Irondale News

On Saturday, October 10, the debate team competed at a tournament at Mankato West High School.

Congratulations to sophomores Delia Benninghoff and Rithvika Gundapuneni, who placed 3rd out of 44 entries in their division. Delia and Rithvika achieved a perfect 4-0 record throughout the day.

Applications to join Student Council are now open for the school year! To apply, you will need to do the following two things:

1. Fill out the application google form linked here. Please be honest and detailed in your answers as you're able.

2. Attend the group interviews at Knight Time next week, Wednesday, October 28, in Mrs. Scardigli's room (#116). You will sign up through the Knight Time system as normal.

*If you are unable to make this interview, please email Mr. Lud and Mrs. Scardigli (dustin.ludwikowski@moundsviewschools.org and christina.scardigli@moundsviewschools.org) to let us know and we can find an alternative time for your interview.

Join Ms Yang on an Asia cultural trip (China and South Korea) during June 2027. It is open to all Mounds View and Irondale students. The trip is 16 days long (2 days for traveling time), all inclusive, and open to all students & families with no language requirement. The sign up deadline is Friday, November 20. Parents and students who are interested can scan the QR codes on the trip poster to register and to view the itinerary and detailed information. There is an information meeting on Tuesday, October 27, at 5:00pm-6:00pm at Mounds View High School classroom 269. RSVP for the meeting at alice.yang@moundsviewschools.org.

Irondale Boys Swim and Dive will have an athlete only information meeting on Thursday, November 5, at 3:30 in the cafeteria. The meeting is for all athletes in 7th - 12th grade interested in swimming and diving.

Coach Scott will be there to go over the season and answer any questions. If you are unable to attend, but would still like information regarding the season, you can email Scott at irondaleswimcoach@gmail.com.

To ensure a safe and orderly dismissal, starting October 13, all early dismissal and student pickup requests must be made by 2:45 p.m. After that time, students will remain in their scheduled classes until the regular dismissal bell, except in emergencies.

With more than 1,800 students at Irondale, the final minutes of the school day are particularly busy. Last-minute requests can interrupt instruction and make it challenging for staff to coordinate student departures.

We recognize that families have schedules and responsibilities to manage and ask that you plan accordingly if your student needs to leave early. Thank you for your understanding and partnership in helping us prioritize student learning while managing the many moving parts of dismissal.

This Farm to School Thursday, students enjoyed locally-produced beef meatballs from Rancher’s Legacy and Minnesota-grown delicata squash. Meatballs provide protein to help build and maintain strong muscles, while delicata squash provides vitamin A to support healthy vision.

When it comes to screen time for students in schools, educational leaders everywhere are asking some common questions.

• Is less screen time the only approach?
• How can schools improve the quality of screen time?
• Can screen time be justified if it has a meaningful impact on learning?

And with the increasing use of AI, school districts are faced with even more challenges to navigate.

This fall, Mounds View Public Schools will consider these issues and more as it convenes a steering committee to provide recommendations to the School Board. Throughout the school year, the group will solicit community feedback and look at four main areas related to educational technology.

• Developing screen time usage guidelines
• Creating an AI usage framework
• Considering laptop and device monitoring tools
• Defining active and passive use of technology

Looking for a job that fits your family's schedule? Irondale High School is hiring Nutrition Services employees and substitutes! Enjoy a part-time schedule with three- to six-hour shifts on Mondays through Fridays during the school year. Substitute pay starts at $18 per hour, while regular positions start at $20.02 per hour. Interested? Apply online at mvpschools.org/employment.

All Junior and Senior parents are invited to be a part of the All Knight Party planning for our 2027 Seniors. Our first committee planning meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 26, at The Exchange Food & Drink (500 5th Avenue NW, New Brighton), 6:30 p.m. social, 7:00 p.m. meeting.

Come meet some friendly volunteers, enjoy some light appetizers, and be a part of this years planning committee, where you can share your talents and skill set to help make this the most memorable Senior celebration ever. Fill an open committee position, share your ideas, or volunteer the night of the Senior All Knight Party celebration. All are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Do you love slalom ski racing or alpine skiing and are competitive and curious? The Irondale varsity alpine ski racing season is quickly approaching so it's time to start thinking about tuning your skis and hitting some gates. Registration for Alpine Ski Racing is now open. Join us for our season kick off meeting on Tuesday, October 27, at 7:00pm, in The Forum at Mounds View High School to learn more about our upcoming season. Skiers and one parent/guardian must attend. Questions? Email coach Erik Saari at driven_esaari@yahoo.com.

The Boys and Girls Nordic Ski team is looking for athletes to join the team this winter!

There will be a meeting for middle school/new skiers and their parents on Monday, November 2, at 6pm in the ski shed (park in the north parking lot by tennis courts and walk down the hill to the building on fields right behind the high school)

Winter registration is open! The season officially begins on Monday, November 9!

Visit the team website for additional info.

Have questions? Contact Coach Torvi! chris.torvi@moundsviewschools.org

2026-2027 yearbooks are now on sale! From now until December 31, Irondale yearbook prices are $70. Price will increase on January 1. Order yours today here!

It is officially October, which means high school seniors can apply to many colleges and universities in Minnesota for free all month long!

Application Details:

• Free Applications: Participating Minnesota public and private institutions waive application fees as part of College Knowledge Month.

• Explore Colleges: View the full list of participating schools on the Minnesota Office of Higher Education Participation College List

• Exceptions: Please be aware that not all schools participate in waiving the application fee. Two examples are the University of Minnesota - Duluth and University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

FAFSA is Now Open! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is officially open for the upcoming academic year. Completing the FAFSA is the most important step to accessing grants, work-study, and federal student loans.

Get started today: Head to the Official FAFSA Homepage to submit your 2027-28 application.

Interested in attending College Rep Visits?

• app.schoolinks.com

• Login with Google using chromebook and school email

• At the top right of your homepage, you'll see EVENTS in blue

• Click EVENTS and you’ll be directed to all the schools visiting Irondale

• Click “Register For This Event” to sign up

If you have any questions, see Mr Rock (fritz.rock@mvspschools.org) in the Career & College Center.

Check out what is happening at Irondale and around the community. Here you will find additional information that might not be included in the daily announcements.