South Metro school briefs: John Greene is Music Educator of the Year

John Greene, a band teacher at Falcon Ridge Middle School in Apple Valley, was named 2013 Music Educator of the Year Award by the Minnesota Music Educators Association in December.

Greene has been a teacher for more than 30 years.

The award recognizes music educators who are committed to their profession and fellow teachers, both within the district and beyond. Recipients are nominated by their peers but must have support from students, parents and administrators as well.

Greene will accept the award on Feb. 14 during the association's midwinter clinic in Minneapolis.

District 191 will launch a new website in early 2014, with an updated design, easier navigation and more emphasis on what the district's students and staff are up to.

The site will feature improved search capability, a translation tool for speakers of other languages, consistent navigation and better browser capability, the district said.

Because the site will use Drupal, an open-source platform for websites, the district will save about $20,000 annually in Web hosting costs. The district hasn't overhauled its website for more than a decade.

Edward D. Neill Elementary, Vista View Elementary, Rahn Elementary and Nicollet Junior High will use the money to promote exercising and eating better.

Some of the physical activity projects that schools plan to implement include a walking club, exercise breaks during the school day and active recesses. Healthy eating projects will involve trying new recipes and foods, getting more students to eat breakfast, encouraging kids to have breakfast in their classrooms and providing convenient breakfast choices.

"Fuel Up to Play 60" is an effort sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. Its goals are to promote healthier lifestyles for kids and to encourage them to be active for 60 minutes or more every day.

Since 2010, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage schools have received more than $70,000 in grants from the organization.