Hopkins School District #270

Eisenhower teacher nominated for Minnesota Teacher of the Year - 02/23/2012

Hopkins teacher Anna Wosika has been nominated for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year. She is one of 111 candidates who were nominated statewide. This is Wosika's first year teaching first-grade at Eisenhower Elementary, but she is a familiar face in Hopkins' early childhood program, where she taught preschool from 2004 to 2011.

Former Hopkins special services director to receive Distinguished Alumni Award - 11/09/2011

Former Hopkins Special Services Director, Jan Ormasa, will receive the University of Minnesota's 2011 College of Education and Human Development Distinguished Alumni Award. Dean Jean K. Quam will present Ormasa with the award on Nov. 15, at a reception and dinner at the McNamara Alumni Center. Ormasa is receiving the award due to her years of service to the field of special education at Hopkins Public Schools.

 

Durand receives MN Educator Excellence Award for ProStart - 03/15/2011

Gayle Durand is the recipient of the 2011 Minnesota Educator Excellence Award for ProStart, a type of curriculum embedded into all the high school's culinary classes.

The executive board members of the Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation made this decision and forwarded it on to the National Headquarters in Chicago. Durand is now one of 50 teachers nationwide being considered for ProStart's national recognition, an honor only two teachers receive.

There are 48 teachers in the state of Minnesota who are teaching the ProStart curriculum. The curriculum affords teachers the flexibility to personalize classroom experiences so that they can be hands-on, challenging and as reflective of the real world as possible. All of the culinary classes at Hopkins High School have the ProStart curriculum embedded in them. The Hopkins program features fieldtrips, business mentorships and catering events.

Hopkins teacher to receive the Minnesota State Leadership Award

Julie Boehmer-Winslow, a Title I coordinator for Hopkins Public Schools, is a recipient of the 2010-2011 Minnesota State Leadership Award. The award celebrates individuals who have given significant support to students and educators in Minnesota and supported the goals of the state affiliate organization.

Chris Johnstone named a candidate for Minnesota Teacher of the Year

Hopkins teacher Chris Johnstone has been named a candidate for Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Johnstone has taught at Hopkins Public Schools for 10 years at "Delta Place" as both a special education teacher and a math teacher. Teaching grades seven through 12, he provides instruction ranging from basic skills to calculus and statistics.

Two Hopkins educators honored as TIES Exceptional Teachers

Two Hopkins teachers, Ben Friesen and Robb Trenda, were recognized as TIES Exceptional Teachers at the TIES 2010 Education Technology Conference at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency on December 7. They were among 79 teachers from 39 districts. 

Hopkins teacher receives national honor at the White House

Barbara Stoflet, a 6th-grade teacher at Gatewood Elementary School, received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from President Obama at the White House in January 2010. Stoflet also had the honor of introducing the President at the awards ceremony. Stoflet is also a former Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

Hopkins High School nurse named Nurse of the Year

Bobbi Pointer, the nurse at Hopkins High School, was named the 2009 School Nurse of the Year by the School Nurse Organization Board of Directors. This award publicly recognizes school nurses in Minnesota by annually honoring one school nurse who demonstrates excellence in school nursing practice and leadership in school health.

High school staff members give presentation at national conference

In mid-October six members of the Hopkins High School Equity team (Valarie McWilliams-Jones, Lydia Kabaka, Terrall Lewis, Carl Yancy, Patty Johnson and Rita DeWane) presented at the national Summit for Courageous Conversation in 2009.

HHS Math Teacher receives Apples for Teacher award

Bill Ruis, a math teacher at Hopkins High School, received an Apples for Teacher award in February 2010 from 102.9 Lite FM Radio. He was nominated by two students-Nicole Christensen and Ashlee Bednar. In their nomination, the students wrote, "Mr. Ruis is an amazing teacher who really connects with his students and connects math to real life in order to help us to understand it. He is very funny and seems to enjoy math and enjoy teaching."

Hopkins teacher receives study tour grant

Margaret "Maggie" Temple, a Hopkins High School social studies teacher, was awarded a Fulbright-Hays study tour grant from the U.S. Department of Education. In the summer of 2010, she and 15 other educators from the United States researched educational reform in Afro-Indigenous communities in Brazil.

Hopkins mathematics coordinator to lead statewide math organization

Michele Luke, a mathematics teacher at Hopkins West Junior High and Hopkins Public Schools' K-12 mathematics coordinator and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) co-coordinator, has been elected the 38th president of the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM).

Hopkins teacher receives innovative economic educator award

Mary LaBelle, a Challenge (gifted and talented) teacher at L.H. Tanglen Elementary School, has received a 3M Innovative Economic Educator Award from the Minnesota Council on Economic Education.

Two Hopkins teachers honored for using technology to enhance student learning

Two Hopkins teachers have received awards for modeling best practices in using technology in their classroom and engaging students in learning. Sean Beaverson, who teaches language arts in the alternative learning center at Hopkins West Junior High, and Kim Mach, a 4th grade teacher at L.H. Tanglen Elementary School, have been honored as 2009 TIES Exceptional Teachers.

Third Hopkins teacher becomes a Google Certified Teacher

David Freeburg, a social studies teacher at Hopkins North Junior High, has become a Google Certified Teacher after participating in the Google Learning Academy. He is the third Hopkins teacher to earn this honor. Benjamin Friesen, an 8th grade earth science teacher at Hopkins West Junior High, and Sean Beaverson, who teaches language arts in the area learning center at Hopkins West Junior High, are also Google Certified Teachers.

Athletic director honored for outstanding service

Dan Johnson, Hopkins Public Schools' athletic director, has been selected by the Minnesota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association as the National Distinguished Service Award state winner. Johnson received this award in recognition of his outstanding contributions and service to his school, the state, and national level. He is now in a pool of athletic directors from across the nation for consideration for a national award.

Hopkins teacher honored for work on financial literacy

David Braaten, a business education teacher at Hopkins High School, was congratulated by the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) for his guidance of students on financial literacy. Braaten coached a team of students in the Personal Finance Decathlon Online Competition. This year, 103 teams from 18 high schools across Minnesota competed. The Hopkins team placed in the top 20 teams. The Personal Finance Decathlon is an opportunity for students to test their knowledge in 10 areas of personal finance, including thinking economically, earning income, paying taxes, budgeting, saving, financial planning, investing, borrowing, banking and financial institutions, and insuring.

Hopkins baseball coach selected to lead all-star baseball series

Neil Lerner, Hopkins's varsity baseball coach, was selected as one of the coaches for the Metro West team in the Lions All-Star Baseball Series in June. The games were played at Athletic Park in Chaska and involved the top senior baseball players in the state.

HHS culinary arts teacher named Educator of the Year 

HHS culinary arts Gayle Durand was named 2009 Educator of the Year by the American Culinary Federation's Minneapolis Chefs Chapter in recognition of her work with the 2007-08 Hopkins High School ProStart Team, which was one of 36 teams from around the country to advance to the national ProStart competion last spring. The team was also recognized and received an award from the American Culinary Federation at the organization's banquet this past November. 

Teachers honored for use of technology to enhance student achievement

Two Hopkins teachers—a 4th grade teacher at Gatewood Elementary School and an area learning center teacher at Hopkins North Junior High—received awards for modeling best practices in using technology in their classroom and engaging students in learning. They were honored as 2008 TIES Exceptional Teachers. They were among 67 teachers from 33 school districts chosen by their superintendents for TIES Exceptional Teacher recognition because of their use of technology.

Courageous Conversation Honors

Hopkins Public Schools' elementary English language learner (ELL) coordinator and ELL teacher at L.H. Tanglen Elementary School received the "Learning and Teaching Award" at The Summit for Courageous Conversations ‘08. The Learning and Teaching Award honors a classroom teacher who demonstrates radically-innovative and culturally-relevant instruction that engages all students, and for promoting the highest achievement of underserved student-of-color populations.

In addition, Hopkins High School's principal and L.H. Tanglen Elementary School's principal received Recognition Awards for their "extraordinary passion, practice, and persistence for leading courageous conversations about race, and working to achieve racial justice and educational equity."

Staff members from Hopkins High School presented three sessions at the Summit, including raising the academic achievement level of young black men, engaging parents of students of color, and developing culturally competent teaching strategies. More than 500 people attended the Summit.

Volleyball Coach of the Year

Hopkins High School's volleyball coach was named Minnesota Co-Coach of the Year by the Minnesota High School Coaches Association. She was also named the Section 6AAA by the coaches association

Research Paper Published

A science teacher at Hopkins High School and the Off Campus Program, recently had his master's project article--Population Trends of Tundra-Nesting Birds at Cape Churchill, Manitoba, in Relation to Increasing Goose Populations--published in The Condor, a peer review scientific journal. The Condor is considered one of the top two professional bird journals. International bird experts and ecologists read and use the data in The Condor to inform their own work and to provide information for further bird studies. His paper details the full study of the scientific problem, experimentation, results, and data analysis from these results.

Google Teacher Academy

An 8th grade science teacher at Hopkins West Junior High was recently invited to attend the Google Teacher Academy, which is a free, professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. Each Academy is an intensive, one-day event where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. He is now a Google certified teacher, sharing what he has learned with other K-12 educators.

Minnesota School Nurse Administrator of the Year

Hopkins Public Schools' lead nurse and school nurse at Hopkins West Junior High has been selected as Minnesota School Nurse Administrator of the Year by the School Nurse Organization of Minnesota. She was nominated and selected because of her outstanding nursing practice. She consistently demonstrates excellence in the application of the standards of professional school nursing. She is an advocate for students in the community. Her commitment to professional service is evident in the roles and responsibilities that she has assumed in the School Nurse Organization of Minnesota, including membership chair from 1999-2004, and treasurer from 2004-2008.

State and National Middle Level Principal of the Year

Hopkins North Junior High's principal was one of three finalists for the National Middle Level Principal of the Year earning the honor of national runner-up. National Middle Level Principal of the Year is a program sponsored by MetLife and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

A middle level and high school principal are selected annually from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. The Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) named HNJH's principal as the 2008 Minnesota Middle Level Principal of the Year.

From these state winners, six finalists were chosen-three middle level, and three high school level-by a panel representing various education associations and organizations to be considered to the national honor.

The National Principal of the Year Award program recognizes outstanding school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. The finalists are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions that they have made to the profession. The program honors school principals who have demonstrated excellence in a number of areas, including:

• Collaborative Leadership--providing direction and focus to the school community to achieve the goals of the school.
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment-improving teaching and learning by implementation of programs that encourage student achievement.
• Personalization-establishment and maintenance of a positive school climate that reflects high student and staff morale.

Fulbright Administrator Exchange

Hopkins Public Schools' Director of Special Services was awarded a Fulbright Administrator Exchange grant to conduct an observational study in Thailand. She was one of approximately 170 United States citizens who traveled abroad during the 2007-08 academic year through the Fulbright Administrator Exchange Program.

Track & Field Coach of the Year

A Hopkins High School science teacher and Hopkins' head coach for boys' cross country and track & field was named the Minnesota Coach of the Year in boys track & field. The award was given by the Minnesota Track Coaches Association.

Minnesota Scholastic Arts Awards Program

An art teacher at Hopkins High School was featured in the program for the Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards (MSAA). The article included information on the teacher's educational background and her reasons for supporting the MSAA program.

Mathematics Article Published

A 10th grade geometry teacher at Hopkins High School wrote an article on Using Quilt Blocks to Construct Understanding, which was published in the February 2008 edition of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. She wrote about how she uses quilt blocks to explain a myriad of mathematical concepts to her students, and about how her students used quilt blocks to create mathematical problems for each other to answer. The students also created their own quilt designs that were turned into wall hangings.

Teaching Shakespeare Institute

A language arts teacher at Hopkins High School was selected to attend a four-week Teaching Shakespeare Institute (TSI). Teaching Shakespeare 2008 had an emphasis on exploring primary sources that create a link to Shakespeare's period and culture, and on creating curricular innovations utilizing technology and the Internet. The Teaching Shakespeare 2008 curriculum focused on four plays--The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado about Nothing, Richard III, and King Lear.

National Conference Presentation

A language arts teacher at Hopkins High School participated in a High School Matters roundtable at the 2008 National Council of Teachers of English convention. She talked about literacy coaching at the secondary level to more than 200 convention participants.

Arc Change Maker Award Honorable Mentions

Two Hopkins special education teachers won Arc Change Maker Award honorable mentions. This award recognizes long-term or intensive efforts that positively affect the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

One of the honorees was a special education teacher at Glen Lake Elementary School who works with students with emotional behavioral disturbed issues. The other honoree was a special education teacher at Hopkins High School who was recognized for her work with the Creating Opportunities, Reward Effort (CORE) program.

Alumni Award

Hopkins High School's Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) director and teacher received the 2008 William E. Gardner University of Minnesota Alumni Award.

Minnetonka Rotary Building Responsible Youth

Hopkins High School's school nurse received Minnetonka Rotary's Building Responsible Youth Award. The award honors adult volunteers who are making a difference in the lives of young people.

Professional Organization Honors

A counselor at Hopkins High School was named a National Rising Star in the field of college counseling by the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). The counselor was recognized for work in the field of equity, specifically helping inner city and out-state counselors become more represented in their own association at the state and national levels.

A language arts teacher at Hopkins High School was elected vice president of the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English (MCTE). MCTE is the professional organization for teachers of English language arts in the state of Minnesota and one of numerous affiliates of the National Council of Teachers of English. The teacher was also elected to serve on the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

A counselor at Hopkins High School was named a National Rising Star in the field of college counseling by the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). The counselor was recognized for work in the field of equity, specifically helping inner city and out-state counselors become more represented in their own association at the state and national levels.

Hopkins High School's associate principal was appointed to the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Assistant Principal Task Force. The task force was appointed by NASSP's Board of Directors. The group will examine the assistant principal's role, how it is changing, and what educational leaders in that position need to succeed.

USA Weekend Most Caring Coaches

The head coach and assistant coach of the Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound Westonka Robins Adapted Athletics Physically Impaired (P.I.) Team were selected as one of three sets of recipients of the USA Weekend Most Caring Coaches Award. They were among more than 700 coaches nominated from across the country. The coaches were featured in USA Weekend and were mentioned on Fox Sports Network.

Athletic Administrator of the Year

Hopkins Public Schools' athletic director was named the Region 6AA Athletic Administrator of the Year for 2006-07, and he became one of eight AA finalists for the Minnesota Athletic Administrator of the Year award. The award is sponsored by the Minnesota Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MNIAAA).

National Citizenship Educaton Teachers' Award

A language arts teacher at Hopkins High School was named Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Citizenship Education Teachers' Award winner for Minnesota's 7th district. The VFW National Citizenship Education Teachers' Award recognizes the nation's top elementary, junior high, and high school teachers who teach citizenship education topics regularly and promote America's history and traditions.

Police Citizens Award

The Hopkins Police Department honored Hopkins Public Schools' Family Involvement and Volunteers coordinator with the Police Citizens Award for her work on meeting the needs of students and families living along the Blake Road Corridor.

BestPrep Teacher of Excellence

Hopkins' Work Experience coordinator at Transition Plus and Transition Lead, was honored with a 2007 Teacher of Excellence Award by BestPrep. This award is given to outstanding teachers who have used BestPrep's programs to educate Minnesota students about business, financial literacy, and career education.

BestPrep Larson Excellence Award

A teacher from Hopkins West Junior High School was honored with BestPrep's 2005 Larson Excellence Award. This award is given to an outstanding teacher who has used BestPrep's Stock Market Game to educate Minnesota students about business, the stock market, and the American economic system.

Top Teacher Awards

A social studies teacher at Hopkins West Junior High (HWJH) was awarded Fox 9 KMSP's Top Teacher Award. Fox 9 KMSP honors nine teachers each year with the Top Teacher Award in its effort to support and promote education and recognize teachers who make schools great.

A nurse at Hopkins High School was named one of Fox 9 KMSP's 2006 Top Teachers. The awards, an annual program designed to highlight great educators, honored nine teachers this year. This nurse sees an average of 80 students a day, helping them cope with a variety of issues--from obesity to eating disorders, diabetes to concussions, and minor injuries. She has organized many programs and services, including an on-site Weight Watchers program, an after-school yoga program, a "Shape Up" challenge for staff, complimentary 15-minute massages during high stress times, and is assisting the Math Department with a health and fitness regimen. She has worked with the community to install defibrillators in the school and arrange for flu shots for staff.

Aspiring Principals Scholarship

A 9th-grade civics teacher at Hopkins North Junior High was named the first recipient of the Robert Schmidt Aspiring Principals' Scholarship from the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP). The scholarship was established to recognize one teacher leader each year who is enrolled in an administrative degree program.

Minnetonka Reflections

Hopkins Public Schools' director of Community Education was named one of two recipients of the 2007 Minnetonka Reflections Award for her work with the city of Minnetonka's 50th anniversary volunteer committee. The award is designed to recognize individuals, businesses, and programs whose outstanding contributions reflect positively on Minnetonka.

Writing Grant

An Off-Campus Pavilion Hopkins Alternative Program teacher was awarded one of six $2,000 Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing. In addition, her proposal was chosen as the Midwestern regional winner out of 40 submitted across the Midwest. The Bob Costas Grants are awarded to teachers who inspire students to write, whether it be in school, through an after-school writing workshop, or during a summer program. The College Board created the Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing to support teachers and to thank Bob Costas, the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author, for his generous public service work on behalf of writing instruction.

Family & Consumer Sciences Professional of the Year

A Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) teacher at North Junior High was selected as the 2005 Minnesota FACS Professional of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Michele was nominated for this award by her colleagues for her strong advocacy in family public policy, professional dedication to FACS education, and her outstanding involvement in FACS on state and national levels.

Technology Exceptional Teachers

Annually, Hopkins has teachers who receive TIES Exceptional Teacher honors. Along with being featured in the TIES Exceptional Teachers publication, each teacher receives a certificate and is recognized by Minnesota Education Commissioner. The TIES Exceptional Teacher award was established to recognize teachers in member districts who best integrate technology into their classroom and engage students in learning.

Art Education Administrator of the Year

Gatewood Elementary School's principal was named the 2005 Art Educators of Minnesota (AEM) Administrator of the Year. AEM is a part of the National Art Education Association (NAEA), which strives to focus professional attention on quality art education and exemplary art educators, and to increase public awareness of the importance of quality art education.

Milken National Educator

A Hopkins North Junior High math teacher received a 2005 Milken National Educator Award. Dubbed the "Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher Magazine, the Milken National Educator Awards were created by Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken in 1985 to celebrate, elevate, and activate the highest caliber professionals in our nation's schools. The honor, given to 100 secondary teachers, principals, and specialists nationwide, includes a $25,000 unrestricted cash award.

Ethics in Education

In 2005, a Hopkins special education teacher was named one of two recipients of a Whitney & Elizabeth MacMillan (WEM) Foundation Ethics in Education Award. This award recognizes educators who exemplify ethical behavior for the teaching profession and promote ethical practices and development for their students through classroom activities or curriculum.

National Health Professional of the Year

In 2004, a health science teacher at Hopkins High School and Hopkins Public Schools comprehensive school health curriculum services coordinator was named the American Association for Health Education (AAHE) Health Education Professional of the Year for the K-12 category. This award honors and recognizes outstanding teaching and contributions to health education by a health educator.

Wittenberg Fellow

A German teacher at Hopkins High School was selected for the 2004 Center for German and European Studies (CGES) Wittenberg Fellowship through the University of Minnesota-one of ten people chosen for the fellowship.

Impact Award for Distinguished Teaching

In 2004, a special services teacher at Hopkins High School was the recipient of the Impact Award for Distinguished Teaching from the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development. This award honors Minnesota teachers for their contributions to the lives of K-12 students. The award program recognizes Minnesota educators who through their teaching have exerted a profound influence on the lives of students. Award recipients are selected because of their impact on students, classroom teaching effectiveness, and exemplary teaching activities.

Teachers of the Year

Hopkins Public Schools has the distinction of having two of its teachers selected as Minnesota Teacher of the Year-in 1992 and 2001.

Additional Awards

Additional staff award highlights include:

• 2005 Bruce Balow Award from the Minnesota Council for Children with Behavior Disorders
• 2004 American Choral Directors Association's Outstanding Young Choral Conductor of the Year
• 2004 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Finalist
• 2004 Health Education Professional of the Year
• 2004 Impact Award for Distinguished Teaching from the University of Minnesota
• 2003 American Association of Teachers of French Dorothy S. Ludwig Excellence in Teaching Award
• 2004 & 2003 Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar
• 2003 Outstanding Career & Technical Educator award
• 2003 Minnesota Teacher of Excellence
• 2002 Minnesota finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
• 2002 Minnesota Dance Education Teacher of the Year
• 2002 Minnesota Health Teacher of the Year
• 2002 Minnesota French Teacher of the Year
• 2002 ARC Hennepin-Carver Teacher of the Year