Brainerd Public Schools Magazine - Fall 2019 by Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

FALL 2019

Reality Check

Virtual and augmented reality provides field trips inside the classroom

Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hockey Champs get new coach

Construction: How are the changes impacting peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives?

Meet Jack Freeman, BHS alum and Baxter teacher

Supermileage Challenge Students build a race car and drive at BIR

A Brainerd Dispatch Publication

Together, we can live healthier. Together, we can live healthier.

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Fall ‘19 CONTENTS

In The Spotlight

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KinderClub Pre-K Plus New program meets the needs of working parents by providing a wraparound child care opportunity. By Sheila Helmberger

ON THE COVER:

Students took a turn at a groundbreaking ceremony in September at Brainerd High School. Photo by Joey Halvorson.

PUBLICATION

STAFF

PUBLISHER

Score!

Pete Mohs

Jack Freeman, BHS alum and Baxter second-grade teacher, is the new girls’ hockey head coach. By Sheila Helmberger

EDITOR

Jodie Tweed

ART DIRECTOR

Supermileage Challenge

Lisa Henry

COPY EDITOR

Last May, 18 BHS students competed in the 31st annual Supermileage Challenge at Brainerd International Raceway. By Jodie Tweed

DeLynn Howard

PHOTOGRAPHER Joey Halvorson

Humans of Brainerd Public Schools

We asked several people at the BHS North Campus groundbreaking ceremony how these changes impact their lives. By Jodie Tweed

Alumni Spotlight: Jason Gruhl

Jason Gruhl, Class of 1988, is an author, counselor, nonprofit leader and educator. By Cara Lanz

Touring theater production comes to the lakes area, providing on-stage experiences for students. By Mary Aalgaard

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Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre

Virtual and augmented reality in the classrooms creates unique field trip opportunities. By Cara Lanz

Karla.Sand@isd181.org 218-454-6942

Plugged Into Education

All BHS students received new Google Chromebooks this year to be used for assignments and homework in and outside of class. By Cara Lanz www.isd181.org

Comments and story ideas

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Reality Check

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

Brainerd Public Sc hools magazin e is prod u ced by the Brain erd Disp atch in coope ration w it h the Brainerd Public Sc hools.

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

Superintendent’s Letter Laine Larson Welcome to the 2019-20 school year at Brainerd Public Schools. It is wonderful to have our students, families and staff back for another productive year. In 1985, the band Starship featured the rock-n-roll song, “We Built this City.” At Brainerd Public Schools, we, too, are building our district. Unlike the song, we are “Building our District on Chalk and Goals!” At Brainerd Public Schools, we aren’t just building facilities. We are setting the foundation and building the future! We are UNDER “KID”STRUCTION and we are very happy

to have you, our students and our community, join our work crew! We need your manpower to get our work done well. As you may have noticed, several buildings are currently under construction and covered with a fine sheen of sheetrock dust, while other buildings will soon be engulfed. For every successful building project, detailed Brainerd Blueprints are the cornerstone for completion. It’s essential that everyone is involved in the construction process and clearly understands the plan. So it is for our plans for high levels of student achievement! We start with a:

UNDER “KID”STRUCTION Solid Foundation: Together, our crew holds the core belief that, “Education is the foundation of the future.” High standards in education are the basis for our students to become life-long learners and contributing members in our community.

High School and Life-Long Adult Learning. Each step builds on the step before it and serves to move students closer to the end goal of becoming productive citizens in our world.

Sturdy Walls: Represent community members, parents and families, businesses, and taxpayers. These are the people who support and carry the weight of what we are building, from foundation to rooftop.

Bell Tower: No school is complete without a bell tower. The ringing bell signifies the “calling” and the “aspirations” each of us has to encourage the change we want and need to see in our future.

Leak-proof Roof: The roof of our school holds the whole structure together. It is served by our teachers, support staff and administration while providing the leak-proof covering to what we build. Steeple: Illustrates the Board of Education, the official decision-makers and elected authority of the school district. They, along with our community, are at the highest point and summit of our education system. Ascending Steps: Represent each rising level of education within our school district: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School,

Safe and Secure Doors: Represent the resources and support we receive from the Minnesota Department of Education, state and federal governments, local levies, grants and other organizations. Those who give us the means of accessing innovative opportunities for learning — providing security while opening the doors to success for all.

Transparent Windows: Embody our partnerships with the media and our efforts to communicate to our community through the transparency. Windows are there to share ‘how’ we operate. We strive for transparency, open dialogue and positive public relationships while providing access to the important teaching and learning that happens inside our classroom environments.

I invite each of you to join me in ringing in school year 2019-20, while striving to provide students with the highest quality teaching and instruction possible, to provide opportunity, innovation and success for all. It is our purpose and our honor to do so!

Brainerd Learning Zone: Through this extensive Brainerd Blueprint181, we have entered the “Brainerd Learning Zone.” Inside the doors of our schools are classrooms filled with students - eager to learn, to grow, and to be challenged to make a positive difference in our future.

Thank you for joining our crew, providing unending support for our students through a comprehensive Brainerd Blueprint181. I extend my sincere best wishes for a positive, productive and promising school year. “Together, we build this district on chalk and goals!” Have a wonderful school year.

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. Laine Larson 4

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall| ‘19 4 Brainerd Public Schools Fall ‘19www.isd181.org www.isd181.org

KinderClub

Pre-K Plus

Jill Pecarich, (above), School Readiness preschool teacher, talks to the class at Washington Educational Services Building.

A success for students and parents alike BY SHEILA HELMBERGER

One

Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

of the earliest decisions parents will make for their childrens’ education is finding the right situation that will best prepare them for kindergarten. In the past, parents had to decide if a good daycare would fill the bill and teach them everything they would need to know, or if a more structured preschool setting was needed. Often programs would run in three- or four-hour blocks that put working parents in a bind. Now Brainerd Public Schools offers both a childcare and preschool experience over the course of a single day with an enhanced version of KinderClub called KinderClub Pre-K Plus.

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“Something was needed before and after to meet the needs of working parents.” - Jenny Larson, KinderClub supervisor

Preschoolers in the KinderClub Pre-K Plus program perform a song and actions they learned in school while Jenny Larson, (back right), watches.

Jenny Larson has been a supervisor with KinderClub for 13 years. “So many parents were interested in the district’s School Readiness program, but it only went for a few hours,” Larson explains. “Something was needed before and after to meet the needs of working parents. KinderClub Pre-K Plus was created as a wraparound program to meet the needs of those families. Our KinderClub students remain in the classroom all day and the KinderClub Pre-K Plus students leave for an added classroom time. It’s a really good way to get them ready for school. It’s a nice stepping stone for them and helps them be a little

more comfortable before they go to kindergarten.” Nisswa Elementary School also offers the program. The program is a perfect fit for Sheila Gregoire and her 4-yearold daughter, Sidney. Gregoire was commuting to work in Brainerd from Little Falls, which left her in a bind. Before Pre-K Plus, Sidney was at an in-home daycare that closed at 5 p.m. “I had to leave early all the time. The later hours mean I can work until the end of the day. I was very unfamiliar what the options were and very much coming in blind, but they have completely exceeded all of my expectations,” Gregoire says.

Cassandra Hale, Pre-K Plus program at Washington.

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Kayla Benzick is a special education instructor in the program. “An average day for us covers a lot of areas,” Benzick explains. “When the kids arrive, they are given their picture and they check in. We offer a breakfast in the morning, so we start with play and breakfast for 45 minutes.” Benzick says even playtime is instrumental to the day and helps with the development of social skills. Next up is circle time. “First circle is a welcome song and calendar, weather and a story to match the day’s theme,” she says. Then students have station time. Students are required to go to each of three stations. Typically, these stations will have activities that incorporate fine motor skills, pre-literacy skills, art, science and early math. “This is where a lot of their learning takes place,” says Benzick. “They learn to interact and travel around the room. Second circle time is social- and emo-

“We’ve collaborated a lot with kindergarten teachers and asked what are the most important things to help prepare them for school...” - Kayla Benzick, School Readiness special education teacher

tion-based. They’ll learn the importance of being kind and taking turns. We do this through puppets and a curriculum called Second Step, which focuses on specific social skills for chil-

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“IT HAS EVERYTHING I NEED AS A WORKING PARENT.

I also know my child is in a safe environment, that there is a high level of licensure and high level of competency all within one building.”

- Sheila Gregoire, KinderClub Pre-K Plus parent it’s the high school staff, aides or the instructors, my child is known by her name. They truly get that individualized learning experience. “It’s reassuring when you send your precious child, this short little girl, off to them, but that trepidation and fear was gone almost immediately,” adds Gregoire. “I was nervous about a four-year-old intermixing with older kids at the beginning, too. But it’s fun to see multiple ages interact, that’s what you’re going to have in a school setting. I feel relieved that my child will find out what kindergarten will be like. She will be prepared for that environment and be prepared socially.” Rates are based on what portion of the day a child will attend. County child care assistance is available for the KinderClub part of the program. Tuition for School Readiness is based on a sliding

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income-based fee and availability of scholarships. Breakfast, lunch and snack are included in a full day. SHEILA HELMBERGER has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter with her husband and has three children and three grandchildren.

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

County child care assistance is available for the KinderClub part of the program. Tuition for School Readiness is based on a sliding income-based fee and availability of scholarships.

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dren. We will walk through situations and then talk about how they would problem solve. They learn how to be a good friend.” “We’ve collaborated a lot with kindergarten teachers and asked what are the most important things to help prepare them for school, and it’s just some of those fundamental skills,” says Larson. “Sidney is there all day long and that was a draw for me. It has everything I need as a working parent,” says Gregoire. “But I also know my child is in a safe environment, that there is a high level of licensure and high level of competency all within one building. I can’t say enough about the staff there. I’m very impressed that the Brainerd School District recognizes the importance of offering something like this. It really should be commended. Whether

SCORE! New Head Coach

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER Photos by Joey Halvorson

Jack Freeman, BHS alum and Baxter second-grade teacher, is the new girls’ hockey head coach.

The first day on a new job is always exciting, and this year Jack Freeman had two of them at Brainerd Public Schools. Freeman joins the staff at Baxter Elementary School this fall as a second-grade teacher, a voice of authority in a building where he once walked the halls as an elementary school student himself. Then this winter, he will step on the ice as the new head coach of the Brainerd/Little Falls girls’ high school hockey team. Freeman, a 2007 graduate of Brainerd High School, along with his wife, Kayelee, also a BHS graduate who will teach fourth grade at Baxter Elementary School this year, are returning to Brainerd after spending the past eight years teaching and

coaching the River Lakes Stars hockey teams in the ROCORI School District. “It was always in the back of our minds that it would be really cool to get back home someday,” explains Freeman. “Then we had our son, JP, a year and a half ago. Once you throw a baby into the mix, there’s always a stronger desire to get back home.” The girls’ hockey coach job opened up last year after Jim Ernster resigned at the end of the season, and everything fell into place for the Freemans. “I’ve always coached. I coached middle school football in the past,” he says, “That was a great experience. Sixth grade is the first year the kids get their pads so that was fun. I also coached golf last year.” He coached River Lakes Stars

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“THERE’S A LITTLE PRESSURE THERE... THAT’S A CREDIT TO COACH ERNSTER AND WHAT HE’S BUILT HERE.”

- Jack Freeman, talking about taking over the team after last year’s team played in the state tournament. girls’ hockey for four years and boys’ hockey for three. Freeman was a Warrior hockey player at BHS, playing on the varsity team for two years. The new coach says he had a chance to talk with some of the girls on the Brainerd

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

The Brainerd-Little Falls Warrior Girls Class 2A State Runner- up team, February 2019. Photo credit: Bill Johnson/Picture Day Pro!

Warrior team over the summer. “It was nice to meet them and look at the numbers and see who is in the system.” So, what’s it like taking over the helm the year after a team makes a trip to the state tournament? “There’s a little pressure there,” he

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says with a laugh. “Absolutely. That’s a credit to Coach Ernster and what he’s built here. I want to add to the culture that he’s created, and I definitely take that seriously. I don’t want to take a step backwards. Obviously, the year they had last year was so special I want to make sure we’re

building on that. As nerve-wracking as it is to try to live up to that and fill those shoes, it’s exciting, too.” Losing Warrior goalie Olivia King to graduation last spring means Freeman already has one key spot to fill on the team. King’s notable performance in the state tournament last year garnered enough attention to secure her a position on the Minnesota Gopher Women’s Hockey team this year. “Obviously, there is a huge loss there,” he says, “the team has three freshman goalies coming up and we’re excited about what we have there, too. It’s really going to be a good opportunity for someone.” Twenty-eight players will return from last year’s varsity and junior varsity teams. “It’s an unbelievable senior class,” he says. “We have nine seniors. Sixteen girls will move up from the 12U team last year. We’re at

over 40 skaters so we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to carry a 15U team as well.” Much of last year’s coaching staff will return for this year’s season. “I wanted to make sure the transition was as smooth as possible and anyone who was willing to come back could do that. Sandy Smith, Carl Sneep, and Alex Hirsch will all return. Tate Rusk will be back to work with the junior varsity team.” The team will kick off the season in Forest Lake on Nov. 2 with three varsity and two junior varsity scrimmages. “Some of the top teams in the state will be there. It will be a good chance to see where we’re at. It’s going to be a tough schedule this year,” says Freeman. “We have teams that traditionally haven’t played us in the past that want to come play Brainerd now.”

Opponents will include Blake, Forest Lake, Cloquet and Eden Prairie. A return trip to the Edina holiday tournament is on the calendar. So, what will it be like when Brainerd plays River Lakes this year? “Oh,” says Freeman, “it will be fun. I can’t stress enough how good the people at ROCORI were to me. It was sad to leave there. It really was bittersweet.” “I have a lot of great friends there. I’m looking forward to that one,” he says with a smile. SHEILA HELMBERGER has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter with her husband and has three children and three grandchildren.

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Last year 18 Brainerd High School students participated in the Supermileage Challenge Club. They’re shown with the vehicle they built and raced last year at Brainerd International Raceway.

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19 www.isd181.org 12 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19 www.isd181.org

BHS students compete in Supermileage Challenge at Brainerd International Raceway BY JODIE TWEED

any adults strive to purchase vehicles with the highest fuel economy available on the market. But at Brainerd High School, some innovative teens are learning to build fuel efficient prototypes. Last May, 18 BHS students competed in the 31st annual Supermileage Challenge at Brainerd International Raceway. It was the first time in 10 years

Submitted Photos that Brainerd had a team at the annual competition. Curtis Brisk, career and technical education teacher at BHS, brought back the program after a long absence. Last winter he introduced the Supermileage Club where students spent several months designing and building a one-person, fuel-efficient vehicle powered by a single cylinder four-stroke cycle engine.

The club met at 6 a.m. before school three days a week, early in the morning because many of the students had after-school jobs. But the early morning hours didn’t deter student interest. Eighteen students were active in the club and the club is anticipated to grow even larger this year.

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“It was their car,” explains Brisk. “They designed it, they built it. I didn’t do a thing. I gave them a few ideas, but they did everything on it, from all the welding, electrical and mechanical, that was their baby. I just made sure they were safe about it and guided them along the way to make it happen. It was a lot of fun.” Garret Gardiepy, a 2019 BHS graduate, was a senior in the club last year. Now a freshman at Alexandria Technical and Community College majoring in diesel mechanics, Gardiepy said the Supermileage Club was not only fun, but he gained real-world skills he’ll be using in his future career field.

“THERE’S NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO CAN SAY THEY DROVE ON THE BIR TRACK.” - Curtis Brisk, career and technical education teacher at BHS

“If I could go back to high school, I’d do it all over again,” says Gardiepy. “We’d hang out with our buddies and work on the car in the mornings.” Gardiepy says the club appealed to those students, like himself, who weren’t interested in traditional

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

The group of students designed and built the car from start to finish including design, welding, electrical and mechanical. school sports and activities. He’d had three years of welding, and he enjoyed the fabrication process. At the competition, students first had to get their vehicle certified. Students had to use a stock Briggs and Stratton 3.5 horse-powered engine, much like the one you’d find on your push mower or garden tiller. Each team was given a weighted fuel bottle and was to drive the car six miles on the race track. Then the remaining fuel would be weighed and teams would figure out their fuel mileage. There were five divisions, and the BHS Supermileage Club took 12th place out of 25 teams in the stock division.

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Each member of the club got the opportunity to drive the car one six-mile lap around the track. “There’s not too many people who can say they drove on the BIR track,” adds Brisk. Their top fuel efficiency reached was 280 miles per gallon. Brisk says students determined their best strategy was to get to 30 miles per hour and coast so they wouldn’t burn any additional fuel. “The most challenging part for them was getting the brake system correct,” explains Brisk. “Your car has to sit on a 15-degree ramp and hold the drive on the ramp. It took a week to get the braking right. I think

they were able to learn a lot of different skills not taught in traditional courses at BHS.” Brisk says his goal in offering the Supermileage Club was to help promote technical jobs for students. “I want kids to be inspired and go be a mechanic or an electrician,” he explains. “They’re good jobs and they can make a living doing it right here in the Brainerd lakes area.” That’s Gardiepy’s goal. In two years, Gardiepy hopes to return to Brainerd or somewhere further north in Minnesota after completing his diesel mechanics degree. Students interested in joining the Supermileage Club should contact Brisk for more information. JODIE TWEED is a freelance writer and editor who contributes to local, regional and national publications. She and her husband, Nels, live in Pequot Lakes and have three daughters.

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

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

BHS Performing Art Center Addition/Remodel

Nisswa Elementary Addition/Remodel

New Baxter Elementary

Recent Projects: Nisswa Elementary Addition/Remodel New Baxter Elementary BHS Performing Art Center Addition/Remodel Washington HR Office

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Humans

of Brainerd Public Schools BY JODIE TWEED

Photos by joey halvorson

onstruction is underway at Brainerd High School and Nisswa, Lowell, Garfield and Riverside elementary schools, as well as construction of a new Baxter Elementary School and renovations for a new early childhood education center within the Brainerd School District. We spoke to several people at the BHS North Campus groundbreaking ceremony in September about their thoughts on the many changes occurring within the district and how these changes impact them. The $87 million BHS North campus project will include a new performing arts center with estimated completion slated the summer of 2022.

“...A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” - Erica Marcussen

Erica Marcussen

Lead Architect of Brainerd School District projects for Widseth Smith Nolting and a 1995 BHS graduate “While growing up here, I attended many of these buildings. My teachers were top-notch, quality educators. I really had a lot of great teachers. Senora (Dawn) Maine, who is still teaching here, was a really great teacher and made an impact on me. I was also on the cheer team and seeing them today was exciting and she was a coach on the cheer team when I was here. Whether she knows it or not, she had an impact on my life when getting through my high school years … We at WSN and I, as a Brainerd grad, were exceptionally ecstatic because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of architects to be able to work on a building they actually attended and play a key role in formulating how the educational facility will work for the next generations to come. It’s been an honor and I’m overjoyed at being part of this process.”

Erica Marcussen

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

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Brainerd High School “For the high school,this is the future.”

Andrea Rusk

- Andrea Rusk

BHS Principal

“For the high school, this is the future. We have awesome kids here right now, but we’re looking ahead decades. I think it’s going to provide awesome opportunities for our students related to innovation, progressive programming, safety and security. We’re not just looking at the Class of 2023. We’re looking at the Class of 2033 and 2043. Professionally, it’s so exciting. I feel grateful to be part of this. All three of my kids graduated from Brainerd High School, and there’s a personal connection. They’re Warriors, and I think it’s emotional to think of how our community just came through together.”

This is where I grew up. It’s my neighborhood. Lots of happy memories.” - Bob Nystrom

Harrison Elementary

Bob Nystrom

1975 BHS graduate and Brainerd School Board member “I grew up right where the entrance to the high school is. We vacated our house in 1966 to allow the high school to be built. We were one of many families there. This is historic because 50 years ago there were a lot of citizens who came forward to build this high school and now they’ve stepped up again to renovate the high school again but also to give us a performing arts center that was really meant to be built with this high school back in the mid-60s. So now it’s come full circle. I’m very excited about this. This is so exciting, not just for Brainerd, but our whole community. This is where I grew up. It’s my neighborhood. Lots of happy memories.”

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

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“It’s a big deal for local businesses.” - Matt Killian

Matt Killian

President, Brainerd Lakes Chamber “My son, Bryce, is a BHS sophomore. His class will be the first graduating class in the new building. So that’s exciting. For local businesses, anytime that you’re building your own house, your own church, your own school, you’re going to put a little more TLC into it because you own it. Our community owns this. For our local businesses, I know they’re going to put their heart and soul and extra effort into making this a high quality project that we can all be proud of. But when you talk about the scope and scale of the bond referendum as being one of the largest in the whole state of Minnesota and we can keep two-thirds of that money in our community, which benefits us all economically. It keeps these guys working over the winter, a huge plus as well, and there aren’t a lot of communities that can say that. It’s a big deal for local businesses.”

Lauren and Julia Goralsky

BHS Juniors and BHS Cheer Team members

“ It’s been a little chaotic but it’s going to be really cool when it’s done.” - Julia Goralsky, (left)

Lauren (right): “We get dropped off before school, but so far a lot of juniors I know have been parking in random spaces around the city. It’s been a little chaotic but it’s going to be really cool when it’s done. Sometimes the classroom shakes because of the construction, so that’s been new this year. The teachers have to talk a bit louder but we’re definitely working around it. I’m really looking forward to the performing arts center once it’s finished. I don’t play an instrument but I love theater.” Julia: “I play the flute. I’m excited this year to see the development of the project. I’m also looking forward to experiencing new classes this year and then hopefully to go to nationals again with the cheer team. The team went to nationals last year but we just moved to Brainerd about a year ago from Broomfield, Colorado, right outside Denver.” Brainerd Brainerd Public Public Schools Schools || Fall Fall ‘19 ‘19

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19 19

Forestview Middle School

Jessica Gangl

Executive Director, Brainerd Public Schools Foundation, and 2000 BHS graduate “I’ve got three kids who go to school in the district, and this construction is past due. It’s much needed. It’s funny they still call this the new high school. It’s going to be really good for our kids…I’m looking forward to homecoming this fall. I loved high school, not everyone did. I did, and I loved the camaraderie that went along with it. We’d all get together and decorate a float. We would make headbands and shirts. I think it’s going to be fun having the homecoming football game under the lights on a Friday. When I was a kid it was always on a Friday night.”

Laine Larson

Superintendent, Brainerd Public Schools “When I was in third grade, my school burned down. It took four years to get us back on the main campus. So I have firsthand experience of walking into new facilities that the community committed to and the innovation that was available and that all of it was done for the students, all looking forward to the future in education. It’s a bright future and it’s an exciting future. Look at the commitment that this community has made to our district and to the legacy and alumni.”

Nisswa Elementary

Caitlin Shaw

BHS Senior and Student Council Press Secretary

“Look at the commitment that this community has made...” - Laine Larson

“I was a military kid. I lived in 11 different places in my life. This is my only high school I’ve attended but this is my 11th school. It’s kind of crazy that I’m a senior, honestly. It went by so fast. It’s really exciting with all these different things that are happening within our school. I’m kind of sad I won’t be able to see the performing arts center. I’m in orchestra, I play the viola, so it’ll be so nice for them to have a nice place besides Tornstrom Auditorium to play. My little sister who plays the violin will be able to be there and I’m excited for her.”

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Jason Gruhl is a 1988 Brainerd High School graduate.

BY CARA LANZ

Jason

Submitted Photos

Gruhl is an author, counselor, nonprofit leader and educator. He is also the first to admit he had no idea what he was doing when he started his career as an educator. Or as a nonprofit leader of the Joshua School. Or as a children’s book author. But he didn’t let that stop him from achieving success and finding bucket-list level fulfillment along the way. Gruhl, now living in Denver, Colo., took some time to reminisce about his time in Brainerd and catch up on what he’s been up to.

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Q. Which years did you spend in the Brainerd Public Schools system? A. Junior high and high school. Q. Were you in any activities? A. I was in cross country and crosscountry skiing — until I broke my thumb. I was the only kid who could break his thumb skiing on flat ground. I was also in tennis for a while. Q. What were your favorite classes? A. I loved AP history. I took a class with Stuart Lade. He was one of my favorite teachers, for sure. And I took three years of German with Frau Hegstrom. I continued German in college, took a year of Greek, and have learned some French and Spanish. She made me fall in love with languages.

Q. Best memories of school in Brainerd? A. I loved my teachers and I loved the friends I made. I have fond memories of Brainerd and can see myself having a little place there someday. We’ll see. Q. What was your post-secondary education? A. I went to college at St. Olaf, where you could create your own degree. Mine was in psychology and English, and my degree was Educating Children Through the Arts. After that, I worked in Minneapolis with adults challenged by mental illness and then moved to Denver to get a master’s in counseling.

Q. How did you begin your career as an educator? A. I applied to the public schools to be a paraprofessional, but they were so desperate for special education teachers at the time that they were willing to hire me as a teacher if I enrolled in a university. So I did. My first classroom was for children with autism and developmental disabilities, and the fact that I didn’t know what I was doing ended up being a perk because it freed me up to think newly about education. My staff and I looked at what it was like to have these traits of autism and what the world must feel like if you have these traits. And what we discovered was that OUR world was the really weird one, not theirs; we stop at red octagons in our cars, say “Bless you” when snot shoots out of our noses, and wave our hands when we want to say

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hi to someone, and the list goes on. It’s bizarre! It made me appreciate how difficult it really is to navigate this world, and it made me question the world we’ve created. Q. Tell me about Joshua School. A. While teaching in the public schools, we had this book called “Project X.” I don’t like complaining for complaining’s sake, so whenever someone had an issue about something, we would write it in the book, like, “If I ran a school, I would do it this way…” In 2002, one of our students, Joshua, passed away at home and it was devastating. We didn’t know what to do with it, but we had this book of ideas. We decided that if any kid only had nine years on this planet, they deserved better than what was being provided at the time. So, over the next few years, we met after school and on weekends to create a curriculum, plan, etc., and in 2005, we quit our jobs, cashed in our retirements, and started The Joshua School for children with autism and developmental disabilities. It’s now one of the top schools in the country for kids with autism. It has a Denver campus, a Boulder campus, a pre-school, and they’re opening adult services. It’s the accomplishment of which I am most proud in my life so far — knowing that I’ve helped some people breathe a little easier on this planet. Q. How did you become a children’s book author? A. I had already been thinking about leaving The Joshua School

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when I met my now-husband, Jonathan Saiz, who is an artist. He asked me if I would ever consider leaving, and I was ready after 10 years at The Joshua School. I gave six months’ notice, gave away everything that wouldn’t fit in two suitcases, and we moved to Todos Santos, Mexico, for a year. I declared myself a children’s book author, even though I had never written a book. And we just painted and wrote all year. Since then, writing children’s books has become a full-time thing. I still see a couple of clients each week for counseling. Writing is a lonely business, so it keeps me connected to people. Q. What books have you written? A. “Everything Is Connected” was my first published children’s book. It came out in February 2019. It invites kids to consider the connection between all the things — people in other countries, animals, the environment —

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because they are a part of absolutely everything in the universe. I have another book coming out next fall called, “Our Animal Neighbors.” It’s about respect and our relationship with animals. We think there’s a lot of differences between us and animals but there’s actually a lot more we have in common than we think.

Q. What advice do you have for students who are interested in becoming an author, an educator or a counselor? A. There will be people who tell you what you’re doing is wrong, or it can’t be done. Consider what they’re saying, but also try and hear where

their motivation is coming from. Most of the time, nay-sayers are coming from fear. Follow whatever is in your heart and find a way to do it. There is always a way to get it done. Q. What does your “About Jason,” at the end of this article say? A. Jason is an author and counselor. He is married to the artist Jonathan Saiz. They have two dogs named Coby and Oscar. He loves sci-fi movies, travel, Buddhism, playing the piano and guitar and singing. You can find him at www.jasongruhl.com. Cara Lanz is a freelance writer who loves to tell the stories of the fascinating people and places in our community. Originally from Lake of the Woods, she has called Brainerd her home for over 20 years.

“

FOLLOW WHATEVER IS IN YOUR HEART

“

“Eli and the 15th Blueberry” is about this sweet kid with autism who always eats 15 blueberries with his breakfast. One morning, he realizes he only has 14, so he and his hedgehog head out into the big, crowded world looking for this one blueberry. I love this one. “Everybody Knows What a Tree Is!” is about four kids who see a tree and start describing it from different angles — from a utilitarian angle, a play angle, etc. The more they talk about it, the more they realize they don’t really know what a tree is at all! It’s a book about being open to wonder and not just “knowing” everything.”

AND FIND A WAY TO DO IT. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY

TO GET IT DONE.

- JASON GRUHL

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PRAIRIE FIRE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Students performed “Tom Sawyer” at a Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre production in June at Lowell Elementary School.

BY MARY AALGAARD

Photos by joey halvorson

hether your children are outgoing and gregarious, or quiet and introverted, they have a place in a theater production. When Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre comes to town, or your school, they hold auditions at the first meeting, listen to and interact with the students, cast the show and begin rehearsals. During the next five days, they rehearse, memorize lines, learn songs and choreography, and perform a full show. Yes, it’s a whirlwind, and yes, it’s a crazy tight timeline, and yes, they rise to the occasion and do it with energy, passion and confidence.

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We all know that sports are all about teamwork. You need to build each other up, challenge one another, and be there on the sidelines supporting your teammates. This holds true in theater as well. The creative team works together to tell a story. The people behind the scenes make sure the set, costumes, lighting, sound, house, and backstage properties are in place. The actors manipulate those pieces, as well as deliver lines, perform songs,

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and interact with the audience. The directors have the vision and keep it all working together. The bond that theater people form is like a family, developing lifelong friendships. Mikhayla Clausen and Kody Hopkins led the Prairie Fire Children’s Theater program, “Pinocchio,” this past June in the Brainerd lakes area for about 50 students in first through 12th grades. They have parts for

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every age and ability, and a few behind the scenes, as well. These productions thrive on group lines, songs and dances that can involve many actors and larger roles for students who can handle memorizing lines and singing solos. Student performer Taylor Manecke, a sixth-grader at Forestview Middle School, says she enjoys theater. “You’re really nervous the first day,” she says, “because you have to audition, but then you get your parts, play theater games, and it’s fun.” Willa Borchert, also a Forestview sixth grader, says that she loves performing. She’s been in several Prairie Fire Productions, one local community theater production, and she has participated in several theater workshops with Play off the Page. She seeks out opportunities to have more experiences on stage. Clausen sees growth in the students as they travel from town to

town, school to school, and work with students in multi-grade programs, or have one grade from a school in a production. Lowell Elementary has had them in for their fourth-grade

“You’re really nervous the first day...because you have to audition, but then you get your parts, play theater games, and it’s fun.” Taylor Manecke, Forestview Middle School sixth-grader curriculum for several years. Nisswa Elementary has also done Prairie Fire shows for many years, and other elementary schools have done them occasionally.

Tom Sawyer play

“We learn from the students,” says Clausen. Each week they hear students reacting to the story in new ways or saying a line a different way. It’s amazing what they can accomplish in one week with focused attention, confidence building, and having someone believe in you. Clausen says students tend to ask, “’What if I don’t get my lines memorized?’ and my response is always — ‘You will.’ And they do.

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They have their lines memorized by the time of the show. Building up their confidence and showing these kids just what they are truly capable of is key to allowing them to be successful.” Theater builds community. Clausen and Hopkins agree that they see so much support from parents to children, students for students, and community members for each other in their attendance and encouragement. Hopkins says, “I look at theater and art in general as a gift. It takes what is seen in the real world, twists it around, and puts back out something for people to enjoy, whether it is through laughing, crying, gasping, or applauding. Prairie Fire allows the young people of these Midwestern communities to give back to their parents in a way. All the work that is put into raising them well or taking them to classes or Pinocchio play

Tom Sawyer play

Theater Arts builds life skills: public speaking, group work, ... conquering your fears, making connections, and the joy of creating something that is fun and meaningful. how gifted every young person is when given an opportunity and faith.” Prairie Fire Children’s Theater is just one way for students in our area to experience theater arts. They can also audition for community theater or take part in school, church, or Pinocchio play

Community Education offered a summer play opportunity, “Pinocchio,” produced in collaboration with Prairie Fire Children’s theatre.

4-H productions. Play off the Page offers theater workshops through the Central Lakes College Theater Department. And, of course, kids can create their own shows by writing, singing, dancing, and involving friends and family. Theater Arts builds life skills: public speaking, group work, seeing a project through completion, listening, supporting, facing and conquering your fears, experiencing something from another point of view, looking at something in a new way, problem-solving, making connections, and the joy of creating something that is fun and meaningful. MARY AALGAARD is a writer, playwright, theater reviewer, and piano teacher. She teaches Youth Theater Workshops through the CLC Theater

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Reality

Heather Pfannenstein, (center),former Lowell music teacher, creates a dynamic classroom experience with virtual reality goggles.

Check

Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classrooms

BY CARA LANZ

Submitted Photos

ow do you bring a mountain, an elephant and a World War II airplane into the classroom? Very carefully, of course. And while the dad joke punchline may be groan-worthy, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t far from wrong. It took a lot of dreaming, planning, and work, but Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology for Brainerd Public Schools, made it happen anyway. an image or an environment that can be viewed from a 360-degree perspective. Special viewing devices allow the viewer to experience the environment by being able to see and hear everything around them. Augmented reality brings a computer-generated image into the view of your current environment. Viewed through the screen of an iPad, for example, the viewer can see the object, such as an elephant, in their current environment, like their classroom.

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You see, Porisch had a big dream to bring students across the district on flights around the world, up into the clouds, even deep into the structure of a cell. And thanks to grants from the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation that funded two full classroom virtual reality sets and ten augmented reality sets, Porisch got all that she wished for. What is virtual reality and augmented reality? Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of

Virtual Reality “I’ve always wanted to do virtual reality. A lot of schools are using Google Cardboard and requiring the students to use their own devices and download apps. But not every student has a device. My goal was a classroom set so everyone could have the same experience,” Porish says. Google Expeditions is an educational-based app the teacher controls from an iPad, and every student sees the same thing, from a 360-de-

a chocolate scientist that was super cool. I didn’t even know that existed! For 3-year-olds in our early childhood program, we did ocean animals, and that was really fun.” “My dream was that I could bring our students everywhere in the world and show them everything. I can’t put them on a plane or fly them to the International Space Station, but this is the next best thing I can do. My goal is they will see something that will make them go, ‘I will get there, I’m going to climb Mount Everest or get to the Eiffel Tower,’” she says.

Augmented Reality If you’ve ever played Pokemon Go, then you know exactly what augmented reality is. When you look through your device, it looks like the Pokemon — or any other object —is right there with you.

gree perspective, through the virtual reality viewer. “There are thousands of expeditions. Last year, second graders learned about clouds. We were able to look at the clouds from the ground, then go inside and look at the molecular make-up, see the dust particles and water particles,” Porisch says. “With the high school foods group, we went on a tour with

“My dream was that I could bring our students everywhere in the world and show them everything.” - Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology for Brainerd Public Schools

Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology at Brainerd Public Schools, demonstrates how augmented reality becomes a window into a 3D world.

Using Google Expeditions, the teachers can guide the students through a lesson where all the kids are looking at the same object, or they can go to different stations within the lesson. “You can make the object appear as large or as small as you like, you can walk underneath it, like you’re standing under an elephant. We did a lesson with a WWII plane, and it’s like you’re sitting in the cockpit and you see what it would have been like to be a pilot,” Porisch explains. The virtual reality kits were used throughout the district last school year, and Porisch anticipates they will begin using augmented reality more in the coming school year. Lessons Learned

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“When you have multiple ways of teaching something, that’s where we see it impacting student achievement.” - Porisch

Virtual reality and augmented reality are more than just the latest in cool tech for the students to play around with. Virtual reality has been used to learn science, social studies, English and math. Augmented reality is a natural fit with science lessons. Teachers will be using virtual reality and augmented reality for prework to introduce the students to a subject or in post-work — after they have done the lesson and before the test. The objective is to meet every learner where they are and for

some, this is how they learn but never had the opportunity to learn this way. She explains, “When you have multiple ways of teaching something, that’s where we see it impacting student achievement. The goal would be that we see it in our scores. We are seeing it with engagement and motivation and kids wanting to be in the class and excited to learn about things. It sticks a bit longer.” “It’s our responsibility as educators and as a community to help everyone learn. It’s not about the newest or greatest thing. Our goal

is to help our learners have the tools they need to learn the way they learn best,” she says. “I had a mentor at one time early in my career that reminded me that we sow the seeds as educators. We may never get to see the plant full-grown, but we get to sow the seed, and that’s exciting.”

“It’s our responsibility as educators and as a community to help everyone learn.” - Porisch CARA LANZ is a freelance writer who loves to tell the stories of the fascinating people and places in our community. Originally from Lake of the Woods, she has called Brainerd her home for over 20 years.

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Plugged into Education All BHS students receive Chromebooks this year

Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology for Brainerd Public Schools, helped distribute Chromebooks in the BHS cafeteria. BY SHEILA HELMBERGER

Photos by joey halvorson

Backpack? Check. Gym clothes? Check. Chromebook?

inth through 12thgrade students at Brainerd High School each received a new Google Chromebook before the first day of school this year to be used for assignments and homework in and outside of class.

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

“It’s been a goal of our district for quite a while to be able to provide a device to each of our high school students,” says Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology for Brainerd Public Schools. “Many districts around us and throughout the state already have them. One thing about doing it a little later than some of the other schools was the opportunity to learn from them and see how well it was working.” Smartboards were added a few years ago for use in kindergarten through fourth-grade classrooms, but those larger devices remain in the classroom for use during school hours. This is the first time personal devices have been purchased that can be brought back and forth from

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home. A one-time non-refundable insurance fee has been collected that will cover the first repair of the devices. “This isn’t about getting rid of paper books and pencils,” says Porisch, “but it is about being able to recognize that everyone learns in a different way. All we’ve had is paper and pencil and now we will have the right tools to reach each student to their abilities. It’s not about eliminating anything educational, but certainly adding something.” The Chromebooks are given to students as part of a lease agreement and will be replaced in four-year cycles. Students will turn in their devices when they graduate.

“THIS ISN’T ABOUT GETTING RID OF PAPER BOOKS AND PENCILS.” - Sarah Porisch, Director of Technology for Brainerd Public Schools. The ability to put Chromebooks in the hands of each high school student will help to meet the four key goals that have been set in place by the district’s technology department. These goals include increasing student technology skills, increasing student engagement and motivation, creating more differentiated learning opportunities and making learning for all students equal. “We found our students were leaving not really understanding the difference between using a professional device and personal one. Before graduation, students are assigned an essay and we found out that many of our students were doing it on their phones. It’s a personal device for social media and things like that but it doesn’t have the tools needed to do a big project. The same was true with slideshows and presentations. We found that everyone really has access to technology now, so our goal was to get students the devices they needed for the right job.” While using the technology in the classroom has not directly been proven to increase test scores, it does increase student engagement and motivation, which in turn, does lead to an improvement in scores on tests. One of the most exciting aspects of using Chromebooks is that it will allow teachers to give an assignment to an entire class and direct it to the various levels of learning. “We can assign one article to a whole class,” says Porisch, “and we know they are all at different levels of reading, so we are able to set

Lori Grittner, district technology ecretary, helped distribute Chromebooks to high school students.

the reading level of each device to suit the student. They are all reading the same thing, but at their own personal level, which will help the student to learn the information easier.” While some families may already have a Chromebook at home, district staff still felt it was important to participate in the lease program to ensure that each student had access to

the same device as the next, to ensure equality in learning and ease in updating and managing the overall systems. “When I started with the district five years ago, everyone was using different things,” says Porisch. “Some were refurbished, and it was kind of all over the place. It just makes more

sense to lease the devices and have everybody on the same one. Technical support is more efficient, and we can be systematic in the classroom. If an update needs to be performed to the system, it can all be done by our people at one time without ever having to touch each device.” “In the long run it makes all of our curriculum easier,” says Porisch, “When a teacher goes to teach, we require the student-issued Chromebook. For efficiency reasons, they are all on the same page and all of the programs they will need to use are already on there. Porisch says the district realizes the program is new and since this is the first year there may be questions. “I really want our families to know that we’re going to work with them. We’re excited to do that. This is a great opportunity for every student.” SHEILA HELMBERGER has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter with her husband and has three children and three grandchildren.

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘19

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