Back-to-school
Principal, Nicki Magaard
Nicki Magaard is a proven leader who has served Wilson Elementary as assistant principal for the past four years. She has established strong relationships with staff members and the students and families in the Wilson community that will ensure a smooth transition to a new building leader.
Along with her work at Wilson, Nicki brings valuable career experiences in a wide range of educational leadership positions. She joined Anoka-Hennepin as a school counselor for ten years prior to moving to a district role as a Q-Comp Peer evaluator, a position where she directly supported the instructional practices for teachers. Nicki's career started as a teacher supporting academic and behavioral interventions before joining the Anoka-Hennepin district.
Nicki was recognized for her impact at Wilson last year being named Minnesota's National Elementary Assistant Principal for 2026 by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
When not at school, Nicki enjoys kayaking, paddleboarding, running, reading and spending time with her husband, 5th grade son and 1st grade daughter.
Summer is her favorite time of year to go camping with her family and enjoy the sunshine.
Assistant Principal, Matt Cavanaugh
Dr. Matt Cavanaugh has been named the new assistant principal at Wilson following the announcement of Nicki Magaard as principal. Matt has a Master of Arts in Teaching, a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and a K-12 Principal Licensure from Concordia University. His dissertation title is: Math vocabulary & number sense: Instructional strategies for upper elementary English learning students in the math classroom.
Matt's experience includes serving Brooklyn Center Community Schools as the Curriculum, Instruction and STEAM Coordinator. He worked at St. Paul City Schools as a Math Coach and 4th Grade Teacher. He also worked for many years at Urban Academy as a 6th Grade Teacher. Prior to getting his teaching license, Matt was a substitute teacher and substitute para in a variety of grade levels. He also taught English in Vietnam for 3 years. We are excited to welcome Matt to Wilson!
When not at school, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and dog exploring and hiking the state and regional parks surrounding the metro area.
His favorite time of year is autumn, particularly Halloween, and always looks forward to bonfires, lake days and making wood-fired pizzas with friends and family.
Complete back to school forms online, now
It’s time to get ready for the upcoming school year! Families may complete back-to-school forms online:
Visit ahschools.us
Select “login” from the menu.
Select “family login.”
Proceed to complete back-to-school forms for the 2026-27 school year.
Why it matters: It’s important that each family completes the verification process and the online back-to-school forms before the first day of school. Verification ensures that each student’s school has confirmed emergency contact information and releases for the safety of each student.
What’s in it for you: Even if families’ contact information has not changed, it’s important to log in to access a variety of other student information in the coming weeks, including:
Class schedules and teacher assignments.
Transportation information, if relevant.
Receive additional educational benefits, discounts and reduced fees.
High school students will not be able to enroll in fall activities until the back to school verification process is complete.
Anywhere, on-the-go: Families may complete the verification on their own time, whenever it’s convenient. If you prefer to utilize the ParentVUE mobile app to access your student’s information, please note that the app has been updated. Read more about downloading the updated version of ParentVUE.
Questions? Contact your child’s school for assistance.
