Alison Kacer began her journey as an advocate for her son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was four years old. Then, her mindset shifted from finding a fix to finding the right support system for her son.

That support system now includes Andover Elementary School special education teacher Donna Macoskey. In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Alison and Donna joined host Liz Burgard to discuss the Kacer family’s experience navigating the district’s special education services and the importance of the relationship between home and school. 

Alison and her son Lucas were featured in KARE-11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening. You can also learn more about Lucas and his passion by visiting his Facebook page, Pencils4lucas.

Episode highlights:

• 3:12 - Alison shares the story about her son Lucas’ autism diagnosis and his being featured KARE-11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Navigating the mental health system both in the medical and educational settings can be difficult or just a new experience for parents/guardians. In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Beth Lovre a family peer educator with the National Alliance of Mental Illness Minnesota (NAMI) joined host Liz Burgard to provide information for parents/guardians on the value of parent engagement and advocacy to ensure the best care and treatment for your child. 

Lovre will be the guest speaker for the next Parent Engage 360 event set for Thursday, Feb. 29 at Champlin Park High School. The event, titled You’re the Expert: How to successfully advocate for your child, will provide parents and guardians with information and resources on how parents can be an advocate for their child in the doctor’s office, the mental health system and in public education settings. Learn more at ahschools.us/parentengage360.

Episode highlights:

• Lovre highlights the work of NAMI Minnesota. Learn more at namimn.org.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Human connection matters. In today’s increasingly digital world, it is more important than ever to make personal engaging connections with your children. Joe Beckman, author and co-founder of TILL360, joined Liz Burgard on the Parent Engage 360 Podcast to share more about the Power of Human Connection. 

Beckman was the keynote speaker on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at Coon Rapids High School to kick off the 2023-24 Parent Engage 360 Parent Education Series. Joe delivered a high-energy presentation about the importance of human connection.

Episode highlights 

• Joe and Liz provide a recap of topics covered at the Dec. 5 Parent Engage 360 event held at Coon Rapids High School. 

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

New this school year, every student is able to receive one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school year due to the state’s Free School Meals program. While the program is new, students will still have access to the same nutritious meals they have come to expect in Anoka-Hennepin. 

In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard was joined by Anoka-Hennepin child nutrition leaders Noah Atlas (director) and Callie Neumann (assistant director) to learn more about the state's Free School Meals program, educational benefits and the importance of balanced nutrition for youth.

Episode highlights

• The state’s Free School Meals program began in the fall of 2023, allowing every student to receive one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school year.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, district parent involvement coordinator, was joined by Coon Rapids High School principal John Peña and volunteer services coordinator Danille Callahan to discuss the importance of parent involvement in schools. 

In the episode, Peña and Callahan discussed their experiences both as parents and in their current roles, and the importance of parents/guardians being involved in their child’s educational journey in a number of ways.

Anoka-Hennepin values parent involvement in education and is committed to offering resources to meet the changing needs of parents and families. The district invites parents/guardians and community members to volunteer or participate on committees as a meaningful way to get involved with the district. 

To learn more about becoming a volunteer in Anoka-Hennepin, please visit ahschools.us/volunteer. If you are interested in joining a district committee, there are four committees in need of more members. Learn more about district committees.

Cory McIntyre began his new role as Superintendent of Anoka-Hennepin Schools on July 1 and has been off and running meeting with staff across the district. McIntyre joined Liz Burgard, parent involvement coordinator, in the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast to share his excitement for returning to the district, discuss the theme for the 2023-24 school year and more. 

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

When you suggest to your children to read a book or a magazine and to put down the screens and devices, chances are you are met with groans and all kinds of excuses. Check out the he latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, with resources to help! 

District parent involvement coordinator and host Liz Burgard was joined by district media specialist Holly Groebner, Tiffany Casey (senior librarian, community engagement, Hennepin County libraries) and Erin Straszewski (community engagement manager, Anoka County libraries) to learn more about how as parents you can encourage reading activities throughout the summer months. 

From reading resources, homework help, and apps available to support reading -this episode is full of information and resources for parents/guardians. 

Did you know that the county library systems located in the district also support summer reading? Both Anoka and Hennepin County libraries offer resources for families looking for reading support. Visit your local library or learn more about libraries in your neighborhood by visiting their websites below. 

Anoka County

• Website: www.anokacountymn.gov/4180/Libraries

Hennepin County

• Website: www.hclib.org/

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools provide structures of support for students to attain the skills and knowledge to succeed. Systems are in place to support students in all areas of academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs. 

In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard was joined by Angela Ronay, school social worker at Champlin Park High School, and Julia Corneil-Smith, school counselor at Coon Rapids High School, to learn more about the student support model used in Anoka-Hennepin, and the number of ways students can seek support in their school buildings. 

Learn more about the districtwide Student Support Model.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

The latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast is the second of a two-part series focused on school safety. In Episode 32 Part 2, host Liz Burgard was joined by Anoka-Hennepin Chief Operations Officer Greg Cole and Tim Fournier, the district’s Security & Emergency Operations Manager to learn more about the district’s approach to school safety.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools' first priority is the safety of its students and staff, and everyone plays a role in keeping schools safe. 

In this episode, parents/guardians and community members can learn more about improvements that were made districtwide thanks to the 2017 Fit for the Future referendum, where voters approved the plan to address facility needs to create safe and secure learning environments for students and staff. You will also learn more about the district’s safety plan, including the terminology LOCKOUT, LOCKDOWN, and more on safety procedures and practices.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

The latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast is the first of a two-part series focused on school safety. In Episode 32 Part 1, host Liz Burgard sat down with Champlin Park High School principal Mike George and City of Brooklyn Park Police Officer and School Resource Officer (SRO) Andy Dickman to learn more about the role of the SRO in Anoka-Hennepin and their vital role in safety, building relationships and getting people comfortable in talking with law enforcement. 

Anoka-Hennepin coordinates SROs in 12 schools across the district and maintains relationships with local law enforcement. These partnerships play a vital role in protecting the safety of students and staff districtwide. 

Stay tuned for part two of this episode, where Burgard will visit with Greg Cole, Anoka-Hennepin's chief operations officer and Tim Fournier, Anoka-Hennepin’s security & emergency operations manager, to learn more about the district’s approach to school safety and improvements that have and continue to be made around the district to ensure the safety of students and staff.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.