Ahoy, Minnetonka!

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 Da...

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 t...

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 b...

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 Coordinato...

Well-being is a key component of one of our three School Board goals, Excellence in Well-being, Connection and Belonging. It has been an area of focus for many years. In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with Minnetonka Schools’ Health Services Director Annie Lumbar Bendson and School Board Director Dr. Mike Remucal for a discussion on student and staff well-bein...

In this episode, Superintendent David Law connects with School Board Chair Meghan Selinger and School Board Treasurer Dan Olson for a start of the school year chat about ​​about where we’re at and what’s ahead. Together, they discuss the School Board’s goals for the District and the strides that have been made in support of those goals, the long-term planning process and efforts for Minnetonka Sch...

Superintendent Law is joined by the new Executive Director of Community Education, Kim Carlson, and Coordinator of Preschool, ECFE and Junior Explorers, Molly Bahneman. From the ways teachers and staff prepare to support students and families to tips for first-time preschool parents, this episode provides a glimpse into the many ways Minnetonka Community Education serves our students, families and...

Superintendent Law is joined by Principal Jennifer Smasal and Assistant Principal Matt Breen from Excelsior Elementary. Jen and Matt share about the ways Minnetonka elementary schools prepare for a new school year throughout the summer, advice for new families and families of incoming Kindergarteners, and stories of how leaders work to nurture a school culture of belonging and connection throughou...

Superintendent Law concludes the Back to School 2024 series with Minnetonka High School Counselor Sarah Seldon and Student Life Coordinator Amy Livorsi. Both Sarah’s and Amy’s work support students’ and families’ success at Minnetonka High School, from welcoming new ninth graders during Freshman Orientation to planning for post-secondary success throughout a student’s time at MHS. Focusing on ways...

In this episode, Superintendent Law is joined by school leaders from Minnetonka Middle School West, Principal Freya Schirmacher and Assistant Principal Andrea Hoffmann. Their chat touches on ways that families can support middle schoolers at the start of the year, stories of how well-being, belonging and connection are fostered at the middle school level, and more.

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law chats with Minnetonka High School Principal Jeff Erickson, reflecting on a year at MHS, which is truly a School of Opportunities within a District of Opportunities. Listen in for a conversation that touches on the highlights of the year—from the unique “All Aboard!” student orientation in September and the change from MAST to Anchor Ti...

Join Minnetonka Schools Superintendent David Law as he connects with three MHS seniors just ahead of graduation: Max Borchert, Brielle Fox-Anderson and Elias Grant. As the Class of 2024 becomes Minnetonka’s newest alumni, these leaders reflect on their various experiences in Minnetonka Schools, from the academic opportunities that challenged and inspired them to the extracurricular activities that...

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with three Minnetonka School Board members: Chair Meghan Selinger, Treasurer Dan Olson, and Director Kemerie Foss. Listen in for a conversation that provides a glimpse “behind the scenes” of how the Minnetonka School Board is involved in the governance of our school district–from serving on committees to setting our District g...

Join Minnetonka Schools Superintendent David Law as he connects with leaders from the Minnetonka High School Student Interact Club, including seniors Campbell DeLuca and Keira Keegan, and club advisor and MHS art teacher Rebecca Marks. The Interact Club is a high school connection to Rotary International, and it partners with the local Excelsior Morning Rotary. The student club is focused on servi...

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with three current MOMENTUM students who are taking Transportation Careers & Global Commerce, Aviation, and Physics in Home Renovation classes. The students discuss their experiences in MOMENTUM, from what they’ve learned from their real-world projects to their favorite parts of their industry site visits and guest instruc...

Join Minnetonka Schools Superintendent David Law as he connects with three guests from the MOMENTUM Design and Skilled Trades Program at Minnetonka High School. Guests include Brent Veninga, instructional leader for MOMENTUM; Lindsey Trett, Director of Talent Acquisition from Walser Automotive and MOMENTUM community partner; and a MOMENTUM Transportation Careers and Global Commerce student. Togeth...

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with three current VANTAGE students in the Global Business, Health Sciences, and Public Policy strands. The students discuss their experiences in their VANTAGE strands, from what they’ve learned from their professional mentors to their favorite parts of their company projects and VANTAGE competitions, such as the Global Busine...

oin Minnetonka Schools Superintendent David Law as he connects with guests Roger Andre, Executive Director of the VANTAGE Program at Minnetonka High School and a VANTAGE Public Policy student, for a conversation about VANTAGE and what makes this high school experiential learning program so unique and impactful.   VANTAGE is a project-based professional studies program at Minnetonka High School tha...

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with Jill Howe, Executive Director of the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation, and Amy Grady, the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation Board Chair. Together, they discuss the history and activities of the Foundation, which has been providing incredible support for our district for nearly 40 years! From enhancing student learn...

Join Minnetonka Schools Superintendent David Law as he connects with guests Molly Bahneman, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) and Preschool Coordinator, and Dustin Tauer, ECFE and Preschool PTO President, for a conversation about the ways Minnetonka Schools supports our District’s youngest learners.   Serving children ages two and a half to five years old, Minnetonka Preschool encourages stu...

You won’t want to miss the final Ahoy, Minnetonka! episode of 2023, as Superintendent David Law reconnects with Thomas Murray, nationally renowned educational speaker from Future Ready Schools and podcast host of “Leading Through Unprecedented Times,” a top national educational podcast. Tom Murray empowered Minnetonka Schools administrators and staff in August with an inspiring message of the powe...

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with Kristen Turnblad, Assistant Supervisor of Nutrition Services, and Derek Nelson, Interim Cook Manager at Clear Springs Elementary. Kristen has 12 years of experience working in the District’s Nutrition Services department and is both a District resident and an MHS alumna. Derek is a District parent and has worked in Minnet...

Join Minnetonka Schools Superintendent David Law as he connects with Dr. Christine Breen, Executive Director of Special Education, Faith Kasper, S.A.I.L. teacher, and current S.A.I.L. student, Jack Campbell, for a conversation about Minnetonka’s transition education program.    Now in its third year, S.A.I.L.–which stands for “Students Achieving Independent Life”–supports Minnetonka students with...

In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law connects with Mike Dronen, Executive Director of Technology for Minnetonka Schools, and Scott Gerlicher, the District’s new Security and Emergency Management Coordinator. Together, they discuss the ways Minnetonka Schools invests in technology inside and outside of the classroom and in the safety and security of our students and staff....

Minnetonka High School has graduated 70 classes of alumni, and alumni of Deephaven and Excelsior High Schools (which combined in 1952 to create the school district we have today) are still active in our community, too. In this episode of Ahoy, Minnetonka!, Superintendent David Law chats with leaders from the Minnetonka Alumni Association: Marietta Jacobsen ’70, association president, and Dr. Matt...