Community e-Newsletter

January 28, 2024

2024-25 Enrollment

As January's Welcome to White Bear Month registration and enrollment activities comes to a close, we want to thank those who joined us for the festivities. To families who haven't yet enrolled for 2024-25 - please know that enrollments are still being accepted. Those who wish to tour our schools are invited to reach out to individual schools (find contact info here) or to the district's Enrollment Office (info here). Be a Bear!

Find complete Enrollment information on the district's website here.

White Bear Lake Area Schools enrollment ad

In Photos: Busy Bears

Student News

Meaningful Interactions

Last week's Youth Night at the WBLAHS Gymnastics home meet vs. East Ridge was a success, with those age 0-14 years filling the stands and receiving free entry, goodie bags and prizes. Special treatment for the young Bears also included a group photo with the teams and a "High Five" line during the teams' march out. Donations for the Food Shelf were also collected during the spirited evening, with those over the age of 14 receiving free entry to the meet when they donated 3+ food shelf items!

High school students who are members of the Black Student Union took part in a community-wide program, honoring Martin Luther King Junior Day. The program was captured in this video. Students performed different songs, told personal stories and read poetry to a very engaged audience before participating in a panel discussion alongside Century College students.

Second graders at Lakeaires Elementary participated in a U-time activity. Students demonstrated different emotions to their classmates and learned what non-verbal communication is. Students regularly perform U-time activities to help promote teamwork while building a better community within the classroom. Watch this lesson come to life in this video.

Coaches vs Cancer, a national basketball program partnership between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, puts a full-court press on cancer by engaging coaches, players, and fans to help end cancer as we know it through fundraising and education initiatives. Our girls' basketball team has designated the following varsity game for their Coaches vs Cancer event this year:

Friday, Feb 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at South Campus (vs. Mounds View)

Pink Out! with the team to promote cancer awareness or in honor of someone battling cancer in your life. The Pink Out! Bear shirt was designed by WBLAHS student Elias Ramirez. Purchase your shirt for $16 at Hisdahl's the week before the game and Hisdahl’s will send a donation to the American Cancer Society! The boys' basketball team participated in the program during their January 24 games.

It's time once again to celebrate professional excellence as part of the White Bear Lake Area Educators’ Teacher of the Year program. The process begins with nominations from community members, families, students and colleagues. Please take the time to nominate an exceptional teacher who goes above and beyond and who makes White Bear Lake Area Schools a great place to send our students every day. Nominations are open until 4:00 p.m. on February 19th, 2024.

2024-25 Teacher of the Year nomination form screenshot

Classroom Challenges

Criminology students at WBLAHS - North Campus received hands-on learning when they were tasked with solving a murder mystery! Criminology teacher Mr. Whalen set up a crime scenario in their studio. Students collected evidence, analyzed finger prints, hair samples and fake blood while performing lab work to figure out what happened.

Fifth graders in Mr. Hjelm's class at North Star Elementary explored their curiosity of rockets last week, after one of their classmates shared her enthusiasm for the topic. Following a lesson from a rocket scientist who explained how they work, students were inspired to design their own rockets using balloons, cans, cardboard, and more! Some even made hand-held rockets that could launch small items while others chose to create rockets from kits. Students took turns setting off their projects to learn what materials worked the best. This unique lesson was highlighted in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

WBLAHS - South Campus students in Ceramics 1 finalized their pottery projects last week. Students prepared their creations to go in the kiln by hand painting or dipping them in different colors of glaze. High schoolers had creative control over what they made. Some chose to craft vases and bowls while other students made clay bird houses and castles. Get a closer look at the students' work in this video.

First graders in Ms. Gaddini’s class at Vadnais Heights Elementary are learning about igloos and the shelter they provide in colder weather climates. As part of their lesson, students collected over 160 milk jugs to build their own igloo in their classroom! The structure serves as a great place for students to read and learn together! Get a closer look at the igloo in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

Engaging Opportunities

Tenth grade language arts students are preparing for their future careers by taking part in mock interviews. The lesson was in partnership with the Career Pathways Program. Second quarter is all about "language arts in the real world". Students worked hard creating cover letters and resumes, practicing applying for jobs, improving their professional communication skills and more! This lesson was highlighted in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

Students in the Sunrise Middle School Afterschool FLEX program worked on homework, made crafts and had great conversations. This free program is designed by students, for students. It combines opportunities for homework completion, trying new activities and having fun with friends. Learn more about the opportunities the FLEX program has to offer here and along with a highlight of the afterschool program in this video.

Lincoln Elementary families came together to play candy bar Bingo during Family Fun Night. Students and families enjoyed many entertaining games of Bingo trying to line their cards up just right as Principal Morris and staff member Mrs. Butters called the numbers. Many staff and PTA members also joined in on the fun playing a few games with their students.

District staff members led White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation fundraising breakfast attendees through White Bear Lake Area High School to showcase the work being done to bring students in grades 9-12 together in one building (current North Campus) this fall. Tour groups checked out the learning studios, flexible learning spaces, student union, field house, construction happening to the new game gym, and more. See a tour handout with information about some of the WBLAHS areas here. These projects and the ones happening across the district were made possible due to the community's support to the 2019 Building Our Future Bond Referendum. Community members can follow along in the district’s Building Our Future Facilities Process to see all projects happening right now, what's been completed and the projects still to come.

White Bear Lake Area High School received a shoutout on CNN 10 last week. One of our high school students commented 104 days in a row to get the mention! CNN 10 is a daily news show designed for middle and high school aged viewers who want to learn about current events and global issues in 10 minutes or less.

We love it when our littlest Bears show off their Bear Wear! The smallest of them all is the "Born to be a Bear" onesie, shown off below by an adorable newborn Bear! As our kindergarteners enroll for school this fall, students receive an "I'm a Bear!" shirt and smaller "I'm a Bear" shirts are sent to toddlers as a reminder to families to participate in screening at age three. We are always looking for photos of our youngest community members showing off their Bear Wear. Email photos to us here and you may just find your little one featured in a District publication!

Bears of all ages came together with their skates to participate in a FREE "Skating with Bears" event at the Hippodrome earlier today.

The district's pickleball opportunities and new courts were recently highlighted in the White Bear Press "Around the Lake" section. Registration information for the Community Services & Rec "Pickleball Club" was also included in the mention. Find additional details here.

Team Accomplishments

The WBLAHS Boys Swim & Dive team placed third out of 12 teams at the Tartan Invite with several swimmers and divers placed in the top eight. They were also highlighted in the White Bear Press for their recent win over Cretin Derham-Hall. The Bears are currently 2-4 in conference play. The team will take on Roseville during their senior night and final home meet of the season. It's happening at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 1 at the White Bear YMCA. Meanwhile, a former swim team member and WBLAHS exchange student was the subject of a CBS report. Click here to watch the full story.

The Bears Wrestling team won three matches during a recent home meet before placing third at Park Center’s Pirate Classic tournament. During the matches, teammates Christian Carlson secured his 100th career win and Zach Carnes gained his 75th. The White Bear Press highlighted their accomplishments in this article. The Bears also had three entrants in the girls division. Top finishers were Janet Demanou placing first and Calli Lacktorin placing third in their respective divisions.

Central Middle School's Knowledge Bowl teams took first, 10th, and 12th place out of 28 teams at their second competition of the season. The Central teams collectively had the highest overall score, earning first place as a team. The teams now move on to the Regional competition.

The high school Adaptive Floor Hockey team's fan section has been packed throughout their season. The varsity girls’ hockey team along with two local youth hockey teams have filled the stands to support and cheer on the Bears during their most recent home games. The Bears will be back at home taking on Anoka-Hennepin at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31 at WBLAHS - North Campus. Find their full schedule here.

The WBL Speech Team had impressive results at the Stillwater/Mounds Park Academy meet on Saturday:

Freshman Ethan Kinsella placed 2nd in Consolation in Extemp Speaking
Junior Praise Oyekunle (OI-ye-KUN-le) took 1st place in Next-In Poetry.
Senior Jonathon Fitzgerald took 8th in Consolation in Extemp Speaking
Senior Mikey Zewdie took 6th in Merit in Extemp Speaking
Seniors Sanyu Mwassa and Mariam Elias-Danjuma were Champions in Duo
Senior Mariam Elias-Danjuma was the Program of Oral Interpretation Champion and took home 3rd Place in Individual Sweepstakes and the team took home a 3rd place in Small Schools Sweepstakes.

The WBLAHS girls' hockey team recently secured two shutout games. One at home against Forest Lake (5-0) and other against North/Tartan (7-0). During the Forest Lake game, Bears goalie Gabby Casa de Calvo made 23 saves. The team is currently 13-8-1 The White Bear Press highlighted the Bears' success over Forest Lake in this article and North/Tartan in this article.

Members of the WBLAHS Jazz Band entertained attendees at the 42nd Annual Jazz Night Club event, which took place with a beautiful backdrop of the WBLAHS Union space. Groups of student musicians played, along with guest artists The Star of the North Jazz Orchestra. Dinner was catered by Donatelli's and free swing dance lessons were provided by Awakened Dance. A complete performance and event calendar for the WBLAHS Band can be found here.

Alumni Highlights

White Bear grad Heidi Dierssen, who is the project manager leading a team of 100 people for SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 launch scheduled for Feb. 6, was recently highlighted in the White Bear Press. "This is NASA Earth observation satellite mission," Dierssen told the White Bear Press. “So we're trying to understand the biology with the optical signature that comes out of the ocean." Dierssen graduated from White Bear Lake High School in 1985 and was class Valedictorian.

Former WBLAHS Boys' Hockey Captain Joe Belisle was recently highlighted in "Center Ice View" after committing to play for St. Cloud State. Belisle will play alongside former teammates Aiden Welch and Nolan Roed. He is currently playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede. During his time as a Bear, Belisle had 15 goals and 49 points in 26 games over two varsity seasons.

White Bear grad Dan Jones was recently highlighted in a White Bear Press article that shares he's moving on from public service after 16 years on the White Bear Lake City Council, one of his many ties to service and the community. Also included in the article are mentions of his 15 years with Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO), work with the Governor's Fishing Opener in 2009, and his 2019 sketch that became the creative design used on the water tower at the intersection of Highway 96 and Interstate 35E.

WBLAHS grad Neveah Hughes was highlighted in the Brainerd Dispatch for earning the MCAC North Division Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week honor. Hughes is a sophomore at Central Lakes College. She recently helped the Raiders’ secure two MCAC Northern Division game wins.

Activities Updates

The Boys Swim & Dive Team is 2-4 in conference play after a recent win over CDH. Find additional details here. The Bears Gymnastics Team defeated Mounds View/Irondale in a dual meet before placing fifth out of 13 team in the Below Zero Invitational. The Boys Basketball Team won 63-58 over Stillwater. The Girls Basketball Team also picked up a win over Roseville. The Girls Hockey Team recently shutout North/Tartan 7-0. Find additional information here. The Boys Hockey Team snuck by Hermantown 3-2 in a recent matchup. Read the full article here. The Bears Wrestling Team had a great showing at Park Center’s Pirate Classic tournament. Read more about their accomplishments in this article. The Bears Speech Team saw several members finish in the top 8 during the Stillwater/Mounds Park Academy meet. Central Middle School Knowledge Bowl teams took first, 10th, and 12th place out of 28 teams at a recent competition. The Adapted Hockey Team is hosting a home meet at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31 at WBLAHS - North Campus.

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 January 8 School Board regular meeting, School Board members recognized students for state-level achievements. Watch the Student Recognition video here.

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Past Meeting Highlights

Jan. 22 Work Session

Jan. 8 Regular Session

Dec. 11 Regular Session

District News

General Information

Family Notices

WBLAE Teacher of the Year nominations open - It's time once again to celebrate professional excellence as part of the White Bear Lake Area Educators’ Teacher of the Year program. The process begins with nominations from community members, families, students and colleagues. Please take the time to nominate an exceptional teacher who goes above and beyond and who makes White Bear Lake Area Schools a great place to send our students every day. Nominations are open until February 19th, 2024, at 4:00 pm. Once the nominees are announced, they may advance in the WBLAE Teacher of the Year selection process by submitting their responses to a series of questions regarding teaching and learning. Of those teachers aspiring to represent our district as the 2024-2025 WBLAE Teacher of the Year, six will be chosen as finalists. All nominees and finalists will be honored at a celebration event in May when the White Bear Lake Area Educators’ Teacher of the Year will be announced. A final date on that event will be announced soon.
Lynn Mielke Distinguished Educator award - Another opportunity to recognize a WBLAS' staff member, is to nominate them for the Lynn Mielke Distinguished Educator award. The deadline to nominate someone is April 8, 2024. Lynn Mielke was a speech clinician and Special Education Coordinator in the White Bear Lake Area School District. This award was established to recognize an individual who has exemplified Lynn’s dedication and care for the students and staff in our district. Educators are nominated by colleagues, supervisors, students, parents or community members. Find additional information and the nomination form 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.
Youth Enrichment - Registration is open for Youth Enrichment classes. There are opportunities for students of all ages to enjoy activities such as coding, acting, chess and so much more! Find more 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.
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

WBLAE Teacher of the Year nominations open - It's time once again to celebrate professional excellence as part of the White Bear Lake Area Educators’ Teacher of the Year program. The process begins with nominations from community members, families, students and colleagues. Please take the time to nominate an exceptional teacher who goes above and beyond and who makes White Bear Lake Area Schools a great place to send our students every day. Nominations are open until February 19th, 2024, at 4:00 pm. Once the nominees are announced, they may advance in the WBLAE Teacher of the Year selection process by submitting their responses to a series of questions regarding teaching and learning. Of those teachers aspiring to represent our district as the 2024-2025 WBLAE Teacher of the Year, six will be chosen as finalists. All nominees and finalists will be honored at a celebration event in May when the White Bear Lake Area Educators’ Teacher of the Year will be announced. A final date on that event will be announced soon.
Lynn Mielke Distinguished Educator award - Another opportunity to recognize a WBLAS' staff member, is to nominate them for the Lynn Mielke Distinguished Educator award. The deadline to nominate someone is April 8, 2024. Lynn Mielke was a speech clinician and Special Education Coordinator in the White Bear Lake Area School District. This award was established to recognize an individual who has exemplified Lynn’s dedication and care for the students and staff in our district. Educators are nominated by colleagues, supervisors, students, parents or community members. Find additional information and the nomination form here.

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

January - Welcome to White Bear activities
February - Black History Month & Minnesota School Board Recognition Month
Feb. 5-9 - National School Counseling Week
Feb. 12 - National African American Parent Involvement Day
Feb. 17 - National PTA Founders' Day
Feb. 19 - No School, District Center Closed

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.
Youth Enrichment - These classes allow students the chance to try something new or dive head first into activities they love while connecting with other like minded students who share similar interests. There are a wide variety of activities to meet the needs of the our entire community:
- Acting
- Basics of Fencing
- Camp Invention
- Chess
- Coding
- D & D
- Youth Tennis

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

Coaches vs. Cancer - Donations for the WBLAHS Boys' and Girls' Basketball Teams’ Coaches vs. Cancer Pink Out initiative will be collected through Feb. 9. See the flyer with complete information here.
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.