Kids School Pages - Jan. 2012

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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HX]dda EV\Zh JANUARY 2012 Brainerd Community Education Central Lakes College

Garfield Elementary Lake Region Christian School

Pequot Lakes Pillager Area Charter School

Crosslake Community School

Pillager Schools

Learning Tree Preschool

Discovery Woods

Lowell Elementary

St. Francis Catholic School

Forestview Middle School

Nisswa Elementary

Staples/Motley

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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Washington Fun ’N’ Friends FYAC

(Forestview Youth Advisory Council) The FYAC had the opportunity to give back to the community by volunteering at the Ruby’s Pantry on December 6, 2011 over at the Brainerd Armory. The youths had the opportunity to help set up for the big food distribution as well as participating to separate food items, i.e., salad, eggs, potatoes, bread to name a few. The youths thoroughly enjoyed themselves that they committed to volunteer at Ruby’s Pantry in January and April 2012.

Imagination !

Animal Club

Science

Senior Leaders Some of the youths from Senior Leaders had fun playing in Brainerd’s first snow storm, enjoyed the holidays and friendship.

Cooking Club

“Future chefs, Kyle and Laura of KinderClub Early-Age Care/Pre-K Program are making cookies for the Holidays.”

Forestview Chef Club Forestview Chef Club was busy cooking and baking with the finest cooks and bakers locally here in Brainerd. Pictured are: Mike from Rafferty’s Pizza, “Tim the Baker” from SuperOne and Shannon from Papa Murphy’s Pizza participated as guest speakers and assisted the young chefs how things are made, baked, cooked, and measured at their restaurant and bake shop.

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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Heavy Equipment program graduates 40 at Central Lakes College

Bow donated to Humphrey Center A bow that once belonged to the late Pete Humphrey has been placed in the Skone Family Conservatory housing the Humphrey Center for American Indian Studies.

LaVonne Danzl, whose late husband Bob had received the six-foot basswood hunting bow as a gift from his canoeing pal, Humphrey, recently donated the bow to the Humphrey Center so that it may be displayed along with the many other artifacts housed in the facility adjacent to the Jon Hassler Library at CLC. Humphrey had bequeathed his collection to the CLC Foundation in 1995. Bob Danzl died in 1999.

The latest addition to the conservatory is in line with expansion plans, said Mary Sam, CLC director of intercultural services, diversity and tribal relations.

“Our long term plan is to generate dollars to fund building interactive kiosks within the Center, a smart board for showing American Indian films and teaching for all ages, and a hands-on area that will allow guests to learn about American Indian crafts,” Sam said.

Total cost of this undertaking will be about $45,000. Mary said the goal is to utilize the Center as a cradle to college learning and community engagement on American Indian issues.

Forty students were recognized as fall graduates of the Central Lakes College Heavy Equipment Operations and Maintenance program at Staples.

Special recognition went to Zachariah Helton, Baxter, and Tad Woessner, Fergus Falls, who received Outstanding Student awards for their participation level and teamwork commitment.

Corey Woodwick of Staples was the student representative delivering remarks during the ceremony, which was held in the cafeteria with a roast beef luncheon for about 200 guests.

The fall graduates posed afterward for a group photo at the main entrance area on the Staples campus.

Business Management advisory board

Attending the first meeting of the Business Management Program Advisory Board at Central Lakes College were Ann Hutchison (front left), Pillager High School; Cindy Brey, Sweetwater Resort; Kristi Westbrock, Consolidated Telephone Co.; Angela Brown,

VISTA volunteer; Deb McCarthy, CLC; Jill CarlsonFerrie (middle left), Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union; Twyla Flaws, Clow Stamping; Deb Marlton, Crosby-Ironton High School; Aundra Erickson, Country Financial; Mary Richards, student; Pat Swarthout, CLC; Scott Stroot, Ameriprise Financial; Rod Reuer (back left), Brainerd High School; Mike Bjerkness, Pro Staff; Steve Lackner, Lakeland Mold; Tom Reese, CLC; and Michael Amick, CLC. Other members not pictured are Troy Johnson, Ascensus; Karen Owen, Riverwood Bank; Sarah Carlson, Essentia Health; Karen Kirt, Suite Spaces LLC; Theresa Sullivan, Cuyuna Regional Medical Center; Mark Korte, Nor-Son; and Christina Landree, Pro Staff. The group meets periodically to discuss the current curriculum and entertain ideas for adjustments to sustain relevant career education for future professionals.

Less-Stress Day The Central Lakes College Psychology Club sponsored Stress Management Day just ahead of Finals Week with activities and advice to alleviate stress among students. Maddy Gregory (left), Baxter, and Amanda Deneen, Brainerd, enjoyed a stress-relieving, color therapy table. The club provided chair massages

by Club President Casey Burnett, CMT, as well as a humor exhibit, organic exfoliate hand treatments, free cookies and drawings for prizes.

Capitol tour for international students Central Lakes College international students recently toured the state capitol in St. Paul and met with Lori Swanson, state attorney general. The group included from left, Carlos Solano Monestel, Costa Rica; Steve Wenzel adjunct political science instructor, former legislator; Dennis Musasizi, Uganda; Genevieve Avevor, Ghana; Karmila Seran, Central Java, Indonesia; Lori Swanson, Minnesota attorney general; Georgi Georgiev, Bulgaria; Shanice Hector, South Africa; Irshad Hussain, Pakistan; Nqobile Mahlangu, South Africa; and Erich Heppner, CLC director of student life.

The tour included a visit to House chambers, where the students learned about the significance of the art work

Kinship kids party The Drug Awareness class at Central Lakes College received a Youth As Resources (YAR) grant to create a fun evening for the Kinship Kids waiting for partners.

YAR is a program under the direction of the Greater United Way of Brainerd. The CLC students chose this project to give the children a fun night with positive role models and show them that the dream of college is attainable, for anyone. The class organized the project because it’s so important to let kids know that someone cares about them and that they can reach their goals and dreams.

CLC Drug Awareness class students shown with some of the Kinship kids are, front from left, Kinship kids Dylan, Blake, Brian, Zak and Kevin with YAR Board members Julie Ashburn and Kelsey Binggeli, and Sophia Hotzler. Middle from left: Jed Jaekel, Kelsey Schwartz, Suzy Cavalier, Samantha Erickson, Adam Gunderman, Kaycee Nelson, Jeff Grimsley, Ariel Switajewski, Nicole Mason, Rachel Borgschatz. Back from left: Skyler Shearer, Robin Turner, Molly Nelson, Michael Farrington, Kahreem Horsley, Maurice Hernandez, Roberto Lopez, Brandon Davis.

Helping youngsters learn

Twenty-four Staples-Motley fourth and how legislators produce laws when in session. The and fi fth graders students also were also shown the Senate chambers enjoyed two days and the historic former Supreme Court chambers. of after-school lab time at Central Lakes College in Staples. Their teachers were CLC students in anatomy and physiolThe Central Lakes College Natural Resources ogy, whose serviceClub is sponsoring a new Explorer Post, which held learning exercise its first meeting last month on the Brainerd campus, required them to provide stations according to Adviser Kent Montgomery. d e m o n s t r ating Exploring is a unique career exploration program skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Students for young men and women ages 14 to 20 years old. worked in teams to offer interactive exploration and The program provides students the opportunity to measurable outcomes.

The collegians included Michelle learn about careers in natural resources and network Herbst, Stephanie St. Hilair, Erica Munsch, and Becky with professionals in the field.

George, Baxter; Meleah Holbrook, JoLeen Buchta, Lau"The Exploring program is a great opportunity to ra Moore, Anne Holker, and Rachel Keehr, Brainerd; find out whether a particular career field is right for Alanna Tibbetts, Aitkin; Amanda Brown, Staples; Ryan you and to get to know other students who share your Markham, Pequot Lakes; Jennifer Swanson, Upsala; interests and work aspirations," said Kent. "ExplorNanci Dupre, Royalton; Meg McArdell, Fort Ripley; ing can be the first step in identifying a future career Leah Peterson, St. Cloud; and Molly Anderson, Randall. while having fun in an exciting and informal environment." For information contact Kent at (218) 855- Meleah Holbrook helped Devon Isenberg examine a microscope slide. Photo by Mark Slupe 8155 or kmontgomery@clcmn.edu

CLC club sponsors Explorer post

John Jorgenson Quintet to perform Saturday The John Jorgenson Quintet will perform in Chalberg Theatre at Central Lakes College Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cultural Arts Series.

Jorgenson, founding member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and a six-year member of Elton John’s band, is a pioneer of the American gypsy

jazz movement. The John Jorgenson Quintet makes music that is equally romantic and ecstatic, played with virtuosity and soul.

Concert ticket prices are $25, $20, or $10 depending on section of seating. Tickets are for assigned seats.

Full ticket details and seating charts are online at www.clctickets.com Next: The Acting Company presents “Julius Caesar” on Wed., Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Chalberg.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Kids School Pages

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Crosslake LUMBERJACKS

Community School

Rotary Club presents dictionaries

Positive Behaviors Incentive Shirts

By Beverly Loeffler Harlan Johnson and Diane Collins from the Central Lakes Rotary Club presented dictionaries to the third grade students at Crosslake Community School. Members of the Pequot Lakes Interact Club were also at the school to help with activities that introduced the students on how to use the dictionaries. Students had to guess what a word meant in the dictionary before looking it up. One of the words the students had to guess at was stickleback. Do you know what it means? It is a small scaleless fish with sharp spines on its back.

Mrs. Steffen’s Kindergarten class received their Crosslake Kids shirts for PBIS – Positive Behaviors Interventions & Supports – sponsored by the Crosslake Lion’s Club to develop Character Education.

Word of the Month

Christmas Holidays around the World Two of Mrs. Steffen’s kindergarten students, Dawn Hubbard and Mayson Eide, enjoyed making and decorating gingerbread houses during the month of December as part of the class unit on Christmas Holidays around the World.

December 2011 – Service K-Logan McCarthy, Sadie Pollock, Mayson Eide K/1- Michael Gohl, James Cummings 1/2- Ethan Shetka, Avarayanna Trujillo L 2/3-David Maschhoff, Isaak Geroy, Mathew Mejdrich N 2/3- Nick Lusk, Alexis Luzar 3/4- Lilly Swenson, Hailey Bourassa 4/5 – Jackson Brennan, Stephanie Aldridge, Chaia Tulenchik 5/6 – Kayla Richey, Evan Mykkanen 7/8 – Ethan Gibbs, Sam Hendrickson

Scrapbooking Project

November 2011 – Discipline Students in Mrs. Loeffler’s 2/3 class worked on a scrapbooking project recently.

(top) Erin Gray, Robbie Hendrickson (right) Brandon Jackson, Anthony Popehn, Caleb Davis, Ellie Loken, Maverick Engstrom, Tori Popehn. Colin Omtvedt , Dawn Hubbard, Logan Mejdrich, , Maya Orvis, Levi Loken, Brionna Mykkanen, Jacob, Emma Schott, Tristan Veit, Beau Engtrom.

Donuts for Dads On November 30, 2011, 22 dads (or father figures) and 30 students came to school at 7:15 AM to have Donuts and Juice AND to create and fly paper airplanes. The paper airplanes were flown in the school hallway and prizes were awarded to the top three flights for teams K-4 and 4-8.

Science Fair projects Mrs. Graceffa’s 5/6 class has been working on Science Fair projects. The Science Fair was held on Jan. 12th. The students tested some of their hypothesis’ out at school.

Maverick Engstrom

Postcard Project Matt Bonfig

Cole Gray

Joey Hendrickson

Tori Popehn

Mrs. Bonfig’s K/1 class at Crosslake Community School just completed an 8 week postcard project. Families and friends were asked to send postcards from places they live or travel to during the holiday season. The project incorporated math, world geography, letter writing, and reading friendly letters. The students loved reading the mail every day and learned about many interesting places. The class received thirty-seven postcards in all and graphed them according to those from Minnesota, from the United States excluding Minnesota, and other countries excluding the United States. Six post cards were from Minnesota including Duluth, New Ulm, and Crosby. Twenty-seven post cards arrived from the United States, coast to coast. It was fun to learn about Alaska, California, Washington D.C., Maine, Florida, Kansas, and much more. The best part of the project, were the four postcards received from other countries. This provided opportunities to learn about France, Singapore, China, and Greece.

mmfcu.org Baxter | Brainerd | Crosby Pequot Lakes | Staples

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Kids School Pages

Students Celebrate Diversity on Martin Luther King Day Discovery Woods Montessori School values and honors the individual social, cultural, and individual child’s needs as a hallmark of its core philosophy. Students made murals, drew pictures, and wrote stories of about what makes them unique as individuals and why individual rights must be respected. Students read poems from Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelo as well as learned about Cesar Chaves and Mahatma Gandhi along with other great leaders who stood alone at times for human rights. Maria Montessori also believed deeply in valuing every child’s infinite human potential at a time when few thought much about a child’s self-worth and dignity. She wrote, “All our handling of the child will bear fruit, not only at the moment, but in the adult they are destined to become.” We at Discovery Woods Montessori believe in the future adults of tomorrow through teaching them to respect, honor, and to cherish and appreciate all the people in their neighborhoods who help and serve them.

Study of Atoms Practicing Facts

4th and %th graders pose with their study of atoms

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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Bully Prevention and Bus Driver Appreciation Day Officers from the Baxter Police Department gave a bully prevention presentation to students on January 16, 2012. Students learned how to recognize, examine, and collectively find solutions to the problems associated with school violence. As part of the School’s Anti-Bullying Policy passed at the January 12th board meeting, Discovery Woods Montessori is taking action to target bully behavior to ensure a safe and respectful school and community for all students.

Discovery Woods’ Anti-Bullying curriculum also includes learning respect for self and others. Students showed appreciation for their bus drivers with a hot chocolate and cookie reception on January 16th. This event helped build community and foster a meaningful relationship with a valuable adult role model in their lives. The bus driver is often the most consistent person many children see at both the beginning and ending of each school day. “They safely transport our students to and from school through weather and other challenging road conditions and we are thankful for all that they do,” commented Randy Bergman—the school’s new director. Students made thank you cards and wrote a bus rider peace pledge, which they presented to their drivers.

George practices multiplications facts

Cell City plant cell drawing

by Anders

Aaron skip counts with 5-string; Marin uses the addition stripboard

1st-3rd grade outside game

Evan learns to write with Moveable Alphabet

Jaxsen shows his shape study weaving Tyler uses beads to study power of numbers

Isaiah, Haylee, and Sophia plan an experiment Fletcher, Ella, Abby, Grant, and Logan

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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Band Performs at State Conference

Seventy three members of the Forestview Middle School Band traveled to Bloomington on December 1 to perform at the Minnesota Middle School Association AnnuAshley Bontjes, 8th Grade, Team 8B I could hear the crunch of rocks beneath the car as we pulled up to a gravel opening surrounded by woods.

Several cars followed behind us. Everyone slowly piled out of the car to stretch and find their gear. I watched people grab their backpacks and throw them over their backs. My dad and I were in Colorado, going to hike in the mountains with friends from church. I was excited but unaware of what I was going to see.

The cool, crisp mountain air and the smell of the pine trees were almost overwhelming. I had never smelled something so clean and fresh. Birds soared across the morning sky and squirrels ran around hunting for acorns. The movement and chirping of different critters made the area calming. Months of planning and waiting were finally here. It couldn't have been more of a picture perfect day.

A few other girls and I needed to head up the trail for a moment before we started our hike. We walked along a narrow, sandy trail dotted with berry bushes and trees on both sides of it. I heard branches snap as I pushed them different directions so they wouldn’t poke me. I liked the sound of our hiking boots dragging in the sand. The birds sang in the distance. Suddenly, one of the girls stopped walking. “Shh... look!” she said as she pointed a few yards away.

“Whoa,” I whispered. The other girls gasped.

There it was…something I didn’t expect to see on this trip. It stood there about ten feet tall. It peacefully concentrated on the sweet berries it was eating. I was in awe of the sheer mass of the animal, its broad shoulders and large antlers suddenly made me feel small. He must have sensed someone watching him because he quickly looked up at us with big startled eyes. Of course we were as startled as he was to see such a beautiful creature before we had even started our hike. We had intruded on his morning and were a bit alarmed about what to do, but he dismissed our presence and walked away.

Seeing a moose in the mountains was a tremendous experience. I didn’t think I was going to see something so unique. I learned to be more aware of my surroundings. I respect nature a lot more now. You don’t get to see a moose every day, and after seeing the moose, they became my favorite animal. I am so glad I had the opportunity to go to Colorado.

Second round qualifiers for the District Spelling Bee On Wednesday, January 3rd, 52 Forestview students participated in the second round qualifier for the District Spelling Bee. Of those 52, 16 advanced to the oral round on Wednesday, January 18th. These students are: Nick Ashman, Lauren Benson, Laurren Crabtree, Emily DeChaine, Lauren Forsythe, Ben Froemming, Matthew Greatens, Noah Hendrickson, Maison Jobe, Adam Kleist, Matthew Majerle, Emmalee Mayer, Camryn Schmidt, Laura Wadsten, Caleb Warren and Scott Woodward.

al State Conference. The band, under the direction of Chuck Carlson, performed four selections prior to the presentation for the Middle School Teacher of the Year Award.

8th Grade Essays Why I Dance

First Buck

Hannah Nameniuk, 8th Grade, Team 8B “Now, we will be giving out our honorary awards,” Cindy’s voice came over the crowd. Although her voice was loud, all I could here was the sound of my heart pounding. “We have our Most Outstanding Dancer, Firecracker, and the combination of the two, the Heather Star Habeck.” Being in only second grade made it hard to wait. The camp staff awarded youngest to oldest, and my category was third. “We are starting our second and third grade category. Good luck girls,” Cindy’s voice was covered by not only my heart now but also my hopes.

I couldn’t settle down enough to listen to who was getting which award, until I heard Maura’s name for the Most Outstanding Dancer. Her parents were very proud. Everyone clapped and cheered and then fell silent to see who won the Firecracker. The girl who won was from out of town, and I didn’t know her very well. The girl glowed like the sun as Christina, one of the camp staff, brought her the Firecracker.

The crowd was still cheering when Cindy interrupted, “Can I get a drum role please?” The whole room filled with a sound like a very heavy rainfall.

The bleachers and floors were shaking violently.

Now I couldn’t sit still. I was hoping I would get an award this year. The year prior was my first year, and I could remember the way I felt when I saw the older girls win. I scanned the crowd to find my family. It was like trying to find Nemo in the ocean.

When I finally did find my family, I saw my grandparents sitting next to my dad, who was videotaping, and my mom, who was taking tons of pictures. “The Heather Star Habeck goes to Hannah Nameniuk!”

Yeah! Go Hannah!” I didn’t even hear this from my mom until I watched the video. My heart stopped but quickly regained it’s pace. I walked toward Christina who had my award. I was so excited. In my mind it was the best day ever.

As I walked, Ali, Cindy’s daughter, told the story about Heather. “Heather was an amazing dancer and had tons of spirit, “Ali paused to wipe a tear. “When she died in a car accident, we came up with our awards in her honor.” The crowd was silent, so we could hear the sniffling of the staff.

The award sat in my lap as Annika, Ashley, Maura, and I listened to the older girls’ awards. At that point, I didn’t care who won in the older categories.

Now every time I look at that award, I remember why I still dance. I dance for not only pleasure; I dance because I know that I am truly good. I’m very glad my aunt put me in dance. I’m also glad for Christina, she nominated me for that special award.

Christina now works with my mom, and we are very close, almost like sisters. I couldn’t ask for that day to happen any other way.

Nicholas M., 8th Grade, Team 8B I was sitting in my deer stand with my 243 bolt action rifle. It was the night of rifle opener. The weather was perfect for hunting. A little cold maybe, but the deer like it that way. My deer stand is a Rivers Edge twoman stand. The two seats are nice and you have a place to put your stuff. The stand is located in the woods on the edge of a swamp.

I was reading my book and enjoying nature. I looked all around in front and behind me, and I noticed a doe.

It was walking diagonally behind me. When I checked my watch, it read five to six. I got my gun up but was not sure if I was going to shoot it or not. It was too late anyway. The deer trotted into the bushes and out of sight.

A little disappointed, I looked around a couple of times, and to my surprise, there was another deer following the path of the doe about 75 to 80 yards away.

Quickly, I found the deer in my scope and I saw antlers. At about this time, I heard my brother Nate shoot. Then, I accidentally clanged the stand. The deer stopped walking and looked up. I pulled the trigger. The deer dropped in its tracks.

I tried to find the dead deer in my scope, but I could not from the stand. I decided to get down and go look at it. When I got to the deer, I kicked it to make sure it was dead. It was my first buck. There were three points. One side was shorter and had two points. The other side was just one long point.

On my way back to camp, I saw the doe. It ran away after a few seconds. When I got back to camp, I told my mom the good news. Then I waited impatiently for my dad to get back. I was especially anxious for Nate to get back. This is because I had heard him shoot. Finally Nate arrived.

“Hi, I shot a buck,” I said.

“Really? Good job” said Nate.

“What did you shoot?”

“I shot Bambi by accident.”

“How?” “I got it mixed up with a doe.”

When my dad got back, we found out he did not shoot anything. We headed over to my Uncle Mike’s cabin next door. We found out that my Uncle John shot a doe.

Then, we took the four wheelers to go get Nate’s and my deer. Nate had already gutted his, so we picked his deer up first. Then we went to my deer. My dad gave me some tips for gutting deer. With both deer loaded we went back to camp.

Shooting my first buck was very exciting. I almost thought it was more exciting than when I shot my first deer. I enjoy hunting because I like the outdoors. I also enjoy being with all my uncles, cousins, my dad, and my brother up at the hunting camp. I find hunting season very fun. It will always be my favorite season.

Bowling Fun for Team 7B

Forestview Team 7B celebrated the holidays on the Friday before Christmas break with some bowling fun. Students spent the morning watching the Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol, and then took a

test over the story. As their reward, students and teachers spent the afternoon at Jack’s House for a “fun team-bonding activity.”

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

7S

GARFIELD

ELEMENTARY

2011 Garfield Holiday Programs On December 8 Garfield students presented three different musical programs for the holidays in one night! What a wonderful way to kick off the holiday celebrations.

“Christmas Cookies and Holiday Hearts” Presented by: Kindergarten Classes Kindergartners made their first performance debut with their annual presentation of “Christmas Cookies and Holiday Hearts”. Dressed in their holiday best with sparkling crowns and magical songs, these little tots “cooked-up” quite a show.

Watch for them again in the Spring, when they will be performing: The Three Piggy Opera.

“Crazy Carols” Presented by: 3rd Grade Classes Third grade students performed several “Crazy Carols” along with some of the classic holiday carols from which they originated. Complete with choreography and short skits, students performed in unison, 2-part, and partner songs harmoniously!

“The First Snowfall Hasn’t Come Soon Enough” “The First Noel” “They Test You Merry Gentlemen and Maids Upon this Day” “Clean the Halls & Wash the Black Boards” “Decks the Halls with Holly” “Rap on the Rooftop”

“December ‘Round the World” Presented by: 4th Grade Classes Spain, Mexico, China, Japan, Germany, Africa, Israel, and the USA each celebrate their unique holidays during December in different ways. Fourth grade students dazzled their audience with this high impact performance complete with fun facts & cultural connections, choreography, skits, authentic costuming and special effects. Students chose from a variety of special parts to be showcased throughout the show.

Lead singers with microphones Special speakers Fun facts/ Cultural connections Skits: Mariachi band ~ Piñata party ~ Confetti throwers ~ Mexico, Chinese Dragon & Sun Ball ~ Streamer routine ~ China, “Pickle in the Tannenbaum” ~ Silly Pickles ~ Germany, Sign Holders/Dancers ~ Africa, Menorah Candle Holders ~ Israel

Adventure to Deep Portage On Monday, January, 9th Garfield 4th grade students, teachers and chaperones headed off for a 3 day adventure to Deep Portage. Their excitement was contagious! Look for stories and more pictures in our next issue.

Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia

Ms. Trettel’s 2nd Grade class got into the holiday spirit during station time before the Holiday break. They read the book, Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia and then they creatively decorated themselves as they thought Amelia would do.

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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Lake Region Christian School Spotlight on Middle School The curriculum for the Middle School is a fast-paced curriculum that challenges the students academically, spiritually, physically, and socially. We primarily use the Abeka curriculum. The students have classes in history, science, math, Bible, English, spelling, writing, literature, P.E., and music including, singing, basic theory, and beginner band. A few of the electives offered to the students are home ec, keyboarding, art, life skills, Spanish, speech, guitar, and study skills. Students also have the option to participate in extracurricular activities such as soccer, volleyball, and basketball. Our goal is to challenge our students to discover and develop their God-given potential while equipping each student to serve as a Godly influence in our world. If you have questions about the Middle School or if you are interested in enrolling your child in Middle School, please contact the school office at 828-1226. Open enrollment begins Monday, January 30.

The Preschool Christmas Program We had our Preschool Christmas Program, "Christmas Joy" on December 16. The preschool students and their teachers worked very hard preparing for the program. The children did a wonderful job! They enjoyed singing all of the songs they've learned through-out the Christmas season. The children also learned to play bells and rhythm instruments and had a great time do-

ing it for all of us! The parents and grandparents were treated to a special time with the preschool students acting out the Nativity Story and showing everyone in attendance the true meaning of Christmas - God sending His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. It was an enjoyable morning for all!

Enrollment Re-enrollment is underway for the 20122013 school year at LRCS. Open enrollment begins Monday, January 30. LRCS has classes for preschool through twel!h grade. If you would like more informa"on or a tour of the school, please call the school o#ce at 828-1226.

Classes ďƒžll up quickly!

Kids School Pages

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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LEARNING TREE

PRESCHOOL

Future Bakers?

Future Carpenters?

Future Architects??

Gingerbread cookie bakers

North Pole Visitor

On the Move

The new train set was so much fun.

The Duck Group with our visitor from the North Pole.

And Moving Up Having fun building with Duplos and putting puzzles together.

Christmas Crafts The Bunny Group with Santa.

For Enrollment Information please call 829-6175.

Making Christmas tree snacks from an ice cream cone and yummy treats.

Making our Christmas Tree ornaments.

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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Student of the Month

November - Work First Then Play

Back: Jessica K; Devlin E.; Logan S; Christopher H; Eli R; Case S; Ellie T; Madelyn S; Hayden K.; Chole H.; Ammy L.; Sydney M; Isaac F. Middle: Adam K.; Riley D; Crace A; Jazmyn S.; Jacob V; Alyssa S; Tiffany B; Cylie R. Front: Zane J. Elizabeth J; Eva H; Isabel A; Alexcis H; Aiden J

December - Everyone Can Win

Back: Broc P; Victoria N; Mari D; Rodney C; Logan P; Kilie A; Tristan J; Avery R; Sophia D; Autumn L. Middle: Dylan M; Sarah L; Ellie J; Emerson S; James P; Livia T; paige G; Lorretta R; Turner P. Front: Izayah S; Kiara W; Ryan N; Lucille B; Gracelyn D; Haddon T; Alex G

Apple Dumpling Gang

Crazy Sock Day

Mrs. Miller’s class baked apple dumplings and bread (Bottom left) Starr S and Jaden P enjoyed the dumplings. (Bottom right) Mason M. samples his dumpling.

Think Win, Win Former Lowell Student, Rebecca Yeh, Miss Brainerd Lakes, spoke to the students at one of the Student of the Month celebrations about, “Think Win, Win.” You can be anything you want to be…. She is pictured with Mr. Sauer, our principal.

Sharing Reading

Mrs. VanVickle’s class decided to have a ‘crazy knee sock’ day for fun because Mari D. always has funky and fun socks she wears to school. Here is Mari in the middle of all those socks.

School-Wide Festival Xaviyon C., kindergarten, Mrs. Wilcox’s room and his second grade reading buddy Matthew K. are shown here enjoying reading and talking about books together. Students from Ms. Jedinak’s second grade and Mrs. Wilcox’s kindergarten look forward to meeting once a week to share this experience.

During our Christmas Extravaganza, instead of classroom parties, the student council plans a school wide festival, where all staff and students participate.

The students play games, and win prizes, bake cookies, have face painting.

Zoe W. is having her face painted by Mr. Baloga.

Helena D. is decorating and eating a cookie

We’re proud to call this our home town.

At Bremer Bank, our dedication to our community goes back to our founder Otto Bremer. In his words, “To serve our clients, we must also serve their communities.” Today, through nonprofit grants from our owner, the Otto Bremer Foundation, local bank donations and thousands of employee volunteer hours each year, we’re still taking action to make our community even stronger.

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

11S

Nisswa

ELEMENTARY The Nisswa Community Children’s Library 10th Birthday Party December 6th marked the 10th anniversary of the Nisswa Community Children's Library, when a community birthday party was held celebrating the kaleidoscope of wonderful books, magnificent display of colors, contributors (local civic groups, businesses, and families) and vast array of patrons of all ages who have enjoyed this community treasure.

To celebrate students and staff dressed as their favorite storybook characters during the day. Mr. Whiz, Magician, performed in the gym, followed by a Nisswa PTO book give away for all students.

Crazy racers

Self Portraits

Students in Mrs. Headlee’s and Mrs. Drake/Mrs. Hansen’s 2nd grade engineering classes were challenged to design a crazy race car from specific supplies provided. They were also challenged to see how far their cars would roll after going down a ramp.

First graders from Mrs. Rasmussen’s class have been working on learning to draw a portrait...correct shapes, spacing, and positioning of the features with Michelle Pfeiffer. Then they created self portraits using markers and colored pencils.

Art for All Nisswa 3rd grad-ers take part in an art lesson, ‘Collaborative Creatures’, with Michelle Pfeiffer, local Artistin-Residence. Funded by the Nisswa PTO, classes kindergarten through 4th grade participate in monthly hands-on art lessons in the Giving Kids Wings Room.

12S

Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Pequot Lakes PATRIOTS

Texting and Driving...

A Lethal Combination

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Eighth Grade Performance

By Marnie Goerges Texting and driving can be very deadly and may change your life forever. Not only teens, but also adults need to know how dangerous and life threatening this action can be. Five seconds with your eyes off the road trying to send or read a text is not worth your entire life.

The reason I’m trying to get through to people is because you are putting yourself and the other cars around you in danger. How would you feel if you were the one who ended a family of five’s lives just because you thought you needed to text? How could you live with yourself? My guess is that you would live every single day knowing you could have saved that family by just not picking up your phone and texting.

There aren’t many pros to texting and driving. A lot of people do it though because it’s important, or they don’t want to leave the person on the other end of the phone hanging. Sometimes they even call, which is better, but your focus and attention still aren’t 100 percent on the road.

Now I’ll list the cons, which I could spend all day naming.

Let’s say you are a driver of a car and you have three of your best friends with you. You decide to text and think you are all cool. Your friend in the back seat asks you to stop texting because she doesn’t feel safe, but you continue to text. You start going into the wrong lane with oncoming traffic . . . the next thing you know, you are spinning; you have no idea what happened because the last thing you were doing was sending a text. The car stops, you look at your friends in the back and passenger seat; they are all cut up and bruised, but they are still moving. There is that moment of relief that everything is going to be okay until you look to your left and see the headlights of a car that is about to crash into you.

It hits and you spin some more . . . now you look back and there is no movement from your friends. You have just killed your three best friends and both parents of an infant and a three-year-old in the other car. Those children are without a mom and dad. How do you feel now? Was it worth it? Was the message that important?

So now that you know what can happen when you make stupid decisions like texting while driving, ask yourself: is three seconds of texting worth yours or someone else’s life?

By Gage Kuehl & Angela Gudahl On December 16, 2011 the eighth grade Honor's English class performed A Toy Story Mystery. The play was written and directed by two of the students in the class, Gage Kuehl and Angela Gudahl. Each year the class puts on performances as enrichment projects. The students also do all their own tech work and costumes.

It was a lot of work, yet very fun. "After performing it and seeing how much we accomplished, it was all worth it, " says Angela Gudahl one of the writers

and directors. Many of the other students also had similar feelings about the play. "I played the iPod and enjoyed the experience. I have always wanted to act and finally got the chance," said Emma Pitzl.

Chase Blaeser said, "I was nervous on he day of the play, but it all turned out perfect in the end."

Gage Kuehl, one of the writers and directors concluded by saying, "I thought it was a great experience and interesting to see how it all came together in the end. All in all, it was a great experience, and one we all look forward to doing again.

Honors Class Performs Skits

Pequot Lakes Bobber Tower

By Marty Fitzer On December 22, 2011 the honors English class performed: “At the Mall: 10 Short Comedy Skits” written by Susan Stepp. We started about a week before our performance and practiced in the auditorium at least half that time. Most or all of us had our lines memorized within 2 or 3 days. We all supplied our own props and costumes and even helped with handing out the programs and crowd control backstage. The performance was the culminating event throughout our speech unit. Some of the skills we worked on were: posture, approach, departure, eye contact and many other things. Overall everybody seemed to have a great time doing it and would probably do it again given the chance. I know I would.

By Alex Galligan, Jake Nelson, and Matt Pitan Pequot Lakes is a small town in the center of Minnesota. It’s known for its beautiful lakes, which bring a lot of tourism in the summer. Other things worth noting may be the famous Bean Hole Days and the success of the high school’s athletics and academics. Pequot Lakes basketball teams have competed at the State level multiple years, the track team won the State title in the 4x100 relay last spring, and cross country had a runner who also competed at State this past fall. Pequot has also had State winners in golf, speech, and other activities.

However, probably the most popular and unusual thing recognized in the city of Pequot Lakes is the 178-foot water tower. It isn’t shaped like any ordinary water tower; it is shaped like a giant bobber -- you know, like a fishing bobber. In fact, it is the world’s largest bobber.

The Bobber seems to float in the sky, right in the middle of Pequot Lakes.

State Hwy 371 runs to the east of the Bobber, and Pequot’s Main Street runs

Miniature Bridges Constructed

By Gillian Kuehl and Isabel Glover This year, Mrs. McKenna’s sixth grade classes constructed miniature bridges. The bridges were made of one hundred popsicle sticks and held together by Elmers glue. Before we started anything, we researched bridges and learned about what made them strong.

First, we had to design our bridges on the computer, most people made a truss bridge design. Then, we laid out our designs to see how many popsicle sticks it would take to build it. After that, all of us started gluing our first side together. We used triangles on the sides to make them stronger. Once we were done with all of our sides we glued them all together.

Some of the rules for building the bridges were that you could only use one hundred popsicle sticks and only use one bottle of Elmers glue. It should have been at least fifty-five centimeters long, and it had to look the same as our blueprint design. We only had six days to complete our bridges, which was enough time.

The bridge testing part was pretty cool, but very loud. We had to tie a buck-

et to the bottom or top of our bridges. Then we would put weights in the bucket to see how much it could hold.

Before you put in another weight, you would have to count to five one thousand before adding more weight.

Most people’s favorite part was the bridge testing or the part the of building where you get to smother your bridge with glue, both were pretty fun. People liked the testing because, the bridges cracked and exploded. The people testing there bridges were excited and afraid it would not hold that much!

The three winners of the bridge competition were Sannah Lohmiller in first place with 120 pounds, and their bridge didn’t break. In second place was Jake Ryan with 120 pounds. Lastly, in third place was Jordan Carpenter with 115 pounds.

to the west. The original water tower was constructed in the late 50’s – early 60’s. It was originally painted a sky blue color. It was in later years that the tower received its bobber design.

Also located near the base of the Bobber Tower is the Cole Memorial Building, which was built in 1937 and is another historical attraction. The city retired the Bobber Tower in 2000 when a new tower was built half a mile south of the Bobber Tower’s location. Some people say the new water tower looks like a golf ball, which would make sense since there are more than 22 golf courses within a 30-mile radius of Pequot Lakes.

Although the Bobber Tower is no longer in use, it serves as much more to the people of Pequot Lakes. It provides them with a feeling of pride and joy knowing they live in a town with the world’s largest bobber and in our opinion, one of Minnesota’s greatest landmarks.

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Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

13S

PILLAGER AREA

CHARTER SCHOOL Painting Hope

What is MAAP STARS?

by Emily F. Friday December 15th my class and I took a trip to Warba’s Northern Lights School. A presentation was being held there about a man named Eric Samuel Timm.

He had a band accompanying him called; “Twenty One Letters” and he painted as they played. His first painting was made upside down and then he flipped it over to reveal Albert Einstein. His second painting was of a hand reaching up out of the water being pulled by another hand. One hand was cut and stitched and torn, much like we all feel sometimes. Eric Samuel Timm used the story of the Titanic as a basis for his speechWe are like the ship, and the sea is our life. The ship travels through the sea, until it hits an iceberg. It is scratched and cut, it gets filled with water. Eventually it breaks and sinks. They tried to radio for help, but no one heard them. Eric Samuel Timm was trying to tell us that everyone has been hurt, but we will only get help if we ask for it. If you look around, many of our teachers and other adults are here to help; it’s just a matter of asking for it.

By Alijah MAAP STARS stands for Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs Success, Teamwork, Achievement, Recognition and Self Esteem.

It’s a great program and it’s lots of fun. It gets the kids together and makes us feel great! It makes me want to be a better person. We do fun activities alone and in groups. All students are required to participate in no less than three and no more than five. The individual events we can choose from include Mock job interviews with real business owners, project demonstrations, art display, public speaking, career portfolio. There are even kids who get up and sing or dance or play a musical instrument! The group events to choose from are Human Relations Decision Making, Team Management Decision Making and Parent Decision Making; they give us a problem and we solve whatever the problem is using our skills we have developed. I believe this prepares us for a better future.

Three Generations

Painting Hope in Warba with Eric Samuel Timm

Josh’s three generation photo

A game of football outside January 6, 2012!

Jared H. says, “It hurts when I hit the frozen ground. I’ll be limping to the sh house for the rest of this winter!”

Poison Dart Frogs

Gorilla Presentation Erick presenting his project on Gorillas

Sabrina’s project board display on the Poison Dart Frog

Holiday Baking

The Holiday baking display

MIA MOA MHT

By Tiffany and Reinna On December 14th, PACS went to the Minnesota Institute of Art in Minneapolis. It was a very enriching display of world culture art. The art represented was from artists in the past and present.

My favorite exhibit was the Asian things. Such as Geisha portraits, the kimonos, the teapots and tea cups, the scrolls, and other things related to it.

I found the African sculptures were pretty interesting.

They represented the human body. There were also artistic photos and sculptures that were slightly terrifying and Justin, Reinna and Tiffany working hard on their newspaper nice.

Overall, I liked the MIA. I would like to go back to it and articles spend more time there ad study the pieces more carefully.

It was interesting seeing all the sculptures and all the paintings. Some of the sculptures looked like they had only half of their bodies. All the paintings were very pretty. MN History Theater play kept our attention for more than two hours showing us “A Civil War Christmas.” It was awesome.

14S

Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

PILLAGER

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Home of the Huskies

Becoming PHS science instructor named to state committee Good Citizens Ryan Saulsbury, Pillager science instructor, has been appointed to serve along with 11 other new appointees on the Minnesota DNR Fisheries Oversight Committee.

His term runs from Dec. 20, 2011 to Dec. 20, 2014.

Joyce Suckow, Executive Assistant, Division of Fish and Wildlife informed Mr. Saulsbury that he was selected.

Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner, approved the appointment of Mr. Saulsbury. He said the committee is responsible for the oversight of the Game and Fish Fund under Minnesota Statues, section 97A.044, subd. 4b.

At the orientation meeting of the groups Dec. 20 in the DNR Central Of-

fice, St. Paul, Mr. Saulsbury met with Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner; Andre Prahl, DNR Budget Director; Dirk Peterson, Chies Section of Fisheries; and fellow committee members to begin working on budget oversight and management of game and fish resources.

Born in Pipestone, Minn., Saulsbury spent his childhood in Willmar and Apple Valley, Minn., and is a 1996 graduate of Bemidji State University in Education, specializing in Life Science. In addition, Mr. Saulsbury is near completing his Masters degree in Biology, with an emphasis on Aquatic Systems, through the University of Nebraska – Kearney.

As an educator he has spent 15 years teaching, the last 10 years at PHS.

7th & 8th graders go to Bemidji State University

By Krista Jenkins 7th and 8th graders went to Bemidji State University as part of the 21st Share the Future in Science and Technology, a program for regional middleschoolers. Students had the chance to learn something that they cannot learn in the classroom, but can learn at BSU. At BSU, a speaker told about the wonders of space and NASA exploring oth-

er solar systems and our own.

After that the 350 students split up into multiple smaller interest groups. Some of the groups were nursing, animal care, butterfly hunting, fishing, and space. The students had lunch and then split into more groups with fewer students and had hands-on training classes. Lacie Hines and Krista Jenkins had a water bug class, DNR class, and then a chemistry class. “In the chemistry class we made Elephant Toothpaste and the demonstration exploded and hit the ceiling!” explained Krista. At the end of the day, they all went to the gym and had ice cream before heading home. “It was the best school day ever,” added Katie Fillbrandt. “Hopefully we can go next year.”

The 9th graders at Pillager High School have been very busy over the past semester learning and showing what it takes to become a first-class United States citizen. In their Civics classes they have learned the definition of a U.S. citizen, and the responsibilities that come with it to contribute to our society. The 9th graders, with contributions from other staff and students in the school, put together carepackages that were sent to American Troops overseas for the Holidays. The packages which were filled with all donated contributions also included over 60 Thank You letters to U.S. soldiers for their service to our country.

In Civics the students have also learned about the U.S. Constitution and the three branches of the Federal government and how the Government plays a role in our daily lives. While they were studying about the Judicial Branch of the government Mr. Thomas Schroeder, who is a Retired Judge from Minnesota, came to speak to the students about his life experience with law and the government. In Civics the students stay informed on Current Events daily by watching CNN student news, which provides students with national and worldwide head- (Top) Retired Judge Schroeder presented to lines. Over the next few months they will be Civics students about the judicial branch of (Bottom) Piper Hood and Tom covering State and Local governments, the im- government.

North pack care packages to be shipped to portance of state Primaries and Caucuses, and our troops. how to be an active voice in the community.

Fourth Annual Christmas Fornshell Tournament

The Fornshell Christmas Tournament began in 2009 and three other teams participating.

The tournament was named after the late Jerry Fornshell who invested his life into Pillager Athletics. He faithfully served as a coach or volunteer in football, basketball, and baseball. We celebrate his life and contributions to the Pillager community and its many sports programs. The Pillager Boys team won the tournament this year which is the first time in the tournament’s history.

Husky of the month Mr. Saulsbury’s 7th grade class builds many new creatures

Pillager Booster Club Huskies of the month were recently named for basketball. The boy’s basketball Husky of the Month is EJ Ziegler. He has 4 double doubles, averages 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He is a hard worker and has a great attitude. According to Coach Uselman, “EJ has been a steady performer for our team so far this season. His attitude and solid leadership skill shave been exciting to watch. Way to go EJ and keep it up!”

Sarah Neururer was named the girls basketball Husky of the Month. Coach Mortenson states, “Sarah has been a great leader on the court.

Every game she has shown a tremendous work ethic.

Sarah has made much huge improvements this year as she has taken on the role of our point guard.”

Forensic science crime scene

By Krista Jenkins What if 29 new creatures magically appeared on Earth? What would they eat? Plants? Humans? The 7th graders in Mr. Saulsbury’s classroom built many brand new species in December. They got into pairs and had to build a model of a new invertebrate, an animal without a backbone, and then tell where it lives and how it survives. The rule was that it cannot look like an animal that does exist. The students used clay, beads, toothpicks, foam balls, tinfoil, and more. In the end, there were many creatures such as a “Purple Herman” created

by Alexis Conventry and Emily Peters. “The ‘Purple Herman’,” states Emily Peters “is a bug that eats other small insects and some plants.” Chase Muller and Emily Kautz made a “Gooniebug.” Emma Litke and Jordan Foresberg made a “Bolt Beetle.” Luckily these creatures are make-believe and won’t eat humans, unlike Joshua Lair’s and Gab Birr’s “Awushitroach.”

Elementary students put miles on for fitness and fun A new student walking course has been measured and plotted out on the Pillager Elementary playground. It’s called the “Mileage Club.” Pillager elementary students and staff are encouraged to get more active and more in shape, along with also choosing healthy snacks and drinking more water.

Students are excited about the new opportunity and about challenging each other to walk farther each day. It’s all the buzz in the hallways.

Fifth grader Tristin Etzler remarked, “I ran ten [laps] today. It was interesting how hard it was to get around the snow; you could either do walking Kyle Eschenbacker leads classmates during recess as part of the new or running.”

Mileage Club.

“I haven’t run it yet. I’m doing it tomorrow,” added Braedon Nelson, who is also a fifth grader in Mrs. Hunstad’s class. Six laps around make a mile and on the very first day students walked a total of over 65 miles. The second day 133 students were walking laps for a total of 718 laps, or 119+ miles.

Anyone at recess can join the “Mileage Club” and can walk as many laps as they choose each day. This walking is helping to channel student’s energy into a positive choice and to encourage physical fitness. The goal is to walk at least 2,810 miles before the end of April - which is the distance from San Francisco to Washington DC. After the first day Club leaders believe students could possibly double their goal! Incentives are given each week with special trophies for class participation.

Forensic science students work on their first crime scene.

On left: Sam Newkirk measures blood spatter distance to know exactly where the newspapers need to be placed when the evidence is moved back to the lab. On right: Megan Paschke records evidence for their report.

Artist Corner’s Featured Artist Sarah Newkirk, 12th, paint

The Vision is Hope, and Hope is Real

Kids School Pages

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

15S

Mission Statement St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School, in cooperation with the family, is committed to challenging students to grow spiritually, academically and socially within a Catholic-centered environment.

STAR Students of the

Lakes Catholic School

OUR CHILDREN. OUR FAITH. OUR FUTURE. 817 JUNIPER ST., BRAINERD, MN 56401 WWW.STFRANCISCATHOLICSCHOOL.ORG

S – Star Students T – Try Harder A – Act Christ-like and are R – Responsible and Respectful

Congratulations to our December STAR students:

218.829.2344

K—Ashlyn S. 1—Grace L. 2—Noah R. 3—Max L. 4—Jewel A. 5—Ebee A. 6,7,8—Nic T.

Spelling Bee Winners Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Gold: John Henry Z., Silver: Allison B., Bronze: Allyson B.

Gold: Christopher B., Silver: Andrew S., Bronze: Noah S.

Gold: Ebee A., Silver: Brandon W., Bronze: Oliver K.

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Gold: Kelsey S., Silver: Clare G., Bronze: Christopher C.

Gold: Joshua V., Silver: Shannon D., Bronze: Theo K.

Gold: Lisa H., Silver: Konrad B., Bronze: Kristin R.

Christmas Program

Classroom Christmas Parties

Support YOUR local Catholic School!!

Bď?ľď?š ď?Ą Rď?Ąď?Śď?Śď?Źď?Ľ Tď?Šď?Łď?Ťď?Ľď?´ ď?Ąď?Žď?¤

Grand Prize

2012 Ford Escape or $25,000 cash!

It’s registration time!

Preschool - 8th grade registration opens to the greater community at 9am on January 31. Our Open House is January 31 from 4:30-6 at 817 Juniper Street, Brainerd.

Our website has forms, tuition information and preschool times at www. stfranciscatholicschool. org We are happy to provide information or a tour.

Call the school anytime at 218-829-2344.

(2) Caribbean Cruise Packages (3) St. Paul Hotel Family Getaways (6) Apple iPads

(8) PlayStation 3 Move bundles (8) Amazon Kindle Fires (8) $200 Apple Store gift cards

!"#$%&'%($)"*&$+, Preschool - 8th Grade

OPEN HOUSE

4UESDAY *ANUARY ST s PM &ORMS AND INFO ONLINE AT WWW STFRANCISCATHOLICSCHOOL ORG

Annual

Catholic Schools Raffle!

H��� �� ����� ��� ���� �� $500,000 For Catholic Education!

Must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a ticket. For complete rules, visit www.catholicunitedfinancial.org/links/raffle. MN gambling permit #X-92085-12-001.

All prizes TM of their respective brands. Š 2012 Catholic United Financial. All rights reserved.

*UNIPER 3TREET "RAINERD -. s

Call 829-2344 to purchase raffle tickets!

16S

Kids School Pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Staples

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Motley

Independent School District #2170 New Opportunities

SM Youth Basketball program SCORES! The SM Cardinal Basketball booster club offers kindergarten through 6th graders a chance to practice their skills under the direction of over 18 parent volunteers and coaches. We are proud of our approximately 175 players who will begin their tournament competitions this month. Be sure to stop in and cheer on the kids at the Staples Motley Tourney on Feb. 18th.

Families with preschoolers can look forward to expanded preschool programs and an exciting new space at the Motley school. Starting September 2012, our school district will offer area families a new family center, a new all-day preschool program for children 16 months to age 5, expanded school readiness classes and a new 3 year old preschool class.

We know you want the best for your child - including a great education. Staples Motley schools offer high quality educational programs from preschool to high school. Birth to age 5 is a time of amazing growth and development. Our schools look forward to working with you during this time to ensure your children are well-prepared to start their school journey.

Parents interested in learning more about all-day preschool may sign up on the registration information list by contacting Bonnie Madson at (218) 894-5400 or emailing bmadson@isd2170.k12.mn.us.

What is SPARKS? SPECIAL PEOPLE ARE READING with KIDS at SCHOOL. As a volunteer in the SPARKS Program, community volunteers are assigned to one or two teachers and read with children during the school day. A volunteer just listens to the student read or helps the student sound out words or encourages them to do so. We know that children benefit from the positive role models in our community and feel so privileged to have so many taking part in this program. These caring relationships have been proven to benefit the children and the adults.

Shown here is one of our volunteers reading to a 3rd grader at Staples Elementary. Carrie Neumann began reading with students this year and we thank her for her dedication to helping students improve their reading skills. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact the Staples Elementary School office at (218) 894-5400.

Fresh Fruit & Veggie program in full swing!

This year the favorites have been: Sugar Snap Peas, Apples, Grapefruit, Dragon fruit and Blackberries

The Staples Motley elementary students enjoy a daily snack thanks to a grant that allows them to eat healthy foods by providing a fresh fruit or vegetable during the school day. “Through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, we can help improve student eating habits by introducing healthy foods as part of a snack for all children,” said John Moore, Director of Nutritional Services. Students are introduced to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the classroom, pairing snack time with nutrition education, silent reading, or another compatible activity.

“This program helps our schools teach children about healthier eating habits,” Moore added. “Healthier students have fewer absences and that keeps them in school and able to achieve the knowledge and skills needed for success.” If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the Staples Motley School District Office at (218) 894-5400.

Spaghetti Supper and Auction The Staples Motley Chapter of Dollars for Scholars is a citizenbased group of volunteers who represent a cross section of the community. The goal is to give Staples Motley High School Seniors scholarships to help them afford higher education. All seniors are given information about scholarships and opportunities to apply. To be eligible for some of the scholarships, the applicants must meet criteria the sponsors specify. Many individuals, organizations, and businesses sponsor scholarships and choose the students who receive those scholarships. The Chapter has an awards committee that selects students for some of the DFS Scholarships. There is a fundraising committee that sponsors an annual auction, spaghetti supper and other activities to raise extra money for the trust fund.

Total dollars awarded in 2011 was $96,450 from 66 different sponsors. There were 49 seniors receiving these 146 awards. In 2012 we will have awarded 1 million dollars since the inception of the Staples and Motley Dollars for Scholars Chapter. This year’s Spaghetti Supper will be held January 28th from 4-5:30pm with the auction starting at 5:45pm.

National Honor Society The Staples Motley High School inducted 19 new students as members of the National Honor Society in December. Teacher Onni Sharp-Anderson was the speaker for the ceremony.

NHS students shown here collecting for the food shelf.