MESABI EAST NEWSLETTER - isd2711.org · footage on social media and on the Mesabi East website (). Mike plans on providing updates throughout the summer. The phy-ed/athletic complex

MESABI EAST NEWSLETTER HOME OF THE GIANTS

Summer 2019

Contents2-3 District News Letters from the administration4-5 Athletic Hall of Fame Nomination forms 6-7 Home & School Connection Working together for school success8-9 Boundries, Routines, & Bedtimes Habits for well-adjusted kids 10 Congratulations To our many student successes 11 Early Childhood Information ECFE classes, screening, registration12-13 Summer & Competitive Swim14-15 Summer Reading Program16-17 ME3C Farm to School News from the greenhouse18 BattleBots, TEAMS, Skills I.T. and metals fabrication at its finest19 Swing for Scholarships Mesabi East foundation golf scramble20-21 Marching Band Schedules and information 22 Fitness Center Information23 M.E. Area Girls Soccer24 Gradience A senior high art project25 Mesabi East STEAM Fair 26 Scholarships & Teachers on Call27 Biometric I.D. News from the Tech Department28 Prom in Pictures 29 Summer School Notification 30-32 Summer Food Service & Menu 33 Track and Jazz Band Photos 34 Track and Field, Cardboard Boats 35 Construction Photos, Pre-K Art 36 Lyla Sowers wins Logo Competition See the new Celebrate Aurora button

Administrators, school board members, and students participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking as construction begins on Mesabi East’s new athletic complex.

(More information on page 2.)

District News Construction Update as of June 2019

It is time to wrap-up the 2018-19 school year. It has been another suc-cessful year at Mesa-bi East. Our students

have had opportunities to learn, perform and compete at high levels. Therefore, congratu-lations to our students and staff for making 2018-19 a successful school year.

The construction project for the physical edu-cation/athletic complex had a Ground Break-ing Ceremony on April 10, 2019. The very next day on April 11, the backhoes, bulldoz-ers and dump trucks started moving dirt.

Mike Beach, from RA Morton is the on-site construction manager. Mike has been making

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drone videos of the progress on the project and allowing the district to post the drone footage on social media and on the Mesabi East website (www.isd2711.org). Mike plans on providing updates throughout the summer.

The phy-ed/athletic complex will take a cou-ple of years for full completion. The hope is to be able to play football and soccer on the new artificial turf this fall and have track/field and baseball/softball on the new fields in the spring. The grass baseball/soccer field will need another summer to grow grass so it will not be ready until the fall of 2020.

Stay in tune with the happenings of Mesabi East by visiting the Mesabi East website and Facebook page and by signing up for Twitter.(see more photos on page 35)

High School NewsDuring a recent visit to a regional medical center, I was astounded by their customer service. As my family and I entered the parking garage, we were welcomed by a gentle-

man with an explanation of how the parking prices worked. We were then greeted at the door of the elevators by a woman who took the time to give us directions to where we needed to go, provided a comfortable seat in a waiting area, given coffee, and served quickly by the medical staff. The doctor met me where I was in my concern, provided me with her expert opinion, helped me to deter-mine what I could do for myself, walked me through potential side effects, and discussed what success looked like for recovery.

As I look out the windows to the west of our building and see the structure of our physical education and athletic complex taking shape, I am grateful for the outstanding facilities we have at our disposal, and I believe that one reason the taxpayers voted to build this new physical learning space is because, like the medical center, we also have a rich tradition of customer service. Our teachers and staff work tirelessly and often thanklessly to put systems in place for providing the best ex-perience possible for students. Our school’s community service model provides graduates with the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st Century, and we are continually de-veloping a vision for our future graduates to be college and career ready.

Our current service model is constantly evolving as brain research and education-al best practices help us to understand how students learn math, reading, and science. Sometimes this evolution leads to personal struggles as Joe Queenan describes in his ar-ticle “Neuro-logic: How your Brain is Keep-ing You from Changing Your Mind.” He rec-ognizes how difficult it can be to change the connections in our brains because emotion causes neurological connections not logic itself. These emotions for our students are sometimes rooted in traumatic experiences as measured in Adverse Childhood Experi-ences (ACEs), and for adults these emotions are forged through many different life ex-periences. Connections are also cemented through associating with people who believe the same things we believe. Queenan says, “...we compulsively associate with people who share our opinions and values,” which can lead to the development of separate “tribes.” He adds that “...tribes do not wel-come strangers. Moreover, to defect from a tribe is a form of treason. Even when you suspect that the tribe is wrong.” We see this all the time when we talk about behav-ior. Sometimes, even when students know something is wrong, it is easier to go along with the crowd than it is to stand up and do what is right. This is where having a collab-orative customer service model can make all the difference and why, in our school, we develop relationships, place value on our differences, focus on growth mindsets, and empower learners to find creative ways of working together.

Mesabi East High School and educational institutions everywhere are developing col-laborative learner-centered experiences that create deeper learning. As we enhance our model it is imperative that we remember that we all were once fearless as young discover-ers, and our learning was endless. Queenan adds that “You wouldn’t suspect it from look-ing around, but every adult you know started out as a scientific genius. Children are nat-ural-born scientists. They spend all of their time learning about the world through exper-iment, deriving what’s true through unrelent-ing trial and error.” Until we grow up, and as I often do, chicken out of the experimenta-tion to settle on what is comfortable. So the question is: “What are the best ways to keep our scientific genius in our school?” Ted Dintersmith would argue that we do this by reimagining, “what school could be.” He has even developed an innovation playlist to help schools across the country delve into this top-ic. In the playlist, he connects schools who

Gregg Allen Superintendent

Bill Wietman High School Principal

The entire student body attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new athletic complex

A large excavator awaits operation at the site of the new athletic complex

Amy Maki Elementary Principal

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Students qualify for summer school based on testing below grade level on the district benchmark assessment in reading and/or math and teacher recommendation.

If your child isn’t attending summer school, listed below are some things that you can do to support your child’s academic needs.

Math: You can work on building your child’s math skills, by incorporating math games into his/her daily routines. You can also spend a few minutes a day working on his/her basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplica-tion, and division) using flash cards.

Reading: Begin by taking the opportunity to sign up for the Summer Reading program at the Aurora and Hoyt Lakes Public Li-braries. When you go to the library start by having your child pick his/her favorite book. Set aside 20-25 minutes every day to read with your child or for him/her to read inde-pendently.

Looking Ahead to 2019

Meet and Greet: The last three years at Mes-abi East, students in school readiness, kin-dergarten, and first grade have experienced conferences the first two days of school rather than starting school the Tuesday af-ter Labor Day. The conferences have been an opportunity for parents and teachers to collaborate on information about their child. The conference gives teachers the opportu-nities to set academic and social goals for the students with parent input. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and suc-cessful. Therefore, the rest of the elementary (2nd-6th grade) will join school readiness, kindergarten, and first grade with doing con-ferences on Tuesday and Wednesday. There-fore, all students in the elementary (K-6) will begin school on September 5 rather than September 3. School Readiness students will begin school the following week, September 9. The elementary teachers will contact par-ents in the toward the end of August to set up conferences for September 3 and 4.

Physical Education (Gym): Physical ed-ucation helps to maintain focus, promote a healthy lifestyle, reduce stress and anxiety, and help with sleep deprivation. Every year at the end of the school year we reflect on how the school year went and how we can improve. Through our reflection, an area of improvement is increasing our physical ed-ucation opportunities for our students. Start-ing in the 2019-2020 school year students in grades PreK-4 will have physical education every day for 30 minutes and every third day

are searching for innovative ways to help stu-dents develop meaningful learning opportu-nities and provides them with the skills nec-essary to accomplish some of the same goals we have for our students here at Mesabi East High School.

As we develop our local customer service model, we will be looking for innovative ways for our system to serve learners with ACEs, to develop the courage for taking risks, and elicit the emotions that lead to deeper learning. We measure our success using the Pulse survey, MCA tests, culture surveys, grades, strategic plans, Powerschool data, individual conversations, communi-ty input, traditions, and attendance. As the year comes to a close, thank you for helping us to monitor our progress in providing our students and community with the best expe-riences possible. I look forward to continu-ing our successful service model and meeting the needs of all our learners for many years to come. I hope you all have a safe, relax-ing, and productive summer full of learning and positive emotional experiences. If you have any questions, concerns, or input on our customer service please contact me at [email protected] or 218-229-3321 ext. 212.

Congratulations to all of our 2019 grad-uates. Thank you for allowing me to serve you this past year. May all your days be filled with great customer ser-vice. It is always a great year to be a Giant!

Elementary NewsSummer School

Summer school is for students who need some extra support beyond the regular school year. Sum-mer school will begin

Wednesday, June 5 and will take place Mon-day through Friday until June 28 from 8:00 to 12:00. Lunch will be served from 10:45-11:15 and transportation will be provided to and from school. The Summer School ses-sion focuses on individualized instruction in reading and math while providing opportu-nities for students to participate in hands-on activities. Summer school will be available to students who will be in grades 2-6, for the 2019-2020 school year.

physical education will be 60 minutes. Our students in grades 5 and 6 will have physical education every other day for 50 minutes.

End of the Year Wrap Up Report Cards

In the fall, students will return to school knowing who their teacher is for the 2019-2020 school year. This year when the re-port cards for the final trimester of 2018- 2019 are mailed home, the students will see the name of their classroom teacher.

Mark Your Calendar

Summer school begins: Wednesday, June 5

Meet and Greet: Tuesday, September 3 and Wednesday, September 4

First Day of School: Thursday, September 5

Please share your thoughts about the newsletter. If you would like to provide feedback, please send an email to me at: [email protected].

The Mesabi East Hall Of Fame was estab-lished to recognize the accomplishments of past graduates, coaches, administrators and outside contributors. Our next induction class will take place in July 2020. We are looking for individuals that the Selection Committee should review. The Selection Committee will be meeting in October to vote on which indi-viduals or teams will go into the 2020 HOF. Please send your nominations (using the form on page 5) to Mesabi East Hall Of Fame, PO Box 316, Aurora, MN, 55705. Lee StorbeckCEO

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As a parent of younger kids, you read these articles and feel paralyzed by over-

whelming fear and mixed messages. What exactly is the right thing to do? Where am I going wrong? Should I give up and start a savings account for my kids’ future therapy sessions?

The part that scares me the most is we are so overwhelmed by the judgement in modern parenting that it feels safer (and by far easi-er) to do nothing, turn on the TV and hide in technology never-never land.

You should know something.Change starts with one parent and one child at a time. You have a beautiful window of opportunity to build the foundation that your child desperately needs but also craves.

The foundation for things like generosity, re-sponsibility, appreciation, warmth, kindness, helpfulness and hard-work ethic all starts during the early years.

Here’s the hard part.It starts with us — the parents. Kids cannot even think at the maturity level needed to break a behavior cycle, let alone do anything about it. So, as the parents, it has to start with us. The foundation for well-adjusted kids al-ways starts with us.

Here are 13 simple ways that help raise well-adjusted kids. Let’s get back to basics.

1. BoundariesNo brainer, right? But…it’s hard to set boundaries for kids and stick to them. This is especially true when kids push back, scream endlessly or threaten things like, “I hate you.” Remember that when kids act this way, they are meeting their own needs in the only way they know how. Depending on the boundary, it can take a long time before a child loving-ly accepts a parent’s boundary.When kids start to push back or scream less, this is actually your child moving towards ac-

ceptance of the boundary. If your boundary is like a wall (and not a door that confusingly swings open from time to time) your child will bounce and eventually work to meet his or her need in an alternative way.

The world is a very chaotic place. Boundar-ies help your child, not only feel grounded, but thrive. Check yourself and think about what your real boundaries are. Then remem-ber, they’re brick walls, not doors.

2. RoutinesThere’s so much of childhood that is new and challenging for kids. Such as learning self-control and empathy, learning how to be a friend and interact with others. These are all very BIG things for kids. Using something as simple as these printable routine cards can help kids feel grounded and relaxed. In fact, knowing what to expect at mealtimes, morn-ings and bedtimes can bring a sense of re-lief to even the most carefree child.

Have a strong-willed child? Even better. Routines allow kids to feel a sense of control, something that is very important to a strong-willed child.

3. Early bedtimesSleep is the building block for healthy brain development. It helps us process the days events and learn from it. Kids brains are con-stantly developing and creating new neural connections. They absolutely must get sleep to nurture these connections.

Between kids’ activities, school and always squeezing in tech time, kids are going to bed later and having a difficult time settling be-fore sleep. One of the most basic things you can do for your kids behavior, health and well-being is to help them get the sleep they need.

4. EmpathyWhat do kids really need to be happy and successful? The answer surprises most: Em-

pathy. It’s the trait that allows us to “walk in another person’s shoes.” New research shows that empathy plays a major role in predicting kids’ happiness and success.

Though kids are hardwired to care, they ar-en’t born empathetic, just like they aren’t born knowing how to order a latte at Star-bucks (wink). It’s a learned behavior.

“Empathy promotes kindness, prosocial behaviors, and moral courage, and it is an effective antidote to bullying, aggression, prejudice and racism. It’s why Forbes urges companies to adopt empathy and perspec-tive-taking principles, the Harvard Business Review named it as one of the ‘essential in-gredients for leadership success and excellent performance.’” – Dr. Michele Borba, psy-chologist and parenting expert.

5. HugsThere is a saying by Virginia Satir, a respect-ed family therapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

“Hugging triggers the release of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. This feel-good hormone has many important effects on our bodies. One of them is growth stimula-tion.

Studies show that hugging can instantly boost the level of oxytocin. When oxytocin is increased, several growth hormones, such as insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) and nerve growth factor (NGF), are increased as well. The nurturing touch of a hug can en-hance a child’s growth.” – Pamela Li, creator of Parenting for Brain

6. Playful parentsChildren don’t say, “I had a hard day […] Can we talk?” They say, “Will you play with me?” – Lawrence Cohen .

Boundaries, Routines and Early Bedtimes: 13 Habits That Raise Well-Adjusted Kids

Submitted by: Shelly Whiting, School Nurse Reprinted from: https://themilitarywifeandmom.com/ raise-well-adjusted-kid/?fbclid=IwAR0KI0t-NrD1p9qwdkFJ80ihcRfS3EkbRHo3beqOPL1V4i4AkGaT5hvKZFE

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We don’t reserve much room in our lives for fun and games anymore. Our days are filled with stress, obligations and hard work, and without realizing it, we are more disconnect-ed from our kids than ever. Play is the work of the child and to connect with our kids, we must play with our kids.

Taking the time to put down our phones and realize that our kids need us to play. It sounds silly, but all the mindless funny cat videos and random Tasty recipes will still be there years later; our children won’t.

7. Outdoor time“Movement through active free play, espe-cially outside, improves everything from creativity to academic success to emotional stability. Kids who don’t get to do this can have so many issues, from problems with emotional regulation—for example, they cry at the drop of a hat—to trouble holding a pencil, to touching other kids using too much force.” – Meryl Davids Landau, author of Enlightened Parenting

8. Chores“Even though it is more difficult at the time to persist in having children do chores, kids benefit from the experience.”

Research indicates that those children who do have a set of chores have higher self-esteem, are more responsible, and are better able to deal with frustration and delay gratification, all of which contribute to greater success in school.

Furthermore, research by Marty Rossman shows that involving children in household tasks at an early age can have a positive impact later in life. In fact, says Rossman, ‘the best predictor of young adults’ success in their mid-20’s was that they participated in household tasks when they were three or four.’” Deb Cohen,Center for Parenting Ed-ucation

9. More screen-time limits“In order for the brain’s neural networks to develop normally during the critical peri-od, a child needs specific stimuli from the outside environment. These are rules that have evolved over centuries of human evo-lution, but—not surprisingly—these es-sential stimuli are not found on today’s tablet screens. When a young child spends too much time in front of a screen and not enough getting required stimuli from the real world, her development becomes stunted.”

– Dr. Liraz Margalit, Behind Online Behavior

10. Experiences, not things“Children require less things and far more meaningful experiences. When they grow up, it’s not the stuff in their life they will remem-ber, it’s that time you tried to catch tadpoles at the lake, or that sand castle you both built that the wave knocked over at the beach […] The best life experiences cost little to noth-ing, like a picnic in the park, blowing bubbles in the backyard, making chalk drawings on the sidewalk, or tossing a football around, but they all have one thing in common: you do them together. What kids really want in life is quality time spent with their parents.” – Sally White, parenting writer

11. Slow moving days“I encourage parents to take some time to just watch their children, whether they are playing, doing homework, or eating a snack. Take a moment to drink them in. Remember and remind yourself how remarkable your children are. That pause alone, even if mo-mentary, can drive a shift in the pace.” John Duffy, clinical psychologist

12. Books read to them“One of the most important things parents can do, beyond keeping kids healthy and safe, is to read with them. That means start-ing when they are newborns and not even able to talk, and continuing well beyond the years that they can read by themselves. Study after study shows that early reading with chil-dren helps them learn to speak, interact, bond with parents and read early themselves, and reading with kids who already know how to read helps them feel close to caretakers, un-derstand the world around them and be em-pathetic citizens of the world.” Amy Joyce, parenting writer

13. Music“Science has shown that when children learn to play music, their brains begin to hear and process sounds that they couldn’t otherwise hear. This helps them develop ‘neurophysi-ological distinction’ between certain sounds that can aid in literacy, which can translate into improved academic results for kids.”

Attendance Counts at

Mesabi East

Help your child get into the habit and learn the value of regular routines.Teach your child that attending school is nonnegotiable unless they are truly sick. Build relationships with other families and discuss how you can help each other out (e.g., drop off or pick up children, babysit, translation assistance) in times of need or emergencies.

Identify non-academic activities (drama, art, music, etc.) that can help motivate your child’s inter-est in school and learning, and seek out schools that can offer those experiences.

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Congratulations to Mesabi East Speech and Elsie BergCongratulations to the Mesabi East speech team and Elsie Berg for a great season. Six team members qualified for the section meet, and Elsie qualifed to compete at the state meet. Way to go speechers!

Congratulations to Jacob Boese

Jacob Boese won the Prestigious Academic All American Award for Swimming.

Congratulations Dancers

Congratulations to the Legacy Studio of Dance students who were Awarded the Mid-west Starz Dance Competition Sportsman-ship award for their dressing room, backstage and audience etiquette. Way to go Dancers!!

Congratulations to Mesabi East Track for a Record-Breaking SeasonCongratulations to the Mesabi East track team for setting four new records. Ava Hill set records in the 400m with a time of 58.34 seconds, and the 1600m with a time of 5 min-utes 8.83 seconds. The 4x200 relay team of Cole Meyer, Jagr Wippler, Tyler Baribeau, and Carson Becicka set a record with a time of 1 minute 35.93 seconds. Aaliyah Sahr set a new pole vaulting record with a height of 6 feet, 6 inches. In addition, the girls team won the Section 7A True Team meet and will travel to Stillwater to compete as a team at the State Meet (see more photos on pg 33).

Girls 4x100 (pictured above) and 4x200 IRC Conference Champions

Boys 4x200 Relay: Jagr Wippler, Cole Meyer, Tyler Baribeau, and Carson Becicka IRC Conference Champions with a time of 1:33.8 and setting a new school and IRC meet record.

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Early Childhood Learning Mesabi East is proud to offer many early learning experiences for your child. Class-es are filling fast. If you have a child, birth to five years, and you would like to get them involved in our programs, please call Heather Seppala at (218) 229-3321 x 220, or email at [email protected].

Options for your child include:

• Special Events held at the school through-out the school year • ECFE parent/child classes

• 2 day (Wed and Fri) preschool for your child age 3 1/2 by Sept. 1, 2019 • 3 day (Mon, Tue, and Thur) preschool for your child age 4 by Sept. 1, 2019 • 5 day (Mon-Fri) preschool for your child age 4 by Sept. 1, 2019

Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) Classes are held on Monday evenings and Wednesdays. Fall session begins October 7.

What is ECFE? Early Childhood Fam-ily Education (ECFE) is an educational program for all Minnesota families, with children between the ages of birth to kin-dergarten, to attend together. ECFE is based on the idea that the family provides a child’s first and most significant leaning environment, and that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. ECFE’s goal is to strengthen and support all par-ents and other family members in provid-ing the best possible environment for the healthy growth and development of their children. ECFE includes a relaxed parent discussion time on a variety of topics.

Applications Applications for the 2019-2020 preschool school year are available and should be completed now. For any questions, or to request an application, please call: Heather Seppala at (218) 229-3321 x 220, or email at [email protected].

Congratulations to Reading and Math StudentsCongratulations to Lillia Elmberg, Ayvah St-odola, Hailey Beise, Cameron Jones, Hayden Baxter, and Braydon Snow (not pictured). As students in Mr. Poppema’s class, they each earned Giant Gear for reading or practicing math skills for 1800 minutes from January through May.

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Bam! And just like that spring was upon us. Ok, maybe it did not come that swiftly, but there has been a lot of exciting things hap-pening at ME3C which helped to pass away the long winter.

Contracts have been mailed to local produc-ers who will provide the cafeteria with a vari-ety of products during the 2019-2020 school year. Some of the items that have been pro-cured are rutabagas, carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, cabbage, and a variety of regular and flavored pasta. These foods will be served during special Farm2School menu days, and there will be many taste-testing days also.

Written by: Barb Hinsz Assistant Greenhouse Manager

Essentia Health has recently awarded ME3C with a grant to purchase an extra large hydro-ponic system, passive hydroponic systems, and also a commercial refrigerator which will be housed at ME3C to keep products at the correct temperature. Produce will continue to be grown as a supplement to the cafeteria sal-ad bar and taste-testing. These units that have been made possible through Essentia Health will increase the yields and shorten the time needed to produce them.

The Jeffers Foundation has provided a $500 grant which will be utilized for the children’s gardens. These monies will cover the cost to purchase the materials needed to construct outside hand washing stations, gloves, mag-nifying glasses to help the students explore, and tools geared for the younger gardeners.

The Rutabaga Project has awarded ME3C with $5,500 to be used in the Community

The Prom Committee did an amazing job on the plants they started to use in their Enchanted Forest theme.

Gardens. We are hoping to get these gar-dens created yet this year. Also, funds from the Age to Age grant were made available to ME3C for the purchase of outdoor seat-ing and awnings. We are looking forward to hosting some multi-generational activities during the pop-up Farmer’s Markets which are planned to begin at the end of July. We are looking for people interested in selling their produce and artisans who may wish to participate.

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Byrn’s Greenhouse of Zim donated many plants in addition to the ones purchased with the Thrivent Grant obtained by Dan and Nancy Harp.

The Friends of the Greenhouse (Olcott Park) toured ME3C.

Dan and Nancy Harp provided ME3C with a Thrivent Grant which was used to purchase flowers, spikes, and ivy so that community members can purchase these items locally. Byrns Greenhouse of Zim provided plants that was above and beyond what the grant was for. Thank you all for your generosity. These flowers will be sold during the bedding plant sale which will have been completed by the time this newsletter goes to press.

The second graders planted snapdragon seeds while back and have returned to ME3C to measure their growth. They then journaled and used their predicting skills to guess how much they may have grown since their last visit. They will be taking their flowers home for the special people in their lives.

The Environmental Students continue to visit at Aurora Carefree Living and Northern Pines once a month to participate in multi-genera-tional activities with the residents. Soon the students will be planting gardens with them so they may enjoy them all summer.

Please watch for details regarding the Com-munity Gardens and the Farmer’s Markets in the East Range Shopper and on Social Me-dia. Questions can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected]

Northern Pines residents and the students made 106 Cheerio loops to feed the birds.

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Submitted by: Mr. Bill Krueth IT Teacher/BattleBots Advisor

On Friday, May 3rd, Mesabi East partic-ipated in two welding competitions at

Lake Superior College in Duluth. The Met-als Fabrication team of Tyler Baribeau, Zach Helander, and Parker LaLonde won first place. Their assignment was to build a weld-ing water tank from scratch. Parts were pre-cut for them to use, and they had four hours to read blueprints and weld and assemble the parts. They were evaluated on how well they worked together, welded joints, and overall appearance. They competed against schools from Duluth East, Proctor, and Esko.

Skills Competition

The Skills Competition team consisted of Isaac Krog, Tanner Beyer, Jack Hal-

liday, and Logan Pederson. Each individual participated in Stick Welding, MIG Welding, Torch Cutting and Blueprint Reading. Each was given a score in each area, then the av-erage score was tabulated for all four mem-bers. Mesabi East came in with the 2nd highest score placing 2nd in the competition. We competed against schools from Duluth East, Proctor, Denfeld, Esko, Cromwell and Hermantown.

BattleBots

Congratulations to Battle Bots Team Ricky - Isaac Krog, Reid Lesar, Logan

Pederson, Jack Halliday, and Brady Mann for winning fourth place at Lake Superior Col-lege. They also won best design for a battle bot at the competition. On a side note, the 1st place team, Deadly Pizza, had a team mem-ber from Mesabi East, Hunter Flom. Great job to all the participants in this year’s Battle Bot Wars!

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BAND COMMITMENTS

Band is a big commitment, and it is import-ant to know what that means. Below is a list of what each band member is required to do when they make the decision to continue in band each year.

6th Grade: - Beginning Band Summer Lessons in August. (3 weeks)

- Daily rehearsals, small group lessons, and 2 concerts during the year.

7th Grade: - Daily rehearsals, some small group les-sons, and 2 concerts during the year.

- Students start fundraising for their Band Trip which will happen in either 11th or 12th grade.

- Percussion Players: Marching Band starts the summer after their 7th grade band year.

- Woodwind and Brass Players: Will have the option to do marching band but must have displayed the musical maturity needed to memorize and perform the music and obtain the approval of Mr. Peterson.

8th Grade: - Daily rehearsals, some small group lessons, and 2 concerts a year.

- 8th grade band students are invited to attend some of our pep band events but are not required. Pep band is mostly self-taught so the students need to physically be there to learn the music from the older students, which is why it is in the best interest for 8th graders to attend a few pep band events each year.

- The pep band plays an average of 17-20 games per year.

Submitted by: Josh Peterson Marching Band Director

- 8th Grade will perform with the Pep Band at pep rallies that happen during the school day.

- MARCHING BAND: Starts the summer after 8th grade. Students who make the deci-sion to continue with band into high school are required to march in the Mesabi East Marching Band. This is a part of making the commitment to be member of the band.

Concert Band (9th-10th Grade): - Daily rehearsals and 2 concerts a year.

- Performs at music contest.

- Performs at all pep band events. An average of 17-20 games per year.

- Performs at Graduation.

- Performs on Memorial Day at three Memo-rial Day services in the morning. These are at Biwabik, Aurora, and Hoyt Lakes.

- Marching Band continues.

Symphonic Band (11th-12th Grade): - Daily rehearsals, 2 concerts a year,

- Performs at music contest.

- Performs at all pep band events. An aver-age of 17-20 games per year.

- Performs at Graduation.

- Performs on Memorial Day at three Memo-rial Day services in the morning. These are at Biwabik, Aurora, and Hoyt Lakes.

- Marching Band continues.

- THE “BIG” BAND TRIP: Every two years the Symphonic band travels to Florida as a reward for fulfilling their commitments as a Mesabi East Band Member which includes pep band events and marching band. Future trips will be in: 2020, 2022, and 2024.

Things to Know

- It is our civic duty to represent our school and community at our local parades. This is how we give back!!!

- Marching band is required of all students enrolled in the Mesabi East Band Program for students entering 9th - 12th grade for the following school year.

- To be eligible for the Sr. High Band Trip students must have a minimum of 4 years marching band experience as seniors and 3 years as juniors.

- Students going into 8th grade at the end of each year are invited to participate in the marching band, but permission by Mr. Peter-son must be granted and permission is based on the students musical ability level.

- Students will need to purchase a Red Band Polo this year. Cost is $30. This polo is a one time purchase. Students can exchange for a different size for no additional cost as they grow. We will use this polo for marching band this year as well as in later years when we are on trips, when we perform in public, at music contest, etc.

- Students will need to get their own black dress pants and socks for marching band. No black cargo pants or black jeans. Black dress pants only.

- All students pay for their first pair of march-ing band shoes. Cost is $20. When they out grow them they can exchange them for a larger size at no charge.

- Participation in marching band rehearsals and attendance at all parades counts for let-tering in band.

- If an emergency scheduling conflict appears, all communication must be done prior to the date of the conflict. Each scheduling conflict will be resolved on an individual basis.

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Let’s Stay ConnectedIf you are a past graduate of Biwabik, Auro-ra-Hoyt Lakes, or Mesabi East, and would like to be featured in our “Where Are They Now?” setion, please answer the following questions and email to:

Sarah Douglas [email protected]

Personal Information: 1. Your full name, 2. City you currently live in, 3. Spouse and/or children (please designate as spouse, son, or daughter)

School Information: 1. School/s attended, 2. Year of graduation, 3. Events you par-ticipated in during high school, 4. Favorite high school memories, 5. Post-high school education and the years attended, 6. Major studied / Degree received.

Career / Life Information: 1. Occupation, 2. Employer, 3. Location of business, 4. Fun Facts or anything you’d like to share about what you’re doing now.

Senior art students, Bianca Geisdorf and Tatum Pratt have been working all year

on a 3-dimensional piece representing the transition they will soon experience from their high school to college years. The piece, spanning ten feet across and four feet high, is currently on display in the media center.

The poem associated with the piece was writ-ten by Bianca, and it became a source of inspi-ration, bringing her words into a visual form. “Working on this piece has been a great expe-rience for me. I’ve always been very passion-ate about art, and I am very excited to have this finished piece on display for all to see. I believe life is always changing, and I want to show that in the work I create. For me, it’s a goodbye to the past, celebration of the present, and my excitement for the future,” said Bianca.

Artist Statement

Title: GradienceCreated by: Bianca Geisdorf & Tatum PrattMedium: Cardboard and Acrylic Paint

Meaning: When creating this piece, we wanted to show how changes in life that are often described as steps, are actually more of subtle slopes. A series of small actions, that over time, lead to a larger change. Nothing truly happens over night, rather there is a long series of actions that lead up to an event, whether or not we realize them. Every choice we make now has a subtle impact on the next, which eventually leads to us meeting

our goals and rising above adversity, or fail-ing and never reaching our true potential. The sun and moon represent the larger change that we often see from one step to the next, while each column moving from left to right, shows the subtle changes through a gradation of blue tones. We chose an organic contour to represent the randomness of life.

Process: To construct this piece, we cut car-pet tubes into three-inch strips, laid them into our desired shape, and painted them. We connected every piece in each column using ribbon and glue. Finally, we hung each col-umn and connected them together using pins and glue.

Poem

We weave in and out of each other, coming and going from people’s lives. We change each other for the best or worst. We create our own reality.

Weaving the fabric of the world we experi-ence every day, we are a catalyst for change, growth, and love. However, we can also bring pain and destruction to those around us.

It’s only by our own individual choice that we can either live a life fueled by passion and positivity, or a life fueled by anger and frustration.

Loving those around us is difficult, but loving ourselves will always be the ultimate challenge.

Gradience

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Mesabi East Elementary hosted the 1st an-nual STEAM Fair on May 10. The large

commons and the elementary gym filled up with inquiry, innovation, and excitement for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) topics as students presented projects for an audience of classmates, fam-ily, and the community. This year was run a little differently than in years past with more changes to come in future years as we move away from the traditional Science Fair model and morph this event into a true STEAM Fair, encompassing a larger variety of ways to show learning and understanding of ideas and concepts. In the past, fourth grade teachers organized the Fourth Grade Science Fair. This year, the “STEAM Team,” Mrs. Bury (Media Specialist), Mrs. Engel (STEAM Specialist), and Mr. Hogan (In-dustrial Technology teacher) took over event planning. Information on changes for next year’s event will be coming out next winter as the 2nd Annual STEAM Fair draws near!

This year, as in years past, all 4th graders displayed a project, complete with a trifold display board explaining their project and results. Students studied everything from which age group of people is most likely to pick up a penny from the ground to the best oil for making homemade lava lamps.

In addition to the traditional science fair project model, students were also given the option to use the engineering design pro-cess to create a model that solves (or at-tempts to solve) a problem. Projects in this category included how to create an infinity mirror and building a basic steam engine.

Submitted by: Lindsay Engel Elementary STEAM Teacher

In addition to fourth grade projects, fifth and sixth graders had an opportunity to show off the robotics projects they have been work-ing on in Mrs. Engel’s STEAM class and the makerspace projects they have created in Mrs. Bury’s Media class.

Thank you to all of the parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles/guardians/friends who helped kids to round up materials, test hypotheses, and solve problems! Your support in your child’s education means the world to them and to us. Together, we make a GIANT dif-ference!

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or Para

Applications can also be found on the Mesabi East website www.isd2711.org (district, human resources)

The Mesabi East Scholarship Program provides an opportunity for scholarship funds to be awarded to any graduating se-nior who intends to pursue post-secondary education. Each spring, Mesabi East part-ners with many local businesses, founda-tions and individuals to make available money to help these students further their education, whether it is in a trade indus-try, 2 or 4-year college. Scholarships are awarded based on academics, communi-ty-involvement, sports or club participa-tion and need-based. There are over 50 different awards totaling approximately $30,000. Students are also eligible for many other outside scholarships through various employers and organizations. We hope these funds allow students to be able to continue their education and reach their educational goals. It would not be possi-ble without the help of these local organi-zations, and we want to thank all of you for being part of this tradition.

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Page 29Summer 2019

Summer Learning at Mesabi East Schools Parent Notification Letter (Secondary Students)

Dear Parents of Mesabi East High School, Mesabi East Schools is offering an exciting opportunity this summer for high school

students to retake a course at their home school site in which they have not yet been successful and need to recover credit. Our Summer School Program will be in operation from June 5th- June 28th.

● Student attendance days are Monday-Thursday, June 5th-28th. Hours of daily attendance are 8AM-2PM each day. Students are expected to attend class until a course is completed.

● Students will be assigned a predetermined amount of assignments per course, and will be expected to complete all course work at a “C” level or higher prior to obtaining course credit.

If your child has failed a class in 9th-12th grade and will potentially be held back a grade and/or not graduate on time.

● Students are required to complete 24 credits of coursework, between 9th-12th grades, to graduate from Mesabi East High School.

● Students in the 9th-11th grades are required to have passed 2/3 of the credits needed at their current grade level to be moved on to the next grade level.

Please return a Registration form to the High School office.

● Registration is limited on a first come first serve basis, with upper classmen given priority.

● School transportation may be available. Please see the guidance office if you need this service.

● Lunch will be offered free to all summer school students each day from 10:45am - 11:15am.

Secondary Summer School/ Credit Recovery Expectations:

● If students have work, sports, or other planned activities, please discuss schedule with the summer school staff BEFORE summer school starts to determine eligibility. Students with excessive unexcused absences (3+ days) may result in being dropped from the program.

● Please be advised that repeated misconduct that results in disciplinary action as per the Student Handbook may result in dismissal from summer school.

We hope you will consider applying for our Summer School Credit Recovery Program. It is a unique opportunity for your student to retake an unsuccessful course and move forward in their educational journey. Should you have any further questions, please contact Ms. Peterson, High School Guidance Counselor, 218-229-3321, ext. 312 or at: [email protected].

Thank you, William Wietman High School Principal

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JuneMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3 NO SCHOOL

4 NO SCHOOL

5 Chicken Patty on Bun Au Gratin Potatoes Corn Fruit Cup

6 Beef Taco Cole Slaw Tossed Salad Orange

7

Pepperoni Pizza Broccoli Banana Green Beans

10 Sub Sandwich Potato Salad Fruit Salad Nacho Chips

11 Egg Rolls Fried Rice Stir Fry Vegetables Mandarin Oranges

12 Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce Tossed Salad Bread Stick Orange

13 Hamburger on Bun French Fries Baked Beans Banana

14 Macaroni & Cheese Peanut Butter Sand. Corn Dogs Corn Diced Peaches

17 Beef Hot Dog Baked Beans Fruit Salad Nacho Chips

18

Tomato Soup Ham & Cheese on Bun Potato Salad Applesauce

19

Chicken Patty on Bun Au Gratin Potatoes Corn Fruit Cup

20 Beef Taco Cole Slaw Tossed Salad Orange

21 Pepperoni Pizza Broccoli Apple Slices

24 Sub Sandwich Potato Salad Fruit Salad Nacho Chips

25 Egg Rolls Fried Rice Stir Fry Vegetables Mandarin Oranges

26 Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce Tossed Salad Bread Stick Banana

27 Hamburger on Bun French Fries Baked Beans Pears

28 Macaroni & Cheese Corn Dogs Corn Orange

The Summer Food Program is FREE to all registered Mesabi East students.

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MESABI EAST JAZZ BAND

The Mesabi East jazz band, comprised of ninth through twelfth grade students, per-form before a packed audience during a re-cent spring concert. Be on the lookout for the marching band this summer as they practice through the streets of Aurora, and perform in several of the area parades.

Track Congratuations (cont. from pg 10)

Tyler Baribeau, All Conference in the 200m and Long Jump

Boys 4x400 All Conference Relay

Aaliyah Sahr broke the school record in pole vault at 6’6”

Ava Hill set school records in the 400m with a time of 58.34, and the 1600m with a time of 5:08.83

Hannah Hannuksela, All Conference in Long Jump

Gavin Skelton, All Conference in 100 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles, and Discuss

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Mesabi East Elementary

Track & Field Day

Cardboard Boats

Kadence Sebunia and Rhys Ceglar row the cardboard and duct tape boat they construct-ed across the school pool. The project was part of their physics class.

Page 35Summer 2019

Mural Making

Students in Mrs. Lundmark’s PreK class learned about collaborative artwork by working together to create a mural depicting the theme “Under the Sea.” Students drew sharks, octopi, puffer fish, and even sunken treasure while sharing their makers with each other.

Construction (cont. from pg 2)

MESABI EAST PUBLIC SCHOOLS601 N. 1st. St. W. AURORA, MN 55705

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Non-Profit Org. Bulk Rate

U.S. Postage Paid Aurora, MN

55705 PERMIT NO 10

Elementary students submitted over 100 design ideas for this year’s Celebrate Aurora button. The top nine are shown above. The winning design was created by third-grader, Lyla Sowers. Be sure to purchase your button during the 4th of July festivities. Thank you to all students who submitted a design, it was so hard to choose a winner!

Newsletter Content: Provided by Staff

Layout and Design: Sarah Douglas