Following are the responses from interviews of two different groups of Anwatin Middle School Students

 

Bryn Mawr NRP Phase II Planning

Anwatin Middle School Youth Focus Group

Wednesday, March 30, 11:50 AM – 12:12 PM  – A group of Anwatin MS students who participate in the Principal Advisory Group.

 

In addition to Greg Lecker, facilitator and Judy Remington, note taker; attendees included eight 8th grade students, boys and girls.  We observed that these older students were not likely to divulge much information easily.

 

Questions and Answers:

 

- Bryn Mawr Neighborhood is the neighborhood in which your school is located.  How do you get to school?: All participants commute to school by bus from outside the neighborhood (ECCO – East Calhoun, Willard Hay, Harrison, and Uptown neighborhoods)

 

- Have you attended Bryn Mawr Elementary School?  No.  There is a fair amount of student turnover.  Four of the eight students have attended Anwatin Middle School since the beginning of sixth grade.  Three of the eight 8th grade students have attended Anwatin Middle School since the beginning of seventh grade.  One student has attended Anwatin Middle School just this year (he attended another Minneapolis Public School during 7th grade and a Chicago school during 6th grade).  He says that he doesn’t attend any one school for more than a year.

 

- Bryn Mawr Neighborhood funded one of the computer labs.  Do you use the computer lab?  And for what purposes?  Most do use the computer lab, for accessing the internet, for homework and for making Powerpoint Presentations and videos.

 

- Do you attend any of the special events in the neighborhood? (Ice Cream Social, Share the Harvest Dinner, Saturnalia, Festival of Garage Sales)  No.  One mentioned that he attends Juneteenth.  Another student’s grandmother attends our garage sales.

 

- How many of you or your families visit the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood?  We don’t come here outside of school, school events and activities because we live too far away.

 

- How many have picnicked in Bryn Mawr Meadows or other parks in the neighborhood?  Some have attended the school-sponsored Bryn Mawr Meadows picnics that are held early in the school year.

 

- Have you heard of the Bryn Mawr Bugle?  No; blank stares.

 

- Do you participate in outside activities at the school?  Do you use the outside play areas or the woods surrounding the school?  Only in the spring and fall (most students don’t have or don’t wear winter boots) and only then somewhat rarely – for some ecology and science classes (tree classes).  Abuses of outside free time, lack of free time, and teacher shortages severely limit the amount of time students can spend outside.

 

- How many of you participate in Minneapolis Kids?  A few have participated when they were younger.

 

- How many of you participate in the Sports-Arts summer program?  None, blank stares.

 

- How many of you participate in the Recreation Plus (MPRB day care) program?  Two students participated when they were younger.  One participated because she knew the coordinator.  Otherwise, it’s difficult to get accepted into the program.

 

- Have you volunteered to help with any programs?  About four students have helped with RIF (Reading is Fundamental) at Bryn Mawr Elementary School for their community service hours.  Some have volunteered for a summer daycare program.

 

- Are there any programs that you would like to have added that don’t currently exist?  Soccer, gymnastics, swimming (a pool).

 

- In what kinds of activities or after-school activities would you be interested?  A game room with pool table, foosball, and pinball.

 

- What High Schools will you be attending?   Southwest, Henry, Edison, Roosevelt, and South High Schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following this first focus group, Principal Dr. Beth Russell gave us some more information regarding student use of the neighborhood and school needs.  The school has used the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church dining hall for retreats.  The Church serves as an evacuation site; the school has a key to the Church.  Occasionally a teacher will take a class to Cuppa Java Coffee Shop.  Some current funding needs are repairs to the gym for water damage and asbestos abatement.  The school recently received an anonymous donation of about $23,000 but this is not sufficient.  The school’s magazine drives generate about $20,000 in net revenue but these funds have to provide such necessities as paper supplies, as well as for field trip buses.  Access to physical education is severely limited due to facility and teacher shortages.  According to school district formulae, adding another teacher requires an allocation of about $80,000 for salary and benefits.  Salary allowances are high because few teachers are young and inexperienced anymore. The school would like an outside track area, perhaps Qwest would be willing to assist with providing space for this.  The school had received some approval to install a “ropes” course in the woods around the school but there was a question about liability.  The school is concerned about the proposal of the Anwatin Woods Nature Center – concerns about potential vandalism and security, as well as loss and sharing of school land.  The principal is concerned about safety and security around the woods at the rear of the school – lighting?   Anwatin Middle School’s pre-IB program is popular.  The High School IB (International Baccalaureate) program success confers the opportunity to test for equivalency of college courses.  Programs such as Project Success have provided some arts programs in the English classes (“Dreams…”) and some visiting actors who provide some theatrical performances.  The program also grants free tickets to several theatrical performances annually to students and to staff.  The City of Lakes Loppet has provided skis and instruction for cross-country skiing.  All of these contributions to facilitate activities are appreciated.

 

 

 

Bryn Mawr NRP Phase II Planning

Anwatin Middle School Youth Focus Group

Wednesday, March 30, 12:40 – 1:10 PM – A group of Anwatin MS students who participate in the Principal Advisory Group.  In addition to Greg Lecker, facilitator and Judy Remington, note taker; attendees included fourteen 6th and 7th grade students who were noticeably more open to sharing than the 8th grade students.

 

Questions and Answers:

 

- Bryn Mawr Neighborhood is the neighborhood in which your school is located.  How do you get to school? By bus (10 students), by walking (3 students), and by car (1).  Three students live in the neighborhood.  Others come from a wide area outside the neighborhood (ECCO – East Calhoun, Willard Hay, Harrison, and Uptown neighborhoods, south and north Minneapolis)

 

- Have you attended Bryn Mawr Elementary School?  Four students have attended Bryn Mawr Elementary School.  Others attended Jefferson, Kenwood, and other schools.

 

- Bryn Mawr Neighborhood funded one of the computer labs.  Do you use the computer lab?  And for what purposes?  Most do use the computer lab, for homework, for accessing the internet, for research and for their portfolio.

 

- Do you participate in outside activities at the school?  Do you use the outside play areas or the woods surrounding the school?   Students use the courtyard after it dries out (after spring break), and sometimes use the woods for tree classes and for testing the water and for cross-country skiing (2 students).

 

- How many of you or your families visit the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood?  About nine students answered that they don’t come to the neighborhood outside of school, school events and activities because they live too far away.

 

- Do you attend any of the special events in the neighborhood? (Ice Cream Social, Share the Harvest Dinner, Saturnalia, Festival of Garage Sales)  Yes, the Bryn Mawr residents do attend the special events:  two have attended Saturnalia, three have attended the Ice Cream Social and the Festival of Garage Sales (including one that sells lemonade during the garage sales) and one has attended the Halloween celebration.

 

- Where do the students hang out?  At friends’ homes, bicycling around the neighborhood, or at Bryn Mawr Meadows.  Two students have visited the market; others sometimes visit Cuppa Java or Fast Freddies Pizza Shop.

 

- Any other after-school activities?  Two students play softball, held indoors in the gym or at Bryn Mawr Meadows.  Others have participated in the school play (facilitated by the visiting actors), Café Mocha (a book club that serves fancy hot chocolate), or GEMS  (Girls, Engineering, Math and Science).

 

- Have you heard of the Bryn Mawr Bugle?  Only the Bryn Mawr residents have heard of the Bryn Mawr Bugle Newspaper.

 

- How many of you participate in Minneapolis Kids?  A few have participated when they were younger.

 

- How many of you participate in the Sports-Arts summer program?  No.

 

- Are there any programs or activities that you would like to have added that don’t currently exist?  A waterpark; a better and deeper swimming pool than the Bryn Mawr Meadows wading pool – with a waterslide and diving board; a block party for the students; a soccer field especially one reserved for Anwatin Middle School/neighborhood kids; an organized football team and a football field; some gardens that kids could do, possibly growing and selling your own flowers and vegetables (five students supported the garden idea even if, when prompted, it would mean coming to the school during the summer); and recreational sports such as football, tennis and soccer (not focused on competition).

 

- How do students decide on a high school?  Some high schools serve as magnet schools for certain topics.  Students “shadow” a high school student at two or more high schools, attending a full day’s high school classes.  In addition, testing or visits from high school students help middle school students select a high school.