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In Photos: Fall Adventures

Student News

Creative Lessons

Matoska International kindergartners applied their lessons on social emotional growth and development to a real-life scenario. They were visited by a litter of puppies! Students had the opportunity to practice gentle play, greeting the puppies and showing empathy toward other living things. It was also a great socialization experience for the puppies who will soon go to their forever homes.

Birch Lake Elementary fourth graders enjoyed hands-on activities in their Spanish class! Students have been studying and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. To wrap up their lessons, they made tissue paper flowers. Students also worked together to practice their vocabulary words using flip books. Check out their impressive creations in this video!

High school automotive students spent part of their class time in the Auto Shop. Students worked in groups and practiced lifting cars with a two post hoist. Their lesson also centered around identifying vehicles through their make, model and vin number. Get a closer look at the new space, made possible by the 2019 bond referendum, in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds".

Otter Lake Elementary fourth graders spent time with members of the high school varsity girls’ tennis team. They asked questions and listened to the older students share stories from their season, how they got interested in the sport and what it’s like being a student-athlete in high school. Watch their visit come to life in this video. 

Bears Supporting Bears

Members of the WBLAHS Girls' Soccer team cheered on the Adapted Soccer team during a recent home game against Robbinsdale. The Bears won 4-2! At the end of the game, they gathered together for a photo and a spirited "Go Bears" cheer. The Adapted Soccer team's next home game is on Monday, October 7 in the high school's field house. The Girls' Soccer team is gearing up for Section play which beings this week.

Bear Boards and More is now taking orders! The student-operated business based at the Transition Education Center, specializes in customized cutting boards and tumblers. Through this initiative, students learn the essentials of running a school-based business including topics like supply and demand, profit and loss statements, design and production, customer service, and more. Check out the links below to view examples and place orders:

• Cutting Boards examples and order form
• Tumblers: examples and order form

Lincoln Elementary staff and students were sorted into one of five Houses: Fidus, Quantum, Compassio, Fortitudo and Unitatis. The school-wide project, which was featured in this video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds", promotes a sense of community and allows students a chance to connect with new friends in different grade-levels. The houses get together throughout the year for various activities and service learning opportunities.

KARE 11 recently aired a follow-up story about White Bear Lake Area High School wrestler Gabe Kessel, who is battling a rare brain tumor with the help of his teammates, local businesses and community members. Watch the full story here. 

Community Engagement

As seen in a recent video issue of "The Week in 62.4 Seconds", Central Middle School families gathered for a community dinner. Adults had the opportunity to learn from teachers how to best support their middle schooler both in school and at home and take home additional resources for a successful year. The event also provided families an opportunity to enjoy dinner in community while partnering with the school to give feedback to enhance students' learning. Similar events took place at schools throughout the district.

Dr. K hosted the Vadnais Heights Economic Development Council at White Bear Lake Area High School. The group learned about the district's Career Pathways programs and saw first-hand how the state-of-the-art improvements made possible by the 2019 bond referendum, paired with future-focused learning, empower our students to reach their full potential and personalize their paths to success. 

Speaking of referendum projects, community members are invited to an open house event as we honor the legacy of Mariner High School and celebrate the opening of Mariner Middle School. Reconnect with friends, alumni and staff, enjoy food trucks and refreshments as well as history displays and more! The event is taking place from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9 as part of Homecoming festivities. Find complete details here. Before you attend the event, check out the video below and listen to students and Mariner High School alumni share what Mariner means to them!

Enjoying Fall Vibes

Families in the district’s Early Childhood Program enjoyed apple-themed activities with their students during an open house event. The excitement was captured in this video. Attendees participated in sensory stations, arts and crafts, explored the gym area and enjoyed a sweet apple treat together!

Birch Lake Elementary third, fourth and fifth graders took a field trip to Rotary Nature Preserve last week! They experienced several hands-on activities including a scavenger hunt and making edible campfires. Students also learned more about a forest's ecosystem by going on a hike and studying macroinvertebrates. Using an eye dropper and a petri dish, students worked together to identify different aquatic insects in their larval stages, snails and more. 

Students across the district are enjoying the beautiful fall weather! At Oneka Elementary, Extended Day students are soaking up the nice temperatures by enjoying some extra time outside and utilizing their playground equipment. 

Mark Your Calendar

Impressive Accomplishments

Speaking of the WBLAHS Girls' Swim and Dive team, the Bears won their first conference dual meet of the season on September 26 hosting Forest Lake Area High School defeating the Rangers 103-82. Find meet highlights here. This was the team's first win at home in nearly 7 years. The Bears next meet is at home once again where they will host Irondale High School. The meet starts at 6 p.m. at the White Bear YMCA. Find the team's full meet schedule here.

WBLAHS grad Josh Cassada recently retired from NASA after 11 years of service to the agency across multiple programs, including 157 days in space and three spacewalks. Cassada served as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission and Expedition 68 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station. He, alongside crew mate NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, also assembled the infrastructure for a future IROSA installation and fully restored a malfunctioning legacy solar array. Read more about his impressive career here. 

After a tough battle against Stillwater, ending in a 3-3 tie, and a win over Cretin-Derham Hall, the Girls' Soccer team clinched the Suburban East Conference. Read game highlights here. Before the game, WBLAHS Girls' Soccer co-head coach John Dierkhising was interviewed on The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar, highlighting the team's success as a #1 ranked team and ending with a spontaneous "Go Bears!" from Sawkar. The Bears finished the regular season 13-0-2 and ranked first in Class 3A. They are now preparing for Section play, which begins on Wednesday.

The local Press Publications' "Best Of" contest recently honored the district in multiple publications. Birch Lake Elementary CUBS teacher Erin Welter was named "Best Teacher" in the White Bear Press. Oneka Elementary was named "Best School" in The Citizen. Each year Press Publications asks readers to nominate and vote for the "Best of" in the local area.

 Activities Updates

The Girls Soccer Team clinched the Suburban East Conference title after a win over CDH. Read game highlights here. The Girls' Swim and Dive Team won their first conference dual meet of the season over Forest Lake. Find meet highlights here. The Boys Soccer Team finished third in the conference. Find additional details here. The Girls Tennis Team upset Centennial moving on to the semi-finals in Section Play. Find highlights from their match 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.

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