School Pages - May 2011

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1S

Brainerd Community Education

Crosby/Ironton

Crosslake

Forestview

Garfi eld Elementary

Harrison Elementary

Learning Tree Pre-School

Nisswa Elementary

Oak Street Christian School

Pequot Lakes

Pillager Elementary/High School

Pine River/Backus

Riverside Elementary

St. Francis Catholic School

Staples/Motley Schools

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In this issue:

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neBRAINERD DISPATCH

Whether students are learning spelling, math or even good manners, every teaching moment moves them closer to understanding the world around them, preparing for adult-hood, or as we say at our home, “growing up to be responsible.”

Parents and teachers introduce young people to skills, tools and resources they will need for these steps. The newspaper is one of those important resources. Six out of ten young people who are exposed to newspapers during childhood become regular readers as adults. A lifetime reading habit leads to informed and engaged citizens.

For that reason, we want to thank the 70 teachers in the Brainerd Lakes area who used the Brainerd Dispatch in their class-rooms this year to teach science, math, read-ing, civics and many more subjects.

All of this is possible thanks to the gen-erous donations of our business sponsors: Brainerd Lakes Café, Rod and Rifl e Rag, and Deerwood Bank. We also would like to thank the Brainerd Lakes Area Women of Today who cosponsored the Taste of Home.

Ticket proceeds from the Taste of Home help fund the Newspapers in Education program. Finally, we can’t forget our faithful subscrib-ers who model good reading habits for all the young people around them and those who donate the value of their subscription when they’re away on vacation.

Thank you for helping the young people of our community grow to be the best adults they can be.

We want to continue this momentum for the 2011-2012 school year. Are you a business owner committed to increasing literacy in our community? We’re now seeking sponsors for the monthly school pages for the fall. Are you a teacher who would like to receive newspa-pers in your classroom? Place your fall order now before school ends.

Join our effort to build the young people of the Brainerd Lakes area with Newspapers in Education.

Thank you,Teresa Hirst Newspapers in Education Coordinator

Thank You for Supporting Newspapers in Education

Carly Wheeler, a fi rst grader at Lowell Elementary School, dressed up in fancy clothes for the school’s Fancy Nancy party in May. Students in the four fi rst grade classes nibbled on fancy sandwiches, had polite conversations, and bowed and curtsied to one another to practice their manners.

Brainerd Dispatch | www.brainerddispatch.com 2S Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Staples MotleyIndependent School District #2170Independent School District #2170

PROM 2011Staples Motley High School prom was held April

30th at the high school gym. The theme this year was “Illusions’ Hour” and students were enter-tained during the Grand March by fellow class-mates.

Staples Motley High School offers many choices for our students. Spring Sports in-clude: Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, Boys and Girls Golf, Track and Boys Tennis. This season has been full of exciting com-petition and we are pleased to provide such great opportunities for students to partici-pate in something they enjoy. Be sure to come out and cheer for our kids during this beautiful time of year!

Staples World photos courtesy of Mark Anderson and Kelley Kossan

SPRING SPORTS Golf

Tennis

Track

Baseball/Softball


St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School817 Juniper Street

Brainerd, MN 56401

Phone 218-829-2344

www.stfranciscatholicschool.org

Mission Statement:St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School,

in cooperation with the family, is committed to challenging preschool through 8th grade

students to grow spiritually, academically and socially within a Catholic-centered environment.

Our students come from Brainerd, Baxter, Pillager, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Merrifield,

Aitkin, Deerwood, Ironton, Crosby, Garrison, Crosslake, Pine River, East Gull Lake & Fort Ripley.

St. Francis is an exceptional opportunity and a viable option for your family. We’d love

to hear from you and can provide more information and a tour to make your decision easier.

Our Children. Our Faith. Our Future.


At St. Francis top quality academics are combined with faith and get results. The

standardized test scores for Duluth Diocese Catholic School students continually rank among the highest percentiles. Nationwide, Catholic schools have a graduation rate of 98.1%. Locally, 100% of 2006 Brainerd High School seniors who graduated from St. Francis are honor roll students.

Like every school, St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School is accredited and teaches math,

science, language arts, reading, literature, art, social studies, physical education, and music. Our academics are excellent.

Our teachers are qualified and dedicated. Class sizes are small for more individual

attention for your child. Our facilities are better than ever with a recent $4.2 million expansion. Our atmosphere is like an extended family. We offer affordable tuition and a variety of financial aid resources. Most important, your child is placed above all else.

Unlike other schools, however, faith is at the center of our program. We expand our

curriculum by offering daily religion classes, service learning projects, character training and weekly Mass.

Mrs. Cheryl Bailey is Retiring!

I started teaching at St. Francis in the fall of ‘91. It was a wonderful beginning to 19 years of getting to know many fami-lies and even more children.

The fi rst year there were four classes of 4 and 5 year olds. They came two or three half days a week for 2 1/2 hours. Soon a class of 3 year olds was started for two mornings a week for two hours. We then increased to three hours for each of the 4 and 5 year old classes. Five years ago we added the all day MWF program. For the last two years we have also had an all day T/Th program. With these schedule changes, we met family needs. Each change has added new challenges and op-portunities.

The children and families that remain at St. Francis have been especially fun to watch. I also enjoy reading about former students in the newspaper. It is always amazing to see where their interests have taken them.

I cannot imagine the amount of zippers I have zipped, the noses wiped, the shoes tied, band aids applied, and the hugs received. They all are such an important part of my day.

Funny sayings and stories kept my family entertained at meal times. Once they left home, they would call and ask for those stories to brighten their day.

I have been so fortunate to have worked with lots of won-derful staff. We have been a great support to each other in good times and sad. I will miss them all greatly.

Open House Retirement Party for Mrs. Cheryl Bailey

May 25th from 4-6pm at St. Francis Church in the Social Hall

St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School817 Juniper Street

Brainerd, MN 56401

Phone 218-829-2344

www.stfranciscatholicschool.org

Mission Statement:St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School,

in cooperation with the family, is committed to challenging preschool through 8th grade

students to grow spiritually, academically and socially within a Catholic-centered environment.

r students come from Brainerd, Baxter,ger, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Merrifield,eerwood, Ironton, Crosby, Garrison,e, Pine River, East Gull Lake & Fort Ripley.

St. Francis is an exceptional opportunityand a viable option for your family. We’d love

to hear from you and can provide more information and a tour to make your decision easier.



At St. Francis top quality academics arecombined with faith and get results. The

standardized test scores for Duluth Diocese Catholic School students continually rank among the highestpercentiles. Nationwide, Catholic schools have agraduation rate of 98.1%. Locally, 100% of 2006 Brainerd High School seniors who graduated from St. Francis are honor roll students.

Like every school, St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School is accredited and teaches math,

science, language arts, reading, literature, art,social studies, physical education, and music. Ouracademics are excellent.

Our teachers are qualified and dedicClass sizes are small for more individual

attention for your child. Our facilities are bettthan ever with a recent $4.2 million expansioOur atmosphere is like an extended family. Woffer affordable tuition and a variety of finanaid resources. Most important, your child is pabove all else.

Unlike other schools, however, faith is at the center of our program. We expand our

curriculum by offering daily religion classes, service learning projects, character training and weekly Mass.

I started teacching at St. Francis in the fall ofo ‘91. It was a wonderful beginnn ing to 119 years of getting to knnow many fami-lies and even momore childdrren.

The fi rst yearar there wwere four classes of 4 anand 5 year olds. They came two oor three hhalf days a week for 2 1/1 2 hours. Soon a class of 3 year r olds wasa started for two morniings a week for two hours. We ththen increr ased to three hours foor each of the 4 and 5 year old cclasses. Five years ago we addded the all day MWF program.. For the e last two years we haavve also had an all day T/Th prorogram. WWith these schedule chah nges, we met family needs. EEach channge has added new chaalllenges and op-portunities.

The children n and famim lies that remain at StSt. Francis have been especially fuf n to wata ch. I also enjoy readinng about former students in the nnewspapep r. It is always amazinng to see where their interests hah ve takene them.

I cannot imaga ine the e amount of zippers I hahave zipped, the noses wiped, thehe shoes ttied, band aids appliedd, and the hugs received. They aall are sucu h an important part off my day.

Funny sayinngs and sstories kept my family entertained at meal times. Oncn e they lleft home, they would ccall and ask for those stories to bbrighten n their day.

I have been so fortunnate to have worked witi h lots of won-derful staff. We hhave beeen a great support to eacch other in goodtimes and sad. II will misiss them all greatly.

Open Housse Retirement PParty foor Mrss. Cheryl Baileey

Maayy 25tthh from 4-6pmm at St. Francciis Chhuurch in the Soocial Hall

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Mission StatementSt. Francis of the Lakes

Catholic School, incooperation with the

family, is a vibrant school committed to challenging

students to growspiritually, academically

and socially within a Catholic-centered

environment. Our students come from

the entire region including Brainerd, Baxter, Pillager,

Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Merrifi eld, Aitkin,Deerwood, Ironton,

Crosby, Garrison, Pine River, Crosslake, E. Gull

Lake & Fort Ripley.


RIVERSIDEELEMENTARY

As the 2010 - 2011 Riverside School year is quickly coming to an end, it is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge our Students of the Month, our Fourth Grade Students and

Retirees with thank you’s and sad good-byes as they move on to new chapters in their lives.

Riverside Students of the Month For The

2010 - 2011 School Year

First Grade Students of the Month.

Second Grade Students of the Month.

Third Grade Students of the Month.

Fourth Grade Students of the Month.

Save the Earth

Thank you to Mr. Johnson’s Fourth Grade Class who were our “Save the Earth” recyclers for the year.

Congratulations to Our Three Retirees!!!!!

Kathy Donnelly - Adaptive Physical Education - 34 years. Jeanette Smith - Second Grade and Title Teacher for 33 years. Her last 14 years were with us here in Brainerd.

Roxanne Thompson - 23 years with Food Service.

3rd and 4th Grade Track and Field Day at BHS

Flag Helpers

Fourth Grade Students

Mr. Johnson’s Class Mrs. Andresen’s Class

Mrs. Carlson’s Class Mrs. Holloway’s Class

Thank you to all of our 4th Grade Flag Patrols.


Toll House Surprise!While studying the Northeast Region, fourth graders, Gabrialla and Austin,from Mrs. Dallas’ s class discovered something sweet about the state ofMassachusetts. The famous Toll House cookie is the statecookie of Massachusetts. In preparation for theirpresentation on this state, Gabrialla andAustin baked Toll House cookies at schoolto share with their peers while teachingthem about The Bay State.

It’s A Bug’s Life!It’s A Bug’s Life!

Ms. Taray’s fi rst grade class kicked off their butterfl y and life cycle unit by

traveling to the school forest to look for and examine various insects. Although it was a windy day, with few “bugs” to be found, there was still much fun and learning to be had. Another fantastic

outdoor adventure!

Career VisitorKindergarten parents have been sharing their jobs with our classes the past few weeks. One parent, who

works for our local sanitation department, brought two garbage trucks to show the classes. The kindergarten-ers enjoyed learning about sanitation work and watching the garbage trucks operate!

Bingo!The students in Mrs. Holden’s class enjoyed an

afternoon with the residents of the Good Samaritan Center in Pine River. Students helped with Bingo and also read poems to residents. Everyone enjoyed refreshments after.

Vivacious Volunteers!PRBE celebrated our wonderful Volunteers and Foster Grandparents by recognizing those who were able to

attend our May Schoolwide Assembly on May 6.

Have A Fun SummerHave A Fun Summer


PILLAGERHome of the Huskies

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— TRACK —Shane White and Dawn Swartz have been selected as the Huskies of the month for

track. Shane’s best 110 hurdle time is 15.6 and he is looking to break the school record again. In the 300 hurdles his best is 42.4. The boy’s team is poised to win a 3rd consecu-tive conference championship. Dawn won the triple jump at the John Reimer Classic with a jump of 31’5” moving her into the number three spot on the school’s all-time triple jump list. According to Coach Hollingsworth, “Dawn has been working very hard this spring improving greatly in both her hurdles and triple jump. We are expecting big things from Dawn in the very near future.”

— MUSIC— Danielle Johnson and Jackie White have been selected as the Huskies of the

month for music. Danielle is a band section leader, UMD Honor Band participant, and has attended all pep band events and concerts. Band director Rob Freelove states, “Danielle is a great clarinet player and a fi ne singer. She always gives her all, and I can count on her to be there when we need her.” Jackie earned two superior ratings this spring a solo and ensemble contest. She has also received multiple superior ratings in the past and serves as section leader. According to choral director Freelove, “Jackie is an outstanding musi-cian and vocalist. She is also a strong leader who works hard and helps others.”

Booster Club announces Huskies of the month

Shane White Dawn Swartz

Danielle Johnson Jackie White

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By Kamryn Higdem, 6th grade

The middle school retreat to Camp Shamineau was amazing and fun. The food was awesome! My fa-vorite part was that there was a dessert for every meal. One lunch even included yummy ribs. MMMM…..

My favorite workshop was “Manicures and Pedicures.” We got to choose between lots of pretty colors. We got to talk to our friends too. The colors I chose were sparkly blue on my fi nger nails and shiny orange on my toe nails. I thought that workshop was so fun.

The best activity that I did would be free time. The reason is because we could hang out with our friends, play games, and look at fl owers and other pretty nature.

I suggest for next year that we could stay there for two or three nights. It would be fun to stay in the cabins instead of one big room. Terrance the speaker is funny and cool. He needs to come back again next year.

I would tell another student that they should go to the retreat; it is an experience to go to camp with your friends and with all of your classmates and have fun. You can express the way you truly are outside of school and the classroom. Learning new things and about nature was fun too.

By Samantha Levig, 7th grade The middle school retreat was so amazing!

First, all of the activities were awesome. My favorite was art. It would be nice if art could be part of the ex-tended sessions because your creativity is expressed through something simple. I made a palm tree on a lone island. The second best thing was the food. On my goodness, I couldn’t believe they had ribs. They were so delicious.

The best activity I was involved in was not an offi cial one that we had to take. I say it was when I went down to the lake and skipped rocks. I got one to skip ten times! It was a new personal record for me. But when I went to the lake and the swan started chasing everyone, I got a little scared. That was the only time I was really scared at the retreat.

It would be my recommendation that we sleep in our cabins. It was hard to sleep because so many peopled wanted to talk to their friends. I think we were in the cabins last year, it was better. Next year will be really fun. Everyone should sign up to go!

Middle Schoolers Travel to Camp Shamineau

Elementary students enjoy a day at the water park for reward day on April 8th.

Enjoy Your Summer Vacation

Reward Day - Big Splash When I Grow Up I Think I’ll Be…Eighteen kindergartners are putting on various occupation hats and

thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. Parents of Mrs. Fredman’s kindergarten students are sharing their occupations with the class. When asked what was learned during this Thematic Unit, one student replied, “Ypu can be anything you want to be but you should like it!”

Photos include: Greg Ben-nett, Isabella’s Dad, talk-ing about his job with Ed-ward Jones and fi nancial planning Janice Johnson, Kjersten’s Mom, an RNRhonda Kimman, Jessa’s Mom, sharing her job as a Correctional Offi cer. In the photo she is making fi nger prints of each stu-dent.


Pequot LakesPATRIOTS

National Junior Honor Societyby Lauren Bengtson

For National Junior Honor Society, we went to the ITOW Museum. ITOW stands for In Their Own Words. It is called that because the museum is based on inter-views from veterans. When we got to the museum, we split into groups and each group was assigned a tour guide. The guides were veterans from war. They led

us around a “maze” where there was pictures and infor-mation about the wars. After that, we watched a movie where people who survived the wars talked about what it was like, and what they did in the war. When that was done, we got to look around the museum. It was fun to learn about what made America what it is today!

NJHS Induction Ceremonyby Macy Dotty and Barbara Miller

The NJHS at Pequot is lead by Chris Palmer. She is the Middle School Guidance Counselor and she also teaches Spanish. Each year there are new members added ranging from 6th-8th grade. The National Junior Honor Induction Ceremony and Pie Social were held on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. There were 23 new members inducted that night. The welcome was done by the new Middle School Principal Amy LaBarre.

After the welcome guest speak-ers Jordan Anderson and Kylie

Beltz spoke about their experiences in NJHS and NHS. After that came entertainment ranging from musi-cal instruments to singing. Then President Oliver Erholtz gave an explanation of the NJHS. That was followed by the fi nal Induction Pledge and presentation of certifi -cates.

To get into National Junior Hon-or Society you have to have a 3.8 or higher GPA and once in maintain a 3.5 or higher. Once you are invit-ed you have to fi ll out a form with service hours and three letters of

recommendation. To get into NJHS you need to excel in Service, Schol-arship, Leadership, Citizenship, and Character.

People who are in the NJHS act as role models to the rest of their peers. During the year the stu-dents help with many community events and school events. Some in-clude babysitting at PTA meetings, helping at the carnivals, singing at events, and volunteering at the library. The NJHS has a special reputation to uphold, and each and every year it has been kept.

The Sweet Water is Running!

The 3-4 Multiage students in Mrs. Harman’s and Mrs. Schommer’s room traveled on a sunny April morn-ing to the sugarbush of Jim Oraskovich on East Twin Lake to learn about tapping maple trees and gather-ing sap. They were given a chance to demonstrate all the necessary steps for making delicious maple syrup. With the help of Mr. O’s neighbor, Bob Ritter, students drilled holes into towering maple trees with a power drill, tapped in metal spiles, hung empty buckets, and gathered sap-fi lled buckets to add to a ready hot pan of bubbling liquid to watch the process of changing clear maple sap thicken into sweet tasting maple syrup. The students were given a quart of Grade B syrup to enjoy with a breakfast snack later that week.

Students gather in the sugarbush.

Jeremy Cassman shows that he can drill an upward hole under the watchful eye of Jim Oraskovich.

Lachlan Larson pounds a metal spile into the drill hole while Abi Reigel gets ready to hook an empty bucket on.

Ashlynn Reynolds checks the sap with a hydrometer for the right thickness.

Braden Holmes and Nick Gyllenblad pour their gathered sap into the cooking pan.

The delicious fi nished product!

Black Bear Boxby Zach Oldre

7th graders had an opportunity to use the Black Bear Box thanks to a grant from the Pequot Lakes PTA. The Bear Box is part of the Educational Out-reach Program at the North American Bear Center in Ely, MN. It includes standards based curriculum, lesson plans, hands-on activities and support materials. It is designed to replace misconceptions about black bears with scientifi c facts.

We did many activities about black bears to help us understand a little more about how hard it can be to live in the wild. One thing I enjoyed doing was the black bear information scavenger hunt. One thing that some people believed about black bears is that they never wake up during hibernation, but they actually walk around quite a bit. Another thing I learned is that black bears have many more colors than black, brown and white. They also have colors like blond, cinnamon and blue-gray.

I never thought that petting a black bear was even possible until Dr. Lynn Rogers got their trust to pet them. Many kids in my class have learned that black bears can be gentle. With Lynn Rogers getting trust of many black bears we have learned so much about them. If he didn’t get the trust of black bears we wouldn’t know how they hibernate how they take care of their young and many other things. I have learned so much about black bears and I hope to learn more about them!

Angela Gudahl a seventh grader at Pequot Lakes Middle School was the local and district champion of the Elks Lodge Americanism Essay Contest. Her essay on “Why I am Proud to be an American”, went on to the state level competition and was chosen runner up from 1,087 others essays from around the state.

Americanism Essay

Graduation The end of high school, the beginning of college

This semester is almost over, and most students can’t wait to get out of school. However, for the seniors at Pe-quot Lakes High School, May is the month to say a fi nal goodbye to high school. The Class of 2011 will graduate on May 27 at 6:00 p.m. in the high school gym.

The class colors are white and purple, and the robes are dark blue.

Student president Derek Newland said, “The color was voted on by all the seniors, as was the class song Swing Life Away.” Day lilies are the class fl ower, and they symbolize forgiveness. Newland added that it’s not only to learn forgiveness; people also learn how im-portant forgiveness is.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go . . . “ The senior motto is a familiar one by Dr. Seuss.

We wish for all seniors to fi nd their dreams and make them come true.

By April Tsai Ting Chang, Brandon Tulenchik & Garrett Foss

‘Post-Secondary’ to NoneHigh school students around the United States who

excel beyond the typical high school classroom are no longer bound to boredom. One option students have is to choose a ‘Post-Secondary Enrollment Option’ or PSEO. Another option is “College in the Schools” or CIS.

PSEO is when high school students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, attend their local colleges, take classes for no out-of-pocket charge, and receive valuable college credits.

“It’s a great program, and I would recommend it to anyone,” said Heather Foss, PSEO student from Pequot Lakes High School

Though the students are mostly restricted to taking general courses, they can transfer these credits to most colleges, and the colleges will honor them as such. Get-ting a two-year jump-start on college can make a huge difference. Not only will you graduate from your col-lege sooner, but you will also only need to pay for two or three years of college out of your own pocket. Realisti-cally, you can then enter the job market sooner, too.

Along with all the “free” education benefi ts, the col-lege experience goes beyond monetary importance. Since the high school system sometimes falls short of creating a realistic college environment, many students fi nd it diffi cult to take that step to a real college. With the PSEO program, that transfer is not much different than moving from one high school to another. Our lo-cal students attend classes at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. PLHS requires students who elect to do PSEO to have a GPA of 3.0 during their high school years.

PSEO is a great option for students. It is a good fi t for many. However, be aware that being off high school campus may often require you to miss “what’s happen-ing” back at school. So, another option for students is to do CIS or “College in the Schools.”

CIS offers students the opportunity to earn the ex-act same college credit that is offered at the college, but classes take place at the high school so students can remain active in their high school community. Addition-ally, parents and students have the opportunity to re-ceive quarterly grade updates, whereas at the college, grades are posted at the end of the semester. Students who are interested in CIS must also have a GPA of 3.0.

Students are able to do a bit more customizing with their educations these days. Do some research and de-cide what route is best for you.

By Adam Carkhuff & Joey Fraser


and to celebrate how complex God created us. Each day of Spirit Week refl ects on a differ-ent aspect of our education.

Monday – PJ Day: God created a day of rest

during creation week because he knew we needed a time to stop everything and rest in Him. In treating our bod-ies like the temple of God, we should always allow our bod-ies plenty of rest. To celebrate rest, students wore their paja-mas to school on Monday.

Tuesday – Formal Day: Social skills are learned in

many ways at school. One so-cial arena school does not get to address very often is how to behave in a formal setting. So

Tuesday, students wore their best clothes to school and had to behave like ladies and gen-tlemen.

Wacky Wednesday: We celebrated our creativity

on Wednesday. Students wore the most creative outfi t they could think of. They did their hair in the most creative ways they could conceive.

Thursday – Service Day: Thursday we used our spiri-

tual gifts and did service at North Star Camp. The stu-dents dressed in their grubbies and worked hard all morning.

Friday – Fitness Day: We’ve been working hard

all year on our fi tness testing. Friday of Spirit Week we put it all to the test and went for the Presidential Fitness Award. Students did push-ups, sit-ups, stretching, the shuttle run, and a 1 mile run at a park in Crosby.

North Star Camp Day

Christian Kids Fellowship (a home school co-op that is run at Oak Street Christian School) had their end of the year party this year at North Star Camp in Brainerd. The theme of the day was God’s creations and the wonderful things that can be found in nature. The kids enjoyed Bible stories, a nature scavenger hunt, canoeing, fi re building, bird watch-ing, socializing with their friends, and lots of food. We even roasted s’mores over an open fi re. The weather was perfect and God really blessed our time together. It was refreshing to spend time in nature doing fun stuff with great people. Everyone had a really good time!

Spirit WeekAt Oak Street Christian

School we educate the whole child. We educate the men-tal, the physical, the spiritual, and the social. Spirit Week is a time to think about these as-pects of Christian Education

Old Fashioned Game DayStudents of Oak Street Christian School joined with other students from the Brainerd

Lakes Area at Central Lakes College for a day of old fashioned games. We have been study-ing the late 1800’s in school and have already had a chance to participate in games such as pick-up sticks and marbles. So it was fun for the students to play a couple old fashioned games they already knew as well as several they had never seen before. They participated in games such as kite making, gunny sack racing, checkers, twister, dominoes, Lincoln logs, Legos, and several more. The college provided the kids with root beer fl oats, lots of games options, supplies for kite making, and an overall great time. It was fun for the kids to have an “educational recess” all morning long.


ELEMENTARYNisswa

Grandparent’s Day was celebrated at Nisswa school on Friday, May 6th with patriotic performances from our kindergarten through 4th grades. Visitors were fi rst treatedto refreshments in the community room with classroom visits following the program.

Grandparent’s Day In The U.S.A.

Nisswa School Track Meet

3rd grade Boys: 1st place - Derek Bursch, 2nd place - Seth Vagts, 3rd place - Andrew Mendez, 4th place - Max Wheeler

3rd Grade Girls: 1st place - Talia Killian, 2nd place - Emma Smith, 3rd place - Gabbie Smith, 4th place - Murphy Hill

2nd grade Girls: 1st place - Taylor Brown, 2nd place - Sara Reisdorf, 3rd place - Alyssa Thompson, 4th place - Lexi Tihanyi

2nd Grade Boys: 1st place - Gray Gitchell, 2nd place - Jacob Borders, 3rd place - Bayden Ruikka, 4th place - William Sunde

1st Grade Boys: 1st place - William Evans, 2nd place - Devon Quick, 3rd place - Jed Klang, 4th place - Brady Koupal, 5th place - Noah Saiko

First grade Girls: 1st place - Ara Anderson, 2nd place - Emma Bursch, 3rd place - Mary Jane James, 4th place - Shae Messner

4th grade Boys: 1st place - Josiah Klang, 2nd place - Thade Derosier, 3rd place - Will Lundstrom, 4th place - Zach Henke

4th grade Girls: 1st place - Heidi Jacobson, 2nd place - Fiona Lee, 3rd place - Paige Hoffbeck, 4th place - Audrey Collins, 5th place - Alyssa Schlegel

Nisswa school 3rd and 4th grade students par-ticipated in a track meet at Brainerd High School Wednesday, May 4th. They competed against other 3rd and 4th grad-ers from Brainerd schools and proudly showed off their many ribbons.

Nisswa’s Annual Hoop Shoot was held Monday, April 18th with students in 1st grade through 4th grade participating. Winners all received a t-shirt.

Nisswa’s Annual Hoop Shoot


LEARNING TREEPRESCHOOL

Always Learning

We have had a very busy spring with many professionals teaching us about their jobs. Some came to school and we went on fi eld trips to others.

Offi cer Joy Larson and McGruff came to school to teach us about what police offi cers do every day. We got to see a squad car too!

Offi cer Joy is teaching the class what all the things are on her belt.

We took our annual trip to McDonald’s for a fun tour of the back. Hamburglar surprised us with a visit. We got to see him steal a

burger, we made him give it back.

Park Ranger Mary Kay Larson and Bobber came to school to teach us about water safety and lifejackets. We learned to always go to the lake with an a grown up and always wear a lifejacket.

Ranger Mary Kay is teaching some children how to plant vegetables and how to take care of them at home.

Park Ranger Brian is teaching us about recycling. We got to play a fun game so we know what to do at our house.

We also walked to the Wild Bird Store to learn all about birds. Connie taught us what they like to eat and what they like to live in. We made pine cone feeders to take home and feed our birds.

Pam just fi nished teaching some of the afternoon class how to care for our teeth. She gave each of us a ride in the chair. Fun.

Dr. Hiebert and his staff taught us what dentist’s do and how to take care of our teeth. We think the dentist is fun.

We are now taking registration for fall enrollment. Please call Kathy at 829-6175 for questions.


HARRISONELEMENTARY

Crosby Cares.The Medical Campus in Crosby.

www.crosbycares.com

Students in Grades K, 1 & 2 were honored at a Books & Beyond Gold Medal Ceremony on May 6. Books & Beyond is an at home reading program for students de-signed to encourage children to read at home. Students who read 100 minutes per week, attain a new level and receive a prize. The program runs for 11 weeks and students who complete at least 8 out of 11 levels receive a Gold Medal at the awards ceremony. Students who attain 9 or more levels also receive a reading ribbon.

Books & Beyond Black JackBlack Jack the Pirate visits Mrs. Comstock’s class-

room two times a year to share a story with the 1st graders.

Students in Mrs. Comstock’s room were engineers for a day. They experimented with spaghetti noodles and marshmallows to build and design their very own structures.

EngineersThe fi rst grade students in Mrs. Comstock’s class-

room are so fortunate to have Judi Sebeck in their class-room to listen to them read. Judi comes each Wednes-day morning.

JudiStudents in Mrs. Comstock’s room are learning about

different life cycles. They are observing the life cycle of a moth and butterfl y, as well as a chicken and egg.

Life Cycle

A student gets to show off her reading ability in front of her classmates. Mrs. Hunter asks that students do a lot of practicing before they get to sit at the front of the carpet and read to their friends!

Spring is here and the moth and butterfl y larvae have arrived. Students observe and record the many (and fast!) changes these larvae go through before they emerge as winged beauties.

Reading

Moth/Butterfuly

Students in Mrs. Hunter’s class use a reader’s theater script to perform in front of their classmates.

Theater

Students in Mrs. Hunter’s class get an art lesson from Mrs. Pfeiffer. They learn about all sorts of differ-ent lines, and later get to make up their own animal and use lines to add details.

Art

First graders get an opportunity to practice archery skills in Mr. Amundson’s gym class. These students from Mrs. Hunter’s class did a nice job following all of the safety rules.

Archery


GARFIELDELEMENTARY

Our AR “Wall of Fame” has grown by leaps and bounds this year. In order to make the Accelerated Reader wall of fame, students need to meet their grade level read-ing goals which were set at the beginning of the year. Several students have not only made this goal once, but several times. Fourth grader, Ashlynn Leskey, leads the group with over 500 AR points this year! To date, 185 students in grades 1-4 have made their goal. Our stu-dents have read over 20,000 books this year and over 75 MILLION words. We are extremely proud of all of their hard work and dedication to becoming stronger readers.

On Friday, May 6th Garfi eld’s four 1st grade classrooms per-formed their spring insect program. The classroom teachers taught the students six songs related to our science concepts throughout the year.

The students were excited to dress up in costumes of butterfl ies, cater-pillars, fl owers, birds, and insects. We ended the day with lemonade and cookies on the playground. We are thankful for the support of all fi rst grade families throughout the year.

75 Million Words!

Celebrating the end of the year

1st Graders Sing Scientifi cally

Our AR Wall of Fame Students

4th grade students perform “The Adventures of Lewis and Clark” 3rd grade students perform “Partners in Crime”


Students in Mrs. Kremer’s 7th grade language arts class created pictures to represent scenes from their Greek/Roman mythology unit. Stories that were read include: “Origin of the Seasons” by Olivia Coolidge, “Or-

pheus, The Great Musician” by Olivia Coolidge, “The Flight fo Icarus” by Sally Benson, and “King Midas and the Golden Touch” by Pamela Oldfi eld.

7th grade language arts class

Visit From Author Will Weaver

At the Science Museum Waiting for the show

Outside the theatre.

Forestview Builders Club

This year Forestview Middle School had 172 students participate in the annual Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes. Each year students are encouraged by their Physical Education teachers to take part in the 5K. The emphasis is on participa-tion, having fun, and choosing a healthy lifestyle! It was awesome to see so many students paraticipate. On behalf of Forestview Middle School, we would like to thank Sarah Stenerson, race director, for her help. We are looking forward to 2012.

Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes

The Forestview Builders Club has been busy. They recently completed the deco-rating and transformation process of 30 used bowling pins. They will be on display and auctioned off to help the Bethany Good Samaritan VIII bowling fundraiser. There is a mermaid, Elvis, a penguin, a couple of professional hockey stars and a bunch of patriotic pins (one even plays music).

This great effort is just one of the many ways Builders Club is supporting the school and community.

On March 31st Forestview eighth-graders enjoyed the day with presentations by author Will Weaver. In preparation for his visit, the students read his book, Memory Boy, a fi ctional story that takes place around central Minnesota. Stu-dents held several fundraisers over the school year to earn the money to bring Mr. Weaver to our school. It was a great day and all the students learned a lot about what it takes to be a professional author.

8th grade intensive language arts fi eld trip


CrosslakeLUMBERJACKS

Community School

Compassion = March Word of the MonthStudents Received Recognition for “Compassion”

Back Row: Cole Gray, Samantha Swanson, Dillion Hassel, Parker Moan; Middle Row: Sidney Veit, Logan Mejdrich, Rose Aldridge, Rausie Cummings, Cordaye Yetzer; Front Row: Alyssa Fletcher, Ella Peterson, Eddie Shetka 5th, Ethan Shetka.

Sophia Drake, Andrine Young, Kiley Anderson, Debra Mitchell, Kelsi Bergquist.

Rory Starkka, Caleb Davis, Naarah Neumann (Kevin Eckman, not pictured)

Success at State Again!The CCS Archery Team competed at

the State NASP Tournament on Satur-day, March 26th. After taking fi rst place at our region tournament with our high-est score ever, 2846, we had high expecta-tions and set a goal of qualifying for the National Tournament in Louisville Ken-tucky. After a day of ups and downs, we were ecstatic to learn that we had again bested our high score to 2888, easily qualifying for Nationals. We also had a repeat individual qualifi er, Kelsie Weite, who fi nished in 3rd place in the 6th Grade Girls Division. Kelsie also went to Nationals last year placing 6th in the country. All the excitement of qualifying leads us into the tough task of raising the money needed to send the entire team to Louisville. We have been participating in the program for six years, and it will be an incredible experience for our kids. The team raised money and went to Nation-

als, which was May 13 & 14 If anyone is interested in helping us, please contact the school at 218-692-5437.

Kelsie Weite receiving 3rd place in the State’s 6th grade girl archery competition.

The Archery team with Lance Swanson, the coach and 4/5 teacher at CCS.

By: Lance Swanson

The Crosslake Fire Department escorted the Archery Team on the school bus through town to celebrate this event. The send-off was Tue., May 10.

The students and staff lined County Road 66 near the school and cheered and waved to the Archery Team, along with displaying banners and signs.

Historic Log Village Crosslake, MN

Today our class visited the Historic Log Village in Crosslake, MN. The Log Village has log homes, the town hall, the general store, and a one room school from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. We saw how lumberjacks lived and the tools they used while they worked in Crosslake. We learned about a family of 8 who lived in a log home the size of most of our garag-es. At the general store we saw all the items available to the townspeople so they could make the things they needed. We had the opportunity to do a spelling test using chalk boards. We ate lunch from our pails or baskets and drank from jars. The class learned about pumping their own water and primitive plumbing, or outhouse. We wrapped up the day by making home-made butter and eating it with crackers, before returning to 2011.

Visit from North Central Speedway

They came out to school to let the students know about fun things that are available for the summer. They also told the students about the youth driving pro-grams available. Each student will receive a free ticket to a race. The kids got a chance to look inside the car; and hear them rev up the motor - it was loud for some of the kids.

Perfect Attendance

Students with perfect attendance for the 4-8 team for 3rd Quarter: Austin Anderson, Logan Olson, Brodie Olson, Veronica Hulke, Matt Bonfi g, Stasha Vesterby.

Choir Concert

Practice for Spring choir concert grades 1/2 and 2/3.

Parker Moan, a 2nd grader at Cross-lake Community School, attended thePoint of Light event with his mother,stepfather, and father. On March 23rdin Washington DC. Several Shieks werehonored at the event, and Presidents’George Bush, Sr, George Bush, Bill Clin-ton, and Jimmy Carter, among other ce-lebrities, were present. Parker founded“Parker’s Blanket’s” because he wantedto help other people, like his grandpa.

Point of Light Event

Ms. Waschek’s 3/4 class collected the most money for Pennies for Patients at our school. The class won a Pizza Party. They collected $102.83. The entire school, gr. K-8, collected $438.72.

Pennies for Patients

Art WalkThe older students displayed their

work in the multi-purpose room while the younger students displayed their work in the classrooms and hallways.


Crosby-IrontonRangers

4th Grade Science ProjectMrs. Turnbloom’s Class

Students studied, designed, and con-structed a working pasta Ferris wheel as a component of the 4th grade MN State Science/Engineering Standards.

The completed Ferris Wheels need-ed to be at least 4 inches tall and spin 3 mes.

On Monday, April 25th, four Crosby-Ironton High School seniors took over the KKIN radio sta on in Aitkin for senior night from 6:00-9:00 pm. Jasper Schmidt, Riley Anderson, Colt Severson and Samantha Pace talked about upcoming ac vi es, their plans for the future and the importance of school. They took song requests, read the weather report and adver sements and bantered with each other. All four seniors enjoyed their me on the air.

Tierney Davis and Tabetha Hines work on the design of their pasta Ferris wheel.

Evan Rasmussen shows o his nished product. Yes, it really spins!

Eggnalia Doust’s Ferris wheel was a complete success.

CRES Second Graders are working on their “Safety Pup” booklets, purchased by the Crosby Police Dept. and the Crow Wing County Sheri ’s Dept. When the booklets are complete, Crosby Police Chief Kim Coughlin will be coming to the school to discuss the safety lessons with the second graders.

CRES 2nd Graders prepare for a visit from Crosby Police Chief

Natalja Tauzell, Haylee Hanson, Nate Kewa

Jake Klancher, Anna CoughlinRock’in with the 50’s Sr. Social

Eastertide ProductionThe 20th Feaste Of Easter de was presented by the C-I Choirs on April

16 & 17 to about 500 guests who pre-ordered ckets for the special event. The bi-yearly produc on included a ve course meal, jokes and entertain-ment at your tables while you feast, a realis c set, a cast of 80 in costumes, a play, entertaining beggars and minstrels, and an evening of music con-cluding with the Chamber Singers singing the concert of Easter de.

KKIN Radio VisitPicture L-R: Samantha Pace, Jasper Schmidt, Mr. San , Colt Severson, Riley Anderson

“Jokes and entertainment at your tables while you feast.”


Forestview Senior Leader Program has been busy working on several sewing projects from learning how to make a braided rug to sewing footballs. We are currently fi nishing our group quilt.

Forestview Senior Leader Program

Laura L. and Matthew C. enjoy riding on the school bus for the fi rst time!

KinderClub Early-Age Care/Pre-K Program was excited to receive a visit from Reichert Bus. The preschoolers learned about bus safety and got to ride on a school bus for the fi rst time before going to Kindergarten!

Visit from Reichert BusStudents participate in Babysitters Prep class at Washington Educational Services

Building. Safety, supervision and fun are part of being a quality Babysitter! Are you ready to become one?

Additional classes are being offered this summer by instructors Linda Dosh and Cas-sandra Hale. For more information contact the Community Education Offi ce.

Babysitters Prep

The fi rst ever BHS Quidditch Teams are the Spartans & Warriors.

Members of WESB Fun ‘N’ Friends get caught up in the game of Quidditch taking on the BHS team members. Can you guess who won?

WESB Fun ‘N’ Friend

The game of Quidditch fl ew into Forestview for the fi rst time in April!Coaches Kathy Glassman and Cody Meyer share game rules and strategies

with team members! It is a very active and challenging sport to learn and play! But most of all it is FUN!

Quidditch games will be offered next year at FV, BHS and WESB. Watch for specifi c dates and locations in the Community Education Guide to Classes and Activities Fall 2011/2012.

The Game of Quidditch

Documents

School Pages - May 2011