2016 Barton Community Endorsement for Parent Representatives to the Leadership Council

DUE THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016

Return to your child’s teacher or bring to the Barton office before 3 pm

The Barton Leadership Council, consisting of parents and staff members, is the primary governing body for the school. The Council is responsible for:

advising the principal on school policy and funding decisions

keeping our work aligned with our progressive school mission

identifying yearly goal areas monitoring school improvement plans encouraging broad participation from all

members of the school community guiding Barton Foundation expenditures

Parent representatives to the Leadership Council need to be endorsed by 30 or more votes from the adult members of the Barton community. Each adult in a family may vote for up to 10 candidates, but each adult may only vote once for an individual candidate. It is our desire to have parent representatives to the Council who reflect our diverse student body. Ideally, we seek a mix of gender, race, and parents of younger and older children. When more perspectives are included in our decision­making, the better is our ability to make good decisions for all children.

PLEASE VOTE! The more ballots that are turned in, the more people will have the opportunity to serve.

Nima Abdirahman *

Jeff Baird

Sheila Eldred *

Hawo Hassan *

Nasra Hassan *

Tom Hockenberry *

Kirsten Hunt

Travina Leaks

Anna Levine *

Mel Muller *

Fiona Pradhan *

Yassin Qanyare *

Ivonne Rodriguez

Kate Rush *

Jim Scott *

Markus Silpala

Tricia Silpala *

Virajita Singh *

Abdifatah Soyan

Sara Stenzel *

Lucia Strand *

Eric Sumner *

Janelle Wegner *

Arwen Wilder

Rebecca Yuzefovich

Marcy Zerwes *

* = current Council member

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Adult 2

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NIMA ABDIRAHMAN * My name is Nima Abdirahman. I am MFIP Employment Counselor, where I help diverse families who are currently receiving assistance from the county reach self­sufficiency. I have grades 5th, 4th, 3rd, and K children at Barton. My family immigrated to America back in the early 90’s. As a kid, I experienced some of the challenges Barton’s newly arrived immigrant students may be experiencing

today. Whether it's cultural shock, language barriers, or just simply trying to fit in and learning whole new language and culture. I joined the Leadership Council in October of 2015. Since then, along with some other Council members I have engaged monthly Somali parent meetings­­to pass the messages of what we talked about in our monthly meeting. Majority of this parents don’t speak English very well and some aren’t able to join the Council Leadership due to language barriers. To listen to their concerns and have discussions of ways of improving it and to gain feedbacks. I have helped coordinate the Somali Culture Night at Barton on 04/29/16 where we have raised over three thousand dollars for the Barton fund. My goal is to continue to help our Barton families and assist the staff/teachers as much as I can. To be an advocate for what is best for all of our Barton students. My hopes and dreams for Barton is it continue to be a place where kids wake up in the morning and look forward to going to school­­because they are given the opportunity to express themselves in the ways that will help them grow not only academically but as a whole. Where each student’s unique ways in valued and respected­­which is a reflection of open philosophy­­my inspiration of why I have chosen my love ones for Barton Open school.

JEFF BAIRD My name is Jeff and my children are currently in 7th and 3rd grades. I'm one of 3­4 Native American parents in the school. My hope is to slow down the importance of testing and focus on the learning how to learn that has always been so important in open schools. And I am interested in the council because I see a need for more color there and I would like to have more of an opportunity to be involved in the school. And I am pretty dang Awesome.

SHEILA ELDRED * My hopes and dreams for Barton include enhancing our mission as an open school so that every student that walks through the door experiences progressive education at its very best. My kids are in 5th and 3rd grades, and this is my fifth year on Leadership Council. This winter, I had the opportunity to attend Beyond Diversity (a two­day conference about race), and I hope to share

some of what I learned about becoming an anti­racist leader with the Council through my lens as a white woman from South Minneapolis. I've loved hearing new perspectives on Council this year, and hope that our group continues to reflect the racial makeup of our school. I'm also very interested in the health and wellness of Barton students: I help coordinate the Spirit Garden, work with the ROT team, am organizing a True Food taste test with MPS's nutrition folks, work with a district­wide team to eliminate the rubber chips on the playground, and generally advocate for more recess and outdoor time whenever possible.

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HAWO HASSAN * This is our fourth year at Barton. Next school year, my kids will be 4th grader and a kindergarten. I have joined the Leadership Council on last October 2015 and I am thrilled to serve our LC again. It has been an honor to be part of this wonderful community. I will contribute to our school by being an active voice for our students. I am very interested raising awareness about the importance of

parent involvement and helping other Somali Parents to become an active participant for their child’s education. My hopes and dreams for Barton is to respect and being honest about to one another.

NASRA HASSAN * I have two kids at Barton. 2016­2017 school year, my oldest will be in high school and my youngest will be a seventh grader at Barton. I had served the leadership council for many years and would love to continue serving the Barton Community. I will contribute to our leadership council by being an active voice for all of our students. As a staff, my goal is to build a strong relationship

between our Somali Parents and none Somali speakers. I am also very passionate about helping Somali Parents to become an active member to their child’s education and understand our Open Education Program. In the past nine years, I have been working very hard to have other Somali Parents serve in the Leadership Council. This past year, with the help of our school administration and the Members of the current Parent Leadership Council, we were able to have three active members who have already made a huge progress to our school. My hopes and dreams for Barton School is to have parents and administrators working together for the sake of our all students despite of their differences.

TOM HOCKENBERRY * I am the parent of a Barton 6th grader (Katie) as well as two Barton alums. I have served on the council for several years as well as playing a role on the Barton Foundation board. I am a strong supporter of open education and I am also deeply grateful for all that the Leadership Council does for the school and would like to continue to contribute. This past year on the council has been one

where I feel re­energized by our mission and our progress towards achieving it. I would be honored to have the opportunity to join the Council again next year and to do my part to help carry on the great tradition of open education at Barton.

KIRSTEN HUNT I have been teaching at Barton in the kindergarten room for the past four years. During this time I have developed a strong sense of what makes open school and Barton in particular a successful and thriving school. In addition to our new baby Lily Mae, I have a son Vincent who will be in second grade, and a new incoming kindergartner named Rose. Next year I am planning on taking one

year off from teaching, it would be great to stay involved with the school during this time through the leadership council.

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TRAVINA LEAKS My name is Travina Leaks; my two daughters are currently attending Clara Barton. Jayda Leaks who is a Kindergartener in Kristen and Carrie’s Class and Destiny Leaks a second grader in Patrice and Julie’s room. First off, culture is what shapes us and I feel I can bring an increase understanding of the African American culture as well as respecting the different values, beliefs and norms of

our diverse community. My hopes for Barton and its mission as an open school is to continue to help our children grow in their social, cognitive and emotional development which can help them navigate through adulthood in our increasingly diverse society. I am interested in joining the council to continue to support our community growth and have a positive environment where students and staff are respectful to different cultural backgrounds.

ANNA LEVINE * My name is Anna Levine. Lucy Levine will be in second grade with Dawn. Benny Levine will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall!! Yay! Every single person is diverse and unique – I would like to contribute to Barton’s diversity by allowing everyone a voice to be heard loud and clear. It is what makes Barton special – we value each and every student, their family and their participation – equally. This should be represented not only with Leadership

Council but in every room and meeting at Barton. The Leadership Council is one place to help listen and echo the needs/wants of the school. Barton has a reputation of being a school of advanced learning with an amazing social culture. I would like to see Barton rise to the occasion and lead the change of the ever changing times; to change as our population and social times evolve. Barton can be an example for the rest of the cities of how learning can be done and how children should be supported. I just want to be a part of Barton and help keep things amazing and make things more amazing.

MEL MULLER * I am a parent and have been on the leadership council since 2014. My son is finishing second grade. I have been an educator/practitioner for over 15 years all across the United States and abroad. Currently I am a specialist in Minneapolis Public Schools. I am an advocate for progressive education. I believe administrators, teachers and support staff need to be dedicated to

current research practices that are documented in the learning environment of today's diverse student population. My hopes for Clara Barton and the school's vision, is that we continue the practice of open education & to better serve the needs of K­8th grade students academically, emotionally, linguistically, and culturally. I believe it takes a village of many different backgrounds, expertise, and leadership to create a learning environment that embraces many different styles of learning that are happening in classrooms today.

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FIONA PRADHAN * I have a 5th­grader, and this is my 2nd year co­chairing Barton’s Wild Rumpus Book Fair and 2nd year on the Council. I am a first­generation American (Irish & Scottish), and I am married to Ravi, who emigrated from India. I have been a globe­trotter since birth (as a kid I briefly lived in 2 other countries and attended the local schools), building in me a passion for experiencing and sharing the

richness of different cultures. Barton is becoming more diverse each year, and I am eager to be part of lifting up and honoring the cultures that make up Barton’s beautiful tapestry. Over the years, one of my favorite volunteer activities has been going into classrooms to take photos for the yearbook. It is incredible to see teachers of all grade levels demonstrating every day what it means to be an “open” school: to be student­centered, value each child’s perspective, model mutual respect, and nurture independent, creative, and inquisitive thinking. My hope for Barton is that we continue to make sure we are providing the best progressive education possible for every child who comes here. I also hope we continue to grow as a school community that embraces our diversity, values all perspectives and voices, and supports each other as one big Barton family.

YASSIN QANYARE * 3rd grade and Kindergarten (2 students). The word “culture” describes a wide range of influences on how people behave in organizations, communities and even nations. In general, it refers to a set of common values, attitudes, beliefs and norms, some of which are explicit and some of which are not. I think, I should provide a clear understanding of culture, culture generalizations vs. culture stereotypes and to describe some ways in which values and behavior may differ between cultures. I believe we should be more open to conversations, trust and to change the current Barton situations. I think we need to have a common goals and improve learning achievements.

IVONNE RODRIGUEZ My name is Ivonne Rodriguez. I am a Latina woman who has a bi­cultural child in 2nd grade. I came to the U.S. in 2012 speaking only Spanish. I would bring the perspective of a non­native English speaker who is navigating a new and different culture. I also bring the experience of having a child in an unfamiliar school system. I am a teacher at Joyce Preschool, which is a multi­cultural

preschool. One of my hopes for Barton is that teachers, administration and parents receive on­going training in diversity. I am interested in serving on the council because I want to be a part of my only child’s education. I want to help improve the experience of parents, teachers and children who have language and cultural barriers.

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KATE RUSH * My cultural identities are German, Swedish, Catholic, small town, meat and potatoes farm girl even though I was never raised on a farm. Because the majority of my own classmates growing up were from similar backgrounds, I find it exhilarating that my children, kindergarten and 2nd grade, are part of a beautiful diverse community. Barton’s OPEN philosophy strives to develop a

community of mutual respect and equity. As a member of Leadership Council, I seek to understand how Barton’s strengths and struggles have enabled it to embrace diversity.

JIM SCOTT * My wife, Katie, and I have been Barton parents for 7 years. We have a sixth grader and a fourth grader. I am a product of, and a lifelong strong advocate of Minneapolis public school education and believe that the Barton open philosophy creates a wonderful place for kids to grow in many ways academically, socially and emotionally. I have seen personally, while attending

events at the school or on one of the many class camping trips I have participated in, how the school philosophy allows kids to be independent, creative and confident. This progressive approach pushes kids to truly grow as individuals while also understanding their role in their greater school community. Barton is undergoing change and with those changes can occasionally come disagreements and different opinions. I hope to bring a creative way of thinking about issues and working as a group to continue to improve our school. I hope you’ll consider me as a Council representative for the 2016­17 school year.

MARKUS SILPALA My name is Markus Silpala. With one daughter (Aurora) finishing up first grade this spring and another (Audrey) beginning Kindergarten in the fall, I have several years of Barton parenthood ahead of me. To maximize my contributions to the school community and mission over those years, I hope to establish deep connections within the Barton community early; joining the Leadership Council seems a great way to make those connections. In my professional life I write software, coach software teams, and facilitate collaborative problem solving and — occasionally — conflict resolution, all in the service of helping teams to achieve a common vision. I would hope to use those skills and experiences on the Leadership Council to help it come together and find its potential as a fairly­large, collaborative body of people. Just like my family (one wife, two daughters, three female cats, and me), the Leadership Council is currently very heavy on female members. This makes for quite the ironic twist: by being male I would actually add diversity and balance as a member of the council. I hope to be considered for the part.

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TRICIA SILPALA * I have two daughters at Barton – Aurora (1st Grade) and Audrey (entering Kindergarten in Fall 2016). I have enjoyed the privilege of serving on Barton’s Leadership Council this year and would like to continue to do so. With respect to cultural diversity, I was born and raised in Guyana until the age of 9 and I am of mixed race – East Asian, Native American, African, and European (British &

Irish). As my husband is of both Finnish and Estonian descent, my children enjoy the education and cultural customs that my husband and I grew up with and still embrace and practice. When Aurora was just a baby, I overheard my friend talking about Barton Open School and was very intrigued. I looked it up immediately online and saw that Barton offered something called Barton 101. I signed my husband and I up on the spot. We were surprised that it was only open to Barton parents, but Mr. DeLapp was very welcoming and encouraged us to stay and participate. And, when my husband and I toured Barton two years ago, we were immediately taken in by its warm and friendly students, families and staff and by how well all students worked together, regardless of grade or diversity. I would like to see this open environment continue at Barton. I would also like to see Barton 101 come back as I think it is an excellent way for parents to understand and connect with their children, the Barton staff, other families and Barton’s open/progressive education values.

VIRAJITA SINGH * My sons are Keshav Singh (5th grader, Rm 202), and Madhav Singh (10th grader at Southwest, graduate of Barton). Our family has been very fortunate to be part of the Barton community since 2005. Along with our boys who have thrived at Barton with outstanding learning experiences and strong relationships with friends and teachers, my husband Arvind Singh and I also have learned a

lot about progressive education and its possibilities. We have strong friendships with other Barton families. Over the years, I have volunteered in Barton classrooms at different points. As a researcher and educator, and administrator at the University level, teaching about design, design thinking, innovation, and sustainability, I am not only thrilled by the value of progressive education for our children but believe that Barton’s style of education and methods are also an example for higher education to help young people reach their potential. I joined the Council two years ago. I would like, in this third year, to continue to bring a diverse voice to the council and actively work with other Council members to help Barton be the shining example of an engaged, loving community of children, teachers and parents developing whole people, supporting whole families.

ABDIFATAH SOYAN My name is Abdifatah Soyan live in Minneapolis, MN for the last ten years my kids goes Barton school and their names are Farhan 5th grade, Fowzan 3rd grade and Faisal 1st grade am proud to be in Minneapolis public school specially at Barton. The main reason am interested this leadership is just to promote the school cultural diversity and make the school success. On the other hand I will try to come up new idea which am think will help school kids to get better education and I wanted to fox the best way kids can learn and have better future. Thanks.

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SARA STENZEL * I have four children (Eddie­7th, Henry­5th, Meg & Kate­2nd) and have appreciated how the Barton Open School community recognizes, values and nurtures the varied talents and strengths of all students. After volunteering for many years, I was hired as the Media Assistant this past January. My dual role provides me with the unique opportunity to be involved as a staff member and a

parent. My hope is that the Barton community comes together and effectively responds to disruptive student behavior so that all students can be focused and engaged in learning. As a Council member, I value strong communication between parents and the staff/school, and realize how much it contributes to a strong partnership and trust.

LUCIA STRAND * My name is Lucia Strand and I have 2 children at Barton; Charlie is in 2nd grade and Alma is in 1st grade. I currently serve on the Leadership council and have enjoyed learning more about Barton and open school education. I would like to serve this next year to continue Barton on its path of Progressive education. I feel it’s important our children continue to learn at their own pace and through

natural curiosity and inquiry. Through my work at the Blaisdell YMCA I have worked with many different races and cultures. I know what it means to bring a community together from different backgrounds to build relationships.

ERIC SUMNER * Eric Sumner – Zoe Sumner grade 3 and Wes Sumner grade 5. I’m a Western European mutt who has lived in 2 foreign countries and 9 states. Learning a second language via immersion and spending time in so many communities gives me a healthy respect for diversity of opinions and backgrounds we should expect on important issues from our community. I currently serve as treasurer of

the foundation. I joined the leadership council last year, specifically to cover this role for the foundation. I would like to build on this year’s knowledge to continue to provide the community with good financial stewardship of the foundation funds.

JANELLE WEGNER * My name is Janelle Wegner. I have one daughter Anna who is currently a fifth grader (5th) grader in Mary Austin’s class. Last year was my initial year on the Council. I believe that progressive education focuses on a passion for learning and social responsibility that is vital to our students and our community. Barton’s focus has always been to honor each student and helps them grow to

their fullest potential, both academically and socially. In addition, I believe that Barton is working towards becoming more racially inclusive diverse and more culturally vibrant. I want to serve again on the Leadership Council because I feel that the work begun by the Barton community and Leadership Council last year remains crucial for the continued evolution and success of Barton. I believe that parents play a vital role in supporting Barton students, as well as its values, mission, and goals. I want to continue to offer my perspective, time and energy to ensure that Barton has the support it needs to continue to be an incredibly inspiring and thriving learning environment for our students.

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ARWEN WILDER My name is Arwen Wilder. This year I have a kindergartener and a 4th grader here. I am a queer, eco­feminist, low­income working artist. I think my years of grassroots activist work and many more years of collective and collaborative art­making give me an ability to work with people and to speak

reason and inclusion. I want Barton Open to be a functional, radical, kind leader in progressive public education.

REBECCA YUZEFOVICH My name is Rebecca Yuzefovich. I am the mother of Aeden (my son) who will be entering fifth grade, Zohar (my daughter) who will be entering third grade and Talia (my daughter) who will be entering kindergarten. We began at Barton this past year after moving from Israel where my children were born and raised. I believe I can add to the cultural diversity of the council from my experience of

living abroad for the past 14 years as well as being a part of the Management team at the Seward Coop Friendship Store. My hope for Barton School is that we continue to be a leader in open education and that we build upon the traditions that have been proven over time while continuing to focus on the whole child. I am interested in serving on the council because of my passion for open progressive education and skills in leadership.

MARCY ZERWES * Hi there, I am Marcelena (Marcy) Zerwes. I have 3 children; 2 daughters that attend Southwest High school (Junior and Senior, also Barton Alum) and our son Jasir that is in 3rd grade here at Clara Barton. My beautiful family is blended in every way imaginable. My husband is of Puerto Rican, French and Norwegian descent. I myself am African American, Native American and

Greek. I was born and raised in beautiful North Minneapolis. I served on the leadership council this past year here at Barton. This experience has opened my eyes to the lack of diversity on our council, but also to the willingness to change and learn more! My heart is full thinking of so many amazing things happening here at our school. What I love most about Clara Barton is that our children have a safe place to explore and fully embrace their differences, uninhibited. That in itself is truly amazing.

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