Staff mem- Hawk sports ber performs The teams strug- in world-re- gle to attract nowned new ath- singing letes, retain group old ones Page 3 QuillTues., Feb. 23, 2021 Vol. 57, No. 5 Page 10 Robbinsdale Cooper High School chs.rdale.org/the-quill 8230 47th Ave. N., New Hope, MN 55428 ALSO INSIDE Revamped weight News ATHLETIC AREA UPGRADES room, updated hallway decor will greet students NEARING COMPLETION when they return in April player took his quest for a new weight room in a new direction. “I went to Indianapolis [in 2020] to represent the Vikings Lunch and Learn at their high school coaching continues online clinic and I began to network even more to try to find ways A mix of new and re- to make my dream into a real- turning leisure and ac- ity,” Howard said. “A buddy of ademic sessions are mine, John Randle, an all-pro designed to meet the Hall of Famer, met with me at distance learning needs the weight room and saw my of Cooper students frustration and saw my vision. He began to help me locate in- Page 2 dividuals that would have inter- est in supporting our goals.” Eventually, Howard was News connected with the Polaris Foundation, an offshoot of the Polaris outdoor equipment company that is dedicated to investment in Minnesota youth and communities, and the Thielen Foundation, a charita- ble group founded by Vikings player Adam Thielen to sup- Staff effort collects port underserved youth in the gifts for students upper Midwest through sports. Photo by MS. SCHAFFER Thanks to the involvement of Hawk staff members these two organizations, How- contributed to a Target New workout equipment, artificial turf and repainted walls are among the changes being brought to the weight room. ard was able to raise the nearly gift card drive that By MAJAY MURPHY brand. Finally, there will be all office will be an inviting area stand downstairs to generate $200,000 necessary for the resulted in 100 Coo- Quill staff writer new workout equipment in the for when fans come to games more school spirit.” project. This allowed work to per students getting room once it is ready. and when students are walking Guiding the project since begin on the project during fall unexpected presents The Cooper athletic area Changes are also coming in the halls,” Cooper assistant its inception was Howard. More of 2020. Page 2 is currently undergoing ma- to the hallway outside of the principal and head football than a year ago, he became con- “A majority of the work jor changes thanks to funds Activities Office. There will coach Mr. Howard said. “All cerned that the Cooper weight has been done through my con- acquired through the Polaris be new painting, sports-relat- sports will have representation room was not comparable to nections and the funds allocated Foundation and the Thielen ed graphics above the lockers above the lockers in that hall- those seen at other schools in for the project, but our district Opinion Foundation. and various Cooper branding way and you should notice a the area. That prompted him to has utilized appropriate funds The area that is seeing the elements. The intent is to make more up-to-date entrance at start a Go Fund Me campaign for painting, as they have also biggest transformation is the it more welcoming to people door number 18 that should designed to raise $150,000 to painted the halls in the main school weight room. The walls, coming for athletic events, sim- look very similar to the outside pay for the overhaul to the Coo- areas of the building in the ceilings and pipes in the room ilar to the school’s main foyer of the auditorium. We will also per athletic area, but that effort school,” Howard said. are being repainted. Addition- near the Cooper auditorium. be putting some branding and did not succeed. It was then that ally, there will be artistic ele- “The athletic hallway out- Cooper pride on the elevator Howard’s connections to the UPGRADES ments that promote the Cooper side of the activities director’s and around the concession Minnesota Vikings as a former continues on page 10 No reason exists for online tardies Robbinsdale board votes to change school start times Being at home during distance learning While officials have not yet determined which year the revised times will take effect, the high school day will eventually begin at 8:35 a.m. makes it too tempt- By JACK ATKINSON ing for some Hawks Quill staff writer to sign in to class only when they feel like it The Robbinsdale School Board voted 5-2 on December 7, 2020 to change start Page 4 times at the high school, middle school and elementary school levels. It has not yet been decided which school year will bring the introduction of the new start times. “The school board has been exploring the benefits of changing school start times for more than three years,” Robbinsdale School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Variety Burrage said in a statement. “Their goal was to move high schools to a later start time without incurring additional transportation costs.” The projected new times for school at each level are: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. for elementary, 8:35 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. for high school and 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. for mid- dle school. The district is currently seeking bids from transportation companies in light of the proposed change. Once this process is complete, the district and school board will decide when the new start times will begin. According to Burrage, the altered schedule will bring “a potential annual savings of more than $75,000 in transportation costs.” Stellar Soul ranks In addition to working with the transportation companies, the district is now among Pixar's best developing a School Start Time Steering Committee that will lead the work using a Photo by LOU VANG subcommittee process. Among the groups that are being consulted for input on the After originally being The morning and afternoon bus process will shift by more than one hour. changes will be: parents and community members, licensed staff members, non-li- scheduled for release in censed staff members and activities departments. These meetings, which started in late Cooper teachers are beginning to consider the potential benefits that could come theaters during summer January and early February, will continue throughout the planning and implementation with the introduction of a later start time. Social studies teacher Ms. Kilsdonk pointed 2020, the animated fea- process. out that teachers could use the extra hour each morning to prepare for the day and ture finally came to Dis- “Change is hard, especially when our routines are disrupted, just like they've been make changes to curriculum based on data from the previous day’s classes. ney+ on Christmas Day since last March. But, if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it's to look at change with an open mind and know that we have persevered,” Burrage said in a statement. START TIMES continues on page 2 Page 7 Sports Registration process underway for 2021-2022 school year Students are signing up for classes using an online system with assistance from school guidance counselors, teachers By MAKAYLA HOTT presentation and registration form,” Senger said. Cooper, including IB courses, AP courses, engineering Quill staff writer In addition, during the English classroom presentations, courses through Project Lead the Way and Post-Secondary Senger said counselors emphasized the graduation require- Education Option courses. Finally, counselors discussed Cooper counselors made virtual visits to English ments; the course options for required classes such as English, credit recovery options for those students who have not classes at the end of January and beginning of February math, social studies and science; and world language for ninth passed classes. to get Hawks registered for their 2021-2022 courses. and 10th grade students. After the presentations, students had the ability to select Winter athletes While the routine of visiting English classrooms “The MYPIB program requires that students stay with and register for their own classes electronically. adapt to COVID to speak with freshmen, sophomores and juniors about the same world language from middle school through high “The students have to complete the Google registration their course options for the following school year happens school,” Senger said. form,” Senger said. “We are requesting that it is completed Revised state guide- in early second semester every school year, distance Also covered during the presentations were the elective while we are in the English class. We can answer questions lines for winter season learning has added an extra challenge to the process this choices for each grade level. and students will meet the deadline to get requests in.” sports practices and school year. Fortunately, Ms. Senger, the counselor for the “As students move up through the grades, there are more Although students have the ability to select their own games have made it class of 2024, said the Cooper counseling team worked choices,” Senger said. classes, there are a few areas in which counselors and each necessary for athletes to together to develop presentations that will successfully During the presentations, counselors spent time giving student’s current teachers give input. When it comes to math stay flexible and patient guide students through the necessary steps to sign up for students information about special class options as well. and world language classes, for instance, a student’s current classes online. For instance, they discussed the AVID program, which has teacher recommends that student’s proper placement for Page 9 “[We told them] where to find registration informa- limited openings for students in grades nine, 10 and 11.