Parent Engage 360

Episode 27: How to prepare for parent/teacher conferences

Parents and guardians may have recently been invited to sign up for the first round of parent/teacher conferences for this school year, and they may be wondering what to expect or how to prepare for conferences with your child’s teacher or teachers. 

In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator; Nikole Wodash, Sunrise Elementary School assistant principal; and Jill Alton, Coon Rapids High School assistant principal, hope to answer what parents can expect from conferences, how to prepare, and ways that parents/guardians can work with their child’s teacher(s) in partnership to support success in the classroom. 

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others. Learn more about Parent Engage 360 events and resources at ahschools.us/parentengage360.

Episode 26: Back to School with Dr. Kate Maguire

It is officially back-to-school season! In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Interim Superintendent Dr. Kate Maguire joined host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, to discuss all things back to school.

Maguire began serving as interim superintendent in July and shares in this podcast what she has learned in just two short months at Anoka-Hennepin. With nearly 40 years of experience in education, Maguire provides tips and recommendations for parents and guardians to help their children have a successful start to the school year while also sharing about the district’s theme this school year, Live Well, Lead Well, Learn Well. 

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 25: Welcome to kindergarten!

As the 2022-23 school year approaches, some parents/guardians may be gearing up for their first school year as caregivers or sending their youngest to kindergarten. Whether sending your child to school for the first time or for the first time in a few years, you may have some questions about how it all works or what to expect. 

We’ve got you covered! Tune in to the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode titled “Welcome to kindergarten” to hear from two district kindergarten teachers on what you can expect, from orientation to the first day of school and beyond, as well as some tips and ideas to consider as you prepare to send your child to kindergarten. 

Andover Elementary School kindergarten teacher Nicole Huttner and Johnsville Elementary School teacher Abby Hawes bring over 20 years of combined experience to the conversation. Learn what a typical day looks like in kindergarten, how you can help your student prepare for the upcoming school year, how to communicate with your teacher and more.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 24: Summer safety for youth

Summer is a fun-filled time for many, that includes a variety of outdoor activities including swimming and biking, to name a few. While summer is a time to enjoy as many of those activities as possible, it is also important to think about how to enjoy all of those activities safely. 

In Episode 24 of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, was joined by Robin Chambers, Anoka-Hennepin Community Schools Specialist, and Danielle Forsman, a patrol officer with the Coon Rapids Police Department, to learn more about summer safety for youth. 

Forsman is also the chair of Safe Kids Anoka County, which provides dedicated and caring staff, operation support and other resources to assist in achieving their common goal: keeping kids safe. Safe Kids provides support based on the needs of the community and can include programs such as car-seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. 

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 23: Specialty and magnet programming in Anoka-Hennepin

Anoka-Hennepin offers 12 schools that provide in-demand educational options such as the arts; science, technology, math, engineering and biomedical sciences (STEM/STEAM), as well as International Baccalaureate (IB).

Specialty and magnet schools are public schools available to all students at no additional cost. These schools, which are at the elementary, middle and high school levels, are designed to provide family choice. 

In Episode 23 of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, visited with three curriculum integrators from across the district to learn more about the specialty and magnet programming offered in the district. 

Kate Watson, University Avenue Elementary School - Aerospace, Children’s Engineering and Science (ACES), Jolanda Dranchak, Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) and Lana Rice, Coon Rapids High School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (CRHS) joined Burgard to discuss programming at their schools and in Anoka-Hennepin.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 22: How students can learn about money management in Anoka-Hennepin

Money management is an important topic for teens to think and learn about as they start searching for their first job, starting a savings account for college or getting a head start on personal finances. Join Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, as she discusses how money management is taught and what is offered to students in the district with Blaine High School (BHS) business teacher and Business Professionals of America (BPA) advisor Holly Boisjolie and BHS senior Elijah Johnson. 

In this episode, Boisjolie explains what types of courses and extracurricular activities are available to students in Anoka-Hennepin to learn more about the topic and explore future options. Johnson, who is the National President of BPA and will attend Harvard University next year, discusses how he approached learning about personal money management and explored it even further to gain many great experiences and opportunities as a member of the BPA team at BHS.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others. 

Episode 21: A day in the life of an Anoka-Hennepin high school student

Do you have a student moving from elementary school to middle school, or middle to high school? Have you wondered what that transition might look like? Join Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, as she sits down with Coon Rapids High School (CRHS) principal John Peña and senior Lilah Gilyard to learn more about what a day looks like for an Anoka-Hennepin student and what to expect when transitioning.

Gilyard is a multi-sport athlete at CRHS, competing in cross country, cross country skiing and lacrosse while also juggling her classes while preparing for graduation. Peña is in his first year as the principal at CRHS after spending 15 years as a middle school assistant principal. He also got his start in education as a kindergarten teacher and has a lot of good advice for students and parents/guardians as students experience transitions.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 20: Mental Health - How to get support in school and in the community

Join Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, as she discusses how to get mental health support for your student with PrairieCare child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Joshua Stein and Anoka-Hennepin school social worker Julie Beaufeaux. 

Dr. Stein outlines programming offered by PrairieCare and how to go about getting a mental health assessment for your child(ren). Beaufeaux talks about the role of a school social worker in Anoka-Hennepin and how they can help facilitate connections to resources such as PrairieCare. 

Tune in to the latest episode via Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or on the district website to learn more about mental health supports and how to access resources if needed. 

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others. Visit ahschools.us/parentengage360 for more information.

Episode 19: Anoka-Hennepin Community Education

Join Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, as she discusses all things Community Education in the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast. 

In this episode, Burgard is joined by Michelle Trelstad, Anoka-Hennepin’s director of community education, and Jamie Law, community education coordinator at Northdale Middle School to discuss all things community education. 

Anoka-Hennepin Community Education reaches more than half a million people every year - through classes, services, tours, programs, outreach activities and athletics. Community Education is provided by the Anoka-Hennepin School District as an efficient and effective way to offer residents of all ages the opportunity for lifelong learning. 

Tune in to the latest episode to learn more about the community education program and how the programming is weaved into and an important part of the school district and school community. In this episode, Trelstad and Law share information about community education and how the program has been a part of both of their lives both personally and professionally.

To learn more about the community education program, visit ahschools.us/communityeducation.

Episode 18: Suicide awareness

Several of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast episodes over the past two years have discussed and provided resources on the topic of mental health. A topic that has been weaved into that conversation is suicide. Suicide can be a topic that is difficult to discuss, and at times, there can be a stigma, and often, we don’t know how to start the conversation on such an emotional topic. 

In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, sits down with Janet Casperson, an Anoka-Hennepin parent, and Julia Messenger, the district’s school social worker, social-emotional learning teacher on special assignment, to provide additional awareness around the topic of suicide. 

You will hear one mother’s story and how through the loss of her son, Sam, she has become an amazing advocate and resource in our school community. 

For those who need immediate support, you are not alone. 24-hour support is available by phone by calling the National Suicide Prevention Line 1-800-273-8255. Please note, this number will transition to a new three-number 988, starting on July 16, 2022. By text message, contact the crisis text line by texting “MN” to 741741. 

Both services are always available to support the mental health needs of persons in crisis and are offered at no cost.

To learn more about Thumbs Up, a non-profit organization that embraces all those who are struggling and breaking the stigma around mental health, visit thumbsupformentalhealth.org.