Building Our Future Together Update
Wedding Tips & Tools
Page 3
Bison in East Bethel
Page 15
FEBRUARY 2018 | VOLUME 25, ISSUE 6
Page 19
WWW.THE-COURIER.ORG | NEWS@ISD15.ORG
The Courier
I’m FREE. Pick me up and READ ME!
I have all sorts of community and school news.
St. Francis Area Schools Communications Department St. Francis, Minnesota Serving the communities of Andover, Athens Township, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township
St. Francis Area Schools emerges as district name KATHLEEN MILLER
STAFF WRITER
At the Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) School Board meeting on January 22, a resolution to approve the recommendation to identify the district name passed. St. Francis Area Schools was the recommendation brought forth by the branding committee. The Strategic Plan, adopted by the ISD 15 School Board May 2015, included a strategy with an end result statement, ISD 15 has a recognizable and consistent brand. Steps and timelines were established to complete this result statement. The Minnesota commissioner of education established Independent School District No. 15 on September 6, 1957. It was at that time that the classification and numbering of Minnesota school districts was completed. Prior to that, the school district was referred to as School District No. 22 of Anoka County, which became part of Anoka-Isanti Consolidated Independent Joint District No. 212 (St. Francis) of Anoka County. This bit of history along with other facts and images were collected during the research period of the branding process. What also surfaced in the research was that students, staff and the community commonly refer to the school district as St. Francis Schools or other variations, but consistently using St. Francis as the district identifier. Creating a brand for organizations and businesses in today’s world continues to grow and has taken on
a more strategic approach. Public school districts especially need to have a strong presence in today’s highly competitive education market. A strong brand is critical in helping an organization achieve its mission, which for St. Francis Area Schools is to equip all students with the knowledge and skills to empower them to achieve their dreams and full potential while becoming responsible citizens in a dynamic world. A brand is powerful for students, staff and the community by creating cohesion, alignment and shared values. While Independent School District 15 will remain as part of the name, legal and otherwise, St. Francis Area Schools will emerge as the consistent and recognizable brand of the school district. ISD 15 currently serves the communities, in part or entirely, of Andover, Athens Township, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township. Incorporating the word, area, in the name was done with purpose to recognize all those communities within ISD 15 boundaries. It is important to note that this name change will be made without creating a financial impact on the district at this time. Some changes have already been made at no cost, such as the name on the district’s website and Facebook page. Other changes will occur when it is time to order letterhead, envelopes and other items for the school district. A next step in the branding process will be the creation of a style guide for the district. This
14th Annual
Hwy 47 & Pederson Drive, St. Francis, MN
763-753-4577
Sun 11:30 am-9:00 pm; Mon-Th 11 am-9:00 pm; Fri 11 am-10:30 pm; Sat 11:30 am-10:00 pm
Customer Appreciation Spaghetti Dinner $ DINE-IN ONLY
document will outline the brand for the district and once finalized, the guide will be posted to the district website and made available to everyone. A consistent and recognizable
Nationally-acclaimed motivational speaker Reggie Dabbs presented at St. Francis High School (SFHS), St. Francis Middle School and Crossroads School & Vocational Center on January 9. Dabbs used humor, music and his own life experiences to connect to students on a deeper level. He spoke on suicide awareness, staying in school and the importance of appreciating family and friends. Community members had the opportunity to listen to Dabbs speak the evening of January 9 in the SFHS Performing Arts Center. This free assembly highlighted family, love, relationships and living a satisfying life. Sponsors for Reggie Dabbs were The Bridge Church, St. Francis Lions and St. Francis Area Schools Community Ed. KATRINNA DODGE, STAFF WRITER
Monday, February 5 • 4:00–9:00 p.m.
1
brand of St. Francis Area Schools, Independent School District 15 will be reflected across the school district as we build our future together.
99
Inside Schools in Action..................................... 2 School Board Highlights...................... 12 Income Tax Tips.................................... 14 Hearts & Flowers................................... 15 Community & Business........................ 18 Community Education......................... 25 Sports & Outdoors................................ 28 Meetings, Events & Benefits................. 31 Life........................................................... 32