Northfield Students Score Well on MCA Reading Exams, Improve in Math

Twelve of the 14 groups tested for reading in the Northfield School District bested the state proficiency level. In math, 11 of 13 groups bested the state average of their counterparts.

Northfield schools received good marks compared to other Minnesota students on spring state exams testing students in math and reading proficiency, according data released publicly on Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Education. The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, given annually to the state's third- through eighth-graders in reading and math, and to high school sophomores (reading) and juniors (math), measures students' understanding of the relevant math and reading curriculum through their respective grades. Twelve of the 14 groups tested for reading in the Northfield School District bested the state proficiency level.  The public schools include Northfield High School, Northfield Area Learning Center, Northfield Middle …

• Photos (1)

PHOTOS: ARTech Graduates 14 Students

Friends and families came together Friday night at the Northfield School of Arts and Technology, also known as ARTech, to bid farewell to the class of 2012.

Friends and families came together Friday night at the Northfield School of Arts and Technology, also known as ARTech, to bid farewell to the class of 2012. As it turns out, it'll be the last graduating class from ARTech, which, beginning July 1, becomes Arcadia Charter School. Graduating seniors were: Follow Northfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter

• Photos (30)

Northfield Schools Fare Well in New State MMR Rankings

A look at how Northfield schools fared under the new Multiple Measurements Rating system.

According to the Minnesota Department of Education, all but one of Northfield-area schools bested the state average under the new school accountability system that’s replacing the old No Child Left Behind measurements. The MDE released the school rankings based on its new accountability system, called "Multiple Measurements Rating," on Tuesday. The news was even better for Bridgewater Elementary, which earned the coveted “Reward School” designation for those schools in the top 15 percent of Title I schools statewide. Greenvale Park Elementary was the lone Northfield-area school to come in below the state average. Here's a closer look at how Northfield's schools did individually on the Multiple Measurements Rating accountability system. The…

• Photos (1)

Northfield Week in Review: Murder Charge, Driver Airlifted, ARTech Changes Name

Patch recaps the happenings of the past week.

POLICE/FIRE • Police: Man Offers Golf Cart for Murder of Ex's New Lover • VIDEO: Toward Zero Deaths Seat Belt Campaign Kick Off • Motorcycle, SUV Collide; Driver Airlifted • Car Fire Closes Division Street • Northfield Police Blotter: Animal Bite, Fraud, Child Protection • Northfield Police Blotter: Suicide Threat, Accidents, Child Protection • Northfield Police Blotter: Drug Activity, Accident, Assault • Sheriff's Newsletter: Remembering the Fallen COMMUNITY • PHOTOS: Northfield Sidewalk Poetry Installation • LTE: Support Abby Roberts, 16-Year-Old With Ulcerative Colitis • Feedback: Murder Charge, ARTech Changes Name, Motorcycle Collision • VIDEO: Bob Will Talks About the History of the Northfield Depot • Extra! Extra!: Butter Sales Boom …

• Photos (1)

Feedback Friday

Feedback: Murder Charge, ARTech Changes Name, Motorcycle Collision

A weekly update to help you keep up with the news updates and conversation on Northfield Patch's Facebook page, Twitter account and what Northfield Patch users are saying in the comments section.

We're kicking off a new weekly feature called "Feedback Friday" where we let you know what your neighbors have been saying on our Facebook page, to us on Twitter and in the Northfield Patch comment section about the stories from the past week. ARTech Changes Name to Arcadia Charter School Maisie: Well, when I went to ARTech, I felt it was very much an arts and technology based school. I am sure the name change would not have happened if Dom Fucci didn't have to leave. He was basically THE art and the technology department.  I believe ARTech sounds much better than this new Arcadia name. Arcadia is an ADMINISTRATIVE unit in Greece, and how does that fit better than ARTech? This is just pretty disappointing to me. The new name doesn't fit …

• Photos (1)

ARTech Changes Name to Arcadia Charter School

The Name Change committee sought something more inclusive, memorable and 'not cheesy.'

Editor's note: The following is an abbreviated version of a message sent to the ARTech community by School Board Chair Tammy Prichard. The Northfield School of Arts and Technology officially has a new name: Arcadia Charter School.  The Name Change committee’s process included engaging our whole school community by soliciting attributes and adjectives, collecting name suggestions, and narrowing the list.  The students voted last week between “Community” or “Charter” as part of the name, and the school board officially approved the name at the May 17 meeting. The process is outlined on the School Board’s blog site. The school had a number of reasons for the name change. We are not fully a technical/technology school nor a conservatory; the …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (5)

Maisie

9:25 am on Friday, May 18, 2012

Well, when I went to ARTech, I felt it was very much an arts and technology based school. I am sure the name change would not have happened if Dom Fucci didn't have to leave. He was basically THE art and the technology department. I believe ARTech sounds much better than this new Arcadia name. Arcadia is an ADMINISTRATIVE unit in Greece, and how does that fit better than ARTech? This is just …   more ›

Northfield Week in Review: Cocaine Bust, Dundas Woman to Go to RNC, Obermueller Endorsed for Congress

Patch recaps the happenings of the past week.

COMMUNITY • Life After Rape: A Survivor's Tale • Scene in Northfield: Great Minnesota Book Raid • PHOTOS: Northfield Healthy Kids Day 2012 • $1 Million Winning Lottery Ticket Sold in Rice County • The Most Recent Northfield Deaths—April 26, 2012 • Reduced-Price Spay and Neuter Clinic Coming to Northfield • The Most Recent Northfield Births—April 24, 2012 • First Northfield Clean-Up Day is Saturday • PHOTOS: DJJD Princesses for a Day • Local Voices: Health Care Reform, Prom Memories, Downtown Shopping? POLICE/FIRE • Three Men Charged with Selling Cocaine in Northfield Area • Rice County's Most Wanted for April • PHOTOS: Truck Starts on Fire at Menards • Northfield Police Blotter: Runaway, Fight, Drunkenness • Northfield Police Blotter: …

• Photos (1)

No Shortage of Arts at ARTech

Oliver Twists opens 7:30 p.m. tonight at ARTech.

Visit the Northfield School of Arts and Technology on any given night after most of the 120 students and teachers have headed home and it’s not hard to find Bob Gregory-Bjorklund. Just listen. “Louder! We can’t hear you!” he’ll call out to one of his sheepish middle-school actors. As a director, Gregory-Bjorklund’s actions are on par with anyone who is trying to get the most out of the actors in front him. Though, in this case, he’s got a group of 32 students ranging from sixth grade to seniors. No problem. He’s got it covered. “They’re kids who love to be expressive and are willing to take on challenges," said the ARTech arts coordinator. Call it boot camp. And tonight, the actors go to battle in the school’s iteration of Oliver Twist—not…

• Photos (13)

Scene in Northfield: All Schools Art Show at the NAG

Saturday's Imagination Celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Northfield Arts Guild currently has its gallery dedicated to student artwork from Northfield's K-12 schools. Participating schools include Bridgewater Elementary, Greenvale Park Elementary, Sibley Elementary, Prairie Creek Community School, St. Dominic School, Northfield Middle School, ARTech, Northfield Area Learning Center and Northfield High School. Home-schooled students also contributed. The gallery, which runs through April 28, builds up to Saturday's annual Imagination Celebration. Saturday's event, which is run 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers a free day of art activities and performances at the NAG. There will be performances and activities throughout the day including the Northfield Youth Choir's Junior Singers, the Mexican …

• Photos (34)

Three Northfield Teachers Nominated for State Teacher of the Year

Kevin Dahle of Northfield High School, Bob Gregory-Bjorklund of ARTech and Laura Medwetz of Prairie Creek Community School are among 110 teachers statewide up for the honor.

Teachers at three Northfield area schools are among 110 candidates for the 2012 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award. They include: • Kevin Dahle—A social studies teacher at Northfield High School, he was honored in November as being Northfield’s Teacher of the Year Award recipient. • Bob Gregory-Bjorklund—Gregory-Bjorklund is the arts coordinator and an advisor at the Northfield School of Arts and Technology, better known as ARTech. He and his wife, Ann Gregory-Bjorklund, were the November recipients of Northfield Healthy Community Initiative “Making a Difference” Award.  • Laura Medwetz—Medwetz has been a special education teacher at Prairie Creek Community School since 2000. Education Minnesota, the union that represents 70,000 teachers …

• Photos (4)