funding
for public education in Minnesota, specifically to equalize how local voter approved levies can support school districts more equitably and help districts like Minnitonka and districts across the state. So, you're going to want to tune in to that on the 20th
coming up. Uh, I'll just throw out a couple other reminders for the community. Um, we're in theater season right now. Oliver's at the high school. There's a middle middle school musical going on this weekend. Also, we are uh entering concert season. See our amazing
students across the district. We're also at the end of fall sports season. Uh, pay attention to the media. We might have back-to-back state champions and girls swimming after this weekend. And I just heard we're up 2814 over Edina in
the state semis for football. So, what a wonderful week in Minnetonka. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh announcements. >> I have one, >> Sally. Uh so just a reminder to the community that next Friday, November
21st, is not only the state finals, which we hope that the football team will get to go to, uh but also the district-wide community resource night from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at MME. It's a wonderful event for full of activities, but also very helpful resources to
members of our community that are very far ranging. So >> thank you. That's a great great reminder. Anyone else? Uh yes. >> Um as our esteemed chair is going to be retiring at the end of this year, I think I'm probably going to end up taking over the theater announcements.
Um so I just want to remind people that MME is having their sixth grade musical this weekend. It's uh Madagascar and MMW is having their musical next weekend, which is Susicle the Musical. >> Thanks for stepping up.
All right, I'd entertain a motion to adjurnn. So moved. >> Chris, uh, may I have a second? >> Second, >> Mike. All those in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? We're adjourned.