May 09, 2025 - Issue 18

May - Asian American Pacific Islander Month

10 Track Meet @North HS 9am

14 Girl's Flag Football Game vs Andersen 7pm at Edison HS

17 Track Meet @Washburn HS 9am

22 Anthony Family Day Celebration 4:00pm

22 Track Meet @Roosevelt HS 5pm

24 Flag Football Conference Final

26 NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day

29 Bde Maka Ska Canoe Nations Gathering 8:30-2:30pm

30 Panther Pride Spring Awards 8:30am

30 8th Grade Dance 6pm

31 Track Meet @South HS 9am

June - LGBTQ+ Pride Month

2 AVID High School College Spirit Wear

5 8th Grade Valley Fair Trip 9:30am-6:00pm

6 8th Completion Ceremony 9:30 / 11:30

6 6th & 7th Grade End of Year Trip

6 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for Students

9 Teacher Record Keeping Day

🚩 Click to view full calendar of events

Note: This is not a complete list of events at Anthony. Subject to change.

click to view more

Dear Ms. Vue:

Congratulations on receiving Principal of the Year for Hennepin County, you are so deserving. I am so proud to call you my principal and mentor. Thanks and enjoy this special moment in your life with our staff and your family! --Teri Ricks (Individuals and Societies Department)

Anthony Middle School is proudly showcasing clothing and artifacts in the gallery that celebrate the diverse Asian cultures in our community. Please stop by and take a look! These special items have been generously donated by families and community members over the past two years. If your family has items to borrow or donate for the showcase, you may drop items off in the main office with your name and contact information.

This year, in addition to the artifact display, we want to shine a spotlight on our students and families of Asian descent. Enjoy some of the posters below!

The 8th Grade Class has done an incredible job with their community service projects. Ask your 8th grade student about their project.

As a new rotation class this year, “Explore” is a 6-week course focused on the art of writing. And for 8th graders? That means a 6-week writing workshop focused on how to write an essay.

Sounds boring, doesn’t it? Well, in order to alleviate the pain of such a daunting task (and if you ask any 8th grader, chances are high they will rank “essay writing” about as high as “brussel sprouts for dinner”), this isn’t just any run-of-the-mill essay writing class. It’s essay writing taught through the art of mystery.

That’s right - we center the task of structuring an essay on that Nancy Drew-inspired art of the “whodunnit.” If the rise in true crime podcasting isn’t enough to convince you that kids are definitely intrigued by mystery, then their excitement over their self-selected essay topics should.

After weeks of studying the basic 5-paragraph essay structure, understanding how to formulate MLA citations, and learning to incorporate textual evidence as a means of arguing the solution to a mystery, students are tasked with their summative assessment: a history mystery essay.

Students are given a list of historically unsolved mysteries, of which they are asked to choose one to study. The escape from Alcatraz, the Bermuda Triangle, crop circles, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, and more are available for the picking, and quite possibly for the first time in their middle school education, they are actually excited to conduct research. Part of that research is, of course, learning to use critical thinking and media literacy skills to analyze the credibility of a source. Given that mysteries such as these automatically lend themselves to a slew of conspiracy theories, this is definitely a big ask. But from their work this year, the students are definitely up to the task.

Some students have written an informational essay on their topic, outlining the many theories surrounding the case, and giving ample background information to help the reader understand each facet of the mystery. Other students chose an argumentative approach, advocating for a specific theory and arguing their point in persuasive detail. Regardless of the type of essay, though, they successfully navigated essay writing in preparation for high school, understanding the basic formula and need for textual evidence support, which will be especially useful as they navigate the coming school years in all content areas.

Will all students love essay writing for years to come? I’d wager not. And brussel sprouts for dinner? Not likely. BUT - while 8th graders may appear to be a mystery in many facets, one thing is certain: high school writing is sure to feel approachable and maybe - just maybe - a little less daunting with a solved historical mystery under their belts.

Check out our 8th graders' ingenious robotic mini-golf creations! The students all designed/built tabletop mini-golf holes featuring an impressive array of mechanisms—from rack and pinions to cam & sliders, leadscrews, and even a couple with oscillating paddles. Each hole represents a two week process of creative problem-solving as students programmed robotic obstacles and constructing mechanical barriers for table top mini-golf.

The project culminated in our showcase day where students demonstrated their creations and played a complete round of mini-golf across all the unique holes! These creations were above par...or under par? Anyway - the student projects were fantastic and I'm always amazed at how creative our middle school students can be.

- Jon Iverson (Automation & Robotics 7th/8th grade)

Dear Caregiver,

Students in grade 8 at Anthony Middle School will be completing the Minnesota Student Survey on May 21. The Minnesota Student Survey is conducted across schools in Minnesota every three years. Federal law requires us to notify caregivers of this activity.

Questions on the survey are about many topics related to young people’s lives. The survey is anonymous and no personally identifiable information is collected as part of the survey.

Please see the attached Passive Consent Notice to Parents (English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong) for additional information about the survey. You may also visit our district REA website. If you do not wish to have your student complete the Minnesota Student Survey, please complete the form and return it to school.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the school.

Awesome job to Team Anthony for their part in making the 2025 Junior Iron Chef an evening to remember!

Check out this Facebook post for more event photos. And here is a link to even more memorable photos from the April 29 competition.

Enjoy & Keep on Cooking!

Below are meets this season:

10 Track Meet @North HS 9am

17 Track Meet @Washburn HS 9am

22 Track Meet @Roosevelt HS 5pm

31 Track Meet @South HS 9am

Do you play tennis, or want to give it a try?

Walk on over to the Kenny Courts after school on Wednesday, May 28 for a fun SWHS captain-led practice/introduction to the sport.

It will run from 3:30-5:00pm. We will have rackets available, but feel free to bring your own if you have one.

All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. A snack will be provided. We can’t wait to see you on the courts!

If you have questions contact: swgirlstennis@gmail.com

Southwest Lakers Football Parent Meeting

The Southwest High School Football Team is having a preseason meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the program. Southwest coaches encourage rising 8th graders to take part in summer workouts and join the team as part of the Lakers’ B Squad (8th and 9th graders). Joining the football program as a rising 8th grader helps students stay busy and active during the summer while learning both football and life skills through mentoring and teamwork.

The meeting is from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 18. Join the call at https://meet.google.com/ywq-ztxp-emi.

Questions? Email Lakers B Squad assistant coach Jason Walker at jason.walker@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Let’s finish out the school year strong! It’s always a mix of chaos & fun as events fill up the calendar. Please help make these memorable things happen for our entire Anthony community as well as our graduating 8th graders.

These items have accumulated in the Main Office. Do you recognize anything?

Order today to not have to worry about school supplies in the fall. If you need any support with supplies, please connect with the school social worker or the Anthony main office staff.

DEADLINE IS JULY 1, 2025

Link to order: https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/55293

🚩 Let's help each other out!

If you need to pick up your student during the school day, we ask that you PLEASE COMPLETE THE ATTENDANCE FORM or have your student BRING IN A WRITTEN NOTE so they can get a leave early "green" pass to come down to the office. This would really help us not disrupt class and ensure your student is ready for pick up in a timely manner.

Report the Absence and Provide Documentation in ONE way:

• Google form Anthony Attendance Form

• OR Written note from a guardian given to the Main Office

• OR Healthcare Provider Note

More details found in our: Anthony Handbook

Please make sure the following forms are filled out and turned into the main office. Forms can be downloaded or picked up in the main office.

• Emergency Contact Form -- (required)

• Media Release Form -- (required)

• Student Behavior Acknowledgement Form -- (required)

• Technology/Bus/Cell Phone Form -- (required)

• Technology Use Pledge -- (required)

• Health Form -- (required)

• Medication Authorization Form -- (only applicable if student takes medication at school)

• Family Activity Form -- (only if student will be absent more than 3 days in a row during school year)

Life gets busy. You can review all of the previous Panther Post Newsletters any time.

Attendance Line: (612) 668-3271

Anthony Attendance Form

District Transportation: (612) 668-2300

Secretary: Annie Smith

Principal: Mai Chang Vue

Associate Principal/Athletic Director: Dempsey Miller

Website: anthony.mpschools.org/

Address: 5757 Irving Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Phone: (612) 668-3240
Facebook: facebook.com/AnthonyMiddleSchool/
Instagram: @mps.anthonymiddle