ENG 2025-26 Family Update No. 7
October 15, 2025
Dear Northfield Public Schools Families:
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We have reached the MEA break — there is no school on Oct. 16 and 17. We look forward to having students return on Mon, Oct. 20.
Our vision is to prepare every student for lifelong success by developing critical thinkers who are curious and ready to engage in our society. One of the ways we do that is through quality mathematics instruction.
We are so fortunate to have exceptional teachers who are experts in student learning. We have been working to update our mathematics curriculum to provide those outstanding teachers with instructional materials that support the eight standards for mathematical practices, which are woven throughout state standards for math:
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
Model with mathematics
Use appropriate tools strategically
Attend to precision
Look for and make use of structure
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
In our elementary schools, we adopted the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum for the 2024-25 school year. We have received positive feedback about how the curriculum supports the diverse learning needs of our students.
Our middle and high school teachers are currently piloting several new curricula options to inform their decision before selecting a new curriculum. Implementing a new curriculum is a significant undertaking and I am proud of the hard work our teachers are doing to ensure rigorous mathematics learning experiences for our students.
One of the key strategies we are working to implement is giving students greater ownership of their thinking in mathematics. This means that students are discussing their mathematical reasoning more often, identifying multiple ways to solve the same problem, and having more hands-on learning experiences in math.
Greater student ownership of mathematical thinking is intended to support lifelong learning by strengthening critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We know that being proficient in mathematics opens endless doors for students, especially for their future careers.
As always, do not hesitate to contact me with feedback or questions about the school district.
Sincerely,
Matt
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Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.
Superintendent
mhillmann@northfieldschools.org | 507-663-0629
Northfield Middle School was selected as a 2025 Blue Ribbon School, one of the highest honors a school can receive, celebrating schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. NMS received recognition in both categories: Exemplary High Performing School and Exemplary Closing the Gaps School. Very few schools receive this award, and even fewer earn recognition in both categories. This honor reflects the dedication of our staff, the hard work of our students, and the support of our families and community.
Although this federal program was eliminated in September 2025, the Minnesota Department of Education is finalizing plans to recognize schools who were selected for this honor prior to its elimination.
There will be no school Thursday, Oct. 16, and Friday, Oct. 17 for MEA break. Classes will resume on Monday, Oct. 20. We hope students and families enjoy the extended weekend!
At Northfield Public Schools, we value our strong community partnerships. To better connect families with local events and resources, we've created a community events newsletter. This newsletter is linked to our district newsletters, making it easy for families to stay informed about upcoming opportunities and important community resources.
This week's newsletter includes local events, as well as MEA break activities at the Northfield Public Library, and opportunities from Hiliners, Cub Scouts, the YMCA and more!
