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White Bear Lake Area Schools Community e-Newsletter |
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June 1, 2012 |
Leading
minds to learning, hearts to compassion and lives to community service. |
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In This Issue ·
Unforgettable Memories ·
General Information ·
Opportunities ·
Awards and Honors · 175 down, 200 to go · Relaying the message · Sums before summer · Quarterly celebration · High school students take home honors · NJHS endeavors · Activities updates ·
School Board recognitions ·
Upcoming meetings Upcoming · Transition Plus Graduation · Area Learning Center Graduation · White Bear Lake Area High School
Graduation · WBLAS School Board Meeting Graduation · Stop by the WBLAS Marketfest
Booth!
WBLAS In the News · Mozzetti signs National
Letter of Intent · New Principals Join WBL Area Schools · We love our Special Olympians · Minnesota schools say farewell to No Child Left
Behind · Lou Ferreri wins artist
award · Track and field jr. · Roseville, White Bear Lake seniors win Lions Club
awards · Gebeke athlete of the
year · Sunrise Park Principal in running for state award · MSU’s Carter plays key role for Devils (Alumnus highlighted) · White Bear chef hooks a new talent (Alumnus highlighted) · White Bear Lake native Ryan Carter is giving Devils
just what they need (Alumnus highlight)
· Parents now helping parents (school volunteer highlighted) · Activities News Archives · March 2, 2012 · May 11, 2012
e-Newsletter Published By Office of
Communications Please contact Marisa Vette (651-407-7695) to
submit information for inclusion in publications. |
Unforgettable Memories “How
soon can you start?” The
young teacher had finished her student teaching in White Bear. Far from her
native state of Nebraska, she was uncertain what the future would bring. Now
to her surprise, she was offered an opportunity to teach in White Bear Lake
Area Schools to fill a mid-year opening. She
said yes. Now, after thirty-eight years of inspiring students she is retiring.
In
the fall of 1973, he began as a bus driver. Now after 39 years, and many
years in leadership roles in the district, he too is retiring. Think of the
number of students who were safely transported under his watch. This
spring we are honoring twenty-five retiring staff members. Their combined
years of service to our students, families, and colleagues total 539 years!
Of the 25, 11 are teachers, 3 in custodial and maintenance roles and 3 in
clerical positions. Two are principals, one a paraprofessional, and five in
other support roles. All
of them have made extraordinary contributions to our schools and community,
and leave a remarkable legacy. Spend
time with these colleagues before they go. Yes, we are honoring them in
receptions, dinners, and events. But take time to visit with them. Why did
they choose White Bear Lake Area Schools when they came? Why have they
stayed? Who encouraged and supported them when they began? Then
just listen. You are likely to hear some unforgettable memories. We
are grateful for their work, but are only beginning to understand their
legacy. To
our retirees, thank you from us all. Dr. Michael Lovett
Retirement
dinner attendees. See a program of the event here. General Information New
websites launching Monday DID YOU KNOW?
Find details about White Bear Lake Area Schools here.
Find
a listing of the many, varied Community Services offerings in the Community
Services Catalog, recently mailed to District residents. Find an electronic
version of the catalog here.
A
few samples of our classes: ·
Health Care for Seniors - May 3, 6-8 p.m., $9 ·
Cake Decorating 101 - May 24 & 31, 6-8:30 p.m., $35 ·
Nature Book Club - May 9 & June 13, 6:30-8 p.m.,
$15 ·
Thriller Line Dance Workshop - June 6, 7-8:30 p.m., $15 Register
for these classes and more here. The
WBLAS Community Services and Recreation Department provides a wide range of
services and opportunities that enhance the quality of life for all members
of ISD 624. Parent Notices: ·
Fare for All – Save up to 40% on Groceries – Find information about Fare For
All Express here. ·
Safe Schools Healthy Students Parent Survey
– Your feedback about our schools and
community will help us plan and support activities that keep our youth
healthy and safe. Questions about the survey? Please contact Becky Stewart at
the Improve Group at 651-315-8917. All those completing a survey can enter a
drawing for one of four $100 gift cards to Barnes and Noble. Find the survey here. Senior Program
Updates: The
White Bear Area Senior Center is a program of the White Bear Lake Area
Schools Community Services & Recreation Department ·
New/Used Audio Book DVD Library – The White Bear Area Senior Center (located at
Normandy Park Education Center in White Bear Lake) is starting an Audio Book
DVD Library. If you would like to pass your favorite audio book DVDs forward,
please consider our Lending Library. Everyone also is welcome to utilize our
library for your listening pleasure.
·
Strategic Planning – The District’s 30-member
Strategic Planning Committee met in May to hear an update on the Strategic
Planning initiatives underway this year and to review upcoming initiatives.
The Strategic Planning process is one we started during the fall of 2010 and
has been helping us “write our story” since. Strategic Planning updates can
be found here. ·
Schools for Energy Efficiency – As we count down these final days of school, I
would like to share with your our most recent energy conservation effort, the
Plug Load Guidelines. This set
of Guidelines is an addendum to the already established Energy Use
Guidelines, which were put into place during last school year. The Plug Load
Guidelines further extend our efforts to reduce energy across the district by
more diligently regulating the type, and number, of items we choose to plug
in each day. The new Guidelines address classrooms, offices, common areas,
meeting rooms and other district spaces. The goal is not to take things out
of the our schools which are imperative to teaching and learning; rather it
is to continue to raise awareness and change the behaviors of all of us who contribute
to the energy use, and savings, throughout White Bear Schools. It is important to note that the
Guidelines are just that - Guidelines. Each individual building will be
responsible for deciding, and regulating, how plug load restrictions will look.
We recognize that there are exceptions which need to be made, and it is our
intention to ensure that no one's health or ability to complete their job
duties are hindered by these guidelines. Understand, however, that there may
be some "creature comforts" which will need adjusting by
everyone. We encourage you to embrace
to the Guidelines as a way to think differently about your daily routine, and
how your everyday choices and behaviors can - and do! - affect the district
as a whole. Please read carefully through the Plug Load Guidelines, and pay special attention to the following: o Personal refrigerators will no longer be allowed
in any areas, unless approved by your building's SEE (School's for Energy
Efficiency) Site Team o Personal space heaters will no longer be allowed
in any areas, unless approved by your buildings' SEE Site Team o Personal coffee makers or microwaves will no
longer be allowed in any areas.
Communal coffee makers and microwaves will be made available for staff
groups to share (whole staff, department, building areas, etc.) o All items which are not in use (and can be safely
accessed) should be unplugged - either nightly or when on the last day of the
work week o Computers will be set with a 40 minute sleep mode (the
approximate length of a class period) The final page of the Guidelines is a
formal request for exception of equipment.
If you have a request, please fill out the form and email/give to
either our district Energy Efficiency Coordinator, Ann Arney, or your building principal. All requests will be
reviewed by the building's SEE Site Team. We appreciate all of your efforts and
support as White Bear Lake Schools continues with the School's for Energy
Efficiency Program, saving energy and money! To date, we have reduced our
energy consumption by 6% and have saved over $75,000! There is still a lot of
opportunity for savings in this district, and we are excited to see just how
great we can do as we all work together to help keep this money in our
schools. If you have any questions, please
contact our district EEC Ann Arney. She is happy to provide information on the
Guidelines, district energy use and conservation, ideas and tips for how to
adjust to the new guidelines or anything else you need. ·
White Bear Lake Area
Educational Foundation – The White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation, Inc.
(WBLAEF) is an independent, non-profit corporation promoting excellence in
education in White Bear Lake Area School District 624 schools. Find the
WBLAEF website here. o Reunions set for
this summer: § Mariner High School Reunion – 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9 at Withrow Ballroom. Find information here. § Class of 1992 20th Class Reunion - Saturday, September 15th at Manitou
Station in WBL starting at 5 p.m. For more information contact Jennifer
"McCormick"Rikkers at 608-325-4757. § Class of 1977 35th Class Reunion - Saturday, September 15th, 2012 at Applewood Hills Golf Course in Stillwater, MN. For more
information contact Terry Honsa at 651-429-6172. § Class of 1962 50th Class Reunion - September 14 and 15, 2012. For more
information contact Don Bloomquist at 715-234-5770. o 13th
Annual Golf Tournament – The White Bear Lake Area
Educational Foundation’s 13th Annual Golf Tournament will take
place June 25, 2012 at Dellwood Hills Golf Club.
Find information here. o Lynn Mielke Award –
Congratulations to White Bear Lake Area Learning Center Director Julia Jilek, who was awarded yesterday with the Lynn Mielke Award from the White Bear Lake Area Educational
Foundation. Find photos from the ceremony here. Opportunities Support
WBLAS students ·
Graduation Ceremonies – Attend the following
ceremonies to support our high school students: o
Transition Plus Graduation – 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 6 at District
Center Community Auditorium o
Area Learning Center Graduation – 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7 at WBLAHS
– South Campus Auditorium o
White Bear Lake Area High School Graduation – 7 p.m. Friday, June 8 at
Aldrich Arena, Maplewood ·
SpotLight tickets now on sale – The SpotLight
Showcase, which will feature a medley of songs performed by the SpotLight award-winning cast from the WBLAHS “How to
Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” fall production and our two
“Triple Threat” award contenders, will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, June
11, 2012 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets, available for only $15, are now on
sale. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1.800.982.2787 or
visit the Hennepin Theatre Trust website here. ·
Hire WBLAHS students – The White Bear Lake Area
High School - South Campus Career Center offers a job board with all current
local job opportunities for their students. If you are looking to fill any
positions at your business with WBLAHS students, please contact counselor Josie Robinson to advertise on the Career Center job board. ·
Early Childhood Screening Volunteer Opportunity - We are seeking volunteers to help greet families, register children
and collect information during our Early Childhood Screening clinics. This is
a fun way to meet families in our district and spend time with preschool age
children. The time commitment is dependent on your schedule as we have many
clinics scheduled throughout the school year on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Becki Kvitrud, Volunteer
Coordinator at 651-429-1504 or Danielle Mickelson, Early Childhood Supervisor
651-653-3102.
Partner
Opportunities ·
Lakeshore Players Summer
Camps – White Bear’s
Lakeshore Players Theater will present two theatre camp experiences for
students this summer: o
Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Kids for 2-7 graders. Day camp/rehearsals June
13-29, with performances at 7:30 p.m. June 29, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. June
30 at the WBLAS Community Auditorium. Find information here. o
“The Hobbit” for 8-12 graders. Day camp/rehearsals July 2-25, with
performances July 27 through August 5 at the WBLAS Community Auditorium. Find
information here. ·
Concordia Language
Villages – Concordia
Language Villages is an internationally recognized world language program
located in beautiful northern Minnesota. Programs for youth ages 7-18 are
offered in June, July, and August. This summer give your child a passport to
see the world without ever leaving the Midwest! Each year, more than 9,500
young people take part in one of our language and culture immersion programs.
By enrolling in a one- or two-week summer program in one of 15 world
languages, your child will join an exclusive language community where
learning, fun, and adventure are all on the agenda! There is an opportunity
for Minnesota residents to receive a $1000 scholarship toward a Concordia
Language Villages summer youth program this summer. For more information
visit the website or contact: (800) 222-4750 or clv@cord.edu. Awards and Honors ·
Lynn Mielke Award – Congratulations to White Bear Lake Area Learning Center Director
Julia Jilek, who was awarded yesterday with the
Lynn Mielke Award from the White Bear Lake Area
Educational Foundation. Find photos from the celebration here. ·
Retirement – School Board
members honored 25 staff members who announced their retirement during the
2011-12 academic year this week. Find the Retirement
Dinner program here. ·
iCivics Board appointment – Matoska International’s third grade
teacher Ananth Pai has
been appointed to the iCivics Teachers Council, a
professional community that actively informs iCivics’
product development and help shape its long-term direction. Mr. Pai is the only elementary teacher on the council. iCivics was founded in 2009 by
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to reverse Americans’ declining civic knowledge
and participation. ·
Awards of Merit – White Bear
Lake Area Schools recently received three Awards of Merit from the Minnesota
Association of Government Communicators in the following categories: o Individual Photography Award for Climbing Wall photo o Use of Photography Award for 2010-11 Annual Report o Informational Brochure Award for 2010-11 Annual Report ·
Eugene D. Johnson and Kathleen J. Johnson Student
Enrichment Scholarship – The Eugene D. Johnson and Kathleen J. Johnson Student
Enrichment Scholarship. Applications reviewed on a continual basis throughout the year until
a maximum per year has been awarded. Please contact Marisa Vette (651-407-7695) to submit Staff News, General Information, Opportunities or Awards & Honors for inclusion in future publications.
Money from the
sale of YUDA Bands goes to sponsor students at Legacy School in San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala, a city
more than an hour outside of Guatemala City. This city of 80,000 people has
about 8,000 youth between the ages of 15 and 19, but only 500 of them, 1 in
16, are currently attending school. San Martin has no
public high schools, so only the upper class who can
afford a private school have the opportunity to get an education. This
program is changing that reality for students at the top of elementary school
level who would never be able to move beyond a sixth grade education without
financial support. ALC students have
sold 175 bracelets thus far, but they have a goal of selling 375 to fund two
years of William’s education. If you would like to purchase a YUDA band for
$7, or three for $20, please contact the Area Learning Center at
651-773-6400.
Students prepared for the event for two weeks,
competing in three levels of fundraising challenges: ·
Selling of footprints to
decorate the school, with the incentive of dressing up their home base
teacher if all students on the team participated; ·
Collecting money in Change
for Cancer boxes, with the winning team earning a pizza party or the right to
select the teachers for the pie-throwing contest; ·
T-shirt sales, and completion
of sales allowed students to watch the pie-throwing challenges for all three
grade levels. Relay Field Day opened with a celebration for
those who have battled cancer. Student choirs sang the national anthem and
the drum line performed. Cancer survivors walked the first lap on the track
and Mike Johnston, an eighth grade SPMS student and cancer survivor, spoke
about his experiences with cancer. The ceremony culminated with all
participants walking a lap around the track.
The day continued with more activity. Students and
staff walked the track throughout the day and joined together in the
afternoon for the pie-throwing contest, where many a pie was tossed at the
chosen staff members. The fundraising efforts, track program, and
celebrations helped students to understand the importance of supporting
cancer programs and research, raising awareness of cancer programs in our
community. Tshirts from the day are still
available. If you would like to purchase a shirt, please contact Lisa Brichacek
at 651-653-2700 ext. 1586.
REACH and Primary Challenge are Gifted and Talented
Programs offered by White Bear Lake Area Schools. The district offers gifted
services for students in grades K-12. From the elementary to high school, the
wide range of gifted opportunities in the district are
many and varied. All of the courses and special activities are designed to
provide challenge and rigor for students at all levels to expand their
learning and creativity in their particular area of interest. The district
recently conducting a review of the District's Gifted and Talented program,
which will result in changes beginning in the fall of 2012.
Former
parents, students and staff joined current families, Extended Day staff
members, school administrators, and School Board members for an evening of
door prizes, dancing, inflatables, craft projects and food. Thank you to
everyone for their support of the program – and we look forward to the next
25 years!
Students
from both campuses of the high school also were
recognized recently at Awards Nights, annual events
that celebrate achievement, effort and excellence.
The students who were honored represented many areas
of school life, including academics. Area Learning Center students also have been
recognized in recent weeks. Eight ALC students were
awarded their medals and honored by parents, one
another, and staff for their participation in the
Minnesota Association of Alternative Program (MAAP)
Stars program, which provides student leadership,
community involvement and personal growth experiences.
Activities Updates The Theatre Program fall musical “How to
Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” leads Dylan Rugh
and Emily Neis were named in Hennepin Theatre
Trust's top 12 musical theatre Triple Threat competition for the state
of Minn. Dylan and Emily competed against 24 semifinalists for local
and national judges. The top 2 Triple Threat (singing, dancing, and
acting) finalists will be announced at the Spotlight Showcase on June
11th, when the top 12 TT finalists perform a medley on the
Orpheum Stage. This process is what the judges
use as their final piece of the application to decide who performs at
Nationals. The top 2 students, one boy and one girl, will proceed to
the national competition in New York based on this final performance
piece. Also at the Spotlight Showcase, the WBLAHS production will be
honored with a Community Engagement Award. WBLAHS student Jon Woodruff,
who was awarded an Outstanding Overall Performance individual award,
will present the production’s community engagement efforts at the showcase.
Congratulations to the following Track athletes, who qualified for State yesterday at the Section
Track meet: Eric Gebeke in the 800, Joel Reichow in the 1600, Brian King in the Shot. Neal Burke,
Trevor Simanski, Wyatt Lemon, and Eric Gebeke also qualified in the 4 x 200 relay. Angie Guenther
also qualified in discus and shot and Alison Teirnes
qualified in the mile. White
Bear Lake Area High School Athletics schedules can be found here.
School Board recognitions Before
the May 14 School Board meeting, the board recognized the following students
for state honors:
·
Central Middle School, Sunrise Middle School and White
Bear Lake Area High School students who represented the District in
the State History Day competition. One Sunrise student, Kylie Noonan,
will represent the District at the national competition in Washington,
D.C. this summer. ·
WBLAHS Speech Team members who recently competed at the
state competition.
During
the May 14 School Board meeting, the board recognized WBLAHS senior Michelle
York, who has served as the School Board Student Liaison during the 2011-12
school year. Emilee Desmet also was recognized as the
student liaison alternate, although she was not in attendance.
The
School Board also approved on May 14 the appointment of three administrators
who will start their positions effective July 1, 2012. Find the press release
here. Meeting agendas This
year’s White Bear Lake Area School Board meeting agendas are available to
District staff members at J:\ALL
DISTRICT\2011-12 School Board Agenda Packets.
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