Building our Future Together Update
Mechanical Masterminds
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MARCH 2018 | VOLUME 25, ISSUE 7
Easter Happenings Page 14
WWW.THE-COURIER.ORG | NEWS@ISD15.ORG
The Courier Vision for St. Francis Area Schools 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
TROY FERGUSON
ST. FRANCIS AREA SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT
The vision for St. Francis Area Schools is to be a destination school district for students who reside within our borders. Our talented staff, educational programs and school facilities will be the showcase of our community. When challenges confront us, as they are right now, it is not unusual to lose sight of where we are going and what we are trying to accomplish. I want to acknowledge the great work that we are currently doing
and provide an outline of future plans. Our mission 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. How do we accomplish our mission? Outlined below are three major areas of focus for St. Francis Area Schools: 1. Education Components Our mission to equip all students with knowledge and skills means we must ensure that our curriculum and
Elizabeth Vang (center) and Charlotte Sonterre (right) talk to Brendan Vu (seated) before he gave blood. St. Francis High School students and staff participated in National Honor Society’s (NHS) blood drive on Valentine’s Day through the American Red Cross. They filled the 130 spots available to donate a pint of blood each. The American Red Cross monetarily matches each pint donated toward a scholarship awarded to NHS graduating seniors. Scholarship money is raised through blood drives and dances sponsored by NHS. The next NHS blood drive will take place May 2. KATRINNA DODGE, STAFF WRITER
instruction addresses the needs of all students. Some of the areas of focus for the future will include the following: Personalized Learning As we work toward meeting the Strategic Plan mission outcome, by 2020, all students will develop a personalized educational path they can articulate and use to progress toward their evolving dreams. We will continue to identify how each student’s educational path will be personalized in order for them to reach their highest potential. Career and Technical Education During our effort to pass the bond, we received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from our community members as well as local and state elected officials when talking about our plans to expand career and technical education (CTE) opportunities for our students. The partnerships we are creating with industry and other institutions have already enhanced the opportunities for our students. No longer are vocational paths seen as second best to traditional fouryear college career paths. Industry and service institutions are in high demand for skilled workers and they are stepping up to help build the pool that is increasingly thin in our state and across the nation. We will embrace this trend and continue to look for ways to develop our CTE programming for students choosing to enter the workforce or attend a trade school after they graduate from high school. As we look to the future, we will develop our CTE pathways. The good news in the area of CTE is that we have already started on this path. Here are just a few of the highlights of what we have been able to do for our students:
The district has invested curriculum funds for the purchase of new equipment for students to use in class. New equipment for instruction and skill training in the areas of manufacturing, construction, transportation and computer-aided design careers are already in place in our high school. Members of our local business community have donated resources. Metro Mold provided $12,000 to purchase mills and lathes and provided a $6,000 drill press. Bell Manufacturing was instrumental in material and equipment donations in excess of $50,000. We greatly appreciate these partnerships and are working to expand efforts in all areas. College-Ready We want to ensure that our students who are planning for college after high school graduation are prepared. We also want our students to have a robust high school experience, with strong academic coursework to keep them challenged and growing. There will be a continued emphasis on advanced courses such as College In School classes, Honors and Advanced Placement classes. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) The District Standards and Building Design Teams, recently formed after the bond referendum was passed by voters last November, will focus efforts in helping create educational spaces that accommodate the needs of our students now and into the future. The teams will look at recent projects completed in the metro area and incorporate ideas for future needs and programming for our students. We want to ensure we are ready to accommodate and re-dedicate our efforts in the area of STEM and in CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Inside Schools in Action..................................... 2 6443 Norris Lake Road Nowthen, MN 55330 763-753-213 | info@sfbridge.org www.sfbridge.org
Friday, March 30 Good Friday Service | 6:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31 Annual Easter Egg Hunt | 9:00-11:00 a.m. Hunts every 20 minutes.... Over 5,000 Eggs! Huge Prizes, Games and More! It’s indoors—rain or shine.
Sunday, April 1 Easter Services | 9:00 & 10:30 a.m. Kids programing available during service. New Sermon Series: Pyromaniacs Come as you are!
School Board Highlights........................ 9 Community & Business........................ 16 Community Education......................... 21 Meetings, Events & Benefits................. 24 Sports & Outdoors................................ 25 Life........................................................... 26