We're looking forward to your input on the survey led by School Perceptions. Your contributions are vital in steering our future plans. Please keep your eyes peeled for an email from them; they're the research firm helping us with the survey. Don't see the email? Check your spam or promotions folder. Thanks for your participation—look for the survey link in your inbox!

Sincerely,

Dr. Joey Page, Superintendent

Join the Austin Symphony Orchestra for their season's first family concert, "An Orchestral Mystery," on Oct 29th at 2 p.m. in Knowlton Auditorium. Starting at 12:45 p.m., they're hosting a kids' carnival in the Ove Berven Gym, complete with face painting, games, and more.

Musical highlights include:

Monday, ASO will also present this program to over 3000 4th-6th graders from Southeast Minnesota and Northwest Iowa as part of their educational outreach!

Advance tickets are $25 or $30 at the door. Free for kids and college students with ID. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.austinmnsymphony.org or call 507-460-3678.

The City of Austin is participating in the League of Minnesota Cities 2023 annual "Mayor for a Day" essay contest. The essay contest is open to fourth-, fifth, and sixth-graders. Attached is a letter from the mayor and an informational handout explaining the essay contest.

Remote Learning Days are school days where students complete preassigned classwork (elementary) or coursework via Schoology (secondary) instead of coming to a school building. At Austin Public Schools, we will use these days during an unscheduled school closure. Learn more here.

When: October 27-29 (Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.)

Where: Ellis Middle School Auditorium

Cost: Adults -$7, Students - $5 tickets at the door

Concessions - cash only

Doors open at 6:30 and 3:30

Check out the flyer below to learn more about an exciting opportunity to receive music lessons for your child at up to 75% off!

Are you looking for a way to give back to the community and invest in the next generation? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

At Austin Public School, our mission is to Inspire, Empower, and Accelerate as we prepare our learners to make a difference in the world. One of the ways we are working to support this mission is to ensure that all students start the school year off with the supplies they need to be successful.

Your donation will help make a huge difference in our students' lives, and we appreciate your assistance. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.

Together, we can build a stronger Austin Public Schools. Learn more here and how to donate.

The Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center invites you to take the Cancer-Focused Needs Assessment. This anonymous 15-minute questionnaire asks about cancer risk factors and how cancer burden affects your community. The survey results will help the Mayo Clinic develop health education programs, recommend health policies, and provide cancer-related interventions to improve health and quality of life in the communities it serves.

Help spread the word: English | Spanish

Participants will receive a $15 gift card for completing the survey, which takes between 15-20 minutes.

• Farm safety first: Tips for preventing injuries during harvest
• What to know about your at-home COVID-19 test expiration date
• What to do about dry skin
• 5 tips for walking your way to better health

In this week's Alumni Spotlight, we catch up with alumna Isabel Brekke.

Are you an alumnus of Austin Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to hear about your accomplishments and are eager to share your successes and advice with our current students, families, and the Austin community.

All you need to do is take a minute to answer a few quick questions at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/alumni-spotlight.

Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all your wonderful stories!

At Austin Public Schools, our mission is to inspire, empower, and accelerate every one of our learners, and we know that the only way for us to reach this goal is through the efforts of all our incredibly hard-working staff.

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we’re highlighting Community Learning Center ECFE teacher Sheila Steele.

"Ms. Steele is an outstanding educator! She is patient, compassionate, and truly cares about making a difference in each of her student's lives as she helps them grow, learn, and explore!"

Congratulations!

If you’d like to nominate an outstanding Austin Public Schools staff member for our weekly Staff Spotlight, please take a moment to fill out the form at https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/district-resources/staff-spotlight. It only takes a minute and can truly make someone’s day. Thanks!

• Minnesota's Direct Admissions program is changing how students apply to college
  
• The school board elections you won't want to 'sleep on'
• Minnesota school boards and their powers: 3 key questions, answered
• State AGs sue Meta over mental health harms to youth
• States file lawsuit against Meta, alleging social media causes mental illness in children

APS offers a wide range of student activities, including competitive athletics, intramurals, academic clubs, fine arts, and performing arts. View schedules and learn more here.

Please Note:

We are currently between the fall and winter sports seasons.

Austin Public Schools is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values the diversity of its employees and does not discriminate against any employee or candidate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, familial status or membership or activity in a local commission. The school district strongly encourages anyone interested to apply to join our teams. Reasonable accommodations to access job openings or to apply for a job are available. Click here to learn more.

You can review previous issues here.