Points of Pride

Our educational coaches work hard to provide support for staff, students, and families!

Instructional Coaches

Instructional coaches at Austin Public Schools:

• Contribute to the acceleration of student achievement by building teacher capacity through the development of research-based knowledge and practice.
• Carry forward the professional learning and implementation work of the district in alignment with the strategic priorities.

At APS, our coaches work with teachers to help keep instruction innovative and fresh and with students in high needs areas including reading and math.

Technology Coaches

Our technology coaches work with teachers to help effectively integrate technology into the classroom. In an ever-changing educational landscape, it is imperative that we meet our students where they are, and our tech coaches are a key piece in helping instruction stay relevant and cutting edge.

Success Coaches

Austin employs numerous success coaches to work with non-English speaking families. Students at Austin Public Schools speak more than 40 home languages, and our success coaches help bridge the gap between the classroom and the family.

APS Success Coaches

MacPhail Center for Music is the nation’s largest community music school with 6 locations serving 15,000 students.  We

deliver programming for  students ages 6 weeks to 104 years old, through program areas of Sing Play Learn with MacPhail®, Suzuki Talent Education, School Partnerships, Individual Instruction, Group Instruction, Summer Music Programs, MacPhail Music for Life™, and Music Therapy.  

In early 2014 members of the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors initiated conversations with MacPhail Center for Music senior leadership regarding a presence for MacPhail in the community of Austin. The conversations quickly moved into action as the community reception to the possibility was incredibly positive. A cornerstone partnership throughout has been the relationship with Austin Public Schools. As student enrollment grew to 1500 students for MacPhail Austin, a plan was developed in 2016 for new space to be developed and renovated to support both the Austin High School music programs and space for MacPhail Austin. The result is a state-of-the-art facility shared by both. It is a one-of-a-kind facility, unique in the country, housing both a community music school and a public high school music program.

MacPhail instructors work with APS students throughout all levels, from in-person classroom instruction at the pre-K and Kindergarten levels and residency programs in grades 1-4 to community music opportunities and instructional support for students in grades 5-12. The partnership with MacPhail has resulted in an increased level of awareness and skill for our already revered music programming.

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Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) is a year-long course designed to utilize partnerships that provide an overview of business development and processes.

Our local business community partners with area schools to create project-based experiences for students by providing funding, expertise, meeting space, business tours, and one-on-one mentoring. Students visit area businesses, learn from guest speakers, participate in a class business, write business plans, and start and operate their own businesses. Business concepts learned through the experiential CEO class are critical; the 21st century skills of problem-solving, teamwork, self-motivation, responsibility, higher-order thinking, communication, and inquiry are at the heart of a student’s development throughout the course.

Students in CEO work as a group to develop two class businesses to raise money for grants to develop individual or small-group businesses that are highlighted in an annual end-of-year CEO Trade Show.

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The Hormel Foundation’s grants advance the missions of nonprofit organizations in Austin and Mower County. Those organizations are Austin Area Foundation, Austin Community Charitable Fund, Austin Community Growth Ventures, Austin Community Scholarship Committee, Austin Public Schools, Cedar Valley Services, City of Austin, The Hormel Institute, Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Austin, Parenting Resource Center, Riverland Community College, Salvation Army, United Way of Mower County and the YMCA of Austin.

APS works closely with the Hormel Foundation in a number of areas, from the Austin Assurance Scholarship and the annual GT Symposium, to our 1:1 technology program. The generous support of the foundation allows us to offer a plethora of unique opportunities and amenities you wouldn't normally find in a small town school district.

The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship (THFAAS) is a scholarship for graduates of Austin Public Schools and Pacelli Catholic Schools who live in the Austin school district.

Qualifying students can use the scholarship while earning a college education at Riverland Community College. This scholarship covers your tuition and fees and includes a stipend for needed books and materials. The scholarship amount will vary for each student and will pay for up to 100% of tuition and fees that are not funded by federal grants, state grants, or other scholarship funds. THFAAS will pay for up to 65 college credits towards an approved program of study at Riverland Community College.

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The annual Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium provides an opportunity for educators, counselors, administrators and parents to gain greater understanding of the unique needs of gifted and high potential learners. Participants attend in-depth sessions focusing on foundational knowledge, creativity, curriculum strategies, and social/emotional needs of gifted and high potential learners provided by the field's finest regionally, nationally and internationally recognized presenters. The Hormel Foundation sponsors the event and funds scholarships for all Austin staff and community members to attend free of charge.

To qualify for the Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch program, families need to fall into specific income guidelines. To put this into perspective, a single parent with one child must gross less than $2525 per month to qualify for free or reduced priced meals. That number is before taxes, insurance, transportation, housing and all other life expenses are accounted for. It is easy to see how school lunch money can become overwhelming. In Austin, there are a number of families whose income puts them outside these guidelines, but by such a small amount that paying for lunches is still a challenge.

To address this need, the Food & Nutrition Department at Austin Public Schools has launched the Lunch Tray Project, where interested citizens, businesses, and other entities can donate money to help pay for a year of lunches for students whose families fall into this group. Those families we are hoping to help are working families who, more than likely, do not qualify for any supportive services. They are families to whom this would be appreciated as a "helping hand," one which would take one worry off their plate.

To learn more, please visit our Lunch Tray Project site.

The Hormel Institute is a world-class research institution based in Austin which has partnered with Austin Public Schools to provide opportunities for our students to see science in action. From facility tours and interactive presentations for our high school students to on-site visits to Ellis, the institute has been a valued partner for many years.

The most recent large-scale initiative is the Young Scientist Program, which gives students the chance to work in research laboratories throughout the institute to learn through hands-on experiences and observation as they explore biomedical research.

Austin High School was originally built in 1869. There have been significant additions and upgrades over the years, but the building is still one of the highlights of the Austin community.

AHS features include:

• Knowlton Auditorium
  Knowlton is a full-size auditorium used by the district and community alike for concerts, presentations, and much more. The auditorium was recently renovated and retains its charm while featuring modern enhancements throughout.
• Ove Berven, Packer, and Hastings Gyms
  Both Packer and Ove Berven are used regularly throughout the year for volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and much more.
• Annex
  The recently renovated AHS annex is the home of MacPhail Austin as well as specialized spaces for our Orchestra, Band, and Choir programs. Additionally, the annex houses our CTE programming, including welding, construction, graphics, and more.

IJ Holton Intermediate School is Austin's newest site. Purpose built from the ground up, Holton provides Austin's 5th and 6th grade students with a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) focused curriculum.

The Wescott Athletic Complex is a well-maintained facility that includes Art Hass Stadium, the Paulson Tennis Courts, and the Larry Gilbertson Track. Both athletic fields feature turf surfaces, and in the winter and spring months, the Packer Dome allows the use of Art Hass Stadium field for sports and more.

The Packer Dome is a seasonally inflated dome covering the turf of Art Hass Stadium at the Wescott Sports Complex. Built-in amenities include a walking/running track, batting cages, and an artificial turf field.