🐾

February 6, 2026 - Issue 12

February - Black History Month

10 Bridging Concert 8th Grade Choir @SWHS 7:00 pm

12 Anthony History Day
12 Student Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8:00pm
13 Student Parent Teacher Conferences 7:30-3:30pm
13 No school - SPT conferences
16 No school - President’s Day Holiday
17 No school - Professional Development
20 Student of the Quarter Panther Pride Celebration

25 Black Excellence Program

Winter Basketball Game Schedule

Stay in the know. Check our Anthony Events Calendar often.

Dear Anthony Families,

As we prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, we value your insights to help guide our planning. We invite you to complete the survey below by February 13, 2026. We are committed to maintain our current programs to ensure students all receive a well-rounded transformational learning experience.

Please note that a large portion of our budget is predetermined. Funding allocations are often dictated by federal, state, district, and International Baccalaureate (IB) requirements, which limits our flexibility. In addition, most of our funding goes toward staffing teachers and support staff.

🚩🚩🚩LINK TO SURVEY: Anthony Planning Survey 2026-2027

Learn more! View the school board presentations on the following.

January 20 meeting: MPS Student Experience and School Transformation
January 27 meeting: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Update
School Board Meeting Recordings

Thank you for your participation and support.

Sincerely,

Principal Mai Chang Vue
Anthony Middle School
maichang.vue@mpls.k12.mn.us
612-668-3241

Due to our commitment to academics—learning and safety, students are not allowed to use personal cell phones or electronic devices, during school hours (8:40am-3:20pm). This includes time in the hallways, classrooms, recess, or cafeteria. Students in the after-school program are also held to this policy from 3:20pm-5:30pm. Any cell phone usage can result in the device being taken away from the student (see MPS District Policy 5210).

We understand the positive impact that a cell phone has in the broader community to help solve civil injustices. We are asking that families support us with this safety initiative during the school day. We also would like to ask parents to refrain from calling or texting your child during the school day. Please contact our front office if you need something communicated to your child. We thank you ahead of time for supporting our efforts in continuing to create a positive learning experience for all students.

Congrats to the Anthony boys’ and girls’ basketball players and coaches for their hard work and dedication this season. Both teams have advanced to participate in the conference semi-final game that will be held on Saturday, February 7th @Anthony Middle School.

The Anthony gems & GISE afterschool robotics teams competed in the citywide regional on January 22 and represented our school extremely well! The teams represented in the event took home multiple awards and impressed the judges with their fantastic robots and ideas to use technology in the field of archaeology! We had a team qualify for the MN State LEGO ROBOTICS Championship! Congratulations to all the team members for a great robotics season!!! Shout out to our coaches, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Iverson, Ms. Lund, and Ms. Solyntjes.

Here is a list of students who were able to represent us at our tournament and their team awards.

Dino-Nuggies: Invited to compete at the MN state championship, Champion’s award, Robot Performance Award.

Vivian Fiele, James Hill, Hattie Baker, Lucas Bengtson, and Elliot Anderson

Celeritas: Core Values Award, Programming Award
Coraline Celis, Anna Christenson, Josephine Grangaard, Fiona Hurtig, Emmy Beauchman, and Samantha Jensen

Hula Burgers: Innovation Project Award
Miles Wegner, Graham Caron, and Beck Olson

Bardown Boys: Motivate Award
Hudson Woodfill

Bread: Robot Design Award
Lucas Mena and Michelle Dominguez

Pickle Panthers: Engineering Excellence Award
Rivers Krueger, Nels Erickson, and Ethan Federer

At school and not feeling well?

All students must go through the health office before being picked up for illness. If parents pick up their students for illness and have not been to the health office, this absence will not be excused.

For many reasons, the health office needs to know if a student is ill and what is wrong with them. Sometimes they need a little rest and can be encouraged to go back to class. Do not come pick up your student for illness unless they have been given permission by the health office.

Health Services at Anthony

Dear Anthony Families,

We are aware that occasionally absence calls and emails are going out related to Period 11 or Period 25. These periods are designated for after school or extended school programming. These absences will not affect your student's school record. If you report an absence to the school and you still receive a call or email for Period 11 or 25, please disregard.

We apologize if this has caused concern.

Thank You.

Contact Anthony

You are invited to our Annual Black Excellence Event held at Anthony Middle. The event will take place on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 from 8:40am-9:10am in the school auditorium. We look forward to seeing you at the event!

If you have questions, feel free to email Dempsey Miller @ dempsey.miller@mpls.k12.mn.us or 612-668-3269.

It’s time for Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences! Conferences are a great time to connect with teachers and to learn how your child is doing in school.

Conference dates and times this Winter are as follows:

Thursday, February 12th 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Friday, February 13th 7:30am - 3:30pm

Key Information:

Conferences are by appointment and will be held in the teacher’s classroom.

If you prefer virtual, please indicate on the sign-up comment special request section “virtual”. For virtual, on the day and time of your conference, go to meet.google.com and enter the Google meets code/nickname (list provided below).
If you prefer by phone, please indicate on the sign-up comment section “by phone” and the number you would like to be reached at.
If you need an interpreter, please indicate the language - Spanish or Somali.

Due to limited conference slots, it is not possible to meet with every teacher. Only select your top 1-2 teachers/staff that you must see.

If slots are filled, reach out to the teachers(s) directly to arrange a time to connect via phone, virtual, or in person.

Attendance at conferences is not mandatory, but we encourage you to regularly check the Parent Portal to stay informed about your child’s progress.

Teachers may contact you directly if your child requires additional support or if there are any concerns.

The deadline to sign up for appointments is Wednesday, February 11th by 4pm.

Each appointment is limited to 10 minutes. For longer discussions, please arrange a separate time with your child’s teacher.

Please plan to arrive at least 5 minutes early as we may not be able to accommodate late arrivals.

It is not necessary to wait until conferences to connect with teachers and staff! Parents are encouraged to reach out to teachers, support staff, and case managers anytime throughout the year with any questions or concerns. You can find their email addresses below.

Parent Portal Reminder: Stay updated on your child’s grades and attendance through the Parent Portal. If you need access, please contact the main office at 612-668-3240 or email julie.robertson@mpls.k12.mn.us or annie.smith@mpls.k12.mn.us .

Thank you for your partnership in your child's education!

CONFERENCE SIGN-UP DIRECTIONS

Conferences will be scheduled using the online scheduler PTCFast

Click on this link here: www.ptcfast.com/reg1.
Input your child’s teacher’s Entry Code listed here.
Once you sign up, PTCFast will send you an email with the date and time of your conference along with a follow-up reminder.

Hall Passes

We are excited to start a new Anthony Hall Pass System. Below are the details and a picture of the monthly pass.

Students will be given a Panther Pass Page each month from their advisory teacher.
Passes can be used to go to lockers, the restroom, or the media center at any time during class with permission from their teacher.

Students needing to go to the nurse, counselor, or office must have a signed pink pass.
Student accommodations regarding bathroom access will be honored without exception.
Students with specific bathroom or health needs will have a separate pass.
Teachers will be provided with a Take a Break pass for 504/IEP needs. Students who have this will receive a second pink sheet (labelled) for this. Grade level teams can discuss if students are using excessively.

No Pass List

If a student is believed to be misusing the pass privilege, the following steps will be taken:

The teacher will bring concerns to the grade level team for that student.
If determined that misuse is occurring, student will be added to the No Pass list for a determined period of time.

The No Pass for a student will be revisited at the following bi-monthly grade level meeting.

If your student is put on the “no pass” list:

You will receive an email from one of their teachers sharing why student was added and the effective date.

Student will turn in their pass page to their advisory teacher and will only be able to use restroom, during class, with supervision.

The grade level team will assess your student’s progress at the bi-monthly grade level meeting to determine if they will be removed from the No Pass list.

Following winter break, our 8th grade English Language Development 2 (ELD 2) students began brainstorming for their Ted-Ed talks and the 6th/7th graders were working on recognizing simple and compound sentences in various texts as well as constructing language to communicate about activities that people enjoy doing. We had also began to work on Reader’s Theatre where students had various parts and worked together to create a scene.

Since we moved to online learning, our English Language (EL) classrooms have dramatically changed with the presence of ICE in our city. And our school community has moved to a hybrid model for both in person and online learning.

In our online community with both EL and non-EL students, we are trying to stay connected, support each other, and approach our classmates with grace. This is not the way that school works best for most students (as most of us remember from COVID) and our staff really misses having all students in person.

We continue some of the work that we started but also needed to shift to accommodate this learning method and situation. We continue to do Reader’s Theatre, which students can practice together in breakout rooms and have started a journaling project where students use specific prompts to work on language and communication skills and can also work on independently. This is not ideal.

We have postponed the WIDA Access Test until students are back in person. If you have questions, please feel free to reach me at: stephanie.malcy@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Congratulations to the members of the 8th Grade Symphonic Band for an outstanding performance at Southwest High School Bridging Concert January 26th. Our 8th graders were welcomed into the Southwest Performing Arts Community with open arms. The 7th Grade Concert Band will represent Anthony Middle School at the District Area Band Concert on April 9th where bands from around MPS will perform in the SWHS West Gym. Our own annual Anthony Pops Concert is April 16th. All Anthony Bands (Beginning, 6,7,8) will perform at this fun celebration of movie, musical, and pop music.

We are thrilled to share exciting news! Anthony Middle School recently received a large number of new (as in still in bubble wrap and plastic new) instruments! These new instruments will replace old instruments in our fleet that date back to the 1940’s! It will be a thrill to hear beautiful music come through them for the very first time!

Ms. Linné is so so proud of the achievements of all of our band students both in the Anthony Band Program. Many students go above and beyond as members of outside of school jazz bands and symphony orchestras and in private lessons as well. Music is a part of our community and culture here in Minneapolis and globally. It is fantastic to hear and watch music learning and social emotional growth happening with joy among our talented students here at Anthony Middle School!

We hope to see everyone at the Anthony Pops Concert April 16th, 6:00 pm in the Anthony Middle School Auditorium!

Spelling Bee Winner: Lealani Washburn (6th grade) with the winning word of "nomination".

Runner Up: Elijah Scheglowski.

Lealani Washburn

Elijah Scheglowski

At the March 3rd Site Council Meeting we will be providing a budget update for next school year 2026-2027.

Work on fundamentals, practice habits, and impress your future coaches and teammates at Southwest High’s three-day summer youth basketball camp, set for June 15-17 at the Southwest gym.

The camp includes a 9-11:30 a.m. session for girls entering grades 3-8 in fall 2026 and a 12:30-3 p.m. session for boys entering grades 3-6.

All skill levels are welcome and proceeds directly support the Lakers girls and boys basketball programs. Cost is $100.

Register at mplssouthwestbasketball.com/youth-camp.

Additional lacrosse sticks are available for anyone that would like to try this sport.

Please join the Southwest High School Boys Tennis team for Captain's Practices on Sundays from 1-2p at the Bloomington Lifetime Fitness. Captain's Practices are FREE and OPEN TO ALL boys in grades 7-12. If you are not a member of Lifetime Fitness, please have your parent or guardian fill out a waiver (https://lifetime.formstack.com/forms/sponsoringmemberform) - note, waiver only needs to be filled out once, not every time you attend a Captain's Practice. Bring a tennis racket, court shoes and a water bottle.

Parents of interested students: We will be hosting a Parent Information Meeting on Wednesday, March 10 at 7p in the lunchroom at Southwest High School and welcome you and any questions you may have about the season.

Go Lakers!

Questions? Contact Colette MacIver, macivec@yahoo.com

Register today!

A great opportunity for students! Early registration Feb 9-20. Final Deadline to apply March 16-27.

Learn more at breakthroughmpls.org

Tickets on sale NOW!

This event is 21+ only.

Become a Sponsor and Purchase Tickets Here!

We need your feedback!

Thanks to everyone who completed the Caregiver Priorities Survey last spring (7,139 responses district-wide).
Examples of how feedback was used:

Class size was one of the number one priorities, so MPS allocated funding to prevent splits in grades K - 2 (Note: A “split” is when a teacher serves students from multiple grades in one class).
Community Ed utilized the data to submit a grant application based on caregiver priorities for programming.

MPS will continue to provide a variety of engagement opportunities.

Surveys allow us to hear from a large volume of caregivers.
Focus groups, interviews, etc. are critical to ensure we are hearing multiple perspectives.

Take our 2nd Caregivers Survey

Minneapolis Public Schools is seeking additional feedback regarding core academics and beyond the core such as opportunities, extracurriculars, and social emotional learning to help us further transform learning for all students.

🚩🚩🚩 Please take a moment to provide us with your feedback by completing the MPS Caregiver Survey: https://tinyurl.com/MPSTransform

Ensuring the Core

What specific opportunities and experiences (curriculum, programs, etc) within their core academics have been most helpful or important to your child?

What challenges or barriers have your child or your family encountered that are impacting your child’s academic success?

Beyond the Core

What specific opportunities and experiences (curriculum, programs, etc) outside of your student’s core academics have been most helpful or important to your child?
What challenges or barriers outside of your student’s core academics are impacting their success?

Staff Appreciation PotLuck for Conferences

To show our support & appreciation for the extra mile Anthony staff and teachers have gone this year, the PTA is sponsoring a soup & chili themed potluck the evening of conferences, Thursday, February 12th. Donations of food & serving items are needed, as well as a few day of people to help set up & clean up.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EADA82CAAF5C07-61820064-potluck

History Day Volunteers

Anthony will be hosting their History Day event for 7th graders on Thursday, February 12. This event is our biggest need for volunteers and is open to any adult (caregivers, grandparents, friends, neighbors, etc.). Volunteers will be listening to students talk about their project and then scoring them with a rubric. No experience necessary. Shifts can be 1 hour to the whole day.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EADA82CAAF5C07-61600054-history#/

Questions - email Madelyn at anthonyPTAvolunteers@gmail.com

PTA at Anthony

Parents and Guardians, we encourage you to report an absence of any kind using the Anthony Attendance Form. This form helps us keep quick and accurate records of your student's absences as reported by a legal guardian. You may also continue to send written notes with your student if you prefer that method.

If your student is leaving early, fill out the form or write a note, tell your student to come to the Main Office before school and we will issue a green pass. This process: builds independence, reduces classroom disruptions, and ensures your student is ready for pick up in a timely manner. A guardian will not need to come into the school to sign the student out if they have a leave early pass.

If your student is coming late, fill out the google form or write a note. You can drop your student at Door 1 and we will buzz them in and issue them a pink pass to get into class. A guardian will not need to come into the school to sign the student in.

For more on the full attendance policy, including excused✅ versus unexcused❌ absence categories, see our Anthony Handbook.

You may reach out to Julie.Robertson@mpls.k12.mn.us, Office Assistant, for more details 612-668-3240. Website Contact - Anthony Middle School.