News and events - March 3, 2023

March 3, 2023

• March 9: Last Day of Trimester 2
  
• March 10: No School- Grading Day
• March 13-17: No School- Spring Break
• March 20: No School- Staff Development
• March 21: First Day of Trimester 3
  
• April 29: CRHS Prom (International Market Square)
• June 4: CRHS Graduation (Maturi Pavilion on U of M campus)

On the morning of February 28th, Coon Rapids High School DECA members Libby Larson, Anna Kelly, and Josiah Ashworth all presented to the Coon Rapids Business Council about DECA and all of the amazing things DECA is doing. Attending this conference was the president of the North Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Director of Communications and Public Relations at the Anoka Hennepin School District, Principal John Peña, the police and fire chiefs, and many others business professionals.

The three students got up in front of the attendees and presented about the upcoming DECA state conference, the benefits of DECA, Career and Technical Education, and the exciting international Conference coming up in April. DECA teaches students the business and marketing skills they need to succeed in their future careers. DECA prepares students for leadership roles in every aspect of their future career and education.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for future careers in Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, and Management. For more information on DECA contact CRHS DECA advisor Blake Bodenburg at Blake.Bodenburg@ahschools.us

Junior DECA member Anna Kelly speaking to the council

Congratulations to CRHS’s own Molly Seidschlag, who won the high school age-level Bus Safety Poster Contest for Anoka-Hennepin Schools. Molly received $25 and a school bus bank from the contest co-sponsors: First Student, Kottkes', NorthStar Lines and the District Transportation Department. Molly's poster will be submitted for the up-coming state competition.

Please join us on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30pm in the Coon Rapids High School cafeteria for the PLTW Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) student project showcase (flyer)! Our CIM students are busy in class building their automated assembly lines and want to show off their projects! At the student project showcase, groups will give presentations on their work and they will have their assembly lines set up for you to see them in action! This is a great opportunity for you to see the collaboration, problem solving and troubleshooting, critical thinking, programming, and learning happening among our Engineering specialty program students!

Coon Rapids High School’s DECA Internship class spent eight weeks emailing their E-mentors from BMO Harris Bank. After a few weeks of collaborating, the students went to BMO in Minneapolis to meet their mentors in person. While at BMO, these students ate lunch with their mentors to get to know them on a more personal level. After lunch, students toured throughout the corporate office and bank to get a real feeling about what it's like to work in such a large business.

Senior, Josiah Ashworth said, “Being able to go to BMO Harris, I learned it was a much more lively culture, everyone was very friendly and outgoing. I also found it interesting how the bank is set up, they have different sections for each part like wealth management and commercial banking.”

Senior, Madison Froslie responded with, “I was surprised how personable and friendly the employees were. You tend to expect professional people to be intimidating and scary, but this showed us that’s not true at all”.

Senior, Jon Pokrzywa said, “I learned the advantages of being in a large company, and having a team to support you in a day to day job”.

Senior Jordanna Bradford summed it up best by saying, “Meeting my mentor was definitely my favorite part. It was so nice being able to put a face to the emails. We talked a lot about her experience with college and where she is at right now”.

This was an amazing opportunity for every single internship student, and it impacted them all in a positive manner.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for future careers in Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, and Management. For more information on DECA contact CRHS DECA advisor Blake Bodenburg at Blake.Bodenburg@ahschools.us

Every year DECA holds a fundraiser for Valentine’s Day where they sell balloons to Coon Rapids High School students. All proceeds go to MDA (The Muscular Dystrophy Association). MDA is DECA’s national charity. This year, Coon Rapids DECA was able to secure donated balloons from Litin’s Party Value in Plymouth, MN. The helium was donated by Airgas out of Ramsey, MN. The DECA chapter made a big effort to maximize their donation to MDA, by reaching out to local vendors for donations to cut expenses.

Balloons were pre-sold the week before Valentine's Day:

• Red is for true love
• White is for friendship
• Pink is for a secret admirer

The individual balloons were sold for $3 or two for $5. A message was filled out asking for receiver names, sender names, and a personalized Valentine’s note.

Balloons were handed out on Valentine's Day in the cafeteria. This year Coon Rapids DECA was able to raise over $600! That makes this the best balloon sale our school has ever had!

Pictured: Senior DECA internship members Snow Ahmed, Mamie Wallace-Hopkins, Jon Pokrzywa, and Miranda Froslie preparing the balloons

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for future careers in Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, and Management. For more information on DECA contact CRHS DECA advisor Blake Bodenburg at Blake.Bodenburg@ahschools.us

Spring Sports Registration is now open! Sign up in ParentVue under the "Fees" tab!

Trimester 3 parking permits are now on sale online via ParentVue or in person at the Finance Window. The cost is $35.00 (cash/check in person or credit card online). If you didn’t purchase a full year permit at the beginning of the school year, you MUST purchase a Tri 3 permit to continue parking at CRHS. Please remember to pick up the physical permit from the Finance Window if you purchase your permit online. Questions can be addressed to: Ms. Matthews, Finance Secretary, at the Finance Window or by calling 763-506-7302.

As we get closer to Spring, please remember these important reminders about your student’s Chromebook and charger:

• If your student has a different device and doesn't need their school Chromebook any more, they can return their Chromebook and charger to the Media Center on any school day.
• Students that have an issue with their Chromebook (e.g. something is broken or lost) can bring it to the Media Center during school to have it looked at. It’s always easier to clear up problems during the school year, so let us know how we can help.
• If your student has any questions, they can connect with our staff in the Media Center or their teacher.
• Lost and damaged items will be assessed fines.

Booster Club, Nonprofit and PTO Resources

It’s not too late (or too early) to register for our last free workshop of the season. We will focus on volunteer recruitment, board transition and retention as well as best practices for closing out the year. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn something new, refresh your knowledge and connect with other non-profit folk!

The workshop will be held in person at the Educational Service Center (ESC) in Anoka as well as virtually. Check out https://www.ahschools.us/ptoboosterworkshops for more information and registration.

Volunteers are an incredible asset to the students here at CRHS. Let’s make sure your impact is recorded and recognized. By filling out your volunteer application you are doing your part to keep our students safe while enriching their lives through extracurricular activities. You can access this year’s volunteer application here:

CRHS Volunteer Application and Criminal Record History Release Form or email your Volunteer Services Coordinator, Danielle Callahan at danielle.callahan@ahschools.us (or call (763) 506-7130)

Graduation 2023 is just around the corner- please read the important information below to be sure you're ready to celebrate your senior this Spring. Also, please coordinate family plans now, as parking and reservation details are available.

• Date & Time: CRHS Graduation 2023 will take place on June 4 at 4pm.
• Location: Graduation will be held at Maturi Pavilion, located on the University of Minnesota campus.
• Parking: Please see information below about parking at graduation.

Coon Rapids High School has traditionally hosted its graduation ceremonies at the University of Minnesota campus to ensure adequate capacity for graduates and their families.

This year, graduation ceremonies will be held in the Maturi Pavilion, located at 1925 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis. In recent years, ceremonies were held at the 3M Arena at Mariucci, which is currently under renovation. Details are now available to assist families in the planning process.

As noted above, the CRHS Graduation ceremony 2023 will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 4. Throughout the spring, the Class of 2023 Senior page will be continually updated with important information, including senior’s last day, cap/gown distribution, the senior all night party, etc.

In addition, be prepared regarding behavior and what to wear guidelines by viewing this document: Student Guidelines and Expectations for the graduation ceremony.

Parking

Family members planning to be in attendance at the graduation ceremonies are advised of parking options in a number of locations:

• University Avenue ramp
• Maroon parking lot, located off Oak Street East and Oak Street SE
• Lot 37, located northwest of the 3M Arena at Mariucci, on 5th Street SE
• 4th Street Parking Ramp, located on 4th Street SE and 17th Avenue SE

Download the map of parking options or view it online on the University of Minnesota website. Pricing of parking spots varies by location.

Seating

While holding the graduation ceremonies at the University of Minnesota campus allows more family members to be in attendance, it is important to note that seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. Attendees who may have difficulty with stairs may want to seek out lower level seating upon arrival. Due to the temporary change of location, seating will be tighter than experienced in past years. As a courtesy, please do not bring additional bags or extra items to allow for maximum capacity for other families.

Accommodations will be made available for attendees with handicap accessible needs or ASL interpretation. To confirm accessibility accommodations, please make a request with your student’s high school before May 22, 2023.

Finally, Beautiful Bouquets and Custom Class Shirts will be outside Maturi on graduation day if families would like to purchase gifts or you can pre-order ahead of time (click here to order) and pick gifts up on graduation day!

Project Fairy Godmothers is a non-profit organization that collects new and gently used prom dresses, shoes and accessories to provide access for those who cannot otherwise afford to buy Prom apparel. This year's giveaway will be April 1, 2023 in St. Paul.

This is a FREE event, however, anyone interested should submit an application to participate.

Please see the flyer for more information, or contact Ms. Anderson (Prom Advisor) or Ms. Gustafson (CRHS Social Workers).

CRHS yearbooks are on sale now! Order your 2023 yearbook today through Jostens.com. Supplies are limited and once they sell out online, they are GONE.

Questions? Email Kari Berg at karilee.berg@ahschools.us

Senior Parents-

Senior Year is an important milestone in many student's lives and it’s important to find creative ways to commemorate your student’s senior year, celebrate all of their hard work and accomplishments throughout their school career, and let them know that you love and are proud of them. A fun and easy way to do this is to place a recognition ad, or an “Ad for Grads”, in the 2022-2023 Yearbook.This is something that your student can look back on for years to come.

It is very simple to create an “Ad for Grad.” Just visit www.jostensadservice.com and you can begin creating your ad today using your favorite photos of your son or daughter and a personal message. You can choose any photos you like: a baby photo, a grade school photo, or just a photo of your student that you love--you can even take a picture of the photo you want to use and upload that image from your phone.

• Photos may be in color or black and white, and you pick the fonts and background.
• Ads are available in two different sizes, 1/4 page for $60 or 1/8 page for $40.
• The Ads for Grads deadline is February 17, 2023.
  
  

If you have any questions or need tips on how to upload the pictures you want to use, please email Kari Berg at karilee.berg@ahschools.us or check out this sheet from Jostens with FAQs.

Class of 2023 Seniors and families:
Purchase your Class of 2023 yard sign in support of the Senior All Night Party. The first set of signs will be ready for pick up on December 12th and must be paid in full prior to pickup. If you have any questions on payment, please email audra.hyatt@ahschools.us.

The School Social Work Department maintains a small food shelf to assist families in crisis. Food is organized in small care packages and sent home in backpacks and cinch sacks. We are particularly in need of nonperishable ready serve meals. Some examples include Canned Raviolios, Packaged Pasta Meals, Stew, Chili, Ramen Cups, Soup Cups, Mac and Cheese Cups, Compleats. Snacks such as granola bars, breakfast bars, and snack crackers would also be appreciated. The list of all our current needs can be found at this link: CRHS Food Shelf and Compassion Fund Needs.

The Cardinal Compassion Fund is used to help students and families facing crises. Checks can be written to AHEF with Carinal Compassion Fund identified as the recipient in the memo line. Checks can either be dropped off in the main office or mailed to CRHS, Attn: Lana Matthews, 2340 Northdale Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433.

If you have questions or if you and your family need assistance, please contact Emily Gustafson at 763-506-7153 emily.gustafson@ahschools.us

Cardinal Career and College Corner

College and Military Rep visits during lunches in the Cafeteria (11:10-1:15)

• No visits this week

Scholarships for our Seniors!

1. Career Center Website for advice and scholarships - here

2. Complete FAFSA application - here

3. Page Grant Scholarship - here (Jan 1st - April 1st)

4. Wallin 2 year pathway scholarship ($6,000) - here

Anoka Ramsey Community College - Healthcare Trip

Anoka Hennepin students had the opportunity to have a hands-on experience and explore several healthcare pathways at Anoka Ramsey Community College including nursing, physical therapy assistant and integrative health and healing.

College Dollars & Sense: Personal Finance for Life After High School

The Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) is now accepting applications for the tenth annual College Dollars & Sense: Personal Finance for Life After High School, a personal finance-based college-readiness program for high school students. College Dollars & Sense is a free week-long program held virtually via Zoom with participating students receiving a $100 stipend. The 2023 program has two virtual program options: June 26th and July 17th. Applications are due by April 30, 2023 - 60 students accepted for each of the two offerings. For more information - here

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

Our Spring 2023 NACAC In-Person & Virtual College Fairs start in a few weeks! Don't miss the opportunity for you and your students to connect with hundreds of colleges all in one place. You can find the full schedule below - here

CRHS College and Career Center Website - There are a lot of students asking about college, military, trades and workforce. Check out my website! There are a lot of instructions on "how to"....send/request transcripts, letters of recs, write essays, scholarship opportunities, resumes, etc! Go to the CRHS homepage, hover over Support, click on Career Center - here

MNACC College Fair – Monday, March 13 5-6:30pm at Centennial High School

The Minnesota Association of Counselors of Color is hosting a college fair featuring 50+ Midwest colleges and universities. See more information here and access the list of representatives here.

• CRHS Senior Information Page & Graduation 2023 Update
• CRHS boys track information

• Order your Coon Rapids Track gear today!

• Testing opportunities for students to earn a World Language Proficiency Certificate or Bilingual/Multilingual Seal