School Board News
District News
Kindergarten students in Paige Kazak's class at Lakeaires Elementary recently transformed into artists, as they created personalized special paintings. Strokes of red, orange and yellow filled the page, as students painted the backgrounds of their masterpieces during their watercolor lesson. The experience was recently captured in the January 5 edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. After the background was complete, the students dipped their brushes in more water and painted a turtle on the center of the page. Paper towels were used to absorb any excess water. This is an opportunity for students to embrace creativity and express their artistic talents. After their turtles were painted precisely how they wanted them, students let the paintings dry to finalize the process. 
Early childhood students also embraced creativity and learned first-hand that with their imagination and some fabric, they can make their very own hats. At Tamarack Nature Center, students participated in the clothing unit of study. On the last day of the unit, they worked with their teacher and used and learned about sewing machines to help finalize their hats. The experience was recently captured in the January 12 edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. While some students were busy sewing together their newest clothing item, White Bear Lake Area Schools' mathletes recently had success, as the Central Orange Team, placed first out of 16 teams in the Burbs Division with an overall score of 522. Sunrise Orange, Sunrise Park Middle School's team, came in second in the division with a score of 312. In the Burbs Division, five students from Central Middle School placed among the top ten individually.
Students recently admired the precision of the new CNC router, made possible through a STEM grant, in Phil Sundblad's Manufacturing Education class at Sunrise Park Middle School. The router will give sixth, seventh and eighth graders a first-hand experience with manufacturing and industry principles that are currently being used. The class watched the router carve White Bear Lake Area Schools' logo into a piece of wood. The experience was recently captured in the January 5 edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. After learning more about the CNC router, wood shavings were flying around as students continued working on their Animal Bank Projects. Students were sanding down and cutting pieces to ensure their project turned out just the way they wanted. Other students throughout the district were also taking the initiative to make sure one of their service projects was a success. 
It was all about giving back for Transition Education Center students who hosted a book drive with the help of the WBLAHS - North Campus AVID Program. WBLAHS - North Campus collected twelve boxes of new or gently used books. Transition Education Center, Central Middle School, Hugo Elementary, and Otter Lake Elementary students, staff and families donated a total of six boxes of new or gently used books. All of the books were delivered to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital Child and Adolescent Behavioral/Mental Health Units. Carla Olson from the University of Minnesota Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Department was pleasantly surprised and very thankful for the generous donation. This was a great way for students to spread the opportunity to enhance literacy and a love for reading to others.
The lunch hour was filled with a lot more than food recently at WBLAHS - North Campus. Ninth and tenth grade students participated in the Lunch and Learn Series. This is an opportunity for students who are interested in manufacturing, construction, healthcare or information technology to gather with like-minded peers and industry experts to learn more about career fields they are interested in. Students who are a part of the Information Technology Career Pathway recently met with guests from RedTeam Security, while students interested in healthcare were able to converse with a professional from HealthPartners. The experience was recently captured in the January 12 edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. Other high school students learned through hands-on opportunities with cooking in the classroom.
Some high school students might as well have been saying "bon appétit" in their Senior Foods class. At WBLAHS - South Campus, seniors were busy cooking cheese stuffed shells. They chopped onions, boiled water and heated up their sauce to create the perfect blend. The experience was recently captured in the January 5 edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. They prepared the meal, and then were able to taste test their delicious pasta platters afterwards. Throughout these cooking lessons, students are reminded of the importance of practicing the three Cs, which are collaborating, communicating and critically thinking. The learning and fun continued, as staff members and students recently celebrated the largest cohort of White Bear Lake Google Certified Educators to date. Bear made special visits throughout the district to congratulate educators on their prestigious achievements. For a full list of recent Google Certified Educators, check out the December 31 edition of the e-newsletter. Congratulations!
Students at Lincoln Elementary recently had visitors in their classrooms. Educators from Minot, North Dakota observed the Explorations classes and took some time to talk with teachers to understand more about White Bear Lake Area Schools' offerings and opportunities. The leaders connected and chatted with students while asking them questions about their work. The visitors were learning more about the Explorations program because they are looking to create an opportunity for their gifted students and wanted to understand White Bear Lake Area Schools' approach better. In total, the educators visited four gifted programs throughout the Twin Cities area before driving more than 500 miles back to Minot. The educators from Minot were not the only visitors who enjoyed time throughout the district in elementary buildings this week. 
Elementary students may have noticed a few extra visitors in the buildings during Welcome to White Bear Week. Families were invited to tour elementary schools to learn more about White Bear Lake Area Schools. The experience was recently captured in the January 12 edition of The Week in 62.4 Seconds video. While some families toured elementary schools, other students and staff members gathered in the gymnasium at Willow Lane Elementary to show gratitude to Patty Erickson, parent leader and staff member, at their monthly Youth Summit. With their theme this month being gratitude, they took time to thank Patty, whose effort and time was pivotal in getting the school a new playground. Last month, the theme was service, which Patty exemplified in her actions. This was the school's way of honoring Patty and doing their part in expressing gratitude. 
| Date |
Type | Time |
Location |
| January 22 |
Work-Study |
5:30 p.m. |
District Center |
| February 12 |
Regular |
7 p.m. | District Center |
| February 26 |
Work-Study |
5:30 p.m. |
District Center |
District News
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