After launching Vision 2031 in 2018, aspects of this vision are manifesting in Hopkins classrooms and across our schools.
Hopkins Public Schools is doing the hard work of innovating and reimagining public education. Our scholars see the world around them changing, and they want the confidence that their classrooms and school experiences are evolving. Our scholars live vibrantly in the present, but they also think about what their futures will hold. They are future-forward, and we must be too.
Programs inspired by Vision 2031!
- Hopkins has launched Juntos Spanish immersion at two of our elementary schools: Eisenhower and Alice Smith! Spanish immersion provides families the opportunities for children to develop into multilingual scholars who will be able to navigate cross-culturally across the globe. We are also working hard to recruit native speakers to teach in this program.
- Next year, Hopkins Preschool will become one program — unifying Stepping Stones and Kaleidoscope preschools to offer families increased access to an extended preschool day, and to ensure all 3- to 5-year-olds have high quality learning experiences.
- Gatewood Elementary launched Outdoor Learning in kindergarten and will soon expand to first grade. Gatewood is also honing its school-wide focus on environmental and outdoor learning, enhanced by its beautiful forest, farm animals, gardens, and greenhouse.
- West Junior High received a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education to support developing a Full Service Community School that will build partnerships with community organizations interested in creating holistic support for students and their social, emotional, and academic learning. Partnerships with organizations that can provide resources to meet needs such as food insecurity and free medical care are underway, supplemented by collaboration with local non-profits ready to bring real-world learning opportunities directly into classrooms.
- In partnership with Thrive Ed (a local non-profit focusing on transforming public education), Hopkins High School is launching the Collaborative Lab School this fall! The Collaborative Lab School will empower 10th-12th grade scholars to become decision-makers and co-designers of their education, engage in authentic and real-world experiences, build strengths, develop leadership skills, and experience choice in when, how, where, and what they learn.
In Hopkins, we believe that intellect, brilliance, talent, and creativity reside in all students — and we must operate based on that belief. Hopkins cannot continue to be a place where family income determines a student’s educational outcome. Our moral and educational responsibility is for our least served to one day become part of the population who is best served. We can get there, Hopkins. We will get there.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed
Superintendent