Community e-Newsletter

In Photos: Busy Bears!

Student News

Celebrating Student Achievements

Eight White Bear Lake Area High School student-athletes were acknowledged last week for signing their National Letter of Intent to further their academic and athletic careers post-high school. The exciting National Signing Day event centers around student-athletes officially committing to play a sport for their chosen NCAA Division I or Division II university or college. Congratulations to the following students (listed and pictured from left to right):

• Blake Eckerle - Baseball, University of Utah
• Madisyn Hood - Cheerleading, University of Minnesota
• Kendall Kotzmacher - Softball, Western Michigan University
• Jenna Maloy - Soccer, South Dakota State University
• Evan Newlander - Baseball, Concordia University of St. Paul
• Abby O'Brien - Soccer, University of Northern Iowa
• Becca Smith - Soccer, Kansas University
• Kevin Zollinger - Baseball, Winona State University

The 2024 WBLAHS Yearbook was recently named one of 100 nationally-recognized books, out of 6,000, to receive Honorable Mention accolades from publisher and online creation platform Pictavo. As stated by Pictavo: "The recognized books share a commitment to the highest standards established by state and national scholastic press associations." And, "Our panel consists of professional journalists with experiences in magazines, design, photography, software development and journalism curriculum development." The letter the group received goes on to explain: "Panelists review every detail of the books. Then, they cull the group until they feel the remaining publications represent the very best student work in our network." Speaking of student successes, online publication, The Tech Edvocate, named their projected top five best elementary schools in Minnesota for 2025. Matoska International claimed the top spot! You can read the full article here. 

The Middle School Girls' Basketball Team kicked off their season last week with a game versus Stillwater. The Boys' season will start in January, with registration currently open on the WBLAS Community Services website. Find more information here.

Several Otter Lake Elementary students were celebrated for achieving their AmeriCorps Reading goals with a princess party! The students were visited by Princess Ariel and Princess Tiana and enjoyed a special princess lunch with them. The older students then had fun with two pre-K classes during a Princess story time and Dance Party activity! Meanwhile at Oneka Elementary, students earned a fun activity after completing their fundraiser! They watched staff members compete in an inflatable costume race. 

Community Activities

High school students are taking center stage this week for their production of Legally Blonde the Musical, which opened this past weekend. At rehearsals, students perfected their scenes and worked through their choreography. You can still see their hard work come to life November 21-23. Find ticket and additional information at isd624.org/theater. See a sneak peek at rehearsals in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

With the cooler weather comes an invitation to use the High School Field House walking track. Many community members have already enjoyed utilizing the space, which is open for community use from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. There is no cost, and we ask that you wear clean, dry shoes.

Igniting Curiosity

At the district's Transition Education Center, students are wrapping up their giant Jenga set project, which was highlighted in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".  Students learned how to program the engraver machine to write conversation starter messages on the pieces for an added bit of fun to the game. The set will be available for all students to enjoy together throughout the school year.

Middle and high school students recently participated in a new series of Career Pathways workshops about electronics! Career Pathways has partnered with Go Technology Corporation to offer a 3-part workshop series surrounding the world of electronics, including some IT and engineering topics, as well! In the first session, students had the opportunity to dive into the theme, "What's Inside? What Makes it Tick?". The second workshop in the series will take place on Wednesday, November 20 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at White Bear Lake Area High School. No registration is required. Contact Career Pathways Coordinator Katy Olson for more information, katy.olson@isd624.org.

Students at Lakeaires Elementary enjoyed playing math games with their families. They recorded information on a graph, did an estimation activity, a math fact dash and so much more! Students also had the option to take home cards or dice to continue the fun! See the activities up close in this video issue of the "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". 

Important Lessons

Schools and programs throughout the district honored Veteran’s Day with a variety of activities. Some events were highlighted in this video. At Vadnais Heights Elementary, students gathered with family and friends to discuss the meaning of Veterans Day and honor loved ones who have or are currently serving our country. Central Middle Schoolers enjoyed a Veterans Day Assembly with special guest Major Barry Hendriksen, a 1981 WBLAHS graduate, who spoke to students about his experience serving in the military. At the end of the assembly, Major Hendricksen announced the winners of the Central Level of the VFW Patriot's Pen Essay Contest. At the Senior Center, attendees gathered for conversations, good company and a sweet treat to honor the day.

Speaking of honoring our military personnel, students at Lakeaires Elementary created cards, pictures and letters for a Marine Corps squadron currently deployed on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea. Postage takes a few weeks, so these men and women will receive them around the holidays, bringing them so much joy while they are away from their families. Pictured below are students who worked on this year's project along with photos of Marines who received last year's messages. Meanwhile, a recent Sweet Martha's cookies delivery project, which resulted in 800 chocolate chip cookies being sent to a National Guard unit stationed in Kuwait, had a connection to the Otter Lake Elementary community. Fourth graders at OLE wrote notes to accompany the buckets of cookies, and an Otter Lake dad was among those who received the cookies overseas. Read more about the project here. 

Students at Tamarack Nature Center met a special bird: Innu, the Northern Saw Whet Owl. The visit was part of their lesson about owls and it was captured in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". Students were able to ask the center’s naturalist questions about Innu, learned what makes owls special and how they are nocturnal creatures. 

Creative Bears

Central Middle School student Paige Everhart recently won the first round of the Lions Club Peace Poster Contest. Her poster (shown on the far left) is going to the district level of the competition. The Lion's Club picked Keegan Terry's poster (shown in the middle) as their second place winner, and Zoya Raza (shown on the far right) as their third place winner.

In an eighth grade visual media and design class at Central Middle School, students explored moving media! Their lesson was highlighted in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds". They designed and drew characters, creating a backstory and world for their creations. Students then transferred their storyboard to a flip book and watched their ideas come to life!

In other art news, recent WBLAHS grad Arianna Vann-Cook was recently highlighted in the "Arts and Culture" section of The Citizen for her poetic talents, which were discovered by a teacher and led to her completing the White Bear Center for the Arts' inaugural students-in-resident internship.

 Activities Updates

The Girls Swim and Dive team wrapped up their season with a sixth place finish at the Section 4AA meet. Additionally, two swimmers qualified for All-Conference honors. Find meet highlights and details here. The Girls Hockey Team won their season opener at home against Mounds View/Irondale. Find game highlights here. The White Bear Press recently highlighted the Girls Tennis Team's accolades from the season. Five Bears Football players were named All-District. Learn more here. 

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

District News

General Information