West metro school briefs: Arts school to hold information sessions

Arts school to hold information sessionsMain Street School of Performing Arts will hold information sessions throughout the school year for prospective students who may be interested in transferring or enrolling for the 2013-14 school year.

All information sessions will be held the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the school, located at 1320 Mainstreet in downtown Hopkins.

All sessions are open to prospective students and family members interested in learning more about the school. The sessions include information on curriculum and offer a chance to meet faculty, staff and current students.

Main Street School is a tuition-free four-year charter high school, serving students from across the Twin Cities area.

For more information about the school, visit msspahs.org or call 952-224-1340.

Legislative coalition seeks membersThe Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition is seeking new members. This group assists the Hopkins School District with education-related legislation by developing, proposing and advocating for legislative positions.

The coalition meets twice a month on Fridays at 11 a.m.

Community members who wish to join should be willing to commit to the coalition for one year. Qualified individuals should have communication and organization skills, an interest in the legislative process and grass-roots advocacy, the ability to work well with others, and a passion for Hopkins schools.

If interested, please contact Jolene Goldade at 952-988-4024.

Glen Lake celebrates new walking pathsGlen Lake Elementary School staff and students will celebrate their new walking paths with an all-school sidewalk parade Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The sidewalks were made possible by a $350,000 Safe Routes to School grant that also supported other Hopkins schools.

The sidewalks provide more options for Glen Lake students to walk and bike to school. They also create handicapped-accessible walkways at the back of the school that extend from the lower playground to Bellevue Drive. Glen Lake Elementary partnered with the city of Minnetonka for this project.

Safe Routes to School programs operate in all 50 states. With legislative extensions, the program has apportioned nearly $1.15 billion to states as of Sept. 30. This money has benefited or will benefit more than 13,000 schools nationwide.

Steve Kahn from Phoenix School Counseling will talk about how to bypass needless power struggles and focus on how to lovingly teach your child respect and responsibility.

Kahn is a psychologist and author of "Insightful Parenting: Making Moments Count."

All parent seminars are held at the Education Center, 8040 Mitchell Rd. The cost is $10 for one or $15 for two people from the same household. Child care is not available.

The Education Center also is hosting two free baby playtime sessions on Oct. 31 and Nov. 28, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Join other families with babies in a classroom geared specifically to the little ones.

Drug prevention seminar slated"A Night to Know the Truth," a drug and alcohol prevention seminar for parents, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Eden Prairie High School Auditorium.

The program is produced by Know the Truth, a local drug and alcohol abuse prevention program.

The evening will consist of an open forum for parents to ask questions as well as hear from teens who were once caught in addiction. They will talk about how they hid their drug use from their parents.

The seminar is for all parents, teachers and youth leaders to prepare them to talk to their kids about drug use, how to spot signs of drug use and about the root causes of addiction.

For more information, contact Know the Truth at 612-238-6105.

The evening will feature food and silent and live auctions. The proceeds will benefit tuition assistance, fine arts and athletics at West Lutheran High.

Individual tickets are $25, with a group of eight at $175. Fifties attire is encouraged.

The silent auction starts at 6 p.m., with the live auction at 7:30 p.m.

West Lutheran High School is located at 3350 Harbor Lane N., Plymouth. For more information, go to wlhs.net/auction or Facebook.com/2012WestLutheranAuctionFundraiser.

Homecoming parade returns to ArmstrongThe Armstrong Parent Association will host a community parade Friday to celebrate Armstrong High School's homecoming.

The parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. starting in Armstrong's upper parking lot, located on the school's eastern border. It will proceed west down 36th Avenue N. to Medicine Lake Boulevard E., then south to the school's lower parking lot. The parade concludes in front of the school's tennis courts.

Following the parade, students, staff, families and football fans are invited to tailgate in the parking lot. The Armstrong homecoming football game will kick off at 7 p.m. when the Falcons take on the Elk River Elks.

For more information about the Community Parade, visit ahs.rdale.org or call Kendra Verbeten at 763-559-6646.

Midsummer Night's Dream at JeffersonJefferson High School Theatre Company will stage "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Oct. 11-14 in the school's auditorium at 4001 W. 102nd St.

Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11-13 and 3 p.m. Oct. 14.

Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/268879 or by calling 800-838-3006. Adult ticket prices are $10 and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets also can be purchased one hour before the show.

A special senior preview performance will be given Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for seniors.

Hornet Hustle Fun Run slatedThe Edina Education Fund will hold the Hornet Hustle on Oct. 13 at Rosland Park near Lake Cornelia.

Proceeds benefit the Edina Education Fund, whose mission is to support innovative academic programming in the Edina School District.

The 5K Run/Walk begins at 9 a.m., and the One Mile Family Run/Walk begins at 10 a.m.

Legislative candidate forum slatedWayzata Public Schools Legislative Action Committee will sponsor a candidate forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 15.

The forum will be held at Gleason Lake Elementary School, located at 310 County Rd. 101 N. in Plymouth.

All state House of Representatives and Senate candidates from Districts 33, 34, 44 and 46 have been invited to participate in the forum.

All questions will focus on issues that affect public education.