Brainerd Public Schools Magazine - Fall 2017 by Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

FALL 2017

Tech Support Technology staff help integrate technology with learning

Above and Beyond Buildings and grounds crews take pride in their important role

Unsung Heroes Support Staff keep our community schools running

Fresh Fare Healthy and fresh-baked options served up every day at Brainerd Public Schools

A Brainerd Dispatch Publication

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Fall ‘17 CONTENTS

In The Spotlight 5 8 20

PUBLICATION

STAFF

Opportunity Tessa Poorker

PUBLISHER

Poorker leaps into a new role as varsity gymnastics coach for both the high school and Community Ed teams. By Sheila Helmberger

Pete Mohs

Innovation

Jodie Tweed

ART DIRECTOR Lisa Henry

Ahead of the Game

Technology staff help Brainerd teachers integrate technology with learning. By Jenny Gunsbury

COPY EDITOR DeLynn Howard

PHOTOGRAPHER Joey Halvorson

Success

Health Services Staff

EDITOR

From sprains and dispensing medications to anxiety stomach aches. The goal is to keep students healthy so they can get the most out of school. By Jodie Tweed ON THE COVER

Brainerd Public Sc hools magazin e is prod u c ed by the Brain erd Disp a tch in coope ration w ith the Brainerd Public Sc hools.

Tim Tschida, a 2014 Above and Beyond award recipient, is lead custodian at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. Photo by Joey Halvorson

Features

School Food Services........ 12 Erase everything you know about your own school lunch and think fresh! By Sheila Helmberger

Advertising Support Opportunities: 218-855-5895

Operations........................ 14

advertising@BrainerdDispatch.com

Infograph of what it takes to keep our schools running.

Comments and suggestions: Lisa.Henry@BrainerdDispatch.com

Unsung Heroes............... 17 Buildings and grounds crews go above and beyond the call of duty. By Jodie Tweed

School Counselors.......... 23

New innovative tools and tactics vary with age levels and different developmental needs. By Rebecca Flansburg

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

www.isd181.org

506 JAMES STREET P.O. BOX 974 BRAINERD, MN 56401 (218) 829-4705

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Superintendent’s Letter

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s e v i t c e j b o d n Goals a

dards hieve high stan objectives: d learner can ac y an er s al ev go at , th believe t mission We know and s on our distric cu fo e w if s gagement, cces ansparency, en in academic su

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re facilities. 1. Safe and secu adequacy and 2. Educational dates. mechanical up sters best prac 3. Space that fo and 21st centur y tice instructionrtunities. learning oppo ch vironments whi 4. Learning en

opportunities promote robustics, ar ts, activiin the academ ics. ties, and athlet mmunity col5. Increased conership, and laboration, ow lopment. workforce deve 6. Visionary te integration.

7. Tr trust-building. and community l management 8. Strong fisca ewardship while and genuine stquality educaobtaining the ities for our tional opportun rous investment. taxpayer ’s gene

chnology

OUR MISSION In partnership with the community, Brainerd Public Schools will ensure all students achieve their individual potential by providing the highest-quality programs and resources to prepare learners for an ever-changing global society. 4

Fall‘17 ‘17 Brainerd Public Schools | |Fall

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Opportunity

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

Tessa Poorker leaps to new role as varsity gymnastics coach

essa Poorker might be replacing the head varsity coach of the Brainerd Gymnastics team, but chances are they’ll be staying in touch. She’s stepping into a spot formerly held by her younger brother, Seth Helland.

After long-time coach Dave Maras retired two years ago, Helland took the helm. At the end of last year’s season he made the decision to move to the Twin Cities to be closer to his fiancee and accepted a coaching position there. Poorker said she was ready to take the job. “I’ve been with the program for 13 years myself,” said Poorker. “I started coaching when I was in eighth grade, and was an assistant coach after I graduated from high school.” Already heading up the Community Education gymnastics program with around 300 students, and an Elite group made up of students 8-12 years old, the new job means she’ll be working with students as young as 4 all the way to the varsity team. It’s a situation that thrills her. “Losing Seth will be difficult; he was one of the main spotters so this will be a very transitional period for us. It’s challenging but we’re ready to move forward.” She’ll be joined in the leading role by Assistant Coach Jessica Lofrano-Larson, a former Warrior teammate who has been coaching in the Little Falls program. “We get along great. She’s excited. I’m excited. We went through the ropes together in the Brainerd program so we’re ready to be bringing it back— coaching style. It should be a good year for Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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COMMUNITY EDUCATION CLASSES

LITTLE RASCALS, BEGINNERS, SELECTS AND TWISTERS GYMNASTIC GROUPS ARE VERY POPULAR.

Kenna Smith (top), Tessa Poorker (middle) and Abby Doran (bottom) help their young gymnasts work on their skills.

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classes, we’re here to have fun, they all love seeing what they can do. It’s a blast. All of our Community Ed classes get recognized at the high school meets,” says Poorker, “And the little ones get to see what a high school meet is like.” It is a chance for the future Warrior gymnasts to see their Junior coaches in action. It is common to hear, “Mom, that’s my coach!” at one of our meets,

Jessica LofranoLarson teaches proper landing form.

Poorker says. Even though there are large numbers at the early levels, Poorker says it’s unrealistic to think they will all stay with it until high school. “As the girls’ bodies grow and change, the numbers change, too. They won’t all stay with it to be competitive.” Graduating from Brainerd High School as a gymnast herself, she’s honored to be a part of the program all these years later. A part-time manager at Maurices, too, she got married two years ago and bought a home in the area. She is pleased to be

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our gymnasts. I’ve been working with a lot of these girls for a long time already.” Also assisting will be Brittany Schmidt who is a former gymnast from Pine Island, Minn. She is doing an internship for Brainerd Public Schools and mentioned she was a gymnast and would love to coach. “When I first met Brittany a few months ago, I could tell right away that she would be a great asset to our staff and team. She is excited to grow her spotting/ coaching ability with our Elites and high school team. I am looking forward to coaching with her,” Poorker says. Poorker says the youth gymnastics classes, Little Rascals, Selects and Twisters, are so popular through Community Education that both the Little Rascals and Beginners groups have three class offerings. “We actually have a wait list for those classes,” she says, “because there’s only so much time we can spend in the gym because of school and the competitive season. We’re the only gymnastics program between St. Cloud and Bemidji and we draw a lot of students from outlying areas. We are very lucky, too, because we have one of the best facilities in the state for a high school gym.” Beginning students start with the basics such as somersaults and handstands, and get an introduction to some of the apparatus in the gymnastics gym. “In the Community Education

Brainerd Warriors

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Left photo: The Brainerd Elites Team 1 placed 4th out of 8 at the Division 2 State MAGA Meet (center award) and ranked 12th for the season out of 160 teams in the organization. Tessa Poorker and the Brainerd Elites staff were also awarded Division 2 coaches of the year. That was the second year out of four they were awarded the honor.

“GYMNASTICS IS A MENTAL SPORT AND IT’S A TRUST SPORT.” -Tessa Poorker able to coach a sport she loves in her hometown. Her husband, Ben, commutes to St. Joseph every day to his own job. “He knows how much this program means to me,” she says, of her husband. “I’m really lucky. He helps at meets with scoring and my parents, Rod and Leslie, and my other brother Nik, will help at the head table, too. They’ve been around it the whole time I was growing up and competing, so it’s fun for them,” she says. In high school Tessa competed on the beam. “It was my favorite. It’s just so little, so skinny and so challenging. I loved the feeling of sticking a beam routine.” But she says helping her brother coach gave her an opportunity to spend time working in areas of the gym she was less familiar with. “I have really started to appreciate bars and what those girls do, too, the past few years.” With 23 students in the Elite program and 21 on this year’s high school team, Poorker is excited to start the season come November. There are eight

schools in Section 8AA. She says her team will be competitive with most. St. Cloud Tech is a longtime rival. “Last year was one of the best years in the high school program,” she says, “We had some talented girls. We lost four seniors so that will be hard.” This year’s team also has four seniors. “Without Seth, I’ve started doing more spotting. Gymnastics is a mental sport and it’s a trust sport. They’ll have to get used to me being there. This year I’m excited to see them trust themselves more in their routines and build more confidence all around.” Thanks to all of the years Tessa Poorker has spent leaping, flipping and springing herself, jumping into her new role in the gymnastics program is going to be easy. Sheila Helmberger has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter and has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Brainerd Elites Team 3 season picture. Ages range from 9-14 years old.

Stay updated! To stay updated on information regarding upcoming classes, to access schedules and check out competition results. FOLLOW BRAINERD GYMNASTICS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Brainerd Lakes Area Real Estate jeremy miller

edina realty 218-851-5595 jeremymiller@edinarealty.com www.thebrainerdlakesarea.com Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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Innovation

BY JENNY GUNSBURY Photos courtesy of ISD 181

Steven Lendobeja

AHEAD OF THE GAME

Technology staff help Brainerd teachers integrate technology with learning

here is a hypnotic, softly staggered humming sound emanating from Jackie Janousek’s classroom at the Brainerd Learning Center. A small group of teenagers is gathered around a clear box slightly larger than a microwave oven. They are patient but excited as they watch the 3D “print,” designed by one of the students, being formed layer by layer in bright orange filament. One of them eagerly asks, “Will mine print next?”

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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Steven Lendobeja, Systems Administrator in Brainerd Public Schools’ Technology Department, wears many different “technology” hats, but working with students and the 3D printers is one of his favorite. Besides the BLC, he travels around the district to oversee 3D printing at Baxter, Harrison, and Nisswa elementary schools. “It’s amazing,” Lendobeja says, “kids can go from having an idea for an object, to designing it on their computers, to creating it with the 3D printer all in one day.” Kids in Ms. Janousek’s class who weren’t watching the printer were still all busy, either separately or in pairs, working on their Chromebooks (a Google laptop) designing objects to print. Students start with templates and modify them or design from scratch. Lendobeja adds, “We’ve even had students produce parts to fix a teacher’s desk. There was a hole in

the desktop for cables that the teacher wanted to cover. They measured the hole, designed it in the software program and printed it out. The end result looked like a factory designed piece.” Lendobeja hopes students learn about gathering information, generating ideas, and making those ideas come to life in a physical form as they work with the 3D printers. “They definitely learn that things do not always happen as easily as they expect,” he explains. “We have many failed designs and prints. Students work together to gather data and research such things as material properties, thickness, plastic fill settings, temperature settings, model resolution and revisions to dimensions. Sometimes they will revise a model five to 10 times before they arrive at an acceptable result.”

3D printers are just one example of how technology is changing the delivery of education. Technology staff members are responsible for much more than just setting up networks, installing software, or troubleshooting glitches. “Now, it’s all about being ahead of the game,” says Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology for

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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Teachers are getting creative with integrating technology into their curriculums.

Students watch as the 3D printer brings their designs to life.

Brainerd students come up with an idea for an object, design it on their computers and then use the 3D printer to create plastic models of their creations.

Brainerd Public Schools. “I wish people could be in the classroom to see all the cool learning happening through the use of technology.” “When I first started teaching, we were still using overhead projectors,” smiles Porisch. She became passionate about technology in the classroom when she noticed her struggling fifth graders weren’t responding to standard teaching techniques but responded when technology was introduced. As her career evolved, so has technology. “Our philosophy about technology in Brainerd now is to ‘push in’ vs. ‘pull out,’ meaning we integrate it into what students are already doing and learning about.” Each building has a dedicated ‘technology integrationist’ who not only helps with quick computer fixes, but often helps co-teach with classroom teachers when devices are being used or acts as a resource for new applications and software that align with curriculum. “So much learning is now in the students’ hands. It’s individualized and differentiated,” says Porisch. “For example, Newsela is a reading platform that allows all students in a class to read the same story on their Chromebooks, but the story can be easily set to each student’s reading level. This allows everyone to participate in class discussions about the same material.” The use of technology is also age appropriate. Early Childhood classes up to fourth grade have access to iPads, but not on an

ALWAYS HERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY 10

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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individual basis. Starting this fall, all elementary classrooms will be equipped with SmartBoards, an interactive whiteboard with a touch screen, in front of the entire class. SmartBoards are the main technology that supports the new math and reading curriculum. Students in grade 5-12 are more likely to use hand-held devices that are personalized to their ability. Staff members are also “curating” their own curriculum. “Using their professionalism, along with state education standards, teachers are discovering and pulling in their own resources to teach their subject matter,” explains Porisch. “Boxed curriculum is going by the wayside. There are so many free resources for teachers to use to get creative and tailor lessons to their students.” Brainerd Public Schools have also fully integrated with Google, using their apps for communication, grading information, and assignments between staff, parents, and students. “It’s a free platform that feels secure and can be accessed from anywhere,” shares Porisch. “More teachers are truly embracing it and realize the really cool options for engaging students. For example, there’s a Google app that first graders can use to animate a book report.” “Makerspaces are another unique learning opportunity,” explains Porisch. Each elementary school has a dedicated space for all the components of a Makerspace kit: Snap Circuit Jr., Marble Run, Legos, and a Spirograph. Makerspaces are avail-

able to all students and are student directed. Kids set goals and determine what project they want to work on. Makerspaces at Forestview and Brainerd High School are possible from a grant with Consolidated Telecommunications Company and offer more advanced items such as Raspberry Pi (a tiny, inexpensive computer used to learn programming through fun, practical projects), 3D print pens, and Take Apart boxes. “It’s really been fun to watch these take off,” says Porisch. “We want to model that it’s okay to be creative, take risks, know there’s support, learn from mistakes, and move on.” What’s up next to keep Brainerd Public Schools ahead of the game? “Virtual Reality,” says Porisch. “I would love to get a classroom set of goggles for Google Expeditions. It’s an amazing teaching tool that lets students join immersive virtual field trips all over the world—everything from visiting historic landmarks, to diving with sharks, to exploring outer space.” All these technological opportunities literally put creativity, individualized education, and the world into the hands of Brainerd Public School students. Jenny Gunsbury is a freelance writer and lives with her family in Nisswa. She enjoys meeting interesting people and feels honored to share their stories in area publications.

TECHNOLOGY BY THE NUMBERS at Brainerd Public Schools: IN GENERAL:

3,000

Chromebooks used on the district’s network on any given school day

7,000

Users on average connected to wireless network on any given school day

12,923

Google users on the isd181.org domain

IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS:

4.4 M

1.3 M

Emails Documents sent through have been isd181.org shared

190

Google classrooms created

OVER THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR:

5,444

Help Desk tickets serviced and closed by the technology team

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ERASE EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR OWN SCHOOL LUNCHES...

Think fresh fruits, grains, vegetables, and colorful salad bars.

SCHOOL FOOD SERVICES Healthy options head the menu everyday in Brainerd Public Schools

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

Even

if you love to cook, serving 4,500 meals a day should sound a little daunting. When you factor in the planning, shopping, and clean-up of a million lunches a year, it’s even more impressive. School lunch has always gotten a bum rap but parents might be surprised to see what their students are offered over their lunch hours today.

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

Alissa Thompson serves as Food Service Director for Brainerd Public Schools. It’s her job to create the menus and make sure the 13 sites they feed students at within the district meet the requirements of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 championed by former First Lady Michelle Obama. “It requires us to serve two ounces of whole grains, and there is a minimum and maximum Alissa Thompson requirement for meat or meat alternatives,” exFood Service Director plains Thompson. “There are also requirements for how many and what type of fruits and vegetables we serve.” The cooking is done at six main sites. The other seven have satellite kitchens. Most offerings are 850 calories or less. “A lot of it is made from scratch or baked right here. We do a lot of baking. For spaghetti or Italian dunker day we scratch cook with raw hamburger and use turkey roasts for turkey gravy day. We really try to improve on even kid-friendly items. If we have a chicken patty or chicken nuggets on the menu, they’re made from whole grain breading.”

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“A lot of it is made from scratch or baked right here. We do a lot of baking.” - Alissa Thompson

Forestview Middle School food services staff (L to R): Wendy Johnson, Julie Wing, Wendy Anderson, Meta Mandich, Jodi Buersken, Darla Fleischhacker, Elaine Youngquist and Deisy Hebert.

While elementary students have fewer options, by the time they reach the upper grades grill lines, soup and sandwich offerings, and ala carte choices are all available. Fifth graders on up are offered salad bar and grill/

pizza lines and high school students can also visit a sandwich line, a deli line with soup and sandwiches and a sub line on Fridays. The food served to students in the district comes from Upper Lakes Food and the USDA

Kids Klub Savings Accounts

commodity program. “We participate in the Department of Defense program which uses USDA entitlement money to purchase fresh, fruits and vegetables,” says Thompson, “This helps our schools serve fresh produce options all year around. We also have a strong partnership with Sprout growers in Little Falls for our Farm to School program. We get the bulk in the fall during the harvest time, when we see things like corn on the cob, apples, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, grape tomatoes, cucumbers and kohlrabi. >>> Continued on Pg. 16

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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What it takes to keep our schools running

>>> Continued from Pg. 13 In the winter, we’re still able to get hydroponic lettuce and carrots. In the summer there’s fresh strawberries and watermelon.” Even though the choices are healthy, getting kids to eat well at school offers the same struggles it does at home and keeping a lid on waste is something the district is conscious of. “We use food production records to prepare meals as close as we can so there isn’t a lot left over,” says Thompson, “Naturally some days food gets tossed, but items that are cool serve and safe to do so will be saved for another day. They will also eliminate a meal from rotation if it’s obvious that students just don’t like it. “We can’t control what they throw away in the lunchroom,” she explains, “We do ‘offer versus serve’ and all we can do is make sure they take the required three of the five items, but we can’t make them eat them.” Some schools offer sharing tables which means a carton of milk, banana, or cereal bar that has been touched, but not opened, can be offered from one student to another. Roughly 47 cooks keep the district’s students and staff fed. Those who do so enjoy the hours and the rapport with the students. Some start the work day as early as 6 a.m., but most begin at 7 a.m. and work a sixand-a-half-hour day. Dishwashers work just under four hours. What most people don’t know is that some of the kitchens are just as busy in the summer months feeding staff and students in summer school. Teresa Wroolie, Laura Hale, Deb Schneider, and Heidi Wieme, all

Harrison Elementary food service staff Teresa Wroolie (left), and Laura Hale have both been with the district for 20 years. They always wear matching outfits to serve students each school day.

long-term cooks in the district, work 12 months out of the year. They agree orange chicken and turkey and gravy are popular lunch days. Wieme has been in the district for nine years. She prepares the main dish at the high school. “The kids are fun,” she says. She handles 120 pounds of American cheese and 60 pounds of noodles on macaroni and cheese day, another student favorite. “It’s a lot of stirring,” she laughs. Wroolie and Hale, both with the district for 20 years, work at Harrison Elementary School during the school year. Hale says she starts each work day by wiping down the tables and getting ready for the 7:30 a.m. breakfast. “I work with great people,” says Wroolie with a smile, knowing her only co-worker is listening. Schneider works alone at the Brainerd Learning Center and serves

as many as 60 people some days for lunch. This fall she starts her 15th year working in Brainerd Public Deb Schneider, BLC Schools. In the beginning, she says she took the job because of the hours. She says she’s stayed because, “It’s just been a really good place to work.” With good food on the menu, friendly staff to serve it, and healthy options to choose from, there might finally be a way to get kids to eat their vegetables. Sheila Helmberger has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter and has three grown children and three grandchildren.

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Unsung Heroes Buildings and Grounds crews go “above and beyond”

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Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

you happened to step foot into a Brainerd school building on the first day of classes, you probably noticed the freshly mowed lawns, shiny clean floors and streak-free windows. The unsung heroes working in Brainerd Public Schools include the more than 50 custodians and maintenance workers who work aroundthe-clock shifts year round to ensure the schools are clean and properly maintained learning environments.

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To do list

So what does it take to clean and maintain the district’s 12 school buildings? MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK.

At Forestview Middle School, it takes two people three days to mow the 30 acres of grass, including five football and three soccer fields, which are then remarked each week, explained Bruce Moe, Forestview’s head groundskeeper. The outdoor maintenance crew also takes a half-day to mow the trail system through the school forest. This doesn’t include the weed whipping and other outdoor maintenance also required during the summer and fall months. Forestview’s sprinkler system has about 200 sprinkler heads, which sometimes malfunction and need to be repaired or replaced. The maintenance staff handles that, too. “The sprinkler system is the most challenging to keep running. Seems like we’re working on it every day,” Moe said. “We try hard to make it all look good on the very first day of school.” When the snow flies, the lawn mowers are retired and snow removal season officially begins. Inside Forestview, there are 12 custodial workers working on any given day; three custodians work the day shift, seven custodians work from 2:30-11 p.m. and two custodians work overnights. The overnight shifts are necessary because the gym, for example, is in use until 8-9 p.m. every night. Nighttime is the 18

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

optimal time to thoroughly clean these well-used areas of the fifth- through eighth-grade middle school. Tim Tschida, Forestview’s lead custodian, said each custodian is responsible for cleaning about six to eight bathrooms each day. The busiest time of the year is summer, when the staff spends about 2-1/2 months thoroughly cleaning, stripping and waxing the floors. The last two weeks of summer break they help teachers and school staff get ready for students, moving and rearranging furniture and helping teachers switch or reconfigure their classrooms. “It’s a challenge but it’s a good challenge,” Tschida said. Tschida said his favorite time of the year is the first day of school when watching students, especially the fifth graders who are new to Forestview, walk in and admire the clean and expansive building. Earl Wolleat, director of buildings and grounds, says the staff is amazing.

“They come in and when they tell you this looks really clean, that’s what we’re hoping for, that they see it, too.” Earl Wolleat, director of buildings and grounds, said the goal of his staff is to get everything ready for Parents’ Night at each school building. He has a staff of about 54 custodians and often hire subwww.isd181.org

Tim Tschida, lead custodian at Forestview Middle School, enjoys the challenge of getting the building ready for a new school year.

“I LOVE TO SEE THE KIDS COME IN. IT’S REALLY FUN WHEN THEY TELL YOU HOW NICE IT LOOKS TO THEM.” -Tim Tschida stitute custodians when needed. The grounds crew spends the summer planting new grass, adding semiloads of woodchips to the elementary school playgrounds. New playground equipment was installed at Garfield Elementary School this summer, so the groundskeeping staff added plastic edging around the new equipment, along with fresh woodchips. You may have also seen them over the summer performing tree trimming, weed control and fertilizing the lawns at each school. Wolleat said his staff maintains and mows about 75 acres of grass throughout the school district. Surprisingly, the custodial staff spends, on average, about 25-28 percent of their time working on events or activities outside the school day, which could include setting up and cleaning up after community events at the schools. The Fun ‘N Friends program operates during the summer at Washington Educational Services Building and Baxter and Nisswa Elementary schools, so custodial staff still are working alongside students during the summer months.

“We have amazing custodial staff here,” Wolleat said. “They go above and beyond the call of duty and we really appreciate that.” Dan Elwell, lead custodian at Brainerd High School, said it’s busy year round at the high school. There are community events held at the school, along with sports and other activities. There are only two weeks out of the year, in August, when the high school gym and pool are not in use and he and his staff can get to work on annual maintenance in those facilities. The pool is drained completely every other year, cleaned and refilled. Each year the gym floor is thoroughly scrubbed and two coats of finish are applied. Elwell said the high school has 10 custodians who work around the clock in three shifts. The pool operator works overnights because that’s when the pool isn’t in use. The grounds crew is also busy outdoors. A two-man crew is designated solely at the lower site to

INVESTING IN OUR CHILDREN IS THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT COMMUNITY.

mow and maintain the fields. Elwell looks forward to the start of school and return of students and staff. “I miss seeing the kids and all the teachers,” Elwell said. “We’re empty in the summer and really busy, but then it’s kind of a breath of fresh air when school starts.” Whether it’s dealing with spilled coffee or someone getting sick during first hour, the custodial staff handles anything that is thrown at them during the school day. BHS is an older building, so the staff are often replacing old pipes. Elwell graduated from BHS. He takes his job seriously and tries to be friendly and helpful. He joked that he never expected to be in high school so long. He’s worked for the district for 22 years, first at Riverside Elementary School. “All of these schools belong to the community, and you have to remember, there are thousands of sets of

Dan Elwell, lead custodian at Brainerd High School, says taking pride in his work is easy as a BHS alumnus.

eyes watching to make sure this place is clean,” Elwell said. “I’m an alumnus so it’s easy for me to take pride in my work. It’s my school, too.” Jodie Tweed is a freelance writer/editor who lives in Pequot Lakes with her husband, Nels, a photographer, and their two daughters.

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District Health Services Staff keeps students healthy — and in class

(L to R): Stephanie Kubas, Barb Greatens and Aimee Jambor say every day is always different, but that’s all part of being a school nurse.

BY JODIE TWEED Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

School

nurses today do more than dole out Band-Aids. Each school day Brainerd Public Schools’ health services staff are managing students’ chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, and in many cases, they are coordinating care for the student with teachers, parents and the student’s medical team. If a student needs additional support, they’ll find the resources that can help. You also will find them in the classroom educating students on topics like personal hygiene and handwashing.

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DID YOU KNOW?

A stomach ache can be anxiety.

Stephanie Kubas (right) demonstrated taking a colleague’s blood pressure, one of many daily tasks for school nurses.

“We work closely with the counseling staff to help students develop coping skills.” - Barb Greatens

It’s all part of being a school nurse. There are about 50,000 student visits to health offices across the district each year. Brainerd Public Schools has 13 health services staff members who are in the schools each day. They administer over 240 types of medications, roughly 200 doses per day. They care for an average of 30 diabetic students, which account for about 75 supervised visits per day. Several building nurses care for students with tube feedings for nutrition and medication, catheterizations and special diets. They manage care for students being treated for various forms of cancer, skin conditions, mononucleosis, broken bones, sprains, lice, scabies and more. There are three district nurses — Aimee Jambor, Barb Greatens and Stephanie Kubas — who each oversee the health of more than 2,000 students as part of their responsibilities. District nurses often spend much

of their school day performing case management. They coordinate care for students, find referrals for their families and oversee the building health services staff. Kubas, who worked in Crow Wing Public Health before moving into her new role last year as district nurse, oversees students in the elementary schools and Early Childhood Special Education programs. Greatens, who was a building nurse at Forestview Middle School who last year was promoted to district nurse, oversees fifth- through eighth-graders at Forestview. Jambor is responsible for students at Brainerd High School, BHS South, Alternative Education Center, Lincoln Education Center and Early Childhood Family Education. Jambor also teaches a class at BHS which allows high school students to become certified nursing assistants, giving them the ability to work in area nursing homes and other facilities. “Every day here is something different. It’s never boring. You feel good

you were able to help someone.” “Sometimes families find it difficult to navigate the medical system. School nurses can function as a bridge, pointing them in the right direction to get the help they need for their child,” said Greatens. “I really enjoy that.”

“I LOVE KIDS AND THEY ARE JUST SO MUCH FUN.” - Stephanie Kubas

Several other registered nurses and licensed practical nurses work daily in each of the schools. Some may serve on a part-time basis and also work as educational assistants, helping other students during the school day and serving on call as the school nurse. Medical conditions like allergies,

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asthma and diabetes used to be more uncommon. Today, students may have life-threatening allergies that require them to keep EpiPens at school. Parents bring those in at the beginning of the school year and they are stored in the health office or, in some circumstances, an EpiPen may be kept by the classroom teacher. District nurses train teachers and other school staff on how to use EpiPens or will educate them about a student’s specific medical needs. Today many students with complex health conditions are able to attend school. The face of health services has changed through the years to accommodate these students. In addition, shorter hospital stays allow students to return to school earlier which requires extra attention from health service staff. An example would be a student having an appendectomy on Friday and returning to school on Monday. Health services staff also work with other support staff, like food service, to ensure students with food allergies are provided alternative lunches. They also become part of the educational team during IEP meetings for students with special needs. Health services also participates in the third party billing process. When a student goes to the health office with a stomach ache, it’s possible the student isn’t feeling well. However, if the student seems to be stopping in frequently, the student could be suffering from anxiety. “I don’t think a student is always aware that a stomach ache can be anxiety. We work closely with the

Aimee Jambor (left) and Barb Greatens demonstrate some of the services they provide to students on a daily basis.

counseling staff to help students develop coping skills,” said Greatens. School nurses also perform early childhood screenings for children ages 3-5 who live in the school district. Hearing and vision screenings are done for students in first-, third-, fifth-, seventh- and ninth-grades in October and November. The district nurses, as required by the Minnesota Department of Health, track, record and report student immunizations annually. School health services support students and staff through health and wellness initiatives, current health information and support services as needed. Jambor said the health offices are also a safe place for students to go with questions, concerns and when they need a quiet place to sit for a few minutes. They may need food, lunch money or even a ride home. Health services partners with local community support groups, churches and individuals who have a heart to help children. Together they purchase

PRIMARY GOAL:

keep students healthy so they can optimize their time at school. coats, boots, gloves, clothing, gas cards, groceries, gift certificates and anything else a student might need that will help make coming to school a little easier. The primary goal for school nurses is to keep students healthy so they can optimize their time at school. “We want them to be in class,” Kubas said. “We work hard to remove hurdles which prevent them from going to school. We want kids to be healthy and ready to learn.” “I think that’s our purpose,” added Greatens. “We take care of their health needs so teachers can teach.” Jodie Tweed is a freelance writer/editor who lives in Pequot Lakes with her husband, Nels, a photographer, and their two daughters.

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Brainerd Public Schools | Spring ‘17

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Westgate Mall

Left to right: Alison Medeck, Annjolece Thoemke (student), Trudi Storbakken, Carli Rodriquez (student), Brittany Schmid (intern) and Dan Fischer.

SCHOOL COUNSELORS

Helping students navigate academic, emotional and social issues BY REBECCA FLANSBURG

The

Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

first school counselors in the United States emerged in the late 1800s during the time of the Industrial Revolution. Jesse B. Davis is considered the first school counselor in the United States because he was the first to implement systematic guidance programs in schools in 1907. As a high school principal, he encouraged the school’s English teachers to use compositions and lessons to relate career interests, develop character and avoid behavioral problems. From the 1920s to the 1930s, school counseling and guidance grew because of the rise of progressive education in schools and the National Association for College Admission Counseling was founded in 1937. As the years progressed and the needs of modern day middle schoolers changed, the role of “guidance counselors” became less about helping tweens and teens decide what they wanted to be when they grew up to more about helping them navigate the sometimes difficult pre-high school

years. In a nutshell, this is exactly what two local school counselors are tasked with in their quest to help students with academic, emotional and social issues during the school year. Trudi Storbakken started her school counselor journey in Big Lake, Minn., in 1998 and a year later made the move to Brainerd Public Schools. Alison Medeck, a former Brainerd student herself, began her career in the Pierz School District before accepting a position at Forestview

Brainerd Public Schools | Spring ‘17

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WHAT WORKS

Tools and techniques differ between age levels and developmental needs. Middle School in 2008. Both women agree that, a decade or two later, they are both exactly where they need to be. “The realm of school counseling has undoubtedly evolved,” Storbakken notAnnjolece (left) and Alison play catch ed. “Within the last 10 years, there has on stability balls creating a mindfulness been a strong need to address more activity in the calming room. mental health needs. Helping students with social and emotional concerns like gather their thoughts and go back to depression and anxiety has become a class better than when they left. I have larger part of our job.” a soft spot for anxious students who “Because of the unique developfeel overwhelmed because that was mental needs, what we do as middle me during my own growing-up years.” school counselors is different from elOther elements of the Calming ementary school counselors and even Room include a bulletin board that has high school counselors,” Medeck addvisual ideas of tools students can use to ed. “In the middle school level, much - Alison Medeck cope and refocus, kinetic sand, calmof our time is focused on helping kids with emotional and social issues. This newed focus on building a toolbox of ing music, coloring books and a speinvolves not only helping kids in crisis, resources to assist students strug- cial rocker; all designed to help anxious but being in the classroom to help all gling with anxiety,” Medeck noted. “The students get back on track. “We have a students learn about personal bound- Calming Room was the first step in wide variety of things, and teach kids aries, self-worth and good choices. implementing several new tools that a wide variety of coping tools, because Trudi and I are very fortunate to work in had an ultimate goal of creating a safe everyone is different,” Storbakken adda school that is compassionate about place for anxious kids to decompress, ed. “The goal is to help kids realize what the work that we do and we have the full support of teachers and staff alike.” As part of their endeavor to support the emotional and social needs of today’s students, Storbakken, Medeck and other staff have committed to researching new tools and options to better serve the kids they work with. The addition of a Calming Room at Forestview was the result of this research and the brainchild of the area’s Professional Learning Community (PLC), a group that consists of school counselors and the health nurses. “In 2017, ISD 181’s PLC collectively Carli (left) and Trudi demonstrate a therapeutic exercise of getting rid of unwanted decided that there needed to be a re-

CALMING ROOM

“I am honored to be able to be there to help kids in need of emotional support.”

feelings or thoughts by writing them on paper and feeding them to the monster.

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘17

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works for them while also providing a safe place in the school where they can decompress for a bit.” Another innovative tool that both women are strong supporters of is a program called Top 20. Created by Willow Sweeney and a handful of other authors, Top 20’s primary goal is to revolutionize education in America by helping students become more engaged in school and providing teachers with a new way of seeing themselves as relevant educators in the 21st century. The program includes tools that teach middle schoolers how to understand themselves better, how to handle conflict and emotions better and also interaction with their peers. Both Storbakken and Medeck are certified Top 20 facilitators. “This program is social/emotional learning at its finest,” Medeck noted. “Each of the three counselors at the middle school level has roughly 630 students assigned to each of us. We all

wish there were more of us, at least be one counselor per grade. Sometimes it feels like we are skimming the surface with some kids because we are spread so thin. But I do have hope that there will be more counselors put in place in the years to come because the bottom line is, it would only benefit the kids. When the sheer numbers of the kids we help becomes overwhelming, I remember the story of the little boy who was rescuing beached starfish by throwing them back into the sea. When a passerby commented that throwing a handful of starfish back wasn’t going to make a difference, the little boy responded by tossing one more lucky starfish back into the water and commenting, ‘I made a difference to that starfish.’” At the end of the day, both women agree the combination of being able to form one-on-one relationships with kids, and see those same kids bloom and grow, is the best reward of all. “I love being a middle school coun-

selor and absolutely love my job,” Medeck confirmed. “It’s a job where, each day when I walk in, I have no idea what the day will bring but I am honored to be able to be there to help kids in need of emotional support.” “Our job is a huge faith walk,” Storbakken shared. “Our gift to the students we serve is our time, patience and even love; and that does make a significant difference in their lives. Most days we don’t know who needs us or what they will need, but each day Alison and I go in to work with the strong knowledge that we are right where we need to be in our lives.” Rebecca Flansburg has 10-plus years’ experience as a freelance writer and blogger. She is also the project manager for the non-profit online children’s literacy initiative, Multicultural Children’s Book Day, and is part of the local-focused site, UpNorthParent.com.

Thank You ISD 181 for the opportunity to help build your Future!

— Some of Our Projects Include — Brainerd HS Pool Doors & Steps at Pool Riverside School Addition Magnet Entryway Forestview BHS Greenhouse Reno Washington Elevator Elementary School Hardware 1991 Renovations Fire Code & Washington & Franklin BHS Gym Reno Gymnastics Garfield Reading Room Learning Center BHS Wrestling Room Sidewalks Franklin Girl’s Restrooms South Campus Stairs Magnet School BHS Student Success Center Tornstrom Auditorium Doors BHS South Entry Concrete Franklin & BHS Music Rooms Washington Middle School Sign AEC House 2017 Summer Projects

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