Effective Communicator and Collaborator

Edina Public Schools will have a “classroom” in space in the 2022-23 school year! The district’s implementation plan for participation in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) has been accepted by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE).

Six South View Middle School eighth graders will have their poems published in the 43rd Annual COMPAS Anthology of Student Writing.

60 students from South View Middle School advanced to regionals in the National History Day competition, with 25 of those students qualifying for the state competition. Students Ainsley Hannermann, Anushka Narielwala, Elizabeth Tesky, Ishani Shah and Sydney Bethune placed in the top five in their categories.

South View Middle School Assistant Principal Tami Jo Cook, Ed.D., has been named to the Special Olympics’ National Education Leaders Network (NELN). She is among the nearly two dozen national leaders in special education, research, social equity, education leadership and Special Olympics included in the newest NELN cohort.

Congratulations to Edina Senior Allie Murphy for being named the Star Tribune All-Metro Sports Difference Maker for the 2020-21 school year!

Ananth Veluvali, junior at Edina High School, took first place at the National Catholic Forensic League championship in extemporaneous speaking. Ananth became the first Minnesota student to win the NCFL tournament in ten years, and the first Edina student to win a national title as a junior.

Ryan Longley, EHS biology teacher, was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). A role model to students, Longley was nominated by her former Edina student for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the profession.

The Edina Chamber of Commerce recognized Bryana Carlson, fourth grade teacher at Countryside, as the 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Seven Edina High School students are being recognized for their participation in the American Academy of Poets’ “Dear Poet” letter-writing activity.

The Edina 212 student leadership group will be sharing their story on The Power of Young People to Change the World, a radio show hosted by the National Youth Leadership Council, on Thursday, April 22, at 5 p.m.

Edina High School’s yearbook, Whigrean, and South View Middle School’s yearbook have been recognized for excellence and featured in the Jostens Look Book 2021, celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and inclusivity.

Devarsh Borah, an eighth grader at Valley View Middle School (VVMS), took first place in the middle school division with his video submission for the Minnesota Urban Debate League and Star Tribune-sponsored essay/video competition on criminal justice reform.

The Human Rights & Relations Commission recently honored organizers of the summer “Seeds of Change” art installation at 50th & France with the 2020 Tom Oye Human Rights Award for championing human rights in the community.

Four Edina High School students received recognition from the Minnesota High School Press Association for their stories featured in the Zephyrus student news publication. In addition to individual awards, the EHS yearbook Whigrean received the MHSPA Gold Medallion Award, the highest award given to a Minnesota high school publication.

Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Tami Jo Cook as Assistant Principal at South View Middle School. Cook has been Dean of Students at South View since 2005.

Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of Jody De St. Hubert as the district’s next Director of Teaching and Learning. She is currently principal at Alice Smith Elementary in the Hopkins school district.

Kathy Rendleman, executive director of the Edina Education Fund has received the Rotary Club of Edina’s Chrysanne Manoles Women in Leadership Award. The award honors and celebrates the work of women in the community.

Edina Public Schools Digital Learning Specialists Sean Beaverson and Michael Walker have been selected by the Edina Chamber of Commerce as the 2020 Teachers of the Year.

Lila Emerson and Claire Wegmann-Krider, both eighth graders at South View Middle School in Edina, were drafted by the Minnesota Lynx as their 2020 Nike Game Growers, and will be graduating from the program at the end of May.

This year, 19 employees are retiring from positions all across the district. Collectively, they have contributed 358 years of service to EPS students, families and colleagues. Unfortunately, in light of the current social distancing guidelines, the district is not able to honor them with the in-person retirement celebration that has traditionally been held.

Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Randy Smasal as Assistant Superintendent. Smasal has been the district’s Director of Teaching and Learning for the past eight years, and has held leadership positions in several other districts.

A group of EHS students are using their expertise on the college application process to raise awareness and funds for the Edina Meal Fund COVID-19 Response. The students are all members of the Youth Committee of the Edina Chinese Association (ECA) and they have already raised $2,500 to help provide meals to students who are experiencing food insecurity during the coronavirus outbreak.

Four South View eighth graders have qualified for the state History Day Competition. Ben Sanderson will present his research titled Apollo 11: One Giant Leap. Lila Emerson, Sonja Holtey and Kate Hagen will present their research titled Elizabeth Blackwell: Mending Justice.

Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of Nicole Tuescher as Director of Human Resources/Administrative Services. Tuescher brings 12 years of public school HR experience, including six years in EPS.

Edina High School senior Ikraan Hassan is one of 500 students nationwide to receive a $20,000 Dell Scholarship through the Dell Scholars Program.

You are invited to share your story at the Edina Story Slam, April 1 presented by the EHS student and parent MOSAIC groups. Story submissions are being accepted now through Feb. 23.

The Edina High School (EHS) Music Listening Team took first place at this year’s Region 8 Music Listening Contest. Coached by EHS music teacher Paul Kile, the team scored 93 out of 100 points to win first place.

Edina High School’s debate team received multiple accolades at the 119th Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) State Debate Tournament, January 17-18.

Yash Mangalick, a junior at Edina High School, is one of two students selected to represent Minnesota at the U.S. Senate Youth Program (USSYP) in Washington, D.C. The week-long program provides students an opportunity to experience national government in action.

Olivia Pierce, a senior at Edina High School (EHS), was one of two recipients of Edina’s 2019 Tom Oye Award, which honors socially-minded residents and their pursuits of equity and fairness.

A team of South View Middle School educators and administrators were honored by the Institute for Personalized Learning with the Trailblazer Award at the group’s 10th Annual National Convening Oct. 7-8.

Chris Holden’s ability to spark learners has not gone unnoticed. During a school assembly in September, Holden was honored as a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Knight of the Order of Academic Palms) by the Consul General of France in Chicago.

About one-third of the Edina High School (EHS) Class of 2019 will receive recognition for bilingual language proficiency with their diploma. This year, 213 seniors will be awarded a Bilingual or Multilingual Certificate or Seal for their achievement in Chinese, French, Latin or Spanish.

The EHS Thespians received numerous ensemble and individual honors for their spring production of “Chicago” from Spotlight Education, a program of the Hennepin Theatre Trust.

Edina High School sophomore Ryan Zhu won the 2019 Federal Reserve Student Essay Contest. For the past 31 years, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has hosted an annual Student Essay Contest open to all high school students that live within the Ninth Federal Reserve District. This year’s prompt was: “Use economics to describe and defend an effective immigration policy.”

EHS freshman Dedeepya Guthikonda is going to Carnegie Hall after becoming one of 11 students in Minnesota to win a gold medal in the National Scholastic Writing and Art Competition.

The Edina High School (EHS) music listening team, consisting of members Soren Edman, Charlie Klukow, and Paul Gherghetta, secured first place at the Minnesota High School Music Listening Contest (MLC).

Once a month a group of Edina High School (EHS) parents come together to learn more about each other. On the surface, they are a diverse group of cultures, religions and beliefs, but the parents have quickly discovered they have more in common than not.

Teaching methods used in an Edina music class will receive national attention thanks to the efforts of Janet Jans, music teacher at South View Middle School.

Another means of supporting and guiding Edina High School (EHS) students toward wellness is in place with the addition of chemical dependency counseling services on campus.

Edina High School (EHS) junior Anushka Thorat has been selected to serve on the Minnesota Youth Council, representing Minnesota Congressional District 3.

 Edina High School teacher Lindsey Smaka has been selected as a recipient of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program.

Tanner Jones, Edina High School class of 2018, finished second in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking at the National Speech and Debate Association's National Tournament.

Eleven fifth graders in Normandale Elementary’s Young Scholars (YS) program are working to make a difference after reading a book that inspired them to share what they had learned.

Susan Brott, director of communications and community engagement for Edina Public Schools, has been named the recipient of the Dawn K. McDowell Award by the Minnesota School Public Relations Association.

Eliza Price, a ninth grader at Edina High School, has been awarded a full scholarship by the Department of State to study in China for six weeks this summer.

Edina Public Schools announces the hiring of Abdikadir Ibrahim as the new Somali cultural liaison for the District. Ibrahim brings a long history of working with the Somali community and many years of experience in academic settings.