West metro school briefs: New activities director hired in Edina

Edina Public Schools has hired Troy Stein as the new activities director and assistant principal at Edina High School, effective July 1.

Stein currently holds a similar position at Chaska High School. In addition to serving the past five years as Chaska's assistant principal in charge of activities, athletics and fine arts, he also worked for three years at the high school as a math teacher and head baseball coach.

Before his tenure in Chaska, Stein worked in Edina Public Schools as a math teacher at both South View Middle School and Edina High School, and was an assistant coach for both baseball and basketball.

Bloomington's Valley View Middle School has been awarded a Bronze Star of Innovation by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals for its After-School Intervention program.

The program's mission is to engage students in productive, learner-centered activities after school by pairing students' interests with a teaching and learning component. Activities range from reading, math and study skills to cooking, soccer and drama.

Valley View has seen the number of students engaged in after-school programs double, from fewer than 100 students during the 2010-11 school year to more than 200 students this year.

Bloomington Public Schools and several of its business partners collected nearly 8,400 pounds of food and $11,726 in cash as part of its Fourth Annual Districtwide Food Drive that wrapped up last week.

Bloomington's 15 public schools, two early childhood centers, central departments, and business partners Thermo King, Northwestern Health Sciences University and Walgreens participated in the food drive. All of the food and cash was donated to Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), a nonprofit agency serving low-income families and individuals in Bloomington, Edina and Richfield.

Valley View Middle School and its business partner, Thermo King, had the highest combined total of food and cash collected: 1,895 pounds and $4,762 in cash for a total of 25,705 pounds.

Oak Grove Middle School collected 1,107 pounds to earn top school honors for pounds of food collected, while Jefferson High School had the highest total cash raised at $1,975.

Orono Schools have been named a National District of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP).

Orono is one of only three districts nationwide to receive the distinction, and the only district in Minnesota and the Midwest.

Orono will be acknowledged for its accomplishments at the National Forum on Character Education in Washington, D.C., Oct. 24-27.

Orono and the other honorees have been honored for their commitment to character education and for fostering a positive environment for social and academic learning.

Character is one of three goals in the district's strategic plan, which was adopted by the school board in 2012.

The Character Education Partnership is a national advocate and leader for the character education movement.

Minnetonka Schools has hired Mounds View High School Principal Jeff Erickson to replace retiring Minnetonka High School Principal David Adney.

At Minnetonka, he served as World Language Department chair from 1998 to 2008 and as a teacher on special assignment and administrative intern during the 2006-2007 school year.

He was promoted to assistant principal in 2008, a position he held until 2012 when he accepted the head principal position at Mounds View High School.