For detailed information, visit the Official .EDU Film Fest website!

MTS Elementary turned to uniforms for the 2011/2012 school year and it’s been a great success.  Uniforms have really built a sense of community and school spirit.  And another exciting feature of MTS Elementary is the Friday assembly.  Every Friday morning before class starts, students and staff gather in the gym, celebrate big news and birthdays, talk about upcoming plans and then, the fantastic finish … THE ROUSER!  A few years ago a student wrote this rouser for MTS Elementary and every week students gather and cheer.

But this is where the story takes an even more interesting twist – Katie Jansen is a math teacher at MTS and she enlisted the help of the MTS Digital Media Academy students to turn this rap into a straight-up production.  Trey Wodele, the Coordinator of the Digital Media Academy told Katie that he would take a look at it and see if the students were interested. They were.

“It was awesome,” Trey said, “the kids really got into it.  These are the kind of projects that we love, real world stuff. It’s what makes MTS unique – students and staff working together on real-world projects.”

Katie teaches 7^th and 8^th grade math as well as High School geometry and credit recovery math, it’s her first year teaching at MTS and I think fellow staff and students agree – she’s got the kind of energy and innovation it takes to make a real difference in a student’s learning.

So enjoy Don’t Be Negative and share it with your friends!

Don’t be Negative from MTS Digital Media Academy on Vimeo.

Have you ever heard the Dr. Seuss story:  The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins?  Well … there’s a new version of the story playing out in MTS Banaadir Academy K-8 school recently.  A former Banaadir Academy first grade teacher, Jill, has a hat making mother and sister, and they got the idea to make and donate hats for the students.  Even though Jill now lives in California (but came back for a visit!) her mom and sister carry on the tradition of hand making hats and donating them to the students at Banaadir.

This year, the family donated 265 hats to Banaadir students in almost as many colors!  Each hat takes about two hours to make which means a donation of 524 hours, countless skeins of yarn, love and attention.  Thank you!

Esteabon is a sophmore at MTS Digital Media Academy. He is also a member of MTS JROTC Program and has been a student at MTS since elementary school. Esteabon joined the DMA because he thought it would be fun and because he recognized that, “it would lead me down a better track toward my future.”

Click here to hear more about Estaebon’s story!

BrandLab, a Minneapolis nonprofit whose mission is to create opportunity in the marketing industry for students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, awarded Sharrod a paid summer internship position at a local advertising agency and a $1000 college scholarship. Jaki, who was awarded a BrandLab paid internship at Target Corp. last summer, received a $1000 college scholarship.

Sharrod and Jaki are both excellent students and valuable members of the MTS BrandLab and the Digital Media Academy. They are highly deserving of these distinguished awards, and we at the DMA thank the BrandLab program for the valuable opportunities they continue to provide our students.

*Caption for picture: Pictured left to right Nathan Magel (BrandLab Director), Sharrod WIlls, Jaki Velez, Christie Calin (BrandLab Instructor)

Cadet Jashley transferred to the Leadership Academy this fall and has she not only loved it, but she has really soared.  When asked why she thinks she was honored with Cadet of the month she knows.  “I have good grades, I’m respectful and I try to show leadership most of the time.  It’s a great program.”  She toured the school this fall and was shown the Academy and thought she’d try it and it has been a great fit for her.  She takes the bus from Brooklyn Center and appreciates the small class sizes and this premiere program that focuses on leadership, responsibility and teamwork.

“The best part of this program is that it gives kids the leadership.  Grown-ups don’t get to do everything.  And, you get to  guide cadets in what to do sometimes and not have to be mean about it, you’re put in more leadership positions.”

Congratulations, Cadet Jashley, you really exemplify what the Leadership Academy Program is all about.

December Cadet of the month, Khadijah has been part of the JROTC program for a little over a year and she rose to the top of the ranks almost right away.  She takes her role as a student seriously and is using it to set goals and reach them, in the Leadership Academy, with her schoolwork and in her life planning.

“I’m the  S3, in charge of training and operations. I schedule and  plan events and write after action reviews.  I have a lot of responsibility.”  In fact she works so hard, she’s been referred to as a rock star by army leadership.  Not only is Cadet Khadijah showing initiative in the JROTC program, she is also participating in an Internship program here at MTS called City as a School.  “It’s great, I’m working in a dental clinic for my internship. I’m interested in dentistry and in being an entreprenuer.”

When asked about her selection as student of the month, she smiled, “I’m a leader.  I’m a quiet leader.  I have good grades, good behavior and I work hard.”

“I am in this program for the leadership.  There are so many opportunities.  We do great things out in the community and I love the field trips.  This program is a great opportunity for students and JROTC students have higher graduation rates.”

But perhaps the most important thing the General Colin L. Powell Leadership can help you with is learning about your potential.  “The Leadership Academy really gives you an opportunity and the initiative to stand out and teach you about yourself.  It teaches you about your strengths and weaknesses — of yourself and teammates.  It’s a great experience.”