School Board News
District News
It's Poetry Month and students are celebrating and working together to spread joy to the community through their writing skills. Kindergarten through fifth grade students at Lincoln Elementary, and district-wide, have been writing poetry throughout the year while learning how to create many kinds of poetry. They've focused on the power of free-verse where they can express their voices. The students wanted to bring joy to people on the cold, snowy, spring days by having them read poetry while sipping on coffee or tea at Caribou Coffee. When approached with the idea to place the poems at Caribou Coffee, the manager was excited to offer the content to customers. Students will be continuing to spread cheer as they will place poems at local businesses for Poem in your Pocket Day, which is on April 26. The fun will soon be captured in an edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. 
It was an exciting time for high school students, as they were able to enjoy the National Honor Society Banquet at WBLAHS - South Campus. After the Banquet, students were able to participate in and enjoy the Induction Ceremony. The experience was captured in this video. The National Honor Society is an organization recognizing students for their accomplishments and challenging them to further participate and embrace involvement in school activities and community service. From one exciting event to the next, families and community members gathered for the Teacher of the Year event at WBLAHS - South Campus. Oneka Elementary fifth grade teacher Maggie Clark was named the White Bear Lake Teachers' Association 2018 Teacher of the Year! Congratulations! See additional information here. 
Babies enjoyed massages from a loved one at the free Community Baby Shower at Normandy Park Education Center. Parents of young ones were able to meet and learn about health, development and community resources. Afterwards, parents were able to spend time practicing massage techniques on their babies to enhance their well-being while strengthening their connection together. The relaxation for the babies was highlighted in this recent video. On a different note, the White Bear Area Senior Program was busy strumming away in their Ukulele Group. This was a time for community members of all skills levels to enjoy good music, play with and learn the instrument. The upbeat music-playing experience was captured in this video. This Ukulele Group will be held every second and third Monday of the month and is free and open to the public. Learn more about future opportunities by calling 651-653-3121. In other community news, families recently gathered together at the Sunrise Park Community Dinner where they could enjoy Donatelli's and entertainment while supporting the school. 
Celebrations continued as students and staff embraced the Week of the Young Child at Normandy Park Education Center. Students and parents were able to create their own "what I love about school" flower to plant in the garden mural on the wall, which is located at the front of the building. The experience was highlighted in this video. Students and parents were also able to strike a pose while holding a picture frame that said "I love Early Childhood." Additionally, they could even enjoy a delicious snack for Tasty Tuesday. Early childhood students weren't the only ones dealing with food. Matoska International hosted a family event for "The Sandwich Man," where they made 1,000 sandwiches for those in need. "The Sandwich Man" is a committed individual who has dedicated efforts to helping homeless throughout the Minneapolis area by giving out sandwiches.
Students' feet are tapping, as they prepare for their opening night of "Singin' in the Rain Jr." This musical is about stars, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, who starred in silent movies together, and when their newest movie was created into a musical, a new star was brought into speak and sing for Lina who has a squeaky voice, which creates turmoil. The students will be performing songs including "Fit As A Fiddle," "Lucky Star" and "Good Morning." Watch a sneak preview in this video clip. Performances will take place on Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m. Purchase your tickets today. While some students prepare to perform in a musical, the Prom Committee is gearing up for high school students' big day on Saturday, May 5 with Prom. Students will have a Grand March at WBLAHS - South Campus starting at 4:30 p.m., and the dance will begin at 8 p.m. at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a mini Grand March at 2 p.m. at each of the following senior care centers: Cerenity, The Lodge or White Pines. 
From dances to math rotation time, first grade students embraced a unique opportunity to experiment with coding at Matoska International. Through the Osmo Coding program, students are able to explore commands by guiding a character, called Awbie, through an adventure. This exciting classroom experience has been possible because of a Brosious grant. Students are able to manipulate "tiles" to plan out what they want Awbie in their game to do before it can actually happen. Then, the students press the "play" tile to make their coding come to life. The experience was highlighted in this video. The program allows students to enhance their problem solving and logic skills. Other students at Central Middle School have been showcasing their writing skills, as they have prepared letters to their favorite authors. Approximately ten of the students have gotten replies. Go Bears!
Even with snow on the ground, students are staying active outdoors. After the Snow Day, one student even rode their scooter to class. Other students will have opportunities to stay active at upcoming events such as Spring into Action, which is taking place at Lakeaires Elementary on Friday, April 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. Learn more about the free opportunity. Another exciting and action-packed event that is right around the corner is the BearPower Family Breakaway Bike Ride. Students recently had fun making this video to promote the event. The BearPower Family Breakaway Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, May 19 at 9:30 a.m., with the event starting at Otter Lake Elementary. Families will even have the opportunity to enjoy a Bike Rodeo before the race begins. Register by May 1 to receive a free T-shirt.
Recently, with spring looking more like winter, sports have had to make adjustments to where they train to ensure nothing slows them down. Several sports, including the lacrosse team, have been practicing in the Hippodrome. With equipment and all, some athletes are staying disciplined in their practices and training up for their seasons indoors, for now. The indoor fun continued throughout the district, as Willow Lane Elementary had their April Summit with a theme of compassion. At this month's Summit, students were able to present HopeKids with a check reflecting the money they raised from a portion of the tips when they worked at Donatelli's this winter. HopeKids is an organization that provides families with opportunities that have a child with cancer or a life-threatening condition. Also at the Summit, they recognized a fourth grade student for starting "The Fun Club." This club was created to ensure everyone has a friend to play with at recess. 
| Date |
Type | Time |
Location |
| April 23 |
Work-Study |
5:30 p.m. | District Center |
| May 14 |
Regular |
7 p.m. | District Center |
| May 21 |
Work-Study |
5:30 p.m. |
District Center |
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