Community e-Newsletter

Capital Projects Levy Renewal on the Nov. 8 ballot

AVote” postcard was recently mailed to all district families.

An electronic version is available here and on the district’s website.

First page of the PDF file: 2022VotePostcard

Complete information about the district's Capital Projects Levy Renewal question that is on the Nov. 8 election ballot can be found at isd624.org/CapitalProjectsLevyRenewal.

You can also learn more about the Capital Projects Levy Renewal request in the publications below.

First page of the PDF file: 2022_10Facts
First page of the PDF file: 2023CapitalProjectsReviewandComment
First page of the PDF file: 5_BearsBulletinFall2022
First page of the PDF file: 2022CPLtaximpact
First page of the PDF file: LevyAuthorityComparison
First page of the PDF file: 2022TaxpayerNotice
First page of the PDF file: 2022VotePostcard

In Photos: Working Hard and Having Fun!

Student News

Bears in Motion

A group of WBLAHS football players recently instigated a visit to Willow Lane Elementary, where they had gone to elementary school, reading to the students before playing with them on the same field they had played in as kids. The elementary students, who often make up their own rules and penalties while playing football at recess, were in awe of the teenagers and learned a little about  real football. The guests included everyone, racing the girls and throwing the football around. They swung with kids and just played. One of the Willow students told their classmate that “it was the best day of his life.”

The White Bear Lake Area High School Theatre Department is preparing to welcome you to Chicago in the 1920’s... and all that jazz! High school students are rehearsing their fall musical “Chicago” which is based-off real life events. Show dates are November 12th, 13th, 17th, 18th and 19th at the North Campus Theatre. Tickets and show times can be found here. Get a sneak peak at their rehearsals in this video

Three members of the WBLAHS Girls' Cross Country team and four members of the Boys' Cross Country team will take part in the State tournament. On top of qualifying for State, Luke Williams was also the Section 4AAA champion. Find highlights from the White Bear Press about the boys' team here and the girls' team here

The White Bear Press recently highlighted the district's Mountain Bike Team, which ended its tenth season with a final event at Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Chisholm. The team battled through weathering low temps, snow, sleet and mud.

North Star Elementary Extended Day students have been loving their new school! They spend their afternoons playing at the playground, in the cafe with lots of toys and board games, putting on plays in the learning commons, and doing fun activities in the makerspace!

We collected footage of our middle school students this week that we can use for our upcoming Registration Guide, which will be available in January. We’re excited to welcome our incoming sixth graders and to welcome back our seventh and eighth graders.

WBLAHS - North Campus students took park in a mock election this week. As future voters, students learned what it means to vote, the election process and what is included on a ballot. Ninth and tenth graders were able to choose to participate in the "North Votes" election which happens every two years. 

Fall Themed Activities

Otter Lake Elementary Extended Day students and families had a very fun October Festival parent night. Families enjoyed baked pretzels, root beer, the pumpkin dice game, and the pumpkin toss. It was a well attended event and fun was had by all!

Leaves and twigs and surprise spiders, oh my! Lincoln Elementary Extended Day students enjoyed collecting foliage outside and using their finds to create fall-tastic masterpieces! One student even had a friendly spider pop out of their artwork as they were creating it!

Lakeaires Elementary Extended Day students had a great time making their own binoculars. They learned what binoculars are and how they can use them to see things that are far away such as a variety of wildlife. Students also used recyclables to make their binoculars.

North Star Elementary kindergartners celebrated autumn with pumpkin exploration activities in their makerspace room last week. Students and staff measured different sized pumpkins, compared pumpkins to gourds and created art with apple slices!

Collaborating Together

Students and staff at Otter Lake Elementary gathered for their first multi-grade level team meeting. This initiative is part of Otter Lake's school-wide involvement and community plan and it was featured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". During the school year, students and staff will split up into their designated groups to engage in a variety of activities that build relationships and collaboration. Some team names include team gopher, team black bear and team monarch. 

Join Superintendent Kazmierczak for the first Coffee with Dr. K event of the 2022-23 school year. Find us in the meeting room of the downtown White Bear Lake Caribou Coffee the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 16. We’ll enjoy an informal conversation from 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Student Ambassadors at WBLAHS - North Campus used their Bear Time activity period to give back to others. Some students made Halloween themed cards for nursing home residents while others made superhero cape costumes for elementary students. See their creations come to life in this video.

The American Indian Education Program kicked off Native American Heritage month with a Drum and Dance event at Willow Lane Elementary last week. The event featured the Spirit Boy Drum/Dance Troupe and was Emceed Jerry Dearly. Find more information about the AIEP here.

North Star Elementary Spanish teacher Brita Larson shared a fun and surprising photo op with one of her students. They both showed up to school wearing the same t-shirt with an orange heart that has the word "familia" on it. The two discovered they had the same shirt last year and both finally wore the shirt on the same day. 

Students at Lakeaires Elementary designed their own houses using different size cardboard boxes. The supplies were donated to the school. The students used a variety of creative touches on their projects, with some students using matchboxes for fridges and beds while others made additional creations like a bus!

In The Spotlight

During a weekly staff meeting, Matoska International IB World School Principal John Leininger was surprised to learn he received an award from the Minnesota Association of IB Schools. After being nominated last spring, Mr. Leininger was selected as the recipient of the 2022 MNIB Leadership Award. The fun and emotional surprise was captured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

The Bears Varsity Competition Cheerleading team is heading to Nationals after receiving a bid during the Universal Cheerleaders Association 10,000 Lakes Regional Competition. 47 teams took part in the tournament which was held at Minnetonka High School. The Bears competed in the Small Varsity Non-Tumbling and Small Varsity Non-Tumbling Game Day divisions. They will now compete at the National High School Cheerleading Competition in Orlando, FL in February. 

The White Bear Lake Area Schools Orchestra Program was recently named the winner of the 2022 Meritorious Orchestra Program Award from the Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Association (MNSOTA). This award is presented to one program per year, with past recipients ranging from elementary to post secondary programs throughout the state. Members of the WBLAS Orchestra staff were presented with the award at the MNSOTA Fall Clinic in October.

Three White Bear Lake Area Schools staff members were awarded the Ryan Art Grant from the White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation. Projects from North Star, Lakeaires, and Matoska Elementaries were funded. Read more about each recipient here

Two former grads are now members of the White Bear Lake Athletic Hall of Fame. The White Bear Press highlighted the induction ceremony for Colleen Kaiminaauao, White Bear Lake Class of 1999, and Tony Zajac, White Bear Mariner Class of 1983. Kaiminaauao led the Bears volleyball team to a third-place finish in the state tournament while Zajac was a center on Mariner’s state runner-up hockey team in 1982.

The White Bear Lake Lion's Club has chosen the winners of their annual Peace Poster Contest. Congratulations to seventh grade students Eleanor Cannon (photo on the left) who was awarded first place, and Brigid McVeigh (photo on the right) who was awarded second place. The theme of this year's contest was "Lead with Compassion". 

Team Work

Central Middle School math students demonstrated their Dino Drop projects last week. Students were simulating a bungee jump for a toy dinosaur using rubber bands. They conducted trial jumps to determine how many rubber bands would be needed for the dinosaur to successfully bungee jump off of the Commons balcony. The Dino Drop experiment was aiming to show a linear relationship, so students used their math skills of line of best fit, slope, and y-intercept to help them predict their final jump. 

At Sunrise Park Middle School, students participated in hands-on activities with visiting local automotive industry partners and with the Minnesota Transportation Center of Excellence’s educational trailer. This event is a part of the Youth Service Training (YST) grant that we have received from the Department of Labor and Industry. This event was also featured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

The district’s 30-member Strategic Planning team reconvened this week to hear an update and confirm the action plans our district-wide Action Teams have developed for each of the four updated strategies, along with a Graduate Profile that has been developed by a fifth team. An update will be provided to the School Board soon. Their meeting was also highlighted in this video

 Activities Updates

The Bears' Mountain Biking Team wrapped up their tenth season. Find highlights from their muddy last meet here. Tickets are available for the 2022 Fall Musical: Chicago. Find more information here.  The Bears' Varsity Cheerleading Team is heading to Nationals after receiving a bid during a regional tournament. The Boys' Cross Country Team is sending four teammates to the State meet. Find highlights here. The Girls Cross Country Team is sending three participates to the State meet. Read their article here

Registration for Winter Sports is open on SmartSchoolK12. If you need help with registration, please email Tomilee Reinhardt in the high school Activities Office or call 651-773-6206. Your student MUST have an updated physical on file with the school district before they will be able to register for a winter sport. Click Here  for information on Winter High School Team Tryouts or Winter Team First Week of Practice, or search the High School Activities page on the District Website for the  link.

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

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Past Meeting Highlights

Oct. 24 Work Session

Oct. 10 Regular Session

Sept. 26 Work Session

three adults taking oath of office

At the January 13, 2025 Regular Meeting of the School Board, the Oath of Office was administered by Superintendent Kazmierczak to newly elected School Board members Angela Thompson, Scott Arcand, and Dan Skaar.

WBLAS Academic Calendars

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

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

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.

District News

General Information