by Jared Hines
Contributing Writer
Youth in Government — commonly referred to as YIG — is a state government simulation program that has over 1,300 youth participants. Much like any national or state government, YIG is broken down into three categories: legislative, judicial, and executive.
The Elk River chapter of YIG is well-represented, including two students who will hold important positions in YIG as they move forward in their high school careers.

“I joined YIG my freshman year and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the program,” Elk River sophomore Joe Anderson said. “I had only decided to join because a YIG alumnus visited my AP Human Geography class.”

Both Anderson and Sadhika Prabhu were among dozens of local students in the Elk River delegation that attended the YIG conference in January. The conference was held downtown at the Hilton hotel in Minneapolis. The Elk River delegation represents Elk River, Rogers and other local schools. Prabhu attended Salk Middle School in Elk River but now attends Blaine High School and lives in Maple Grove. Still, she was able to participate with former classmates in the YIG conference.

“The program set up in Elk River is so great that I have decided to stick with it,” Prabhu said. “This year and the last we really came together as a delegation to support people going for statewide positions and we were finally successful this year. It’s just a great example of how YIG can prove to be a great time of coming together, especially in our delegations.”

The statewide position that Prabhu mentioned was Anderson being appointed to be the 2018 Minnesota YIG secretary of state. Anderson announced his candidacy about a month before the YIG conference and then went to work at creating a Twitter and Instagram account to spread the word to #GoWithJoe.

“The January conference rolled around, and I found myself sitting in the house chamber during out first floor session. The first bill was presented and debate opened up. Immediately I realized why Youth in Government was special to so many people,” Anderson said. “It was a setting where youth from all across Minnesota had an outlet to share their experiences and beliefs. Bills were fiercely debated, and the house floor was a place for many diverse perspectives to be listened to and voted on. Bills failed and passed based on the strength of the ideas that opposed or affirmed them.”

Prabhu also was voted on for a position in the 2017 conference, being elected as the chief judge of the district courts. Being elected to a position can bring a lot more work for those who are voted in, but for Prabhu and many other members of YIG, fun is the name of the game.

“We have a dance, a carnival, realistic town hall debates and the opportunity to stay at a hotel for four days with friends that we know and live by and use it as an opportunity to meet with those we don’t see year-round,” Prabhu said. “Our days are long but very enjoyable and some great traditions are made.”

On top of taking over the Hilton hotel in Minneapolis, the YIG conference also takes over many of the state government buildings during the week to enhance the real-life experience that Youth in Government tries to give students. Many students were excited to see the renovations to the Capitol and because, of the mutual respect between the Capitol staff and the YIG conference members, the delegations that came to the 2017 YIG conference were among the first to step inside the newly renovated building.

“The area that I will now be leading in, we get to use robes, sit behind the bench, and realize that we are sitting in a place where the adults who dictate most of our lives sit when they are making real-life decisions,” Prabhu said.

YIG members are allowed to join in eighth grade, and many who attend at the young age of 14 are usually back until they are seniors in high school. Those who have any curiosity about government are encouraged to try it one year to see what it’s all about, and YIG alumnus frequently visit underclassman classrooms to try to promote YIG programs at a state and national level. The next conference that the Elk River delegation will be involved in is the Model United Nations Conference that takes place March 30 to April 1. The delegation is hoping to have more members attend and to continue to grow overall as a program. The Elk River delegation was the fourth largest delegation at January’s conference.

For Anderson and Prabhu the work is just beginning but both expressed how much they enjoy YIG and the amount of support they got from other members of the delegation. That support helped push them through the long days and nights as they prepared for the January conference and will continue to prepare for conferences going forward.

“I noticed the relationships that were built during the conference,” Anderson said. “YIG became like family. Only Youth in Government could build these deep connections. I am certain that I made many lifelong friends at that January conference.”

“When I think about what we have accomplished and then also the little jokes I’ve made with friends, old and new, I have to smile,” Prabhu said. “You don’t need to be in YIG for all five years to have a good experience. These memories can be formed over just one conference.”

The Elk River Area School Board has unanimously approved a motion to enter into a three-year superintendent contract with Dr. Daniel Bittman for the period July 1, 2017 and ending on June 20, 2020. Bittman has been the Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools superintendent since 2010. He lives in Sauk Rapids with his wife and three children. Check out the March 18 Star News for more on Bittman and the School Board’s decision.

It has been recommended the new E-8 school under construction in Otsego be named Prairie View Elementary and Middle School. Principal Kari Sampson outlined on March 13 the processed use to narrow 60 recommended names down to three before a committee reached an agreement on its recommendation. The Elk River Area School Board will vote on recommendation at its March 27 regular meeting.

Salk Middle School has been named a National Magnet School of Excellence by Magnet Schools of America, the national association for magnet and theme-based schools.

This is the fifth year in a row that Salk, a pre-engineering magnet school, has been recognized by Magnet Schools of America as a Merit Award winning school. Principal Julie Athman will be recognized and receive a National Magnet School of Excellence Merit Award on behalf of the school during an awards ceremony held at Magnet Schools of America’s 35th national conference hosted by Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California, April 26-30.

Magnet School of Excellence Awards are only given to a select group of magnet schools. Schools of Excellence are eligible to receive monetary and other prestigious awards.

Bittman was both top and the unanimous choice of School Board at completion of selection process

by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer

Sitting in the front row of the audience during a March 13 Elk River Area School Board meeting, Daniel Bittman was officially hired to serve as the district’s next superintendent.

According to Bittman’s three-year employment contract, the Elk River Area School District will pay the incoming superintendent a gross annual salary of $205,000 for the 2017-2018 school year. The salary will increase over the next two years; Bittman will receive $208,075 for the 2018-2019 school year and $211,196 for the 2019-2020 school year.

“Hiring the best superintendent that we can find is a goal that we all share,” School Board Director Gregg Peppin said. “With the hiring of Dr. Bittman, I think we’ve succeeded.”

Other board members also offered welcoming words to Bittman and his family.

“We open our arms to you and your family and we’re very excited,” said School Board Chair Shane Steinbrecher.

Referring to Bittman’s salary, Peppin noted taxpayers were asked to make a “sizable contribution” for their next superintendent.

After a lengthy candidate search, the Elk River Area School Board unanimously voted in February to hire Bittman – who most recently worked as the superintendent for the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District – from a pool of three finalists.

The District 728 superintendent position opened in June 2016 after Mark Bezek left to take a job in Somerset, Wisconsin. Bruce Watkins, a former St. Cloud Public Schools superintendent and district administrator with Duluth Public Schools, has served as interim superintendent since early August.

About the district’s new hire
Bittman’s experience includes a decade of work at Clark County School District – one of the nation’s largest school districts located in Nevada – as a teacher, building administrator and director, where he oversaw 186 elementary schools.

Bittman has said his experience in Clark County has prepared him well for the anticipated growth in the Elk River Area School District. The Clark County School District hires thousands of new teachers and enrolls tens of thousands of new students annually, Bittman has said.

He has also served as the Sauk Rapids-Rice superintendent for the past seven years and was named the 2016 Superintendent of the Year by the The Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

The district serves approximately 40,000 residents and 4,300 children in the northwestern reaches of the St. Cloud metro area while employing nearly 600 staff members.

Prior to serving as superintendent at Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, Bittman served as assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Education and director of elementary and secondary schools in the Centennial School District.

Employment contract details
On July 1 of each contract year, $5,000 will be contributed for the superintendent to an established account in the Minnesota State Retirement System Health Care Savings Plan.

The incoming superintendent will earn 30 days of paid vacation each school year and will be entitled to 11 paid holidays. Bittman will also be credited with 18 days of sick leave for any illness, injury or health condition that prevents him from performing his job duties.

The district will reimburse the superintendent for business use of his personal vehicle while performing job duties, excluding miles driven while commuting to and from work.

Bittman’s contract with the school district will expire June 30, 2020, at which point the School Board can choose to renew it.

Watkins said the district planned to meet with Bittman this week to discuss transition plans.

Elk River Municipal Utilities is offering a scholarship award program in conjunction with Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association. The scholarship is called the ‘Tom Bovitz Memorial Scholarship Award’ and is open to high school seniors who are a customer or have a legal guardian who is a customer of ERMU.

Students are required to submit a 500 to 750 word essay on the topic “Municipal Utilities: Good for All of Us.” This is a scholarship with potentially two chances to win. The winning student will be awarded a $500 scholarship from ERMU and their essay will be forwarded on to MMUA judges for a chance to win an additional $2,000, $1,500, $1,000 or $500 through their scholarship program.

Entry form, along with the essay, can be sent to the ERMU office at 13069 Orono Parkway, P.O. Box 430, Elk River, faxed to 763-441-8099, or emailed to mcanterbury@elkriverutilities.com by March 31.  Click here for the entry form.

If you have any questions, call  763-441-2020.

Team wins first in category for mechanical design and second for research

by Jim Boyle
Editor

The Cybernetic Crusaders from St. John’s Lutheran in Nowthen, coached by David Inselmann, took first place for its mechanical design and second place for research at last month’s FIRST LEGO League state tournament.

The Crusaders, who were one of the seven championship team finalists at state for the most well-rounded team who embodies the spirit of FIRST and was exceptional across all judging categories, finished anywhere between fourth and seventh out of 61 teams that competed.

The top three teams advance. Two of the teams will be advancing to the FIRST World Festival in St. Louis, Missouri. One team will advance to the Asia Pacific Open Championship in Sydney, Australia.

To win the mechanical design portion of the state contest, teams are graded on whether they produce a solid, predictable and dependable robot using sound mechanical principals.

As for the research portion, teams are graded on their knowledge of the topic and all its aspects.

There were 633 original teams to compete in the robotics contests across the state.
FIRST LEGO League is a program that supports students to introduce them to science and technology in a sporty atmosphere. The team members learn to work together to solve complex tasks in creative ways.

Each team designs a robot and solves a number of missions in a timed competition. Each team also researches and develops a real-world solution to a problem. This year the problems involved human and animal interactions.

In the regional competition held in December in Elk River, the Cybernetic Crusaders won first place in the head-to-head competition.

In head-to-head, the team competes against other teams. When a team advances, they go to the next bracket, similar to how sports teams compete.

The team also won the project award. The team partnered with Angel of Hope animal rescue and developed a device that monitors, interacts and provides data for shortening and improving the time felines spend in cages.

In the sectional competition held in Minneapolis, the team received the robot design award. This award recognizes a team that designs and develops a mechanically sound robot that is durable, efficient and highly capable of performing challenge missions.

Recommendation calls for Prairie View Elementary and Middle School

by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
A proposed name for the new E-8 school in Otsego was finally unveiled March 13 by incoming Principal Kari Sampson.

Tipping its hat to geographical areas and historical significance, the recommended name for the new school, set to open in fall 2017 is “Prairie View Elementary and Middle School,” Sampson told the Elk River Area School Board on March 13.

“It really is an uncommon name,” said Sampson, adding while there is a Prairie View Elementary School in Eden Prairie, the name appears rarely throughout the region.

The School Board will vote on whether to approve the name during a meeting March 27.

Choosing a name
A steering committee composed of parents and school officials worked to select the final proposed name, Sampson said. More than 30 people initially volunteered for the committee, but the group was whittled down to 12 parents, ensuring that each grade level – from early education to sixth grade – was represented.

The committee sorted through 60 name recommendations submitted online and through social media channels and emailed in by parents and community members. The committee also connected with local organizations, faith leaders and the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission to develop naming recommendations, Sampson said.

Committee members even considered district policy regarding the naming of facilities and fields and weighed name ideas for prominent citizens and district employees, historical importance and the surrounding geographical landscape.

When selecting “Prairie View Elementary and Middle School,” the committee even discussed the “and” between elementary and middle and whether it should be a dash or another form of punctuation instead, Sampson said.

“The ‘and’ was unanimous,” she said.

Overall, committee members seemed pleased with the name selection process, the principal said.

“We heard from committee members afterwards they felt their voices were heard,” she said.
School Board members offered positive feedback on the proposed name.

“I love it,” said School Board Vice Chair Jamie Plantenberg-Selbitschka after the name was announced. She later added, “I appreciate the thoughtful approach to this.”

If the board approves the proposed name later this month, the next steps will include determining district colors and a mascot, Sampson said.

About the new E-8 school
Funding for new Otsego school, located near the intersection of MacIver Avenue Northeast and 80th Street Northeast in the western part of the city, was approved by voters during the November 2014 general election.

The 124,000-square-foot school will house students from the southern part of the district and will be the first building in the Elk River Area School District to house early education, K-5 and middle school students.

Sampson has worked in the district for more than a decade, leaving her post as principal for Zimmerman’s Westwood Elementary School to become principal of Otsego’s new school.
Former Otsego Principal and Director of Teaching and Learning Erin Talley will return to the district to lead Westwood through the remaining of the 2016-2017 academic year. The search to find a permanent replacement at Westwood is expected to begin this month.

Elk River High School, Sauk Rapids-Rice repeat as winners of ProStart Invitational top honors

by Jim Boyle
Editor
A team from Elk River High School repeated first-place honors in the culinary competition at the 11th annual Minnesota ProStart Invitational, sponsored by the Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation and Sysco Minnesota.

The event, held March 9 at Sysco Minnesota in Mounds View, showcased the cooking talents and business skills of high school students enrolled in the ProStart program at their schools.

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Elk River and Sauk Rapids-Rice, winner of the management competition, now advance to the National ProStart Invitational April 28-30 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Elk River has been piling up state titles ever since it won its first ProStart State Invitational in 2007 under teacher Kathy Ellefson. They won three more state titles under Ellefson (2009, 2011 and 2012).

Under teacher Monique Sabby, Elk River has won state titles four times (2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017).

The team is mentored with industry mentor chef Seth Bixby Daugherty of Minneapolis Marriott Southwest.

There were 14 teams across the state that competed in the event.

Elk River team members include Lizzie Holby, Kailey Johnson, Dan Loram (team captain), Mark Swann and Drea Westgaard (alternate). Avalon Donat, who competed the past two years, served as a mentor.

Last year’s Elk River team took ninth place honors at the national competition.

State contest
Each of the competing culinary teams had one hour to prepare a three-course meal using two butane burners. They were judged on teamwork, sanitation, menu presentation and taste, as well as knife skills. Fourteen teams entered the culinary competition from across the state.

The first-place team from Elk River High School prepared Sautéed Sea Scallops as the starter, Pan Seared Minnesota Beef Tenderloin for the entrée and Minnesota Stickney Hill Goat Cheese Panna Cotta for dessert.

Placing second in the culinary competition was the team from Park Center High School, which came within two points of Elk River.

“Our team is more experienced and more polished,” Sabby said, who gives all the credit to her students. “It’s all them. I couldn’t do this without them. Their commitment is amazing.”

A team from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School placed third.

Other high schools in the culinary competition included Buffalo, Burnsville, Hopkins, Indus, Integrated Arts Academy in Chaska, Osseo, Pillager, Rocori, Rogers, Sauk Rapids-Rice 1 and Washington Technology Magnet.

Sauk Rapids-Rice won the state title for the management competition.

The management team from Rogers High School took second place. Team members include Katie Borel, Ellie Cargill, Keenan Johnson, Mambo Ndingway and alternate Michael Mittelstaedt. The team is coached by Marissa Getty.

A number of postsecondary culinary and hospitality schools offered scholarships to members of the top-placing teams.

Serving as judges for the two competitions were more than 40 chefs, restaurateurs and culinary instructors.

ProStart is a two-year educational program supported by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in partnership with state restaurant associations. The career-building program blends classroom learning with mentored work experience to teach high school students the management and culinary skills needed for a career in the restaurant and food service industry.

Forty-four Minnesota schools currently offer the ProStart curriculum to their students. For more information, visit www.hospitalitymn.org/prostart.html.

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Scott Glew, a veteran of the Minnesota Army National Guard and social studies teacher at Salk Middle School in Elk River, has been named a 2017 Bush Fellow.

The Elk River man was chosen by the Bush Foundation as one of 24 leaders for their records of achievement and their extraordinary potential to make significant contributions in Minne-sota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native nations that share the same geography. The foundation announced the winner on March 21.

Glew’s goal is to create a better world and is motivated by a belief that an informed and engaged citizenry is the way to accomplish it. He sees education as the foundational component to making it all happen.

The Bush Fellowship provides people with up to $100,000 over 12 to 24 months to pursue learning experiences that help them develop leadership skills and attributes. The Fellowship is distinctive in its flexibility, allowing each Fellow to articulate what he or she needs to become a better leader.

“The 2017 Bush Fellows are extraordinary leaders who make significant contributions to their communities,” said Bush Foundation President Jennifer Ford Reedy. “The Bush Fellowship is both a recognition of their accomplishments and a bet on their potential to make an even bigger impact on our region,”

Fellows can use the funding to pursue advanced education, networking opportunities, and leadership resources, workshops and trainings.

Glew told the Star News this week he plans to pursue his Ph.D. in social studies education at the University of Minnesota

“This is a huge honor,” Glew said. “I’m excited about the opportunity, and I am looking forward to the learning.”

A total of 639 people applied for the 2017 Bush Fellowship. These 24 Fellows were selected through a multi-stage process involving Bush Fellow alumni, Bush Foundation staff and established regional leaders. Applicants described their leadership vision and passion and how a Bush Fellowship would help them achieve their goals.

“(Scott’s) pursuit of his Ph.D. will not only enhance his abilities as a teacher in the classroom, it also models for our students the persistence and tenacity it requires to pursue your dreams and contribute positively to our local and global communities,” Salk Principal Julie Athman said.

Convinced
Glew enlisted in the Army National Guard shortly after 9/11 and was later deployed to Iraq, where he directly felt the human impact of war. Today, as a teacher he finds that most American children are disconnected from the realities of global conflicts, which take place thousands of miles away and involve only a small percentage of the U.S. population.

He is passionate about moving social studies education to the forefront of student learning.
Glew will pursue an advanced degree to build the knowledge he needs to influence a systemic change in education, according to a press release.

He also will pursue opportunities to further understand how to build and maintain peaceful, democratic societies.
Glew is convinced that the health of communities depends on how well adults prepare the next generation for civic life.

The Aitken native was also the winner of the Veteran’s Voices Award by the Minnesota Humanities Center for his dedication as a veteran of the National Guard and demonstrating his motivation to create a better world.

After eight years of service, including a deployment to Iraq, he began his career as a social studies teacher at Salk Middle School. He is currently in his eighth year at Salk.

The Veteran’s Voices Award recognized Glew as a leader on the rise for many of the same reasons as the Bush Foundation singled out, including his dedication to creating a classroom environment where students are challenged to use history, civics, geography and economics to deepen their understanding of the world and make a difference.

He has also been recognized for his commitment to improving and advocating for social studies education; Glew is an active leader in social studies curriculum and instruction within his school district.

He serves on the board of directors for both the Minnesota Council for History Education and the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies and is conducting graduate research on citizenship and peace at the University of Minnesota. Glew and his wife, Tiffani, have two children, Natalie and Walden.

The Bush Foundation will accept applications for the 2018 Bush Fellowship beginning Aug. 15, 2017. The Bush Fellowship is open to anyone age 24 years and older who lives in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 Native nations that shares the same geography.

More than 2,000 people have taken advantage of the Fellowship to become better leaders through a self-designed learning experience, academic program or travel and research across the country to build connections with thought leaders on topics critical to their community. The Bush Fellowship counts among its alumni celebrated Oglala Lakota painter and educator Arthur Douglas Amiotte, internationally renowned artist Judith Onofrio and former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson.

by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
Executive Director of Business for the Elk River Area School District Greg Hein is often asked how he manages to stay on top of so many different financial items affecting the school district.

Amid an unusually challenging budget season, Hein credited support staff, more than 20 years of accounting experience and several years spent working for the Minnesota Department of Education as tools that help him do his job effectively.

“I love what I do,” Hein said during a recent interview with the Star News.

While he’s well-versed in budget preparations, there are a few big players that make preparing the upcoming budget particularly challenging, said Hein. The school district will open the new E-8 school in Otsego for the 2017-2018 school year, posing significant questions about enrollment numbers and building needs. Meanwhile, district officials are keeping an eye on new bills traveling down the legislative pipeline that could affect Minnesota schools.

Wrapping his mind around the Legislature and its possible impacts requires Hein to always have a good grasp on the current landscape. Communicating with contacts at the state level is a good tool, Hein said.

Further, the school district will negotiate contracts with 14 bargaining groups this year – something that District 728 does every couple of years, Hein said. The negotiations could mean small changes or reconfiguring the entire salary structure.

Preparing for the new E-8 school
Hein said the district could rely somewhat on history to help answer some questions about the upcoming E-8 school – especially when it comes to determining what initial enrollment numbers will look like. (The School Board will vote later this month on a proposed name for the school. A committee composed of district staff and teachers developed the name Prairie View Elementary and Middle School.)

“Sometimes there’s more people moving in than leaving,” said Hein on calculating estimated enrollment numbers based on population.

District officials use county birth data to determine how many students to expect enrolling in the school, Hein said. Working with 3- and 4-year-old students also gives the school district a good idea of how many kindergarten students to expect.

Hein started with District 728 in March 2013. His experience includes public, private and non-profit governmental accounting. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from St. Cloud State University. Hein oversees the school district’s business operations, including the finance, purchasing, facilities and technology departments.

The Elk River Area School Board will convene Monday, March 27, for a 6 p.m. work session at Elk River City Hall to discuss the 2017-2018 budget. Work sessions for the budget are also scheduled for April 24 and May 22.

The School Board must have an approved budget in place by July 1, the beginning of the 2017-2018 fiscal year. For the 2016-2017 school year, District 728 had a budget of about $145.4 million.

by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
Scheduled construction work at Salk Middle School is still on track, even after district officials learned the scope of the project had widened, driving costs approximately $1.4 million over budget.
The total cost of construction work at Salk, including the budget increase, is approximately $9.1 million.

Executive Director of Business for the Elk River Area School District Greg Hein first attempted to notify the School Board of the budgetary changes during the afternoon of March 13 ahead of a scheduled board meeting.

Due to computer malfunctions, however, the board did not receive Hein’s update. Interim Superintendent Bruce Watkins did receive the email.

The cost increase is due to a number of factors:
•Due to the extensive remodeling, the school must be brought up to modern building code and the sewer piping must be extended a significant distance to hook into the city of Elk River’s system.
•The need for piping extensions calls for significant digging, which requires access for heavy equipment to the interior of the site. Some of the existing infrastructure will need to be demolished and reconstructed.
•There are structural problems with some of the stairwells and some of the science laboratories will need to be relocated.
•There is a tighter construction market, likely due to competing projects from other school districts in the region, Hein said.

District officials have developed a plan to help cover the increase in construction expenses.

According to the email Hein later sent to board members, some of the funding will come from the bond and levy funds, as approved by voters, and some will come from the district’s health and safety budget for hazardous materials.

Bid work for construction on windows will be rejected as there was some confusion among vendors as to what was included in the base bid. That work will be quoted again, but will be divided between non-window interior masonry work and window construction work.

“Since the windows do not exist now, this part of the project would have to be funded by another source as it would not qualify for long-term facilities maintenance, which is limited to replacement of existing facility structures,” Hein wrote in an email to the board.

The window construction work would appear under upcoming general fund budgets instead, Hein said.

Reducing other areas that are currently part of the two- and 10-year long-term facilities maintenance plan would fund the remainder of the difference.

“We tend to be conservative in constructing the budget and plan for just such circumstances as this, so it is not a matter of delaying or canceling other projects, but rather reducing those items by eliminating some of the contingency built into those project estimates,” Hein wrote.

In January, the Elk River Area School Board approved a long-term facility maintenance plan that includes a number of updates to district facilities over the next decade.

The board had previously approved a long-term facility maintenance plan in June 2016 that entails spending $10.2 million annually for the next 10 years.

About the bids
According to school district documents, on March 9, bids were received from 18 different bid packages for the scheduled improvement work at Salk Middle School in Elk River. Construction includes masonry, electric, fire suppression, ceiling, painting, flooring, demolition and carpentry work, among other things

Due to the newfound information, School Board members opted to table voting on the accepted bids until March 27.

The construction work is scheduled to take place over the course of two summers – 2017 and 2018, Hein said.

Dean’s lists:

Boston University
Elk River
Mary Rolfes

Olivet Nazarene University, Illinois
Elk River
Tyler Goscha

Saint Mary’s University
Zimmerman
Kayleigh Kloncz

University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Elk River
Carron Atwood, Alec Cantin, Anessa Demers, Cameron Gallenberg, Weston Hansen, Emma Hohlen, Alix Klang, Jessica Klutch, Kayleigh Larson, Matthew Lee, Rebecca Lieser, Daniel Lucas, Meagan Marsh, Molly McQuown, Mason Oberleitner, Rebekah Peterson, Samantha Scott, Savannah Scott, Emily Sederstrom, Caroline Silvola, Lillian Stanaway, Amelia Tesdahl, Lucas Trapp, Sophie Wiitala, Graham Wrase
Otsego
Taycia Brandon, Jakob Dotterer, Kendall Edstrom, Christian Jensen, Sabrina Kabitz, Zachary Kabitz, Haley Nelson, Breanna Schlauderaff, Ashley Stevenson, Ilya Zubarev
Zimmerman
Lance Davis, Hailey Meleen, Anne Rademacher, Allison Sterneman, Parker Sturlaugson, Rebecca Waletzko

Graduations:

University of St. Thomas
Elk River
M. Owais Juddi, M.A., health care; Samantha Olsen, M.A., emotional behavioral disability, B.A., middle/secondary education, comm. arts ad literature, magna cum laude
Otsego
Jasmine Falaas, B.A., criminal justice
Zimmerman
Stuart MacGregro, B.A., business administration-operations management
Ramsey
Renata Evertz, MBA, health care

Western Governors University, Utah
Otsego
Lori Althaus, B.S., nursing
Ramsey
Betty Wilhelm Sinnott, B.S., nursing; Chinedu Odurukwe, M.S., nursing – leadership and management; Matt Satzinger, B.S., IT- networks administration emphasis

Wal-Mart in Elk River has signed on to sponsor two Elk River High School students for BestPrep’s Minnesota Business Venture career and leadership development summer camp. The sponsorship will cover all camp expenses.
Minnesota Business Venture is a weeklong residential program that provides high school students with the opportunity to learn about career options, develop financial literacy and workplace skills, and cushion their resume for college and scholarship applications.
Minnesota Business Venture is hosted at St. Cloud State University July 9-14 and at St. John’s University July 23-28. Applications are currently being accepted from Elk River High School students; contact BestPrep at mbv@bestprep.org or online at www.bestprep.org/mbvapp for details.

by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
The new E-8 school in Otsego finally has a name.

The Elk River Area School Board approved during a special meeting March 27 the name Prairie View Elementary and Middle School for the district’s newest addition, set to open for the 2017-2018 year.

The name for the school, located near the intersection of MacIver Avenue Northeast and 80th Street Northeast in Otsego, was developed by a committee of parents and school officials. More than 30 people initially volunteered for the committee, but the group was whittled down to 12 parents, ensuring that each grade level was represented.

Kari Sampson, the incoming principal for the new school, took to Twitter following the School Board vote.

“It’s official- our school name is Prairie View Elementary and Middle School!” she wrote.

“It’s exciting,” Sampson said in a statement. “The name was really going to be inspired by Otsego’s history and its location in our district. There was a lot of feedback, and we felt this name represented the school well.”

To select a name, the committee sorted through a number of recommendations submitted online and through social media and emailed in by parents and community members. The committee also connected with local organizations and faith leaders to develop recommendations.

Committee members even considered district policy regarding the naming of facilities and fields and weighed name ideas for prominent citizens and district employees, historical importance and the surrounding geographical landscape.

Otsego Mayor Jessica Stockamp serves as the council liaison to the Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission, which was presented a list of possible naming options for input.

“We do have prairies in Otsego,” said Stockamp about the final name selection. “I think they did their due diligence to find a name that was fitting to represent the area.”

Stockamp said she is eager to see inside the school and, based on renderings, she thinks the building will turn out well.

“We’re excited to have the doors open and have another option for students in the school district,” she said.

Chair of the Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission Toni Seroshek said the commission preferred a more historic name and one with “Otsego” in the title, but Prairie View is representative of the region. She said the commission was asked to verify various historical facts for the committee.

Gail Anderson, also a member of the commission, said the commission is “very happy” about the final name.

“We have heard all the candidates and liked them all,” she said.

While not directly involved in the naming process, Joshua Fox, chair of the Elk River Heritage Preservation Commission, said the name fits very well with the history of Minnesota.

“It seems like a good name to me,” he said. “There’s a little bit of history to it.”
If the Elk River Heritage Preservation Commission was ever tasked with naming a building, there’s a good chance it would be named after a hockey player, Fox joked.

About the school
Sampson said during the School Board meeting this week that with a finalized name in place, the next step will include choosing a mascot.

Grade levels for the new school will be phased in over time, as follows:
•2017-2018: Serving students in early childhood education through grade six.
•2018-2019: Serving students in early childhood education through grade seven.
•2019-2020: Serving students in early childhood education through grade eight.

The school day at Prairie View will run from 8:15 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.

by Paul Rignell
Contributing Writer
Principal Erin Talley at Westwood Elementary School in Zimmerman has been new to her building in 2017 but not to work and service in School District 728.

When Talley left a new home in central Florida last January to accept an interim role as Westwood’s principal, she had barely taken a six-month break since her earlier career of 27 years for the Elk River district.

After teaching first in Minneapolis, Talley began a classroom position at Rogers Elementary School in 1989. She later became principal at Otsego Elementary School, and then she was serving as the district’s director of teaching and learning up through her retirement last June.

As Talley was enjoying life in central Florida last fall with maybe only occasional plans to return to Minnesota, she took a call from Jana Hennen-Burr, the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services.

Talley heard from Hennen-Burr that Kari Sampson, the Westwood school’s principal up through last fall, had agreed to start as principal at the district’s new Otsego E-8 school campus next fall.

The new Otsego position was going to require that Sampson start preparations there at the start of 2017, and Hennen-Burr told Talley that the district needed an interim principal to complete this school year at Westwood.

Talley agreed to return for work in Minnesota for just another six months. She told the Star News recently that she got the call for help from the school district basically because she had been the most recently retired administrator there and they knew how to contact her.

She said she has found the faculty and staff at Westwood to be a wonderful team, and that did not surprise her.

“There is consistency in this district about bringing in quality people,” Talley said.

A move out of Florida and back to daily work was a shock, but Talley soon adapted.

“I won’t say it was an easy job to step into, but very well-organized,” she said.

With permission from the district, Talley brings along a special friend to the school one day each week, her certified therapy dog, a collie named Angel.

Angel interacts with the students on her days at the school, and students’ parents have met the dog also at family math nights and other special evening events at Westwood.

Angel is likely glad to be active at the school only one day each week.

“She is exhausted when she gets back to our place at night,” Talley said.

The move to Florida was more or less supposed to be permanent for Talley, so during her interim period for work back in Minnesota she is residing part of each week at her daughter’s home in Minneapolis, and the rest of each week at a college friend’s home in Brooklyn Center.

All of the Westwood activities during I Love To Read Month through February were exciting for Talley, she said, along with some student concerts.

It is amazing to see 600 or 700 people, including students, parents and faculty, all together at the school for a special event, such as the Valentine’s dance, she added.
“There is so much pride in this community,” Talley said. “I’ve really appreciated that throughout my career.”

One academic focus in the spring toward the end of the school year is on preparing the students for taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. Starting in third grade, the MCAs are designed to test students’ abilities in reading and math. The students in District 728 benefit from dedicated teachers, said Talley, who noted also that the students’ test scores are regularly above state averages.

The short tenure at Westwood is quickly coming to an end for Talley, but she is looking forward to the usual fun and social spring events, she said. Those include some receptions to honor and show appreciation for the staff and many school volunteers, but Talley notes the big school events include student activity days, track and field days, and the student arts and talent night.

A HONOR ROLL

Grade 6

Morgan Alders, Cody Anderson, Julina Anderson, Grace Bauer, Grace Beck, Isaac Bengtson, Tyler Bergsten, Tyler Bye, Nathan Casey, Emma Clark, Katelyn Coons, Domanic Dick, Isabella Dols, Alaina Dorval, Jaxon Fagerberg, Reece Fish, James Freeby, Zoe Freeby, Daniel Greenberg, Jonathan Greig, Emily Hattling, Vanessa Jasso-Hernandez, Ruth Johnson, Gabrielle Kappes, Grace Knapp, Evan Kopp, Ethan Kotrba, Jake Larson, Alexis Lemcke, Skylar MacLennan, Lillian Marberg, Isabella Marts, Samuel Matthews, Noah Miller, Nolan Miller, Caroline Miltich, Samantha Neiss, Molly Novotny, Preston Pinz, MacKenzie Scholer, Warren Schwieger, Arona Shaw, Sophia Steinle, Maya Vojta, Adeline Wells, Hagan Westermeyer, William White, Brionna Wuollet, Teia Wuollet

Grade 7

Elianna Aberra, Emma Bengtson, Brianna Bergren, Kristen Borchert, Keira Christoffer, Timothy Duthler, Carli Elrod, Madelyn Fern, Gavin Gould, Ilyssa Gutierrez, Kyle Haben, Makayla Harmer, Noelle Hensel, Phoebe Holmes, Matthew Johnson, Katelyn Kolyer, Brooke Larsen, Samuel Lemcke, Gabriella McDonald, Emma Medina, Ashley Meyer, Grace Negus, Elizabeth Norberg, Gabrielle Orth, Ethan Raivala, Gabrielle Rinowski, Jordyn Risse, McKenna Ritter, Alexander Russell, Rachel Schlueter, Sophia Schomaker, Sophia Shamp, Leah Sharp, Titus Skistad, Marissa Sutton-Wood, Brooke Swaja, Audrey Tice, Gavin Tuckey, Gracie Vinlove, Jessica White, Emily Wilder, Alexa Zuniga

Grade 8

Lisa Algaard, Anastasia Benassi, Benjamin Bergley, Dominic Bitzan, Shelby Bray, Sidney Brenteson, Bailey Brown, Ella Burfeind, Leah Burney, Kalie Clark, Thomas DeBoer, Jacob DeMond, Emily Dopp, Ginger Downey, Cassandra Duthler, Adrienne Foell, Phoebe Glenn, Katelyn Gramstad, Anita Hanchar, Ellaine Henry, Andrew Hipsag, Brady Jakubiec, Rachel Johnson, Zachary Knapp, Klara Kondrak, Peter Larson, Madeleine Loewenstein, Molly Majeres, Isabelle Martin, Elizabeth McCoy, Liam Morgan, Kayla Niedzielski, Morgan Novotny, Katherine Olson, Jonah Palm, Lauren Peckham, Reinier Radtke, Zachary Reese, Kieran Riley, Judah Rogers, Logan Schumacher, Brenna Seagren, Olivia Selley, Bailey Stull, Jasmine Ward, Addison Westermeyer, Callie Wuollet, Aaron Ziebarth

Grade 9

McKenzie Alders, Sierra Anderson, Braydon Ashfeld, Martha Bergley, Elizabeth Berry, Kaylee Betzler, Kelly Blancett, Zachary Bowers, Tristan Christiaansen, Andrew DeBoer, Megan Denker, Isabella Dorval, Natalie Duerr, Julia Fahrner, Alyxandra Forpahl, Jonathan Gertz, Rachel Greeler, Gavin Haag, Lynnda Haben, Abigail Hansen, Carter Hansen, Andrew Hattling, Margaret Heino, Matthew Helser, Mallory Henry, Kaylee Johnson, William Koch, Audrey Kotek, Maxwell Lawrence, Veronica Lee, Katherine Lemcke, Ernest Miller, Connor Opay, Noah Ritter, Kirstin Robbins, Caleb Rogers, Nicole Sagstetter, Noah Schaber, Carter Smith, Grayden Snyder, Usa Stiller, Anna Suiter, Cameron Sundstrom, Jacob Swaja, Tate Thein, Abigail Thompson, Alexis Wallace, Lauren White, Camille Wilder

Grade 10

Carter Allard, Annamarie Andreasen, Charles Averill, Branden Bergren, Sophie Brenna, Kayla Brown, Parker Brown, Elizabeth Chaffin, Samuel Cooper, Toben De Haan, Adam Devine, Aidan Eck, Donovan Eidem, Brea Fahrner, Zachary Foell, Emma Galligher, Chandler Gapinski, Adam Giddings, Tara Gleason, Marlene Henry, Hailey Johnson, Kyla Johnson, Logan Johnson, Noura Kassem, Zachary Kopp, Matthew Kruse, Gretchen Larson, Glen Lee, Fisher Marberg, Victoria McCoy, Alicia Moening, Huy Nguyen, Maria Novotny, Kirsten Olson, Desmond Orton, Cole Schwinghammer, Camden Sharp, Blake Smith, Alexander Staricka, Josie Sumner, Evelynn Szakatits, Gabriel Uecker, Miranda Wenndt, Karsten Williams

Grade 11

Addisen Betzler, Erin Bozich, Emily Brueckner, Elizabeth Davis, Olivia Foell, Max Gleason, Alex Glenn, Caitlin Hackbarth, Elizabeth Hackbarth, Noah Hansen, Benjamin Harvey, Jena Jakubiec, Hannah Johnson, Rebecca Lambert, Payton Loewenstein, Catherine Mahanna, Anna McGlone, Alexis Reese, Elizabeth Rogers, Morgan Schelske, Samuel White

Grade 12

Kayla Averbeck, Hayley Balmanno, Travis Bondy, Zachary Clark, Victor Diekman, Taylor Duell, Elijah Ehr, Peyton Foster, Dylan Gregersen, Sidney Henry, Clay Jackson, Davey Jackson, Annika Koch, Benjamin Kopp, Nicole Larson, Kira Lorensen, Kelly Mitchell, Holly Mohlencamp, Clarissa Olson, Olivia Rice, Aidan Riley, Hannah Skistad, Kelton Sundstrom, Joel Zimmerman

B HONOR ROLL

Grade 6

Cody Amiot, Darioh Balisidya, Sage Behnken, Grace Beltrand, Breanna Bernardson, Cullen Brown, Riley Cunningham, Megan Davey, Conner Englund, Liliana Fearing, Drew Garrison, Jackson Gillen, Zoe Holt, Alexander Hubbard, Gibson Irwin, Finley Jackson, Elle Johnson, Hanna Juaire, Jack Kisch, Shaelyn Knox Werk, Asher Koch, Raymond Koch, Katarina Kotek, Rohry LaCasse, Grace Landberg, Elizabeth Larson, Anthony Liubimov, Sydney Mackenthun, Grady Magruder, Micah Matthews, Olivia Miller, Peyton Mitzel, Andrew Montik, Austin Nordgren, Avery O’Leary, Sharon Pan, Dawson Pixley, Mary Potts, Noah Raivala, Aric Randolph, Joseph Rathman, Blaine Robbins, Zakya Siegler, Emma Staupe, Jack Suiter, Grace Talbot, Carter Thein, Wyatt Thompson, Caiden Tuckey, Tyler Wessel

Grade 7

Noah Benassi, Madison Bentley, Sophia Bernard, Emma Borgerding, Michael Brown, Avae Burfeind, Abby Castle, Matthew Castle, Daria Church, Nathan Church, Ashlyn Ditschler, Kaylee Drew, Keely Duell, Isabella Ebner, Timothy Erickson, Ethan Evans, Carter Femrite, Marissa Frischholz, Kristoffer Gutierrez, Mikita Hanchar, Elijah Hoehn, Riley Johnson, Martin Le, Samuel Martinson, Ethan Medina, Grace Mielke, Samantha Morrison, Ella Opay, Brendan Perkins, Ella Peterson, Gina Ponto, Holly Ponto, Lauren Sandberg, Zoie Schaefer, Jacob Stevens, Liliana Stolte, Marlo Sumner, Grace Sykes, Greta Topel, Aaron Van Wyhe, Wyatt Ward, Harvey Widder

Grade 8

Elias Aberra, Gavin Anderson, Jacob Aune, Brady Beltrand, Carly Benge, Erica Brueckner, Brenden Conroy, Frances Dahl, Nolan Egge, Caleb Gangl, Noyemin Gradinar, Amara Greenberg, Xavier Groth, Olivia Guse, Abram Harvey, Alia Hitchcock, Jack Kaluza, Cole Killeen, Ella Kring, Lucas Landberg, Nichita Liubimov, Kieran Mahanna, Ellie Matthews, Lukas Meyer, Noah Peterson, Faith Roley, Dylan Smith, Samantha Stromstad, Adam Trampel, Jaxson Waknitz, Drue Wegerer, Allyson Weldon, Ari Wilson

Grade 9

Bryce Bozich, Ryan Brown, Christopher Buck, Rebecca Davis, Isaiah Drew, Emily Fearing, Earl Foster, Lindsey Garrison, Victoria Goepferd, Savannah Henning, Jonah Hertaus, Bethanie Hinkley, Ross Hoehn, Marissa Hoffarth, MaKenna Langley, Veaceslav Liubimov, Gunner Maas, Kaylee Marchand, Hailey May, Anthony Medina, Tori Mercer, Steven Morse, Thomas Rathman, Shayla Schaible, Noah Schlueter, Anita Staupe, Zachary Szakatits, Andrew Yarke

Grade 10

Paul Andreasen, Ethan Aune, Zoe Behnken, Paige Buley, Shayla Dellwo, Hannah Dertinger, Alexander Ebner, Cole Elrod, Benjamen Erickson, Emily Fonder, Parker Gangl, Marcus Grund, Emily Halverson, Cody Hanson, Preston Holmes, Anthony Kath, Jacob Kettelhodt, Samuel Koppendrayer, Samuel Lawrence, Samuel Ley, Sophia Martinson, Meghan McClay, Emily O’Connell, Zachary Olson, Adrian Peterson, Hallie Reierson, Chloe Roley, Rhea Schumacher, Caleb Sorensen, Aaron Stoddard, Adam Stoddard, Lydia Suiter, Britney Sundberg, Caden Sunvold, Cody Thein, Devin Trampel, Ellen Voiss, Keagan Wilson, Sophia Zimmerman

Grade 11

Zackary Anderson, Jefferey Buck, Jennifer Gilbertson, Lauren Gillquist, Jessica Hansen, Taylor Johnson, Brenton Lawrence, Katya Loehlein, Makayla Morrell, Gabriel Neiss, Jonathan Pachl, Cassandra Peters, Brittani Robbins, Nevin Sagstetter, Conner Sharp, Parker Stockwell, Dillon Swenson, Arejanna Tenold, Madyson Waknitz, Austin Wolden

Grade 12

Kendra Christiansen, Alison Cornelius, Treyton Harmer, Devin Jarvis, Alisa Johnson, Ashley Krutzig, Eastan Lieberg, Victoria Luna, Spencer Maas, Kayla Muller, Jasmine Nelson, Al-Kareem Omariba, Hanna Opay, Micah Pachl, Michael Reed, D’Lorah Roberts, Brenden Scheuble, Jordan Schlueter, Halla Suess, Cole Thorson, Brendan VanAlstyne

Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
Discussions about the Elk River Area School District’s 2017-2018 budget kicked off March 27 during a School Board work session.

Executive Director of Business Services Greg Hein provided the board with an overview, assumptions and proposed adjustments for the 2017-2018 general fund.

A work session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 3 at school district offices, 815 Highway 10. A closed School Board meeting will follow the work session.

Another work session regarding the budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 24 at Elk River City Hall, 13065 Orono Parkway NW. A work session regarding the budget is also scheduled for 6 p.m. May 22 at City Hall.

The budget must be approved by June 30.

Twin Lakes Elementary students and staff celebrated the school’s 10th anniversary on March 24. Students watched a video of the school being built and made birthday cards for the school’s mascot, Ollie the otter. Past staff were invited in for cake, too.

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Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer

The Elk River Area School Board approved during a special meeting March 27 bids for upcoming construction at Salk Middle School.

The scope of the project widened in recent weeks after unexpected costs, such as sewer piping needs and structural issues, drove up the overall project cost. District officials previously estimated the total cost of the new work to be $1.4 million over budget.

Greg Hein, the school district’s executive director of business services, reported that after factoring in architectural fees, testing and contingency costs, the project is now $2.1 million over budget, or approximately $9.7 million overall.

The construction work is scheduled to take place over the course of the next two summers.