Community e-Newsletter

Message with Bear holding sign

In Photos: We're in this Together, Bears!

Collage of students and adults participating in activities

Student News

Exciting surprises

Students recently received a fun surprise when Oneka Elementary Principal Lori Mosser and Willow Lane Elementary Principal Chris Streiff Oji recently dressed up in an inflatable T-Rex costume and played alongside students. The principals walked around the buildings and brought cheer to those students and staff members who are making the magic happen at the Community Care - Tier 1 & Tier 2 Childcare sites. In other fun dress-up news, Out of School Time Site Supervisor Nicole Acciari recently surprised students at Willow Lane Elementary’s Community Care - Tier 1 & Tier 2 Childcare site by dressing up as the troll, Poppy, who is featured in the  recently released"Trolls World Tour" movie. 

Adult surprises students in t-rex costume

From surprises to extraordinary gifts, one Early Childhood staff member has given hand-made adaptive foot pedals for trikes to students in the district. They were recently delivered to families who were excited to test out this incredible present. Students had smiles on their faces as they rode their trikes around and had fun getting outside during this Distance Learning Period. The excitement can be seen in this video. In other wheely fun news, students at Birch Lake Elementary recently had fun pedaling away for their Wheels Day!

Student riding a trike with adult

Parading cheer

Lincoln Elementary and Lakeaires Elementary staff members recently paraded by students’ houses to wish them well and let them know how much they are missed. Bear even made a surprise appearance at both parades! KSTP also stopped by the Lincoln Elementary Teacher Parade. In other Bearified news, families have been having fun getting creative and exercising their Bear spirit by creating White Bear Window Displays throughout the area! They have been coloring Bear in all sorts of creative ways by giving them unique and Bearified outfits. They have also even included hearts and bear paws along with their window displays to spread cheer in the community during this time. Create your own "Go Bears!" Bear, or decorate the one provided here, to display in your window. Email pics of your White Bear Window display to communications@isd624.org for the chance to be included in upcoming district share-outs. Go Bears!

Student posing in front of window display

It was recently National Library Workers' Day, making it appropriate for us to share that our WBLAHS media team is working with the district's 3D printers in our makerspaces and Manufacturing Labs to build PPE out for those on the front lines. 

Student working with 3D printing

Creative projects

WBLAHS Teacher Fred Feirn and their son, Cooper, recently made a musical instrument out of random household items for their middle school science class. Fred grabbed their guitar and their neighbor, Freddie Mercury who sings in a Queen tribute band called Crown Jewels, recently joined in on the musical fun and sang along to the beat of the new creative drum set in this fun video! On a different note, Central Middle School sixth grade students recently studied Narrative art and Artist Jacob Lawrence, who is best known for The Migration Series. Lawrence's family was part of The Great Migration so this tells the story of their first-hand experience during this time. Central Art Teacher Molly Vadnais used this for inspiration for an assignment to document something sixth grade students are living through - COVID-19. Check out the students’ incredible artwork!

Picture of student's drawing

In other creative news, Lincoln Elementary Principal Dan Schmidt recently put together a fun video to show families and incoming kindergarten students what Lincoln Elementary is all about! The video has Lonnie the llama giving a tour of the great school and all it has to offer families, including how Lincoln is such a happy place to be! Check out the fun tour in this video. Other staff members have also been busy providing exciting opportunities to students! WBLAHS Teacher Derek Doescher has been working on Success Story Friday's for their students where Derek interviews various professionals about their backgrounds and stories. They recently completed Episode 4 where students could learn from Woosters Garage Owner & Operator Stephanie Lopez, who is a fifth generation automotive industry worker and has a passion for the automotive industry. From one success story to the next, staff members were recently thanked for all of their hard work during this time, in addition to being honored for National Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week and School Lunch Hero Day!

Staff members posing under a %22thank you%22 sign

Speaking of appreciation, Lakeaires Elementary families have been able to enjoy their frequent updates from Professor Ransbottom. The Professor films these fun updates to keep families connected, which includes this fun video highlighting a "Mondays with Marjorie" tradition where recently they practiced yoga!

Adults practicing yoga

Embracing innovation

Meals on Wheels volunteers are continuing their hard work in serving the community. They are having fun with loading up their meals and driving place-to-place to serve residents delicious meals! Check out this great thank you video to all of those working incredibly hard to ensure the White Bear community is fed. Students are also continuing to enjoy meals that are being served throughout the district. In other uplifting news, students at Birch Lake Elementary recently embraced the beautiful sunshine on Earth Day by collecting litter on the school grounds, eating snacks outside and singing "Happy Earth Day", to the tune of "Happy Birthday"! The celebrations continued, as Central Middle School eighth grade science students recently had fun creating these videos where they were encouraged to celebrate a day of appreciation towards the Earth in recognition of Earth Day! In other fun Central news, staff members have been honoring students and having fun with a Bears Student Recognition by celebrating weekly shout-outs to students. Recently, they focused on the importance of perseverance.

Collage of staff members

Congratulations to high school students for their recent art accomplishments as many students received awards and were highlighted in the White Bear Center for the Arts' High School Visual Arts Contest's Virtual Award Ceremony. Check out the student artwork and their recognition! The following White Bear Lake Area High School students were also getting creative and selected as winners of the White Bear Center for the Arts 2019-2020 WriteNow! High School Writing Contest:

Short Story:

  • Award of Excellence
    • Julia Thomalla - “Elevator Operator”
  • Award of Merit
    • Evelyn Hardy - “Home”


       

Persuasive Essay:

  • Award of Excellence
    • Julia Thomalla - “Putting a Period on the Tampon Tax” 
  • Award of Merit
    • Julia Juelich - “No More Participation Award” 

       

Creative Non-Fiction:

  • Honorable Mention
    • Julia Thomalla - “Testing, One, Two, Three”




       

The students will be honored on the White Bear Center for the Arts website on May 7 where the winning entries, stories and videos from the WriteNow! High School Writing Contest will be featured. In other artistic news, Middle School Superintendent's Advisory Council members have been busy getting creative and finalizing beautiful and unique pieces of artwork. Students at the Community Care - Tier 1 & Tier 2 Childcare sites also recently put their creativity to the test and crafted thoughtful bags to give out to those in the community who are receiving meals through the Meals on Wheels program! The creativity continued, as White Bear alumna Anna (Fresvik) Bailey, a reclaimed wood artist, recently graced the cover of the Duluth Trading Co. spring catalog.

Student artwork

In one last creative update, the WBLAHS - North Campus staff recently took this fun group picture to wish families a great weekend and a "happy Friday"! Go Bears!

A photo of staff members meeting virtually

Activities Update

Congratulations to WBLAHS students Josh Powell and Ninchai Nok-Chiclana for making it into the next round of the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight Triple Threat Process! Go Bears!

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

School Board News

Upcoming Meetings

In light of Governor Walz's Stay at Home Executive Orders issued on Wednesday, March 25, the White Bear Lake Area School Board will be meeting by telephone conference call or other electronic means under Minnesota Statutes 13D.021. During the time that the School Board is meeting by electronic means, those who would like to provide comments during Regular Meetings may submit their comments using the White Bear Lake Area Schools - Public Forum Comments form linked to the posted meeting agendas. Public Forum Comments will be read during the meeting. Public Forum will be open up to 30 minutes (3 minutes per speaker, 10 minutes per topic, no more than 3 speakers per topic as a general rule). Comments should be brief, and repetition of public comments already expressed at the same meeting should be avoided. Comments will be read in the order they were received.

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Past Meeting Highlights

April 20 Work-Study

April 27 Work-Study

District News

General Information