Community e-Newsletter

Employment Opportunities

Looking for a summer job opportunity within White Bear Lake Area Schools? The district has a variety of seasonal summer job opportunities available, including grounds crew positions that offer flexible day hours and the ability to work outdoors! Along with that, the district is also looking to fill other employment opportunities for the upcoming school year without our Nutrition Services department, paraprofessionals, Extended Day staff and more!

 

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In Photos: Learning Adventures

Student News

Exciting Happenings

Students at Willow Lane Elementary watched their principal Mr. Menier and PE teacher Ms. DeWitt get slimed by their fellow classmates! The exciting moment was captured in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". This was the reward after students reached their school-wide donation goal during The American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge.

Middle Schoolers who are members of the Superintendent's Middle School Advisory Committee spent part of their meeting at WBLAHS - North Campus. Students received a tour of the newly-constructed classrooms, field house and Career Pathways automotive area. 

exploring the new high school

Speaking of tours, South Campus students who will be attending Transition Education Center this fall visited their new building last week. Their tour was captured in this video. Students checked out the classrooms, met their teachers, learned about the various opportunities and visited with their future classmates. 

Lakeaires Elementary students and families danced the night away with a glow stick party during their Family Night event! Everyone enjoyed tasty snacks and drinks, dancing and taking silly pictures with a cardboard cutout of Jake from State Farm.

Central Middle School's construction project, which is scheduled to begin this summer, was recently highlighted in the White Bear Press. The project is part of the district-wide comprehensive facilities plan that was made possible through the community’s support of the 2019 bond referendum. Community members can follow along in the district’s Building Our Future Facilities Process to see all the projects happening right now, what's been completed and the projects still to come.

Important Lessons

White Bear Lake Area High School - South Campus students had an opportunity to meet with Elizabeth Bystrom, a Certified Public Accountant. Students learned about taxes and were able to ask questions ahead of tax day.

The Early Childhood Program at Normandy Park was filled with music last week during the Toddler Tunes open house event. Little Bears and their families were invited to make different instruments, dance, sing and explore sensory items. The Senior Center’s Ukulele Bears also performed several songs during the event which can be seen in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

Members of the White Bear Lake Police Department visited the Senior Center to share important information about fraud prevention. The event was highlighted in this video. Those in attendance discussed real life examples related to scams and learned tips to avoid financial fraud, web based scams and much more.

The District's partnership with the White Bear YMCA to offer water safety lessons to White Bear Lake Area Schools' elementary students was included in a KARE 11 story about water safety.  Watch the full feature here. 

Community Excitement

WBLAHS student artwork will be amongst the pieces on display at the White Bear Center for the Arts' High School Visual Arts Exhibition. The exhibit opening reception is being held at WBCA from 6:30-8:30 p.m. with an award ceremony at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 27. Learn more about the event in this White Bear Press article.

Community members are invited to join us for informal chats during the final "Coffee with Dr. K" event of the 2022-23 school year. It's happening from 4-5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2 in the meeting room of the downtown White Bear Lake Caribou Coffee. These periodic get-togethers are great opportunities to sit down and discuss important district and community-related topics. 

The White Bear Press highlighted an upcoming event providing community members the opportunity to learn about Native culture. The WBLAS American Indian Education Program invites Bears of all ages to attend on Sunday, May 6 at Sunrise Park Middle School. Find more information here.

Applauding Accomplishments

Sisters Chloe and Heidi Barber were highlighted in a recent White Bear Press write-up as they begin their final year together on the WBLAHS Softball Team. Meanwhile, Chloe's recent shutout against East Ridge, with 21 strikeouts, was highlighted by KSTP.

 

Six White Bear Lake Area Educators Teacher of the Year finalists have been named. They include: Kelly Humphrey (Lakeaires), Mark Domschot (North Campus), Brooke Reeves (Lincoln), Carrie Reisdorfer (Central), Megan Church (Willow Lane) and Kyle Lewis (Otter Lake). Finalist interviews will take place in late-April, with the winner being announced at the Teacher of the Year Extravaganza on May 3.

North Star Elementary recently received an Educational Facilities Design Award, being named an Outstanding Project in the Spring 2023 issue of "Learning By Design" magazine. Read the full article here.

Central Middle School recently won a prize for being the school with the highest percentage of participating students in the Minnesota Department of Health's "Escape the Vape" contest. Learn more about MDH's contest here.

Hands-on Learning

Eighth graders at Sunrise Park Middle School participated in robot races in their Automation and Robotics class. In groups, students designed, assembled and programmed their robots using basic coding. Students then put their robots to the test during a skills tournament which was highlighted in this video.

The recent rainy weather didn’t stop preschoolers at Tamarack Nature Center from learning outside with their classmates and teachers. Students were seen in this video exploring the garden and creating their own garden maps, practicing with letters through Handwriting Without Tears, splashing in puddles, playing in the mud and so much more!

Second graders in Ms. Gerten’s class at Vadnais Heights Elementary practiced their math skills, which was featured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". One of the addition and subtraction lessons was taught by their student teacher from the University of Minnesota who visits their classroom everyday.

Birch Lake Extended Day students had fun creating blow paint creatures! Each student picked what colors they wanted to use and quickly got to work forming their masterpiece.

 

Mark Your Calendar

The White Bear Lake Early Childhood PTA is hosting an Ice Cream in at the Park event. All families are invited to join from 5-6:30 p.m. at Podvin Park on Thursday, May 11. Find additional details here.

WBL Early Childhood PTA Ice Cream Event

 

Do you have items you would like to sell? Bring them to the White Bear Lake Senior Center during the Parking Lot Sale. It's taking place from 9 a.m.  - 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. Find details on how to register to sell during the event here.

WBL Senior Center Parking Lot Sale

 Activities Updates

The Girls Track and Field Team placed fifth out of eight conference teams during a recent meet at Roseville. The Boys Track and Field Team hosted an indoor invitational meet in the newly-constructed White Bear Lake Area High School Field House. The team placed second out of ten Suburban East Conference teams. Find highlights here. The Boys Lacrosse Team defeated Cretin-Derham Hall in their season opener. Read their article here. The Girls Lacrosse Team also gained a win in their match-up against CDH. Find highlights here. The Bears Baseball Team beat Irondale 8-3 in a recent game. Read their article here. The Bears Softball Team shut out Roseville 12-0. Find highlights here. The Boys Tennis Team won two of three recent matches to open their season. 

This year White Bear Lake Area High School, along with every school in the Suburban East Conference (SEC) is going to online-only ticket sales for all varsity sporting events. All conference schools have partnered with Hometown Ticketing to make it easier for spectators. The easiest way to access our online tickets is by downloading the Hometown Ticketing App or you can access and purchase tickets to our home events by clicking here. An alternate way to view home games is by purchasing adult and/or student pass(es). 

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

School Board News

School Board Student Recognition

During the April 10 School Board regular meeting, School Board members recognized members of the Speech Team for their state and national-level accomplishments. The Basketball and Adaptive Hockey Teams were also honored for their state-level achievements. Watch the Student Recognition video here.

Upcoming School Board Meetings

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School Board Regular Meeting Subscribe to Alerts
Community Room 112, District Center
School Board Regular Meeting Subscribe to Alerts
Community Room 112, District Center
School Board Regular Meeting Subscribe to Alerts
Community Room 112, District Center

Past Meeting Highlights

Apr. 10 Regular Session

Mar. 27 Work Session

Mar. 13 Regular Session

View All News

group photo with Jim Galvin
Board approves naming of Galvin Court

Jim Galvin, long-time coach, teacher, and community member, has been honored by White Bear Lake Area Schools for his decades of service to the school community. The White Bear Lake Area School Board voted at its March 4, 2024 meeting to name the fully renovated White Bear Lake Area High School gymnasium “Galvin Court.”

White Bear Lake Area School District - ISD 624 Logo
District partners on important safety messaging

At December’s Regular School Board Meeting, representatives from the Be SMART awareness campaign and local law enforcement leaders presented information about a program developed to bring together parents and all adults concerned about kids, guns, and safety. The White Bear Lake Police Department, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and White Bear Lake Area Schools are teaming up to share an important message about proper gun storage and safety.

Calendars approved
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
Board approves “Mariner Middle School” beginning Fall 2024
Board approves “Mariner Middle School” beginning Fall 2024

At the February 13, 2023 School Board Regular Meeting, the White Bear Lake Area School Board approved a committee’s recommendation to change the name of Sunrise Park Middle School when it moves from the Sunrise Park neighborhood to the current White Bear Lake Area High School - South Campus building in the fall of 2024. The new name, Mariner Middle School, is a nod to the District’s past.

Updated Strategic Plan Approved
Updated Strategic Plan Approved

At the August 8, 2022 School Board meeting, the Board heard an update of the District's Strategic Planning process and approved four updated strategies.

District News

General Information