As we turn the page to the 4th quarter of the school year, I want to celebrate the partnerships with our parents.  

At each school site, we have engaged and supportive parents who support schools and staff, from meals at parent-teacher conferences to coordinating fun events like school dances to fundraising for field trips. At Garfield, we have a Parent Action Committee that is creating engagement with raising funds for a new playground.

The district can quantitatively measure parent engagement through the attendance rate at our parent-teacher conferences and student registration events. The stats for our elementary conference attendance in March confirm an engaged and partnering parent community.  

At our elementary schools, over 94% of parents attended in-person conferences. Conferences are great opportunities for caring adults —teachers and parents — to unite in support of student growth.

At our secondary schools, we had different structures. While some parents engaged in conferences, others supported their students in registration events.

In partnership with the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission, we held our first (and likely first annual) career fair in conjunction with our registration events. Students and parents were able to visit a variety of local business partners and discuss future career options. The range of business participation was fabulous. From HVAC to healthcare to manufacturing and law enforcement.

I was able to listen in to some of the conversations between students and the business partners. It is fun to hear adults who are passionate about their work help young people understand what they do and how it can spark an interest in a high school student. 

This past week, we celebrated the rise in our graduation rate at Alexandria Area High School (AAHS). In the 2023 class, 96.6% of students graduated. AAHS students continue to have a four-year graduation rate that is more significant than their peers across the state. This evidence of student commitment and success only happens with the partnerships between caring adults.

Particularly in greater Minnesota, we know that strong schools equal strong communities. Strong schools don’t happen by accident — they result from caring adults coming together to support students. Thank you, Alexandria Public Schools parents for helping build a strong community!