Action of the School Board Action of the School Board 05/09/16

ACTION

OF

MEETING RECAP

I

Board Chair

Tom Heidemann

Vice Chair

Marci Anderson

THE

Treasurer
Bill Harvey

SCHOOL BOARD
ISSUE 11, VOL. 09

Clerk

Jeff Simon

I

Director

William Fields

05/09/16

Director

Nicole Hayes

Recognitions
Staff awards

Dr. Anissa Cravens, University Avenue Elementary principal, presented art teacher Trista Gallagher, who was
honored as Teacher of the Year at the elementary level by the General E. W. Rawlings Chapter of the Air Force
Association (AFA) for 2015-16. The recognition is presented annually by the AFA to teachers who use science,
technology, engineering and mathematics in their classrooms. Gallaher is the first elementary level teacher to
be recognized with this award.
Neil Klund-Schubert, McKinley Elementary assistant principal, presented third grade teacher Phyllis Haensel,
who was named the 2016 Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies Board. Haensel is both a district and state leader for social studies instruction.

Oak View Middle School

Gary Lundeen, Oak View Middle School principal, and choir teacher Beth Olson, introduced 10 students who
were selected for the American Choral Directors of Minnesota State Honors Choir. Oak View singers selected
include sixth grade students Emmi Berube, Elise Gross, Taylor Kjeldsen, Piper Kringle, Aidan McKeefry and
Nevaeh Schulte. Eric Macfarlane represented the seventh grade in the choir and was joined by eighth grade
students Kaitlyn Callahan, Aidan Hefner and Ketuerna Henrich.
Oak View students demonstrated strong performance in mathematics as represented by honors collected at the
St. Cloud State Math Contest, an event that featured nearly 1,800 students from 43 schools from across Minnesota. The team of Nicholas Preuss, Ethan Myos, Mason Smisek and Benjamin Slavik finished in third place
out of 31 total teams in the team competition along with each of these students finishing in the top five percent of all competitors individually. Eighth grade students Charley Perry, Jacob Aune, Sierra Hinkel and Austin
Learned and seventh grade students Calvin Foy and Zachary Kloek finished in the top five percent. Students
who finished in the top ten percent include eighth grade students Bek Allenson, Jaidyn Anderson, Alexander
Douglas, Adam Chapman, Ella Sirjord, Ryan Hostad, Anne Salmi and Samuel Bock and seventh grade students
Nick McLaren and Oliver McVay. Lorin Buzay served as teacher/advisor for the students in the competition.

Jackson Middle School

Jane Matheson, curriculum integrator and teacher Melissa Noble introduced eighth grade student Malia
Braiedy, who was selected as a winner in a national essay contest coordinated by the National Aeronautic and
Space Administration (NASA). Braiedy’s essay on Saturn’s rings in the grade 7-8 division took top honors in
NASA’s Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest, an activity that attracted over 1,000 applicants from 31 states.
The Cassini spacecraft is a key factor benefitting scientific research of Saturn and its moons.
JMS teacher Sarah Garrett introduced eighth grade student Kelsey Kitoski who was recognized for winning the
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