Community e-Newsletter

Meal payment system change complete

Our switch from the SmartSchoolK12 system to SchoolCafé for meal payments has been made, so SmartSchoolK12 meal account balances have been transferred directly to SchoolCafé. Students will continue to use their current pin numbers for a seamless experience. Find information sent to families re: the switch-over here.

In Photos: Embracing New Experiences

Student News

Moving and Grooving!

January has been filled with lots of time playing in all the snow at North Star Elementary! Making snow angels, snow forts, snow slides and just enjoying the beautiful winter weather has been keeping the students busy!

Thanks to a donation from Special Olympics Minnesota, students and Extended Day staff at Birch Lake Elementary have new games and activities to try out. Students have enjoyed using the kick balls, badminton set, bean bag toss and life size hungry-hungry hippos games to build team work and motor skills together. See the students in action in this recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". 

Our youngest Bears and their families in Normandy Park’s Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) classes were moving and grooving last week! Students explored sensory materials, crawled over obstacles, and wiggled through tunnels while playing and learning together. Find more information about our Early Childhood Programs on the district's website. 

Students at Lakeaires Elementary Extended Day put their building skills to work. They used marshmallows and toothpicks to make different shapes and objects. Students were excited to show off their creative sides and have fun together. Check out more of the student's creations in this video. 

Looking Ahead

We circled back to North Campus during a special event, which was featured in this video. The building’s history and future were celebrated with information boards and videos. Students, families and community members were also captured in this video enjoying a Phase 1 Open House event last week at North Campus. Visitors checked out the new spaces, including the Field House, Union and Learning Studios. Ninth and tenth graders will start the new semester in the new spaces this week, when construction crews begin renovations in the original building spaces. The White Bear Press also highlighted the new addition in a recent article.  

Oneka Elementary’s landscape is changing as construction continues on the new classroom addition. Inside the school, students completed a community project of their own and it was highlighted in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". They worked together to paint a nature scene on the temporary wall that is currently up due to the construction project. Some classrooms designed the critters and the flowers, while others used their handprints to paint grass and leaves on the tree. These projects are 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. 

students paint mural together

Eighth graders are preparing to make the transition from middle school to high school next fall. This video highlights Central Middle School counselors meeting with students to discuss enrollment, how to register for classes and what subjects students should take during their first year of high school. Registration is currently open for all middle and high school students, and enrollment is open for incoming kindergartners as well. Find more information and videos highlighting a variety of programs offered at all levels on the district's website.

8th graders preparing for high school

Congratulations to Vadnais Heights Elementary teacher Mae Haley for being listed among the 131 candidates for 2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Find complete information here. Ms. Haley was named the White Bear Lake Area Educators 2022-23 Teacher of the Year. So it's fitting to announce that nominations are now open for the 2023-24 Teacher of the Year program. The process begins with nominations from community members, parents, students and colleagues. Nominations close at 4 p.m. on February 10. Find complete information about the process here. Find the nomination form here.

Community Connections

Our district’s Senior Center was packed with hungry community members for our “Thank Goodness It’s Food” event, with soup and sandwiches provided by EAT @ Banning. The delicious event was featured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". The next TGIF event, which provides community members with meals from area restaurants for $5, will take place on February 17 when Key’s Cafe’s White Bear Chili will be served.

Students and their families enjoyed an early morning donut treat together. Grandmas Bakery provided the delicious treat to Lakeaires Elementary. Several students also collaborated together to create a themed mural in the cafeteria.

White Bear Lake Area High School grads and current students were highlighted by the White Bear Press ahead of the Hockey Day MN 2023 weekend festivities which were held at Polar Bear Park Jan. 26-29. The Bears girls' and boys' high school hockey teams competed outdoors during the event. The girls' team played Stillwater while the boys' team took on Hill Murray. Read highlights from the games here. Meanwhile, The Rink Live highlighted a family face-off. White Bear forward Zoe Timmons played against her cousin who is Stillwater's goalie. 

White Bear alum John Resler was highlighted in the White Bear Press for his participation in the first official Minnesota State High School League Boys' Hockey tournment in 1945. In the article, Resler recalls his favorite memories from the tournament and growing up playing hockey in White Bear Lake.

remembering first high school hockey tournament

Mark Your Calendar

The second Coffee with Dr. K event of the school year will take place from 12-1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8 in the Downtown White Bear Lake Caribou Coffee meeting room. We hope you join us there for an informal chat!

coffee cups on a table

The fourth annual Black History Month Showcase, sponsored by the WBLAHS Black Student Union, will take place at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15 at White Bear Lake Area High School - South Campus Auditorium. Admission is free. Find a flyer for the event here.

Black History Month Showcase

 

Extra, extra... read all about it! Lincoln Elementary is bringing the production Newsies Jr. to the Central Middle School Community Auditorium. Showtimes are February 24 & 25 at 6:30 p.m. and February 26 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here or at the door.

 Activities Updates

The Boys Swim & Dive Team defeated Cretin Derham Hall 100-80 in a recent meet. Find highlights here. The results of several other meets were featured in this article. The team also placed fifth out of 12 at the Tartan Invitational. The Bears Gymnastics Team also outscored CDH. Read their article here. The Girls Basketball Team outscored Park in a recent game. Find highlights here. The Boys Basketball Team also defeated Park during their showdown. Read their article here. The Girls Hockey Team surged to take the win against Park. Find highlights here. The Girls and Boys Hockey Teams took part in Hockey Day Minnesota 2023. Read highlights from both games here.  

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

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Past Meeting Highlights

Jan. 23 Work Session

Jan. 9 Regular Session

Dec. 12 Work Session

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WBLAS Academic Calendars
2025-26 and 2026-27 calendars approved

At the December 9, 2024 School Board Regular Meeting, the School Board approved the following calendars:
- 2025-26 Academic Calendar
- 2026-27 Academic Calendar

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.

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.

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