By Unsie Zuege

It was such a good idea the first time around, the kids at Bluff Creek Elementary Schools decided to do it again, this time as their school-wide service project.

The following language was written by the Minnetonka School District lobbying group named CASE.

This afternoon, the House Education Finance Committee will consider bill HF 3478. We support this bill and encourage you to contact members of the K-12 Finance Committee to voice your support. The hearing is today. Emails are needed now.

Key Message: Please pass HF 3478 as is. Don't weaken it!

This legislation would grant some mandate relief and increase flexibility for local school boards.

Local students

helping students

in Minneapolis

By Forrest Adams

Six candidates have been named semi-finalists in the search for a new superintendent.

According to a District 112 newsletter, they include:

* Dr. Julia Espe, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, St. Cloud Public Schools

* Dr. Dan Bittman, Director of Elementary and Secondary Education, Centennial School District

* Dr. Christine Weymouth, Assistant Superintendent, Farmington Public Schools * Corey Lunn, Superintendent, Montgomery-Lonsdale Public Schools

By Kristin Holtz

A Shakopee High School student put his in-class learning to real use and saved a life.

Connor Theis, 17, recently performed CPR on his father after he went into cardiac arrest. The Shakopee junior learned how to administer CPR last year in health class.

The 3rd annual Off the Page event, sponsored by the Writing Center, is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, at the Minnetonka High School Blackbox.

Activities for evening insclude on-stage conversations between MHS students and professional writers...

Hear from four Minnetonka grads and one Tonka dad:

Ann Reed, singer/songwriter, Class of 1973
Eric Dregni, author, Class of 1986
Kate (Thorbeck) Rogers, writer/PR specialist, Class of 1999
Alex Messenger, photographer, Class of 2006
John Kitchener, TV writer & producer, Tonka dad

Representatives from approximately 100 colleges and universities will come to the new Student Union at Minnetonka High School to meet with sophomore and junior students and parents from 6 to 8 p.m.

By Chuck Friedbauer

District 112 has denied most requests for transfers to Chanhassen High School for next school year in order to maintain student enrollment balance between Chanhassen and Chaska high schools. There were 91 total transfer requests to Chanhassen, either from residents within the Chaska High School boundary, or from open enrollment requests outside District 112.

By Forrest Adams

The Minnesota Department of Education points to technology in classrooms as critical to helping students develop 21st century skills.

In Minnetonka School District and District 112, interaction with educational technology begins at an early age.