Weekly Newsletter
March 31, 2023
Dear families,
It was also three years ago this week that I participated in the finalist interviews for superintendent and was selected by the board to serve as the next leader of Duluth Public Schools. In many ways it seems like so long ago with everything that has transpired since then. In reality, it has been just shy of two years and nine months since I have been in the position.
Personally, I feel so connected to Duluth and our community. Having my wife Kari here, having bought a home and having grounded ourselves with many new and close friends has been one of the most positive experiences of my life. Every time I look out at the lake, as I did this past weekend watching the first ship of the season enter the harbor, I am reminded how lucky I am to be here.
Professionally, I feel extremely fortunate as well. I get to work each day with an amazing team of leaders who strive each day to support our schools and improve outcomes and experiences for students, families and staff alike. Our staff are deeply dedicated and highly skilled. Finally, and most importantly, we have the most amazing students and supportive families.
We certainly have had our share of challenges since I was hired in March of 2020 — the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing shortages, property sales and leadership transitions of many key positions. Each of these experiences, I believe, have made us stronger and more resilient, however.
As of late, I believe that we have turned a significant corner with our district. I hear and see us moving together cohesively, with a common vision for our students. Our commitment to raising student achievement and achieving greater equity is stronger than ever.
I can’t wait to see what the next three years will bring!
Sincerely,
John Magas
Superintendent
Duluth Public Schools embarked on a strategic planning process in April 2022. This process allowed the district to develop an up-to-date operational plan and provide clarity and focus on our work. We partnered with an organization called TeamWorks International in a “classroom to boardroom” strategic planning process.
A key part of the process was the development of stakeholders' Desired Daily Experiences by holding several focus group meetings to listen to families, students, and staff and their Desired Daily Experiences as they engage with the school district and schools.
The information collected from those focus groups and the family, student, and staff surveys were used to create Desired Daily Experiences, statements which say what each group wants out of their experience with Duluth Public Schools.
Those statements were also used to help create a 3-year operational plan, a progress monitoring schedule and a 3-year school board plan. The feedback from families, students and staff was also used to update our mission, vision, core values and strategic directions.
All of this information has been compiled in our Strategic Roadmap. Now we ask for you to read the Strategic Roadmap and provide your feedback one last time before it is sent to the Duluth School Board for approval April 25.
View the Strategic Roadmap Draft and then complete the survey.
The feedback survey will be open until April 14 at 11:59 p.m.
On behalf of Duluth Public Schools, thank you for your valuable input and feedback on this plan over the past year.
DNA did amazing at the North Star Regional this past weekend! They exhibited many FRC values and demonstrated what their robot, μtemis, (pronounced mutemis) could do. After the first day of tough matches, their Safety Captain won the Safety All-Star Award. The next day they won seven matches in a row and were picked to be in the 6th alliance. DNA made it to the Semi-Finals on alliance 6, but were knocked out by alliance 3.
At the awards ceremony, DNA won the Engineering Inspiration Award which “celebrates outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school or organization and community.” This award qualifies their team for the world's championship in Houston from April 19th to the 22nd! While the $5,000 registration fee is being sponsored by NASA, the cost of worlds is still over $30,000. The following weeks will be spent raising funds for travel and team expenses, and they would be grateful for support and/or donations (GiveMN link below)!
In order to keep up with Their progress, make sure to check out our social media sites.
- Facebook- Denfeld Nation Automation 4009
- Website- https://denfeldrobotics4009.org/
- Instagram- @dna4009
- GiveMN- https://www.givemn.org/story/Dna-Robotics59ca6b6e07950
Mark your calendars to see us at Worlds on April 19th through April 22nd at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX.
Help high school students learn
The Duluth Public Schools Construction Technology class is seeking potential building project proposals for the 2023-24 school year, such as sheds or garages.
For more information contact:
Denfeld Senior, Madeline Watts, advanced to the National Speech and Debate Tournament. It will be held this coming June16-20 in Phoenix Arizona. After 6 cruelling rounds of competition Madi took 3rd place, out of 45 competitors. Top 3 advance. Madi performs a monologue from the recent Jackie'O movie.
**This information is being shared at the request of the Duluth Police Department.**
The city of Duluth has hired the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) to conduct a racial bias audit of the Duluth Police Department, which requires input from the Duluth community.
Specifically, they are looking to understand the perceptions of the community regarding the Duluth Citizen Review Board, the public complaint process, and DPD’s interactions with community members. CJI is collecting information for the audit in a variety of ways, through policy and document reviews, interviews, focus groups, and a community-wide survey.
Any resident of Duluth or non-resident that spends considerable time in Duluth for school, work, or other reasons is encouraged to respond to the survey.
The survey can be accessed online through this link: bit.ly/dpd-bias-audit-survey. The survey is very short, only taking about 5-10 minutes to complete, and it will be open through April 16, 2023. The results will help inform the Racial Bias Audit findings and guide final recommendations for the Duluth Police Department and the City of Duluth.
Companies to Classrooms Duluth will be open for Saturday shopping and donation drop off April 1 from 10:00-1:00.
The store will be closed from April 10-April 14 for spring break.
Teachers can sign up to shop on our website at www.c2cduluth.org.
View our donation requirements at https://www.c2cduluth.org/donate
How to sign up to shop at Companies to Classrooms'
free store for teachers:
- Create an account on our website:c2cduluth.org
- Sign up for a time to shop. Teachers can shop once a month for up to 15 items. We ask that you come promptly at the start of your shopping appointment, but you're able to stay beyond 30 minutes if you need it.
- Bring your school ID or a note from your principal for your first visit.
- Getting there: C2C's store is located at 901 East 11th Street, Duluth MN, between Myers-Wilkins Elementary School and Peace Church.
