Well-rounded Person

The Mississippi Park Connection has announced that Dr. Cara Rieckenberg has received its inaugural Mississippi National River and Recreation Area’s Big River Teacher Award. Rieckenberg, a continuous progress teacher at Highlands, has been named the school’s new principal, beginning July 1.

Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Cara Rieckenberg as the next principal at Highlands Elementary School. Rieckenberg brings 14 years of leadership experience in programs focused on STEAM and environmental education. She was selected as the Edina Teacher of the Year this spring by the Edina Chamber of Commerce. She will begin her new role at Highlands on July 1.

Edina High School has honored 18 juniors with Book Awards from 13 colleges. Book Awards are a collaboration with colleges and universities around the nation that recognize outstanding students. Nominated students have high academic achievement, dedication to learning, leadership, school involvement, character and commitment to the community.

Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce the hiring of Jody Remsing as the next Director of Student Support Services. She is currently Special Services Director at Wayzata Public Schools, a position she has held for five years. Remsing will begin her tenure with Edina Public Schools on July 1, following the retirement of Jeff Jorgensen.

EHS senior Dedeepya Guthikonda is one of two Minnesota students recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Presidential Scholar. Scholars are recognized for their demonstration of leadership, scholarship, contribution to school and community, and outstanding accomplishments in the arts, sciences, humanities, and other fields of interest.

Phoebe Zamoff, a senior at Edina High School, has been awarded one of the most highly selective merit scholarships in the nation. The Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the University of Virginia selected Phoebe as one of 40 recipients of the Jefferson Scholarship.

Dr. Cara Rieckenberg, a Continuous Progress teacher at Highlands Elementary, has been selected by the Edina Chamber of Commerce as the 2022 Teacher of the Year. The Chamber received many nominations for Rieckenberg from students and parents.

Jeff Jorgensen, director of student support services, has been named Administrator of the Year by the Minnesota School Psychologists Association at their recent Midwinter Conference. This award is designed to identify and recognize principals, supervisors, directors, and other administrators who support the field of school psychology.

Staff at Highlands and Countryside participated in a week-long teacher training with TimberNook, a nature-based education model of instruction that partners and aligns rigorous academic standards with the social emotional needs of the child in the natural environment.

Students in South View’s production of High School Musical have been hard at work creating their show. Students submitted audition videos using Flipgrid to the directors, Erica Gardner and Jim Hawthorne. After the show had been cast, students began meeting virtually to learn the vocals, choreography, and blocking.

South View Middle School is pleased to announce the hiring of Tricia Pettis and Kaela Loo as Dean of Students. The two will share the Dean position and also an instructional coach position, a role they have each served in during the past three years.

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.

Edina Public Schools announces the resignation of Ryan Carlson, assistant principal at South View Middle School. He has accepted the position of principal at Wayzata West Middle School.

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.

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.

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.

Four Edina Public Schools volunteers were recognized for their leadership and contributions at the annual Edina Community Foundation Connecting with Kids leadership breakfast on March 13.

Stephen Sanger, a science teacher at Edina High School, is among 134 nominated for the 2020 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Education Minnesota released this year’s list of nominees on Jan. 24. This is the program’s 56th year of recognizing excellence in teaching in Minnesota through highlighting great educators.

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.

Steven Cullison, a teacher at Edina High School, has been selected by the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) as the 2019 Economic Educator of the Year. This award was given to Cullison in recognition of his commitment to excellence in economic education for grades 9-12.

Edina High School (EHS) senior, Ella Dolynchuk, was recently named a 2019 Triple Threat finalist. Dolynchuk is among 26 finalists who have demonstrated exemplary performances in singing, dancing, acting, and leadership.

May Heinecke, a junior at Edina High School, was among 52 distinguished Minnesota high school students honored at the Scholars of Distinction award program in areas of science, STEM, social studies, leadership and theater arts.

Margo Bauck, retiring director of Edina Public Schools Business Services Department, was presented the Outstanding Lifetime Contribution Award by the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials at their annual conference in Duluth, May 9.

Every day at Highlands, students are reading, writing, doing math, and learning new skills in their classrooms. They are also being encouraged to make a difference in the world around them. When it comes to the environment, kids have stepped up in big ways.

Earlier this year, two Edina High School teachers participated in a unique professional development opportunity. Claude Sigmund, social studies, and Sara Swenson, media specialist, attended the Marine Corps Educators Workshop at Camp Pendleton in California. They were invited by EHS alumni Sgt. Indiana Bloom.

Edina Public Schools (EPS) is pleased to announce the hiring of John Toop as Director of Business Services. Toop comes to Edina following 14 years as Director of Business Services in Hopkins Public Schools.

Meadow Roberts, 5th grader at Countryside Elementary, has found a way to turn an after school hobby into a treat national audiences can enjoy. Meadow, who started baking when she was two, is among the final three contestants competing on the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship.

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.

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.

Katrina Stern is the latest Edina Public Schools teacher to achieve National Board Certification, an advanced credential that indicates teaching excellence.

Usually the person holding the baton is in charge at a band concert, so Megan Palmer was surprised when several people unexpectedly walked on stage during last week’s South View Middle School eighth grade concert. They were there to present her with the Minnesota Young Band Director Award.

What started with an after school activity has grown into a passion for a Cornelia fifth grader, and a successful one at that. Marshall Tsai recently earned a very large trophy at a national chess tournament.

Edina High School (EHS) senior Adrian Lampron received the 2018 Rose Rees Peace Award from the National Council of Jewish Women – Minnesota (NCJW) at a ceremony April 25. Adrian is one of 25 area students to receive the award, which is given to high school seniors who have a “demonstrated interest in and commitment to international relations and world peace.”

Edina High School senior Ben Gustafson has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious 2018 Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia. He is one of 36 recipients worldwide.

Julie Mickschl, physical education teacher at Highlands Elementary, will receive one of 10 national Jump Rope For Heart/Hoops For Heart grants from the Society of Health and Physical Educators America.

Edina High School senior Loli Fidler has been named the 2017 Athena Award recipient.

Four Edina High School students are recipients of two annual awards through the Minnesota State High School League.

Two teachers from Edina Public Schools (EPS) will be honored as TIES Exceptional Teachers during the TIES annual Education Technology Conference, Dec. 9-12. Tim Berndt, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) teacher at Edina High School and Valley View Middle School, and Jessica Schmidt, kindergarten teacher at Normandale Elementary School, will be recognized for effectively and creatively using technology in their classrooms.