St. Francis Area Schools Back-to School Information Pages 5-9
AUGUST 2018 | VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1
Alumni Maggie Ewen nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Award Page 22
WWW.THE-COURIER.ORG | NEWS@ISD15.ORG
The Courier
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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
Thinking of running for school board? The decision to run for your local school board is one to which much thought and consideration must be given. Serving as a board member is one of the most important responsibilities that a citizen can undertake. If elected, the educational standards, which you, together with your fellow board members, establish, will affect the future of the students, the community and society. Being a board member is a complex and varied position, and often is frustrating as you struggle long hours with difficult choices. However, it is
also rewarding, as you watch students succeed and go on to lead productive lives as the result of educational opportunities you helped to create. According to Minnesota law, “the care, management, and control of independent districts shall be vested in a board of directors, to be known as the school board.” There are certain implications in being responsible for the entire district which you may want to consider. Decisions need to reflect what is in the best interest of all students and all citizens. This demands a constant
effort and strong commitment to serving other people. If you are willing to devote your time and talents to meeting these challenges, your state school boards association applauds your decision to run for election and wishes you the best of luck. We are ready and willing to serve you. For your information The Minnesota School Boards Association and your local board of education are pleased to provide the general public with this information to public school governance. A brochure about running for school board is available at www.mnmsba.org/ BecomingASchoolBoardMember. For further information about policies and procedures of St. Francis Area Schools School Board,
visit www.isd15.org. SOURCE: www.mnmsba.org/ BecomingASchoolBoardMember
2018 School Board Election Information Three of seven seats for the St. Francis Area Schools School Board will be decided in the 2018 general election; there will be no primary election. Each seat is a four-year term. Candidate filing for the school board is open until 5:00 p.m., August 14, 2018 at St. Francis Area Schools District Office, 4115 Ambassador Boulevard NW, St. Francis MN 55070. There is a filing fee of $2. The general election will be November 6.
Changes to The Courier THE COURIER STAFF
Students from St. Francis Elementary School Kids Connection braved the rain to witness the raising of the tent for the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus. They were also treated to meeting the three big cats in the show, Francis the lion and tigers Sampson and Delilah. The circus was in town for two performances on July 25. THE COURIER PHOTO
It is with a mixture of emotions St. Francis Area Schools announces the upcoming discontinuation of The Courier. After 25 years of a successful and high quality newspaper, October 2018 will be the final issue of the school district publication. The final issues will continue to focus on bridging the community and businesses. “We would like to thank our loyal readers and advertisers who have supported The Courier of the years,” said Kathleen Miller, editor for The Courier. As part of its strategic plan, St. Francis Area Schools has been working on rebranding for over three years. “During that time, we have researched best practices, identified needs, sought stakeholder feedback and looked at successful rebranding efforts of other area school districts,” said Superintendent Troy Ferguson. “Through these processes and discoveries, our district determined change was needed to move St. Francis Area Schools forward as a school district of choice. With the changing needs of the district, it is time for the Communications Department to shift its focus,” added Ferguson.
This transition will provide exciting opportunities for St. Francis Area Schools to position itself to increase enrollment and build school pride. The Communications Department will focus on public relations, marketing and branding of the school district with the ultimate goal of increasing student enrollment. Resources will be dedicated to the school district website, forms and publications, eNews, social media and other tasks to serve the needs of the school district. Stakeholders will be informed about school district happenings through a new quarterly school newsletter and more frequent website and social media posts. The first quarterly newsletter will be released November, with additional CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Inside Schools in Action..................................... 2 School Board Highlights...................... 10 Community & Business........................ 11 Community Education......................... 19 Sports & Outdoors................................ 22 Meetings, Events & Benefits................. 24 Life........................................................... 25