At CHHS we are passionate
about preparing all students for
success in college and careers.
As part of this process, we offer
a number of college level
courses within our school. One
type of college level classes
that we offer are called Ad-
vanced Placement (AP) cours-
es. AP courses give students
exposure to a high level of
learning with an opportunity to
take a test at the end of the
year to earn college credit.
An organization called
the College Board oversees AP
courses and student test scores.
Each year the College Board
releases an AP District Honor
Roll, which is given to districts
that have increased the num-
ber of students taking AP cours-
es while also maintaining or
increasing students’ scores on
AP tests. We are excited to an-nounce that this year, CHHS has
been selected as an honor roll
recipient! We were awarded
this honor along with only 13
other schools in the state of MN
and 425 districts across the Unit-
ed States and Canada.
Inclusion in the 6th Annual AP
District Honor Roll is based on
the review of three years of AP
data, from 2013 to 2015. Below
is a list of the criteria for earning
this prestigious place on the AP
District Honor Roll:
Increased participation/
access to AP by at least 4
percent in large districts, at
least 6 percent in medium
districts, and at least 11
percent in small districts;
Increased or maintained
the percentage of exams
taken by African American,
Hispanic/Latino, and Amer-
ican Indian/Alaska Native
students, and;
Improved performance
levels when comparing the
percentage of students in
2015 scoring a 3 or higher
to those in 2013, unless the
district has already at-
tained a performance level
at which more than 70 per-
cent of its AP students are
scoring a 3 or higher.
We are incredibly proud of our
students and staff for all of their
hard work and focus on excel-
lence in academics! Through
their dedication, we continue
to be recognized as a school
on the rise. Our Hylanders truly
know how to keep it real in their
academics!!
Remember to keep it
REAL,
Dan Wrobleski
Principal
From the Principal
Respect
Education
Attitude
Loyalty
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
March/April 2016
Hylander News
Columbia Heights Public Schools create worlds of opportunity for every learner in partnership with supportive small-town
communities by challenging all to discover their talents, to unleash their potential and develop tools for lifelong success.
3/7 Winter Choir
Concert 7pm
3/7 AP Exam Forms
Available
3/10 Conferences
4-7:30pm
3/15 FAFSA Night
6:30-8pm
3/17 AP Exam Forms
Due
3/21-3/25
NO SCHOOL
3/29 PAC Meeting
6pm
3/31 3rd Quarter
Ends
3/31 Wear Your
College Gear
Day!
4/1 NO SCHOOL
4/4 4th Quarter
Begins
4/9 ACT Test
4/22 Grease! 7pm
4/23 Grease! 7pm
4/24 Grease! 2pm
4/27 Grease! 7pm
4/28 Grease! 7pm
4/29 Grease! 7pm
4/30 Grease! 7pm
5/2 3rd Annual
African
Heritage Music
Festival 7pm
5/5 Conferences
4-7:30pm
Important Dates
CHPS Graduation Rates Increase, Outperforming
State in Most Categories CHPS has “raised the bar in
academic expectations” and is
closing the achievement gap
by graduating more students
and outperforming the state in
most categories for the 2014-
2015 school year. The results,
released by the MN Dept. of
Education (MDE) on Monday,
2/22, also show CHPS has the
second highest graduation
gains of all school districts in the
greater Twin Cities area.
Analysis of 2014-2015 gradua-
tion rates show an overall in-
crease of 7.2% for the Class of
2015. This class also graduated
more Black (+2.8%), Hispanic
(+7.2%), and White (+10%) stu-
dents than 2014. Asian/Pacific
Islander & American Indian stu-
dents were not evaluated in
2014-2015, as numbers did not
meet the minimum student
population threshold estab-
lished by the MDE.
When comparing 2015 CHPS
and state results, the District
graduated 83.2% of the senior
class to the state average of
81.9%. CHPS also outperformed
the state in the categories of
Black (+19.4%), Hispanic
(+16.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander
(+10.6%), English Language
Learners (+14.5 %), Free & Re-
duced Lunch (+12.5%), and
Special Education (+10%) stu-
dents.
Principal Dan Wrobleski attrib-
utes the graduation increases
to the school’s staff raising the
bar for academic expectations
for all students and emphasizing
that the school is creating col-
lege & career ready graduates.
“We worked collaboratively as
a staff to increase rigor in our
class content,” he said. “We
also focused on school-wide
data and specific academic
support for our students.”
Wrobleski also attributes the
success to increasing participa-
tion of diverse students in Ad-
vanced Placement courses
and initiating intense academic
student after-school program-
ming to boost student perfor-
mance.
“Our staff is doubling-down on
creating a culture of positive
relationships for students and
their families and developing a
school-wide focus on increasing
graduation rates,” he added.
For more information on the
diverse E-12 educational pro-
gramming and resources CHPS
provides in creating college
and career-ready graduates,
visit www.colheights.k12.mn.us/
collegeresources.
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News
Page 2
On Tuesday April 19th, all of our
9th, 10th, and 12th graders will
have the chance to go on
college visits during the school
day. This is a great opportunity
for your student to explore a
post-secondary setting and
spend time on a real college
campus. Students will also
have the chance to speak
with college admission repre-
sentatives and ask questions
about the college experience.
The colleges that have
agreed to host our students
are listed here:
University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities
St Cloud State Universities
UW-River Falls
UW-Eau Claire
MCTC
University of Minnesota-
Rochester
St Catherine’s University
Gustavus Adolphus
Mankato State
Carleton
UW-Stout
St Paul College
Century College
MCAD
McNally Smith
Concordia St. Paul
Bethel University
Any questions? Please call Mollie
Sprouse at 763-528-4613 or Beth
Salmon at 763-528-4546.
The turn out for the February 11th
FAFSA Night and College Prep
Night was fantastic! We brought in
financial aid experts to help families
fill out their FAFSA (Free Application
for Federal Student Aid) online.
There is such a demand for finan-
cial aid support that we are plan-
ning a second evening.
Join us on March 15th from 6:30-
8:00pm for your chance to utilize
these great resources!
In the meantime, check out the
FAFSA resources on our school web-
site. The sooner you submit your
FAFSA, the greater access you will
have to grants and scholarships for
next year in college. Feel free to ask
Ms. Sprouse at 763-528-4613 if you
have any FAFSA questions.
by meeting the 8th grade standards
on the Minnesota Comprehen-
sive Assessment (MCA) in Reading
and meet other course prerequisites
or course enrollment standards es-
tablished by the college. These
standards include, but are not lim-
ited to, assessment test scores, pro-
gram admission or other require-
ments.
If you are interested in PSEO, please
see your dean as soon as possible to
complete the PSEO forms.
We also offer a PSEO class on site
during the school day at CHHS. The
Criminal Justice course is taught by
Columbia Heights Police Officer Len-
ny Austin.
If you are interested in taking Crimi-
nal Justice, talk with your advisor or
dean.
PSEO, or Post Secondary Enrollment
Options is a state program that ena-
bles qualifying students to take col-
lege classes: part or full time while in
high school for free. Apply for PSEO
at the college or university of your
choice.
To increase the likelihood of student
success, Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities (MNSCU) has set the
following standards for admission to
PSEO classes:
Seniors must score at or above
the 50th percentile (via cumulative
GPA) of your graduating class.
Juniors must score at or above
the 70th percentile (via cumulative
GPA) of your graduating class.
Sophomores can enroll in a ca-
reer or technical education course
at a MNSCU college or university
Is PSEO for Your Student?
College Visits
Report Card Update
After the report cards for first
semester were sent home
we were alerted to an error
that caused the period
GPAs listed on the report
cards to be incorrect.
Grades themselves were not
affected.
The necessary corrections
were made immediately
and we apologize for any
inconvenience.
All of the correct infor-
mation is available on
School View. If you are not
currently signed up for
School View, please con-
tact Rachel Bolte at
763-528-4601.
FAFSA Night!
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News
Page 3
From the Desk of Officer JP Our 2015 statistics are in and I am
pleased to report that the crime
numbers in our city continued the
downward trend. Our overall crime
is down 2.6%. Arrest data also sup-
ports the downward trend in crime.
Particularly pleasing to me, as the
School Resource Officer, is that ar-
rests of juveniles are down to almost
a third of what they were in 2008.
One of the ways our department
has accomplished this is through
increasing our Community Oriented
Policing (COP) programs. To put
things into perspective: In 2008, the
department committed approxi-
mately 2300 hours to COP pro-
grams, but there were still 250 juve-
nile arrests. We added a full-time
COP Officer in 2010 to further facili-
tate partnerships and change in this
area. In 2015, the department com-
mitted approximately 6100 hours to
COP programs, and there were ap-
proximately 90 juvenile arrests. The
correlation is staggering, actually.
Proof, yet again, that when we (all)
invest in the community, including
our youth, the results are positive and
lasting. COP outreach is, once
again, a main area of focus for the
department’s 2016 strategic plan.
If you would like to see our complete
year-end (annual) report, I encour-
age all of you to visit:
http://www.ci.columbia-
heights.mn.us/DocumentCenter/
View/2240
If you or your child have any ideas
for COP related activities our de-
partment can/should get involved
in, please call me (763-528-4637) or
get those ideas to our COP officer,
Officer Andy Museus, at the Colum-
bia Heights Police Department. We
continue to look for areas of im-
provement and ways to continue to
drive crime downward! - JP
Spotlight on TV Media: The Hylander News Network The Hylander News Network pro-
duces a quality daily news show
that entertains and informs staff and
students.
Team-taught by Matt Townsend
and Jill Jungers, the Morning Show is
part of the TV Media Broadcast
class. Students learn all aspects of
creating a multi-media presentation
for public viewing including filming,
interviewing, writing, and editing for
broadcast. They make use of
technical equipment and their
own creativity to achieve 21st
Century learning. A team effort,
everyone must do their job for the
show to run smoothly. All broad-
cast students improve their peo-
ple skills as they focus on commu-
nication. Anyone wishing to tap
the pulse of CHHS just needs to
tune into the HNN each morning.
“Okay, cats- throw your mittens
around your kittens and away
we go….”
That’s the voice of Vince Fontaine,
DJ from the radio station
WAXX, reminding everyone that it’s
time to Hand Jive with the 50’s
bunch from Rydell High at the CHHS
production of Grease!
Join Rydell High’s Senior Class of
1959, the cool, hot-rodding Greasers,
and their classy, hip-shaking Pink
Ladies as they sing and dance their
way to graduation in this high-
energy production!
Over 50 students will be involved in
this show in various ways. You’ll see
them on stage, hear them in the pit
band, or enjoy the work they put in
behind the scenes to bring audi-
ences back to those toe-tapping
rock n’ roll days of teenage rebel-
lion and relationships.
Performances will take place on
April 22 and 23 at 7:00pm, on April
24 at 2:00pm, and on April 28, 29,
and 30 at 7:00pm in the Columbia
Heights High School Performing Arts
Center.
Ticket information will be available
in the beginning of April.
Grease is the Word!
STRIVE Students Visit
College Campuses
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News
Page 4
Seniors participating in the STRIVE program visited
Anoka Technical College and Anoka-Ramsey Com-
munity College on Friday, Feb 5. Nine Columbia
Heights High School students attended the event
along with teacher, Scott Roehm, CHHS Dean of Ac-
ademics, Molly Sprouse, and Rotary member, Steve
Klaers.
During their trip, they were given tours of each school
and also had the opportunity to learn about the
class offerings and admission processes.
STRIVE is a partnership between Columbia Heights/
Fridley Rotary Club and Columbia Heights and Fridley
high schools.
Ticket Information coming
in early April!
Tennis and Synchronized Swim-
ming. We have plenty of activities
to get involved in so please take
advantage of them. Research has
shown that students’ GPA’s will rise
if they are participating in athletics
or activities. We have great advi-
sors and coaches. The activities
department offers students the
unique opportunity to develop
their talents beyond the classroom
Activity Date Time Home/Away Opponent/Location
Knowledge Bowl 2-16-16 4:00pm Away Spring Lake Park
Basketball: Girls Varsity 2-16-16 6:00pm Home Academy of Holy Angels
Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-16-16 7:00pm Away Academy of Holy Angels
Knowledge Bowl 2-17-16 4:00pm Away Spring Lake Park
Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-18-16 6:00pm Home St. Croix Lutheran
Wrestling: All 2-19-16 5:00pm Away Individual Sections at Orono
Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-19-16 6:00pm Home Brooklyn Center
Wrestling: All 2-10-16 11:00am Away Individual Sections at Orono
Band Concert 2-22-16 7:00pm Home High School PAC
Basketball: Girls Varsity 2-23-16 7:15pm Away Cretin-Derham Hall
Basketball: Boys Varsity 2-24-16 TBD TBD Sections
Swim & Dive: Boys 2-24-16 TBD Away Sections at St. Catherine
University
Swim & Dive: Boys 2-26-16 TBD Away Sections at St. Catherine
University
Basketball: Girls Varsity 2-26-16 6:00pm Home Minneapolis Southwest
Spring Sports Registration 2-29-16 4:00-7:00pm Home Hylander Center—Door #37
Basketball: Girls Varsity 3-3-16 TBD TBD Sections
Choir Concert 3-7-16 7:00pm Home High School PAC
Conference Weight Lifting
Competition 3-8-16 6:00pm Away Concordia Academy
Synchronized Swim: Girls All 3-17-16 4:30pm Home Maple Grove Senior High
Synchronized Swim: Girls All 3-31-16 4:30pm Home Forest Lake
Activities Schedule
Winter athletics are coming to
end with state entrants in Wrestling
and Boys’ Swim and Dive! Spring
activities and athletics are just
around the corner. Most athletic
programs begin in the middle of
March. We have Speech, Grease
for the Spring Musical, Robotics,
Key Club, Chess Team, Future
Problem Solving, Track and Field,
Lacrosse, Softball, Baseball, Boys’
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News
Page 5
Activities and Athletics with Mr. Miller through practice, learning sports-
manship through competition and
displaying leadership through team.
We believe extracurricular activities
promote lifelong student success.
This spring, students will be tak-
ing the Minnesota Comprehen-
sive Assessments (MCAs).
The MCAs are state tests which
help measure student progress
relative to Minnesota’s aca-
demic standards. The MCA Sci-
ence will take place on April
12th and 13th for all students en-
rolled in General Biology.
In addition, the MCA Reading
and Math tests will be taking
place on April 26th, 27th and 28th.
All 11th graders will take the
MCA Math and all 10th graders
will take the MCA Reading.
It is very important for your child
to take these tests seriously as
they are high-stakes exams that
measure your student’s compe-
tency in each of these areas of
study.
We have listed some testing tips
to the right that will help your
students do their best on the
MCAs.
interested in being a part of
the planning team.
Volunteer: If you would like to
volunteer at the SANP, please
contact Teresa Born at
or 612-703-7249
Below are some ways you can
help us to plan and provide the
best celebration possible for our
Seniors:
~ Aluminum Can Drive - bring
your cans to the bin in the
northwest parking lot of the
high school.
~ Help staff the SANP itself - 45
volunteers are needed the
night of the party to help with
staffing the entertainment.
MCA Testing
Volunteers Plan the Senior All-Night-Party
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News
Page 6
Testing Tips
1. Get plenty of sleep the
night before the test
2. Eat a good breakfast
the morning of the test
3. Bring 2 sharpened #2
pencils with you to the
test.
4. There will be no elec-
tronics allowed in the
classroom during the
tests.
Since August, the parents of
CHHS Class of 2016 have
been planning for the annual
Senior All Night Party (SANP).
The party will be held at
Murzyn Hall on Friday, June ,
2016 directly following the
graduation ceremony. All
graduates are encouraged
to attend!
VOLUNTEER HELP IS NEEDED
TO MAKE THIS EVENING A
SUCCESS!
Attend our monthly planning
meetings and offer your sug-
gestions. Listen for Principal
Wrobleski’s all-call for up-
coming dates. Or feel free
to contact Teresa Born at
or 612-703-7249 if you are
~ Make a Donation: We are
accepting both monetary
and prize donations that can
be used for the student raffle
at the ANP. If you would like
to make a donation, please
contact Teresa Born at
or 612-703-7249.
We’re looking forward to mak-
ing this a celebration that our
students won’t forget! Thank
you for any help that you can
give to help us reach that goal.
Let’s show our kids how proud
we are of them!
Questions? Contact Teresa Born
or 612-703-7249.
Rachel Bolte, Principal Secretary
763-528-4601
Cindy Eason, Asst. Principals’ Secretary
763-528-4602
Kari Martin, Records Admin. Asst.
763-528-4638
Helen Tomas, Attendance Clerk
763-528-4619
Carla Scheider, School Nurse
763-528-4517
Ivonne Padilla, Family Involvement
763-528-4536
Dan Wrobleski, Principal
763-528-4601
John Kulick, Assistant Principal
763-528-4636
Laura McLuen, Assistant Principal
763-528-4415
Gary Beasley, Dean of Students
763-528-4612
Kim Berling, Dean of Students
763-528-4614
Mollie Sprouse, Dean of Students
763-528-4613
Office Staff Contact Information
On Tuesday, April 19th, all 11th graders will be taking
the real ACT during the school day. Students should
plan on arriving and leaving school at the normal
time. The ACT is a high-stakes test that is essential for
admittance into many colleges in Minnesota and the
Midwest. The ACT consists of four multiple-choice sec-
tions: English, Math, Reading, and Science, as well as
a Writing section.
It is imperative that your child begins planning for this
test now. ACT study guides are useful tools that can be
purchased online or at bookstores. Guides can also be
checked out in the library or with Ms. Sprouse.
In addition, your student can log into his or her school
Naviance account to access Naviance Test Prep,
which is another ACT preparation tool.
Please check out www.actstudent.org for more infor-
mation.
C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News
Page 7
ACT Testing
Vanessa Lotito-Meier, Social Worker
763-528-4537
Angela Jacobson, Psychologist
763-528-4622
Matt Miller, Activities Director
763-528-4413
Sherry Holmgren, Activities Secretary
763-528-4511
Mike Weir, Chemical Health
763-528-4627
Officer Jason Piehn, SRO
763-528-4637
2015-2016 Yearbooks! Okay Heights, Time to order yearbooks!
Here’s what you need to know:
The final deadline to buy a yearbook is March 28,
2016, but PLEASE DON’T WAIT until then!
Cost is $45 for the book, + $8 extra to get your
name on the front cover.
It is quick and easy to order, just follow these direc-
tions:
ORDER ONLINE:
1). Go to:
ybpay.lifetouch.com
2). Follow the directions using
the school yearbook ID code:
12581516
SEND CASH/CHECK TO:
Lifetouch NSS YB Accounts
PO Box 46993
Eden Prairie, MN 55344-9728
Page 6 C O L U M B I A H E I G H T S H I G H S C H O O L
Hylander News District News
Even for us Minnesotans, winter can be a chal-
lenge at times. Recently, a storm moved through
the Twin Cities, dropping as much as 13.5” inches
of snow in some areas of the metro area. When
extreme adverse winter conditions occur, this Dis-
trict implements the emergency weather
plan. The decision to close schools is no simple
matter. The safety and well-being of students and
staff is always our top priority.
All decisions regarding closing schools or cancel-
ing programs and activities are ultimately based
on student safety. We continually monitor the Na-
tional Weather Service, which is the official gov-
ernment authority on weather forecasting and
warnings for the state of Minnesota, so that we
can use the most up-to-date information in our
decision-making. Decisions are based on the cur-
rent and forecasted weather in our school district.
If you’ve been wishing you had some new Hylander
apparel to sport around town, you’re in luck! School
apparel store is now online at
www.colheights.k12.mn.us/a&a.
Special and Primary
Election A and B Results
Reminder: Adverse Weather Notifications
Visit the School Store
Dr. Hala Asamarai and Tim Utz received the most
votes in the Feb. 9, 2016 School Board Special
Election 2 Primary.
The two candidates will move forward to the
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 School Board Special Elec-
tion 2 to fill the vacancy created last fall by the
resignation of former Director Grant Nichols. For additional information or questions, call Dis-
trict Election Clerk Dawn Hoium at 763-528-4504.
The expectation is that schools will remain open,
if at all possible, for uninterrupted student learn-
ing on scheduled school days. Unless this School
District officially notifies you otherwise (parents
and guardians), school will be in session.
If the decision is made to cancel school, all clas-
ses and activities, including Community Educa-
tion programs, are canceled or closed for that
day and evening. Families will be officially noti-
fied by an automated voice-activated record-
ing. Additionally, the District Website, Facebook
and Twitter sites will be updated, district and
school marquees, as well as the television and
radio news media notified. If none of these are
activated, school is in session for that day.
We thank you for knowing these procedures as
they apply to adverse weather notification.