Community e-Newsletter

April 21, 2024

In Photos: Impressive Bears

Student News

Innovation and Collaboration

Matoska International students were hard at work last week piecing together a school-wide project. With help from professional artists at Artlet 26 studio, students spent three days designing and constructing mural panels which will be displayed around the building. Each panel depicts one of the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) themes. Watch the artwork come to life in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

High Schoolers in the Outdoor Education and Recreation class are building custom fishing rods from scratch. Last week, students prepared and marked where the guides will go along the spine. They also installed the tip top ring to their rods. These features on the rod hold the fishing line in place. Get a closer look at the project in this video.

Something is beginning to bloom inside a science classroom at Area Learning Center. Students are monitoring their vertical garden! They constructed and installed the setup using recycled water bottles. Students planted lettuce seeds and are actively watering and waiting for the plants to sprout out of the soil. Their hands-on activity was highlighted in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". Meanwhile, students from WBLAHS and the ALC were recently featured in the White Bear Press for their participation in the YMCA Model United Nations program.

Willow Lane Elementary students were visited by a special guest last week. University of Minnesota Gopher Men's Basketball player Parker Fox stopped by during their Student Summit. With the theme this month being perseverance, Parker shared his story with students about overcoming a devastating leg injury that took a year to recover from. When he finally did, the same injury happened to the other leg leaving him sidelined for a second year. Parker also signed autographs and helped lead several inspiring chants with students and staff.

Exploring Interests

High school students in the Biomedical Engineering class were invited by WBLAHS graduate, Sydney Beck (now a Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Minnesota) to attend a STEM Outreach Event sponsored by Medtronic. The class heard from U of M undergraduate and graduate students about their journey in engineering, internships and work experience thus far. Medtronic employees guided students through a hands-on activity in Materials Identification within the Medtronic Failure Analysis Lab. WBLAHS students left with a first-hand look into a leading global medical device company and with a glimpse into a career in the biomedical, chemical & material sciences industries.

In Visual Media Art and Design, Sunrise Park Middle School students are learning about visual identity and graphic design. For this assignment , which was captured in this video, students created designs for Mariner Middle School. They researched the mission statement of White Bear Lake Area Schools and the historic Mariner High School. Then, students learned how symbolism and graphic design show up in posters and graphic t-shirts. Last week, they finalized their designs, so when future students walk through Mariner Middle School they can see things made for kids, by kids. Students, staff and community members are also invited to celebrate the history of Sunrise Park Middle School during a Sunrise Sunset event. It’s taking place from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at Sunrise Park Middle School. Find additional information here.

The list of middle school successes continues. The Middle School Musical production of Disney's “Descendants: The Musical" debuts this week, with performances taking place at the District Center Community Auditorium April 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. and April 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale here. Also, the White Bear Press featured a fun Mariner connection between current Sunrise student Kai Combs, who will be an eighth grader at Mariner Middle School (at the current South Campus) in the fall, and his grandfather Rick Olseen, who was at that building in the first graduating class of Mariner High School in '74.

middle school musical flyer and screenshot of article

Lakeaires Elementary students are learning a new skill! The Yarnbee ladies have volunteered their time to teach a small group of students how to crochet. The students are enjoying their lessons and getting to be creative. The group is working on making a bag and some students even crocheted outside! Other students took part in a different craft. They learned about woodland creatures and made little 3D foxes.

Speaking of exciting yarn projects, Vadnais Heights Elementary third graders channeled their inner artist last week. Students learned about looms and the art of weaving. They constructed their own looms out of cardboard and painted them using different color schemes. Students then applied the techniques they learned to create funky fiber weavings. Check out their creations in this video.

The district’s youngest Bears and their families in Normandy Park’s Early Childhood Family Education classes (ECFE), welcomed in the warmer weather earlier this month. During their Spring Fling event, students enjoyed various activities with their families, arts and craft projects, and explored sensory materials while playing and learning together. These exciting activities were captured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

Impressive Accomplishments

Eight Otter Lake Elementary students participated in the Math Masters of Minnesota Challenge earlier this month. The problem-solving competition included both individual and team components. This year’s event included 94 student participants with 24 teams competing. Three Otter Lake students placed in the individual fact-drill portion of the competition: Carter Nelson - third place, Liam Walsh - sixth place, and Caleb Buege - eighth place. Winter Wells, Nina Rundquist, Noah Whipple-Eastman, and Carter Nelson placed tenth in the team event. Dagny Masterton, Liam Walsh, Caleb Buege, and Walter Johnstone were on the 11th place team.

The WBLAHS Robotics team competed in the MN 10,000 Lakes First Robotics Regional Competition. The biggest highlight of the event came on the first night after the Bright Bears won their first three matches and were ranked first overall. Following three days of competitive matches, the Bears finished with a rank of 17. The team also qualified to participate in playoff alliances where they joined other teams to compete in a group bracket. Bright Bears closed out regionals by winning the Autonomous Award, given to the team that has the best autonomous programming. Find additional details about the competition here. In other robotics news, the community is invited to a season celebration and open house event. Join members of the Robotics team and learn more about the program on Saturday, May 4 at 12:30 p.m. at WBLAHS - South Campus. See two Dynamic Robots built by the high school and middle school students, and meet and visit with mentors, coaches, team members and parents. Find more details here.

The Boys Track and Field team took first place at their most recent home meet. The Bears hosted ten Suburban East Conference schools during the outdoor competition held at the WBLAHS Stadium. Some notable highlights include: Caleb Anderson winning both the 100 dash and 200 dash, Keith Johnson placing second in the 200 and Matt Hunter who also placed second in the discu. Find additional details from the White Bear Press. The Girls' Track and Field team also hosted a home meet placing third out of eight teams. The 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams took first place. Read more team highlights from the White Bear Press.

WBLAHS students and brothers Dov and Galvin Nathanson recently attended NASA's space camp in Alabama. They were two of 12 participants selected from a highly competitive nationwide pool of high schoolers. At the conclusion of the camp, Dov was awarded the Right Stuff medal, the only award handed out during the experience.

Last week's double rainbow made an appearance and provided a terrific backdrop for a Boys' Lacrosse scrimmage at the WBLAHS Stadium. In other lacrosse news, the WBLAHS Girls' Lacrosse team won their season opener against Hill-Murray 14-3. Find additional details here. Plus, WBLAHS hosted a East-West Lacrosse competition last weekend which was highlighted by KSTP-TV.

Congratulations to the six educators from across the district who were recently announced as White Bear Lake Area Educators Teacher of the Year finalists: Hannah Allen, Paige Kazak, Katie Solem, Michele Norcross, Ashley Peterson and Melissa Wickert. The six were chosen from the list of 2024 class of WBLAE Teacher of the Year nominees who submitted written responses to a series of questions regarding teaching and learning as well as their personal educational philosophies for consideration by a panel of readers. They will interview with members of the community, administration and their fellow teachers before a White Bear Lake Area Educators Teacher of the Year is named later this spring.

The White Bear Lake Area High School Speech Team had great success at the MSHSL State Tournament this weekend. Junior Praise Oyekunle finished 8th place in the state in Poetry and senior Sanyu Mwass was the Champion of Drama. For the second year in a row, senior Mariam Elias Danjuma was the Champion of Prose.

Math and Science Lessons

Willow Lane Elementary second graders discovered healthy habits with Nutritionist Jackie Mart. She read students the book, "What's So Yummy? All about Eating Well and Feeling Good" by Robie H. Harris. Students were also introduced to fun exercises, drew foods they love to eat and activities they enjoy taking part in, and worked together to make yummy snacks through a recipe they can also try at home with their families! This visit stems from a classroom lesson about the human body. Meanwhile a group of Lakeaires Elementary Extended students explored a biology lesson and learned about their brains and what part helps them with what function. They made brain hats and wore them proudly.

Oneka Elementary first graders enjoyed a math lesson together as one grade-level. Students learned about probability and estimation as the tried to guess if there were a greater or lesser number of objects in three different jars. The first graders also broke into groups to play a game focused on adding up different coin values.

Speaking of coins, Sunrise Park Student Council led a Coin Drive competition to raise money for the White Bear Lake Food shelf. Over $700 was raised with sixth grade bringing in the most money! Advisories also held a competition. Mr. Gednalske's advisory won bringing in $113.70 earning an ice cream party!

Activities Updates

The Boys Tennis Team defeated Park in a recent match up. Find additional details here. The Girls Lacrosse Team won their season opener against Hill-Murray. Read more here. The Boys Track and Field Team took first place at a ten team home meet. Find highlights in the White Bear Press. Meanwhile, the Girls' Track and Field Team had two relays place first at their home meet. Read more here. Eight Otter Lake Elementary students placed in the top 12 at the Math Masters of Minnesota Challenge. The WBLAHS Robotics Team wrapped up a regional competition with a rank of 17 earning them a spot in in playoff alliances.

Senior community members (age 65+) who live in the District are invited to participate in the Senior Activities Pass program and enjoy complimentary admission to most school activities. Find out how to receive your free pass here.

Please contact the Communications Department (651-407-7695) to submit Student News for inclusion in future publications.

The Week in 62.4 Seconds

Enjoy The Week in 62.4 Seconds videos highlighting weekly district activities throughout the school year.

School Board News

School Board Student Recognition

During the April 8 School Board regular meeting, School Board members celebrated students who have represented the district in various activities, including: Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ Hockey, Boys’ Swim and Dive, Wrestling, and high school and middle school Knowledge Bowl. Watch the video here.

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Past Meeting Highlights

Apr. 8 Regular Session

Mar. 25 Work Session

Mar. 4 Regular Session

District News

General Information

Family Notices

Middle School Musical - This year’s Middle School Musical, Disney's “Descendants: The Musical”, will be performed at 7 p.m. on April 25 and 26 and at 2 p.m. on April 27 at the District Center Community Auditorium. Purchase tickets here.
Robotics Team Celebration and Public Open House - Attend an event on Saturday, May 4 from 12:30-2 p.m. at WBLAHS - South Campus. Learn about the team, see two Dynamic Robots built by the HS and MS students, and meet and visit with mentors, coaches, team members and parents. Find additional information here.
WBLAS 2023 Graduation Rate - The district’s most recent four-year graduation rate, released by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), shows White Bear Lake Area Schools topping the state’s graduation rate by 5.7 percentage points, with 89.0% of 2023 seniors earning their diploma within four years. Read the full press release here.
Golf Tournament - The 24th Annual White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 17th at Oak Glen Golf Course in Stillwater. Find registration information and more here.
Enrollment Info - As middle school and high school students are deciding on their classes for next year and have been attending Welcome to White Bear registration activities, incoming kindergarten students are getting signed up for their K-12 career as Bears... including the excitement of knowing they'll receive an "I'm a Bear" t-shirt in the mail after they're officially enrolled! Find enrollment information here.
Bear Care Clinic - Bear Care School-Based Health Center has extended their hours! Find information about the Bear Care Health and Wellness Clinic, located at WBLAHS - North Campus but available to all district families, here. Bear Care now also offers Nutrition Counseling. See a flyer for this new service here. See a new Bear Care flyer here.
Community Services & Recreation Winter/Spring Catalog - Registration is open for a variety of different winter/spring activities and programs through White Bear Lake Area Schools Community Services & Recreation. Find more details here.
Calendars approved - At the November 13, 2023 School Board Regular Meeting, the School Board approved the following calendars.
- 2024-25 Academic Calendar
- 2025-26 Academic Calendar
Asynchronous E-Learning - Find information about the Communication and Student Responsibilities that would take place in the situation that an Asynchronous E-Learning day must happen at the bottom of the Emergency School Closings page of the district website.
DHS Announcement: Re-Enrolling in Health Care Coverage - The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare (Medicaid eligibility) renewals, which were paused post-pandemic, are now restarting the final timeline for annual renewals in public health care programs. View the full timeline. Please visit DHS's Renew My Coverage communications toolkit for resources in multiple languages.
SchoolCafé Automatic Payments - With school meals free to students this year, automatic payments through SchoolCafé have been removed in order to avoid unwanted charges from those families that used the automatic service in the past. If a family would like to set up automatic payments for extra entrees or ala carte purchases, they will need to log into School Café and re-set up that information. Instructions to do so can be found here. Those who have questions may contact the Nutrition Services Office at nutritionservices@isd624.org or 651-407-7515.
2023-24 Annual Notifications - Click here to find a variety of annual notifications, including notices related to: pest management pesticides, asbestos, indoor air quality and lead-in-water.
Bears Boards and More - Bears Boards and More is a student operated school-based business selling customized cutting boards and tumblers housed at the district's Transition Education Center. Find examples of student work here. Information on how to order can be found here.
Application for Educational Benefits - Our school offers healthy meals each day. We are a part of Minnesota’s Free School Meals Program, which means that all students can get one breakfast and one lunch free of charge each day at school. Although no application is required to receive this free meal benefit, filling out the Application for Educational Benefits is still important because children may qualify for other benefits such as reduced sports/activity fees, reduced internet access and utility bills, reduced AP test registration and college application fees, reduced drivers training and more! Complete the Application for Educational Benefits online at www.schoolcafe.com/isd624. Paper applications can be requested by contacting Nutrition Services at 651-407-7515.
Receiving district messages - District-level emails are being sent from the communications@isd624.org email address. If you are not receiving emails from this account, it is possible that the email address is currently blocked in your email account. Find instructions to unblock the communications@isd624.org email address in different email platforms here.
Requesting an interpreter - Find more information about requesting a call with an interpreter in the language your family speaks.
We Are Hiring! - White Bear Lake Area Schools is hiring for a variety of positions, offering both school-day and out-of-school-time hours. Full- and part-time options are available, and many positions offer flexible hours if needed to accommodate family schedules. The district is seeking paraprofessionals, community services and recreation staff and coaches, and more. Find the online application page here.
Stay connected! - Join White Bear Lake Area Schools' social media circles - Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
School Linked Mental Health Services - Find information about School Linked Mental Health Services available to our families here.
Support Hub - The District's Support Hub provides families with resources to address barriers & enhance well-being. This comprehensive resource gives families and community members access to information for essential services including crisis response, basic needs, mental health and wellbeing, physical health, social emotional learning and more.
Calling all baby models - We're looking for "Born to be a Bear" photos! Email photos to us here and you may find your little one featured in District publications!
Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan - The health and safety of our school community is a top priority. White Bear Lake Area Schools will continue to partner with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for guidance and planning regarding COVID-19. To maintain a healthy and safe environment for all, the following protocols will be implemented for the 22/23 school year: The details of our plan can be found at isd624.org/programs/health-services. As required by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, school districts who received funds as part of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds must maintain a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services plan through the 2023-24 school year. Every six months, the district must review and revise as necessary. If you have any questions or comments that you’d like to share, please do so through this form.

Awards and Honors

Recognitions - The following celebrations and holidays are ongoing/upcoming in April:

April - National Poetry Month and Math and Statistics Awareness Month
April 9-10 - Eid Al-fitr
April 22-26 - National Library Week, Assistant Principals Week, Public School Volunteer Week, Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week and Administrative Professionals Week
April 25 - National Library Workers' Day
April 26 - Administrative Professionals Day

Please contact the Communications Department (651-407-7578) to submit District News, General Information, Opportunities or Awards & Honors for inclusion in future publications.

Community Services

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.

Seasonal Catalogs - Seasonal catalogs are available now! The Community Services Winter/Spring Catalog, with multiple opportunities for community members of all ages, can be found here.
Digital Backpack - The Community Services Department distributes electronic flyers on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Flyers include announcements from the school district, as well as local organizations. Those who wish to request distribution of a flyer should email the files to Director Tim Maurer at tim.maurer@isd624.org.
Senior Program
- Check out the latest edition of The Voice.
- Resources Guides - View our updated Resource Guides: Senior Services and senior housing; The Directory.
- Community Bridge - Check out opportunities here. The Community Bridge Consortium is an adults with cognitive disabilities program supported by the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale, South Washington County, Roseville, White Bear and Mahtomedi School Districts.

Senior Program Updates

The White Bear Area Senior Center is a program of the White Bear Lake Area Schools Community Services & Recreation Department.

The Voice - Stay informed about the latest community offerings for seniors in the community through The Voice.
Resources Guides - View our updated Resource Guides: Senior Services and senior housing; The Directory.
FREE Activity Pass for Senior Community Members (age 65+) - White Bear Lake Area Schools offer a variety of activities - home athletic contests, concerts, and theater productions to name a few. Join us! Please fill out this application and you will be sent the pass in the US Mail. If you have questions, please contact Rachael Markuson at 651-407-7563 or rachael.markuson@isd624.org.
Be a Bear! The district currently has many staff openings available! Find the online application page here.

Support WBLAS Students

WBLAHS Performing Arts Center Piano Dedication Donation Fund - The WBLAS District and WBL Music Boosters are collaborating to purchase a state of the art piano for the new Performing Arts Center! We need YOU to help make this a reality for our community. Please consider giving back to our music program by donating to this amazing opportunity. Our total need is for 200 donations of $150 ($30,000) to reach our goal. Donors will be recognized for their financial support. Donate here.
Middle School Musical - This year’s Middle School Musical, Disney's “Descendants: The Musical”, will be performed at 7 p.m. on April 25 and 26 and at 2 p.m. on April 27 at the District Center Community Auditorium. Purchase tickets here.
Three Youth Exchange Host Families Needed (3 Months each) - 2024-2025 School Year - The WBL Rotary Club Youth Exchange team is sponsoring a 16 y/o female student from Spain and needs three families to host for 3 ½ months each. Hosting is a great experience for the entire family. Host Families provide: A bedroom, study space, a supportive family experience. Benefits of hosting: Families gain an international perspective and develop a lifelong international friendship. If you are interested in hosting, please contact Rotarian Tim Wald at 651-238-2484.
Bears Boards and More - Bears Boards and More is a student operated school-based business selling customized cutting boards and tumblers housed at the district's Transition Education Center. Find examples of student work here. Information on how to order can be found here.
The White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation (WBLAEF) is an independent, non-profit corporation promoting excellence in education in White Bear Lake Area School District 624 schools.
- We are in need of volunteers to assist at The Closet. If you are a parent that has a flexible schedule and would like to help our district families in need, please contact info@wblaef.org. More information about The Closet can be found HERE.
Be a Bear! - White Bear Lake Area Schools is hiring for a variety of positions, offering both school-day and out-of-school-time hours. Full- and part-time options are available, and many positions offer flexible hours if needed to accommodate family schedules. The district is seeking paraprofessionals, community services and recreation staff and coaches, and more. Find the online application page here.