Kari Klein Named MN Teacher of the Year Candidate
On Friday, January 26, Education Minnesota announced that Waconia High School Development Disabilities Teacher Kari Klein is among the 158 candidates for the 2024 MN Teacher of the Year Award. Klein, who has taught in the District since 2012, also leads the High School Unified Sports programs.
This year, Education Minnesota will name the 60th Minnesota Teacher of the Year. The program celebrates the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. Eligible candidates include pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, Early Childhood Family Education and Adult Basic Education teachers, from public or private schools. Waconia Middle School mathematics teacher Mark Bullis is also a candidate for the award this year.
An independent panel of leaders in the fields of education, business, government, nonprofit and philanthropy will read candidates’ portfolios over the next few weeks and narrow the list to a group of semifinalists. In March, the panel will convene again and review additional materials from the semifinalists to choose a group of finalists. The Minnesota Teacher of the Year banquet is set for May 5 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
Winter Weather Reminders
In alignment with past practices, if inclement weather forces District leaders to cancel in-person instruction during the 2023-24 school year, the first two instances would result in no-school days for students. Any subsequent weather-related closures would result in the District implementing a flex-learning day. Students in grades 5-12 would use their devices to access learning plans on Schoology. Families with students in grades K-4 would receive learning plans via email from teachers that morning.
In all cases of cancellations, late starts, and early dismissals, notification will be sent directly to families through Infinite Campus by phone, email, and text message. Information will also be posted on the district website and the district's social media channels. Click here for full information.
Order Student School Photos Through Jostens
Parents and guardians looking to order school photos online can do so by going online to https://shop.jostenspix.com/login. When prompted, use the event code FE92723 for Waconia High School students and the event code FE282323 for Waconia Learning Center students.
Partnership With Gather & Grow Food Shelf Provides Weekend Food for Families
For the second straight year, Gather & Grow Food Shelf is partnering with Waconia High School to provide snack/meal options for students over the weekend who would normally source their breakfast and lunch from school. Families do not need to be a shopper of the food shelf to participate in this program. Parents or the student can retrieve the meal bag from the school's front office every Friday during school hours. The food in the bags is geared toward teens in regards to easy-to-make, on-your-own options, however, parents can ask for additional bags for their elementary-aged students if needed. Parents/guardians can sign-up to participate in this program by filling out this permission form.