School Notes

Summer Read and Feed: FREE FOOD!!!

Click on the link to read all about the Summer Read and Feed Program. 

In a nutshell, ALL KIDS (TODDLERS TO TEENAGERS!) CAN GET A FREE LUNCH MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THROUGHOUT JUNE AND JULY AT SAINT PETER HIGH SCHOOL!

 Download SummerReadandFeed

School-Gustavus Partnerships

A few weeks back I wrote a guest column for the Saint Peter Herald.  For all you e-readers who may have missed it, here it is:

 

I love telling people that I'm from Saint Peter.  One of the things I always like to share about our town is that it truly is an "education community".

As the principal at Saint Peter Middle/High School, I witness our community’s focus on education every day.  It’s demonstrated by teachers’ unwavering commitment to students; by parents advocating for and supporting the very best education for their children; and by community members consistently seeking out partnership opportunities with our schools.  One of Saint Peter’s strongest, most vibrant partnerships exists between Saint Peter Public Schools and Gustavus Adolphus College. 

Earlier this year I started running a tally of all the school district-college connections that exist.  It's become quite a long list, and one that continues to grow.  It's probably no surprise that South, North and the Middle/High School host Gustavus students working on their teaching degrees.  While these practicum and student-teaching relationships have been around for decades, exciting partnerships exist with various other college programs, offices and classes.  For example, Gustavus students enrolled in "Understanding Individual Student Needs" collaborate with our schools to conduct service-learning action research on current issues being addressed by Saint Peter schools.   Collaboration with the Gustavus Community Service Center is wide-ranging, including classroom assistance/tutoring, after-school mentoring groups, programming for students with special needs, Big Partner/Little Partner...and the list goes on and on! 

Gustavus is 40-feet away from our high school campus.  The proximity of our two learning institutions allows students from both sides of the street to interact with each other and with each other's schools.  Our students not only have access to a world-class college campus, but are encouraged attend conferences, lectures and fine arts events.  In each of our public school buildings, Gustavus classes and groups are provided authentic learning environments in which to practice and develop their organizational and leadership skills, and engage in meaningful service-learning.  Just this month, we have begun working together to determine how to best enhance ethics, character and leadership education experiences for students at both institutions.   In the end, these “win-win” partnerships add significant value to all our students, Saints and Gusties!    

It's clear to me that our community values and expects our institutions to work together whenever possible.  The latest example of this comes from the work of the Standards for Resource Allocation Task Force, a school-community task force responsible for developing guiding principles for future resource allocation.  This group, made up of community leaders, parents and educators, identified "maximizing community partnerships" as a guiding standard for the school district.

I’m proud to live in a community and work in a school district that believes that working together is the way to go.   And as a Gustie alum, I am really proud that my alma mater continues to see meaningful and relevant community partnerships as central to its mission.  The ultimate benefactors of these connections are our students.  And for an education community like ours, that’s priceless!

High Step Health Sciences Academy

We are excited to launch the High Step Health Sciences Academy in the fall of 2010.  I've attached the board of education presentation which details the program.  Students who enter the academy will take the bulk of their 11th and 12th grade courses on the campus of River's Edge Hospital/Clinic and the Benedictine Living Center.  Check it out!

Download HIGH Step Board Study Session Presentation

Flexible Learning Year Exploration

You may have heard that a group of southwest Minnesota school districts were approved to implement a Flexible Learning Year (FLY) calendar for the next three school years.  There are many elements to the FLY, such as cooperating on staff development and aligning K-12 and higher education calendars. 

However, the most featured part of the plan is that the school year in those districts will begin in mid-August.  State law requires K-12 schools to begin after Labor Day, unless special permission is granted by the Commissioner of Education.  Southwest school districts were successful in convincing state officials that school days in August can make a bigger difference in student learning than days in late May and June (long after high-stakes testing is completed).  

Southwest's plan has gotten the attention of school districts across the state, including here in Saint Peter.  Now, a group of south central school districts have begun to explore the possiblity of making a FLY application.  The key word is "explore".  It is a long and complex process, and local school districts have many factors to consider.  So what do you think about a mid-August to mid-May school calendar?  Share your views!

Spring Catch-Up

It's been awhile since my last post.  I'm wondering if blogging is on its way out actually.  Maybe I should get a Twitter account, and I can keep people updated on school happenings during the day (i.e., "Chicken in a Cloud today" or "Heading to Rotary" or "Just found out that two junior students have qualified for the National Merit Scholarship program" or "The Board of Education just approved the budget reductions for next year")

Our district technology committee has been discussing whether the school should have a presence on Facebook.  Posting events, changes to events, reminders to parents and students (students, have you heard of Facebook yet?  Apparently it's all the rage).  Not sure when this would occur (or who would ultimately manage the school's page), but more and more schools are developing official sites.

March Madness Information

It is sure to be an exciting and busy week at Saint Peter Middle/High School.  Here are some details to help you keep everything straight! 

• The girls' basketball team will be playing in the Class AA State Girls' Basketball tournament.  The quarterfinal game will be played against Rochester Lourdes at 6 pm on Wednesday (March 17) at the Target Center in Minneapolis.  The game will not be televised.

 

• After the team wins on Wednesday night, the semifinal game will be played at 6 pm on Friday (March 19) at the Target Center.

 

• Pre-sale tickets will be sold from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday, and from 7:30 am to 11:30 am in the Activities Office.  Ticket prices are $12.00 for adults and $8.00 for students.  There are no passes for the state tournament.

 

• Student fan buses and adult fan buses will be available to all interested fans. Sign-up for the buses will be in the Activities Office.  The cost to ride a fan bus is $4.00, and riders are required to have purchased a ticket through the Activities Office. 

 

• On Tuesday (March 16) there will be a 7-12 grade pep fest in the gymnasium.  The pepfest will begin at 9:25 am.  Students and groups that will be recognized at the pep fest will be as follows:

◦      State champion Academic Decathlon team

◦      State entrants from the Wrestling team (Hunter Retzlaff and Nick Rydell)

◦      State participants from the Mock Trial team

◦      State One-Act play cast and crew members

◦      State Geography Bee participant Aaron Shoemaker

◦      State-bound Girls' Basketball team

 

• The high school pep band will be performing at Wednesday night's game.  The band will depart from the high school at 3:15 pm on Wednesday. 

ACADEMIC DECATHLON...STATE CHAMPIONS!!!

The good news just keeps pouring in at Saint Peter High School.  Our high school Academic Decathlon team just got home from the state tournament in Chaska.  They entered my office and displayed their State Champion trophy and too-many-to-count gold, silver and bronze medals.  This is the first state championship in Academic Decathlon since 2001! 

Congratulations to all the team members and to coach Mary Behrends.  The team will now begin preparations for the national tournament, held in Omaha, Nebraska at the end of April. 

Way to go, Saints!!!

Budget Adjustments/Reductions

I haven't gone back to look, but I'm betting that I posted an almost identical title about one year ago.  In fact, if this blog is five years old, then chances are that "Budget Adjustments/Reductions" have been an annual topic.  So it's that time of year again, when the administrative team begins to roll out plans to reduce the school district's budget. 

This year's reduction?  A cool half-million...if we're lucky.  Depending on the work of the state legislature and governor, this $500,000 reduction could go up by another $200,000 to $700,000.  The categories targeted for reduction aren't any big surprise..teaching positions, administration, co-curricular activities and paraprofessionals are the big ones.  Staff meetings are being held this week to outline the reduction plan, with community forums scheduled for later in the month.

MOCK TRIAL!

THE MOCK TRIAL TEAM IS HEADED TO THE STATE TOURNAMENT!!!

After an exciting win over top rival Sleepy Eye, the Saint Peter Mock Trial team has advanced to the state tournament in early March.  The team is undefeated through sub-section and section trials, and will now compete with the top 12 teams in the state in Minneapolis.  The team is coached by high school teacher John Warren, and a number of attorney coaches (and one specific judge!) within the Saint Peter community.

As a former mock trial coach, I am super excited that mock trial is again a thriving co-curricular activity at our high school.  Way to go, members and coaches!!

 

 

Co-Curricular Update

Lots of happenings at the high school the last few weeks, and lots of things on the horizon as we wrap up February!

• The One-Act Play cast and crew had a tremendous showing at the state tournament last Friday.  The team had an outstanding season!  Head coach Lyn Vavreck worked amazingly well with this year's high-powered cast.  Can't wait for the next theatre production at SPHS!
• Brodie Raymond scored his 1,000th point in a basketball game against Blue Earth a couple weeks ago.  For those non-basketball folks, this is rare occasion and an accomplishment only reached by those who possess great talent and dedication to the game.  Congrats Brodie!
• Beau Bachman and Brittani Lamb were named the Saint Peter High School AAA (Arts, Academic and Athletic) award winners.  Bachman was also chosen as the Sub-Section AAA winner!!  Both Bachman and Lamb are unbelievably well-rounded seniors, participating in numerous and diverse school-related activities for the past four years. 
• The Mock Trial team is one bang of the gavel away from the state tournament.  With the help of local legal counsel and Nicollet County Judge Allison Kreibehl, this year's team continues to score big wins against regional competitors.  Next up is Sleepy Eye, and a win punches their ticket to the state tourney.
•  The boys and girls basketball teams continue to position themselves for a run at the South Central Conference titles.  Did you know that the boys team went from the holiday tournament to February 16 without losing a game, and that the girls are playing some of their best basketball of the season?
• Congratulations to the girls' hockey team for winning the South Central Conference title.  The girls had a number of bigwins this season, including a huge one against New Ulm. 
• The FIRST Robotics team is putting the finishing touches on the SPHS robot before it is shipped to the University of Minnesota later this month.  With the state competition in April, this year's team has high expectations for competing with the top teams in the state.  This year's challenge is "Breakaway".  A demo can be found by following the FIRST Robotics links on our school's website (www.stpeterschools.org). 

As you can see, there are a lot of great things happening in the co-curricular program at SPHS!!  Spread the word!