5 minute read
A sticky situation at Stickney
Safety issues plagued South
opted Pathway to Packer Promise, an initiative that addresses achievement concerns, expands programming and prioritizes investment in academic and mental health support. Middle school staff have also created new programs for bullying prevention, conflict management skills, and college and career exploration.
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New district staff members include Tina Moses, director of technology, Amy Winter, executive director of equity and learning, and Brandon Willcox, K-12 instructional coordinator.
The first day of school is September 5 for grades 1-5 and 6 and 9, and September 6 for grades 7-8 and 10-12. Kindergarten begins September 7 and preschool begins September 11.
St.
Paul’s first school building
Tim Spitzack Editor
You’veheard of school closures in Minnesota due to blizzards and extreme cold. But what about high winds? That’s what educators dealt with in the early 1900s at Stickney School, South St. Paul’s first public school building.
Located near the site of the present-day secondary school, Stickney was the first of five red brick school buildings constructed in South
St. Paul in the late 19th century. The others were Lincoln, Gladstone, Sibley and McGrath. The push toward having new school buildings was championed by eager city leaders who had formed their own school district shortly after the City of South St. Paul became incorporated in March 1887. Before then, school was held in houses and administered by Dakota County.
Christian Zinck was awarded the contract to build all five schools, and Stickney was the first to open in 1887. It was named after the founder of the St. Paul Union Stockyards Co., Alpheus Stickney, who do- nated land for the school.
It turned out administrators didn’t adequately plan for the city’s explosive population growth. As a result, they had to renovate the school just three years later. They added a 2-room addition in 1890 then a second story later that same year.
Things were going swimmingly until 1903, when a janitor discovered a crack that ran the entire length of an outside wall. School officials conferred and decided the best course of action was to use timbers to prop up the wall. Undoubtedly, some of the most adventurous students thought they were given a new climb -
Fill the Backpack campaign begins August 1
The South St. Paul Mayor’s Youth Task Force will kick off the 23rd annual Fill the Backpack campaign on August 1. The campaign provides backpacks and school supplies for students in need who attend South St. Paul schools.
We begin collecting supplies at the many Night
Publisher & Editor: Tim Spitzack
Copy Editor: Leslie Martin
Staff Writers: Jake Spitzack John E. Ahlstrom to Unite celebrations on August 1. Residents are encouraged to bring their donations to their neighborhood get-together. Task force members will collect them, fill the backpacks and deliver them to the schools. Each year we receive hundreds of notebooks, pencils, markers and crayons at these neighborhood block parties, and from other groups and individuals.
Marketing Manager: Jake Spitzack
Contributors: Roger Fuller Delivery: Independent Delivery Service call 651-457-1177 ing structure for playtime during recess. A year later a building inspector came out, viewed the structural deficiency, and shook his head. He scribbled notes and went back to his office. A short time later he issued a citation that the building be condemned. That put school administrators in a tight spot. There was no plan for where else to educate the students, so they continued holding classes at Stickney, much to the chagrin of the teachers. Legend has it that nerves heightened whenever breezes increased in intensity. When the winds got wild, classes were dismissed. And when that happened, it
On average, the task force fills about 200 backpacks with basic school supplies and distributes them to the elementary and secondary schools. We are gearing up for another 200 backpacks this year as well.
If your child needs a backpack with supplies, or only school supplies, contact your child’s school. The school will get you what you need.
If your business, organiza- is likely that the howling of the wind was drowned out by the howling of the happy students.
Classes resumed at Stickney in the fall of 1904, but the following spring – during the windy season – enough was enough. The tion, group or family would like to donate supplies, drop them off at South St. Paul City Hall, 125 Third Ave. N., attention Deb Griffith. Monetary donations are accepted at City Hall as well, or you may mail them to the address above. Checks should made payable to the City of South St. Paul – Fill the Backpack Campaign.
For a list of needed supplies, visit the events calendar at school closed that April and was eventually demolished to make room for Central High School, which opened in 1907. The closure of Stickney has forever since put an end to “Wind Days” for South St. Paul students. We hope. www.southstpaul.org and click on August 1. The task force thanks everyone in advance for their donations to the campaign. Every donation helps ensure that all South St. Paul students start the school year right. For more information on the campaign, contact Deb Griffith, community affairs liaison, at deb. griffith@southstpaul.org or 651-554-3230.
E ducation
Peacemakers
from page 1 planners, a position similar to peace guides. One planner was assigned to Lincoln Center and one to Kaposia. The following year, offending students at those schools who previously would have been written up or gotten detention because of a conflict were instead brought into a restorative circle with those they hurt. The worker at Kaposia, Stacy Elliot –now a 2nd grade teacher at Kaposia – operated peace circles after school for youth in the upper grades. In this setting she taught them how to intervene in conflicts with other students, create a peaceful environment on the playground and at recess, and how to pass on social and emotional skills to younger students.
“We had 1,900 writeups in the very first year I was there and when I left in 2010 we had 315,” said John Laliberte, former Kaposia Education Center principal. “Kids felt like they were being listened to and they appreciated that…. I’m thankful that Terry Bretoi [current Kaposia principal] made a request to garner a peace guide again because I think it’s helpful and I think it’s needed in this world of ours.” Laliberte, who is in his second year of being board chair of PeaceMaker Minnesota, joined Kaposia as assistant principal in 1994 and became principal in 1998 when the grant for fulltime restorative justice planners had already expired. At that time, he was determined to bring someone back to the school to do work similar to what Elliot did. He eventually turned to the South St. Paul Restorative Justice Council, which was founded in 1998 by former South St. Paul High School English teacher Darrol Bussler. Before disbanding in 2021, the Council helped raise funds for a peace guide at both Kaposia Elementary and Lincoln Center.
It costs about $25,000 a year to employ a peace guide at a school for 10 hours a week and the school must pay 10-20% of that amount. Last year the South St. Paul endowment fund paid $2,750 and this year it will pay $3,750. PeaceMaker is committed to raising $16,250, leaving the school with $5,000 left to pay.
“It’s such an honor to be present for the kids’ learning and growth,” said Young. “They’re letting you into an important part of their life and it’s really rewarding to see them have success [with a plan we talk about].”
PeaceMaker sent a survey to South St. Paul teachers at Kaposia last May to learn if having a peace guide was helpful. Those who responded support the position and said they often don’t have the time themselves to dig deep into student conflicts.
“The long-term goal of peace guide work is for young people to become adults who are equipped to talk through differences and to live in community with one another,” said executive director McNeil. “We are seeing results. All seven of the teachers who responded to surveys this spring at Kaposia Education Center said they agree or strongly agree that the students seen by the peace guide have improved [behavior] and that the peace guide helped improve the learning environment. Six of the seven teachers said that their stress level, in relation to their students’ behavioral issues, has been reduced.”
This year, PeaceMaker Minnesota is also employing a peace guide at schools in St. Paul, Golden Valley, Brooklyn Center and Champlin. Leah
