Ahoy, Minnetonka!

Latest Episodes:

S2 E16: Celebrating our School Community Members May 14, 2025

Show notes

Minnetonka Schools celebrates excellence in how our students and staff live, lead and learn. We do this by honoring our teachers and staff and the dedication and drive they bring each day, by lifting up the achievements, milestones and successes of our hardworking students, and by fostering growth and connection by celebrating all of the unique and vibrant voices throughout our school district all year long. In this episode, Superintendent David Law connects with Emily Rosengren, Assistant Principal at Minnetonka High School, and Mary Cornelius, Communications Specialist, for a conversation about the many ways our community’s achievements are recognized.

S2 E15: Community Engagement May 06, 2025

Show notes

Community input plays a critical role in shaping the direction of our schools and Districtwide initiatives. Continuing to build trust with our stakeholders—students, parents, prospective families, teachers and staff, alumni and the broader community—remains an action item in the School Board goal of Excellence in Leadership and Organizational Support. In this episode, Superintendent David Law connects with Dr. JacQui Getty, Executive Director of Communications, and Sally Browne, Director on the Minnetonka School Board, for a conversation about our District’s community engagement efforts and the ways we actively seek to inform, provide opportunities for feedback and build connections with our community.

S2 E14: Mid-year Check-in with School Board Leadership Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Superintendent David Law connects with School Board leaders Kemerie Foss, Vice Chair, and Dan Olson, Treasurer, for a mid-year chat about how the school year is going. The conversation focuses on the District’s progress toward the three School Board Goals: Excellence in Well-being, Belonging and Connection; Excellence in Student Learning and Support; and Excellence in Leadership and Organizational Support. Together, the Superintendent and Board leaders discuss District finances, facilities, well-being, and community engagement.

S2 E13: Literacy - Part 2 Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Literacy is at the heart of learning, and Minnetonka Public Schools is making significant strides in ensuring every student is set up for success. In this follow-up episode, Superintendent David Law connects with Associate Superintendent Dr. Amy LaDue and Literacy Coordinator Alyssa Rutherford for a deep dive into literacy. They discuss the professional development teachers and staff have been participating in related to reading, the State of Minnesota’s new English Language Arts standards for 2025-26, and practical strategies for families to foster literacy growth at home.

S2 E12: Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

For nearly 40 years, the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation has supported innovation and excellence in Minnetonka Schools. From annual teacher grants that bring innovations to life in the classroom to large endowment gifts, the Foundation elevates the District’s work to provide outstanding and unparalleled learning experiences for students.

In this episode, join Superintendent David Law for a chat with Jill Howe, Executive Director of the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation, and Troon Dowds, the Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Together, they discuss the Foundation’s recent gift of $100,000 in support of literacy efforts, the upcoming Dream Makers fundraising event and auction, and ways for community members to become involved with this impactful organization.

S2 E11: Minnetonka Preschool and ECFE Program Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

One of the exceptional programs the Minnetonka Public School District offers is a robust Preschool program. In addition to preschool classes, Minnetonka Community Education also offers preschool enrichment opportunities, preschool-aged wrap-around childcare through Junior Explorers, and Early Childhood Family Education classes for families with children ages birth to 5.

In this episode, join Superintendent David Law for a discussion with the Coordinator of Minnetonka Preschool, ECFE and Junior Explorers, Molly Bahneman, and ECFE and Preschool Parent, Mary Cornelius, as they connect about what makes Minnetonka Preschool, Junior Explorers and ECFE such welcoming and nurturing environments for young learners.

Minnetonka Preschool and ECFE will host an Open House on Saturday, January 25 from 9:30-11:30am at the Minnetonka Community Education Center in Deephaven. Registration for the 2025-26 school year begins on Thursday, January 30 at 7:30 am.

Learn more at minnetonkacommunityed.org.

S2 E10: Service Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

A key aspect of the mission of Minnetonka Public Schools is to ensure all students envision and pursue their highest aspirations while serving the greater good. Our students and staff excel in how they serve their communities, and they contribute to making society a better place by getting involved and volunteering in many different ways.

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with Sarah Johnson, the coordinator of the Tonka Serves office, as well as two Minnetonka High School seniors who have made volunteering in their community a priority in their lives. Join them for a discussion on the importance of service and ways students and families may get connected with volunteering and service-learning opportunities.

S2 E9: Safety and Security Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

Safety is something on all parents’ minds—and on the minds of our teachers and our staff, and our District takes seriously the responsibility of providing a safe place for students to learn and for staff to work. One of the three ongoing goals the Minnetonka School Board has set for the district is Excellence in Well-being, Connection and Belonging. A key action step outlined within that goal is to create a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment for all students—and that extends to our staff, families and visitors, as well.Join Superintendent David Law for a discussion with Scott Gerlicher, Minnetonka’s security and emergency management coordinator, and Dr. JacQui Getty, the District’s executive director of communications, as they review the considerable strides that Minnetonka Schools has made in this area over the past year.

S2 E8: Facilities Study Task Force Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

One of the three ongoing goals that the Minnetonka School Board has set for our district is Excellence in Leadership and Organizational Support. A key action step outlined within that goal is to determine whether our school facilities meet the needs of our current and future students. Last spring, community stakeholders from across the district came together as the Facilities Study Task Force to begin to examine that question.

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with one of the co-facilitators of the task force, Cari Lindberg, and one of the task force members, Jennie Przybilla, for a discussion about the group’s work and process.

S2E7: Literacy Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

Literacy is a topic about which both educators and families are passionate, and it is a priority both for Minnetonka Public Schools, with our ongoing School Board Goal, Excellence in Student Learning and Support, and for the State of Minnesota with the passage of the READ Act in 2023. Join Superintendent David Law for a discussion with Associate Superintendent Dr. Amy LaDue and Literacy Coordinator Alyssa Rutherford about our district’s literacy efforts, from background on the science of reading to the robust staff development opportunities teachers and administrators are participating in to support them as they apply best practices to teach reading for our students.

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