School might be out for the summer, but Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts and Weaver Lake Elementary: A Science, Math and Technology School have much to celebrate. Birch Grove and Weaver Lake both received honors in May for their excellence in diverse and engaging instruction.
The schools were awarded by the Magnet Schools of America, an organization that provides leadership and instructional support to magnet schools. Birch Grove Elementary, an arts magnet, integrates visual arts, music, drama and dance into all other curriculums. They received one of 10 National Magnet School of Distinction awards in Minnesota, while Weaver Lake Elementary was awarded one of three National Magnet School of Excellence awards in the state.
Weaver Lake supports the sciences through hands-on activities, problem-solving and analytical thinking skills. This is no easy feat: “Schools that win our merit awards represent the best in education, innovation, equity and opportunity for all students in our nation,” Says Scott Thomas, Magnet Schools of America’s executive director. “Magnet schools in Minnesota are really the engine for promoting diversity and achievements for students.”
Principals Dennis Palm (Weaver Lake) and Jeff Zastrow (Birch Grove) received their awards at the 31st National Conference on Magnet Schools just as school let out for the summer, a great way to end the 2013 school year.
