School Pages - Nov. 2010

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Wednesday, November 24

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HX]dda EV\Zh In this issue: Baxter Elementary Central Lakes College

ne BRAINERD DISPATCH

Crosby/Ironton Crosslake Community School Forestview Middle School 6th Grade

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GarďŹ eld Elementary Lowell Elementary Nisswa Elementary Oak Street Christian School Pequot Lakes School Pillager Elementary/High School Pine River/Backus Riverside Elementary St. Francis Catholic School

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Wednesday, November 24

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BAXTER

ELEMENTARY Pumpkin Carving Students in Mrs. Trusty’s and Mrs. Gogolin’s first grade classroom carved pumpkins and collected data.

The kindergartners in Mrs. Ziegler’s class made their own “creatures” with inspiration from Dr. Seuss’s There is a Wocket in my Pocket. Grant’s “Zeet n my feet,” Maria’s “Blee in my tree,” Semme’s “Wasket in my basket,” and Allie’s “Trug on my rug,” were a few of the great creations.

The third graders in Mrs. Ruen’s class had a “spooktacular” time making pumpkins out of plastic dryer vents and craft paints. It made for a “boo-tiful” pumpkin patch!

Baxter School staff enjoy dressing up as much as the students.

Halloween Party Mrs. Swanson/Smith’s first grade class painted miniature pumpkins at their Halloween Party. The pumpkins were grown and given to the class by Mr. Raymond Drotts, a 96 year old man from Viking, MN, which is Mrs. Swanson’s hometown. He has donated his miniature pumpkins to Mrs. Swanson/Smith’s class for more than 5 years.

Team Jerry!

Staff at Baxter wear their “Team Jerry” shirts in support of co-worker Jerry Grunewald who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last summer.

Jerry and his family have maintained a positive attitude throughout the many treatments Jerry has been going through and have been an inspiration to all the staff here at Baxter!

Crosby Cares.

The Medical Campus in Crosby.

www.crosbycares.com

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Wednesday, November 24

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CLC men’s basketball team International students at CLC The 2010-11 Central Lakes College Raiders, ranked fifth in the pre-season Division III poll by the National Junior College Athletic Association: seated from left John Hicks, Marcus McDonald, Marcus Ayala, Nash Faulk, Ronnie Kornbaum, Anthony Kelly, Eric Green, and standing from left Assistant Coaches John Pecarich and Ben Seevers, Milton Moore, Maurice Hernandez, Kendall Brown, Steven Halwood, Justin Doyle, Jason Johnson, Nick Grewe, Kwamaine Johnson, Head Coach Jim Russell, and Assistant Coach Mike Paulus. Not pictured: Assistant Coach Daakarr Bellfield.

Central Lakes College is hosting nine students in the Community College for International Development program during the 2010-11 academic year. They arrived Aug. 1 to meet their mentor families, who maintain regular contact with the students and participate in activities to augment the time at CLC. The students reside near the Brainerd campus. The students are Jaka Mahendra, Indonesia; Bradley Van der Zandt, South Africa; Jose’ Sergio Cardoza Salguero, El Salvador; Hugo Ruano Diaz, Guatemala; Renata Barreto, Brazil; Muraty Harsono, Indonesia; Dulce Perez Herrera, Guatemala; Miguel Porras Cruz, Guatemala; Djamaluddin Paratmadi, Indonesia. The students have toured with members of the CLC International Club to area landmarks such as the Paul Bunyan statue at Akeley, the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca State Park, the north shore of Lake Superior and Split Rock Lighthouse State park, and the Mille Lacs Indian Museum. In addition, Barbara Felix and Wolfgang Zollner from Germany are students at the Brainerd campus for the fall semester through the exchange program, Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals.

CLC women’s basketball team The 2010-11 Central Lakes College Raider women’s basketball team includes, front from left, Lindsey Roos, Brittany Gravelle, Stephanie Neugebauer, Nikki Pearson, Betsy Helmeke, and assistant Katie Zillmer. Back from left, Coach Dennis Eastman, Kelsey Wheeler, Elizabeth Mattson, Carlee Davich, Katie Hochsprung, and Assistant Coach Zachary Eastman. Not pictured: Angel Richards.

Football team has 10-1 season

Camp Ripley Youth Expo Bryan Harvey, Aitkin, a student in the Central Lakes College natural resources program, showed a poster of animal tracks to Little Falls sixth graders at the Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener Youth Expo at Camp Ripley. Nineteen CLC students assisted at the event by supervising stations teaching outdoor skills. Other students from CLC who volunteered: Caleb Hill, Scott Shelito, Sharia Merten, Nathan Johnson, and Jason Gildart, all of Brainerd; Cody Neu, Laura May, and Mark Schneider, Little Falls; Eric Gruber and Michelle Dickson, Merrifield; Blake Quick, Hackensack; Charity Kern, Henning; Eric Rauchman, Mankato; Paul Kedrowski, Princeton; Steve McKay, Burnsville; Brian Steffen, Cushing; Katrine Newton, Pine River; and Justin Forrest, Tomahawk, Wis.

President greets students Central Lakes College opened the school year Aug. 23, and President Dr. Larry Lundblad was at the front door to shake hands with early arrivals. The community and technical college in Brainerd and Staples continues to attract a growing number of students, as they are coming from 82 Minnesota counties, 15 countries, and as recent high school graduates, older students, and while finishing their final two years of high school, if qualified. Registration for spring classes has begun. The term starts Jan. 10, 2011.

The Central Lakes College football team battled hard in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference championship Sunday, Nov. 7 but came up short, 34-31, against the Rochester team whose only loss in 2010 was to the Raiders.

It was the only loss for CLC after 10 straight wins.

The run came to an end for the Raiders when quarterback Dominique Corder’s last-ditch pass to a well-covered Nick Grewe with no time remaining was batted down near the goal line.

CLC had the Yellowjackets on the ropes for most of the contest. Tyler Guimont, a Little Falls freshman kicker, put the Raiders on the board early Stoney Burns (35) had an outstanding season for the Raiders, leading MCAC with kickoff return yards as he averaged nearly 40 yards per with a 27-yard field the attempt. Late in the season he showed his offensive prowess on end goal, and Ryan Fay runs. hauled in a threeyard pass in the second quarter, accounting for the Raiders’ scoring and a 10-9 halftime lead.

CLC held a 24-9 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Rochester piled up 180 yards - including plays of 64 and 65 - and 25 points in the final 15 minutes Tyler Guimont of Little Falls provided the Raiders’ first points in the of play. championship game with a 27-yard field goal. He made all PATs as The Raiders state well in his best effort of the campaign. were flagged six times for 55 yards and committed four turnovers.

RCTC QB Derick Heitkamp rushed for 28 yard and threw for 17, setting up the game-winning, 32-yard field goal with :07 left. Late in the first quarter a holding call at the Tyler Erickson, an all-state wide receiver for CLC, was on tip-toes as goal line nullified a he crossed the goal late in the state championship game in which the Corder score. The Raiders controlled the line of scrimmage and made timely big plays -many involving Erickson. league’s No. 1 QB, Indianapolis native Corder, threw for 199 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 56 yards and one TD. Corder’s favorite target was Tyler Erickson, one of the MCAC’s best pass catchers, who caught TD passes of 27 and 17 yards and totaled eight catches for 97 yards.

“This one will be hard to get over,” Head Coach Greg Medeck said. “We had a very successful season and you have to give them credit for what we’ve accomplished this year. We came up short in a big game, and hopefully that doesn’t override our entire season.”

It won’t. This game was filled with the “never give up” spirit that is the trademark of Medeck teams, which now have won 27 of 34 games in three seasons.

Watch for more excitement next season from returning game-breakers such as Stoney Burns (pictured on one of his big gainers as a defensive back and an offense threat), Jordan LaRoche, Barret Powell, Johnny Egan, Ryan Tri, Frank Mays, and a host of strong front line muscle men.

CLC fans anticipate a host of talented recruits joining a prestigious football program that is the pride of Minnesota.

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Wednesday, November 24

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Crosby-Ironton Rangers Deep Portage Conservation Reserve I am so eager for DPCR because I have heard that DCPR is going to be the best field trip ever. I am sure because we get to go in the woods and sleep there. I think I will have fun in my learning group. In my room, I have two friends, my Dad, and my friend’s Dad. I really want to do the Rock Climbing Wall because I love climbing and we go up to Duluth every year and we Rock Climb. I want to do Charlie to Base so badly because I watch a show called Man vs. Wild, and he does compass work and he survives in the most barren places in the world. I am excited to do Survival because I like to go in the woods and hunt and play and make little shelters and see a lot of different animals like squirrels, dear, rabbits, and porcupines. It’s going to be quite an experience. I really hope the food is good and the DPCR staff is fun and nice. I am so exited for DPCR. After my trip to DPCR, the things I liked the most were: Tree Tops and Birds, Survival, and Campfire.

Tree Tops and Birds was my favorite because I like to hold animals and take care of them. Ben, with the birds, was really interesting because he catches a whole bunch of birds and puts the information on the internet. He puts bands around their legs. We got to experience the bird’s heartbeat which sounded like a machine gun. We learned a lot about birds and their habitats. The Tree Top Tower was my favorite because I think going up high is fun.

I looked down at every thing. I was so terrified because it was so high, but I went all the way to the top, I was brave and I took lots of pictures of DPCR... I lay down on the tower. It was extordinary!

Survival was my second chosen thing at DPCR because my friends and I made a really good shelter and the instructor said it was the best she’s seen in a while. Our shelter was humongous, it was water resistant and they pored water on it and they shook it .We used lots of big dead trees and little sticks; we had a tarp over it and it was held down by logs. We fit in my friend Nate, Will, Kaven, and myself. It could have fit a few more. We had pine bows and leaves for padding on the inside there was a lot of sticks in there. We built it in a four foot ditch. We built a stick wall to keep in heat. We took little pieces of birch bark and put it around the fire to block the wind. We used little sticks and birch bark to start a fire on a rock that my friend found with two matches. We boiled water on the fire in a big coffee can then we put it out.

The campfire was hilarious. The DCPR staff did a fantastic job entertaining us at the campfire. Casey did a “Toast song” it was the best song ever. They did skits, and jokes. I sat close to the fire but it got pretty hot so I moved to the back. I liked Casey’s musky story. I liked the skit my dad did too, It was about Uncle Elmer’s stew where they would ask for stew and he would say no the last guy stole the stew ate it and died. I also liked the Titanic 2 Still Sinking. It was about a girl who kept getting her lines messed up.

Thinking back about DPCR, I think it was the best field trip ever.

I would do any thing to go again. I loved everything there. I think the Tree Top Tower was the best. I climbed three out of the four walls. I couldn’t get the slanted one because there was a hump I couldn’t get over. The food was really good at DPCR. After my experiences at DPCR, it was the best field trip ever. I was correct the staff was really nice and the food was really good I liked the bread the most, and they baked the pancakes in a big cake pan they were so good. They did a contest where any food you wasted goes in a bucket and then you weigh it and write it down and my table didn’t waste anything. All their games were fun when the teacher said flood we had to get off the ground or we would get hit, when she said Scooby snacks we had to get in a circle or do a pushup. All the activities were fun to; the rooms had six bunks, a bathroom, and a shower. They had heat and carpet. Before each activity, we would meet our instructors in the great hall. My family might take a winter trip to Deep Portage Conservation Reserve. I also liked Night Stalker. We learned a lot about owls and we played hide and seek in the dark. We did Wolf Howling.

The Rock Climbing Wall was also fun. We got to climb a 35 foot wall.

They had a wall straight up. They had an inverted wall. We had to wear harnesses and helmets for safety reasons. A couple of kids made it up the inverted wall, I only got half way up. Canoeing was awesome we went to a beaver dam and investigated we went all around the lake my friend will kept splashing me so I splashed him and we were soaked.

Throwing tomahawks made me feel like I was a pioneer I stuck 3 out of 4.

Brehndan Knox

Digital Photography Projects

Earth Materials The fourth graders at CRES have just finished a unit on Earth Materials in Science. Students did several experiments on rocks and mineral studying their properties. As an at home project several student constructed volcano that were “erupted” at school.

Ella Dwyer and Michaela Stangel perform a Scratch Test on a piece of calcite to determine its hardness.

Evan Rasmussen “erupts” a dry volcano using baking soda and air.

Mallory Holmvig “erupts” her volcano with baking soda and vinegar as classmates Brooke Newman and Larissa Nielson look on.

Mariah Bodle ”erupts” her volcano made with baking soda and vinegar as classmate A J Forde looks on.

Trey Stangel is “erupting” his volcano with baking soda and vinegar as classmates Tyler Wynn, Marlee Zender, Mariah Bodle, and Shelain Lewis look on.

Left: Gabe Gibson and Tommy Fickett perform a Scratch Test on different minerals to determine their hardness.

Students at Cuyuna Range Elementary work with “big buddies” during a reading lesson.

Josh Shiffler, transportation director, works with Cuyuna Range Elementary students on bus safety.

Spanish students visit Costa Rica Señora Dietz took 6 Spanish students (Reba DeCent, Katelynn Foote, Whitney LaBorde, Alyssa Laffin, Lacey Lindahl, and Larissa Olander) to Costa Rica in June for 9 days. The students were able to swim in a waterfall, go kayaking on Lago Arenal, see wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park such as monkeys, snakes, sloths, butterflies, witness a crocodile feeding up close and personal and go zip-lining through the rainforest. It was a great adventure to discover Costa Rica’s natural beauty and cultural treasures.

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Wednesday, November 24

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Crosslake LUMBERJACKS

Community School

Book Buddy Reading 1st Quarter Students with Perfect Recently the students from Crosslake Community School enjoyed their favorite book with their book buddy.

Attendance Austin Anderson Kiley Anderson Seth Srock Ethan Gibbs Logan Olson Jacob Young Cody Endriss Dylan Nelson Jonathan Rabe Matthew Bonfig William Gustafson Veronica Hulke Kayla Richey

Madison Abraham Ally Anderson Morgan Endriss Shane Huttner Ellie Loken Hunter Martin Brodie Olson Rory Starkka Lillian Swenson Sidney Veit Korbyn Hulke Mathew Mejdrich Evelyn Swenson

Wade Loeffler Alexis Luzar Cruz Megazzini Logan Mejdrich Joseph Rabe Pierce Swenson Tristan Veit Rose Aldridge Conrad Rono Hannah Scott Ethan Shetka Wolfgang Yetzer

These students were recognized by their classroom teachers as demonstrating INTEGRITY above the norm compared to their classmates.

Back row: Kate G., Taylor S., Sophia D., Sam H., Dylan N. Middle Row: Evan M., Emily B., Taylor S. Front Row: Matt M., Cole P., Cruz M., Bella C., Joe R., Myra N., Eddie S.

EDUSS Program 27 students were invited to participate in the program. Eleven participated and received prizes from several area businesses.

SidneyV. and Robbie H.

Back Row: Logan W., Jon R., Kalley N., Dillion H., Konner A, Director Mrs. Martin Front Row: Emily B., Korbyn H., Joseph R., Ghage B.

The businesses that supported the program and donated prizes were: Alco Store, Pine River Aunt Bea’s Pantry, Crosslake Crosswoods Golf Course Haven Books, Crosslake Pine Peaks Lodge, Crosslake Reed’s Country Market, Crosslake

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Wednesday, November 24

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g n i e e S ne in ction! a BRAINERD DISPATCH

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Lowell Students Use Newspapers to Predict Hours of Daylight Third graders at Lowell Elementary School in Pam Caughey’s class calculated that Brainerd received an equal amount of daylight between sunrise and noon and between noon and sunset on Nov. 9, two days after Daylight Savings Time ended.

“We use the newspaper that is provided by the Brainerd Dispatch and sponsors to grab sunrise and sunset data in math on Tuesdays,” Ms. Caughey said. “We go down the column and grab and record the time. We track the length of daylight every Tuesday and then we start to see what’s going to happen. Is the longest part in the morning before noon or after noon? We will see a pattern and predict what’s going to happen next.”

Ms. Caughey told the students that their discovery of equal daylight hours in the morning and the afternoon is not a regular occurrence. This hands-on lesson not only showed the students where to look for data and how to record it but how a simple math problem can help them understand the changing world around them She has received the newspapers in her classroom once a week for many years to conduct this weekly experiment with her students.

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Wednesday, November 24

Top 20 Lesson: Tornados of Negativity Trudi Storbakken, Licensed School Counselor, Forestview Middle School Alison Medeck, Licensed School Counselor, Forestview Middle School Throughout the year all 6th grade students will receive six Top 20 lessons. These lessons support the tools and language taught to students in 5th grade. Top 20 is about Thinking, Learning and Communicating in effective ways that help students to be their best at home and at school. Our monthly lessons help students build and maintain positive relationships with friends,

Go Karts The sixth grade students at Forestview are currently working on a Models and Designs unit.

This unit is part of the Full Optical Science System (FOSS) which is being implemented throughout K-6 classrooms in the Brainerd school district.

This program allows for student inquiry, hands-on learning, and student-to-student interaction. The Forestview sixth graders recently completed the two meter challenge where they had to build a selfpropelled go-cart that could travel a minimum of two meters.

teachers, peers and family.

Our November lesson focuses on the social world of 6th grade students. Have you ever seen a tornado? Maybe you saw the movie, “Twister”, where the cow was sent flying across the road.

The destructive force of a tornado occurs because its tremendous energy sucks everything towards it. It functions like a powerful vacuum cleaner

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A Tornado Watch is when conditions are right for producing a social tornado. Common places include: lunchroom, locker area, between classes, sports, chat sites, etc.

A Tornado Warning occurs when someone who is not present is mentioned in a negative way or a general negative statement is made. Example: “Did you see the pants Mindy is wearing today?”

A Tornado Touchdown means the twister has hit the ground and is causing destruction—destruction of friendships/relationships.

You’ve been pulled in and have become a participant. wreaking havoc on everything in its path. Destruction.

In Top 20, we talk about social tornados. A social tornado occurs when someone is below-the-line and makes a negative comment about something or someone. A second person is drawn into the conversation and a tornado is started. As more and more people become involved in the negative conversation, the tornado gains more and more momentum. It tends to dominate the culture of the group.

Tornados for 6th graders, or middle school students, are often formed through rumors/gossip, texting, social networking sites, etc. There are three parts to a tornado—a watch, warning and touchdown.

Top 20 students are taught to recognize a social tornado. Students understand they have a choice whether or not to participate in the negativity. Students are reminded that we need to be careful of our words because once they’re out there, we can’t get them back.

How can we protect ourselves from Social Tornados? #1 Identify the Tornado as such: If you are approaching a group where a Tornado is being spawned, identify it as such: “Oh is sounds like there’s a Tornado going on here.” #2 Listen, but don’t join in. However, you still can be guilty by association if you are listening to the conversation. #3 Walk away. #4 Take more drastic measures: If certain friends or groups you hang out with are dominated by Tornados, you may need to take more drastic measures to protect yourself. #5 Expand your friendships: The more friends or groups you have, the less influence any particular friend or group will have on you. You can expand your circle of friends by: Getting involved, making a goal to meet three new people at school, making deposits in someone’s trust fund, not worry about other people’s opinions. #6 Limit your time: If certain friends are having too much negative influence on you, limit the time you spend with them.

Instead of spending two nights on the weekend with them, just spend one. A good way of limiting your availability is making other plans. #7 Terminate the relationship: If a relationship is dragging you in a direction of your Worst Interest, it’s time to terminate.

When a friend is influencing you in a negative direction, it’s time to end the relationship.

For more information on Top 20 lessons, visit us at www.isd181.org/fms or www.top20training.com

Egypt in 6A Mummies, tombs, scarabs…sounds like Halloween doesn’t it? Well in team 6A it sounds like the study of Ancient Egypt. Our yearly trek to the ancient African country continues to intrigue sixth graders as they learn about the history of this historical, yet mysterious land.

One group of students delved into the study of the Nile River, learning the importance of this lifeline. They began their research with their textbook and then went online to investigate the importance of the Nile River. They proved their research through a Nile River brochure. Each brochure included a map of the Nile River, with details of the important sites and cities along its banks. The facts and pieces of artwork was meant to tease the audience to learn more about Egyptian history.

Another group broke into several newscasts. We saw wrapped mummies, PowerPoint presentations, sculpted pyramids and pharaoh masks. Each newscast taught us fascinating pieces of Egyptian history.

Our culminating project of Egypt was making Egyptian masks. Students selected favorite Egyptian characters and created colorful foil masks. The commons area now lights up with colorful examples of ancient history.

Carol Lang and Mike Schmidt

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Wednesday, November 24

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GARFIELD

ELEMENTARY Thankful Poems Thankful By: Gina Wasniewski Trees Hiking Aunts Nice teachers Kind friends Friends Uncles Love

Shadow Tracking With our new FOSS science, students are learning first hand about the sun, moon, and stars. So far, students have been outdoors observing the sun in the daytime sky and tracking their shadows’ changes throughout the day. This hands on learning is exciting and engaging.

Thankful By: Madison Rodman Thankful for people Happy I have my mom and dad Always learning at school Noon time fun on the playground Knowing I always have fun with friends Food for us to eat Unbelievable friends Loving my family

Halloween Fun Once again we celebrated Halloween at Garfield with our annual school wide parade and classroom parties.

Parents, grandparents, family and friends gathered in our large gym as classrooms “paraded” through the gym to show their costumes to all. What a fun afternoon for students and staff alike.

Pippi Adventure Garfield’s third graders hopped on a bus and headed to Villa Villakulla at the Great Theatre in St. Cloud. Students watched a live performance of the book, Pippi Longstocking. Konnor stated, “Pippi is so funny!” Katie’s favorite part of the play was “when the two robbers go into Pippi’s house.” The crowd was captivated during the entire performance. This lively musical paralleled closely with the book that was read aloud to all of the students in their classrooms

Have You Filled A Bucket Today?

Garfield students are aware and working hard at filling other people’s buckets daily. A “bucket filler” in our school is “caught” by a staff member using kind words, doing kind deeds and using appropriate actions towards others. Each Friday a bucket filler from each classroom is recognized and announced school wide. Here are some of the 3rd grade bucketfillers so far this year!

WAY TO GO!! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!!

Amazing Artists Michelle Pfeiffer, Brainerd’s Elementary Art Specialist, has been visiting Garfield’s 3rd grade classrooms monthly and has been inspiring each child to develop their own “inner artist.” Third graders have created self-portrait masterpieces using the medium of watercolor. They have also explored shapes, lines and collages.

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Wednesday, November 24

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Camp Shamineau Lowell Students in 3rd grade Mrs. VanVickle and 4th grade in Mr. Meyer’s classes went to Camp Shamineau last month for team challenge events.

Teams of 3 were challenged to move 1 of their members a great distance without letting them touch the ground.

These excersizes teach the students how to work together.

Third Graders in Mrs. VanVickle’s class continue with the challenge of who can carry the farthest at Camp Shamineau.

Luke and Izzy’s team was trying to work together to swing all member across to a roped off area.

Climb Theater visits Lowell Climb Theater presented two different productions to the Lowell Students on bullying. The k - 2 grades enjoyed an interactive production while the 3 - 4 graders had a more serious message.

Alex B. on the high rope element.

Joe S. on the high rope element Jenna M., Lexi M, Spencer L , fourth graders pulling up the third graders at Camp Shamineau

Students of the Month

Student of the Month for ‘Most Polite’ Back left: Jessica K., Kayleigh O., Ashley N., Kallie J., Paige C., Madison P., Devin E., Nariah F., David D., Hunter K

Fun at the Farm

Middle: Elias M., Logan S., Nicole B., Nick B., Aftyn A., Jenna H., Erin H., Jack E. Front: Cullen C., Taliyah R., James P., Gavin B., Alison R., Abby W., Mason K., RayLynn L.

Emma C., Natalie M., Lily B. and Livia Thompson posing for a picture in the field at the farm!

Mrs. Czeck’s class learning about llamas at the farm!

At the student of the month for “Most Polite”, Mrs. Czeck’s first grade class and Mrs. VanVickle’s third grade class presented manners complete with the all school responses to the questions.

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Wednesday, November 24

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Nisswa

ELEMENTARY 2010-2011 Student Council Representatives Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by their teachers or elected by their classmates to serve as Student Council Representatives for the 2010-11 school year. These students will meet regularly with Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Johnson to resolve problems, share ideas, and manage projects to make Nisswa Elementary the best school possible.

Grade Kindergarten Kindergarten K/1 Multiage 1st Grade 1st Grade 2nd Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 4th Grade

Deep Portage

Fire Safety Day

by Will Lundstrom and Danny Olson

by Mr. Koman’s kindergarten class

4th graders in Ms. Ziegler’s class

On October 5th our class had a field trip to Deep Portage. We rock climbed and canoed. Our class’s personal favorite was rock climbing. There were 5 rock walls; each one was thirty five feet tall. Everybody did great.

Canoeing was also really fun. Before we started canoeing we had a lesson on how to paddle and learned the sides of the boat. We canoed on Bass Pond, which is connected to Big Deep Lake. Some people saw a treasure chest at the bottom of the pond. No one knows what is in the chest and they may never find out. Deep Portage was a lot of fun.

Teacher Mrs. Ward Mr. Koman Mrs. O’Brien Mrs. Lambert Mrs. Rasmussen Mrs. Hansen/Drake Mrs. Headlee Mrs. Baker Mrs. Olson Ms. Ziegler Mrs. Bieganek

Representative Isabelle Olson Mason Broneak Max Roby Grant Gardiepy Madeline Ryan Zella Drake Mary Moore Max Darkow Madison Burnard Skyann Armstrong Mason Hill

Nisswa kindergartners had a great time on Fire Safety Day at Nisswa Elementary School. We started the day with a fire drill. Once we got outside we saw the fire trucks come rushing in and spray the school. At an all school assembly we met some fire fighters who were fathers of Nisswa students. We ended the morning with a ride on a fire truck and a tour of the fire hall.

Halloween Nisswa school students once again took part in the annual Halloween parade thru downtown Nisswa. Students began by walking thru the “haunted hallway” of Lakewood Bank, continued down the trail thru Nisswa Square and onto Main Street. A special thanks goes out to the Nisswa Chamber and merchants for their generosity and kindnesses as well as the Nisswa Police Dept. who provided traffic supervision.

Members of the Section Champion Brainerd Warrior Football team visited Nisswa School recently where they visited with the students, played catch out on the playground and read Dr. Seuss books to several classrooms. Pictured are team members Joe Haeg, Jordan Hayes, Jack Luke and Jesse Zahn with Ms. Ziegler’s 4th grade class.

Good food is made from scratch Affordable menu prices ranging from $399 to $1499

Everything is made from scratch - even our salad dressings!

Open 6:30 AM til 8:00 PM, 7 days a week. 218.824.5131 • www.brainerdlakescafe.com

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Annual Fall Festival Oak Street Christian School is associated with the Brainerd SDA Church. The Church puts together a Fall Festival every year to raise money for local missions. This year, the students were asked to help plan, decorate, and run different booths. The evening was full of fun, food, and fellowship. We had hay rides, a cake walk, bobbing for apples, games, face painting, a jump house, a jail, glow in the dark miniature golf, and of course lots of food. The evening brought in almost $800 for local missions. After the kids swept and mopped the gymnasium, helped set up tables, and make banners, they got to enjoy the fruits of their labor as they played games, won prizes, and arrested their friends and family. Everyone went home that evening feeling very tired, but satisfied with a job well done.

Wednesday, November 24

11S

Healthy Alternative Fundraiser Oak Street Christian School has offered a fruit program to the local community for over 20 years. It is used as a “healthy alternative” fundraiser for the school. We get shipments of citrus fruits from Florida (in the winter) and berries from Washington and Oregon (in the summer). Over 100 customers from the Brainerd Lakes Area (extending as far as the Twin Cities) order fruit from our school.

Not only is the fruit reasonably priced and deliciously fresh, but proceeds go to help the students of our school. The students are grateful to the many people who support this fundraiser, and to the local church members who put so much time and energy into offering the program.

Helping to Make a Difference Several students from Oak Street Christian School, along with youth from the Brainerd SDA Church got ‘down and dirty’ on October 29, when they joined over 100 area youth and adults to help raise awareness and support for homeless families in our community. They built cardboard tents and slept in them on one of the coldest nights of this season. These youth, who were sponsored by Dorcas, the Seventh-day Adventist Community Service organization, helped to raise over $5,300 to help New Pathways serve at-risk families with children from central Minnesota.

Oak Street Christian School isn’t just about teaching the kids the ABCs. Our goal is to prepare our kids for the future. In this event the kids experienced what it was like to NOT have so many of the things they take for granted. They experienced what life is like without running water or convenient toilets. They learned that joblessness directly affects homelessness, and that food and shelter are not easy to come by for everyone. They were also given the opportunity to discover what a homeless family has to

go through to find help, and what they have to overcome to return to a home of their own. They learned that being a Christian is more than just “talking the talk”—it’s about “walking the walk” so that people know that there are others who care.

We are making a difference one student at a time.

By Sue Sterling

The (Humbling) Hubble Experience The students at Oak Street Christian School spent a whole day visiting the Science Museum of Minnesota. The highlight of the day was the Omnitheater showing of the Hubble Space Telescope. The students were once again reminded how great our God is. It was very humbling to see the vastness of space with the billions and billions of galaxies that God has created. It was worshipful to stop and remember He loves and cares for each one of us, on our tiny little planet, enough to send His Son to die for us.

Other than the Hubble Space Telescope experience, the students got to enjoy many hands-on learning stations throughout the museum. One of their favorites was the geometry playground.

There, they got to experience the strength of a couple of geometric shapes as they climbed on the structures built from these shapes. And finally, the students were reminded how complex and wonderful their brains are as they enjoyed the optical illusions show. We always enjoy the Science Museum of Minnesota and look forward to the next time we get to go.

12S

Wednesday, November 24

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Pequot Lakes PATRIOTS Thanksgiving By: Whitney Swenson & Tricia Villella The first Thanksgiving is said to have been celebrated in 1621.

It involved the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians; it was a three-day feast. The food served included deer, berries, fish, clams, plums, and boiled pumpkins. According to History. com, the feast was in celebration of the first successful corn harvest, and even the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was there. Even though this was said to be the first Thanksgiving celebrated, it didn’t become an official holiday until October 3, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday. Now it is celebrated on the third Thursday in November. People enjoy many different types of food, but it is traditional to have turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, cranberries, stuffing, corn, pumpkin pie, and yams or sweet potatoes. According to an informal survey of our classmates, most students preferred ham, apple pie, cranberries, and stuffing for their Thanksgiving dinners. Whatever your preferences for food are, remember the most important part of the holiday involves giving thanks.

Fifth Graders Take Unusual Field Trip

By Karlie Trottier On October 28th the fifth grade classes of Eagle View Elementary went to Dr. and Mrs. Cheek’s house in Breezy Point. Dr. and Mrs. Cheek kindly invited the fifth graders to come to their house, take a tour, and have cookies. Before the tour, Dr. and Mrs. Cheek came to Eagle View to show us a video, tell about their travels, and answer some questions. Dr. and Mrs. Cheek have gone on hunting expeditions to Africa, Australia, and many other foreign countries. In their house they have a rhinoceros mount, a hippopotamus, an elephant, a lion, a crocodile, a wallaby, a hyena, a cheetah, and other exotic animals. We couldn’t believe how big the elephant head was! It was an amazing, incredible opportunity to go to the Cheek’s house and see all of the animals.

Kat Thomas Comes to Eagle View Elementary

By Abigail Reigel & Ashlynn Reynolds Kat Thomas, from the Cuyuna Rock, Gem, & Mineral Society, came to Eagle View Elementary to present fossils and rocks to Mrs. Harman’s, Mrs. Schommer’s, and Mrs. Zeidler’s grades 3-4 Multiage classes. She inspired about 45 kids in the Multiage Discovery Area about fossils, rocks, and minerals. While the students played a fossil game, they were able to hold and feel different types of fossils

Abi Reigel is searching for

the amythst gemstone with

Hayden Cameron looks closely at a fossil for the fossil hunt game.

a fossil leaf attached.

Emma Benson studies an algae fossil.

Ms. Jodie Tweed Visits Journalism Class

By: Nykole Holmes, Jordyn Anderson , & Sammi Zabukover

On October 13, 2010, Ms. Jodie Tweed, who is an alumnus of Pequot Lakes High School, paid Mrs. Palmer’s journalism class a visit to talk about many aspects of being a journalist. She informed us about how her lifestyle has been affected by her job and what lengths she must sometimes go to when getting facts for a story. The whole class was very interested in what she had to say, and a lot of our curious classmates had questions.

Ms. Tweed told the class some interesting stories and explained some of the tough situations she has experienced. Also, she discussed the branches of jobs involved in working at a newspaper company and emphasized how many people it takes to really cover a story and get a paper published. She went on to explain how much her family life plays a role and how everyone around her can be affected by her working in this field. Even though Tweed doesn’t always get holidays off, she loves what she does and she really enjoys giving a good story to the public.

Bridges

By Quinn Kratochvil, 6th grader Over the past few weeks the 6th grade built bridges out of popsicle sticks. Before we started anything we spent a day researching bridge designs on the internet. We all noticed that many of the bridges have triangles in them. Mrs. McKenna, our science teacher, told us that triangles have the best strength because the weight gets distributed. First we had to make blueprints. It took us a few days to get them a certain length and height. The bridges had to be at least 60cm long and we could only use 100 regular-sized popsicle sticks to build it. We were also only allowed to use plain white glue. (No super or gorilla glue allowed!) After we had our blueprint design checked by our teacher we got to start building! It was kind of hard to get started, but after we got going it was easier. Last but not least, we tested how strong our bridges were. We had a bucket that hung from the bridge and we put weights in one at a time. Our bridge had to hold 7.5 pounds in order to get an A. Besides getting a grade for the strength part, we were also graded on our blueprint, construction quality, and a written reflection. It was a very fun project and we all learned a lot! Here are the three top winners.

It was crazy to watch and see how much weight some of these bridges held!!

1st – Elsa Headlee, 75 pounds 2nd – Britney Adkins, 65 pounds 3rd – Sami Nelson, 60 pounds They all won a gift certificate to the Dairy Queen!

Artists of the Month The Pequot Lakes Middle School Artists of the month are Sami Selter, Whitney Marchwick and Kaden Ardoff. Sami is in the 7th grade, attends art club, and is often working on artwork outside of school. Sami focuses on Anime style characters, but has other styles as well. Whitney is in 8th grade art. Whitney has created a cubists style painting based on Pablo Picasso’s work, and she also draws in the realistic style. Kaden is a 6th grade art student and shows promise with his realistic drawings, unique style, and his use of value to create realistic shadows. You can see artwork by these students in the district office hallway at the school.

Sami Selter

Whitney Marchwick

Kaden Ardoff

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Wednesday, November 24

PILLAGER

13S

Home of the Huskies

Elementary Students Elect Their Council

By Maya Wellnitz

Kindergarteners Hang Out Their Laundry

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 elementary students went to the gymnasium to listen to candidates’ speeches for student council because they needed to elect leaders for each class. The speeches were interesting and well written. After the speeches, 1st through 5th grade students voted for students from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades to be representatives. The students went to the board room for the official vote. They received ballots and went to a private booth. They voted for whom they thought was best. When they were down, they put their ballot in the box and got an “I voted” sticker. The voting went well.

The 2010-2011 Student Council Members are: Samantha Bennett, Carson VanVickle, Ann Pugh, Braedon Nelson, Kyler Erickson, Heather Joslin, Jade Parks, and Halie Holzer Congratulations!

It’s Alphabet Sharing month in Mrs. Fredman’s KinderTroop room. Students are participating in a number of activities that tie in with the letter of the day. Alphabet Sharing had its kick off day with the letter “A”.

The students joined in an Alphabet Clothesline relay. Two separate teams worked together to hang the alphabet letters in order on clothes lines. Other sharing days thus far have included bubbles, donuts, a clown, fancy clothes, hats, and inside out clothes. Homework for the kindergarteners involves bringing an item from home that begins with the letter of the day.

How do you like them apples?

Fourth Graders Graph Pumpkins

By Makinzie Agresto The week before Halloween, Mrs. Nordin’s class graphed pumpkin information. It was math-circumference, weight, and estimating the number of seeds. They made bar graphs and line graphs. They finished by carv carving them. They ey took them m home just in time for Halloween.

Mrs. Balsley’s Busy Bee Kindergarten had an amazing morning making applesauce. With the help of parent volunteers the bees peeled, cored, and sliced apples of every color. After combining each groups prepared apples, then water, sugar and cinnamon were added. The bees were patient as the aroma of cooked apples filled their room. At the end of a busy day, the home-made applesauce hit the spot!

Alexa Fletcher

By Taylor Wacha Mr. Saulsbury’s seventh graders are currently showing their bacteriophage models. Students were expected to have working models, the models had to be able to infect a “living cell” by pulling a lever, turning a knob, etc. The models DNA would then be injected into the cell.

Many pairs DNA were represented by beads or candy.

Red Earthern Ware Clay “Sleepy Hollow” • Grade 11

Pillager High School is extending special congratulations to Alexa Fletcher and Rian Hutchison who were recently named School Winners for the prestigious Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. To be eligible for this award, students must exhibit excellence in academics, athletics, and community/school leadership. Rian was also selected as a state finalist.

The Wendy’s High School Heisman program, in conjunction with the collegiate Heisman, celebrates the achievements of the nation’s top high school seniors in and out of the classroom. Just as the collegiate Heisman is known for being the top award in college football, the Wendy’s High School Heisman award is known for being the most prestigious award at the high school level. The award encourages future leadership by recognizing well-balanced lifestyles at an early age.

“Alexa and Rian are an inspiration to those around them and will represent their school well in the next stage of Wendy’s High School Heisman award judging,” said Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the prestigious Heisman Memorial Trophy and Wendy’s High School Heisman program spokesperson. “I’m proud to be a part of a program that honors young men and women who embody the spirit of the Heisman tradition of hard work, dedication and an outstanding record both on and off the field.”

Cells Come to Life

ARTIST’S CORNER

PHS CELEBRATES OUTSTANDING SENIORS

Artist: Rhianon Fletcher

Rian Hutchison

Huskies of the Month

Trevor Rohloff (Cross Country) and Emily Doss (Volleyball) have been selected as Pillager’s Huskies of the Month for October.

Emily, a senior setter and a 3-year letter-winner, is the quarterback of the team, and she has been very effective getting the ball to our hitters. She has had 5 matches with over 25 set assists this year and reached the 1000 set assist mile stone. October 2, when we won the Walker Tournament, Emily made 57 of 58 serves in and had 16 ace serves on the day, proving she sees the court well and finds places to score. Emily knows the game and always uses that knowledge to improve her play. In the off season, Emily stepped up her leadership Trevor Rohloff Emily Doss this summer and helped plan captain’s practices as well as open gym time. She has been a good role model for younger players both on and off the court.

Trevor Rohloff is a 4-year letter-winner. He moved up to #8 on the all-time Varsity Honor Roll with his run at the Pequot Lakes Invitation (19:34) and 19:32 at Royalton one week later. As a senior captain, Trevor’s leadership makes the team stronger both on and off the practice field. His performances are better this year due to his hard work and dedication.

These athletes were honored by the Husky Booster Club at the home volleyball game on Sept. 28 before the start of the varsity game.

14S

Wednesday, November 24

Teaming up for Fire Safety!

Firemen from both the Backus and Pine River Fire Departments visited classrooms to share fire safety information. K-4 students were able to also go outside to see actual fire trucks as firemen shared information on all of the special equipment they use in fighting fires.

Thanks to the Pine River volunteer fire fighters, ECFE children learned about fire safety, got to sit in a firetruck, and even had a chance to try on a real firefighter’s uniform!

Mrs. Cochem’s Kindergarten Class enjoyed a visit from the Pine River Fire Department!

Classroom Label Contest

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Mad Mom Scientists Return!

Ms. TeHennepe and Mr. Hoffarth’s 3rd graders learned about the upcoming flu and cold season by making snot.

Gym Scott’s Science students continue to harvest this year’s Community Garden bounty. The entire sixth grade spent class time pulling weeds in the community garden to get it ready to till. They also hauled in the remaining pumpkins with one that topped the scales at 101.2 pounds! The kids love to go out and work in the garden whether it’s raining or sunny. We then had contest in the elementary to “Guessing the Pumpkin’s Weight.” The winner was Harley!

The students in Mrs. Holden’s class were treated to two guest teachers, Naree Weaver and Janis Prange. Mrs. Weaver is the mother of Mrs. Holden and Mrs. Prange is a first cousin to Mrs. Weaver. Teaching runs in the family! Mrs. Weaver first taught in Anoka. She taught the rest of her career in Backus, retiring in 2000.

Mrs. Prange taught in Wisconsin, Missouri, and California. She taught in the classroom as well as one of the first ESL (English as a Second Language) classrooms with children from 30 different countries. She retired as a kindergarten teacher in 2002. Both teachers enjoy continuing to work in classrooms of their grandchildren.

Mrs. Weaver subs for PRB and is a volunteer in great-granddaughter Evelyn Watson’s class. We enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Prange during her visit to PRB. What a wealth of experience!

Mrs. Rowell’s First Graders collected the most labels for the Sept./Oct. Contest on the primary side with 1,345 labels.

School Readiness “Winning Ways to Literacy” Event. School Readiness parents came to school with their children to take part in a variety of fun early literacy activities.

Mrs. Cochems Kindergarten class has teamed up with Mrs. Sether’s Fourth grade class as buddies for the school year. Once a month they will meet to work on a project together. Our October activity was creating a pumpkin book the kindergarteners could take and read. The fourth graders helped write the words while the kindergarteners drew the illustrations.

Mrs. Ruud’s fourth grade class won the intermediate label contest by bringing in 1,248 labels for Sept./Oct. The Pine River Backus Elementary Children brought in a total of 14,083 labels for the months of Sept./Oct. Continue to save your labels. Next label contest will end December 22, 2010.

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Wednesday, November 24

15S

RIVERSIDE

ELEMENTARY Veterans Day My Heroes As I looked up at the flag Flowing gently in the breeze, I thought of all the people Who lost their lives for me.

I thought about the Air Force And all those planes shot down, I thought about the Army Some lying on the ground.

I thought about the Navy And all the ships at sea, I thought about Marines, As bold as bold can be.

I thought about M.I.A.s Some lost and never found, I thought about the P.O.W.s And how their fears abound.

I thought of all the families Who lost their loved ones at war, I thought of all the friends who cried Till they could cry no more.

As I thought of all the people Who lost their lives for me, I realized that they did it So I could now be free.

Written by Stephanie Erlandson a 5th Grade Student from Henning, Minnesota

Back by popular demand.....

Drums Alive!

Riverside students were able to have Kris Peterson and Heidi Rudstrom from the YMCA at gym class to perform a 25 minute Drums Alive workout. The students and staff loved it!

“Bee-utiful!”

Riverside’s Worker Bees for the month of October are Megan Carter in Mrs. Gramer’s Second Grade and Max Walker in Mrs. Andresen’s Fourth Grade. Worker Bees of the month are chosen from students who have earned bees by “beeing” responsible, “beeing” respectful, “beeing” helpful, “beeing” a friend, and/or “beeing” a good worker. Each classroom collects their students’ bees and once a week draws a worker bee of the week whose name goes in the drawing for worker bee of the month. Congratulations this month to Megan and Max.

Eric Carle Art At Riverside Elementary School, the fourth grade students are learning about Eric Carle art. They used sponges, paint brushes and other tools to decorate and make their own Eric Carle paper. Then they will cut out their paper (later) and make an Eric Carle collage.

Emily Moore in Mrs. Andresen’s class

16S

Wednesday, November 24

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com

Mission Statement St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School, in cooperation with the family, is a vibrant school committed to challenging students to grow spiritually, academically and socially within a Catholic-centered environment. Our students come from the entire region including Brainerd, Baxter, Pillager, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Merrifield, Aitkin, Deerwood, Ironton, Crosby, Garrison, Pine River, Crosslake, E. Gull Lake & Fort Ripley.

October Marathon Fundraiser results in over $43,000 for the school St. Francis students collected over $40,000 from generous friends. On October 20th, for several hours, students biked, walked, and completed exercise stations. A carnival with inflatable slide, face painting, jump house, games and prizes followed the marathon at the school.

Since we exceeded our goal, a swimming party for the entire school is being planned. Also, Father Steve La Flamme will shave his head, as promised, because students reached $40,000!

Christmas Program Our Christmas Program will be held on December 7th at 6pm at Tornstrom Auditorium in Brainerd, MN. Free admission. Everyone is welcome to join us for this joyous event with children performing. Five dollars will buy a chance to win wine in a drawing with proceeds to beneÀt Fine Arts.

New Library and Computer Lab Captivates This has been an exciting start to the school year with the new library and computer lab up and running. Students (age 3 to 8th grade) are enjoying 30 minutes of library time each week.

Each class enjoys a story, and then students have time to check out and look at books.

Our blessings include a brand new computer lab outfitted with 25 new computers. Students receive a minimum of 45 minutes of formal instruction each week. Classroom teachers have also individually reserved additional technology time for their students throughout the week.

Foundation Dinner 2010 Bishop Paul Sirba graced the Foundation dinner with his presence and his insightful keynote speech. St. Francis students entertained and clergy, parents and friends of the school gathered for dinner and conversation to support the Foundation Trust, which ensures the school’s long-term financial stability.

The focus of the technology instruction this year is a team teaching approach. Classroom teachers and Mrs. Turner work together to integrate what students are learning in class with what’s being taught in the computer lab. Topics have included: click and drag activities, phonemic awareness activities, the study of dinosaurs, writing an organized, structured paragraph using Microsoft Office, and implementing a new curriculum entitled K to the 8th Power.

Student Teacher Brittany Dorn My name is Brittany Dorn, and I am a student teacher this fall in Mrs. Engel’s 2nd grade classroom. I will be in the classroom from October 6th - December 15th. I am sure the children and I will be helping each other learn and grow every day.

I am a senior at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and will be graduating with a degree in elementary education in December, after my student teaching experience is complete. I grew up in Little Falls, MN, attended a Catholic school during grades K-8, and graduated from Little Falls High School in 2007. I enjoy playing piano, camping with my family, sports, and movies.

Thanksgiving Food Drive Our students are really focusing on being thankful this month. They are focusing on remembering to say thank you to God for all his blessings and to others who do small or large acts of service. The school’s goal is 300 pounds of food delivered to the Salvation Army. The children will know they made a difference in people’s lives this Thanksgiving!

I’m thankful for life, the garden and pond I have at my beautiful. I’m also thankful for my sisters and my brothers. The last think I’m thankful for is my grandma and grandpa.

Jalyn Thank you God for the beautiful sunsets that we watch, the clothes that we wear, the family you gave us, the holidays so families can get together, the school we learn in, and the teacher that teaches us.

Helen

I’m so thankful for like in lots of ways. The think I’m thankful for is shelter. In lots of ways I’m thankful for the snow. I am thankful for my body. My family is what I’m thankful for the most.

Nic I am thankful for my family and for the sun set. I am really thankful for my food and water.

Thank you God for the churches. I am thankful for my house.

Louis