BPS Magazine - Spring 2024

Spring 2024

Legendary Women Alumni Spotlight: Joey Halvorson Growing trees while growing students

Inspiredbythosewhonevergiveup.

Welcome, spring 2024

BY DR. HEIDI HAHN, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

A PLACE TO BELONG...BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Wow, this winter season was quite different from what we’re used to in Minnesota! Despite the lack of snow, our Alpine and Nordic Ski Teams still had successful seasons and brought home state titles. Congratulations also go out to our Brainerd Kixters dance team on their Class 3A state title in High Kick. As I write this, the Forestview Knowledge Bowl Team, Brainerd Future Farmers of America (FFA) members, individual wrestlers, and individual boys swimmers are heading to their respective state tournaments! So many exciting things are happening inside and outside of our school walls!

Through the intensive process of developing a new Strategic Plan for the district, we received valuable input and feedback from the community. A revised mission statement was developed that we feel encompasses what we have always strived to do — EDUCATE and INSPIRE each student by providing innovative opportunities to create lifelong success. Several examples of this mission in action are highlighted in this issue of Brainerd Public Schools magazine.

High School to create a culinary program (Page 14). This program helps students develop essential skills such as problem-solving, time management and teamwork and provides them with practical experience in nutrition, food preparation and restaurant operations. It’s fun watching students in this class enjoy learning in the awesome new culinary classroom at the high school and even take their talents out to the community.

You will hear me say time and again that at Brainerd Public Schools we want every student, family, staff person and community member to feel like their school community is a place where they belong. Julia Fargo’s story truly puts an exclamation point on the partnerships that exist between our guardians and staff to ensure every student will thrive (Page 24). Through the support of her parents and her early intervention services team, Julia’s life was changed, and she, in turn, forever changed the lives of her educators.

Through the forward-thinking planning of the Forestview Middle School Forest Management Committee and the support of numerous business partners, an open-air classroom was made a reality (Page 28). From planting a tree seedling in the kindergarten forest to gearing up for a crosscountry race, learners of all ages experience the beauty of nature and learn the importance of preserving our forests.

Sparked by a need from local resort owners, the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce collaborated with Brainerd

Our students have boundless potential, and we owe many of our accomplishments to our strong partnerships within the community. Whether through donations to our food and supply pantries, volunteering in our classrooms, or simply providing encouragement to our students and staff daily — without it, our district wouldn’t be able to achieve all we do.

I encourage you to visit our schools to witness the remarkable community that draws our graduates back. There are numerous ways to get involved and appreciate all the amazing things happening in the district. A Place to Belong—Brainerd Public Schools.

Pete Mohs SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR/ COPY EDITOR

DeLynn Howard DESIGN LAYOUT

Christopher Johnson

PHOTOGRAPHER

Joey Halvorson

Brainerd Public Schools magazine is produced by the Brainerd Dispatch in cooperation with the Brainerd Public Schools. Comments and story ideas: Annmarie.Lacher@isd181.org | 218-454-6904

Advertising Support Opportunities 218-855-5895 | advertising@brainerddispatch.com

Welcome Spring 2024

Superintendent’s Letter By Heidi Hahn

Warrior Warehouses: Supplying support By Jenny Gunsbury

Alumni Spotlight: Joey Halvorson: Breaking the barriers

By Sheila Dechantal

Move over, Home Economics By Sue Sterling

Legendary Women

Julia’s Journey: Overcoming obstacles through early intervention By Jodie Norquist

Sandy Loney’s Forestview students learn to help the less fortunate through H2O for Life program By Jolene Zelenski

Growing trees while growing students

By Rebecca Flansburg

Adventures at a Glance

Culinary students at Brainerd High School (Madalyn Eberyl, left, Chloe Holmes, and Keelie Robison) prepare boneless buffalo wings.

Photo by Joey Halvorson.

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Warrior Warehouses: Supplying support

BY JENNY GUNSBURY

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

It may be a comment heard while students are passing between classes in the halls. Or it’s a request for help from a struggling parent to a teacher. Maybe a student overhears another on the playground saying they only eat meals at school and they tell a school staff member.

No matter the source or the situation, school staff know there are many needs in their classrooms. More than ever, students and families need help with food and other survival necessities. During the 2022-2023 school year, roughly 46% of Brainerd Public School students qualified for free and reduced lunches. This was an increase from the previous year of 31.6%. Even before this jump, there have been dedicated staff, community members and student groups who organize and support food pantries located within Forestview Middle School and Brainerd High School.

The Warrior Warehouse at Forestview Middle School got its start in 2011. Collaborative Worker Allison Van Vliet

has been in charge of it since 2019 but she credits special education teacher Sara Lembcke for her work since the beginning.

“The Brainerd Jaycees generously donated $10,000 from their Run for the Lakes event after Sara advocated for supporting middle school students with a food program. Elementary schools already had a snack-pack program in place that provided students with food for weekends and school breaks but nothing existed at the middle school level,” notes Van Vliet. “Sara’s still very involved, as well as fellow Collaborative Worker Kaitlyn Cook and educational assistant Lonna Rozinka.”

How does the pantry work at Forestview? “Students just simply need to show up,”

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explains Van Vliet. “Open hours are announced during morning announcements and kids just come as they need. If a parent calls asking for help, a Collaborative Worker will get a pre-packed bag of groceries and call the student down to the main office for them to take the bag to their locker to bring home.

The pre-packed bags vary in size based on whether the students will be out of school for the weekend or for a school break. Some bags include food that parents can cook on the stove and other bags are packed for students who might be preparing their own supper and rely on a microwave. These bags are given to students who are experiencing housing insecurity and temporarily housed at a hotel. Van Vliet estimates that over 150 bags have been distributed this year; along with countless backpacks, school supplies, winter gear, toiletries and clothes/shoes.

All items in the Warrior Warehouse at FMS are donated to the school or purchased with cash donations. Community food drives, school food drives and contributions from local churches, such as South Long Lake Church and Brainerd Seventhday Adventists, help to fill the warehouse. Other area nonprofits, service groups and businesses also contribute cash or goods. “Staff gives freewill donations for day-old bread and bakery items donated by Costco. Those monies go to the Warrior Warehouse,” says Van Vliet.

The idea for the Warrior Warehouse at BHS was a result of touring Chaska High School by a group of ISD 181 administrators and community members several years ago while researching design concepts for the

It’s open anytime the school is open. They shop on their own and take what they need. We have a Google form linked to a QR code they can scan to request items. We don’t keep track of names. All they do is hit a button by the door that keeps a number count.

- Jessica Wales, special education instructor and Warrior Warehouse at BHS coordinator

Blueprint 181 referendum. Principal Andrea Rusk saw what Chaska was doing and thought it would be a good addition at BHS.

“It’s moved around several times since opening over five years ago,” explains Jessica Wales, special education instructor and Warrior Warehouse at BHS coordinator. “It’s now centrally located by the cafeteria in a larger space than before.”

Wales got involved several years ago when her students were in need and she offered to help. Now, her students also get to learn valuable skills in the Warrior Warehouse. “My students work on job skills and use the Warrior Warehouse to practice by picking up donations from the main office, stocking the shelves, and keeping the room organized. Other students working on their vocational skills also help keep the space clean,” she explains.

It operates a bit differently than the food pantry at Forestview. “Students can grab a key from my room, the guidance office, nurse and many staff have a key,” says Wales. “It’s open anytime the school is open. They shop on their own and take what they need. We have a Google form linked to a QR code they can scan to request items. We don’t keep track of names. All they do is hit a button by the door that keeps a number count.”

Items are arranged much like a grocery store and include pastas, canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, canned meats, Brainerd Lakes Outreach Program meal packets, mashed potatoes and pancake mix. Personal hygiene items and some clothing are also available. “Drawstring bags are provided for carrying groceries to lockers. It’s not obvious to classmates that it’s filled with food,” notes Wales. “One of

my goals is to have no stigma attached to using the Warrior Warehouse.”

Like Forestview’s Warrior Warehouse, it’s also funded and stocked entirely by generous donations from community organizations, churches and student-led food drives like the We Scare Hunger event every October. Lakes Printing donates stickers for donors to show their support for the Warrior Warehouse. Cash and gift cards are especially useful so Wales can buy what is needed most by students.

So far this year, there have been over 1,000 visits to the food pantry. Wales has seen the needs expanding from food to items like toilet paper, laundry detergent and blankets. “The economy and Covid are probably the biggest reasons for this increase,” she says.

Both Warrior Warehouses offer community resource information for students and families about food distribution sites and local food pantries, especially for during the summer and longer school breaks. They also each have copies of the “Warrior Cookbook.” Wales and Van Vliet collaborated with Crow Wing County 4-H Ambassadors and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed, a U of M extension program) to write it. Written for people of all income levels, it includes easy recipes that can be made with items from the warehouses or a discount food store like Dollar Tree.

For those in ISD 181 navigating food insecurity, the Warrior Warehouses at Forestview and BHS are there providing food and other necessities for student success. They’re also demonstrations of support from our generous community and caring staff members.

Alumni spotlight: Joey Halvorson: breaking the barriers

BY SHEILA DECHANTAL

Joey Halvorson is pretty much a household name in the Brainerd lakes area. She loves her hometown of Brainerd and the community within. Her parents were Gerald “Gerry” Halvorson and Bernice Wilkins. Gerry was the owner of HalvorsonJohnson Funeral Home and her mom was a kindergarten teacher in the Red Wing area until she met Gerry at a football game.

A Brainerd High School graduate of 1961 (Joey notes that year being the same upside down as right side up), Joey says she always absolutely loved school. She lived only a few blocks from Lincoln Elementary School in her early academic years.

One of Joey’s early memories in grade school was an incident on the playground. She and a group of other children were picking on another child. Out of that whole group, Joey was the only one that was called into the office. The principal, she recalls, talked to her about what she was doing and the wrongness of it. He told her, “Joey, you are a leader, and leaders don’t act like that.” This stuck with her, and not only did she see the error of her ways, but she became great friends with the other child, still connected to this day. This was a life-changing moment in how she viewed others and the world around her.

Joey always had a love for sports (installed in her early by her dad). In the years before Title IX, there were no after-school opportunities for girls’ team sports. In gym class, she would often organize a group of fellow students to play basketball, one of her favorite sports. After school, Joey would play basketball outside Lincoln as they had a hoop. At home she played in the basement with a tennis ball and a coffee can. She would be the first one up in the morning and the first

one outside. The kids of the neighborhood always knew they could gather at the Halvorsons and Joey would have a team activity planned.

As Joey made her way to Franklin Junior High School, while after-school sports were still not available, she found other ways to entertain herself. She jokingly shared a story of some friends deciding to break into the school one evening — not to vandalize, just to say they did (honestly, a woman after my own heart). Earlier in the day they made sure that one of the windows to the library was unlocked. Returning to the school that evening they climbed into the window and walked around feeling like they had conquered the world. When they heard a noise within the school they all quickly left the way they came in and as far as Joey knows, no one was the wiser. There may be another story about a pulled alarm — an evacuation of a play in progress — you get the idea. Joey had and has many skills including a few great pranks as well.

For reference, Title IX is the most used name for the landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government.

In high school, Joey took Latin and discovered she loved the language. She was also part of the German Club and the Current Events Club. In this good-sized group of like-minded people who talked about the events happening in the world, Joey found her desire to be “constantly curious” about the works around her and furthered her great love of books, reading and soaking up knowledge. She was also a part of the yearbook, student government and the National Honors Society.

She joined the band in the hopes of playing the trumpet but was handed a flute instead. She played this instrument all through high school and still owns that flute today.

With her born-to-be-outdoors and be-active-DNA, following her college graduation in 1965, a group of six including Joey, decided to travel and hitchhiked their way to Germany. They went from Amsterdam through most of upper Europe. The group split up and three of them, including Joey, purchased a car and drove to Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Greece, as well as took a ferry to Mykonos Island. While south of Paris, they

were involved in a serious car crash where all three were in the hospital for several days with cuts and bruises. Thankfully, they were all released without serious injury. Joey recalls the total bill for this hospital stay was $17. They hopped on a train to Paris to continue their adventure.

In the years that followed graduation, Joey went on to teach sports at Augsburg University in Minneapolis and in 1992 was named in the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame for her role in women’s basketball, softball and volleyball. Finally, women’s sports were a reality.

Among her other many skills, Joey’s love for photography and capturing this community that she loves has been a part of her life. She takes photos for many local magazines and also offers her skills to many local nonprofits and nonprofit events at no cost.

Joey has been a Brainerd YMCA Activities Director, Community Action Director, a nanny and involved in the development of the Kinship Program. She also founded the Brainerd U.S. Co-Ed Tennis Team, served as the Brainerd Title

IX Representative and co-created Brainerd History of Women In Sports day.

Past awards include:

• Brainerd Area Arts Alliance Photographer of the Year (2008)

• Woman Making Waves Award from the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (2018)

• Sertoma Service to Mankind Award

• Brainerd Public Schools Distinguished Achievement Hall of Fame 2024

Joey cannot say enough positive things about her Brainerd school experiences. She feels our teachers excel in their attention to students and student needs, as well as helping families who have students with learning disabilities.

Breaking the barriers has always been Joey’s claim to fame and thank goodness for that. Her desire to color the world outside the lines, testing boundaries and making changes has created positive experiences for so many. And for that, we can all be thankful for Joey.

Move over, Home Economics

BY SUE STERLING

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

Brainerd High School goes beyond the Home Economics classes of years gone by. Students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to learn the skills and thrills of pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. The Chamber of Commerce and resort owners asked for a program such as this to fill the staff positions at the many resorts and restaurants in this area. There are three instructors in this Family Consumer Sciences Program — Andrew Freeman, Heidi Anderson and Emily Neistadt.

The Culinary Arts Program was started in 2017 with Emily Neistadt. Andrew Freeman, the current Culinary Arts instructor, started teaching this course in 2020, the year the Covid restrictions were implemented. Teaching this course remotely was a challenge. Students had

the option to prepare food at home or do a research project. Those who chose to prepare food would go in for 50% of the classes, staying six feet apart wearing masks and doing the cooking. Everything was mapped out for the kids and all the food was pre-cut to prevent injuries.

Three basic courses offered before getting into Culinary Arts Classes

Culinary Arts is an extension of three classes previously offered: Exploring foods, Creative foods, International foods all offer basic cooking skills.

• Exploring Foods allow students to learn about red meat, poultry and nutrition, to name a few things.

• Creative Foods allow kids to dive into cake design, cooking with chocolate, and provide a deeper dive into spices.

• International Foods allow students to learn about different foods and customs that are not their own.

All students are taught basic skills in these classes, including food safety, sanitation, knife skills and kitchen safety before cooking begins.

Students learn to work together in teams of 3-5. Problem solving, time management and a good attitude are all needed to succeed in making a meal or dish. They also learned to clean up and wash dishes as part of the curriculum. The International Food classes rotate through the cuisine of different countries. Weekly cooking plans are based on ingredient availability, and all food is purchased from local stores using only reputable, certified suppliers.

Culinary Arts Classes are in high demand

Students have a hard time getting into these classes due to their popularity. Students must take at least two of the basic classes to gain entry into Culinary 1. Then once they take and pass Culinary 1, they can take Culinary 2. These two classes are geared more toward the industry. They take students down the path of joining the hospitality industry after graduation. They learn everything from the five mother sauces to building and costing out a menu.

Emphasis is placed on the importance of adapting to the changing culinary landscape and making cooking fun and engaging for kids. They learn how to put together a menu, work up a cost list of what to buy and determine what it would cost for meals from many different cultures. This program is a veritable adventure in worldwide cuisine.

Inspiration and personality chefs

The kids often tell stories about cooking personalities like Gordon Ramsey with his shock and awe factor, and Guy Fieri from “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Female chefs, such as Julia Child, have played a significant role in the industry, and incorporating industry experience is crucial for kids to learn valuable skills. Local industry professionals volunteer their time to teach the students important skills. Chef Mike from Chef Mike’s Catering has taught knife handling skills and the CLC Culinary Instructor James Olson has shown them how to break down a chicken as well as how to debone it. Grand View Lodge chefs have also volunteered hours throughout the years, lending hands-on experience and knowledge.

Kitchen Warriors Club

Like the Culinary Program, the Kitchen Warriors is a new club on campus and is becoming a growing presence in the community. They recently participated in a fundraising event to help send the ProStart winning team to the national cooking competition. Students also recently helped celebrate the national school board by making a special dessert and presented it to them at the last meeting. The Kitchen Warriors are looking for new members at the high school.

ProStart Curriculum

These two culinary arts classes are taught using the industry-based National Restaurant Association program, ProStart. Some of the top students are part of the new

Kitchen Warriors Club, and will be competing in the annual ProStart Culinary Competition fundraiser. The jewel in the crown of the students who succeed in all the courses is the opportunity to earn the much prized ServSafe Food Handler Certification from Capstone to Culinary. These students are truly passionate about cooking and are career focused.

Why these classes are important

These classes give each student new tools for their toolbox of life, from how to handle a knife and making sure the room is spotless, to creating exquisite dishes. Students who take these classes are prepared for running a household or becoming a chef extraordinaire. Now that is something even parents will envy.

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ScottMoser BHSClassof‘84 SeniorEstimator

Legendary

Women Class of 2024

Brainerd Public Schools Legendary Women Committee is proud to announce the induction of five distinguished women into the Legendary Women Hall of Fame. Established in 2018, the Hall of Fame celebrates female graduates who have demonstrated exceptional achievement, leadership, and service. This year’s honorees are Rachel Pernina Oliver Burke (1934), Heidi Holtan (1987), Amy Wallin Price (1989), Dr. Jennifer Person (1993), and Elissa Hansen (1997). These women, along with previous inductees, now numbering 55 distinguished women, remind us that we all have a story to tell.

The Legendary Women Class of 2024 reflects excellence in Brainerd Public Schools. By honoring these women during National Women’s History Month, we shine a spotlight on their contributions to their service fields locally and globally. It’s often said that if you can see it, you can be it, and these women serve as positive female role models from all backgrounds.

Brainerd Public Schools honored these women on March 21 at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts.

‘97

Class of 2024 Legendary Women

Elissa Hansen

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS

Associate of Arts with Honors, Central Lakes College, 1999

B.S. Business Admin, Northern Arizona University, 2001

MBA/Management Emphasis, NAU, 2002

Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Exit Planning Institute, 2020

Intercultural Development Inventory

Qualified Admin, 2020 ToP Facilitator, Institute of Cultural Affairs USA, 2019 Leadership Duluth graduate, 2012

Blandin Community Leadership Program graduate, 2009

HONORS AND AWARDS

2014 Mid-America Economic Development Council’s Annual Economic Development Awards, 1st place in its division for APEX’s Data Center Attraction Strategy

2013 Mid-America Economic Development Council’s Annual Economic Development Awards, 1st place in its division for APEX’s newsletter, The Pinnacle

2013 Economic Development Association of Minnesota Excellence in Economic Development Marketing Award for APEX’s Lake County Data Center Strategy

2013 Duluth News Tribune 20 Under 40

“To know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything.”

- Anatole France

Elissa Hansen (BHS 1997) with her “calm yet adventurous energy, quick wit and authenticity” is remembered by BHS classmate Lissa Waller as a strong female role model to look up to. “She helped me through a very difficult chapter in my life. Had it not been for her, I would not have felt empowered enough to use my voice.”

Currently, as President and CEO of The Northspan Group Incorporated of Duluth, Elissa invests her time creatively advancing others’ capabilities, facilitating tough conversations, moving organizations forward with action-oriented strategic planning models. She creates settings for meaningful communication that respects diverse perspectives, creates joint resolve, and inspires individual and group action. She leads the organization with more than 20 years of experience in business, community, organizational, and economic development across Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Elissa earned her undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University. She is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator, and a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional. She is a graduate of both the Leadership Duluth and Blandin Community Leadership programs. Elissa has been a board member or officer of over 30 organizations including Duluth City Council President and Duluth City Council Finance Chair. She has served as an Area Partnership for Economic Development (APEX) board member, Duluth Economic Development Authority Commissioner and served on the Duluth Mayor’s Economic Development Coalition.

Elissa has earned multiple awards including 2014 Mid-America Economic Development Council’s Annual Economic Development Awards first place for APEX’s Data Center Attraction Strategy. She has been honored as one of the Duluth News Tribune’s “20 under 40,” which celebrates professionals who are making a positive impact and working for change in the region.

Prior to her work at Northspan, Elissa was Managing Partner of Steam Creative Consulting and Director of Marketing and Business Development of Lake Superior Consulting. She was a NE MN SHIP Regional Coordinator for the Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board and an Economic Development Specialist for the Brainerd Lakes Area Development Corporation.

In fact, Elissa began her business career even before her high school graduation, becoming the general and assistant manager of the Nisswa Country Store in Nisswa in 1994. She says, “I think the person who really helped to inspire the trajectory I am on right now was Sheila Haverkamp who I worked with at the Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corporation (BLAEDC). Sheila’s passion for community and prosperity just completely fit my personal mission to unleash human passion. I now get to do that every day in my work at Northspan.” Her lifelong friend from BHS Lissa Waller concurs, “Elissa is truly deserving of being a Legendary Woman of Brainerd Public Schools.”

‘89

Class of 2024 Legendary Women

Amy Wallin Price EDUCATION

Diploma Brainerd High School 1989

Associate of Arts Degree

Applied Science/Accounting with Honors, Central Lakes College

Realtor License 2014

AWARDS AND HONORS

Realtor of the Year, Greater Lakes Association of Realtors 2023

Brainerd Rotary Service

Above Self Award 2023

Executive Club Award at Weichert Realtors 2017,2018

Weichert President’s Club Award 2019

Realty Group Chairman’s Group Award 2020,’21,‘22

Mark Sjoblom Weichert Pride Award 2015, 2017

Jim Alderman Community Spirit Award 2016

Ambassador of the Good Samaritan Bowl 2018

Realty Group RG Citizen Award (out of 700+ real estate agents) 2020, 2021, 2022

“The girl picked up a starfish, threw it back into the ocean and said, “It makes a difference to this one.””

- The Tale of the Starfish

Amy Wallin Price (BHS 1989) at the age of 7, helped her brother with his paper route. She got her own paper route when she was old enough and delivered newspapers after school until she was 15. That made it difficult to be in after-school activities. “What it did do for me though,” she says, “was give me a great work ethic and the knowledge that if I want something, I need to work for it.”

After graduating with honors from BHS, she earned her Associate of Arts degree in Applied Science/Accounting with Honors from Central Lakes College. She put her degree to good use working as an accountant at Brainerd area businesses Kummet Larson & Bluth, Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union and Lakeland Mold. A brief pause in pursuit of her career was taken to enjoy raising her two daughters, Emily and Morgan, with her husband Chad. In 2014, she returned to the workforce, attaining her real estate license and becoming a full-time award-winning realtor.

Amy’s awards include the Executive Club Award at Weichert Realtors in 2017 and 2018, Weichert President’s Club 2019, Realty Group Chairman’s Group Award for 40+ transactions in a year in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Since joining Realty Group in 2020, she has been one of the top 20 agents each year out of 700+ real estate agents and earned the No. 3 spot in 2022. In fact, Amy was just named 2023 Realtor of the Year by the Greater Lakes Association of Realtors.

Amy notes, “I’ve always cared about people in need and people in their senior years. When I had my paper route, I’d stop and visit with the ladies on my route because they were lonely. Now, I use my job to be able to make sure that seniors are taken care of fairly and honestly, and given the time needed to explain the selling process. My volunteer time involves helping clients move who don’t have anyone to help them and spending extra time with them…both during and after the sale.”

Amy continues, “I take clients to dinners at The Center and other events so they don’t have to go alone. I have a client who lives in assisted living. I sold her home several years ago. We spend time together with Dairy Queens and I shop for her, as she doesn’t have anyone in town. I’m proud of the business that I have built on hard work and sincerely caring for my clients.”

Amy has been recognized for her volunteer efforts with the 2015 and 2017 Mark Sjoblom Weichert Pride Award for work ‘Above and Beyond’ customer service and community involvement. She has received the 2016 Jim Alderman Community Spirit Award, the 2018 Ambassador of the Good Samaritan Bowl, plus the 2020, 2021, 2022 Realty Group RG Citizen Award and the 2023 Brainerd Rotary Service Above Self Award.

From maintaining the flower garden at Kiwanis Park, initially built and cared for by her dad James Wallin, since his death in 2015 to helping with The Center’s infamous “doughnuts” project from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. every Thursday for close to a decade, Amy asserts, “If there is a need somewhere and I can fit it in my schedule...I’ll do it!”

Class of 2024 Legendary Women

Heidi Holtan EDUCATION

Diploma with Honors, Brainerd High School 1987

B.A. Women’s Studies, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

AWARDS AND HONORS

Building Bridges in Media Award, Islamic Resource Group

KAXE MN Achievement Award, AMPERS Public Radio Network

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

From “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

Heidi Holtan (BHS 1987) Producer, Director, and Voice for KAXE Public Radio in Grand Rapids, says, “In high school, I was a shy kid. I loved to read. I loved band. I loved my family and friends. And I wasn’t sure what I would do with my life.” She attended the University of MinnesotaTwin Cities campus, earning a B.A. degree in Women’s Studies. During that time, she worked in the MN Legislative Reference Library at the state Capitol, creating files about legislators and notable public officials, clipping newspaper stories daily and assisting patrons researching the legislative history of laws. After college, promoted to a new position at the Reference Library, she learned more about the state of the world and how to help others find information. Heidi explains, “I began to slowly grow into myself and what I wanted to do. I loved to be of service and in a job where I was constantly learning something new. I use what I learned in my 10 years at the Capitol every single day.”

Heidi’s love of family changed her career trajectory. She returned to Brainerd in her late 20s to assist her siblings and parents with their family business, Fronteer Directory. She doesn’t regret the move, especially after losing her parents in her 40s. “It was the greatest gift I could have given myself, to be with the people I loved the most.”

When her family sold the business, Heidi again found herself at a crossroads. She listened to KAXE and found it was a “lifeline to music and stories of people who were making a difference in their communities.” A friend pushed Heidi to follow through on a goal she’d once had: Host a radio program.

“Radio isn’t like public speaking. It’s personal and it’s creative and it became what I wanted to dig into. Radio combined what I had been doing all along: serving community, telling stories and learning new things every single day,” says Heidi.

Heidi performed many different roles at KAXE, from Music Host and Outreach Producer to Program Director and Director of Content and Public Affairs. As Regional Correspondent PBS North Duluth, she hosts the local edition of NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She’s enjoyed the many opportunities offered to her like leading the StoryCorps project in Grand Rapids, reporting on anti-Muslim activities in northern Minnesota, and receiving the Building Bridges in Media award from the Islamic Resource Group. During the pandemic, she hosted weekly conversations with Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan earning a statewide achievement award for KAXE from the AMPERS public radio network. KAXE has grown during Heidi’s 22-plus years there, including building a new station in Bemidji and creating a local newsroom, requiring years of research and fundraising.

Recently, Heidi spoke at a Public Media Journalism Conference in San Antonio, Texas, about inclusion and equity as a white leader in media. She moderated a keynote panel for Springboard for the Arts in Fergus Falls that addressed inclusion and equity in rural spaces, and co-hosted a fundraiser for Second Harvest North Central Food Bank. She has been a panelist on public television for many candidate election forums. Heidi serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, overseeing the building of a new space that highlights art and stories of Indigenous communities.

Heidi says, “If legendary means embracing the small moments in life and being with the people you love, I guess that’s what I am. I am grateful to be inducted into the Legendary Women of Brainerd Public Schools Hall of Fame because Brainerd High School gave me that curiosity and love of learning that led me to exactly the place where I was meant to be.

‘87

‘93

Class of 2024 Legendary Women

Dr. Jennifer Person

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

AA Degree, Brainerd Community College 1996

BA Degree in Biology, Hamline University 1999

From Northwestern Health Sciences University: BS in Human Biology 2002

Doctorate in Chiropractic Sciences 2002

Board Certification in Acupuncture 2009

Board Certification in Dry Needling 2020

National Board Certified 2002

Physiotherapy Board Certified 2002

Canadian Board Certified 2002

AWARDS AND HONORS

Minnesota Top Chiropractors 2019, 2023

Paul Harris Service Above Self Award, Brainerd Rotary, 2023

Outstanding 75 Alumni Award of Central Lakes College, 2014

National Science Achievement Award

“Knowledge is power.

It can help you overcome any fear of the unexpected.”

- Jay Shetty

Dr. Jennifer Person (BHS 1993) believes in the adage “Knowledge is power.” She notes, “Knowledge helps you make decisions. Taking time to gather information may be harder and more time-consuming, but it helps me make better decisions. I use this philosophy in my everyday life and especially with my patients.” Currently, Jennifer is partner and Doctor of Chiropractic and Acupuncture at Family Chiropractic in Baxter, returning to her hometown from her prior position as business owner and Chiropractic Physician in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. Jennifer earned her first BA degree in biology from Hamline University in 1999 and her second BS degree in Human Biology with a Doctorate in Chiropractic Sciences in 2002 from Northwestern Health Sciences University. She holds certifications in Acupuncture and Dry Needling, and is also National Board, Physiotherapy Board and Canadian Board certified. She has received training on techniques to treat and support ALS.

Jennifer was selected as one of Minnesota Top Chiropractors, 2019-2023. She was a recipient of the “Outstanding 75 Alumni” Award of Central Lakes College in 2014 and received the 2023 Paul Harris “Service Above Self” Award from the Brainerd Rotary.

Selected to travel extensively for a year performing with the international music group “Up With People,” Jennifer stayed with host families and participated in community service projects. Her work also included being a vocal instructor, teaching a 2.5 hour contemporary musical show to the cast, who were all from different countries. She says, “Having this background has given me the ability to be open to new ideas and experiences, to seek out uncomfortable and unfamiliar territories, and say ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’ to opportunities that appear on my life’s journey.”

Throughout the Brainerd lakes area and Canada, Jennifer is a piano accompanist for choirs, churches and community events and is a musical theater vocal director. She currently serves as vice president on the board of the Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota.

Jennifer has been featured in Lake Country Journal magazine in a 2018 article entitled, “No Drugs No Surgery Less Pain,” in Her Voice magazine in a 2015 article entitled, “Blending East and West,” and in Central Lakes College Alumni magazine in 2014 for “The Ripple Effect.”

Near and dear to Jennifer’s heart is being a part of the development and coordination of Camp Journey, a Brainerd Rotary program to help youth who have experienced a loss in their life. Since 2009, she has been chair of Camp Journey Grief Camp located in Brainerd.

For their influence in her life, Jennifer credits her parents saying, “‘Education was a gift;’”

her mentor Sarah Aamot for “‘Giving me, as a music student, an opportunity to grow in something I loved;’” and mentor Jan Kurtz for “‘igniting the fire in me to explore other places and cultures.’”

Jennifer adds, “I try to remind myself how important it is to never lose sight of what and who you love.”

That knowledge is powerful.

‘34

Class of 2024 Legendary Women

Rachel (Perky) Pernina Oliver Burke

EDUCATION

Diploma with Honors, Brainerd Public Schools

PUBLISHED WORKS

Published works in The Lutheran, St. Anthony Messenger, CentraCare Health Publications, Brainerd Dispatch, St. Cloud and Walker newspapers including: Remembering a Cold February Night (In memory of Edward and other veterans of WW2), Brainerd Dispatch

Write or Weep, read live by Perky for NewsCut newscut.mprnews.org/2018/03/perky/ “We mustn’t forget… be grateful for the good things because that is a gift. “

- Perky Burke

JUST BECAUSE I’M A WOMAN Pernina O. Burke 1990

Mr. Mechanic – I warn you: Just because I’m a woman –Don’t you dare tell me I need a whole new cooling system in my car when all I need is a fuse and a can of Freon!

And don’t you dare tell me I need a battery and a new starter when all I need is to have the connections checked and the corroded terminals cleaned!

And don’t you dare tell me I need an entire exhaust system when all I need is a tailpipe!

And don’t you dare tell me I need brake pads and calipers and “the works” when absolutely all I need is the pads! Besides, this old car isn’t worth the price of “the works.”

I’m finally getting smarter. I’ve been through all this garbage. I’ve trusted mechanics because they’re supposed to know about these things. But no more. Now I get a second opinion.

Just like at the doctor’s office –Because I’m a woman!

Rachel (Perky) Pernina Oliver Burke (BHS 1934) graduated with honors at age 16, two years earlier than the typical 1934 BHS grad. A member of the National Honor Society, Declamation Club and Commercial Club serving as secretary her senior year, she was also an actor in the Senior Class play. Perky met her husband, Edward Burke, in 1935 while both were employed at the Farm Credit Administration in Brainerd. Like Perky, Ed had graduated high school at age 16. They married in 1937. Their family grew with the birth of two children.

Activated as Commander of Company A, 194th Tank Battalion, Ed deployed in September 1941, serving in the Philippines. In May 1942, Perky received word that her husband was MIA. Unknown to her, five months earlier, Ed had been wounded and captured as a POW, information she didn’t receive until December 1942. He didn’t return home until October 1945.

During WW2, Perky worked at a local defense plant making bolts for airplanes and was involved in homefront war efforts including playing in the Brainerd Ladies’ Drum and Bugle Corps in 1942, joining other band members who also had loved ones in the 194th Tank Battalion.

During the war and after, with Ed’s recovery at home from his POW experience and alcohol addiction, Perky was the main caregiver for the family and operated a board and care home for veterans with mental illnesses in St. Cloud until 1957. She washed, ironed, cooked and cleaned for the eight boarders while caring for her growing family of six. “I loved those years!” she said. “Busy, busy. Hardly had time to breathe. Ed’s sobriety was a big, big part of it.” With low profit outweighing their exhaustive efforts, they closed the Board and Care in 1957.

Perky spent 25 years as a secretary in the pathology department at St. Cloud Hospital and also taught medical terminology, transcription and office procedures at St. Cloud Technical College. Perky used her self-taught skills to teach medical terminology to the blind, dictating into a computer which printed in both English and Braille. After retiring from the hospital, she edited a medical textbook for a local law firm and was offered a job, finally retiring at age 80.

Perky was a prolific writer. When she was 7, her four-line poem was published in a children’s magazine. As an adult, Perky had numerous essays published in local and regional publications. She was a dedicated member of the Sinclair Lewis Writing Club of Sauk Center. Throughout her lifetime, Perky remained active in the Ex-POW Department of the State of MN and St. Cloud, serving as Chaplain for 27 years. She was also a sought-after community theater actress.

Perky writes, “My last gig was as Ethel in On Golden Pond. It’s a role I played twice with the same leading man. The last time, I was 78 years old. I enjoy theater very, very much.”

Perky, a talented seamstress, made most of her own and her daughters’ clothes. Musically talented, Perky was a composer and played piano, organ, tenor drums and saxophone. She remained a member of the esteemed Brainerd Ladies’ Drum and Bugle Corps and traveled with the group to perform in many events including the 1949 New Orleans Mardi Gras parades where the Corps was heralded with national acclaim.

Edward, at age 56, and three of their six children preceded Perky in death. At her 100th birthday celebration, Perky remarked, “I used to think 79 was old. Now anybody who’s under 80 is certainly a kid.” An accomplished woman of substance, Perky passed away in September 2018 at age 100.

Julia’s Journey: Overcoming obstacles through early intervention

BY JODIE NORQUIST

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

Lowell fourth-grader Julia Fargo can be described in many ways. She’s bright, funny, caring, brave, confident and a good friend. Julia is also deaf.

At 10, Julia has faced many challenges throughout her young life. However, with the support of early intervention services provided by her dedicated Brainerd Early Childhood Special Education team and her parents, Matt and Nikki Fargo, who were determined to help Julia communicate with the world around her, Julia has proven that deafness is not a barrier to success. Being deaf is one of the many reasons why Julia is an amazing kid.

“I’m a forever changed educator because of Julia and her family,” says Martha Smithson, Brainerd Early Learning principal. “It was so exciting to learn with you and celebrate your successes with you.”

“Hear that, mom?” Julia says, smiling at her mom, Nikki, while sitting in a conference room at Lowell School. “I changed somebody’s life.”

Newspapers In Education provides newspapers, lessons, online activities and links for classrooms and homes.

nieonline.com/brainerdecho

“You changed everybody’s life,” Nikki responds, grinning back at her daughter.

Julia was born at Essentia Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd. During the routine hospital screening at birth, her hearing test indicated she may have hearing loss in her right ear, and she was referred to an audiologist at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. At two months, Julia was found to be deaf in her right ear during that appointment at Children’s Hospital. While the Fargo family, which includes Julia’s sister, Sofia, who is two years older, was concerned and fearful of what this could mean for Julia, they soon discovered things were worse than expected.

At five months, Julia stopped responding to sounds altogether. She no longer cooed or made other baby sounds. Something was wrong.

“I told Matt, ‘I don’t think she can hear us anymore,’” recalls Nikki. “I was scared.”

Another hearing test revealed what the Fargos had feared; Julia was now deaf in both ears. Doctors are unsure why this occurred. Julia was healthy and perfect in every way, says Nikki, but Nikki still grieved, worried about what the future would hold for her baby girl. Julia was referred to the Help Me Grow (HMG) program through the Brainerd School District. The program is a state-wide resource and referral service that provides additional support for families with a young child, birth to age 5, who needs help meeting developmental milestones.

At 5 months, Julia was outfitted with hearing aids to attempt to see if they would help. Through the Help Me Grow process, Julia and her family were matched with a speech and language pathologist, Lori Schweitzberger, and Smithson, who was an early intervention teacher at the time. Julia needed help learning to communicate, and her family needed to know how to best communicate with her. They went to the family’s home each week to find ways to bridge the communication gap between Julia and her family members as they worked to help her meet milestones despite her learning obstacles.

The hearing aids did not work for Julia, so the Fargos

She never dwelled on being different. She’s proud of who she is, and I admire her, truly. She’s unique and special.

- Nikki Fargo

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decided she would undergo surgery to receive two cochlear implants. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that can help provide sound to a person who is deaf or hard of hearing. A portion of the device is surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear, and an external portion rests behind the ear. While an implant doesn’t restore hearing, it can convert sound and speech into electronic pulses sent to different parts of the auditory nerve. Cochlear implants are not hearing aids that amplify sounds. Instead, they can bypass damaged areas of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve.

Julia was 10 months old when she underwent surgery for cochlear implants. She needed time to heal before the implants were activated when she was 11 months old at Children’s Hospital. It was an emotional experience for everyone, watching Julia respond to sounds, such as tapping on a table and her mom’s voice.

Smithson and Schweitzberger also traveled to the Twin Cities to some of her audiology appointments, trying to learn as much as they could on how to help Julia and her new cochlear implants.

“You were the sweetest, happiest baby. We wanted to learn so much for you, Julia,” Smithson tells Julia with a smile. “Sometimes Nikki didn’t know what to ask, and we would help. We would say, ‘Let’s connect you. Let’s keep fighting together.’”

“I never had to navigate those waters alone,” adds Nikki.

Even though Julia can hear sounds and understand speech because of her cochlear implants, it is still important she and her family are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). There are times when she can’t wear her processors. The batteries must be charged, and she can’t sleep with her processors. For example, it can be difficult for her to hear the teacher in loud classroom settings, so her teachers wear a microphone-type necklace connected via Bluetooth to Julia’s

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

cochlear processor. She also has an ASL interpreter in her classes, so she doesn’t miss anything. At about six months old, Julia was matched for two years with a deaf mentor, Emily Smith-Lundberg, to help in her ASL training.

Nikki took as many ASL courses as she could at Central Lakes College to communicate with her daughter.

“I do not want her to have any minute of her life where she doesn’t have access to language,” Nikki explains.

When Julia was 3 years old, she attended preschool at Washington Educational Services Building. Today, Julia is enrolled in the AGATE Academy for gifted students at Lowell Elementary School. She is one of two deaf students at her school. Many of her friends have learned ASL to communicate with her. She’s come a long way since she was an infant who fell behind in her development when she lost her hearing ability.

Julia plans to attend Camp UBU in South Dakota for a week this summer, a camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing campers who have completed second through eighth grades. She’s excited to meet other campers who are also deaf and to learn more about the deaf culture.

“It’s an opportunity for me to learn different ways to sign,” adds Julia.

Looking back, Nikki says Julia’s deafness has made her a better person. Nikki has reached outside her comfort zone and testified before Minnesota state lawmakers about the importance of the Deaf Mentors program. She’s learned how to become a strong advocate for her daughter, who, in turn, has learned to advocate for herself.

Sometimes, Julia wishes she wasn’t deaf. But most of the time, she considers it a gift.

Early Intervention Available at Brainerd Public Schools

Brainerd Public Schools provides early childhood special education for children from birth to kindergarten who show a developmental delay in the general areas of speech and language, large and fine motor skills, social and emotional behavior, cognitive and/or adaptive skills or have a vision or hearing loss.

After a child receives a formal evaluation to identify special needs, trained ECSE teachers and specialists will work with parents, caregivers, and the child. These special services take place in the child’s home or natural environment. From age 3 to kindergarten, children receive these services at sites including Warrior Early Learning Center and Nisswa Elementary School.

For more information, call the Warrior Early Learning Center at 218-454-5430.

“I sometimes feel I have more opportunities than other people do,” Julia explains.

“She never dwelled on being different,” adds her mom. “She’s proud of who she is, and I admire her, truly. She’s unique and special.”

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For Students Age 15-24 who are primary owner on a checking account

Student can earn a $25 reward* deposited into their checking account up to twice a year for obtaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher per grading period.

*Must be eligible for membership.

For more information on this program please stop in and talk with us!

Sandy Loney’s Forestview students learn to help the less fortunate through H2O for Life program

BY JOLENE ZELENSKI

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

29. 13. 8. 84,000. 65. 100,000. These numbers represent a brief glimpse into Sandy Loney’s teaching career.

Loney, an earth science teacher, has been teaching for 29 years and will retire at the end of the current school year. She first started at Franklin Junior High School before moving over to Forestview Middle School. However, if you ask her to look back over her career, she’ll instead point you to her passion project, Water Week.

Water Week is part of H2O for Life, which is a student learning program that raises awareness about and funds for

clean water projects in Central America, Africa and Asia. Loney first brought this program to Forestview 13 years ago after hearing about H2O for Life at a conference.

“All my passions were tied into one: girls in school, the environment, helping pull communities out of global poverty,” said Loney. “Everything about this program, it’s just what I wanted.”

The first year was a single table. As the years went by, Loney worked to incorporate more ways for students to get involved. Eight years ago Loney and her husband, Allan, built “Drink-O,” an 8-foot tall board modeled after Plink-O from “The Price is Right.”

Students can purchase tokens ($1 each or 6 for $5) and drop the tokens down the board in the hopes of winning a prize. This quick game creates a statement piece in the commons and is a significant fundraiser. Plus, it’s just fun.

“I’m going to go to the opposite side of the goal in the hopes it goes in,” said Preslee Glynn, a student at Forestview. Students watch daily educational water videos and have a variety of ways to contribute:

Purchase special Water Week T-shirts which were designed by students

• Buy “water drops” with the winning team earning a Dilly Bar party which is always generously donated by the Dairy Queen Grill and Chill on the east side of Brainerd

• Compete by grade level in penny wars to earn a freezee party in the spring

• Buy (and eat) Brainerd Senior Center doughnuts with a preparation assist by the Sunrise Rotary Club

• Drop off aluminum cans for recycling in the bin in the parking lot

“Crow Wing Recycling generously gives the can bin and banner each year,” said Loney. “They’ve been wonderful.”

There are also grand prizes for the two students who bring in the most donations. The winners can select an all-terrain hoverboard, an Oculus Quest 2 or a $225 Target gift card. The prizes are donated by LCL Electronics.

Beyond the fun, games and doughnuts, students have an opportunity to practice leadership skills. Loney’s student teams are assigned a job and may have other students to guide as part of that job. For example, Forestview student Patrick Schuedy is the Drink-O board manager.

The week culminates by making a lasting impact for students in other countries. The funds raised are sent to schools that need access to clean water and are matched by an non-governmental organization in the local community to ensure community support. Clean water access means building cement pitted latrines, a hand cleaning station and hygiene education.

Loney and her students are able to select which schools to direct their donations as well as see before and after photos through the H2O for Life website. This year they have chosen four schools in Nicaragua.

Prior to kicking off 2024 Water Week, Forestview students have raised just over $84,000 and provided clean water access to students in 65 schools. Loney originally set a goal to raise

$100,000, however, this is the final year of Water Week with Loney’s upcoming retirement.

“I had never thought of doing anything like this,” said Loney, as she looked back at the effort to make Water Week a reality. “This is really a full-time job.”

Anyone wanting to help the Forestview students to reach the goal can donate online at www.H2OforLifeSchools.org/ sponsors/5, or drop off aluminum cans for recycling in the bin in the Forestview parking lot.

“It’s everything coming together. Kids participate that you never hear their voice in the classroom and they participate,” said Loney. “It’s fun to see the kids want to give back to those who have so little in life.”

After retirement Loney plans to travel including going to Central America to help sea turtles and find a second home for the Drink-O game to benefit animal shelters and rescues.

And Loney’s reflections for her students as she looks back over her career?

“I want them to learn the message that we help take care of each other. That’s the message I want to leave them with.”

Growing trees while growing students

BY REBECCA FLANSBURG

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

Iam the Lorax who speaks for the trees.”

There may not be a fuzzy orange guy inspired by a Dr. Seuss book to speak up for the trees in the Brainerd lakes area, but there is an army of passionate people who are determined not to let the younger generation forget how vital our woodlands are.

During the Forestview Middle School construction in 2003, a committee was formed to reserve the adjoining 60 acres of woodland as a learning tool for current and future ISD181 students. One of the committee’s goals was to apply for a Minnesota School Forest designation from the Department of Natural Resources. A school forest is an outdoor classroom where teachers and students utilize nature to teach core subjects such as math, science, reading, writing, geography, physical education, the arts and much more. The committee’s

application was approved in 2005, and the work to create something special began. Area leaders, organizations, businesses, teachers and DNR employees moved literal mountains to develop and maintain what is now known as the Dean Makey School Forest.

In 2011, Robin Knutson was approached by kindergarten teachers who wanted to do something special with the seedling trees their students were given during the fall semester. Knutson then worked with retired DNR Forester

and School Forest Committee Member

Dean Makey to create a new project. Kindergarten class trees introduced students to conifer trees through a classroom presentation. Kids could touch a tree seedling while learning the importance of roots, leaves and trunks. The seedlings from each kindergarten class were planted in a designated “grove” within the school forest. Now a Secondary Curriculum Specialist, Knutson is still very involved in the school forest project.

“Each class liked the idea of naming their trees, and some of the names they came up with are pretty creative,” Makey shared. “We’ve had lots of ‘Pokey,’ ‘Piney,’ and ‘’Spike,’ but we’ve also seen names like ‘Rootie,’ ‘Sir Spikes A Lot,’ and ‘Elsa Greenleaf.” This project has been going on for so long that we filled up Kindergarten Grove No. 1 and are now working on planting in Grove No. 2.”

To date, nearly 8,000 tree seedlings have been planted by students in other reforestation projects, covering approximately 13 acres of the forest. Some of the original planted seedlings are 20 feet tall.

These fresh plantings are a milestone for each graduating class and a learning experience for other grades. Makey, along with DNR and County foresters, Crow Wing Soil and Conservation District experts and Natural Resource students from Central Lakes College use the school forest to teach fifth graders the importance of good forest stewardship.

“We teach them about the history of the land and how the school forest was created,” Makey noted. “We teach the importance of reforestation of cut areas and why clearing the brush around the trees reduces competition with other plants for moisture and sunlight. Tree identification is another learning tool we use so youngsters understand that not every conifer tree is a ‘pine.’”

Former student and 2021 graduate Jacob F. recalls when his fifth grade class participated in Forestry Days. “I remember learning about the tools used for forestry and how foresters manage trees,” he shared. “I also remember seeing my kindergarten class tree, and it was cool to see how much it had grown.” Now a resident of Florida, Jacob added he plans to return to the school forest when he can to see how much his class’s tree has grown.

Teacher Chris Hanson also actively participates in the school forest and its offerings. As a seventh grade science teacher, a cross-country coach and one of the forest’s coordinators, he shares how he uses the forest as an outdoor classroom.

“I’ve been fortunate to be able to use the Dean Makey Forest as a training site for cross-country running, track, and Nordic skiing kids and for promoting outdoor activities of all sorts,” he shared. “I am passionate about getting kids and adults active and outdoors, so this patch of woods and wetlands is an incredible resource literally steps away from the school doors.”

Makey added the students help with the school forest maintenance mainly in the spring and fall. Spring is a time for planting new tree seedlings and removing any brush that may

inhibit growth. In the fall, students learn how to protect the fragile seedlings from hungry deer during the winter. Makey and other team members show students how to protect those vital parts with “bud capping,” a tactic where protective paper is wrapped and stapled around the tips of each young tree. A more labor-intensive method involves a mesh tube that encircles the seedling until it can grow to a height that deer and other hungry woodland critters can’t reach. These protective barriers are removed during the summer so the trees can grow freely.

During the spring, summer and fall, residents enjoy using the forest trails for exercising, dog walking and a quiet reprieve from busy lives. During the winter, the Brainerd Nordic Ski Club grooms the main, wider trails for skiing only. One option for foot traffic during winter is the new singletrack trail for hiking, mountain biking and snowshoeing enthusiasts, which offers a more intimate forest experience. To accommodate the growing popularity of the forest’s trails, an extended parking area was added, and thanks to local Eagle Scouts, a kiosk and picnic table at the trail’s entrance were added as well.

“One of our many goals with the school forest is to teach kids how to be a good steward of the forest,” Makey noted. “Often, nature is not kind to our trees. That’s when we must harvest fallen, dead, or diseased trees, provide water to seedlings and young trees during drought, clear overgrown brush, and protect them from wildlife damage. All forests, whether the Forestview School Forest or others, should be viewed as places to learn, enjoy and respect. If you like to breathe air, then we need our trees. The oxygen they produce is critical for the well-being of all living creatures. And I think that’s something we all take for granted.”

The Dean Makey School Forest page on the ISD 181 website contains information on the project’s history, updates, trail maps, and more. Learn more by visiting https://sites.google. com/isd181.org/deanmakeyschoolforest/home.

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