“A” Honor Roll

(GPA 3.51 and above)

GRADE 9

Autum Adair, Ethan Anderson, Mariah Armstrong, Emily Barrett, Holly Benzi, Bethel Biniam, Adam Block, Sophia Broz, Alexa Carlson, Noah Chapman, Patrick Coskey, Elise Crow, Rachel Davidson, Emily DeValk, Jacob Dirschel, Matthew Domanus, Justin Dorr, Meghan Ellingson, Peyton Farrell, Kayla Fischer, Ryan Fordahl, Ella Frantzen, Maximus Fuller, Julianne Gillman, Grant Goodrich, Amanda Grassel, Kylie Grauf, Ayana Greene, Natalya Grudanov, Oksana Grudanov, Justin Grudem, Caden Gunnarson, Melissa Hacker, Madeline Heimer, Carlie Heinecke, Nicholas Helgestad, Katelynn Holland, Maxwell Hopkins, Ellie Huttner, Madeline Jezierski, Benjamin Johnson, Amanda Kaehler, Lucas Konkol, Lauren Krall, Samantha Labatt, Chase LaMotte, Gavin Lien, Chloe Lundberg, Mackenzie Lynch, Brayden Mateuszczyk, Colton Matthews, Benjamin McNaboe, Christian Meyer, Ashlee Miller, Isabel Miller, Nathaniel Miller, Elizabeth Mink, Anthony Nardini, Dylan Newstrum, Britney Nguyen, Meaka Nowak, Nathan O’Connor, Porschia Olson, Connor O’Neal, Nicholas O’Neil, Charles Pereda, McKade Poirier, Joshua Prahl, Laura Randall, Amber Remmen, Allie Roberts, Kyleigh Roberts, Emily Rubbelke, Jonathan Schaupp, Samantha Scherling, Jadon Schneider, Adam Schnell, Zander Schultz, Raven Schwieters, Eve Selken, Graham Seminari, Hannah Sinton, Tassanni Sirattanatray, Donovan Skawiniak, Madison Smith, Samantha Stickler, Mikayla Streit, Zacharie Strombeck, Brooklyn Stuhlsatz, Hunter Stull, Lauren Sylvester, Wyatt Thelen, Arabella Thomas, Molly Thompson, Dylan Timm, Jared Toensing, Julie Torresani, Jacob Trask, Carter VanEngen, Emily VanStelten, Gabriel Voronyak, Braydon Wald, Jamie Waldron, Cathryn Wallmow, Kayla Walstrom, Jake Whaley, Aidan Whitcomb, Emma Wyman, Autumn Yelich, and Ellie Yonak

GRADE 10

Grace Alford, Nathan Amoe, Jessica Andersen, Nicholas Baccam, Carter Barbeln, David Bauer, Abbey Beehler, Jordan Belka, Claire Bode, Danielle Bourgeois, Jasmine Brockberg, Alexa Brown, Maxwell Brown, Ella Bussmann, Ellie Cargill, Ryan Catton, Blair Cecil, Samantha Clark, Shalyn Cole, Riley Daun, Lauren Demoret, Carson DeSotel, Jenna Dietl, Jonathan Dietz, Kaylee Dirschel, Tanner Donnay, Morgan DuVall, Laura Ebert, Kaitlyn Eder, Krysta Felber, Hannah Finstad, Natalie Fortin, Danielle Franklin, Madisen Frausto, Zachary Fuchs, Alaina Gadtke, Dawson Geist, Tyler Gelo, Luke Gentle, Nathan Gice, Jerod Gordon, Haley Hansen, Madison Hansen, Rachel Haskamp, Ellie Hedlund, Cailey Henderson, Brooklyn Hermanson, Luke Hinrichs, Brandon Hintz, Jackson Hinz, Grace Hol, Kyle Holstein, Keely Hughes, Sophia Husnik, Autumn Iwanok, Brynn Jasicki, Kathryn Jewett, Amy Johnson, Courtney Johnston, Carly Jones, Eva Jones, Garmai Jones, Eric Judge, Chet Jurrens, Wesley Kaeter, Elizabeth Kelzer, Anna Kiffmeyer, Kaelyn Kimmick, Claire Kirscht, Kyle Langer, Christian Larson, Kaitlyn LaVine, Marissa LeClaire, Cassidy Lehrke, Paetyn Levis, Hannah Loukusa, Casey Lynch, Kelley Lynch, Marisa Maddox, Briana Manthey, Justin Martin, Cailyn Matthews, Lauren Mattson, Grace Maurer, Samantha McDowell, Victoria Meersman, Mackenzie Meier, Reece Meskimen, Cassaundra Miller, Michael Mittelstaedt, Emily Morse, Collin Murray, Anna Nelson, Megan Nelson, Phuong Ngo, Abigail Nylin, Olivia Odegard, Samantha Orth, Megan Otten, Anna Paepke, Jenna Patterson, Brenden Pearson, Emma Peterson, Kenneth Peterson, Megan Phinney, Carlie Ripley, Mackenzie Roberts, Sebastian Rodriguez, Emily Rokke, Brennan Rosenthal, Caitlin Ruckle, Carson Sabinash, Madison Sandberg, Mathew Schaeffer, Meghan Schaeffer, Karla Scherber, Logan Schindhelm, Morgan Schmidt, Jade Schreiner, Eric Simon, Allison Skinner, Kali Smisek, Megan Smith, Gabriella Sobiech, Emily Spaniol, Colby St Gelais, Lilly Stockamp, Kayla Strumstad, Claire Swan, Noah Swanson, Mason Sweet, Talia Sylvester, Hannah Teasdale, Hyrum Teasdale, Amy Theis, Kylee Timperley, Ethan Tjeerdsma, John Torresani, Mckenna Wain, Jada Wald, Josie Waldron, Bramlee Watson, Carlee Watters, Rachel Westemeier, Nathaniel Wicklund, and Katie Yukhimchuk

GRADE 11

Skye Alpert, Carmen Anderson, Coral Anderson, Conner Armstrong, Katherine Baker, Matthew Becker, Colton Bluhm, Kendra Bolster, Emily Braesch, Samantha Braesch, Dylan Brunetti, Melea Bruns, Taylor Burke, Nathan Cassady, Erin Cecil, Madison Chapman, Grace Clark, Kyleigh Correll, Peter Day, Jack DeMarais, Anne Domanus, Calista Dorholt, Ellie Feilen, Zoe Fezler, Benjamin Fife, Haylee Fingalsen, Mikayla Flores, Erik Fordahl, Emma Frantzen, Collin Franz, Lauren Getz, Inga Golovatyy, Jacob Gordon, Alexis Grauf, Miana Greene, Brady Groenewold, Kate Heimer, Jennifernhu Hoang, Emily Hostvedt, Katelyn Ibe, Sarah Janckila, Christina Jairam, Megan Jasicki, Elizabeth Johnson, Kayla Jordan, Karisa Justen, Jack Kammers, Emma Kangas, Savannah Klein, Reed Kolles, Austin Kollos, Jinnae Koop, Anna Koshiol, Tyler Lee, Kyle Lithgow, Jessica Livingston, Kaitlynn Lloyd, Skylar Lund, Jared Lundberg, Kalista Lynde, Julia Malark, Nicole Manning, Paige Marrs, Jac Mateja, Isabella Matejka, Tanner Meadows, Collin Melcher, Katelyn Meleen, Sarah Mills, Isabella Mitchell, Jake Moss, Nolan Murray, Nicole Nardini, Emma Navratil, Keyla Noel-Anampa, Gavin Nordberg, Matthew O’Connor, Ireland O’Gara, Mary Okematti, Mercedes Olson, Mitchell Osland, Zachary Ostman, Tanner Palm, Jacob Pawlowski, Lauren Polzin, Veronica Porter, Anthony Quale, Morgan Rgnonti, Laura Roberge, Dalton Roehl, Mary Rooney, Erik Saxton, Benjamin Schaupp, Olivia Schutte, Austin Scollard, Megan Secrist, Elaina Seemann, Carly Segulia, Sidney Seiwert, Allie Smith, Felicia Smith, Heather Smith, Alannah Sperr, Hannah Stolba, Matthew Ternus, Cecelia Thole, Ashlee Trochlil, Kristina Trombley, Jamie Turnquist, Da Vang, Abigail Voronyak, Angela Wagner, Morgan Wallmow, Justine Welcome, and Brandon Wilson

GRADE 12

William Alexander, Jayce Allen, Kaylee Amoe, Gabrielle Anderson, Kala Berg, Samantha Bolden, Emma Bolduc, Kayla Bolster, Jacob Boyd, Jordan Brausen, Jenna Breseman, Amy Brown, Elle Butkovich, Maxwell Byrne, Olivia Carlson, Sydney Clark, Rylan Darr, Kaitlyne Dittberner, Paige Dobberstein, Brooke Dorn, Jakob Dotterer, Josiphene Dotterer, Lauren Dunham, Andrea DuVall, Jessica Earlewine, Sean Ebert, Joseph Eidenschink, Margaret Emahiser, Abigail Gearou, Samuel Gentle, Torrey Goelz, Yan Golovatyy, Elizabeth Goodrich, Cadia Gren, Lauren Groves, Madeline Gruys, Jenna Hanauska, Emily Hanford, Samantha Harber, Kevin Haux, Courtney Henderson, Rachel Hinz, Linh Hoang, Wyatt Holzheu, Evan Huber, Alyssa Huete, Carsyn Jenkins, Drew Jenson, Alyssa Johnson, Jake Johnson, Joseph Johnson, Abby Jordan, Sabrina Kabitz, Jenna Karls, Katelyn Kemmetmueller, Samantha Keopraseut, Trevor Klink, Ariel Koch, Tyler Langheinz, Paige Larrabee, Alexa Larson, Anya Larson, Karianna Larson, Kayla Larson, Jacob Lehrke, Jordon Leibel, Mitchell Loukusa, Courtney Lynch, Markku Makinen, Brooke Manz, Rachel Miller, Taylor Miller, Reed Morgan, Steffan Musoke, Monique Nguyen, Lydia Nies, Abigail Ogden, Logan Olkon, Emma Olson, Olivia Olson, Amanda Penick, Jacklyn Penick, Haley Pettis, Jacob Post, Jordan Pratt, Alex Przybilla, Jenna Reust, Alyssa Rokke, Charles Rooney, Janelle Rouillard, Elliott Russell, Adriana Sachs, Drew Sagehorn, Morgan Sagehorn, Sydney Sagehorn, Makayla Sarvey, Garrett Scherber, Andrew Schmitz, Nicole Scholla, Margaret Schuster, Brady Selken, Amanda Shepard, Eric Shreve, Noelle Simpson, Hannah Sjerven, Dominic Skawiniak, Madeline Smisek, Shaniah Smith, Morgan Snyder, Danae St Gelais, Breana Stang, Devon Stuhlsatz, Samuel Suedbeck, Bailey Surprenant, Saannah Sykora, Alaina Sylvester, Michaela Taddeini, Allison Teasdale, Rachel Theis, Madelyn Thiebault, Renisa Thielges, Adrianna Tjeerdsma, Alicia Utecht, Nolan Walker, Savannah Wedell, Emily Wheeler, Cheyenne Wrobel, and Vincent Xiong

“B” Honor Roll

(GPA 3.00 – 3.50)

GRADE 9

Breonna Abuya, Brianna Anderson, Mitchell Becker, Anna Bergman, Eathan Betzler, Lucas Bistodeau, Joseph Bohlsen, Amanda Bohnsack, Emma Bresin, Claire Caldon, MacKenzi Carlson, Eddie Darr, Tyler Davis, Tristen Dean, Abby DiChiria, Presley Dobitz, Luke Edstrom, Nolan Erickson, Isabelle Erikson, Holly Eshleman, Jonah Fisher, Angelica Franaschouk, Aislinn Gigante, Miranda Grismer, Chad Grupa, Ryan Hamann, Ashley Hanauska, Angelina Hathy, Peyton Hennen, Aydan Hinnenkamp, Chloe Japs, Dylan Johnson, Allison Jullie, Abigale Kaehler, McKenna Kalahar, Ryan Kasper, Jadie Koop, Aspen Kryzer, Kaitlyn Kubinski, Luke LaChance, Sarah Lazowski, Riley Lewis, Matthew Lithgow, Kyle Maciej, Lauren Mahnke, Ryan Makela, Payton Maki, Kiara Malone, Scott Martin, Ryan Maurer, Gavin McLaughlin, Caleb Meadows, Braedon Mittelstaedt, Alivia Mosher, Evan Naziri, Luke Nelson, Ryan Neuman, Jahir Nunez-Martinez, David Okematti, Sarah Olson, Cameron Ott, Lucas Pearson, Jonathan Perego, Persephoney Petersen, Lia Piazza, Carley Pimiskern, Ava Pinske, Kalina Ranallo, Madison Rapacz, Marie Reimer, Derek Reiser, Allie Rother, Jessica Schermeister, Aaron Schmidt, Jada Schreiner, Amber Secrist, Connor Seemann, Gavin Sims, Eli Smith, Jacob Soberg, Joshua Sola, Ben Solem, Caden Sunvold, Alayna Tapiz, Kayla Tester, Madalyn Thompson, Chelsea Timmerman, Nicole Van Ess, Nina Van Ess, Cassandra VanDenBerg, Chase VanHeel, Pacey Vylasek, Alana Walters, Grace Wilson, and Margaret Wuollet

GRADE 10

Kyle Amundson, Thomas Andersen, Lance Anderson, Stacy Anderson, Janella Backlund, Briana Bailie, Cole Beck, Morgan Bruers, Gunnar Carlson, Molly Carnes, Gwendolyn Cox, Madison Culliver, Taylor Culliver, Cali Davis, Erin Dorn, Anastasia Dulski, Olivia Durbin, Megan Edstrom, Hannah Eide, William Eshleman, Lucas Fjellanger, Elizabeth Fleck, Joseph Fodstad, Kaitlyn Haapala, Katelyn Hagel, Tyler Hagert, Kallie Hambleton, Hailey Hanson, Jenna Hatcher, Andrew Hernandez, Cara Hess, Peter Hoffman, Danielle Hoppe, Emily Jablonski, Cole Johnson, Madison Johnson, Lauren Jullie, Carlie Katzenberger, Emily Kilby, Jonathan Krumsieg, Michael LaCock, Allison Langer, Cole Larson, Anthony Lenz, Sydney Lofgren, Kali Manning, David Mantsevich, Morgan Manz, Lauren Matzke, Ethan McDonald, Emma McKeon, Emily Miller, Megan Minikus, Tricia Niznik, Christina Nolting, Gabriel Olajonlu, Grace Omann, Jacob Orwoll, MacKenzie Otkin, Jenna Parliament, Garett Pawlak, Taylor Peterson, Adam Reiter, Isabella Rerick, Erik Reshetar, Jerusha Sagbeh, Andrew Schatzke, Cole Schwerin, Charles Skoog, Zachary Smisek, Elijah Solberg, Jackson Spanier, Briley Stang, Lindsey Stockamp, Matthew Sultany, Samuel Throldahl, Andrew Trask, Dominick Van Ess, Michael VanStelten, Wyatt Vessey, Alexander Wadzink, Samantha Weidenbach, Bret Wilson, and Vincent Zimmer

GRADE 11

Zachary Aanerud, Nathan Andersen, Kaleb Anderson, Nicholas Atallian, Brett Beaudry, Kaitlyn Benz, James Berg, Wyatt Bloom, Marissa Bolduc, Katie Borel, Owen Brewer, Anthony Buckingham, Kevin Buschkowsky, Alec Camarote, Nicholas Camarote, Brady Capouch, Ethan Cassidy, Eric Chamlongsong, Kyra Cleveland, Abby Conn, Garrett Crosby, Allison Dahlgren, Alyssa Dallman, Michael David, Luke Donley, Alexandra Dubel, Graham Durbin, Jack Erdahl, Aili Evans, Jordan Fischer, Gage Fournier, Nicholas Gustafson, Emily Hacker, Hanna Hagberg, Aaron Hippen, Ethan Holland, Ashley Huettl, Madison Hunt, Kaylee Husarik, Katherine Kapsner, Brandon Kasper, Julianna Kiesner, Courtney Kirby, Cameron Kline, Benjamin Lazowski, Andrew Lenz, Samuel Libke, Elizabeth Liebert, Ellie Lucas, Sean Maciej, Hannah Meseck, Kaleb Middleton, Justin Mork, Reid Morris, Megan Moylan, Mitchell Nelson, Jenna Nevonen, Victoria Nyland-Foley, Matthew Olson, Kyle Paris, Haley Pawlak, Maithtyo Phengmany, Makayla Pratt, Anna Priebe, Damon Prow, Dale Reshetar, Lindsey Running, Kevin Lee Santiago-Martinez, Sarah Schaenzer, Emily Sinton, Bryanna Skochenski, Nicholas Soppeland, Ashley Spah, Mitchell Spilles, Madeline Springer, Chanz St Vincent, Hayden Stuhlsatz, Victoria Taylor, Rachael Thomas, Wyatt Thurber, Jeana Tomlinson, Ellyssa Tran, Brennan Unruh, Denver Vacek, Litzy Viveros Lopez, Katalina Vue, Olivia Wageman, Kordell Wager, Lindsey Wenum, Abby Wenz, and Maleia Ysteboe

GRADE 12

Jacob Abrahamson, Brittany Anderson, Bryce Anderson, Amanda Armagost, Natalie Baccam, Claudia Barbieri, Celina-Isabel Bartnes, Vincent Billing, Emily Bjorgan, Vannessa Boie, Sean Bois, Lindsey Borel, Anna Butler, Jenae Carey, Aaron Carter, Emma Clark, Jean Cormack, Ryan Davidson, Jacob Deelstra, Elizabeth Dobmeier, Keelin Dungan, Taylor Dunleavy, Jonathan Eiden, Faith Emovondavid, Alexis Fehr, Alaina Felt, Abraham Fofanah, Evan Gadtke, Mitchell Gavin, Matthew Gedatus, Stephanie Gonzalez, Aaron Gordon, Bradley Hagel, Jacob Heyer, Myranda Hinnenkamp, Logan Hirschfelt, Tristan Holdren, Michael Hosko, Johnathan Hoyt, Cole Hyde, Forrest Jensen, Griffin Johnson, Olivia Johnson, Brianna Kerr, Alejandro Ketchel, Lauren Konkol, Andrew Korton, Austin Lahn, Rachel Landry, Matthew Larsen, Jordan Lauseng, Lauren LeClaire, Travis Limoseth, Rachel Liveringhouse, John Lotter, Cody Luftman, Samuel Lunacek, Spencer Majerus, Jordan Maki, Cruz Martinez, Tessa McCarthy, Morgan Murphy, Trace Narragon, Egedn Ndege, Zachary Nylin, Jessica Olson, Logan Paige, Cole Pecka, Isabella Pedlar, Delaney Peluf, Andrew Piehl, Lindsey Pratt, Caitlyn Reeves, Kallie Restemeyer, Jenaya Rickard, Samuel Ripley, Molly Robbins, Zachary Roden, Jenelle Sanders, Ibrahim Sareva, Jill Scherle, Chase Schmidt, Madison Schmidt, Dakoata Schwerin, Greta Skoog, Jessica Sola, Mackenzie Speidel, Logan Stockamp, Adriane Tapiz, Julianne Tracy, Tyler Vidor, Austin Wedell, Trevor Wenz, Timothy Wilson, Alyssa Wisner, Allysiah Woodgeard, Alexis Zehrer, and Kevin Zoubek

8^TH GRADE “A” HONOR ROLL

Sara Abbas, Olivia Ackerman, Adam Arndt, Jaures Ayumba, Joseph Bahneman, Ashley Ballou, Emily Balluff, Abranette Barry, Meghan Bentz, Nicole Beyer, Amanda Bissen, Adam Boeckermann, Kaylee Bonk, Elizabeth Bounds, Alexander Bray, Liam Carr, Brandon Chokdee, Connor Clausen, Madelyn Cramer, Katelyn Dee, Ethan Del Sol, Evelyne Dmitruk, Genna Dow, Aalyse Eik, Samuel Erickson, Elayne Ernst, Jami Feist, Jack Ferry, Rachel Ford, Morgan Gacke, Paige Gangl, Nicklaus Gill, Annie Givens, Isabel Gruhlke, Lydia Haack, Logan Haag, Anson Hanna, Aria Hanson, Kiersten Hartje, Kira Haus, Joshua Hebrink, Robert Heinzen, Sophia Hemphill, Grace Hendrickson, Andrew Herrboldt, Clarissa Hilary, Zachary Holtz, Allison Horn, Jaylynn Hovanetz, Alyson Hovda, Jonathan Hughes, Eric Ingham, Audrey Johnson, Elisabeth Johnson, Halle Johnson, Mickiah Johnson, Samiksha Kanukunta, Kossi Kavi, Amara Kettner, Paige Kinowski, Savanah Klegon, Alyssa Kosbau, Michael Kotzer, Jonathan Kovach, Jake Krauth, Isabella Krueger, James Krzesowiak, Christian Kubicka, Anthony Kutzer, Natasha LaBarre, Alma Larson, Hunter Larson, William Lillestrand, Aric Lindgren, Ellie Loe, Grace Lofquist, Nathan Loretz, Allison Lundeen, Rachel Main, Isaac Maki, Ashley Mathura, Matthew McCormick, Reese McCulloch, Makayla Melchior, Jack Milless, Mataya Mose, Robert Nelson, Adrianna Nero, Jack Ness, Madeline Neu, Emily Nierengarten, Sydney Ninke, Joseph Nordstrom, Kaden Odegaard, Hayley Oestreich, Azhar Osman, Drake Osmek, Charles Osugo, Kara Paulsen, Raymond Phengmany, Cameron Phung, Kaylin Plautz, Alexander Polston, Nilyma Priyanka, Jadon Purcell, Blake Rademacher, Sasmit Rahman, Emily Reimann, Brodie Rice, Sophia Riewe, Karsen Risse, Cole Ronallo, Beau Ruby, Elizabeth Rumreich, Makenna Sacre, Owen Sailor, Katelyn Sampson, Carter Scharber, Victoria Schwieters, Devon Shaw, Abbey Smith, Jordan Stanke, Jaxson Stephan, Madison Stout, Kaylee Sullivan, Debra Thayer, Tate Thein, Mark Thole, Maxamillian Thomas, Joseph Thorkildson, Ryan Tillman, Megan VanDrehle, Kalena Vang, Benjamin Verdick, Jessica Weisgram, William Yang, Alan Zehnder, Tyler Zeledon, Tony Zhang

8^TH GRADE  “B” HONOR ROLL

Foysal Abir, Cooper Adcock, Savannah Albu, Peyton Allen, Skylar Antil, Tanner Antilla, Calvin Artmann, Christina Babaya, Samantha Ballenger, Melita Beaudry, Adam Benolkin, Ryan Benson, Kyle Berg, Sara Bergman, Tatiana Buckner, Caleb Bunker, Silas Close, Tommy Dancer, Braden Davey, Tyson Dusosky, Allison Dwyer, Joseph Eberle, Abigail Erickson, Vrydon Erickson-Paul, Isabelle Estrada, Tate Fluguear, Carter Gasperlin, Sabina Gladis, Kennedy Gleason, McKenna Goad, Asher Gunderson, Abby Gustafson, Grady Haferbecker, Jaida Hagen, Troy Hinz, Tyler Hughes, David Ijadimbola, William Johnson, Micah Kafka, Austin Kaiser-Joly, Mikayla Kanenwisher, James Klages, Jack Kleven, Maxwell Lassek, Jackson Lietha, Joshua Makana, Sarah Merkling, Zachary Michaelis, Payton Mielke, Jilian Miller, Daisjia Montgomery, Nickolas Neilson, Destiny Nelson, Isabel Nelson, Jenna Olawsky, Miles Olofson, Jacob Olson, Micah Olson, Lucas Pearson, Mackenzie Poliszuk, Colton Pool, Armanee Porter, Allison Potts, Sebastian Salazar Santor, Alexander Samson, Griffin Schmidt, Kalli Sheldon, Alex Springman, Molly Stenerson, Gillian Telfer, Kaitlin Tran, Emma Trebil, Evan VanEps, Mary Waters, Yeshua Weidner, Hunter Woolfolk

7^TH GRADE “A” HONOR ROLL

Derek Aasheim, Matthew Aho, Isabella Anderson-Cufre, Sophia Anderson-Cufre, Josie Babcock, Ellyson Bahr, Dylan Ball, Colin Bedbury, Michael Belair, Harvey Bergstrom, Madison Blomberg, Megan Brixius, Davin Byman, Devyn Cain, Greta Carlson, Mary Charboneau, Abigail Charleson, Gage Clem, Micah Collins, Shelby Conrad, Rachel Crawford, Natalie Dahlheimer, Abigail Debes, Coleton Diekow, Emily Ditter, Samantha Eagle, Sydney Eidem, Madison Erickson, Jack Farrar, Sarah Fausch, Faith Fausone, Allison Fischer, Ava Friese, Kate Goenner, Olivia Gregory, Ella Haas, Gregory Hanegraaf, Macy Hanson, Morgan Heinen, Brady Heuer, Morgan Horton, Amy Hoskins, Jordan Hund, Myiesha Imam, Zachary Jacobs, Zachary James, Neiko Jeanetta, Tanner Jenni, Ameliyah Jensen, Benjamin Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Mackenzie Johnson, Rachael Johnston, Bennett Jordan, Nicholas Jung, Thomas Katter, Jordan Keith, Marni Keith, Alexandra Klocker, Jenna Korinek, Hannah Kotila, Karina Kpahn, Kylie Kruse, Phyllis LaClare, Annabelle Langton, Ryleigh LaPlante, Shaun Lee, Lucy Leither, Abbie Lohn, Ashley Lupien, Alexander Lutz, Elaina Maass, Megan Madsen, Taylor Meneley, Kalia Meza, Emmett Miller, Lexi Milless, Jadyn Mossengren, Brent Netland, Ellie Norton, Graham Norton, Brianna Olson, Emma Olson, Heather Olson, Charlotte Oudekerk, Callie Patraw, Noah Paulsen, Grant Paulson, Karl Pederson, Kathryn Porter, Aidan Robeck, Haley Rosenberg, Amelia Ruby, Thomas Schirmers, Emily Schrader, Addisyn Schuster, Avery Schuster, Kailey Sherratt, Ethan Spanier, Connor Springer, Connor St Aubin, Mason Starr, Ella Stephan, Blake Storbakken, Demitri Stotler, Lindsay Strecker, Josephine Stubbs, Elias Taylor, Madilyn Thorkildson, Regan VanAvery, Lauren Verweg, Annabelle Volkers, Rikayla West, Mallory Williams, Elizabeth Witter, Sydney Wojcieszak, William Xiong, Julianna Yang, MacKenzie Zachman

7^TH GRADE “B” HONOR ROLL 

Claire Anderson, Gunnar Anderson, Nolan Anderson, MacKenzie Bloom, Blake Boedigheimer, Annika Borovansky, Allison Bourgeois, Eric Boysen, Chase Brandenburg, Alexis Burstad, Alexa Cloutier, Cora Coz, Alexis Dahlheimer, Parker Davies, Ainsley Davis, Jillian Dettling, Damon Diamond, Cody Eggers, Damon Garrison, Dylan Garrison, Matthew Gearou, Nickolas Gesino, Khaliana Gray, Cole Groebner, Benjamin Groth, Audrianna Gunderson, Joseph Gustafson, Quinten Hidde, Tiana Hince, Bryan Hoerr, Isabella Jeanetta, Mason Jones, Samantha Jung, Brayden Kempel, Justin Klous, Lyndsey Korst, Alex Larson, Sophia Lee, Samuel Maves, Kaie McCune, Brynn McDaniel, Alexander Meehl, Gavin Melcher, Patrick Moos, Quinn Nelson, Zachary Nordquist, Abbey Onuma, Elijah Pangborn, Alfreda Payne, Cody Peterman, Samuel Polston, Andrew Saxon, Ariyanna Stibal, Colton Strain, Landon Straus, Diana Strelchuk, Alyssa Suchy, Makayla Sweeney, Tyler Trembath, Brennan Wallace, Hailey Walz, Amanda Weber, Mackenzi Widman, Trinity Yarke-Blood

6^TH GRADE  “A” HONOR ROLL 

Oluwademilade Adebayo, Rowan Agosto, Marcus Ayumba, Autumn Barthel, John Belair, Abigail Berg, Grace Boswell, Ruby Bowen, Danielle Bruemmer, Jacob Buchert, Nathaniel Buhl, Dru Bunn, Garrett Carlson, Nathan Carter, Cooper Christian, Madelyn Christian, Caitlin Cramer, Paige Crawford, Iain Davis, Paige Davis, Brandon Deal, Alexis Duke, Gunnar Ecklund, Emily Ekman, Jordan Emerson, Ty Erickson, Zachary Finch, Claire Flahaven, Alicia Ford, Brayden Frank, Anders Freborg, Morgan Fritch, Adam Furniss, Haley Gallup, Emma Gangl, Kolby Givens, Elizabeth Glemming, Kayden Grassel, Summer Hackenmueller, Macy Hageman, Morgan Hagen, Lane Halland, Lindsey Hanson, Anton Harlander, Sonja Hassing, Brett Haugland, Bryce Helget, Cole Helget, Katelyn Hilary, Aidan Hillebregt, Daniel Ijadimbola, Blake Johnson, Caleb Johnson, Courtney Johnson, Preston Jordan, Caden Kanenwisher, Hope Kanenwisher, Lauren Keckeisen, Jaedon Kerr, Isaac Kraft, Margaret Krueger, Lilly Lassek, Cameron Lehmann, Samuel Lillestrand, Emma Loretz, Leah Lundeen, Rhea Main, Brooke Marks, Parker Mathewson, Jack Matter, Madeline Mitchell, Elijah Montague, Jailyn Moody, Elizabeth Moretto, Olivia Mujica, Eli Nelson, Kayleigh Nelson, Ashton O’Leary, Mason Olofson, Ella Ovall, Yvette Oyagi, Aiden Paynter, Emily Peterman, Joshua Porter, Emma Powell-Muntean, Amanda Purcell, Alan Quaid, Jaime Radke, Austin Ramert, Brandon Ramert, Zoe Rammer, Abigail Rekstad, Trinity Richards, Anna Riewe, Kayla Ring, Christopher Rizner, Connor Rolfes, Emily Rossmeisl, Taylor Rossmeisl, Savannah Roux, Luke Rumreich, Ayodamola Samuel, Kaelyn Sauter, Felicia Schall, Kaitlyn Schlink, Brock Schmertman, Dylan Schuster, Franciska Skorykh, Jackson Skyberg, Lathan Smith, Addy Soukup, Shane Staeheli, MaKenzy Straughn, Adelynn Taylor, Fridley Thao, Connor Theisen, Madison Tveit, Elaina Varney, Kolbi Vasseur, April Volkers, Jackson Vorderbruggen, Ryan Weatherly, Mackenzie Weber, Emma Weisgram, Zoey Wirz, Annika Wozney, Maxwell Yantes, Brooke Zehnder

6TH GRADE  “B” HONOR ROLL

Darlene Abeln, Rachel Agyei, Ella Anderson, Makenna Anderson, Allison Arndt, Lucy Beecher, Corey Bengtson, Mitchell Bjorklund, Kerigan Brooks, Catherine Bunker, Dayne Carlson, Bonita Chokdee, Joseph Cruz-Runnels, Emma Czech, Kai DoBrava, Levi Donat, Riley Duenow, Haelyn Eggert, Johann Eirich, Owen Erikson, Matthew Ferry, Jack Flahaven, Jonah Fossum, Marcus Fritel, Caleb Gillquist, Drew Girtz, Ryan Graham, Elizabeth Haag, Kaden Haferbecker, Julia Hanson, Garrett Harris, Kayden Harris, Julien Hendershott, Shaughnessy Henry, Ashley Hess, Samuel Hughes, Faith Hurley, Qamra Ireri, Maxwell James, Kelly Kla-Diihbah, Zachary Kohner, Bryan Kubicka, Averey LaBarre, Brock Leininger, Jossalyn Lindenfelser, Tate Madson, Caleb Martin, Haddyn Mayer, Raven McCullough, Jade Murray, Quenten O’Leary, Olivia Olson, David Otunuga, Jaida Perri, Abby Peterson, Zachary Peterson, Jackson Plucinak, Shane Rademacher, Austin Remer, Cheyanne Rudolph, Morgan Sutherland, Liahnue Tarpeh, Victoria Tobias, Linnea Trost, Ekin Vang, Nathan Vang, Keely White, Jacob Williams

Elk River High School Grade 9 “A” Honor Roll

Anna Alex, Michael Almich, Joseph Anderson, Neely Anderson, Alexis Beck, Kelli Boe, Karly Boedigheimer, Chloe Brunkow, Gabrielle Brunkow, Katherine Buhl, Janine Bury, Joseph Butterfield, Grant Carlson, Lindsey Carlson, Annica Carr, Camryn Chouinard, Larkin Clem, Annabelle Czech, Isabel Davis, Deanna Dokken, Hanna Dorff, Gabrielle Eatherton, Obiamalu Egbujor, Charles Eldredge, Logan Enkhaus, Logan Fisher, Joseph Foss, Claire Gebhardt, Grace Gilbertson, Hannah Goede, Jacie Gordon, Ally Gramstad, Jazmyn Gray, Benjamin Greni, Ava Grimm, Samantha Gust, Hannah Hagglund, MyKenna Haley, Alexis Hanson, Grace Hanson, Tyler Hanson, Alyssa Heinkel, Madalyn Hembre, Julia Hendricks, Kayden Hendrickson, Riley Hogan, Dylan Hollom, Samuel Homola, Jessica Hortian, Alina Hrytskevich, Samuel Hund, Annabel Inman, Carly Jagodzinski, Michael Jarmoluk, Hannah Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Madeline Johnson, Donna Johnson, Michael Johnson, Madeline Johnson, Sydney Johnson, Megan Jung, Alison Keoraj, Kelli Keyser, Kelsey King, Elizabeth Konopa, Fay Konopa, Brandon Koziol, Katarina Kraljic, Julia Kramer, Mitchell Larson, Kiera Larson, Madeline LaVallee, Alexandra Lee, Sophia Leither, Haley Liming, Preston Lowe, Ryan Madsen, Riley Mathis, Kallie Middleton, Grace Miller, Evan Miller, Madison Mitzuk, Selena Nelson, Cassandra Neuenfeldt, Arik Nordenstrom, Shelby Novotny, Michael Nowotny, Jade Ochu, Joseph O’Connell, Zachariah Odegard, Elizabeth Olson, Malia Peacock, Jackson Perbix, Julia Pierce, Tyler Powell, Morgan Ray, Sydney Redepenning, Arica Reesman, Miranda Reierson, Sofia Rivers, Alaina Rossum, Ashton Salfrank, Austin Salfrank, Josephine Schaaf, Cole Schaal, Mason Schaal, Ethan Schultz, Katie Schwegman, Elana Sederholm, Noah Shenkle, Afnan Siddique, Jack Simmons, Philip Skorykh, Eli Smith, Harrison Stephens, Danielle Stewart, Sonja Tesdahl, Mackenzie Thom, Jordan Thorpe, Riley Thorson, Emily Tincher, Bailey Tobiason, Tess Trombley, Cole Tveit, Veronika Tyo, Samuel Varner, Matthew Vick, Talsi Wagner, Robert Walatee, Sarah Walters, Kaitlyn Walz, Branden Weber, Sophia Wetherille, Alexis Winberg, Cassidy Wolcenski, Sydney Zierden

Elk River High School Grade 9 “B” Honor Roll

Melaina Anderson, Dominic Arneson, Lafayette Bade, Toni Baldwin, Cade Baldwin, Jacob Ballenger, Michael Baron, Zachary Bartlett, Abigail Benson, Tailer Benson, Kelsey Bielefeld, Stephanie Blasius, Anna Breuer, Erin Buerke, Noah Carlsen, Rand Carlson, Tayler Cunningham, Ryan Czech, Samuel Dmitruk, Colt Dusbabek, Brady Eastman, Taylor Elliott, Kyle Esperum, Alexander Ettesvold, Dmytro Fedosyuk, Angel Fredin, Carson Friestad, Jason Frost, Gavin Frost, Marilyn Gago, Carsyn Gatlin, Saul Gonzalez, Lucas Gustafson, Marina Hales, Abbigail Heinen, Spencer Hughes, Cory Hughes, Calista Jerome, Tanner Jess, Dalton Johnson, Riley Kaluza, Hamdi Kasim, Calista Kenowski, Bridget Kiemele, Taylor Kline, Sydney Knopick, Katie Kolar, Madelyn Kotzer, Anson Kozitka, Sarah Kring, John Krivich, Joey Kunkel, Alexis Lane, Abigail Langton, Ryan LeBlanc, Tyler Leshovsky, Alyssa Lindquist, Peyton Lorentz, JT Lucas, Mitchell Maass, Daneen Maretski, Anna Matter, Autumn Mattson, Jaelyn McAllister, Noah Meyer, Vianna Moua, Mitchell Muniz, Kwamboka Ndege, Katie Nelson, Luke Orgon, Jacob Palm, Destin Puchtel, Sarah Rapp, Sydney Reiner, Tyler Riffe, Joshua Schlaman, Carter Schmitt, Trent Soukup, Jared Stanke, Madison Stevens, Evan Strom, Jonathan Suchy, Madison Sumstad, Jack Taylor, Kylee Thompson, Benjamin Truebenbach, McKenna Uphoff, Callie Velisek, Anneke Verhoef, Julia Vicioso, Annie Wagenpfeil, Ashlyn Weber, Amber Weirauch, Jack Wilson, Izabella Yager

Elk River High School Grade 10 “A” Honor Roll

Colin Abress, Noah Adams, Kayla Andersen, Ciara Bailey, Belinda Beaver, Katherine Bedbury, Eva Bednarz, Sarah Bense, Carlita Bertsch, Sydney Bever, Connor Bizal, Madison Bizal, Marguerite Boedigheimer, Taylor Brandt, Samantha Bray, Nicholas Breuer, Meagan Brown, Christian Bruno, Nicole Butterfield, Tristan Carlson, Anna Charboneau, Dylan Chouinard, Madison Coonradt, Alexis Cunningham, Emma Dalton, Joshua Daniel, Britney Davies, Erin Davis, Kaitlyn Dhooge, Alexandra Ditter, Addie Droen, Amanda Duitsman, Nicholas Eull, Megan Feist, Alexis Freund, Hunter Furstenberg, Ethan Gardner, Gillian Greenberg, Megan Greenberg, Claire Grundman, Allison Hall, Claire Hanegraaf, Olivia Hansen, Mollie Heinen, James Heinzen, McKenzie Herrboldt, Ander Hillebregt, Madison Hilyar, Addie Hohlen, Jessica Holmquist, Eleanor Humphrey, Jill Humphrey, Benjamin Inman, Alexi Jacks, Grace Jacobs, Kyle Jussila, Carmen Kaelke, Tierney Klinker, Michael Kohorst, Lauryn Kolles, Sophia Kruger, Zachary Kruger, Adam Kruger, Jacob Lane, Arina Lazareva, Lauren Lee, Tia Lerud, Ashley Lynch, Erin Mably, Callum MacArthur, Dylan Martie, Chancellor McDonald, Jackson Michener, Derek Monahan, Sara Monroy, Kaja Montplaisir, Matisse Myles, Emily Nelson, Alyssa Nielsen, Reese Norby, Madison Odegaard, Hailey Odegard, Kendell O’Leary, Abigail Olson, Alayna Osterman, Peyton Paaverud, Beryl Palmer, Amanda Patterson, Joseph Pelle, Mackenzie Perron, Matia Person, Ashley Peters, Carson Pixley, Morgan Pool, Ashley Purcell, Madisen Rademacher, Sophia Riebel, Lauren Rishovd, Elizabeth Rolfes, McKenzie Scheid, Laura Schmierer, Rachel Schoenecker, Shayne Schoenfelder, Megan Schroeder, Sydney Schuster, William Sibilski, Caroline Silvola, CeCelia Simmonds, Nicholas Sink, Emily Sizen, Stoyan Slavkov, Jazlynne Smith, Mikala Springer, Reilly Springman, Lindsay Stiegler, Mary Stoutenburg, Mitchell Stroh, Shelby Swenson, Katherine Thorpe, Nicole Thue, Josephine Uche, Chineng Vang, Grant Warner, Sydney Weisenberger, Thomas West, Rachel Wojcieszak, David Woyke, Cameron Wyse, Iviee Yager, Haley Yoder, Dominick Zappa, Vittorio Zappa, Sage Zerban, Elizabeth Ziegler

Elk River High School Grade 10 “B” Honor Roll

Heather Anderson, Nicolas Antilla, MaCartney Ascheman, Beau Babcock, AdLai Bade, Dennis Bakken, Maryanne Beaudry, Brooke Benolkin, Cade Beyer, Morgan Bianchi, Carolyn Black, Ashley Boyd, Emma Brotemarkle, Jack Burger, Alexis Chambers, Kristen Collins, Carley Collins, Grace Crawford, Jared Creighton, Claire Croteau, Hannah Czech, Logan Davies, Nicole Dee, Madison Dillerud, Ewald Dmitruk, Acacia Donat, Wyatt Dopp, Rachel Dorff, Samantha Elsenpeter, Brittany Flander, Alexandria Foote, Jade Fredin, Lyndsey Geist, Kaleb Hammer, Mikayla Hansen, Brock Haugland, Keegan Haus, Andrew Hess, Kelsie Hoffmann, Bailey Horner-McAlpine, Noah Kirk, Tristan Kirschbaum, Samuel Kirscht, Jacob Kovach, Faith Larom, Adam Larson, Taiyo Larson, Laura Lefebvre, Madison Leuthold, Madison Libor, Michael Livingston, Ashley Lynch, Brooke Mackner, Ava Maki, Madeline Marquez, Freedom Martin, Mark Muzzy, Justin Nelson, Bruce Norton, Daniel Olson, Sabrina Onuma, Olivia Osmundson, Evea Owens, Helena Parranto, Brittney Peters, Ashley Peterson, Christian Porter, Logan Rademacher, Spencer Rammer, Cassidy Reichert, Ashalyn Rustad, Robert Schiller, Timothy Schoenecker, Anthony Schreder, Taylor Seifert, Lily Sharp, Ashley Smith, Kincaid Strain, Sydney Sullivan, Matthew Syverson, Geoffrey Tatur, Elayna Torfin, Kate Torfin, Sarah Vernon, Thomas Wallace, Hannah Warner, Maxwell Weisberg, Isabella Wolcott, Griffin Young, Hallie Yurich

Elk River High School Grade 11 “A” Honor Roll

Hayley Ackermann, Samantha Alexander, Joel Alfveby, Page Altman, Nicholas Anderson, Joseph Averill, Holland Baker, Kyle Ballou, Kaylee Benson, Tyler Billman, Kristina Blasius, Kamilah Boedigheimer, Ryan Bouma, Kyle Bouten, Elizabeth Brayden, Blaine Brenteson, Emmalee Breth, Maria Brown, Connor Bryan, Megan Buhl, Allie Christensen, Dylan Clausen, Cameron Cotton, Kelsie Cox, Annie Dalton, Paige DoBrava, Danielle Dokken, Avalon Donat, Gabrielle Dose, Isabella Dusbabek, Dylan Earl, Taylor Eastman, Kory Esterberg, Michael Fischer, Grace Fonder, Caitlyn Foote, Arthur Fosse, Maxwell Friese, Olivia Fromm, Logan Gacke, Bradley Geist, Allissa George, Alec Germscheid, Katelyn Gfroerer, Jarod Gill, John Greniuk, Madeleine Griffin, Gabrielle Haack, Sidney Hanson, Casey Hass, Kaitlyn Hembre, Jack Hendrickson, Joseph Hinchcliff, Elizabeth Holby, Emily Holmquist, Lauren Holzem, Emily Holzknecht, Maryna Hrytskevich, Mackenzie James, Zachary James, Julia Jerome, Emma Johnson, Nissa Johnson, Kailey Johnson, Hannah Jones, Hadley Jordan, Nathan Kissel, Jamie Klang, Dylan Kline, Erika Kovar, Ava Kramer, Isaac Kramer, Kaytlin Krivich, Spencer Larson, Gannon Larson, Alexander LaValley, Christian Leonard, Colin Lindgren, Trevor Loidolt, Christina Lysdahl, Benton Maass, Chase Marchand, Alivia Mars, Emily Mattingley, Mary McAlpine, John McClay, Justin McDaniel, Amanda McDonald, Shae-Elle McLean, Maggie McQuown, Madalyn Meyer, Benjamin Meyers, Maxwell Michaelis, Kennedi Mitchell, Alexander Morgan, Annika Morgan, Rebekah Morrison, Cy Musgjerd, Ellie Neilson, Ashley Nething, Jessica Nielsen, Jalon Nielson, Samuel Nordstrom, Dylan O’Connor, Marcus Ogren, Grace Olson, Lauren Ott, Matthew Paavola, Crystal Palmborg, Macee Pearson, Nicklaus Perbix, Nicholas Perron, Andrea Petrich, Caylee Piersak, Arieanna Poling, Hailey Pratt, Ryan Rapp, Haley Rasmussen, Abegail Reisinger, Nicholas Rice, Logan Rodgers, Jordan Sakry, Cassandra Schmitz, Skyler Schmitz, Alyssa Schroeder, Jenna Schunk, Kaytlin Sederholm, Austin Solors, Nicholas Sporre, Hailey Stein, Tyler Stordahl, Madeline Streifel, Mark Swann, Mackenzie Taylor, Mason Tegg, Tyler Thorson, Victoria Tobin, Madeline Tomlinson, Ellie Vrchota, Maxwell Waite, Emma Waller, Nicholas Walz, Jeffrey Watkins, Noah Weege, Sidney Wentland, Andrea Westgaard, Maxwell Wiczek, Alexander Wiczek, Michaela Wirz, LeeAnne Wuanti, Jensen Zerban

Elk River High School Grade 11 “B” Honor Roll

Shannon Allen, Chi Asangwe, Sebrina Athey, Dillon Ayers, Abraham Bade, Katherine Barschdorf, Cierra Beckerleg, Hannah Bies, Kian Cappelli, Rebecca Caswell, Kaitlyn Collins, Nicolas Crego, Cole Daleiden, Julie Deschenes, Rachel Dorff, Caitlyn Dunbar, Abby Dwyer, Kristina Erickson, Paige Evenson, Mitchell Feige, Darya Findorff, Charles Franz, Andrew Gehring, Samuel Gibas, Quinton Gilbertson, Zachary Griffiths, Dawson Hagen, Joseph Halvorson, Alina Hansen, Trevyn Haus, Joseph Hess, Jacob Heyne, Blake Hills, Benjamin Hookom, Nathan Horn, Benjamin Johnson, Peightyn Karsten, Sierra Kearns, Emily Kiemele, Jackson Kliewer, Raelyn Korinek, Kali Larson, Molly Larson, Dalton Maahs, Coleman Maegi, Anthony Meister, Davis Monahan, Josiah Monroy, Jax Murray, Tyler Nelson, Josephine Neuenfeldt, Elizabeth Nutter, Grace O’Konek, Isabel O’Konek, Marlys Oliver, Justin Pearson, Kaitlyn Radke, Jessica Reckard, Brianna Reinarts, Nicholas Samson, Benjamin Schafer, Grant Schmitt, Taylor Schroeder, Abby Severson, Emonei Shaw, Laura Simcoe, Lily Simmons, Abbigail Slawson, Samuel Strack, Dawson Straus, William Swanson, Cherish Thao, Elizabeth Thompson, Connor Thompson, Brady Trittin, Luke Tudor, Christopher Udalla, Sarah VanCamp, Jordan Wallace, Madeline Walters, Kennedy Warner, Ryan Weeks, Rohan Willoughby, Joshua Yothers

Elk River High School Grade 12 “A” Honor Roll

Julia Abell, Brianna Anderson, Jadyn Anderson, Adielya Audette, Bradley Beaver, Jacob Benkofske, Bailie Boese, Abigail Bosak, Alison Boser, Katelyn Brinza, Tricia Buerke, Brooke Burns, Lydia Carr, Jacob Carter, Anne Christensen, Myah Christenson, Dylan Church, Nicole Coomer, Maren Corpe, Luisa Corra, Katie Crocker, Ashley Daniel, Jared Davies, Sophia Davitt, Marina Day, Cassandra Dee, Jessica Dexheimer, Devin Dhooge, Jaci Eatherton, Tyler Eirich, Nicholas Engelmeyer, Alexa Filipiak, Jaide Friese, Brianna Gerold, Megan Gonrowski, Madison Gordon, Thomas Graif, Jacob Griffiths, Alyse Grunewald, Carlie Haben, Madison Haley, Julia Hallman, Cole Harris, Brandon Harvell, Sydney Heinen, Isabella Hinseth, Maxx Holland, Aric Jacks, Annika Johnson, Madison Jorgensen, Matthew Keller, Erin Klang, Tyler Klier, Gabrielle Knopick, Mikayla Knudson, Jennifer Koehler, Abigail Kokesh, Gabrielle Kolles, Krista Kovar, Joseph Kramer, Anna Kunkel, Cole Lachmiller, Jayme Langbehn, Callie Larson, Brooke Larson, Blake LaVallee, Emma Leither, Kera LePitre, Allison Libor, Ashley Lind, Ryan Lindquist, MacKenzie Mitzuk, Kemunto Ndege, Rachel Ness, Emily Novotny, Marcus Olson, Matthew Osberg, Landen Paige, Kali Parke, Courtney Peters, Whitney Peters, Lexie Peterson, Anna Pierce, Hailey Poliszuk, Jeremy Radke, Dalton Ramberg, Amanda Reasor, Madison Reichert, Kylee Reimann, Andrew Rhoda, Mary Rolfes, Jenny Rose, Alexandra Sandberg, Taylor Schimmelman, Alexandra Schwab, Madelynn Seifert, Abigail Sharp, Alva Sjoeberg, Madelyne Sorenson, Jennifer Staffenhagen, Elizabeth Stevens, Meaghan Stoutenburg, Keith Sullivan, Jacie Sullivan, Trevor Taylor, Melissa Uphoff, Marissa Utz, Marissa VanTassel, Colin Webster, Kalen Weidenbach, Sierra Weinhold, Hannah Whiting, Timothy Wilder, Jake Winberg, Christopher Wingard, Jessica Wisniewski, Mahli Wold, Grayson Ziegler, Kyle Ziemer

Elk River High School Grade 12 “B” Honor Roll

Antonia Bailey, Michaela Bock, Nicholas Bonk, Kayla Borntrager, Nathanial Bosak, Samantha Bosak, Bridget Brown, Blair Budahn, Reece Byrne, Monet Cairns, Kelsey Carroll, Nathaniel Chesemore, Sophia Christiansen, Joseph Christiansen, Dakota Collins, Haylie Conzet, Madaline Davitt, Michael Domeier, Nathan Dorff, Andrew Doyle, Sara Dryer, Kevin Ehlers, Chase Elrod, Joshua Ettesvold, Noah Farrar, Wyatt Galinski, Grant Gapinski, Hassan Ghazi, Benjamin Gibas, Matthew Goodsell, Tanner Hagglund, Paige Hammer, Benjamin Hansen, Jacob Hanson, Josceline Harris, Jayden Hartfiel, Michael Henry, Molly Hickerson, Michael Holenko, Madison Holk, Peyton Holmes, Tyler Hudson, Hannah Hultberg, Nicole Ingham, Wyatt James, Brooke Johnson, Riley Johnson, Madeline Jung, Shelby Kaunzner, Ayhan Kaygisiz, Alishba Kazmi, Matthew Kiersted, Jack Kolar, Colin Lea, Mackenzie Literski, Kenadee Lonsky, Josie Love, Malie McDevitt Kraljic, Chase Meyer, Derek Meyer, Madison Miernicki, Montana Milless, Megan Milless, Hayley Milless, Amber Mismash, Trent Modeen, David Molla, Maisha Muhummad, Olivia Nelson, Kelsey Nelson, Anna Neuman, Kevin O’Hara, Julissa Ojeda, Mitchell Olson, Mitchell Orrock, Andi Pomeroy, Wyatt Salberg, Abigail Scheid, Cole Schultz, Sophia Schutt, Brendan Simmonds, Kathryn Skorykh, Kayla Soderstrom, Justin Streifel, Danielle Swanson, Dakota Sykes, Mitchell Thompson, Jacob Thompson, Cameron VanBuren, Antonio Vasseur, Cory Warner, Hunter Wesloh, Miranda Wohlers, Aaron Yankowiak

by Trevor Hass
Sports Reporter
After months of intensive research and success at the regional and state-level competitions, Matthew Gearou, a seventh-grade student at Salk Middle School’s STEM Magnet Program in Elk River, presented his 10-minute performance at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest.

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The contest was held June 12-16 at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus in the Washington, D.C., area.
He received high marks from the judges and received recognition in an awards ceremony last Thursday.
Gearou’s performance, titled “Hip Hop Dance: Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History,” told the impact hip-hop has had on history and how it connects music brought here centuries ago from Africa to music that people listen to on the radio today. Although he didn’t receive a top-three medal for his performance, he experienced quite a lot during the trip, including stops at Gettysburg, Arlington National Cemetery and Ford’s Theatre.
The most influential part, Gearou said, was separate meetings with leaders from Howard University and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Gearou spent two hours with Howard University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Anthony Wutoh, along with Calvin Hadley, strategic initiatives advisor, and Earnestine Baker, executive director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program.
Howard University is a top historic black college, and the three congratulated Gearou on his research and success. Directors from the Smithsonian’s Education Department reviewed his project in March and provided him with helpful feedback. When they learned he advanced to nationals, they asked to meet and congratulate him in person.
“The opportunities that open themselves up to students who participate in History Day at all levels is tremendous,” said Gearou’s social studies teacher, Ron Hustvedt, who coordinated the meetings at Howard and the Smithsonian. “It is amazing what happens when students get to direct their learning, challenge themselves and realize they are capable of much more than they ever thought possible.”
Each year, more than half a million students worldwide participate in the annual National History Day Contest, including 30,000 students from Minnesota. Students conduct original historical research using both primary and secondary sources around an annual theme. After completing a project, students compete in a series of contests, beginning at the local level.
The top students in all 50 states, D.C. and United States territories and international schools are given the opportunity to present their projects at the national contest.
“The Minnesota History Day coordinators do a tremendous job supporting students and schools throughout the entire process,” Hustvedt said.
“The work students put into these projects is astounding,” National History Day Executive Director Cathy Gorn said. “Making it to the national contest is an incredible accomplishment. I am confident we will continue to see great things from these students from the skills learned in competing in NHD that prepare them for success in college, career and citizenship.”
More than 300 historians and education professionals evaluate the students’ work at the national competition. Awarded at the national awards ceremony were $150,000 worth of scholarships, and approximately 100 students took home cash prizes between $250 and $1,000 for superior work in a particular category of judging.

by Trevor Hass

Sports Reporter

Barb Tucci had no idea a friendly tip from a colleague in 1979 would determine the entire trajectory of her career and, in many ways, her life.

At that time, she was working for Head Start in St. Cloud, but that guidance counselor told her the Elk River Area School District was hiring a social worker.

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“I applied, and boom, here I am,” Tucci said, “36 years later.”

Tucci, a vibrant, bubbly woman who cares deeply about her job, started at Parker Elementary School later that year. She transitioned to Elk River High in 1983, and she’s been there ever since. She’ll retire at the end of this year, but not without feeling incredibly lucky to have done the work she did.

In 36 years here, Tucci has been through several ups and downs, and she’s grown close with kids who have needed her as they’ve experienced tragic events and personal struggles.

“It’s been an awesome ride for me,” Tucci said. “I just feel really fortunate to be able to have an impact on young people’s lives and help them face those challenges, cope and move on, and continue to strive for their dreams no matter what.”

Initially, Tucci didn’t expect to work in a school system, but she’s extremely grateful she did. She didn’t have a background in special education, so she had to learn about the proper teaching methods before and during her time in that role.

Tucci spent lots of time helping students with individualized education programs, and she grew comfortable in the position over time.

One thing that has amazed her is how much the Elk River community has grown over the years. It used to have a small-town feel, she said, and people would often sleep here and go into work in the Twin Cities. Now, a school district with what she calls “passionate” and “dedicated” employees is continuing to thrive, and the town around it is blossoming as well.

“With a growing community and district, the thing I’ve noticed the most is that the one thing that’s been pretty constant is the school district and their endeavor to service the kids in the community and meet their needs,” Tucci said.

Tucci emphasized that the kids she worked with don’t have a choice on several of the things that happen to them. Sometimes tragedies happen, and her job was to help ensure they handled those tragedies the best they could.

“It’s amazing how resilient students are, despite those challenges,” she said.

Tucci cherishes the relationships she’s been not only able to cultivate but to maintain over the years with students. She points out one student in particular whom she worked with when the student was in elementary school. Nearly a decade later, that student continually stopped in to see Tucci, even when she didn’t have to anymore.

That’s when she knows she’s really made a difference and connected with a student.

“When I think of where she was then and where she is now, mountains have moved,” Tucci said. “I can say that about a lot students.”

Suddenly, inside the Star News office in mid-May, Tucci is fighting back tears. Her job means that much to her. She’s thinking about seeing her students graduate one more time. One last time, in all likelihood.

She hopes to come back and substitute teach periodically, but this is certainly the end of an era for her. Tucci said she never considered working in a new district or switching careers. She’s always been content here, and she’s never had any desire to leave.

Now, though, she knows it’s time to move on, but she also knows she’ll stay close with many of her students.

“It’s good to be an Elk,” she said.

by Trevor Hass

Sports Reporter

Cathy Brant has never been one to worry about immediate results. She prefers to look at the bigger picture.

So when her students act out in class, she doesn’t fret. She knows they’ll eventually appreciate the role she played in their lives.

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“Sometimes when the kids graduate here and you see them later on in life, you go, ‘Wow, I really did a nice job,’ or they compliment you, saying, ‘Brant, I didn’t realize what you were doing with us when we were in class. I’m sorry that I acted the way I did,’” Brant said.

“When I teach kids, it’s not what they’re going to do this year, but five years down the road, what are they going to look like?”

Brant has taught in the Elk River Area School District for 40 years, and she’s been at Zimmerman High School since 1999. She’s worked mostly as a physical education teacher, and she was also a special education teacher.

Brant has seen the school district change considerably over the years, and she’s watched the ebbs and flows of education first-hand for decades. Now, she’s decided, it’s time to retire and pursue some of her other interests.

“I don’t have the energy to do this job anymore,” Brant said. “It’s time right now for me to step aside and let the new energy come.”

Brant has always gravitated to sports. When she was in school, women could only play basketball and run track. Now, she’s amazed at what’s offered to women, from equestrian to soccer and everything in between. She’s loved being able to teach women how to play sports and grow as individuals, and she’s fostered relationships on an individual and group level with young women in her classes.

“That’s been a nice development,” Brant said. “Now that I’m going to be retiring, I hope that the women’s movement continues.”

Brant started as a substitute for 14 years out of college. Then, a principal at VandenBerge Middle School asked her if she wanted to teach special education, and she was eager for the opportunity. She took night classes and received her master’s degree, then she worked two years as a special education teacher.

When high schools opened in Rogers and Zimmerman, that created many job opportunities, and Brant was one of those who benefited from the change. She traveled between VandenBerge and Rogers, and then VandenBerge and Zimmerman, and eventually she got a full-time job at Zimmerman in 1999.

She’s seen many changes since then, and she said the building is starting to look more like a traditional high school. Students will soon no longer have to perform shows in the cafeteria, and the track was a key addition, she said.

“Those kind of changes, you never saw them coming,” Brant said. “I just happened to be the right person who was willing to go that extra mile or so to get hired.”

Brant said she plans on continuing to substitute teach, so she won’t miss being around the school as much as she otherwise would. One thing she has missed in recent years is the period of her life when she was a coach in the Zimmerman area, coaching everything from basketball to softball to volleyball.

Though she wishes she had been a more successful coach, she said she’s fortunate for those relationships she built as well. Brant said middle school is an ideal time to have a true effect on a kid’s life, but now, without the same middle school program, doing so is more difficult.

Now that she’s not teaching full time, Brant said she might take golf lessons, join a bowling league, garden, fish and travel. She plans to visit some friends in Alaska as well.

Though her day-to-day routine will change, she’ll still be around Zimmerman, and she’ll always have incredibly fond memories of her time at the school.

“If I could go back and do something different, I don’t think I’d change anything,” Brant said. “Not a thing.”

by Jim Boyle
Editor

Erin Talley had thoughts of being a veterinarian in middle school, but her family knew better.
She comes from three generations of the educators, starting with her grandmother, Clara Fisher Rybak, who was born in 1901 and became a teacher at a one-room schoolhouse in the 1920s.

The Otsego woman, 59, is retiring from the Elk River Area School District this month, having served as a teacher, Otsego Elementary School principal, a curriculum specialist and the district’s director of teaching and learning.

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Talley is not necessarily done as an educator, but she is changing her scenery. She knew she made the right choice to be an educator early on in her career when her grandmother and mother said they knew she would end up in education.

“I must have had some character traits they saw when I was younger,” Talley said. “I had that teacher gene of being compassionate but able to set high standards and push people to achieve them.”

The daughter of a Marine Corps veteran moved around some growing up, and sometimes when her father was serving certain Marine Corps assignments, she stayed back with her grandmother, who had a long career as teacher and was eventually named a principal of a New Prague grade school. At her retirement, she was called back to be the principal of the St. Wenceslaus Grade School for an additional year. The priest wanted to draw upon her practical and academic ability, said Elaine Rybak Barber, Talley’s aunt who has made a long career as an educator herself.

“Erin (Talley) was certainly influenced by this time that she lived with her grandmother,” Barber said. “I’m sure she heard many stories of how important Clara (Fisher Rybak) was to so many people in the area.”

Thoughts of being a veterinarian as a kid

Talley once told a teacher of her dreams of working with animals while staying after school to do a science project at an international school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“Oh, honey, women are not vets,” she was told. “You should probably think of something else.”
The 1970s direction was enough reframe her thinking. Once her father retired from the Marines, she and her brother landed in New Prague, where her mother, Carol Scott, was raised. She and her brother went on to graduate from New Prague High School.

Talley studied teaching first at the University of Minnesota and got her first job working as a teacher of emotionally and behaviorally disturbed students in the ninth through 12th grades. From there, she went to a private school to teach seventh and eighth grade social studies and English. And from there, she landed in the Elk River Area School District where she has remained for 26 years.

“Education has changed so much,” she said. “There’s so many options open to everybody. That’s pretty cool.”

Grandmother’s friend led her to teaching 

Clara Fischer Rybak was a pioneer in her day. Very few women balanced a career and raised a family.
She started teaching in 1920 after graduating from Jordan High School. She had also no intentions of going into education, but a friend of hers who was going to take a test to see about receiving a teaching certificate asked her to tag along.

Her friend did not pass the tests, but she passed with high marks. Several school boards came calling afterward, and she took a job with Helena, which was 5 miles from her home.

After many years of teaching she became a principal at a New Prague grade school and helped build another on the edge of town.

Talley and Rybak Barber say Clara Fisher Rybak was a strict teacher and demanding.

“You walked a little straighter when you saw her in the hall,” Talley said. “And if you sassed with her, she’d grab your ear, twist it and haul you down into her office and set you straight.”

There was a firmness and at the same time a softness. Talley remembers seeing her grandmother run clothes and shoes to people’s homes under the radar to make sure they were ready for school the next day.

She never had students classified as English Language Learners or English as a Second Language, but she had immigrants and once had a class where not a single student spoke English. She would not tolerate complaints of having to work with students of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

“‘You teach every child that comes into your room, regardless of who they are’ was her belief,” Talley said. “She was a very strong woman.”

Career highlight

Talley says her career highlight came as the principal of Otsego Elementary School, when the state of Minnesota was after the school for not reaching its Adequate Yearly Progress marks on state tests.

It was a frustrating time, as the school had better scores than many other schools in the state but were not under same microscope, Talley said.

It was a rather punitive process, but one that when all was said and done was helpful, she said.

“Our teachers were so invested in the success of that school,” Talley said. “That place will always be near and dear to my heart.”

New scenery

Talley is following her husband, who retired to Florida earlier this month.

“I love my job, but I love my husband more,” she said with a laugh.

Retirement will allow Talley more time with her husband, time to crafts like making greeting cards or working with fiber. She also still has a love for animals, which has resulted in having lots of pets and a beloved horse.

But Talley admits after a few months of “slowing down,” she will likely find a way to plug into a Floridian school system.

“It would almost seem unethical to sit there and do nothing,” Talley said.
Her grandmother worked until she was in her 70s, and her aunt Elaine Rybak Barber continues to substitute teach on a long-term basis at Benilde St. Margaret even though she’s now in her 80s.

Talley’s District 728 career had four stops

Talley’s first job in District 728 was at Rogers Elementary School when Ron Burland was principal at Rogers Elementary.

She was interviewed by now retired administrators Donna Williams and Dawn Moyer,
She became a sixth-grade teacher at Rogers Elementary. From there, she became a curriculum specialist.

“I loved that big picture of Early Childhood through 12th grade,” Talley said.
From there, she got her administration license and taught classes at St. Mary’s for curriculum and for leadership before heading to Otsego Elementary School to be the principal for seven years.

She came back to the District Office three years ago to serve as the director of teaching and learning. She was hired primarily to help with the teacher and principal evaluation system being required by the state.

She was hired by Assistant Superintendent Jana Hennen-Burr, who inherited her twice when she came to Rogers Elementary School and the District 728 Offices and she hired her twice (Otsego principal and teacher and learning director),

“Erin works tirelessly on behalf of students regardless of which position she has held,” Hennen-Burr said, noting she is able to implement change incrementally so it can be done well and in a right manner.

“Each position has been very different but all is interconnected,” Talley said.

The hardest part in education for teachers today, Talley says, is keeping up with changing technology

“I can remember when we got one phone for four of us to share so we didn’t have to go to the office – that was a big deal,” Talley said. “To go from that … to the new teachers now have to be so versed in technology.

“We had one computer we shared. Now we have a one-to-one initiative to get a computer in the hands of every student.”

Talley’s grandmother had died before she became a principal, but she still felt her influence and often.

“She would have said don’t worry about the test scores so much, and don’t worry about the labels on the kids,” Talley said of her grandmother. “Teach every kid.”
She would have liked the direction of staff development, too, which is looking at personalizing learning – call it differentiated professional development, meeting them where they are at.

“There are lots of exciting things going on,” Talley said.
Something will no doubt catch this educator’s interest in Florida. It’s in her genes, after all.

by Jim Boyle
Editor

Bill Hjertstedt’s 40-year career in the Elk River Area School District was launched after a phone call and it lunged forward again when he got another call from a fellow teacher asking if he would serve on the teacher’s negotiating team.

The educator, who spent 29 years as a band director and another 12 as a teacher on leave once he became president of the Elk River Education Association, is retiring at the end of this month.

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Among his parting messages to his EREA executive council was to make sure they ask fellow teachers to get involved.

“When you ask, you seldom get turned down,” Hjertstedt said from his office on Railroad Drive in downtown Elk River where he has welcomed fellow educators into the ranks of union leadership and fostered collaboration with union officials across Sherburne County. “I found that out through my presidency.”

Hjertstedt established himself as a leader of leaders, not a leader of followers. His commitment to recruiting and mentoring the next generation of union leaders was one reason he was recognized last year with the Peterson-Schaubach Outstanding Leadership Award, the highest honor given out to Education Minnesota members.

“Bill has a unique leadership style,” EREA union negotiator Lisa Olson said. “He’s one of those people who realizes he can be replaced. His legacy leaves him with people to fulfill his role.”

Hjertstedt didn’t learn the importance of asking from a textbook. He realized it from personal experience.

The Illinois native, who grew up on the outskirts of Chicago and attended a large suburban high school, developed an interest in music education while still in high school.

He credits his high school band director, Sigurd Swanson, with stoking those flames of passion and creating with in him a desire for a career as a band teacher.

“I never had a study hall,” Hjertstedt said. “I was always in the band room practicing. I was one of those band groupies.”

When he went off to college, he met his the second love of his life, a woman from Minnesota who would become his wife. She brought him home and he pursued a career as a band director in Minnesota.

It didn’t take long before something fell into his lap. Someone who knew of Hjertstedt’s teaching had recommended him for a job, and he got a call from the Elk River Area School District asking him to come in for an interview. He interviewed with Chuck Solheim, a District 728 administrator who hired him one day in 1975 without him ever having to apply for the job as an elementary band director.

“That’s a rarity, to get hired without applying,” Hjertstedt said. “I have been here ever since.”

He taught at the elementary, junior and senior high levels in Elk River and Rogers throughout his 29 years as a classroom teacher.

His goal when he was at the head of the class was to teach in a way where band students had fun yet learned and performed at a high level. He taught teamwork and the importance of working together.

“My philosophy was all of us together can and will achieve greater results than any one of us alone.”

Another call

It was in 1991 that he would get a call from Dick Hales, “a gentleman I learned to respect greatly,” Hjertstedt said. “That call changed my life. I would not be in the position (president of the EREA) if it wasn’t for that call.”

It had been just three years since there had a been a teachers strike over elementary prep time, and there was still emotional residue across the district from the strike.

It didn’t take long for Hjertstedt to get hooked on his work as a union negotiator. By 1995 he was the membership chair.

“I have always considered myself an educator, even as the president,” Hjertstedt said. “Having taught in the classroom for all those years, I know a teacher’s working conditions are the students’ learning conditions.

“When you go into a school and see classes on a cart because there’s not enough space or you see teachers in an overcrowded classroom, that all impacts student achievement.”

Hjertstedt’s next union position came when Hales died; Hales had been the treasurer and Hjertstedt was asked in 1997 to finish his term.

“That led to me doing more,” he said. “

Hjertstedt continued as treasurer until 2004 when he was elected president of the union, a position he would serve for a dozen years. He says he never let his presidency become the “Bill show.”

He said he has cultivated an atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration among union ranks all while working hard to have those dynamics filter into the relationships teachers and administrators had in the schools.

He has also gotten involved in the Education Minnesota Intermediate organization, serving as the president from 2008-2015 of the metro area council, which includes approximately 40 teachers unions. He also served on Education Minnesota’s governing board from 2006-2015.

He has served as a member of the Elk River Area School District’s mission statement committee, its core planning team, effective schools committee and online learning task force over the years, to name a few.

He has been called in to speak to classes of teachers seeking principal’s licenses on the importance of collaboration between the union and administration.

“I have always wanted to create an environment in our schools that is conducive to learning,” he said.

Longtime union negotiator Carole Boelter said Hjertstedt established himself as a man of integrity, humility and focus over the years.

In an unprecedented motion the EREA executive council voted unanimously to name one of its annual scholarships in honor of him to be awarded to a son or daughter of one of its members.

“The Bill Hjertstedt Scholarship will be a fitting tribute to a great leader,” Boelter said.

by Nate Gotlieb

Contributing Writer

Stephanie Dahmen was interested in helping others learn as far back as elementary school, when she would work with the other kids in her class.

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She parlayed that passion into a more than 40-year career as a special-education teacher, the past 21 at Otsego Elementary School.

Dahmen has taught in the Elk River Area School District since 1976, splitting time between Lincoln and Handke elementary schools before moving to Otsego in 1995. She said she has always tried to make kids feel good about their abilities and excited about learning.

“I really have a strong feeling for the students and their families and wanting to have things be good and positive for them,” she said.

Dahmen, a Bloomington native, began her teaching career in the Kiester-Walters School District in southern Minnesota after graduating from St. Cloud State. She started the special-education program in the district, working with about 15 students of varying ages and abilities.

Dahmen said she learned that year to look specifically at each student and find out what his or her needs were. She said she also learned how to develop strong relationships with parents and families of students and to be empathetic of their situations.

“A lot of those families were farming families, (and) the kids would be up real early to help with chores,” Dahmen said. “You needed to be understanding that that was a part of their life, too.”

Dahmen moved to the Elk River district a couple of years later. She said what she takes away most from her time is the memories of the students with whom she has worked.

“Kids can surprise the heck out of us,” she said, noting the successes her students have had over the years. “I love hearing about how they are and what they are doing.”

Special-education teacher Kristin Rutz has worked with Dahmen for the past five years and student-taught with her in 2008. She said Dahmen is a great role model who is dedicated and passionate about teaching kids with disabilities.

“She’s kind of our go-to person when it comes to different academic interventions,” Rutz said. “She was always just very welcoming and inviting (and) always willing to share her experience.”

Rutz said she will miss how sweet and flexible Dahmen is, noting that she became not only a mentor but a friend. Rutz was one of about 30 teachers who student-taught for Dahmen over the years, many of whom are still teaching in the district.

Dahmen said she plans on enjoying life post-retirement, adding that she will visit her sons who live in New York. She said she is still learning new things in her final weeks of teaching and plans on tutoring a couple of students over the summer.

“Everything that I know is because of her,” Rutz said. “She’s just a staple in our school.”

by Nate Gotlieb
Contributing Writer

Patty Flahave was scheduled to interview for a teaching job in Green River, Wyoming, early in her career when she got a call from the superintendent of her hometown school district.

The superintendent asked Flahave to come in for an interview, after conversing with her dad at the town post office. Flahave went in at 1 p.m. on a Saturday and got a job offer, which she accepted.

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The decision led to a nearly 40-year teaching career in central Minnesota, which will culminate in the next couple of weeks. Flahave spent 29 years teaching first grade at Zimmerman Elementary School and 31 years overall in the Elk River Area School District.

“I’m just so lucky and I’m honored to have met and worked with so many wonderful little students and their families,” she said. “That’ll be something I’ll remember forever.”

Flahave was the youngest of eight kids growing up in Royalton, Minnesota. Her father was the town’s mayor and barber while her mother was an elementary teacher in a one-room school house.

“I always called her a pioneer in education,” Flahave said, noting that her mother never took any time off. She said her mother helped instill that passion for education in her, adding that working with kids was something she always wanted to do.

Flahave taught summer school in Little Falls after graduating from St. Cloud State in 1978 and accepted the job in Royalton that August. She taught there for two years and for two years in the St. Michael-Albertville district before coming to the Elk River district. She began teaching first grade at Zimmerman in 1986.

Zimmerman kindergarten teacher Cindy Eversman has worked with Flahave for 25 years. She said the kids love Flahave, noting her love for the school and her belief that every child is capable of learning.

“She’s got such positive energy, and that extends through the way she teaches and the way she communicates with everyone in the building,” said Kris Bonasera, a special-education teacher who has worked with Flahave for 11 years.

“She just has this special nature about her where she knows what kids need.”

First-grade teacher Amanda Aubart has worked with Flahave for 10 years and also went to school with her kids. She said Flahave is “very much student centered” and puts the students above everybody else.

“She always has this glow about her,” Aubart said. “When you see her, you just think, ‘Yep, everything’s going to be great.’”

Aubart said Flahave is in charge of the school’s “sunshine” committee, which takes care of staff members through good times and bad. She has also mentored many teachers in the building, Bonasera said, without an aura of pride or ego.

“There’s no sense of competition,” Bonasera said. “She wants everybody to be great.”

Flahave said there isn’t another school where she’d rather have spent her career. Her husband is retiring in July after 38 years with Great River Energy, and she said they are planning to enjoy the summer and take short, little trips.

Bonasera said she will miss Flahave’s positive attitude and passion for the teaching profession. She added that Flahave is retiring “at the top of her game” and noted how much Flahave has contributed to Zimmerman’s culture.

“This building exudes a lot of warmth because of Patty,” Bonasera said. “She loves these kids, she loves this building and she loves this community.”

Community Education director retires after 40 years in profession that allowed him to lead on many fronts

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Charlie Blesener wrapped up his 40-year career in community education with the same youthful presence he brought to the job as a 22-year-old in Litchfield and a 31-year-old in Elk River.
District 728’s director of community engagement and community education worked late on his second to last day as he finalized a few things he was working on.

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He also helped facilitate a new development in the Outdoor Nature Explore Center at the Handke Family Center. A bison is being added to the educational space created for children, Blesener exuberantly told the Star News the evening of June 29. His last day in his directorship was June 30 after more than 29 years in the Elk River Area School District.
“It has never been a job for me,” Blesener said. “It has been a fun, challenging thing. It has been a career, not a job.
“It’s really a blessing to be able to say that after all these years.”

Seeds planted in hometown of Tracy
Blesener, 62, grew up in Tracy, a small but progressive southwestern Minnesota town of 2,500 people with a good school district. In the summer, there was a swimming pool and some youth programming to keep kids busy.
“It was mostly baseball, baseball and baseball,” Blesener joked. “Oh, and an art guy taught some arts and crafts. A couple coaches were running a track program. And, of course, there were swimming lessons at the pool.”
Neighboring communities would come to Tracy by the bus load to take swimming lessons. Blesener felt a sense of pride for his community.
He graduated from Tracy High School in 1971 and went off to college in Collegeville at St. John’s University to pursue an English degree. He would someday teach history to fuel his academic interests and coach to answer to his competitive desires, or so he thought.
It wasn’t that many history classes in when he realized that was not his desired path.
So what was?
It was between his sophomore and junior year something significant happened to dislodge the first notion of what it might be. Back in his hometown, Tracy hired its first community education director.
“That summer program all of a sudden looked like it was on steroids. There were way more opportunities,” Blesener said, recalling his wide-eyed reaction. “The schools were open in the evening. They’re running the wood shop. Everybody was buzzed.”
Blesener, impressed, talked to the guy bringing all this change. He was as physical education major from St. Cloud State University of all things. He didn’t know much about community education, but SCSU was going through a certification process for a parks and recreation degree.
“That kind of piqued my interest,” Blesener said.
The pace of life soon quickened, as he met Kathleen, the girl he would marry; his career aspiration now had a focus and he needed to finish his schooling.

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He powered on with his pursuit of an English degree at St. John’s, figuring that was developing his written and verbal communication skills. He also began to chase down a parks and recreation degree through a tri-college program involving St. John’s, St. Cloud State University and one other school and got married before the start of his senior year at St. John’s.
By the time he was done at SJU in 1974 he practically had enough credits for both degrees, but he had to gain residency at SCSU and finish a few things, including an internship.
He did his internship the fall of 1975 in his hometown. By this time Tracy had hired a new community education director, a guy with a strong record of park and recreation background from Mankato State.
The Bleseners’ first son was born in October 1975 while Charlie was still doing his internship. He graduated from SCSU in February 1976.
He was home for Christmas in December 1975 when he learned of three job openings, including one in Anoka-Hennepin for a building level position, a community education directorship in Belle Plain and another in Litchfield, but it looked like the window of opportunity had closed on this one.
He called up the superintendent and got permission to send in his stuff though the deadline had passed. He applied to all three districts, but heard back from one.
He got an interview in Litchfield on a Saturday morning. It was with the mayor of Litchfield, school superintendent, the city clerk, the school board chair and two city council and a two school board members.
What Blesener may not have realized is there was a war of philosophies underway related to city recreation and community education. For Litchfield, they were on their second director, but they weren’t sure they wanted to continue their little experiment called community education.
That would be news to Blesener after he got the job. It was delivered by the superintendent who doubled as his supervisor. He needed Blesener to convince community leaders and public of its worth. He started there March 1, 1976, and he has been working in community education ever since.

Never a job, always a career
“The idea of community ed 101 is involving local people, making local decisions, engaging them in what’s going on and listening,” Blesener has said countless times. “It’s looking around for problems and trying to figure out how to solve them.”
That approach helped him as a community education director and also served him well of late as the director of community engagement in District 728 that gave him a seat at Superintendent Mark Bezek’s cabinet table.

Beginnings in Litch’
Blesener started an advisory council in Litchfield with his staff of three that included him. He had someone hired with money from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act and a secretary. The state allowed levy dollars to serve as seed money for his program. Directors were hired with this money. They had to have the programs and services that came with a fee structure to support what they did. It has been that way ever since, giving wind to entrepreneurial wings of school districts.
In Litchfield, his unit started community theater (that’s still going strong), health fairs, preschool fairs and more.
“We had a fun time,” Blesener said.
He was there until 1987.

In 1983 the advisory council there submitted a nomination for community education director of the year, unbeknownst to him. He ended up winning it.
“That was pretty sweet,” Blesener said. “I still have the plaque here.”
Blesener had critics to overcome before he was able to win any awards, though. One of the most vocal was in Kingston, about 17 miles away from Litchfield and barely inside of the district boundaries.
“Everything was happening in Litchfield,” Blesener said. “They were wondering ‘what about us,’ including a frequent letter writer to the town’s newspaper. The man was very critical of government spending and he wasn’t seeing anything happening in Kingston. And what, if any, educational value was there to this increasing expenditure of tax dollars.
“The superintendent keyed me in to him, and I went and talked to him,” Blesener recalled. “The man was in his 70s, and he made a good point.”
Kingston had a ball field, a tennis court along the river and a Legion club but no school. Blesener started scheduling programs, classes and activities out there and things smoothed out over time. By the time Blesener left, a newspaper columnist who had been a critic, too, wrote rather positively about him.
He prefaced the column saying Blesener was a nice enough guy, but he couldn’t understand what he was doing in community education when he first met him. But by column’s end he came around to say he and the CETA worker, a local kid, had assembled a pretty neat program that added a lot to the quality of life in Litchfield. Blesener had converted a significant non-believer.

Banded together
To help them grow in their profession, Blesener and other directors formed a regional group that gathered monthly to swap horror stories between places like Litchfield, Dassel-Cokato, Glencoe, Willmar and Hutchinson.
One of the directors in the group was Denny Carlson, who went on to take a community education director post in Elk River in 1980.
“We said goodbye to Denny,” Blesener said. “I didn’t even know where Elk River was.”
But Carlson would always talk positively about it when he would reconnect with him at conferences. Seven years later he had accepted the Anoka-Hennepin position as its community education director, and Elk River was now open.

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“I was definitely intrigued and interested,” Blesener said. “I ended up applying.
“That was a hard decision. We had a lot of friends and by then we had three kids.”
Blesener also interviewed in St. Francis but bowed out in hopes the more attractive job in Elk River would materialize.
“Elk River there was the old downtown,” Blesener recalled. “The theater down there. A Super Value. And one of the first things I saw was the pit.”
Blesener made it through the first round and was called back for a second interview with Superintendent George Zabee and Assistant Superintendent David Flannery. The whole process had delayed by a hunting trip Zabee took out west, but he had a 3.5 hour interview.
He and another finalist were passed on to the School Board, and Blesener was picked. He started January 1987.
Carlson was glad to see Blesener get it.
“I had no doubt he would be a good fit and people would respond to his leadership,” Carlson said. “He had already established himself as a great community educator. He has a great sense of humor, is a problem solver, a team player, collaborative, innovative and experimental with his ideas.”
Blesener’s career spanned 40 years: 11 years in Litchfield and 29 in Elk River.
Former Superintendent David Flannery said Carlson, with the leader he had been, was a tough act to follow, but the table was set well for someone like Blesener who clearly wanted to come in and make a difference.
“What started as a recreational program plus some hobbies into what it is today where the wide-ranging needs of preschool and postsecondary school populations were taken seriously and served, everything from diagnosing learning needs of infants to addressing the driving needs of senior citizens are now integral parts of public education,” Flannery said.
Litchfield prepared Blesener well for Elk River. Kingston was a trial run on reaching out to communities like Zimmerman and Rogers that didn’t have the same access to services. Here, however, there was provincialism unlike he had ever seen.
Blesener has been one of the architects of alliances and partnerships with the public to break through the walls of provincialism. The district is now decentralized and the latest building project aims to make buildings across the district comparable to one another with additions of gym space, theaters and early childhood spaces.
“For a long time district leadership was stuck on the idea of build one big high school east of town, but lost several referendums trying to do so,” Blesener said.
Over the years there have been 20 bond or levy elections in 29 years. With the two “yes” votes in 2014, the district has a 16-14 record at the polls.
“We’re above .500, which is more than I can say for the Twins,” Blesener said, chuckling.
Successful referendums came as a result of educators and community members pulling together, Flannery said.
“Charlie’s work and insight made a ‘yes’ vote more likely, more often,” Flannery said. “He probably doesn’t get much credit for levy success, but, in my opinion, he should.
“He understood the complexities of our complex five-county, multiple-community district and he helped the rest of us understand it, too,” Flannery said.
Blesener served a population of about 10,000 in Litchfield, and there were about 22,000 people in the Elk River Area School District when he arrived. That number has tripled by career’s end.
He has excelled at looking out for all populations, from “womb to tomb” or “cradle to grave” as he has said over the years.
“We started with the idea that public schools belonged to the community and that everyone should be able to get use out of these tax-funded facilities,” Carlson told the Star News.
An advisory council has been a key ingredient to success, Blesener said, adding the people he has worked with over the years have been the driver.
Early Childhood Family Education was in its infancy in the 1980s. School readiness came on the scene while Blesener was in Elk River.
He started an adult Basic Education and ECFE in Litchfield. Here, he was tasked with growing them. And using the entrepreneurial spirit of community education, he started a school-age program from scratch in the Elk River Area School District.
Blesener became the director of community engagement about five years ago, a position that was a natural progression for his career, according to Superintendent Mark Bezek.
Blesener facilitated community cafes that led to the creation of the district’s strategic plan documents, and he became the keeper of the plan and eventually was tasked with heading up communications, too.
As he departs, there are more than 400 employees working in District 728’s Community Education program. The district serves 800 families with school-age care in the EdVenture program.
In addition to the core programs, there are also screenings, youth and adult enrichment, arts and career skills classes, programming for adults with disabilities, Adult Basic Education and the Adult English Language Learner programs.
Blesener has also been instrumental in the legislative advocacy for District E-12 students. He headed up the Legislative Action Team for the school district.
Most of the challenges in the Elk River Area School District over the years were brought about by growth, Blesener said.
He said he always leaned on the community education model to dial into the needs of the community.
“It’s all about anticipating what’s coming,” he said.
“There were years when our enrollment in the fall was 500 to 600 students greater than it was in May.”
ECFE often got bumped out of its spaces, but space specifically for early childhood has placed dedicated spaces in all four major population centers of the school district.
“If it isn’t secure, then we have gone against the compact we made with our public,” Blesener said. “That would be the argument I would make inside the system as well as outside the system.”
The merits of early education have long been touted, but they are resonating more than ever.
“Those of us within the field, within community education, within early childhood, school-based early education, have been talking about this forever and a day,” Blesener said. “What has finally begun to change some of that is probably that some of the Fortune 500 companies in Minnesota have grasped it and it has now moved into the political realm for the past two, three legislative sessions.
“That has bathed decisionmakers, councils, school boards and superintendents. High-quality learning experiences before children are 5 years of age have such lasting effects. We are doing a disservice by not making sure opportunities are available for families.”
The more kids are ready to learn by kindergarten, the more children are going to be able to read by third grade.
Blesener said District 728 is well-positioned with the Handke Center, the E-8 facility in Otsego and early childhood spaces coming online in Rogers and Zimmerman.
“The next logical place is to have dedicated spaces at each elementary school attendance area,” he said. “I think one day we will see high-quality preschools, and school-based programs for 3- and 4-year-olds will be as ubiquitous as all-day K.”
Blesener has been at the center of the Elk River Area School District’s decentralization, its strategic plans and its building program plans.
“I have taken seriously the responsibility of being a community education practitioner and understanding the philosophy of it.”
The challenge is engaging people in a day and age of two-income families with most of the jobs outside of the community.
“These are exhausted people that come home,” he said. “How do you effectively engage citizens to care and make a difference, weigh in and share their precious time guiding something like this?”
Once they’re there, it’s identifying needs and ideas on how to bring resolution. Blesener says his biggest success was the most recent strategic plan document.
“We just finished a fourth year with that,” he said. “That work began with community conversations. We had the community cafes.
“We had purposeful questions, carefully crafted, future-oriented.”
That led to committee work and finally a guiding document that has been used to implement changes in a big system with more than 13,000 students and more than 2,400 employees.
“We have really listened,” Blesener said. “The board used information well to craft the two questions that showed up November 2014. Two questions passed with yeses in the high 50s at a time when dollars are tight.
“It sets the district up really well with a lot of space, accommodations, better technology than ever; early learning is well-positioned to grow and meet more needs.”
Blesener is also proud of the work at Handke, putting it back in its rightful place as historic building, the creation of the nature play area, the stadium being put on the National Registry and early childhood facility grants that were landed.
In retirement, Blesener plans to travel with his wife and live more spontaneously. They want to knock things off their bucket lists and spend time with their children Lucas, Dominic and Isaac, daughters-in-law Kate and Erica, and grandchildren Alex, Carson and Claire.
“This is a career where the 40-hour week is not something that came with it,” Blesener said.

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Clik here to view.A Wells Concrete crew of eight men out of Maple Grove recently maneuvered 49,000-pound pre-cast insulated wall panels into place for the construction of an expanded gymnasium at Elk River High School.

Three Wells Concrete employees took a special interest in the job as they were Elk River High School graduates. Louie Weber graduated from ERHS in 1974 and Blake Anderson and Jarrod Beltrand were ERHS graduates in the 1990s.

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by Peg Craig
Contributing Writer
A firm has been selected to help in the search for a new Elk River Area School District superintendent.
The School Board met Monday to interview firms to assist in the search for interim and permanent district superintendents.

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The current superintendent, Mark Bezek, will serve until July 31, when he will leave to go to Somerset, Wisconsin. The board has decided to select an interim superintendent to lead the district until it finds a permanent superintendent.
School Board members listened to presentations from three search firms hoping to help them fill these positions. After follow-up questions and discussion, they decided to hire School Exec Connect.
This firm also handled the search process when Bezek was hired 10 years ago. School Board Member Sue Farber, who was on the board at that time, commented that they had done good job then. Other directors liked their national reach and commitment to finding a good match for the district and for the candidate.
To determine the qualities of an ideal candidate for the Elk River Area School District, they will use focus groups and an online survey for maximum participation. This community participation is one of the hallmarks of School Exec Connect’s process.
They will conduct a nationwide search and will present a slate of well-vetted candidates for the board to interview. Finalists will have a second interview.
If the candidate the board hires leaves for any reason within the first year, the firm will conduct a new search at no cost to the district.

The Elk River Area School District posted for an interim superintendent this week to replace Superintendent Mark Bezek, who is done at the end of this month after taking a job in Somerset, Wisc.
The posting will close on Wednesday, July 27, and interviews are planned for Friday, July 29. Several candidates have reportedly expressed interest in serving in an interim role.
The job opening was posted on the Minnesota Association of School Administrators web page and the Minnesota School Boards Association web page.
The plan is for the School Board to hire someone at its 7 p.m. meeting on Aug. 8 at Elk River City Hall.
There will be a planning meeting on Sept. 26 related to the search for a permanent school superintendent.
The School Board will add a new board member after the Aug. 9 primary. There are three candidates seeking to fill out the remainder of former School Board Member Jane Bunting’s seat. They are Jerry Jaker, of Elk River; Gregg Peppin, of Rogers; and Anthony Martin Pietrzak Jr., of Elk River.
The School Board will add at least another two and maybe three new board members come January as only one incumbent, School Board Chairwoman Holly Thompson, of Zimmerman, filed for re-election. The others seeking office are Christi Tullbane, of Rogers, Joel Nelson, of Ramsey; Kristian Mortenson, of Elk River; John Parker, of Elk River; Andrew Kennedy, of Otsego; and Gary Kowalkowski, of Elk River. The top six in the Aug. 9 primary will advance to the general election in November.
The Star News will publish a voter’s guide next week that will include the races for School Board and primary races for the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners.

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Clik here to view.Elk River Area School District school calendars for the 2016-17 school year were delivered in the July 23 edition of the Star News. Additional copies will also be available at the Star News, 506 Freeport Avenue.

Dean’s lists:
Augsburg College
Elk River
Nick Mordal

College of Saint Benedict
Elk River
Claire O’Konek
Otsego
Katie Langer

Drake University, Iowa
Elk River
Megan Nelson
Rogers
Sara Filo

Minnesota State University, Mankato
Elk River
Mariah Betzler, Shyler Egan, Greta Gleiter, Mia Hansen, Katelyn Hartneck, Courtney Jensen, Katherine Johnson, Haley Lenz-Severson, Brandon Marohn, Adam Peterson, Wyatt Pouliot, Nicole Remus, Elizabeth Schmitz, Sophomore, Sarah Schroeder, Valery Vola, Haley Weidenbach, Paige Wheeler
Otsego
Nicole Blake, Caleb Burke, Shaina Daleiden
Rogers
Amanda Adair, Hayden Booms, Laura Donley, Madison Edstrom, Hailey Eide, Callan Feucht, Joseph Hines, Alyssa Molnar, Jenna Neis, Taylor Paulsrud, Tristan Sweet, Madeline Walker, Brittany Wickoren
Zimmerman
Jaydee Green, Tanner Haglund, Anne Rademacher, Anna Ruel, Austin Tretbar, Ryan Vermeer

Normandale Community College
Zimmerman
Daniel Britt

Saint John’s University
Rogers
Lukas Belflower
Zimmerman
Jeffry Anderson

St. Olaf College
Zimmerman
Amber Magnussen

University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Elk River
Anessa Demers, Cole Fechner, Cameron Gallenberg, Jadie Jopp, Alix Klang, Jessica Klutch, Lindsey Koosmann, Rebecca Lieser, Jacob Long, Daniel Lucas, Meagan Marsh, Molly McQuown, Mason Oberleitner, Kallie Peterson, Courtney Reistad, Madisann Sayler, Isaac Schwab, Emily Sederstrom, Lillian Stanaway, Amelia Tesdahl, Blake Thompson, Matthew Wandersee, Sophie Wiitala
Otsego
Taycia Brandon, Kendall Edstrom, Christian Jensen, Zachary Kabitz, Travis Nelson, Savannah Olson, Brenna Schlauderaff, Alex Zopfi
Rogers
Ashley Bienias, Caroline DeWerd, Brooke Eidenschink, Ann Hinrichs, Abigail Ihli, Daniel Kelly, Morgan Kornovich, Katelyn Lerfald, Jack Lindquist, Erica Loukusa, Mitchell Loukusa, Rachel Lutchen, Arista Metz, Sydney Nelson, Emmanuel Okematti, Ryan Schmitz, Laura Schreiber, Jaxon Sommers, Mitchell Steeves, Kate Stillman
Zimmerman
Megan Brueske, Lance Davis, Ryan Derrick, Samantha Hamlin, Jonathan Hanson, Danielle Johnson, Mikala Lowe, Allison Sterneman, Kenneth Wuollet

University of St. Thomas
Elk River
Emma Crane, Shayla Curtis, Courtney Grunewald, Peter Jones, Jake Knopick, Madeleine Ley
Nowthen
Macey VanKrevelen
Otsego
Heather Kilber, Madison Lehn
Rogers
Rocky Nelson, Mikayla Schreiber
Zimmerman
Kathryn Denne, Nicholas Johnson

University of Sioux Falls
Rogers
Abby Folk

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Elk River
Amanda Sieger

University of Wisconsin-Stout Spring
Elk River
Tyler Bethke, Jordan Brown, Riley Filipovich, Alyssa Germscheid, Leah Haggberg, Alec Hammer, BS engineering technology, Lindsey Hendrickson, Alivia Lensing, Senja Lotter, Blake Shermer, Kennedy Strain, Jaclyn Studniski, Heather Veith,
Rogers
Joseph Konkle, Ele Nies, Sydney Wolfbauer
Zimmerman
Bailey Bircher, Jacob Martin, Taylor Odegard
Graduations:
Normandale Community College
Otsego
Sheida Ivette Sadr-Panah, A.A., liberal education, honors

St. Cloud State University
Elk River
Adam Barthel, B.A., geography, magna cum laude; Kevin Botts, bachelor of elective studies in liberal studies; Robert Fodness, B.S., finance; Tara Forcier, A.A., liberal arts and sciences; Michael Hauglid, B.S., computer science, cum laude; April Kaiser, B.S., community psychology; Jane Kallemeyn, B.S., elementary/k-6 education, magna cum laude; Jacob Lowe, B.S., nursing, cum laude; Caleb Peabody, B.S., mass communications; Tanya Reemts, B.S., health and physical education; Daniel Ryan, graduate certificate in sped: academic and behavioral strategist; Joseph Solberg, B.S., technology management, cum laude; Amanda Wall, master of business administration in business administration; Morgan Wohlers, B.S., elementary/k-6 education
Nowthen
Timothy Deedrick, master of business administration in business administration; Stacey Ley, B.S, social work
Otsego
Abigail Oelke, B.A., theatre; Ashley Quintavalle, B.S., life science/general science education grades 5-12; Cyrus Simmonds, B.S., finance; Joseph Sperling, B.S., chemistry – ACS approved, cum laude; Joseph Watson, B.A., psychology
Rogers
Melissa Anderson, B.S., marketing, magna cum laude; Melissa Anderson, certificate in professional selling specialization; William DeWitt, graduate certificate in sixth year program: educational administration; Nicholas Dohmen, bachelor of elective studies in liberal studies; Emily Helwig, B.S., elementary/k-6 education, magna cum laude; Sarah Jacobs, graduate certificate in geographic information science
Zimmerman
Jodi Acker, graduate certificate in school counseling; Tina Boettcher, bachelor of elective studies in community psychology; Jennifer Hegna, B.A., criminal justice studies, international relations, political science; Brooke Inman, B.S., marketing, cum laud; Brooke Inman, certificate in professional selling specialization; Drew Nungesser, B.A., psychology; Alexandra Saterdalen, bachelor of elective studies in liberal studies; Noel Willis, B.S., community psychology, summa cum laude

St. Olaf College
Zimmerman
Caleb Lunning , B.A., biology; Ethan Lunning , B.A., social studies education

University of Minnesota, Morris
Zimmerman
Carissa Fuller, B.A., area of concentration: exercise science, biology minor

University of St. Thomas
Elk River
Tyler Ecklund, M.B.A., business administration; Michael Holm, executive M.B.A.; Kayla Knopick, B.A., middle/secondary education, comm. arts and literature (5-12); Taylor Lussier-Flesher, B.A., business administration, marketing management; Kaleb Orrock, B.S., business administration, real estate studies; Cheryl Ryan, E.D.D., leadership; Luke Utecht, Psy.D., counseling psychology
Otsego
Travis Deters, M.B.A., business administration
Rogers
Kelly Brenny, B.A., business administration, accounting, summa cum laude; Joseph DeSplinter, B.S., business administration, real estate studies; James Jensen, B.A., computer science; John Johansen, executive M.B.A.; Rachel McGrath, B.S., neuroscience; Amy Murschel, M.B.A., business administration; Courtney Reinitz, B.A., psychology; Cheryl Reinking, M.A., pastoral ministry; Jennifer Vierstraete, M.A., curr and instr education k-12
Nowthen
Benjamin Sjodin, B.A., business administration, financial management

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Elk River
Dylan Chambers, B.B.A., business, health care administration
Rogers
Trevor Berkley, B.B.A., business, management
Zimmerman
Julia Osowski, B.S., arts and sciences, biology

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Rogers
Brita Larson, B.S., early childhood through middle childhood education, honors
Zimmerman
Luke Schmit, B.S., finance

University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Elk River
Britta Grovender, B.S., biology

by Jim Boyle
Editor
The Elk River Area School Board has selected a former St. Cloud superintendent to lead District 728 for the coming school year.
Bruce Watkins was the unanimous choice July 29 after interviewing what board members described as three really good candidates.

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Before making a decision, they wrestled with who, of the two best, most experienced candidates – Watkins and former Anoka-Hennepin School District Superintendent Denny Carlson — should be their pick.
Acknow-ledging that the School Board will have at least three new members and as many as four new members by January, they put their full support behind Watkins.
“If we’re looking for someone to nurture a new board, I think Bruce would nurture a new board very well,” Board Director Sue Farber said. “I liked his comments on being collaborative and on community. It’s like he read our playbook.”
District 728 administrators and Watkins entered into negotiations on the afternoon of July 29, and the School Board will be asked to approve a contract that extends to June 30, 2017, at its regular meeting on Aug. 8 at the District 728 offices (Elk River City Hall, its normal space for business meetings, will be tied up as voting officials prepare for the Aug. 9 primaries and special District 728 election).
School Board Chairwoman Holly Thompson called Watkins after the vote to extend an offer to him.
“I drove away thinking I really felt a connection with the board and your sense of pride and community,” Watkins said in a call placed on speaker phone. “I would be very anxious to be part of that next school year.”
Watkins could begin as early as Aug. 9.
Watkins served as the St. Cloud superintendent of schools from 2004 through 2008 and again from 2010 through 2013. Over the last couple of years, he’s been working in the St. Paul area, serving as executive director of the Nova Classical Academy in 2014-2015 and last year working on an extensive teacher evaluation project for the St. Paul Conservatory.
Watkins started his educational career, which spans more than four decades, in Proctor, where he was a teacher and principal. He served as an assistant superintendent in the Duluth School District, as well.
After the interim process is complete, District 728 School Board members and consultant School Exec Connect will work with district members and the community at large in an extensive process to place a permanent superintendent of schools.
Thompson said she expects the process to stretch into 2017, so board members installed in January can be part of the decision-making process.
Watkins complimented the board on its decision to wait until the board stabilizes.
“For every superintendent, the best board they work with is the one that hired him or her,” Watkins said. “They’re all invested.”

Of top 10 largest school districts in state, local district finished first in math

The Elk River Area School District has earned a spot among the best in the state when it comes to proficiency in math, based on the 2015-16 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment exams.
The district also continues to outpace the state average when it comes to test scores in reading and science.
The Minnesota Department of Education released the MCA III exam results on July 28. The comprehensive assessments check proficiency in the three core subjects for educators across elementary, middle and high school levels.

Jana Hennen-Burr, the assistant superintendent of educational services, said the results are exciting and something to be proud of as a school district.
“The student success is a sign of our success as a team of educators,” Hennen-Burr said in a press release issued by the school district. “We’re proud, as a leadership team, that our teachers are putting our students in a position to achieve and truly thrive.”
Out of the top 10 largest school districts in Minnesota, District 728 placed first in overall math scores. The district’s average score of 72.9 percent proficient topped the state average by 13.5 percent and is a 2 percent rise under the current testing format adopted in 2013. Though it’s a very slight drop from 2015, it was on pace with a statewide drop in MCA math scores.
In a larger trend, the state meanwhile, has seen a 2 percent drop in its average scores since 2013, widening the gap between District 728 students and the Minnesota average.
“While we’re more than 13 points clear of the state in proficiency, what’s exciting is the number of students exceeding that proficiency mark in math,” Joe Stangler, District 728 director of research and assessment, said. “Nearly 36 percent of our kids who take the test are exceeding proficiency standards. Statewide, that number’s at just over 25 percent. So we’re seeing many of our students in that top performance category.”
Seventh-graders made the biggest jump in math scores, where they have an 18.2 point advantage over their peers statewide. More than 74 percent of seventh-graders in the district’s middle schools were proficient on the MCA or better, a jump of more than 6 points over 2015’s score, which was at its highest point from 2013.
That trend didn’t drop off in eighth grade, either, where there’s a 19.6 point margin between the Elk River Area School District and the state average.

Reading scores
News was also good in reading, where the district improved overall to nearly 69 percent of students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards. That’s the highest point in district history, and 9-point margin over the state’s average, also a district record.
The gap between District 728 and the state appears as early as fourth grade, where nearly 70 percent of kids are proficient on their exam or better. Statewide that number’s down at 58.3 percent.
The disparity continues, with more than 66 percent of students successful on their reading exams in eighth grade, compared to just 57 percent statewide. That’s puts ISD 728 9 points ahead of averages.
And of the state’s 10 largest school districts, ISD 728 was third in reading proficiency.

Science scores
Middle school students continue to lead the pace in science assessments, as well, with more than 62 percent of fifth-graders proficient or better on their MCA exam versus just 47 percent statewide. Overall the district topped the state by more than 10 percentage points, with 65.1 proficient or better.
District 728 jumped 2.2 percent from 2015 and is up nearly six points since 2013 exams. The state, meanwhile, was up 1.7 percent year-over-year and is up just 2.6 percent since 2013.
“We continue to distance ourselves from state averages in a good way,” Stangler said. “That’s a testament to the system we have of identifying areas where we can grow and putting the right tools into the classroom.”

More Information
Families and parents, as well as community members can drill deeper into MCA test results on the Minnesota Department of Education’s website. Readers can find building-by-building results, as well as grade-by-grade breakdowns. There are also results sorted via ethnic groups as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Elk River High School officials are considering their options for the start of the year as a team from the Institute for Environmental Assessments has been assessing the damage since an Aug. 10 storm put the brakes on a school expansion project.

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School officials have learned they might not be able to occupy the A-wing of the building when school begins on Sept. 6, and once work begins to repair the gym floor, it will take five to six weeks to complete before it’s ready for action.
If that’s the case, lunch could be held at the Elk River Ice Arena and 1,700 students could be shoe-horned into the B- and C-wings until access to the A-wing is regained.
Another possibility would be to ramp up distribution of Chromebooks and train teachers of ninth- and 10th-grade classes to make use of Schoology as teachers of 11th- and 12th-grade classes did this past year.
“We would have to rearrange our workshop schedule to bring tech folks in to get our staff up to speed,” Elk River High School Principal Terry Bizal said. “We think the kids, quite honestly, would adapt quite well.”

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But these discussions are on the back burner as school and district officials focus on the safety of the building.
“We would like to go 100 miles an hour,” Bruce Watkins, interim superintendent of schools, said at an Aug. 15 work session of the Elk River Area School Board. “On the other hand, we don’t want seal up that building or start doing construction, later to find moisture, and we created our own nightmare.”

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Laura Masley, the Elk River Area School District’s operations manager tasked with health and safety, said right now the high school doesn’t have a mold problem.
“We have a water problem, and we want to keep it that way.”
As the Institute for Environmental Assessments has been assessing the damage, District 728 officials and contractors have been urging a thorough, well-documented process.
The institute has been using moisture mapping equipment and other tools to discern where water has traveled that can’t be seen by the naked eye to get a handle on what it will take to remediate the problem.
There has also been a mass effort to dry the building out with commercial fans and other apparatus.
Watkins pulled people together for the Aug. 15 work session and pointed out right away it was not a session to point fingers. That will come later, he said, and involve insurance companies, and perhaps attorneys, as it becomes clear what happened and who is responsible.

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Another meeting with the Institute for Environmental Assessments, construction staff, contractors, school and district officials will take place Monday. This past week, efforts were also being made to assemble all parties who need to be plugged in, according to Robert Sehm, an associate with Wold Architects. That includes building inspectors, electrical inspectors and roof inspectors.
“This work has a lot of tentacles to it, so we’re assessing everything,” Sehm said.
“What’s important to reiterate is, is this is driven by environmental concerns and the remediation has to happen,” said Tom Baranick, the facilities manager for the Elk River Area School District.

Things could have been worse
A decision was made on the night of the Aug. 10 storm to empty garbage a couple of hours early. That put Keith Mathison, the nighttime lead custodian, and his partner in position to witness the problems emerge shortly after 7 p.m. that night.
The first sign of trouble was a single drop of water near a drinking fountain heard by one of the janitors. That would be an easy fix. A bucket underneath it, and go about your business.
Moments later, however, the rush of running water could be heard coming down the side of a brick wall that lined one side of the gymnasium. They raced to the other side of the gym to find just as much chaos.

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Mathison made his first phone call and mustered the rest of his energy in an effort to save the gym floor.
Water came in from the roof above the hallways on both the east and west sides of the gymnasium and near the main entry of the school where roofing work was taking place, Masley reported.
The immediate challenge became that there was not one central problem area. There were several places where the water was entering, and in some cases made its way to lower level of the school, impacting hallway ceilings, duct work and pipe insulation.
Construction crews have been addressing a need to bolster the roof’s ability to take on snow. The roof had sagged a few years ago when there was an extraordinary amount of snow one winter.
The assessment of damage started on Aug. 11 and has continued every day since, and the building has been monitored to see how it holds up in subsequent storms. It held up this past Tuesday’s storm, Bizal said.
“We’re nearing the completion of the assessment phase, but we need to know more about the outcome of the testing and the timeline it will take to occupy,” Watkins said. “It’s not that the building is closed and we’re not making process. We’re carefully considering the steps … to get a clean bill of health.”
School Board Member Jamie Plantenberg-Selbitschka thanked everybody for their thoughtful approach.

Dean’s lists:
North Dakota State University
Elk River
Erika Johnson
Rogers
Anna Ehresmann

Graduations:
Bemidji State University
Elk River
Robert Carlson, B.S., business admiminstration; Madeline Gregory, B.S., art and design
Otsego
Melissa Mathies, B.A., creative and professional writing
Rogers
Emily Reichert, B.S., business administration
Zimmerman
Allison Giese, B.A., English, B.S., English education; Cody Heinemann, B.S., business administration; Melinda Singleton, B.A., biology, creative and professional writing; Lindsey Wagenbach, B.S., nursing

Drake University (Iowa)
Elk River
Emma Koehn, B.S., business administration – actuarial science/finance