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Irish News
Newsletter of Maple Lake Public School District 881
January 2015
Join us for “Know the Truth” January 22nd
We know that alcohol and other drugs
are harmful to all communities in
Minnesota. The Wright County Sheriff’s
Office is partnering with Know the Truth
to bring together a community forum to
address the emerging drug trends and concerns facing the Wright County area.
This free event will be held at the Buffalo
High School Performing Arts Center on
Thursday night, January 22, from 7:00 8:30 p.m. The evening is designed to
inform parents, guardians, teachers, social
workers and all other concerned adults
about how the residents in a community
can play a major role on the impact of
alcohol and other drugs on the young people in our community. Know the Truth is
a drug and alcohol prevention program of
MN Adults & Teen Challenge.
The evening will begin with an hour
long presentation by speakers from the
Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Wright
County Attorney’s Office, DEA, and
Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge.
Listen as young adults from Wright
County share their personal story of substance abuse, and how their recreational
drug use evolved into addiction. Also hear
from Wright County Law Enforcement
• BRIDGING HOPE
COUNS ELING
• BHM S CHOOL NURS E –
Karen Schultz (Rx/OTC drug abuse
signs/symptoms, storage of Rx,
Poison Control info)
• FAMILY COUNS ELING
CENTER
• WRIGHT COUNTY
S HERIFF’S OFFICE
• BUFFALO HOS PITAL –
ALLINA HEALTH –
Mona Volden (stress management
for teens)
• CRIME S TOPPERS OF MN
• BUFFALO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
and prevention professionals as they
inform on current local drug trends, root
causes of addiction, and means of intervention.
The presentations will be followed by
a half-hour Q&A session with a panel of
professionals from the Wright County
Sheriff’s
Office,
Buffalo
Police
Department,
Annandale
Police
Department, Howard Lake Police
Department, DEA and Minnesota Adult
and Teen Challenge.
A number of resource tables will also
be set up to provide information to all
attendees. Resources included will be
from:
• KNOW THE TRUTH
• MN ADULT & TEEN
CHALLENGE
• MEADA
• CENTRAL MN MENTAL
HEALTH CENTER
Continuing Education Credits will be
available for those in attendance.
PRES CRIPTION PILL TAKE
BACK: There will also be a prescription
drug drop box for any unused medications
that are no longer needed so they can be
properly disposed of.
available, please contact Nicole Wilke,
Director of Community Education, at
(320) 274-3058.
We are starting to look toward fall
already and planning for our newest
group of preschoolers. We will be hosting an Open House Night on February 2
from 5:30-7:00 p.m. that is designed to
welcome parents interested in our program to meet our staff, ask questions, fill
out registration forms, and explore the
classroom with his/her future preschooler.
For a preview of this event visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt0TEoLsi8&feature=youtu.be
Preschool and ECFE Update
by Christine Schultz
What a wonderful first half of the year
we have had in our Early Childhood
classes, and we are excited for the great
moments that are just around the corner
in 2015! This school year, there are
sixty-six 3, 4, and 5 year olds who come
to class ready for fun and learning. At
preschool, students are exposed to a variety of developmentally appropriate activities that foster growth in all areas of
development including social/emotional,
cognitive, gross and fine motor, and communication skills. Our learning activities
for this month focus on something we, as
Minnesotans, know a lot about – WINTER!
We have also had strong participation
in our Early Childhood Family Education
classes, but are always looking for new
families who would like to join us.
Parents in these classes enjoy time spent
engaging in activities with their child and
connecting with other parents. Class
times and information can be found in the
Community Education Catalog or by
contacting the Annandale-Maple Lake
Community Education office at (320)
274-3058.
This is the second year we have participated in Minnesota’s Parent Aware
Program and received a Four Star Rating
– the highest possible rating! To become
Four Star Rated, a program must:
• Exemplify a truly engaged school
readiness partner for parents
• Use ongoing assessment of child’s
progress
• Continually adapt lesson plans and
goals to meet individual needs
• Regularly update parents on child’s
progress
• Train staff on children’s developmental disabilities
• Communicate across cultures
• Receive and document on-going
childhood-related education
Due to the four star rating, we were
pleased to have our application for the
Early Learning Scholarships Pathway II
approved by the Minnesota Department
of Education (MDE). The Pathway II
Scholarship allocation allows us to provide scholarships for preschool tuition. If
you are interested, or have more questions about scholarships that may be
Ind. School District 881
Mark Redemske
Superintendent
Maple Lake, MN 55358
BOXHOLDER
Preschool, ECFE
- continued on page 8
Standard Mail
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 1
Maple Lake, MN 55358
Irish News
Page 2
To the Community
by Mark Redemske
Superintendent
MLE teachers Beth
Haglin and Nicole
Casebolt have put a
Maple Lake Elementary
News
video
together for each
month of our school
year.
Each edition
Mark
shows
what
students
Redemske
and staff have been
doing to promote learning during the
month. You can watch the latest video
by going to our web site at www.maplelake.k12.mn.us and clicking on elementary at the top of our home page. The
video is halfway down the right side of
that page.
Wi nter Weather
Winter brings the possibility of
weather interrupting our regular school
schedule. Weather related announce-
ments will continue to be put on our
website, area TV and radio stations, and
through our School Reach notification
system again this year. School Reach
allows us to send voice messages and emails to parents when important
announcements need to be shared.
Weather and road conditions can vary
throughout our school district. As a
result, please remember that it is an
excused absence if school is in session,
but you choose to keep your children
home because you feel it is unsafe for
them to come to school due to weather
and/or road conditions. Please contact
the elementary or high school office
under these circumstances.
Ki ndergarteners
Our elementary office is busy preparing for our 2015-2016 class of kindergarteners and the memories it will create
for the children and their parents. These
students will make up the high school
MLE Update
by Kris Harlan
MLE Principal
We've rounded the
corner into the second
half of the year
already and so many
great learning experiences continue to
happen at MLE!
Besides the work on
Kris Harlan state standards in the
classroom, January is also the month of
some other special learning experiences.
Our 9th Annual Bat t l e of t he Books
is coming up on Thursday, January 22,
for grades 2-3 and on Friday, January 23,
for grades 4-6. We have 160 of our students signed up to participate this year!
Parents and community members are
encouraged to attend the Battles in the
elementary media center! The schedule is
as follows:
Thurs day, January 22:
Grade 2: 9:25 - 10:50
Grade 3: 12:30 - 1:45
Fri day,
Grade 5:
Grade 6:
Grade 4:
January 23:
9:30 - 10:30
10:45 - 11:45
1:20 - 2:20
February is I L o v e t o R ead
M ont h and our theme for this year is
Experi m ent w i t h R eadi ng! Details
for the month are still being planned so
watch for more information coming
home soon!
Wi nter Conferences will be held
at the elementary on Thursday, January
29, and Monday, February 2, from 4:007:00 p.m. Assigned conference times
will be communicated on Wednesday,
January 21, in the Wednesday Envelope.
S AVE THE DATE: Our school
will
be
hosting
a
Fam i l y
Eng i neeri ng Ni g ht on Tuesday,
March 17, from 6:15-7:45 in the ele-
mentary gym & cafeteria. The “BE
CREATIVE – BE AN ENGINEER!” family programming, presented by The Science Museum of
Minnesota, consists of a 30 m i nut e
Larg e Gro up Int ro duct i o n fo l l ow ed by 60 m i nut es of Tabl e Top
A ct i v i t i es . Activities include: Wind
Tubes, Design a Belt, Build a Bridge,
Creative Building, Water Race Track,
and Pile Up Water. Participants will
experiment with many materials to
design, build, and create solutions to a
variety of challenges. Students will have
an opportunity to win science-related
prizes during the evening! Watch for
more information coming soon!
Grades 3-6 will have MCA tes ti ng
coming up in April & May.
Parents/guardians are asked to please
refrain from planning family activities
on the days tests are scheduled if at all
possible, and please try to encourage a
good night’s sleep before each test.
Students will be taking both the math
and reading MCA tests electronically for
the first time so we'll have instant
results. The schedule for tests is as follows:
GRADE 3:
April 15-16: Reading
April 22-23: Math
GRADE 4:
April 28-29: Reading
May 5-6: Math
GRADE 5:
April 30-May 1: Reading
May 5-6: Math
May 13: Science
GRADE 6:
April 30-May 1: Reading
May 4-5: Math
graduating class of 2028. Letters were
mailed on January 9 to families of children who will be five years old by
September 1, 2015. Please contact the
Maple Lake Elementary School office at
963-3024 if you have a child who will
be in kindergarten next year but have not
received a letter.
Mapl e Lake El ementary S chool
The highest-performing 15 percent of
Title I schools based on the Minnesota
Department of Education’s Multiple
Measurements Rating system earn
“Reward School” status each year.
Congratulations to the students and staff
of MLE for earning “Reward School”
status for the third straight year!
Fal l Athl eti c Teams
Congratulations
to
Andrew
Schonnesen, Sommer Carlson and Halle
Geyen for qualifying for and participating in the MSHSL State Cross Country
Meet, to the MLHS football team for
winning their section championship and
advancing to the MSHSL State
Tournament and the volleyball team for
winning their section championship and
placing 4th in the MSHSL State
Tournament.
S chool Board
We welcome Joe Mavencamp as a
new member on the Maple Lake School
Board.
Shelly Liljequist and Rick
Thomas are beginning their second
terms on our board. School board meetings are scheduled for the second
Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in
the board room.
The m i s s i on of M apl e Lake
Publ i c S chool s i s t o creat e an
except i onal pl ace t o l earn and
w o rk , em p has i z i ng educat i o nal
opport uni t i es t hat prom ot e academ i c achi ev em ent , l i fe-l ong l earni ng, and product i v e ci t i z ens hi p i n
our s oci et y .
MLHS Update
by David Hansen
MLHS Principal
The first semester of
the school year ends
on January 16. As
we reflect back on
the last two quarters,
we have a lot to be
proud of. We are so
proud of our successDavid J.
ful athletic teams
Hansen
who made appearances at the state football and volleyball
tournaments and our individual crosscountry athletes who participated in the
state cross country meet. Our athletes
and fans represented our school well
and reminded us that it is great to be the
Maple Lake Irish!
While many people only remember
our athletic accomplishments, we are
also proud of the academic successes of
our students. Many students were recognized for their academic accomplishments by being inducted into the
National Honor Society, and many others earning recognition by obtaining the
“A” and “B” honor rolls. We are proud
of the hard work put in by all of our students, and appreciate the dedication of
the school staff in helping our kids succeed.
The second semester of the school
year begins on January 20. Report
cards will be mailed on or around
January 23 with second quarter and
semester one grades. Parents are
reminded that grades and their child’s
academic progress throughout the
school year can be followed via the
Parent Portal system. If you do not
have access to this system, please contact the high school office to get an
account set up. Using Parent Portal and
following your child’s teacher’s webpage, provides an opportunity to discuss
with your student not only their grades,
but what is being taught in their classes,
too. Students have access to the Student
Portal where they can check out their
own grades and progress as well.
Encourage your child to use the Student
Portal to check out their own grades.
While we are aware that some parents
have not encouraged their children to
use Parent Portal because all students
within the family have grades that are
accessible, Student Portal only shows
the individual student’s information.
Registration for the 2015-2016
school year will be getting underway
over the course of the next month.
Students in grades 7-11 will be registering for the classes they wish to take next
school year. As students get in the
upper grades, more and more choices
for classes are made available. We
encourage you to speak with your child
about their academic plans and discuss
with them the classes they hope to take.
Moving in to the second half of the
school year means we are busy preparing for spring testing. Another year of
testing also means another year of
changes from the state of Minnesota.
This year all MCA tests will only be
offered electronically. Additionally,
modified MCA tests are no longer available either. Students in grades 3-8 will
take the reading and math Minnesota
Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs).
Students in grade 10 will take a reading
test and grade 11 students will take a
math test. Additionally, students in
grades 5, 8, and 10 will take a science
test. Career and College Readiness testing is also required for our students.
Our 8th and 10th grade students have
already taken the ACT Explore and
ACT Plan tests in November. Juniors
will be required to take the ACT plus
writing test on April 28. Seniors will be
taking the ASVAB test on February 4.
As we prepare for testing, we hope parents will become familiar with the testing schedule and assist us by having
students get plenty of rest and eating a
healthy breakfast leading up to and on
the days of testing. These tests are the
accountability measure for our school
district. We also use the results for
instructional planning and course selection for students. The state of Minnesota
and the federal government mandate
these tests.
We look forward to a great second
half of the school year at Maple Lake
High School. Our success does not
come from us alone; we must also thank
our parents and community for their
involvement, support, and partnership
in the education of our young people.
Together we are making a difference in
the lives of our children.
Irish News
Page 3
Bulletin Board
School News & Notes
2014-15 MCA Test Schedule
Grade 3:
Reading
Math
Grade 4:
Reading
Math
Grade 5:
Reading
Math
Science
Grade 6:
Reading
Math
Grade 7:
Reading
Math
Grade 8:
Reading
Math
Science
Grade 10:
Reading
Science
Grade 11:
Math
April 15-16
April 22-23
April 28-29
May 5-6
April 30-May 1
May 5-6
May 13
April 30-May 1
May 4-5
April 8-10
April 22-23
April 15-17
April 22-23
April 29-May 1
April 8-10
April 29-May 1
April 22-23
All of the above testing dates are
subject to change.
Grade 12:
ASVAB Testing
February 4
Career and College
Readiness Testing
Grade 8:
ACT Explore
November 12
Grade 10:
ACT Plan
November 12
Grade 11:
ACT Plus Writing April 28
Make-up Date
May 13
Please mark these dates on your calendar and avoid scheduling any appointments or vacation days during this test
window.
• Be sure your child gets a good
night’s sleep prior to a testing day.
• Encourage your child to do their
very best and to answer all the
questions. The MCA tests are not
timed so they can go back to respond
to questions if needed. ACT tests
are timed.
• Try to avoid undue stress about
the testing.
• Keep a positive attitude about
these tests!
Thank you for your cooperation!
Pesticide Notification
Minnesota statutes require schools to
inform parents and guardians if they
apply certain pesticides on school property. Specific information is available in the
student/parent handbooks.
Independent School
District # 881 Maple Lake
Board of Education
Arnie Michalicek
Joe Paumen
Shelley McAlpine
Shelly Liljequist
Ben Elsenpeter
Rick Thomas
Joe Mavencamp
Chair
Vice Chair
Clerk
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Visitor Access during the
School Day
Visitors are required to enter the
school through doors A, D or E during
school hours. Interior doors at each of
these entrances will be locked, requiring
visitors to be “buzzed” into an office to
sign in before proceeding to their destination.
Anyone entering through the main
entrance of the elementary school (door
A) may access the office by turning
immediately to his/her left.
Those visiting the high school may
access the high school office by going
through door E (on the west side of the
high school) and turning right prior to the
third set of doors.
The district and community education
offices are accessible through door D on
the west side of the high school.
School Closings and
Delays
Notices of school delays or closings
due to weather conditions or other emergencies will be broadcast over WCCO
(channel 4 and 830 AM), KSTP (channel
5), KMSP (channel 9) KARE (channel
11), KRWC Radio (1360 AM), Leighton
Broadcasting Radio Stations (99 FM,
99.9 FM, 104.7 FM and 1450 AM) and at
http://www.maplelake.k12.mn.us/.
Parents will also be contacted via the
School Reach notification system, which
sends voice messages and emails if the
school day is cancelled or altered.
January
End of Second
Quarter - MLHS
March 16
Vocal Solo/Ensemble
in HLWW
PIE Bingo Fun Night
6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 17
Be An Engineer
Family Night
Jan. 19
* Teacher
Workshop Day
March 19
End of Third
Quarter - MLHS
Jan. 22
MLE - Battle of the
Books Grades 2-3
March 20
* Teacher
Workshop Day
Jan. 23
MLE - Battle of the
Books Grades 4-6
March 25
MLE - Wellness
Wednesday
Jan. 26
District Spelling
Bee 1:15 p.m.
March 26
PIE Bingo Fun Night
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28
MLE - Wellness
Wednesday
March 30 - April 3 * Spring Break
Jan. 29
1 Act Play 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 16
April
April 6
Classes Resume
April 14
** Late Start
April 16
6th Grade Musical
7:00 p.m.
April 18
Prom
Post Prom Party
6th Grade Powder
Ridge Ski Trip
April 21
Co-Curricular
Awards 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10
** Late Start
April 22
MLE - Wellness
Wednesday
Feb. 12
5th Grade Musical
7:00 p.m.
May
MLE Parent/Teacher
Evening Conferences
February
Feb. 2
MLE Parent/
Teacher Evening
Conferences
Feb. 6
Band Local
Solo/Ensemble
E-Funds for Schools
Lunch account payments and driver
education fees can be paid online. The EFunds for Schools program is an online
service allowing you to make payments
into school lunch accounts or toward driver education fees to the school district
by using either an EFT payment (electronic fund transfer via checking
accounts) or a credit card. Access our
web site at www.maplelake.k12.mn.us,
go to Food Service drop-down menu on
the top of our home page and click on EFunds to access these services. You can
check your lunch account balance by
clicking on Lunch Account Information
under this drop-down menu and logging
onto the Wordware Family Account
Access Page. Lunch account payment
can also be made by following this link.
Breakfast & Lunch Prices
Breakfast and lunch are served each
school day for students, staff and visitors
at the following prices:
Elementary Student Breakfast $1.40
High School Student Breakfast $1.40
Reduced-Price Student Breakfast Free
Adult Breakfasts
$1.95
Extra Milk
$0.40
Kindergarten Breakfast
Free
Elementary Student Lunch
$2.25
High School Student Lunch
$2.45
Reduced-Price Lunch
Free
Second Student Lunch
$3.45
Adult Lunch
$3.45
Beginning this school year, students
who qualify for reduced-price meals will
receive free lunch, as well as free breakfast.
All kindergarten students also qualify
for free breakfast beginning this school
year.
May 1
Festival of Nations
9:45-11:30 a.m.
MLHS Evening
Parent/Teacher
Conferences
May 5
7th Grade Spring
Choir Concert
7:30 p.m.
Band District
Solo/Ensemble
in Annandale
May 6
Kindergarten
Field Trip
Feb. 25
MLE - Wellness
Wednesday
May 7
8th Grade Spring
Choir Concert
7:30 p.m.
Feb. 27
End of
Trimester 2 - MLE
May 11
4th Grade Musical
6:30 p.m.
May 12
** Late Start
Feb. 16
Feb. 23
March
March 2
Pops Concert
6:30 p.m.
Volunteer Orientation
6:00-6:30 p.m.
March 4
Vocal Large
Group at Rockford
March 5
Kindergarten
Round-Up
March 6-8
Jazz Band Trip
to Duluth
May 15
Grandparents’ Day
Grades 1 & 3
March 10
** Late Start
May 18
March 11
Band Large Group
at Watertown
Senior High
Spring Choir
Concert 7:30 p.m.
March 14
5K Irish Scamper
May 13-15 6th Grade Field Trip Wolf Ridge
Bulletin Board
- continued on page 6
**Staff Development Day
*No School
Irish News
Page 4
Senior Connections Spotlight Family Volunteering:
“Simple ways to weave service into
your hectic life”
by Ginger O’Loughlin
Senior Connections Coordinator
2014 closes another busy year for
Senior Connections, and as liaison
between town and schools it’s gratifying involving senior citizens with youth
in various opportunities. The relationships kindled and wisdom gained guaranties advantages for those involved.
In November we were honored by
Col. Scott St. Sauver who made the trip
from Little Falls to be our guest speaker for this year’s Veteran’s Day programs. Despite his hectic schedule, the
Post Commander of Camp Ripley made
time to be our spokesman on the
KRWC’s
Spotlight
program.
Following the broadcast, he gave a phenomenal presentation informing students as to what a Veteran is, how to
respect them, and encouraged all to
continue carrying on the traditions of
loyalty to our country.
Almost ninety 6th grade writers
impressed the local "Patriot Pen"
judges. The VFW Auxiliary members
struggled to determine who would be
the local winners. St. Timothy’s 6th
graders were again involved. We thank
Jennifer DesMarais-Holland and Laurie
Hajny for continuing to integrate the
National Patriot Pen essay contest into
their curriculum. Parents also deserve
praise for their encouragement and
assistance. Make sure to visit the
Schoolseum where many of the students efforts are hung.
by Celeste Dahlstrom
District Volunteer Coordinator
Ellie Fuller, Christmas with an ALS
friend.
patient when she decorated her home
for Christmas. She proved herself faithful to her motto “Spreadin the Love.”
Ellie’s calm disposition and enthusiastic desire to become this paralyzed person’s hands and feet impressed those
present. The relationship will continue
as future engagements transpire. Also
wonderful was the way students
designed American flags, and the Girl
Scouts donated gifts to veterans.
There is still time to join others in
our second “Showcasing Success” contest by reserving a showcase in our
Schoolseum. Students, leaders, and
representatives are busy collecting photos and information highlighting their
Inspires Kids to Care:
Here we are already in 2015, and the
need for volunteers continues to grow.
We are fortunate to live and work in a
community that is there to help when
asked. Our goal is to help you feel welcomed and appreciated while you’re
here.
A big thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers: you make our days
that much nicer. To the laminators,
bookroom helpers, Santa Secret Shop
workers, hearing and vision people,
classroom helpers, Book Fair volunteers, label clippers, concession workers, mentors, chaperones and so many
more, we sincerely appreciate the time
that you share with us.
We have a busy year ahead of us
with lots of volunteer opportunities. If
you’re interested in volunteering for a
specific activity, please feel free to
email or call me anytime.
Thank you to The Costume Shoppe
for generously donating costumes to
our Storybook Reading Program, and to
our fantastic readers, who do an amazing job bringing the characters to life.
Our next volunteer orientation will
be on May 12, at 6:00 p.m. in the media
center. We encourage you to attend the
evening orientations if possible.
Have a wonderful 2015!
- Celeste Dahlstrom
“When you are good
to others, you are best
to yourself.”
- Benjamin Franklin
In a culture that so often
appears to reward materialism and
greed, volunteering together at a
homeless shelter, crisis nursery,
nature preserve or animal shelter
can be a powerful way to pass on the
values of caring, compassion and
social responsibility to children.
Strengthens
Families: Serving together
provides a positive way for family
members to spend quality time
with one another, brings parents and
children closer by inspiring important
conversations about values, attitudes
and beliefs, and offers the gift of
intergenerational
connections.
Builds
Communities:
When families volunteer
together, communities receive
more support to meet critical
community needs, such as cleaned
parks or meals delivered to shut-ins.
Studies indicate that children who
volunteer are twice as likely to
volunteer when they grow up as
those who do not. When parents
nurture their child’s sense of
compassion and commitment
toward their community, we
build a better world for
now and the future.
Patriot’s Pen winners Madeline Gindele and Lexi Hanson with teacher
Jennifer DesMarais Holland.
We were thrilled when Jennifer
DesMarais Holland, the Senior
Connections nominee, was selected as
this year’s winner of the 2014 VFW
Smart/Maher National Citizenship
Education Teacher Award. Each year a
teacher, whose curriculum focuses on
topics related to citizenship, is nominated for this honor. Instructors who
promote civic responsibility, flag etiquette, and patriotism are prime candidates for the award. Jennifer has
exceeded these requirements through
her dedication to teaching, enthusiasm
towards community service, and specialty in Language Arts as a way of getting her students to learn about patriotism. We also treasure how she creates
intergenerational bonds within her
classroom by adopting grandparents.
It is always rewarding to celebrate
Christmas by being an annual contributor to “Toys for Tots,” church coat drives, and the Blue Star Mom’s organization. Senior Connections also valued
how 3rd grader Ellie Fuller brought
good tidings and great joy to an ALS
organizations to create displays of
interest. Many that walk the hallways
will view art, academics, community
service projects, and town businesses
and events. Completed cases will be
judged in August in time for our 2015
School Open House. Call, reserve a
case, and promote your point of interest
with a chance of winning cash and
profit through free advertising.
With Christmas break behind us, we
expect 2015 to keep us just as busy.
There are always opportunities to be
involved in a City like Maple Lake. We
are proud to be part of it. Thanks to the
many volunteers of District #881, and
all who have contributed to our efforts
and fulfilling our mission: “To enhance
the quality of life in Maple Lake by
connecting senior citizens & youth volunteering, socializing, and interacting
in a variety of circumstances.”
For information on how to become
involved with Maple Lake Senior
Connections, or a piece of the
Schoolseum, please contact me at 763301-4717.
Please remember that
Maple Lake Public
Schools and Grounds
are tobacco-free
enviroments!
Irish News
Page 5
Connecting Links at District A Note from the Nurse:
tect yourself and others against those
#881 seeks mentors for kids
particular strains that it is resistant to in
by Sarah Barder
School Nurse
Would you be
interested
in
making a difference in a student’s life? Or,
do you know of
students
who
would benefit from having mentors in
their life?
Connecting Links is a program
which provides a mentoring opportunity
between an adult volunteer and an identified student in need. The relationship
is intended to nurture the academic,
social and/or emotional aspects of these
students, resulting in a positive environ-
ment in both the home and in school.
Mentors are encouraged to meet
weekly with their student. These meetings can be at school or something
planned outside of school with parent
permission. Activities can range from
playing games, making projects, and
working on assignments, to going
somewhere fun or learning something
new.
If you want to learn more about
becoming a mentor, or know of a student who would benefit, please call or
e-mail Celeste Dahlstrom, Program
Coordinator, at (320) 963-6600 or
[email protected] .
The health office was a busy place
right up until the last day before winter
break! There were many cases of
influenza-like-illnesses that caused both
students and staff to stay home ill for
many days. Symptoms of influenzalike-illnesses include a fever of 100
degrees or greater PLUS a sore throat
and/or cough. If your child is experiencing these symptoms, please notify
the school nurse and keep them home
until they are fever-free for 24 hours
(this is school policy).
Unfortunately, influenza is a constantly mutating virus and even those of
us who are vaccinated against the flu
this season are not guaranteed protection from every strain of the virus.
According to experts at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, it is
still important to get vaccinated to pro-
order to prevent serious flu complications.
The number one way to prevent the
spread of influenza is through proper
hand washing. Wash for at least 20 seconds in warm, soapy water using friction. Please encourage your family to
get into the habit of washing after using
the bathroom, coughing and sneezing
and before eating. Covering coughs and
sneezes with a tissue or coughing into
the elbow or sleeve rather than the hand
also prevents the cold germs from
spreading. Please talk with your children about how necessary it is to do
these things to stay healthy!
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s health, please
contact me by phone at (320) 963-7482
or
by
email
at
[email protected].
Kindergarten Round-Up
Kidville is an affordable, quality
childcare program that provides a safe
environment in which there is flexibility
to accommodate different personalities,
interests and levels of development.
Kidville provides an atmosphere that
encourages child-initiated activities of
adventure, creativity and social experiences. Nutritious snacks are served each
day. Kidville also provides childcare for
children that are ages 3-5 in half-day
preschool during the day.
Kidville is open on “Late Start”
mornings and “No School” days
throughout the year. Students are able to
use the program every day or on a dropin basis. The program is flexible with
your schedule.
Schedule:
6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Ages:
3 years old-5th Grade
Fee:
$3.00 per hour
Location:
Maple Lake
Elementary School
For more information please contact
Kidville at (320) 963-6415 or email
them at [email protected].
The Maple Lake Elementary Kindergarten Round-up and registration is set for
Thursday, March 5th. Kindergarten Round-up is for all children who are five years
old on or before September 1, 2015, and planning to enter kindergarten next fall.
The tentative schedule will look like this:
Last names A-G: 5:30
Last names H-N: 6:00
Last names O-Z: 6:30
If you are new to the area and have a child who will be eligible for kindergarten
next fall, please contact the elementary office as soon as possible by calling (320)
963-3024.
Special Education Supports
Facility Use Policy
Maple Lake Independent School
District #881 operates under the principle that the public schools are owned
and operated by and for school district
residents, especially school age children. The schools are an integral part of
our community.
The Maple Lake School Board welcomes and encourages public use of
school facilities. Facility Reservation
Forms for non-school activities and
organizations must be submitted and
approved at least five working days
prior to the requested date of use.
Please call Jane Goelz at 963-5991 if
your group would like to schedule
school facilities usage. The Facility Use
Application can be located on our website at www.maplelake.k12.mn.us.
Click "District," then “About Maple
Lake District,” and then "Facility Use.”
A copy of this form must be submitted
to secure the requested time and space
and help us avoid double bookings of
facilities.
Please be aware that non-profit
groups are charged for personnel, clean
up and supervision costs. Commercial,
business and private organizations and
non-profit groups from outside our
school district are charged a rental fee
and for personnel, clean up and supervision.
2014-15 ISD #881
Student Activity Fees
Class I Activities:
7th and 8th
grade speech, athletics, and extracurricular 3 act play - $80 per activity, with
3rd activity at $40, with an individual
max of $200
9th-12th
Class II Activities:
grade speech, 1-Act Play, Mock Trial,
Knowledge Bowl, and athletics - $105
per activity, with 3rd activity at $53,
with an individual max of $263
The family maximum fee for students in Class I and Class II activities is
$400 per year.
A reduction in fees is available for
those that qualify for the free or reduced
lunch program. If hardship cases exist,
check for information on fee reduction
with the activities director. This does
not apply to hockey fees, which are set
by the host school of the cooperative
and the hockey association.
Ticket Prices for 2014-2015
Individual Event Prices:
Adults
$6.00
Students
$3.00
Senior Citizens
$4.00
Multiple Use Tickets:
(Admission to 15 Events)
Adults
Students
Senior Citizens
Family Pass (All Seasons)
$60.00
$30.00
$30.00
$150.00
by Lindsey Pellaton
Special Education Coordinator
Staff in the Maple Lake School
District work diligently to meet the
needs of all students. There are many
wonderful things taking place daily
between our staff and special education
students. The dedicated staff is a huge
reason why our students make the
remarkable gains in special education
that they do. When working with students, staff members individualize
strategies based on student need. The
strategies vary from behavior charts in
which students are rewarded for demonstrating specific positive behaviors (i.e.,
completing an assignment, greeting
peers by their first name, keeping hands
to self) to sensory breaks.
This school year, the special education staff at Maple Lake Elementary is
focusing efforts on a specific strategy
called the Nurtured Heart Approach
(NHA). The special education team
(teachers, speech pathologists, social
worker, and paraprofessionals) meet
monthly during late starts to review and
implement the NHA.
The NHA is more than just a parenting or educator behavior management
strategy. It is a philosophy for creating
healthy and richer relationships. The
NHA inspires appropriate behaviors by
energizing children when things are
going right, and it sets clear limits.
Originally created by Howard Glasser in
1992, NHA is being successfully imple-
mented across the country through families, classrooms, foster careers, health
care professionals, social workers and
criminal justice organizations that are
seeking successful, early intervention
techniques.
The Nurtured Heart Approach consists of a set of strategies that assists
children in further developing their selfregulation and has been found effective
with children of all ages. It focuses on
transforming the way children perceive
themselves, their caregivers, and the
world around them. Children learn to
understand that they will receive endless amounts of praise, energy, recognition, and reward through the positive
behavior they display and this supports
children to build a positive portfolio of
themselves.
The NHA has been the perfect tool to
support staff in focusing their energy on
the positive behaviors and the greatness
of each student. School staff have seen
positive outcomes for students as they
shape student behavior using this
approach. It has also been a tremendous
way to acknowledge one another at the
staff level and realize we each have different greatness. As the special education coordinator for the district, I’m
thrilled to see the special education staff
embrace such an influential strategy.
This is just one example of the powerful
supports that are implemented daily
across the district to help all of our students be successful.
Irish News
Page 6
Club 881:
Bulletin Board
continued from page 3
The best investment you’ll ever make!
Club 881 is a community effort that
provides Maple Lake High School graduates with a big boost toward post high
school education or training by adding
up small donations to create annual
scholarships. For just $8.81 you can help
our local young people head on a path
toward a bright future. We are accepting
donations throughout the school year to
fund these scholarships. We thank the
Maple Lake Community for making
these scholarships possible. Please consider giving this year and every year.
Any amount helps.
Club 881
Maple Lake Schools
Box 760
Maple Lake, MN 55358
May 19
2nd Grade Field Trip Como Zoo
3rd Grade Field Trip Fort Snelling
May 20
Science Fair
Yes, I’d like to be part of the drive to provide
more Maple Lake students with scholarships
and a head start on a bright future.
May 25
* Memorial Day
No School
May 26
MLE Track & Field
Day Alternate
May 27
Senior High/Jazz
Band Concert
7:00 p.m.
Senior Awards
Night 7:30 p.m.
May 28
6th Grade Graduation
MLE - Wellness
Wednesday
May 29
Last Day of
Classes
Name___________________________________
May 21
Address_________________________________
_______________________________________
Please make out your check to Club 881 for
$8.81 per membership (or the amount of your choice)
and mail it to:
Club 881
2015
5th, 6th Grade &
Junior High Band
Concert 7:00 p.m.
May 22
Kindergarten
Graduation
7th Grade Field
Trip - Monticello
Community Center
$8.81 for 881
Maple Lake Schools
Box 760
Maple Lake, MN 55358
MLHS Graduation
8:00 p.m.
1st Grade Field Trip Nelson Farm
MLE Track & Field
Day
Varsity Sports Schedules
Winter
Boys Basketball
01-17-15
01-20-15
01-22-15
01-26-15
01-27-15
01-30-15
02-02-15
02-03-15
02-05-15
02-09-15
02-10-15
02-13-15
02-19-15
2:30PM Mora
7:30PM @ Milaca
7:30PM Eden ValleyWatkins
7:30PM @ St. John’s
Prep
7:30PM Holdingford
7:30PM @ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
7:30PM Spectrum
7:30PM @ Foley
7:30PM Rockford Area
7:30PM @ Paynesville
7:30PM Kimball Area
7:30PM BelgradeBrooten-Elrosa
7:30PM Pierz-Healy
Girls Basketball
01-17-15
01-20-15
01-23-15
01-26-15
01-27-15
01-29-15
02-03-15
02-05-15
02-09-15
02-12-15
02-17-15
02-19-15
02-23-15
02-24-15
02-27-15
1:00PM Mora
7:30PM Pierz-Healy
7:30PM @ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
7:30PM Royalton
7:30PM @ St. John’s
Prep
7:30PM @ Holdingford
7:30PM Eden ValleyWatkins
7:30PM @ BelgradeBrooten-Elrosa
7:30PM Paynesville
7:30PM @ Rockford Area
7:30PM Kimball Area
7:30PM @ Pierz-Healy
7:30PM @ NorwoodYoung America
7:30PM Lester Prairie/
Holy Trinity
7:30PM Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
Wrestling
01-17-15
01-22-15
9:00AM Eden Prairie
6:00PM New LondonSpicer
Gymnastics
01-17-15
01-20-15
01-22-15
01-30-15
02-03-15
02-07-15
02-14-15
11:30AM Maple Lake
Invitational
6:00PM @Annandale
6:00PM Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
6:00PM @ DasselCokato
6:00PM @ Rockford Area
TBD
@ Rockford Area
TBD
@TBD
Boys Hockey
01-17-15
01-20-15
01-22-15
01-24-15
01-29-15
02-03-15
02-05-15
02-07-15
7:00PM
7:15PM
7:00PM
7:00PM
7:00PM
TBD
Sauk Centre
@ Little Falls
Cambridge-Isanti
@ Rogers
@ Buffalo
St. Cloud
Cathedral
7:00PM St. MichaelAlbertville
2:00PM @ Chisago
Lakes
Girls Hockey
01-16-15
01-20-15
01-23-15
01-27-15
01-30-15
7:00PM @ Buffalo Civic
Center - North
Wright County
7:00PM @ Chisago
Lakes
7:00PM @ Princeton
7:00PM @ Rogers
7:00PM St. Cloud
Cathedral
Spring
Baseball
04-07-15
04-10-15
04-13-15
4:30PM Litchfield
4:30PM Spectrum
4:30PM @ Rockford Area
04-17-15
04-21-15
04-23-15
04-24-15
04-27-15
04-30-15
05-04-15
05-07-15
05-08-15
05-11-15
05-14-15
05-18-15
05-19-15
4:30PM Zimmerman
4:30PM Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
4:30PM Pierz-Healy
4:30PM Annandale
4:30PM Rockford Area
4:30PM @ BelgradeBrooten-Elrosa
4:30PM Kimball Area
4:30PM Eden ValleyWatkins
4:30PM Paynesville
4:30PM @ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
4:30PM Holdingford
4:30PM @ Kimball Area
4:30PM @ DasselCokato
04-23-15
04-24-15
04-27-15
04-30-15
05-02-15
05-04-15
05-07-15
05-08-15
05-11-15
05-12-15
4:30PM
4:00PM
4:30PM
4:30PM
5:00PM
4:30PM
@ Litchfield
@ Annandale
Rockford Area
Kimball Area
Browerville
@ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
4:00PM @ Pierz-Healy
4:30PM New Life
Academy
4:30PM @ Rockford
4:30PM @ St. Cloud
Apollo
11:00AM @ Alexandria
4:30PM @ Kimball Area
4:00PM Eden ValleyWatkins
4:30PM Dassel-Cokato
4:30PM Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
4:00PM Holdingford
Boys Golf
04-16-15
04-21-15
05-15-15
05-19-15
4:15PM @ Rockford Area
12:00PM@ Annandale
4:15PM @ Pierz-Healy
9:00AM @ BelgradeBrooten-Elrosa
1:00PM @ Osakis
4:15PM @ Whispering
Pines
Girls Golf
04-14-15
04-23-15
04-30-15
05-07-15
05-15-15
05-15-15
05-18-15
05-21-15
Softball
04-07-15
04-09-15
04-13-15
04-14-15
04-20-15
04-21-15
04-30-15
05-04-15
05-07-15
05-15-15
4:15PM @ Whispering
Pines
4:15PM @ Rockford Area
4:15PM @ Pierz-Healy
4:15PM @ Kimball Area
9:00AM @ Osakis
1:00PM @ BelgradeBrooten-Elrosa
12:00PMDassel-Cokato
4:15PM @ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
Track & Field
03-09-15
03-20-15
03-24-15
04-07-15
04-09-15
04-16-15
04-20-15
04-23-15
04-28-15
05-01-15
05-05-15
05-12-15
05-19-15
05-27-15
3:10PM Practice Begins
6:00PM @ St. Cloud
State University
4:00PM @ Monticello
4:00PM @ Rockford Area
4:00PM @ NorwoodYound America
4:00PM @ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
4:00PM Maple Lake
4:00PM Maple Lake
4:00PM @ BelgradeBrooten-Elrosa
4:00PM @ St. John’s
Prep
2:00PM Maple Lake
3:00PM @ Rockford Area
TBD
TBD
10:00AM@St. John’s
Prep
4:15PM @ Kimball Area
4:15PM @ Howard LakeWaverly-Winsted
Central Minnesota Conference Website: Maple Lake High School’s athletic teams are members of the Central Minnesota Conference.
Athletic team schedules may be located on the CMC website at www.centralmnconference.org .
Irish News
Page 7
Regardless of how limited your time might be, there
are ways you can help Maple Lake and our schools.
Become a
Volunteer!
Name(s)__________________________________________
Names and grades of children _________________________
_________________________________________________
Address________________________City_______________
Phone_____________________Work Ph._______________
Cell Ph._____________ E-mail________________________
Occupation(s) _____________________________________
Hobbies and Interests _______________________________
Check the areas below that interest you:
o Help with high school events (circle the events that interest you):
Career Day
Post Prom Party Homecoming Plays
o Working from home (phone calling, cutting, typing, soup labels, etc.)
Drive Golf Cart at Football Games Snocoming
Dances
o Calling committee for school events
o Band
o Assist in classrooms
o Greeter (elementary)
o Work on floats for St. Patrick’s or Homecoming Parade
o Assist with clerical duties
o Tutoring
o Help with after-school boys and girls junior varsity/
o Boxtop Clipping
freshman football & basketball by operating the scoreboard
or working on the chain gang, taking tickets, coaching
o Woodworking (benches, etc.)
o Help at varsity football games (supervise, announce, operate
o Laminating in the elementary
scoreboard)
o Assist with high school or elementary picture day
o Participate in the elementary parent/teacher group,
o Assist with hearing and vision screenings
Partners In Education
o Assist with school plays or concerts (costumes or set construction) o Assist at the high school concessions stand
o Chaperone at college fair visits
o Assist with outside projects (repair, maintenance, etc.)
o Help with elementary events (circle the events that interest you): o Share occupational expertise or hobbies with students in
classroom activities
Santa’s Secret Shop Storybook Reader
o Work with Campbell’s Soup labels
Halloween Carnival
Book Fair
o Participate on the Community Education Advisory Board
Reading Fun Night
Bingo Fun Night
o Book room helper
o Connecting Links mentor
MCA Testing Monitor National Hot Lunch Day
o Work at Community Library
Preferred time for volunteering: o Mornings o Afternoons o Evenings o Weekly o Anytime
Read with students: o Storybook Reader o Classroom reader
Whether you can contribute 1 or 100 hours this year, we can put your
time to good use for the benefit of our school and community!
Please drop off at school or mail to: Community Care at Maple Lake Schools,
P.O. Box 820, Maple Lake, MN 55358
Irish News
Page 8
2014-2015 Fine Arts Schedule
Monday, January 12
8th Grade Choir Concert at 7:00 p.m.
in the High School Auditorium
Friday, February 6
Local Instrumental Solo & Ensembles at 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 12
5th Grade Musical at 7:00 p.m.
Monday, February 23
District 17 Instrumental Solo & Ensembles in Annandale
Monday, March 2
Pop’s Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Gym
Wednesday, March 4
District 17 Vocal Large Group Contest in Rockford
Wednesday, March 11
District 17 Instrumental Large Group
in Watertown from 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Monday, March 16
District 17 Vocal Solo & Ensembles in Maple Lake
Thursday, March 19
CMC Speech in Kimball at 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 16
6th Grade Musical at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 18
Prom at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 5
7th Grade Choir Concert at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 7
8th Grade Choir Concert at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, May 11
4th Grade Program at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, May 18
Sr. High Choir at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Auditorium
Wednesday, May 20
Senior High Band Concert at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 21
Jr. High & Grades 5-6 Band Concert at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27
Senior Awards Night at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 29
Commencement 8:00 p.m. in the High School Gym
Community Education
by Nicole Wilke
Community Education Director
Our mission is to enrich the lives of
all community members by promoting
citizen involvement and lifelong learning opportunities. Individual and family lives are enhanced through programs
and activities that not only educate, but
entertain, motivate and rejuvenate.
Community Education is an educational philosophy that stresses citizen
involvement in the identification of
community needs and interests. It is an
idea based on the concept of lifelong
learning. Community Education creates an environment that views education as anything that enhances life experience. Thus, education activities,
enrichment classes, academic courses,
public forums, Adult Basic Education
(ABE), parenting, Early Childhood
Family Education (ECFE), youth development, recreation, extended day,
senior programming, training to secure
employment, and facility programming
are all defined as components of
Community Education.
Community Education has three
main goals:
1. To provide lifelong learning
opportunities to all members of the
community.
2. To promote and develop community support of the K-12 programs.
3. To build strong communities that
allow citizens to achieve their greatest
potential.
Community Education schedules
district facilities before and after school
hours, on weekends, holidays and during the summer.
These facilities
become home to programs offered by a
host of organizations. Through community use of facilities and cooperative
programming, we strive to contribute to
a community that values collaboration,
partnerships and maximum use of
school and community resources.
The winter/spring catalog has been
mailed to all district residents. Also, we
have preschool registration for the
2015-2016 school year the month of
February. If you have any questions,
would like to register for a course or
make a facility reservation, contact us at
(320) 963-5991 or (320) 274-3058. You
can also view our catalog online at
www.annml.com.
Preschool and ECFE Update
continued from page 1
The following are important dates for
those interested in preschool for the
upcoming 2015-2016 school year:
• February 2, 2015 - Registration
form is available online, in our classroom, and at the Community Education
office
• February 2, 2015 – Open House
Night in our preschool classroom from
5:30-7:00 p.m. Please enter Door M.
• February 2-27, 2015 - Drop off or
mail in your completed registration form
and payment.
• March 2 - March 6, 2015 - Staff will
randomly select registrations and enter
children into their class. Parents will be
notified as soon as the classes are set.
•
Non-District
Residents
Registration will begin on Monday,
March 2.
The Maple Lake
Public School
web site can
be found at
www.maplelake.k12.mn.us
Irish News
Maple Lake Public Schools • Kristi Anderson
Business Manager
P.O. Box 760
Maple Lake, MN 55358 • David Schroeder
Activities Director
Irish News is published by
Maple Lake School District No. 881
Administration
• Mark Redemske
Superintendent
• David J. Hansen
High School Principal
• Kris Harlan
Elementary Principal
2014-15 District 881 School Board
Arnie Michalicek
Joe Paumen
Shelley McAlpine
Shelly Liljequist
Ben Elsenpeter
Rick Thomas
Joe Mavencamp
Chair
Vice Chair
Clerk
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Produced by the Maple Lake
Messenger