At CHHS we are passionate

about preparing all students for

success in college and careers.

As part of this process, we offer

a number of college level

courses within our school. One

type of college level classes

that we offer are called Ad-

vanced Placement (AP) cours-

es. AP courses give students

exposure to a high level of

learning with an opportunity to

take a test at the end of the

year to earn college credit.

An organization called

the College Board oversees AP

courses and student test scores.

Each year the College Board

releases an AP District Honor

Roll, which is given to districts

that have increased the num-

ber of students taking AP cours-

es while also maintaining or

increasing students’ scores on

AP tests. We are excited to an-nounce that this year, CHHS has

been selected as an honor roll

recipient! We were awarded

this honor along with only 13

other schools in the state of MN

and 425 districts across the Unit-

ed States and Canada.

Inclusion in the 6th Annual AP

District Honor Roll is based on

the review of three years of AP

data, from 2013 to 2015. Below

is a list of the criteria for earning

this prestigious place on the AP

District Honor Roll:

Increased participation/

access to AP by at least 4

percent in large districts, at

least 6 percent in medium

districts, and at least 11

percent in small districts;

Increased or maintained

the percentage of exams

taken by African American,

Hispanic/Latino, and Amer-

ican Indian/Alaska Native

students, and;

Improved performance

levels when comparing the

percentage of students in

2015 scoring a 3 or higher

to those in 2013, unless the

district has already at-

tained a performance level

at which more than 70 per-

cent of its AP students are

scoring a 3 or higher.

We are incredibly proud of our

students and staff for all of their

hard work and focus on excel-

lence in academics! Through

their dedication, we continue

to be recognized as a school

on the rise. Our Hylanders truly

know how to keep it real in their

academics!!

Remember to keep it

REAL,

Dan Wrobleski

Principal

From the Principal

Respect

Education

Attitude

Loyalty

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

March/April 2016

Hylander News

Columbia Heights Public Schools create worlds of opportunity for every learner in partnership with supportive small-town

communities by challenging all to discover their talents, to unleash their potential and develop tools for lifelong success.

3/7 Winter Choir

Concert 7pm

3/7 AP Exam Forms

Available

3/10 Conferences

4-7:30pm

3/15 FAFSA Night

6:30-8pm

3/17 AP Exam Forms

Due

3/21-3/25

NO SCHOOL

3/29 PAC Meeting

6pm

3/31 3rd Quarter

Ends

3/31 Wear Your

College Gear

Day!

4/1 NO SCHOOL

4/4 4th Quarter

Begins

4/9 ACT Test

4/22 Grease! 7pm

4/23 Grease! 7pm

4/24 Grease! 2pm

4/27 Grease! 7pm

4/28 Grease! 7pm

4/29 Grease! 7pm

4/30 Grease! 7pm

5/2 3rd Annual

African

Heritage Music

Festival 7pm

5/5 Conferences

4-7:30pm

Important Dates

CHPS Graduation Rates Increase, Outperforming

State in Most Categories CHPS has “raised the bar in

academic expectations” and is

closing the achievement gap

by graduating more students

and outperforming the state in

most categories for the 2014-

2015 school year. The results,

released by the MN Dept. of

Education (MDE) on Monday,

2/22, also show CHPS has the

second highest graduation

gains of all school districts in the

greater Twin Cities area.

Analysis of 2014-2015 gradua-

tion rates show an overall in-

crease of 7.2% for the Class of

2015. This class also graduated

more Black (+2.8%), Hispanic

(+7.2%), and White (+10%) stu-

dents than 2014. Asian/Pacific

Islander & American Indian stu-

dents were not evaluated in

2014-2015, as numbers did not

meet the minimum student

population threshold estab-

lished by the MDE.

When comparing 2015 CHPS

and state results, the District

graduated 83.2% of the senior

class to the state average of

81.9%. CHPS also outperformed

the state in the categories of

Black (+19.4%), Hispanic

(+16.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander

(+10.6%), English Language

Learners (+14.5 %), Free & Re-

duced Lunch (+12.5%), and

Special Education (+10%) stu-

dents.

Principal Dan Wrobleski attrib-

utes the graduation increases

to the school’s staff raising the

bar for academic expectations

for all students and emphasizing

that the school is creating col-

lege & career ready graduates.

“We worked collaboratively as

a staff to increase rigor in our

class content,” he said. “We

also focused on school-wide

data and specific academic

support for our students.”

Wrobleski also attributes the

success to increasing participa-

tion of diverse students in Ad-

vanced Placement courses

and initiating intense academic

student after-school program-

ming to boost student perfor-

mance.

“Our staff is doubling-down on

creating a culture of positive

relationships for students and

their families and developing a

school-wide focus on increasing

graduation rates,” he added.

For more information on the

diverse E-12 educational pro-

gramming and resources CHPS

provides in creating college

and career-ready graduates,

visit www.colheights.k12.mn.us/

collegeresources.

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News

Page 2

On Tuesday April 19th, all of our

9th, 10th, and 12th graders will

have the chance to go on

college visits during the school

day. This is a great opportunity

for your student to explore a

post-secondary setting and

spend time on a real college

campus. Students will also

have the chance to speak

with college admission repre-

sentatives and ask questions

about the college experience.

The colleges that have

agreed to host our students

are listed here:

University of Minnesota-Twin

Cities

St Cloud State Universities

UW-River Falls

UW-Eau Claire

MCTC

University of Minnesota-

Rochester

St Catherine’s University

Gustavus Adolphus

Mankato State

Carleton

UW-Stout

St Paul College

Century College

MCAD

McNally Smith

Concordia St. Paul

Bethel University

Any questions? Please call Mollie

Sprouse at 763-528-4613 or Beth

Salmon at 763-528-4546.

The turn out for the February 11th

FAFSA Night and College Prep

Night was fantastic! We brought in

financial aid experts to help families

fill out their FAFSA (Free Application

for Federal Student Aid) online.

There is such a demand for finan-

cial aid support that we are plan-

ning a second evening.

Join us on March 15th from 6:30-

8:00pm for your chance to utilize

these great resources!

In the meantime, check out the

FAFSA resources on our school web-

site. The sooner you submit your

FAFSA, the greater access you will

have to grants and scholarships for

next year in college. Feel free to ask

Ms. Sprouse at 763-528-4613 if you

have any FAFSA questions.

by meeting the 8th grade standards

on the Minnesota Comprehen-

sive Assessment (MCA) in Reading

and meet other course prerequisites

or course enrollment standards es-

tablished by the college. These

standards include, but are not lim-

ited to, assessment test scores, pro-

gram admission or other require-

ments.

If you are interested in PSEO, please

see your dean as soon as possible to

complete the PSEO forms.

We also offer a PSEO class on site

during the school day at CHHS. The

Criminal Justice course is taught by

Columbia Heights Police Officer Len-

ny Austin.

If you are interested in taking Crimi-

nal Justice, talk with your advisor or

dean.

PSEO, or Post Secondary Enrollment

Options is a state program that ena-

bles qualifying students to take col-

lege classes: part or full time while in

high school for free. Apply for PSEO

at the college or university of your

choice.

To increase the likelihood of student

success, Minnesota State Colleges

and Universities (MNSCU) has set the

following standards for admission to

PSEO classes:

Seniors must score at or above

the 50th percentile (via cumulative

GPA) of your graduating class.

Juniors must score at or above

the 70th percentile (via cumulative

GPA) of your graduating class.

Sophomores can enroll in a ca-

reer or technical education course

at a MNSCU college or university

Is PSEO for Your Student?

College Visits

Report Card Update

After the report cards for first

semester were sent home

we were alerted to an error

that caused the period

GPAs listed on the report

cards to be incorrect.

Grades themselves were not

affected.

The necessary corrections

were made immediately

and we apologize for any

inconvenience.

All of the correct infor-

mation is available on

School View. If you are not

currently signed up for

School View, please con-

tact Rachel Bolte at

763-528-4601.

FAFSA Night!

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News

Page 3

From the Desk of Officer JP Our 2015 statistics are in and I am

pleased to report that the crime

numbers in our city continued the

downward trend. Our overall crime

is down 2.6%. Arrest data also sup-

ports the downward trend in crime.

Particularly pleasing to me, as the

School Resource Officer, is that ar-

rests of juveniles are down to almost

a third of what they were in 2008.

One of the ways our department

has accomplished this is through

increasing our Community Oriented

Policing (COP) programs. To put

things into perspective: In 2008, the

department committed approxi-

mately 2300 hours to COP pro-

grams, but there were still 250 juve-

nile arrests. We added a full-time

COP Officer in 2010 to further facili-

tate partnerships and change in this

area. In 2015, the department com-

mitted approximately 6100 hours to

COP programs, and there were ap-

proximately 90 juvenile arrests. The

correlation is staggering, actually.

Proof, yet again, that when we (all)

invest in the community, including

our youth, the results are positive and

lasting. COP outreach is, once

again, a main area of focus for the

department’s 2016 strategic plan.

If you would like to see our complete

year-end (annual) report, I encour-

age all of you to visit:

http://www.ci.columbia-

heights.mn.us/DocumentCenter/

View/2240

If you or your child have any ideas

for COP related activities our de-

partment can/should get involved

in, please call me (763-528-4637) or

get those ideas to our COP officer,

Officer Andy Museus, at the Colum-

bia Heights Police Department. We

continue to look for areas of im-

provement and ways to continue to

drive crime downward! - JP

Spotlight on TV Media: The Hylander News Network The Hylander News Network pro-

duces a quality daily news show

that entertains and informs staff and

students.

Team-taught by Matt Townsend

and Jill Jungers, the Morning Show is

part of the TV Media Broadcast

class. Students learn all aspects of

creating a multi-media presentation

for public viewing including filming,

interviewing, writing, and editing for

broadcast. They make use of

technical equipment and their

own creativity to achieve 21st

Century learning. A team effort,

everyone must do their job for the

show to run smoothly. All broad-

cast students improve their peo-

ple skills as they focus on commu-

nication. Anyone wishing to tap

the pulse of CHHS just needs to

tune into the HNN each morning.

“Okay, cats- throw your mittens

around your kittens and away

we go….”

That’s the voice of Vince Fontaine,

DJ from the radio station

WAXX, reminding everyone that it’s

time to Hand Jive with the 50’s

bunch from Rydell High at the CHHS

production of Grease!

Join Rydell High’s Senior Class of

1959, the cool, hot-rodding Greasers,

and their classy, hip-shaking Pink

Ladies as they sing and dance their

way to graduation in this high-

energy production!

Over 50 students will be involved in

this show in various ways. You’ll see

them on stage, hear them in the pit

band, or enjoy the work they put in

behind the scenes to bring audi-

ences back to those toe-tapping

rock n’ roll days of teenage rebel-

lion and relationships.

Performances will take place on

April 22 and 23 at 7:00pm, on April

24 at 2:00pm, and on April 28, 29,

and 30 at 7:00pm in the Columbia

Heights High School Performing Arts

Center.

Ticket information will be available

in the beginning of April.

Grease is the Word!

STRIVE Students Visit

College Campuses

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News

Page 4

Seniors participating in the STRIVE program visited

Anoka Technical College and Anoka-Ramsey Com-

munity College on Friday, Feb 5. Nine Columbia

Heights High School students attended the event

along with teacher, Scott Roehm, CHHS Dean of Ac-

ademics, Molly Sprouse, and Rotary member, Steve

Klaers.

During their trip, they were given tours of each school

and also had the opportunity to learn about the

class offerings and admission processes.

STRIVE is a partnership between Columbia Heights/

Fridley Rotary Club and Columbia Heights and Fridley

high schools.

Ticket Information coming

in early April!

Tennis and Synchronized Swim-

ming. We have plenty of activities

to get involved in so please take

advantage of them. Research has

shown that students’ GPA’s will rise

if they are participating in athletics

or activities. We have great advi-

sors and coaches. The activities

department offers students the

unique opportunity to develop

their talents beyond the classroom

Activity Date Time Home/Away Opponent/Location

Knowledge Bowl 2-16-16 4:00pm Away Spring Lake Park

Basketball: Girls Varsity 2-16-16 6:00pm Home Academy of Holy Angels

Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-16-16 7:00pm Away Academy of Holy Angels

Knowledge Bowl 2-17-16 4:00pm Away Spring Lake Park

Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-18-16 6:00pm Home St. Croix Lutheran

Wrestling: All 2-19-16 5:00pm Away Individual Sections at Orono

Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-19-16 6:00pm Home Brooklyn Center

Wrestling: All 2-10-16 11:00am Away Individual Sections at Orono

Band Concert 2-22-16 7:00pm Home High School PAC

Basketball: Girls Varsity 2-23-16 7:15pm Away Cretin-Derham Hall

Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-24-16 TBD TBD Sections

Swim & Dive: Boys 2-24-16 TBD Away Sections at St. Catherine

University

Swim & Dive: Boys 2-26-16 TBD Away Sections at St. Catherine

University

Basketball: Girls Varsity 2-26-16 6:00pm Home Minneapolis Southwest

Spring Sports Registration 2-29-16 4:00-7:00pm Home Hylander Center—Door #37

Basketball: Girls Varsity 3-3-16 TBD TBD Sections

Choir Concert 3-7-16 7:00pm Home High School PAC

Conference Weight Lifting

Competition 3-8-16 6:00pm Away Concordia Academy

Synchronized Swim: Girls All 3-17-16 4:30pm Home Maple Grove Senior High

Synchronized Swim: Girls All 3-31-16 4:30pm Home Forest Lake

Activities Schedule

Winter athletics are coming to

end with state entrants in Wrestling

and Boys’ Swim and Dive! Spring

activities and athletics are just

around the corner. Most athletic

programs begin in the middle of

March. We have Speech, Grease

for the Spring Musical, Robotics,

Key Club, Chess Team, Future

Problem Solving, Track and Field,

Lacrosse, Softball, Baseball, Boys’

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News

Page 5

Activities and Athletics with Mr. Miller through practice, learning sports-

manship through competition and

displaying leadership through team.

We believe extracurricular activities

promote lifelong student success.

This spring, students will be tak-

ing the Minnesota Comprehen-

sive Assessments (MCAs).

The MCAs are state tests which

help measure student progress

relative to Minnesota’s aca-

demic standards. The MCA Sci-

ence will take place on April

12th and 13th for all students en-

rolled in General Biology.

In addition, the MCA Reading

and Math tests will be taking

place on April 26th, 27th and 28th.

All 11th graders will take the

MCA Math and all 10th graders

will take the MCA Reading.

It is very important for your child

to take these tests seriously as

they are high-stakes exams that

measure your student’s compe-

tency in each of these areas of

study.

We have listed some testing tips

to the right that will help your

students do their best on the

MCAs.

interested in being a part of

the planning team.

Volunteer: If you would like to

volunteer at the SANP, please

contact Teresa Born at

teresaborn@hotmail.com

or 612-703-7249

Below are some ways you can

help us to plan and provide the

best celebration possible for our

Seniors:

~ Aluminum Can Drive - bring

your cans to the bin in the

northwest parking lot of the

high school.

~ Help staff the SANP itself - 45

volunteers are needed the

night of the party to help with

staffing the entertainment.

MCA Testing

Volunteers Plan the Senior All-Night-Party

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News

Page 6

Testing Tips

1. Get plenty of sleep the

night before the test

2. Eat a good breakfast

the morning of the test

3. Bring 2 sharpened #2

pencils with you to the

test.

4. There will be no elec-

tronics allowed in the

classroom during the

tests.

Since August, the parents of

CHHS Class of 2016 have

been planning for the annual

Senior All Night Party (SANP).

The party will be held at

Murzyn Hall on Friday, June ,

2016 directly following the

graduation ceremony. All

graduates are encouraged

to attend!

VOLUNTEER HELP IS NEEDED

TO MAKE THIS EVENING A

SUCCESS!

Attend our monthly planning

meetings and offer your sug-

gestions. Listen for Principal

Wrobleski’s all-call for up-

coming dates. Or feel free

to contact Teresa Born at

teresaborn@hotmail.com

or 612-703-7249 if you are

~ Make a Donation: We are

accepting both monetary

and prize donations that can

be used for the student raffle

at the ANP. If you would like

to make a donation, please

contact Teresa Born at

teresaborn@hotmail.com

or 612-703-7249.

We’re looking forward to mak-

ing this a celebration that our

students won’t forget! Thank

you for any help that you can

give to help us reach that goal.

Let’s show our kids how proud

we are of them!

Questions? Contact Teresa Born

at teresaborn@hotmail.com

or 612-703-7249.

Rachel Bolte, Principal Secretary

763-528-4601

bolter@colheights.k12.mn.us

Cindy Eason, Asst. Principals’ Secretary

763-528-4602

easonc@colheights.k12.mn.us

Kari Martin, Records Admin. Asst.

763-528-4638

martink@colheights.k12.mn.us

Helen Tomas, Attendance Clerk

763-528-4619

tomash@colheights.k12.mn.us

Carla Scheider, School Nurse

763-528-4517

scheidec@colheights.k12.mn.us

Ivonne Padilla, Family Involvement

763-528-4536

padillai@colheights.k12.mn.us

Dan Wrobleski, Principal

763-528-4601

wroblesd@colheights.k12.mn.us

John Kulick, Assistant Principal

763-528-4636

kulickj@colheights.k12.mn.us

Laura McLuen, Assistant Principal

763-528-4415

mcluenl@colheights.k12.mn.us

Gary Beasley, Dean of Students

763-528-4612

beasleyg@colheights.k12.mn.us

Kim Berling, Dean of Students

763-528-4614

berlingk@colheights.k12.mn.us

Mollie Sprouse, Dean of Students

763-528-4613

sprousem@colheights.k12.mn.us

Office Staff Contact Information

On Tuesday, April 19th, all 11th graders will be taking

the real ACT during the school day. Students should

plan on arriving and leaving school at the normal

time. The ACT is a high-stakes test that is essential for

admittance into many colleges in Minnesota and the

Midwest. The ACT consists of four multiple-choice sec-

tions: English, Math, Reading, and Science, as well as

a Writing section.

It is imperative that your child begins planning for this

test now. ACT study guides are useful tools that can be

purchased online or at bookstores. Guides can also be

checked out in the library or with Ms. Sprouse.

In addition, your student can log into his or her school

Naviance account to access Naviance Test Prep,

which is another ACT preparation tool.

Please check out www.actstudent.org for more infor-

mation.

C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News

Page 7

ACT Testing

Vanessa Lotito-Meier, Social Worker

763-528-4537

lotitov@colheights.k12.mn.us

Angela Jacobson, Psychologist

763-528-4622

jacobsa@colheights.k12.mn.us

Matt Miller, Activities Director

763-528-4413

millerm@colheights.k12.mn.us

Sherry Holmgren, Activities Secretary

763-528-4511

holmgres@colheights.k12.mn.us

Mike Weir, Chemical Health

763-528-4627

weirm@colheights.k12.mn.us

Officer Jason Piehn, SRO

763-528-4637

piehnj@colheights.k12.mn.us

2015-2016 Yearbooks! Okay Heights, Time to order yearbooks!

Here’s what you need to know:

The final deadline to buy a yearbook is March 28,

2016, but PLEASE DON’T WAIT until then!

Cost is $45 for the book, + $8 extra to get your

name on the front cover.

It is quick and easy to order, just follow these direc-

tions:

ORDER ONLINE:

1). Go to:

ybpay.lifetouch.com

2). Follow the directions using

the school yearbook ID code:

12581516

SEND CASH/CHECK TO:

Lifetouch NSS YB Accounts

PO Box 46993

Eden Prairie, MN 55344-9728

Page 6 C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L

Hylander News District News

Even for us Minnesotans, winter can be a chal-

lenge at times. Recently, a storm moved through

the Twin Cities, dropping as much as 13.5” inches

of snow in some areas of the metro area. When

extreme adverse winter conditions occur, this Dis-

trict implements the emergency weather

plan. The decision to close schools is no simple

matter. The safety and well-being of students and

staff is always our top priority.

All decisions regarding closing schools or cancel-

ing programs and activities are ultimately based

on student safety. We continually monitor the Na-

tional Weather Service, which is the official gov-

ernment authority on weather forecasting and

warnings for the state of Minnesota, so that we

can use the most up-to-date information in our

decision-making. Decisions are based on the cur-

rent and forecasted weather in our school district.

If you’ve been wishing you had some new Hylander

apparel to sport around town, you’re in luck! School

apparel store is now online at

www.colheights.k12.mn.us/a&a.

Special and Primary

Election A and B Results

Reminder: Adverse Weather Notifications

Visit the School Store

Dr. Hala Asamarai and Tim Utz received the most

votes in the Feb. 9, 2016 School Board Special

Election 2 Primary.

The two candidates will move forward to the

Tuesday, April 5, 2016 School Board Special Elec-

tion 2 to fill the vacancy created last fall by the

resignation of former Director Grant Nichols. For additional information or questions, call Dis-

trict Election Clerk Dawn Hoium at 763-528-4504.

The expectation is that schools will remain open,

if at all possible, for uninterrupted student learn-

ing on scheduled school days. Unless this School

District officially notifies you otherwise (parents

and guardians), school will be in session.

If the decision is made to cancel school, all clas-

ses and activities, including Community Educa-

tion programs, are canceled or closed for that

day and evening. Families will be officially noti-

fied by an automated voice-activated record-

ing. Additionally, the District Website, Facebook

and Twitter sites will be updated, district and

school marquees, as well as the television and

radio news media notified. If none of these are

activated, school is in session for that day.

We thank you for knowing these procedures as

they apply to adverse weather notification.