January 18 Update
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- Published on Wednesday, 23 January 2013 15:15
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Paraprofessionals are individuals who work in a variety of positions in our school district. Their roles include, but are not limited to those who work as instructional assistants, Title 1 support, special education paraprofessionals, lunch room and playground assistants, hall monitors, media center assistants, and more!
Our paras do so much to help our children learn and our teachers teach! Be sure to thank our paraprofessionals and demonstrate appreciation for their committed service to our students.
Building Project:
The secondary construction project continues, and we’re planning to work from the new office when students return on January 22nd. Completion of the gym floor and stage progress as expected. Please stop in and make arrangements if interested in a tour of our new facility.
Un-equalized Funding is Unfair to District Taxpayers and Students:
When the 2013 session of the Minnesota Legislature convened Jan. 8, equalization aid will be among the top legislative priorities for the Eden Valley–Watkins School District during a critical session that will determine
E-12 education funding for the next two years.
Equalization aid was established by the Legislature in 1991 to make the cost of a local school levy dollar uniform for all Minnesota taxpayers, regardless of the amount of commercial and industrial property where they live. Equalization is a match of state aid that provides tax relief for property owners in low property wealth districts, like the EV-W School District, which have a comparatively small commercial and industrial base upon which to spread taxes. It equalizes the tax cost with that of property owners in high-wealth districts, like Hopkins and Minnetonka, which benefit from a large commercial and industrial tax base.
Equalization aid works. The problem is, the equalizing factor – the denominator used to calculate the aid percentage for each district – has not been adjusted since 1993 and has not kept pace with the rise in property values over the past
20 years. The EV-W School District has received a smaller and smaller percentage of equalization aid from the state and, as a result, more and more of the cost is being paid by district property owners.
As a result, voters in low-wealth districts throughout rural Minnesota have to pay more property taxes to get the same or less school levy revenue as a high-wealth district. This imbalance, combined with the increased reliance on local levy referendums for basic school funding, is resulting in a widening gap between the quality of education that can be offered to students in low-wealth districts, where levies cost homeowners more, and high-wealth districts, where levies cost less and are easier to pass.
Eden Valley–Watkins is a member of Schools for Equity in Education (SEE), an organization of 61 school districts that lobby for adequate and equitable funding for E-12 education in Minnesota. SEE produced a three-minute video to help explain the equalization issue to citizens and legislators. Just type, Minnesota’s Educational Opportunity Gap, or the following YouTube address (www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Thailal4iZs)
Consider contacting your legislators to ask that they fully equalize education funding during the 2013 session. To get a list of your representatives with contact information, use the District Finder on the Minnesota Legislature website (www.leg.state.mn.us) and type in your address.
Senior of the Week:
The EV-W School District would like to recognize Abbie Swenson, daughter of Steve and Karen. Abby excels in the academic arena and plans to graduate with 22 college credits on her transcript. She’s involved with National Honor Society, Student Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and serves as a team captain in gymnastics. The EVW administration, faculty and staff are extremely proud of your accomplishments. Congratulations!
Wait for it… wait for it…
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- Published on Sunday, 20 January 2013 10:45
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It isn’t as bad as a root canal or having the hot water run cold just as you are putting the conditioner into your hair, but it’s no hot fudge sundae. Waiting. In line. On the phone. At the superstore. In school. Anywhere. No fun.
Hydraulic Fracturing: What is it?
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- Published on Friday, 18 January 2013 10:10
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A tale of war, destruction, and toilets (2)
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- Published on Saturday, 12 January 2013 12:14
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A tale of war, destruction, and toilets
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- Published on Saturday, 12 January 2013 12:14
- Hits: 132
The other day my 8-year-old called me into the bathroom. With a frown, he pointed downward. My eyes followed his path to the toilet bowl, which was filled with yellow water and a bright red Matchbox car.
When I asked how the car got in the toilet, he motioned toward his sweatshirt pocket – bulging with little metal cars – and I gave silent thanks that only one vehicle had made its way into the water.
I wasn’t about to put my unprotected hand into the sea of yellow, so I left the room to grab my toilet-scooping tool. (Some of you may be thinking it’s a little weird to have a toilet-scooping tool. You’re probably right. However, you know what they say about necessity being the mother of invention – or boys with Matchbox cars in the bathroom.)
The next few moments are a blur – one of those instances where events pan out in slow motion and you’re moving even slower. Sort of like a dream, but not a good one.
Apparently the 4-year-old needed to use the restroom right then. I heard his distraught cries regarding the fact that a toy car was in the toilet.
Before I could yell, “Mommy’s coming,” I heard the unmistakable sound of flushing. When I got to the bathroom, it was too late.
“I flushed it down, Mama,” he said, pride overflowing in his voice.
I looked into the toilet, and sure enough it was true. The car was gone.
My scooping expertise no longer needed, I turned for help from the family toilet installation specialist – my husband. He entered the scene armed and ready for action with the plunger in his right hand.
I got out of the way just in time. He began plunging like a man without morals. Water splashed out from the toilet in every direction, hitting the walls, sink and floor – without gain. The water was coming up and out, but it was not going down. The car clog remained intact.
My husband dropped the plunger. He bent and examined and peered into the cavity where the car had disappeared. After several moments he declared, “We need a snake.”
When one is referring to toilets, a “snake” isn’t a creepy crawly lizard without legs. It is a long, flexible tool used to dislodge objects from tight, wet, watery pipes. When you live in a house with small children, hundreds of Matchbox cars and one or more toilets, a snake is not an optional piece of equipment. It is a necessity.
With the prowess of a near professional, my husband inched the snake down into the water and up through the winding pipe. He poked and prodded and did everything he could to hook the car and bring it back toward daylight. Nothing worked. With every move, the tiny car moved further into the abyss.
After minutes that seemed like seconds, he put the snake down and stood, facing the toilet. His jaw clenched with raw determination. He would not let the toilet beat him. I knew this was war.
He grabbed for his wrench, removed the toilet from its perch and within minutes was maneuvering and manipulating the metal snake once more. The battle continued for half an hour – man against porcelain – with neither side gaining any ground.
Finally, he sighed, left the bathroom and grabbed his car keys. When I asked where he was going, I got a succinct, five-word response, “To get a new toilet.”
That’s what he did. The new model installed easily and quickly, and it wasn’t long before the kids noticed the new piece of porcelain gleaming in the bathroom. The three boys all wanted to be the first to use it.
“Go ahead,” I said to no one in particular.
They started to make a group entrance. “Wait a minute,” my husband called out. “Before anyone goes in there, empty your pockets!”
Follow Slices of Life on Facebook and hit Like (please). Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, playwright and author of “The Do-It-Yourselfer’s Guide to Self-Syndication” E-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or visit her website at http://marketing-by-design.home.mchsi.com/.