brainerd public schools magazine fall 2015

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Fall 2015 Hall of Fame Meet the 2015 Inductees Adult Basic Education Celebrating 50 years and a new location He’s Back! Bob Gross returns to Brainerd Public Schools Unique to BHS Students eager to explore new activities and class options A Brainerd Dispatch publication

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• Underwater Library - Riverside Elementary students perform this fall with glowing costumes under black lights for their school. • Familiar Face - Bob Gross returns to Brainerd Public Schools as superintendent after 16-year recess. • Updated Spaces - Remodeling projects at Riverside and Lowell Elementary schools were completed just in time for the start of the school year. • More Than Pink - An empowering after-school program for fifth- and sixth-grade girls provides connections and support. • Fresh Produce - A farm to school initiative is providing fresh, local food to Brainerd Public Schools. • Adult Basic Education Celebrating 50 Years - On the 50th anniversary of Brainerd’s Adult Basic Edu-cation program, it has moved to Central Lakes College this fall as a new partnership.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Fall 2015

Hall of Fame

Meet the 2015Inductees

Adult Basic EducationCelebrating 50 years and a new location

He’sBack!

Bob Gross returns to Brainerd Public

Schools

Unique to BHS

Students eager to explore new activities

and class options

A Brainerd Dispatch publication

Page 2: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015
Page 3: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 3

FeaturesUnderwater LibraryRiverside Elementary students perform this fall with glowing costumes under black lights for their school.By Mary Aalgaard

Familiar Face Bob Gross returns to Brainerd Public Schools as superintendent after 16-year recess. By Jenny Holmes

Updated SpacesRemodeling projects at Riverside and Lowell Elemen-tary schools were completed just in time for the start of the school year. By Jodie Tweed

More Than Pink An empowering after-school program for fifth- and sixth-grade girls provides connections and support. By Sheila Helmberger

Fresh ProduceA farm to school initiative is providing fresh, local food to Brainerd Public Schools. By Kate Perkins

Adult Basic Education Celebrating 50 YearsOn the 50th anniversary of Brainerd’s Adult Basic Edu-cation program, it has moved to Central Lakes College this fall as a new partnership. By Jenny Gunsbury

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In Every IssueInnovation

Unique ProgramsBy Jodie Tweed

Fun FactsStudent Enrollment TrendsBy Brainerd Public Schools

OpportunityPrincipal Jessica HaapajokiBy Carolyn Corbett

SuccessBHS Hall of Fame InducteesBy Jenny Holmes

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Fall ‘15 CONTENTS

On the Cover: Photo by Joey Halvorson

18 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 3Fall ‘1 5

Page 4: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

4 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

There is a lead song in Music Man that goes, “You Got-ta Know the Territory.” My first couple of months back in Brainerd, after a 16-year recess working in American Inter-national Schools around the world, has been much more productive because of my 31 years (1968-99) in Brainerd where I certainly became familiar with “the territory.” I still remember announcing my resignation from Brainerd in February 1999 and there were 15 people outside my office with tears in their eyes — they all wanted my parking space.

There is a great deal of commendation and gratitude that must be extended to the school board, administrators, teachers, staff and community for the quality of education that has been maintained and strengthened since my absence. There is a sense of pride at the school that can’t be accomplished with a few speeches and policy manuals, but comes from the diligent efforts of the entire Brainerd area community.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests were administered last spring. Our read-ing, mathematics and science results showed us performing well above the state average. With the support from the community and sound staff development programs, we are not only able to attract great teachers, but retain them throughout their teaching career.

We take pride in the accomplishments of our students, and yet it is important that some cautionary thoughts be voiced when we look at test results. I’m not suggesting that we should not feel good about what we are doing or that we shouldn’t try to improve on our re-sults, but rather that we use extreme caution in getting too wrapped up in the testing craze.

America has a scoreboard mentality that wants to know who is No. 1. We must remem-ber that we are in the business of dealing with individuals. Do comparisons among unique individuals make sense? Ranking countries or schools or children is not only distorting the truth because of the different nature of the curriculum being taught, it is degrading to the people involved. Yes, we should know how well we are progressing — that is what class-room tests are designed to do. But ranking people doesn’t tell us anything.

Moreover, can we test what is truly important? Is there a Minnesota Comprehensive As-sessment of Courage or a Stanford Test of Compassion? We all know that most of what is important in what we do in school, as well as what we do in life, cannot be reduced to a computer assessment. Life is not a game of Jeopardy, nor is it a trivial pursuit. We must be careful to keep the important things important. We cannot fall into the trap of having everything reduced to a score sheet.

As we talk about standards and test results, I wish we would focus more on expectations because that is what is really needed. When we focus on expectations, it brings us back to the classroom and the unique relationship that exists between the teacher and the student. The good teachers have very high expectations for their students and they help them inter-nalize those expectations.

For the moment, we will rejoice in good test results, but we take far greater pride in the quality of our teaching staff and their ability to connect with each individual in their class-room. Together, with the parents, we see the totality of the issues confronting children and we care about them.

I am truly excited about the opportunity to return to this school district and community to work with all of you in continuing the sound tradition of enhancing the quality of the educational program for our students.

Bob GrossSuperintendent of Schools

Introduction Superintendent

506 JAMES STREET, P.O. BOX 974

BRAINERD, MN 56401(218) 829-4705

www.brainerddispatch.com

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copyright© 2010

VOLUME TWO, EDITION NINEFALL 2015

Brainerd Public Schools magazine is produced by the Brainerd Dispatch in cooperation with the Brainerd Public Schools.

Brainerd Public Schools

PUBLICATIONSTAFF

COPY EDITORDeLynn Howard

EDITORJodie Tweed

PUBLISHER Tim Bogenschutz

ART DIRECTOR Lisa Henry

Bob Gross

In partnership with the community, Brainerd Public Schools will ensure all students achieve their individual potential by providing the highest-quality programs

and resources to prepare learners for an ever-changing global society.

OUR MISSION

Page 5: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 5

Unique Programs

Innovation By JO D IE T W E E DPHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

Ellen Fussy knew from personal experience that yoga

has many physical and mental health benefits. The

longtime Brainerd High School physical education

teacher has been practicing yoga for about eight years. She

thought BHS students would benefit from a yoga class. So

she decided to take yoga instructor training, so she could

teach beginning yoga at BHS this fall. Fortunately, school

administrators, including BHS Principal Andrea Rusk, were

receptive about introducing the physical education class into

the curriculum.

has many physical and mental health benefits. The has many physical and mental health benefits. The

longtime Brainerd High School physical education longtime Brainerd High School physical education

llen Fussy knew from personal experience that yoga llen Fussy knew from personal experience that yoga EEEEhas many physical and mental health benefits. The

BHS students are flocking to new courses, activities

So were BHS students. More than 120 students signed up for the course. Five sections of yoga were added to the cur-riculum this year because of the high in-terest. BHS students are required to take one physical education course and this elective meets that requirement, Rusk said.

“I think kids are looking for ways to be physically active, and also looking at how to handle stress,” Fussy explained, when asked why she thought there was so much interest in the class. “In their busy, scheduled lives, this is a way to re-energize them.”

“I think that the interest parallels the

interest in yoga in our society,” Rusk said. “We know students can do yoga their whole life and it’s a great stress reliever.”

High school is when many young people explore various course electives and after-school clubs and activities and hopefully they may discover that they’ve found a career field that they’d like to ex-plore after graduation.

BHS offers a wide selection of elec-tive courses that are meant for students to explore career paths to discover if any interest them.

Last year BHS offered an interior de-sign course that explores design for homes and businesses, taught by in-

structor Heidi Anderson. The class was offered again this year in multiple sec-tions, due to high interest, Rusk said.

A new digital media literacy course, taught by English instructor Audra Lind, was added to the course offerings this fall. The course focuses on critical think-ing and reading skills in a digital world. Rusk said students will be analyzing so-cial media, blogs and other online news and information. Thirty-two students were signed up this fall for the new course.

“I think it’s going to take off,” Rusk said, of the digital media literacy course. “It was added based on student

“ H igh school is when m any young people explore various

course electives and af ter- school clubs and activities. . . ”

Page 6: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

6 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

interest and instructor recommendation. The instructor has an interest in that area and wanted to expand our offerings at the high school.”

Last spring BHS offered a wildly popular – pun intended – course called wildlife forensics. Instructor Leticia Laske has an interest in animal science and she developed this course, which included some partnerships with the Minnesota DNR. Students looked at the principles of science to collect, interpret and ana-lyze wildlife. They looked at whether certain animals needed to be protected and even hunting patterns and how many hunting permits should be issued in specific areas, Rusk said. The class was popular with students who had an inter-est in working in the outdoors or with the DNR. The class is offered again this year.

Last spring BHS, with a sponsorship provided by AirMotive at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, offered a “Fun-damentals of Aviation” class. AirMotive provided a flight instructor to teach the

course, which en-abled students to take their private pilot’s written exam after they completed the course if that was

something they wanted to pursue. The course will be offered again this spring.

Tom Ringhand, BHS welding instruc-tor, is teaching an advanced welding and fabrication course this fall for the first time for students who have taken Welding I and Welding II courses. Ring-hand had taken some of his students to a welding competition last year in Mor-ris, and as he was talking to other teach-ers, he discovered that their students were receiving two full years of welding courses, while his students were able to only take one full year. One of his weld-ing students placed fifth among the 200 students at the competition, which was great, but Ringhand felt there was enough interest at BHS for a more ad-vance welding course. Rusk agreed.

The advanced class has 16 students enrolled this fall. They are using their welding skills to invent and to build proj-ects they are interested in, like log split-ters, snowmobile lifts and more. They are also incorporating pneumatics and

hydraulics into their projects. The goal is to do more than just weld, but also fabricate something useful, Ringhand explained.

“Ms. Rusk has said that what we do at Brainerd High School ought to be an ex-ample of what can be done in outstate Minnesota, and I have always thought about that,” Ringhand explained. “We of-fered this class and the kids who are in it are just outstanding. They have great technical skills and they’re developing soft skills, like responsibility, being on time and a strong work ethic. This is their chance to pull all those skills together.”

Ringhand said the advanced weld-ing students are required to spend two hours a month donating their welding skills to fix or make something within the district or the community.

“It’s a nice way to give back,” Ring-hand said. “People say you’re a welding teacher. You know what, I’m a welding teacher and I use welding as a vehicle to teach them a lot of other things. Ev-ery one of these kids, especially those in advanced welding and fabrication, will end up in some sort of technical field. Some will be welders, but whether they’re welders or not, this is really help-ing them. These kids are going to remain in Brainerd. They don’t want to go any-

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Advanced welding students are required

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within the district or the community.

Page 7: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 7

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where else. They are going to be good neighbors, good employees and good people. I’m sure their parents are really proud of them. It’s an honor and a privi-lege to be their teacher. I really admire my students.”

This year Ringhand started a SkillsU-SA chapter, which is similar to what FFA is for students interested in agriculture but for students involved in technical and in-dustrial courses. More than 50 students signed up for the new SkillsUSA chapter this fall. The chapter will have meetings throughout the school year and partici-pate in the state competition this spring.

Ringhand said SkillsUSA not only gives students recognition for their technical abilities, but it also could offer scholarship opportunities for them.

The welding shop underwent a reno-vation last year, giving it a much needed facelift and safety upgrades. The shop received a new ventilation system, new welding booths and fresh paint. Ring-hand said no updates had been done to the shop area since the high school was built in 1968.

“I had a parent come in and say that she was expecting it to look like a black-smith shop, but it looked like a successful small business,” Ringhand said proudly. “It does, it looks like a place where good

stuff gets done. This semester I have over 100 welding students and that’s a lot. I’m pretty proud of that.”

Ringhand said he’d like to see more girls taking welding courses. This year he has one female student, just as he did last year.

BHS also offers new clubs and activi-ties, which are often developed because of student interest. The Anime Club, started informally two years ago, now has more than 50 students who meet every Wednesday. This is the third year BHS has offered competitive trap and skeet shooting, which is a popular spring sport for boys and girls in ninth- through 12th-grades. It is also one of the fastest growing sports in the state.

Rusk said club Lacrosse has also taken off. This is the third year of Lacrosse for both boys and girls. The new turf field at BHS is where most practices and com-petitions are held. There are more than 50 students involved in the spring sport, which is gaining momentum through-out the state.

“For many years, we’ve offered mu-sic, arts and athletics, however, some of these unique clubs can appeal to a broader audience and that gives more of our students a better high school ex-perience,” Rusk said. “We’re always open

to opportunities that we can provide to make their high school experience even better.”

Jodie Tweed, editor of Brainerd Public Schools magazine, is a former longtime report-er for the Brainerd Dispatch. She is now a free-lance writer and editor who lives in the Brainerd lakes area, along with her husband, Nels, and their three daughters.

Page 8: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

8 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

This fall, Rita Linder, a Reading Recov-ery Title 1 teacher at Riverside Elemen-tary School and several students will present this play, along with a retelling of “The Mountain that Loved a Bird,” by Alice McLerran, through a grant that Linder wrote for a theater program us-ing black lights.

The grant comes from the Brainerd Schools Foundation, money raised by the community for the school commu-nity.

Rita Linder has been teaching at Riv-erside Elementary for the past five years. She is also an artist, writer and huge fan of theater arts. Linder gets excited

about cast-off Styrofoam balls, broken umbrellas and scrap fabrics donated by community members and Jo-Ann Fab-ric and Craft Store. When she can’t find stories that appeal to her beginning level readers, she either writes her own or has them do it. She has been involved in the theater part of Kinderfriend Day, creating retellings of “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Pigs,” among oth-ers, and included students from Forest-view Middle School to present the play. She writes scripts, creates costumes and sets and works to build confidence in her actors. For the “Underwater Library,” students created their own characters,

inspired by two fish puppets that came with the grant. They designed the char-acters and Linder projected them onto larger pieces of Styrofoam that she then cut out for the kids to paint. They used white paint as the base and florescent colors that glow under black lights. The students had to rethink what “flesh” col-or the mermaids might have. Also ap-pearing: a Sea Dragon, Sea Pickle, Puffer Fish, Sea-Pig-Giraffe, Mr. Books the librar-ian Octopus, and Zig and Zag, the fish.

The actors/students who wrote this story and will be acting out both “The Underwater Library” and “The Mountain that Loved a Bird,” are Lily L., Taisha L.,

Underwater Library

I magine you need to do research on sea creatures and the best resource can be found in the

“Underwater Library,” where Mr. Books, the eight-tentacled librarian, is keeping the most notorious

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even though it comes with a warning - do not open! - they do.

BY MARY AALGAARDPHOTO BY JOEY HALVORSON

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volumes away from curious children. What happens when the children discover this book? And, I magine you need to do research on sea creatures and the best resource can be found in the

“Underwater Library,” where Mr. Books, the eight-tentacled librarian, is keeping the most notorious I “Underwater Library,” where Mr. Books, the eight-tentacled librarian, is keeping the most notorious

A glowingperformance under Black Lights

Page 9: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 9

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Cadence P., Ben A., Joseph N., Racine S. and Alyssia S. Some of the actors have been Linder’s students, and others came to her on recommendation by their teachers. Theater brings out the creativi-ty in students. They learn to make some-thing from practically nothing, or in Linder’s case – a broken umbrella, which will be a jelly fish. They did the artwork, created the story, talked through the el-ements of a story and what would work for this particular production, and need-ed to be a team in doing it. Some things were taken to a vote; others were ideas that sprung forth from each other.

Black light theater needs to be per-formed in a completely darkened room. For the student presentation, they will cover the windows in the old gym at Riverside Elementary School. Linder is pleased that they will now be able to use the stage for productions, since it is no longer needed as classroom space. Although the stage is still used as stor-age space, things can be moved when

teachers want to do a presentation. Linder keeps many of her props, books and supplies at home. Like most teach-ers, she uses much of her own time, space and resources to improve the ed-ucation of her students.

Linder and her students started construction of their play in July, using the Washington Educational Services Building to work on props, set and sto-rytelling. They planned to rehearse the beginning of September and present the play to Riverside students during the school day with hopes of having an evening performance for other students and community members. The black lights are available to all teachers in the district and a few music teachers are already planning how they could use them in their performances.

Theater, from process and acting, to audience and interaction, involves so many people. Thanks to grants by the Brainerd Schools Foundation, donations by Jo-Ann Fabric, Nor-son Inc., commu-

nity members, and teachers like Linder, opportunities to experience theater are available to many children in our district. Whether it’s a field trip to the Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis, or a chance to create their own production, children will be inspired to learn and ex-plore beyond their usual environment.

Mary Aalgaard is a freelance writer and blogger. Her words stretch across the globe through her blogs on www.playoffthepage.com. Mary is also a playwright. Her original dra-ma, Coffee Shop Confessions, was performed in coffee shops around the Brainerd lakes area in 2012. She works with both children and adults to create original dramas, and is offering the-atre classes for kids where they write their own plays and create the set with the help of her sock puppets Millie and Willie Cottonpoly. Contact her at [email protected]. Go. Create. Inspire!

Page 10: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

10 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

Bob Gross returns to lead Brainerd Public Schools as superintendent

O n the wall in Bob Gross’ office hangs an ornate shadowbox with a sterling silver sailboat

inside. Beneath the boat is an inscription: “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the

sails.” The artwork was a gift from the people of Abu Dhabi when Gross left his position as

Superintendent of the American Community School in the United Arab Emirates. And while the gift

was given more than three years ago, the quotation is as pertinent today as it was then.

BY JENNY HOLMESPHOTO BY JOEY HALVORSON

O inside. Beneath the boat is an inscription: “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the O O O O O O O O O inside. Beneath the boat is an inscription: “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the

Familiar Face

On July 1, 2015, Gross returned to his roots after several years abroad; and, truly, came full circle, rejoining the Brain-erd School District as superintendent.

It was a decision that not only took the public by surprise, but it also sur-prised Gross himself.

“I would never have guessed I’d take on another position as an interim,” he said from his office at Washington Edu-cational Services Building in Brainerd. “At the time, I had been retired for one year. While I had considered doing inter-im work internationally, going back into the public sector was not particularly something I had wanted to do again.”

The irony of this story’s interview itself was rich as Gross sat in the very same building he once served as middle school principal.

“Walking into this building for the first time again, it was certainly a very strange feeling. Part of me felt I’d never left and could get right back to work. Re-ality hit when I saw there weren’t many

people left from when I was here last. I can walk around the hallways and can envision teachers in each of the class-rooms that were here when it was a middle school. Having Central Office in this building is something I’m still trying to adapt to.”

Gross was first hired in the Brainerd School District in 1968 as an assistant principal with the new high school in 1968. From 1972-1974, he served as principal at Washington Middle School. In 1974 Gross served as assistant super-intendent under Elliot Whoolery; even-tually taking over as superintendent in the Fall of 1981. In June of 1999, Gross “retired” to take a superintendent po-sition at an American school in Singa-pore from 1999 to 2007. From 2007 to 2012, he worked as the U.S. Department of State’s Regional Education Officer in Europe with the Office of Overseas Schools. In 2012 he moved to spend a year as the interim superintendent in Abu Dhabi, and as superintendent of

the American International School in Vi-enna, Austria, in 2013.

Late last spring, Gross received a phone call from Willy Severson, Director of Schools for the District, who brought Gross up to speed on the state of the district. Then-Superintendent Klint Wil-lert had just given notice of resignation and the district was in need of direction. Gross said the possibility of returning was certainly intriguing.

When Gross left in 1999, Washington Middle School, Whittier Elementary and Franklin Junior High were all operating as school facilities. The property where Forestview Middle School now sits was purchased during the last year of Gross’ tenure with the intent of placement for district athletic fields.

“I would only have done it for Brain-erd,” Gross said of returning to the pub-lic eye. “It’s just not something I had wanted to do. After you’ve experienced working in the private sector for some time and only working with and for the

Page 11: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 11

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parents and not the press, you appreci-ate being able to truly focus on the chil-dren.

“I do value the experience of the pub-lic sector. You really learn what transpar-ency is all about and knowing you can get challenged at any time. People that don’t even know you can write a letter to the editor about you. That rarely hap-pens while working in the private sec-tor. But this is the only place I truly call home. This is where the memories are rich, dreams were realized and my con-nection with the community grew deep and wide.”

At the age of 72, Gross will be the first to acknowledge he won’t provide longevity to the position; however, he’s fully prepared to help the district move forward while assisting the board in the search for his successor – someone who will share his vision in steering the ship into calmer waters.

“I’m committed to helping the board find a good leader. Brainerd, in my view, will always be an attractive location for a school leader because of being a nice regional center. It’s the start of the northwoods and close enough to the Twin Cities if you want some of the life-style that’s provided there. We’re one of the largest districts in outstate Minne-sota, so that’s good for one’s career. I feel positive we can attract the right person for this job.”

In the meantime, Gross is acclimat-ing himself to governmental mandates and regulations put in place while he was out of the country, in addition to the accountability movement and sub-sequent increases in paperwork.

“But, of course, the core of the district is still the same. I really have to credit the people that were here doing the hiring.

We have good, strong leaders in each of our buildings,” he said.

Those fortunate to have worked dur-ing the Gross era, between 1981 and 1999, will most likely recall the man’s uncanny ability to remember each and every staff person’s name, as well as the names of their spouse and children. Regardless of the time that has passed, Gross is confident he will be back on top of his game this school year.

“It’s something I’ve always focused on because all of us want to know our supervisors know who we are. It’s all part of feeling like we belong. I really try to create that family environment so that people don’t ever feel like they’re forgotten or that they can’t come in and talk if there’s an issue that concerns them.

It’s a little bit corny perhaps, but I say ‘family’ in that someone has to be the parent of this family and I’ve been asked to be that parent. The position just de-mands that. It doesn’t mean you give people everything they want. Like good parents, you just can’t – and don’t – give your children everything they want. But sometimes they get some of what they want and what they need.”

Along with being the head of this family of roughly 1,000, Gross said he takes great pride in getting out into the buildings to visit with all staff regardless of rank.

“Opening the feedback loop is criti-cal. Staff needs to know I can be trusted. Children want to trust their parents so badly, and sometimes we do things that can jeopardize that trust. I never want to be caught in that position. This is such a people business, you can’t forget about the human side of the enterprise. It’s the same with the children. I say to the

teachers: ‘lose the curriculum, but don’t lose the child.’ Hopefully that’s always in sync; but, if a choice ever needs to be made – lose the curriculum, don’t lose the child.”

Now entering his 51st year in educa-tion, Gross is prepared to take the helm and adjust the district’s sails the best way he knows how.

“I so dislike bureaucracy. I’ve worked plenty with federal government and have had a good dose of it. However, I feel optimistic about the good things that can happen for our children here because we have the right team in place. I think it’s so critical if we can just continue focusing on the children and look at how we can apply resources and determine how we can best support what’s happening in the classroom be-fore we do anything to spend money on anything that’s not focused on the classroom.

“It’s the teachers that are on the front line and the rest of us need to be seen as supporting that effort or we don’t need to be here.”

Jenny Holmes is a former reporter for the Brainerd Dispatch and currently owns a public relations and communication firm. She lives in Nisswa with her husband, Tim, and their two school-aged children.

“...This is the only place I

truly call home.” ~ Bob Gross

Page 12: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

12 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

Riverside Principal Jon Clark said four of the new classrooms now house third-grade classes, and three of the classrooms provide space for special education and intervention pro-grams, which have eight teachers. A staff work room, included in the construction project, is being used for copier machines and computers for staff members, he said.

Clark said both students and staff are enjoying the changes. “It’s made such a difference with the flow of traffic in the

hallways,” Clark explained. “With changes we were able to do with scheduling, it’s brought more teaming opportunities to Riverside because we are now able to cluster classrooms to-gether by grades. Now everybody has very functional space.”

Clark said the new classroom space allowed for some spe-cial education programming to move over to Riverside from Garfield Elementary School, freeing up some space in Garfield’s special education classrooms.

Riverside is the largest elementary school in Brainerd Pub-lic Schools with more than 600 students. Earl Wolleat, director of buildings and grounds, said the Riverside expansion project was slightly ahead of schedule, which allowed teachers and staff to move into the new classrooms about a week ahead of school. The expansion allowed the school building to expand

by about 20 percent.Wolleat said the district made about $400,000 in renovations

at Lowell Elementary School making the building in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A limited use, limited access elevator was added to the building this summer.

Lowell Principal Todd Sauer said in September that the new elevator was now being used on a daily basis. In fact, a parent came in a week after school began and explained that her son was injured and now on crutches. She asked if he could use the elevator, and Sauer explained that it is one of the many positive reasons why the elevator was installed in the first place, provid-ing access to all floors of the building for students and others who need it.

“It’s a really neat project to have completed. Students who in the past couldn’t come to Lowell are now able to attend our school,” Sauer said of the new elevator.

It is slower and more compact than traditional hotel eleva-tors, but it has many built-in safety features. It is tied into the smoke alarm systems on each floor, so it will not open on floors where the alarms are going off. Instead, it will deliver the occu-pant to a lower level. In the event of a power outage, the eleva-tor has emergency lighting and safety features that will make it

Riverside students enjoying their newly expanded school.

BY JODIE TWEEDPHOTO BY JOEY HALVORSON

When Riverside Elementary School students returned to school in September, they discovered

something new: Breathing room. Last year locker rooms and large storage spaces were be-

ing utilized as student learning areas because Riverside was simply out of classroom space.

On March 5, construction began on a school expansion project that created seven new classrooms and

an additional staff work area in the school office, a 12,150-foot addition.

WWWWWUPDATED SPACES

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automatically go down to the lower level so no one is stuck inside, Sauer said.

The elevator has four stops, while the building has three levels. The school was built with a half-flight of stairs that lead

from the main entry way to the first floor, requiring a fourth elevator stop.

Sauer said a kindergarten bathroom was closed off and a new entrance was made from the hallway, creating a handi-capped accessible bathroom in compli-ance with ADA requirements.

Renovations aren’t always simple in older buildings like Lowell School, which was built in 1938, finished in 1939, as a WPA project. Two years ago when the building received a new dehumidifi-cation and lighting system, one of the workers on the project told Sauer that it was like working on the Mayflower, be-cause of its age.

“There were some challenges. These buildings were built so well, but there are many modifications to be made in today’s buildings,” Sauer said.

The hallways at Lowell School also received a fresh coat of paint this sum-mer. The hallways had been painted two years ago, but some of the paint didn’t adhere to the walls so they had to be re-done, Sauer explained.

The Lowell playground also got a new

play set with a ramp so children with mobility issues have a place to play. They also added some tire swings, a handi-cap accessible swing and replaced the old swings with newer ones that have a lower profile.

Lowell School has about 425 stu-dents and houses the District’s AGATE program, or the Area Gifted and Talent-ed Education program, which is why it was important that the school building become ADA-compliant.

“I think it’s a goal of our district to make all of our buildings handicapped accessible,” Sauer said. “We get parents and grandparents with mobility issues in our buildings for concerts and perfor-mances. It is important to accommodate all of the community.”

Jodie Tweed, editor of Brainerd Public Schools magazine, is a former longtime re-porter for the Brainerd Dispatch. She is now a freelance writer and editor who lives in the Brainerd lakes area, along with her husband, Nels, and their three daughters.

L owell S chool renovations allow the school to b ecom e

f ully handicapped accessib le.

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 15

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16 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

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Kari Roberts, ISD 181 Youth Connection program supervisor who helped implement the program, said when Youth Coordinator Lisa Stawarski brought information about More Than Pink to the com-munity education office, the staff knew immediately it would be a good fit for Forestview. Key people stepped up to support the pro-gram. Juliana Delgado, a graduate assistant from the St. Cloud State University school counseling program, was working in the district and helped with the program from the very beginning. Roberts served as a mentor for the group and delivered a presentation to the girls on stress relief.

“I shared what I do for work in my job and explained all of the different hats I wear,” Roberts said. “I explained how important it is to take care of ourselves and went over some stretches and other things to do in the mornings, or on days they felt a lot of stress.”

“We talk about some pretty serious things in the group,” Roberts added. She credited the counseling staff at Forestview for being an important part of the program’s success. “There are some touchy subjects to cover such as body issues, stereotypes and standing up for yourself. There are some girls that might not have anyone else to talk to.”

Every girl took away something from the experience. Cylie Ryan said the most important thing she learned from being a part of the group last year was the meaning of be-ing kind and friendly to others and that girls really can be anything, no matter what doubters say. Jayla Grove said she liked the physical things they did and she liked meet-ing new people and making new friends. The most impor-tant thing Zoey LaVoy said she learned was if you don’t feel completely comfortable being who you are, there is always somebody who loves and care about you.

Over the eight-week session the girls were introduced to female professionals from the area, including yoga

The More Than Pink program provides connections and support. Photos submitted by Kari Roberts.

There is a lot going on in the minds and bodies

of middle school students. A new program at

Forestview Middle School gives girls a place

to go where they can connect with one another, learn

about some of those changes and have a safe place

to talk with their peers about the things they’re going

through. More Than Pink was offered in the district for

the first time last spring, and 25 girls participated.

T

More than

PINK“

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER

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Westgate MallBrainerd/Baxter

www.brekkens.com

instructors, business owners, a race car driver and a farmer. Sara Sherman, owner of Discovery Horse, helped with the program and spoke about her counseling work through horses.

“I think it’s important for girls to form bonds with girls other than those they meet in class,” said Roberts. “It’s good to have an outside club and be exposed to different peer groups.”

Last year the group was open to fifth- and sixth-graders but Roberts said they might consider adding ad-ditional grades in the future.

Sixth-grader Cordelia LaFlex said if girls are wondering about whether or not to join they should.

“It’s not scary!” LaFlex said. “I learned that it’s not just my opinion that counts. Others around me have an opinion, too, and it’s just as impor-tant.”

Another student, Jessie Strangst-alien, said she liked learning about yoga and about some things she can do that will help others. Chantelle Merrel said one good discussion she liked was learning more about things you could do to stay safe when you are home alone.

Roberts says she realized from group discussions that sometimes we assume kids know things they might not.

More Than Pink met twice a week after school and last year the group was included in the 5K Fun Run held

at Forestview at the end of the school year. Taking care of your body was a constant theme for the girls, who were taught by Delgado to use a “Body Bal-ance Bank.” It helps to keep track of things you do that are healthy and serves as a reminder that you are re-sponsible for the overall wellbeing of your body, heart and mind.

Each grade in the run is identified by a different colored T-shirt. The girls in More Than Pink were easily identi-fied in lime green.

“Some of the girls didn’t think they could do a run,” said Roberts. “But quite a few crossed the finish line.” The ones that didn’t could feel proud of trying something she hadn’t done before.

Roberts and Stawarski say they have immense gratitude for the people who helped with the classes. Delgado brought a counseling back-ground to the program that was in-valuable. Erica Coe is a nurse who was also instrumental. Both she and Delgado have a personal interest in their health and well-being that made a positive impression on the girls. Coe was pregnant at the Fun Run and while she couldn’t participate on foot, the girls pitched in and pushed her in a wheelchair.

Sheila Helmberger lives in Baxter. She

freelances for several magazines and loves telling the stories of people from the area.

We talk about some pretty serious things

in the group.” ~ Kari Roberts“

MORE THAN PINK is offered through Brainerd

Community Education. There

is a fee to participate, but

scholarships and financial

help are available so that the

program is open to everyone.

More Information:Kari Roberts: 218-454-6954

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18 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

Fresh fruit and vegetables just can’t be beat.

Adults know it and kids know it too - and maybe

that’s one reason the farm to school initiative at

Brainerd Public Schools has been so successful.

Crow Wing Energized, along with the district and Sprout, a local food aggregator, have come together to bring quality, fresh fruits and vegeta-bles to schools from farms within a 50-mile radius of Brainerd. It’s one of many healthy partnerships between Crow Wing Energized and the school district, two organizations that have worked together to help encourage healthy decisions in both children and adults.

Crow Wing Energized has worked with the district on many projects. For example, Aimee Jambor, a registered nurse and member of the district’s student health services staff, was pro-vided lifestyle change training to pro-mote wellness and healthy choices among both students and staff mem-bers. Crow Wing Energized and Brain-erd Public Schools also recently devel-oped a school garden, among other projects.

“From the Crow Wing Energized perspective, it’s a grassroots health initiative,” said Cassie Carey, a Crow Wing Energized and SHIP (Statewide Health Improvement Program) coor-dinator. She said that the initiatives

set up by Crow Wing Energized are re-ally a community movement toward healthier lifestyles.

Arlene Jones is one of the key play-ers in the farm to school initiative. In 2010, she attended a Minnesota farm to cafeteria conference, and that’s where she met Colette Pohlkamp, food service director for Brainerd Pub-lic Schools. Not long after their meet-ing, 15 members of the food service staff toured the Farm on St. Mathias, owned by Jones and her husband, Bob. With help from SHIP grants, the farm to school program was started at Brainerd schools. The next fall, Jones and Pohlkamp began doing some taste tests in the cafeteria, incorporat-ing food grown on Jones’ farm into the meals and seeing how it was received.

“The first year a little boy came up to me and said, ‘Are we going to get more apples from the farm?’” Pohlkamp said, adding, “The salad bar offerings are just beautiful,” thanks to farm to school produce, which provides the school with uncommon varieties of vegetables, like red and purple carrots and a rainbow of peppers, including purple peppers.

Jones went to schools to talk with students about what they were eating and where it was from. Her farm is also a popular family and field trip destina-tion, so many students were already familiar with the farm. And now, when students do visit the farm, Jones can point to the tomatoes she’s growing and tell kids how they’ll be on their taco salad next week.

The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act also played into supporting farm to school. It required that schools pro-vide a wider variety of vegetables, in-cluding colors of vegetables - red and dark green, for example - to students every week, and local farmers are able to fill that need, Jones said.

The program started with food from the Farm on St. Mathias going solely to Brainerd Public Schools, but it has since expanded to include several growers and seven school districts in the area. Once more farmers were on board, the school districts ordered their food through Sprout, the region’s first food hub and a non-profit which aggregates foods from local sources and provides it to the community.

Fresh ProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduceProduce

Adults know it and kids know it too - and maybe FFFFFFAdults know it and kids know it too - and maybe FBY KATE PERKINS

PHOTO BY JOEY HALVORSON

18 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.orgFall ‘1 5

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 19

Pohlkamp said the amount of food the district gets from farm to school has grown from 3,500 pounds in the first year to 25,000 pounds in one year. In the spring, growers and school officials sit down together and plan the following school year’s meals, so they know what to plant to supply the school. The meals are cen-tered around farm to school.

One of the concerns with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act when it was first enacted was waste. Stu-dents are required to take a fruit or vegetable on their tray every day, but some schools worried that the pro-duce went straight to the trash can. Jones said that after five years of the program, and having witnessed five years worth of data, she sees that’s not as much of a concern with farm to school.

“We know that we see greater uti-lization of the salad bars in our dis-trict,” Jones said.

As students grow up with the pro-gram, too, they become more accus-tomed to a wider variety of fruits and veggies. Pohlkamp said kohlrabi is popular, and while not every student will eat squash, many children are asking for it.

Carey pointed out that the pro-gram is also healthier for adults, be-cause the school staff also eats at the school.

“If there are healthier options, it makes it easier for staff and students to make healthier choices. The goal is to promote eating fruits and veg-etables every day,” Carey said.

Part of the program’s success, Jones said, is because “the school district has done a fabulous job” pro-

moting the program. Pohlkamp ad-vertises the program in the cafeteria, and teachers talk about it in the class-room. Pohlkamp praised her food service team, which has taken on the farm to school program wholeheart-edly.

“There are no losers,” Jones said. The program supports and sustains family farms, and the district gets fresher food that lasts longer and re-sults in less waste.

Pohlkamp, who grew up on a farm herself, said it very simply.

“Everyone loves fresh produce,” she said.

Kate Perkins is a freelance writer liv-ing in Crosslake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys exploring Minnesota’s lakes and forests, cooking, baking, and spending time with her husband and two cats.

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“If there are healthier options, it makes it easier for staff and students to make healthier choices.” ~Cassie Carey

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 19

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20 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

J essica H aapajok i ( center) , principal of B rainerd L earning C enter, shares a laugh with students.

Opportunity By CA R O L Y N CO R BE T T

J essica H aapajok i ( center) , principal of B rainerd L earning

After that, every day is different. As principal, there may be a staff meeting for Head Start or a district advisory meeting or a PORT group home education meeting. Perhaps she has an intake session with a new middle or high school student. Haapajoki has frequent IEP planning sessions for students of all ages to meet their unique needs for special education services. Sometimes, she joins a class of little ones to participate in an activity.

“Jessica is an extremely committed administrator who cares about her staff on both professional and personal levels. She enjoys visiting our School Readiness classrooms and interact-ing with the preschoolers. In turn, our preschoolers love to show her what they are learning about,” says Angie Nelson, School Readiness teacher.

A big part of Haapajoki’s job is teacher development and evaluation. BLC has 28 teaching staff: seven teachers for AEC and Academy, 2.5 instructors for MLAP and the rest who teach in ECFE/ECSE. She observes and evaluates one-third of those teachers each school year on a rotating basis. During their year, each of those staff members has seven points of contact with Haapajoki, including pre-observation conferences, observa-tions and post-observation conferences.

This is Haapajoki’s fifth year as principal at the Brainerd Learning Center. She previously worked as lead teacher in spe-cial education at Brainerd High School. She came to Brainerd from St. Michael-Albertville when she met her husband, Wade.

She loved how invested he was in the community here and she wanted that for herself, as well as to raise their children here. Wade teaches special education at Lincoln Educational Cen-ter, along with coaching football and basketball. Brynn, their 8-year-old daughter, and Hakon, their 5-year-old son, attend Baxter Elementary School.

“What I love about my job is the wide variety. We do every-thing here – from birth to adult – early childhood, special edu-cation, alternative and middle schoolers. I have a background in special education, so my heart is with all these kids who don’t fit into the mold,” says Haapajoki. That shows when she talks about the AEC being for students who don’t quite fit in the traditional box at high school – the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, six periods a day box.

Three to four nights a week, parents and young kids are learning together at BLC. Early childhood infant classes host about 10 babies ages 9 to 12 months old and their parents or caregivers. When the children are just a bit older, they spend part of their time with a teacher and teaching assistant while the adults are with a parent educator.

BLC’s early childhood program has new technology this school year, thanks to grants sought by a group of teachers and Kristi Westbrock, chief operating officer with Consolidated Telecommunications Company (CTC). The first two attempts to land grants were unsuccessful, but Westbrock persevered, writ-ing a grant using information from the first two attempts and

Jessica Haapajoki’s favorite part of each school day is when she arrives at the Brainerd Learning Cen-

ter about 7:30 a.m. each morning. She drops all her stuff in her office, and then walks around the

building, greeting everyone who is there: teachers, cooks, engineer, support staff and students.

ter about 7:30 a.m. each morning. She drops all her stuff in her office, and then walks around the ter about 7:30 a.m. each morning. She drops all her stuff in her office, and then walks around the

building, greeting everyone who is there: teachers, cooks, engineer, support staff and students. JJessica Haapajoki’s favorite part of each school day is when she arrives at the Brainerd Learning CenJJJJter about 7:30 a.m. each morning. She drops all her stuff in her office, and then walks around the J

Principal Jessica Haapajoki

OpportunityOpportunity

Leading students from birth to adult at Brainerd Learning Center

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

Page 21: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 21

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ABCs

J essica H aapajok i enjoys the variety her job of f ers.

the third time was the charm. Westbrock secured a $5,000 grant from Blandin Foundation.

In addition to the Blandin Foundation, CTC matched funding with a $4,500 grant, and CTC do-nated training for the iPads. A Baxter Elementary School Readiness teacher secured a $1,000 Wal-Mart grant, and a $2,000 contribution from the Couture family brought the total available funds to $12,500. The technology “bundle” has allowed them to purchase four Smart boards and six iPad minis, including apps.

A Smart board is an interactive whiteboard with a digital touch-sensitive screen. This exciting tech-nology allows children to touch the large screen to select icons, move images and learn through fun. Smart boards are a teaching tool that involves kids in learning and encourages different learning styles.

Prefacing Haapajoki’s Message from the Prin-cipal on the Brainerd Public Schools website is a quote from William G. Spady: “All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day in the same way.”

“It’s a rare principal who can balance all the pri-orities and responsibilities that come with that ter-ritory with compassion and a keen sense of humor,” says Jeff Johnson, a counselor at AEC. “Jessica is consistently focused on developing positive ‘win-win’ solutions to myriad of complicated issues that walk in her door all day – every day. Jessica personi-fies a ‘roll your sleeves up’ investment and involve-ment with all the challenges our students present. She continually demonstrates unwavering support and encouragement for our staff to develop cre-ative strategies and programming for our students’ academic and personal growth.”

“Our work,” says Johnson, “requires an invest-ment of the heart. Jessica shows that every day.”

Carolyn Corbett taught elementary school for 14 years before resigning to sail off into the sunset. Upon her return, she tutored English and writing at Central Lake Col-lege. Today, as a freelance writer/editor, Carolyn has over 250 articles published in cruising, parenting and general interest magazines.

BLC: Brainerd Learning Center is the umbrella for a wide variety of programs, ranging from infant/par-ent classes through adults.

ABE: Adult Basic Education of-fers classes to improve basic skills, prepare for computer-based GED testing and aid transitions to em-ployment or college. ABE is now housed at Central Lakes College.

Academy: A new program this year serving students in grades 9-10 who have not been success-ful at Forestview Middle School or Brainerd High School and who meet state criteria.

AEC: The Area Education Cen-ter serves students in grades 11-12 who meet state requirements and are referred by Brainerd or other area schools.

ECFE: Early Childhood Fam-ily Education focuses on healthy parent-child relationships, offering classes from infancy to 5 years of age, paired with parent education opportunities.

ECSE: Early Childhood Special Education is a state and federally funded program for children ages 3-5 who meet eligibility criteria be-cause of developmental delays or disabilities.

GED: General Educational De-velopment is the process of earn-ing the equivalent of a high school diploma.

IEP: An Individualized Education Program is a written document de-tailing the special education and re-lated services a qualifying child will receive.

MLAP: The Middle Level Alter-native Program serves students in fifth- through eighth-grades referred from Forestview Middle School who meet state criteria.

Of Brainerd Learning Center

Brainerd Learning Center: 218-454-5400

Page 22: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

22 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

T.J. Wiltse of Nisswa had some unex-pected time on his hands in 2010. After working in the construction field for over 20 years, he was laid off and unable to find work. He figured it was the per-fect time to go through the GED process. That’s where he met Orla Kenton, Adult Basic Education (ABE) Coordinator for Brainerd Community Education and the Brainerd Public Schools, and started on the path to not only getting his GED, but also earning National Career Readiness Certification and eventually graduating with his Associate of Applied Science de-gree in Machine Tool Technology from Central Lakes College last summer.

“President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation that created a federal pro-

gram for adults 18 years and older who had not completed high school and struggled with unemployment and under-employment,” explains Kenton. “Minnesota authorized public schools to operate local ABE classes and Brain-erd was one of the first five programs to be approved. Arlo Renschler, a Brainerd Public Schools administrator and propo-nent of alternative education at the lo-cal and state level, saw the need to also provide education for adults. He was in-strumental in developing Brainerd’s ABE program to benefit adult learners, their families and our community.”

Now there are 45 ABE Consortia, or groupings, throughout the state. The Brainerd Consortia serves the Brainerd,

Crosby-Ironton, Pequot Lakes, and Pine River–Backus school districts.

Besides offering assistance prepar-ing for the GED, community members can also get ready for Accuplacer tests, a series that determines knowledge in math, reading and writing in preparation for college-level classes. Preparation for National Career Readiness Certification and basic skills brush-up classes are also provided.

“Some of our students enroll in class-es because they need to retrain for dif-ferent jobs,” says Kenton. “Others need to improve skills for promotion or have per-sonal goals. ABE students enroll know-ing that they will work in small group settings, at their own pace and with

This year marks the 50th anniversary of providing educational opportunities, such as General

Education Development (GED) and refresher courses, to adult learners in the nation, state and the

Brainerd lakes area. The program relocated to Central Lakes College campus this fall.

Education Development (GED) and refresher courses, to adult learners in the nation, state and the

Brainerd lakes area. The program relocated to Central Lakes College campus this fall.This year marks the 50th anniversary of providing educational opportunities, such as General

Education Development (GED) and refresher courses, to adult learners in the nation, state and the TTEducation Development (GED) and refresher courses, to adult learners in the nation, state and the

BY JENNY GUNSBURY

PHOTO BY JOEY HALVORSON

Adult Basic Education

Celebrating

50 Years

Page 23: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 23

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individualized instruction. With a boost in their self-confidence, students take on a new focus and determination for learning. Once students are empowered by this success, they can start imagining themselves in new roles with new goals.”

“After getting my GED and talking to Orla about my interests, I decided to enter the FastTRAC program in CNC ma-chining that ABE and Central Lakes Col-lege were offering together,” explains Wiltse.

A partnership of the Brainerd ABE, CLC, and Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (CEP), FastTRAC students explore growing fields of op-portunity, such as information technol-ogy and manufacturing, while earning six college credits. During these courses, students are fully supported by Kenton and the ABE program with integrated instruction and assistance. After comple-tion of FastTRAC, some students like Wil-tse go on to earn college degrees. “Now I’m looking forward to a good paying job in this area,” he says with enthusiasm.

Even current CLC students benefit from the partnership with the Brainerd ABE program.

“Last year, we were asked to have a pres-ence on campus and offer ABE math courses,” says Kenton.

Elizabeth Schaefer-Burgen, a CLC stu-dent who hadn’t had a math class since high school in 1996, took advantage of this. She was enrolled in a math class at CLC as part of her liberal arts degree.

“It wasn’t a good fit, so my advisor mentioned the ABE math to brush up my skills,” explains Schaefer-Burgen. “Now I’m back on track with increased confi-dence and self-esteem. I feel like I can do it now.” She hopes to complete her asso-ciates degree with the goal of becoming a teaching assistant for elementary stu-dents with special needs.

“After this pilot implementation, CLC administration offered us an opportuni-ty to move from our location at the Brain-erd Learning Center onto CLC’s campus,” states Kenton. “Brainerd ABE remains a program within Brainerd Community Education; however, we are accessible to more community members at this new location. We have expanded classroom options, and our students benefit from the experience of being in a postsecond-ary environment.”

Celebrating 50 years of student suc-cess through ABE is an amazing achieve-ment. As current and former students attest, the programs, collaboration, and location at CLC now make it an even more exciting resource for Brainerd lakes area adult learners hoping to increase their skills for new and better careers. In the words of T.J. Wiltse, “Stick with it and get your degree. It’s worth it.”

Jenny Gunsbury enjoys learning new things and meeting interesting people as she writes for area publications. A Brainerd High School graduate, she lives near Pillsbury State Forest with her husband and two children.

“Some of our students

enroll in classes because

they need to retrain for

different jobs...Others

need to improve skills

for promotion or have

personal goals.” - Orla Kenton

To learn more about Adult Basic Education

call 218-855-8165

All of these students agree the

support of Kenton and the ABE

program have made it easier and

less intimidating to get back into

the classroom to acquire skills and

knowledge to increase their job

opportunities.

Comments from FastTRAC students in an Introduction

to Computers class:

“It’s a chance for me to further my education.”

“It’s helped me get back into school.”

“The work is challenging but rewarding.”

“If I discover I like computers, I plan to

take more technology courses at CLC.”

Page 24: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

24 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org 24 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘1 5 www.isd181.org

HALL OF FAMEINDUCTEES

Success By JE N N Y H O L ME S

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Colonel Ronald L. Albers,1965 Graduate

With more than 6,900 hours of flight time with the United States Air Force, Colonel Ronald L. Albers’ travels have taken him to Thailand, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and France – just to name a few. How-ever, his heart and service have re-mained allegiant to his community and home.

Albers was born Dec. 9, 1946, in Brainerd and graduated from

Washington High School in 1965. Following extensive travels alone throughout Europe that summer, he returned to attend Brainerd State Junior College, graduating with an associate of arts degree in 1967. He then attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, receiving his bachelor of arts degree in Eng-lish in March 1969.

Just two short days following graduation, Albers entered Of-ficer Training School and was commissioned as a Second Lieu-tenant on June 30, 1969. In mid-July of 1970, he received his pilot’s wings upon graduating from UPT at Columbus Air Force Base. His entire active duty career was spent in the 301st Air Refueling Wing (32nd Air Refueling Squadron) at Lockbourne AFB as a combat crewmember in the KC-135 aircraft.

During the Southeast Asia conflict, he flew 111 combat sor-

ties and served three different tours from bases in Thailand, in-cluding flying operational missions covering the span of both Linebacker I and Linebacker II – the 1972 summer and Christ-mas bombing of North Vietnam. In July 1974, he separated from active duty and joined the Ohio Air National Guard.

For more than 20 years, Albers was a traditional Guard mem-ber with full-time employment in downtown Columbus, Ohio, as a safety and human resources manager. His duties in the Guard included Instructor Pilot, Chief of Command and Con-trol and Flight Commander. During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he flew operational sorties as both a volunteer and an activated member of the 160th Air Refueling Group for more than four months.

In January 1995, Albers became a full-time Air Guard tech-nician and served as the 121st ARW Chief of Safety until June 1996 when he became commander of the Operations Group. In January 2001, he was appointed to the position of Vice Wing Commander.

Albers’ last assignment was served between May 2002 to October 2002 as Commander of the 16th Expeditionary Opera-tions Group at LeTube Air Base 125 near Istres, France. Shortly after his return from France, he retired as both a military mem-ber of the USAF as well as technician from the Ohio Air National Guard.

Albers and his wife, Rebecca, live in Gahanna, Ohio, and are parents to grown sons, Michael and Oliver.

BHS

Complete Hall of Fame information, including a nomination form, can be found at www.bpsf.org

COLONEL RONALD L. ALBERS

The Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor graduates of Brainerd High School with distinguished achievements and careers. Since 2001, 58 men and women have been selected to join the ranks of the Distinguished Hall of Fame, a group intended to serve as role models for future BHS graduates. “This

year’s inductees, like the previous Hall of Fame members, represent the many distinguished BHS graduates positioned around the globe,” noted Superintendent Bob Gross. “We take great pride in welcoming these new members to the BHS Hall of Fame.”

Page 25: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

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Commercial and Residential ConstructionArchitects and General Contractors

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Brainerd HS PoolRiverside School Addition

ForestviewWashington Elevator

1991 RenovationsBHS Gym Reno

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Franklin Girl’s RestroomsMagnet School

Tornstrom Auditorium DoorsFranklin & BHS Music Rooms

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Fire Code & Washington & FranklinGymnastics

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BHS South Entry ConcreteWashington Middle School Sign

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JULY 1—DECEMBER 31, 2015

Dr L.J. Nickisch, 1974 GraduateS pecializing in a field not many

individuals can even begin to un-derstand or grasp, Dr. L.J. Nickisch credits the stirring of his interests in math and science to several of his teachers at BHS.

Nickisch currently serves as se-nior scientist and vice president of NorthWest Research Associates, and is primarily known for his work in electromagnetic wave propaga-tion in plasmas, especially the iono-

sphere. He is considered to be the world’s expert in this field. Nickisch, a 1974 BHS graduate, was active in band, football,

Brainonian staff and National Honor Society. Brainerd educa-tors including Bill Matthies and Gary Fitch have been attributed to propelling Nickisch’s scientific dreams through master’s and doctoral programs and into a continuing career as a theoretical physicist.

Nickisch attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and graduated with a bachelor of science in physics; the Uni-versity of Wisconsin, Madison, earning a master of science and PhD degrees in physics. He also did undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology and graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Nickisch moved to California to work as a defense contrac-tor in the area of electromagnetic wave propagation physics.

He is also noted for his work in the study of quantum vacuum fields, leading to the development of his theory of connectivity for which he was the recipient of the Outstanding Paper Award by the Institute for Space and Nuclear Studies for “Review of Ex-perimental Concepts for Studying the Quantum Vacuum Field.”

Nickisch’s work has been published in over 25 peer-re-viewed journals and conference proceedings.

Nickisch said he returns to the Brainerd lakes area at least twice a year to visit his father who still lives in the area, as well as his sister, Lauren.

Brian Nystrom, 1977 GraduateBrian Nystrom has dedicated his

personal and professional life to helping others.

Nystrom has served 35 years in the mental health field. In 1991, Nystrom founded Nystrom & Asso-ciates, Ltd., as well as several other mental health related divisions, which now has over 750 employees and clinical interns.

Nystrom & Associates is a li-censed outpatient mental health

and chemical dependency clinic with 12 offices in Minnesota and Seattle, Wash. In 2014 alone, Nystrom & Associates pro-grams provided over 30,000 face-to-face services per month to 42,000 unique annual patients.

DR. L. J. NICKISCH

BRIAN NYSTROM

Page 26: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

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Proud supporter of ISD 181 - Baxter -

In 1977, Nystrom graduated with honors from Brainerd High School. Much of his junior and senior year was spent taking classes at Brainerd Community College. He was also active in his church during this time.

Nystrom received a bachelor of arts degree, cum laude, in social work and behavioral science from Bethel University as well as a master of social work degree with a special iz ation in mental heal th f rom the S chool of S ocial W ork at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Nystrom is a licensed marriage and family thera-pist and licensed independent clinical social worker.

In 1978, he volunteered at the Women’s Center of Mid-Min-nesota; participated in and presented at various seminars re-garding marriage and family and domestic violence; and from 1979 to 1981, served on the Board for the Alexandra House, originally the Anoka County Task Force for Battered Women, raising over $50,000 through grant writing to help provide startup funds for a shelter. Additional community service has included involvement with more than a dozen other service organizations.

Nystrom has received high honors and achievements, in-cluding four governor appointments from 1992 to 2008 to the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, serving as board chair; Disciplinary Panel; Internet Therapy Committee chair; and Supervision Committee chair. In 2001, he authored “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Marriages.” From 1998 to 2001, he served on the State Board of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and received the Health Central Innovator’s Award in 1984 and 1985.

Nystrom met his wife, Mary Ann, in 1977 when they were both students at Brainerd Community College. They have been married for 36 years, have four adult children and 12 grandchil-dren, and divide their time between their homes in Minneapo-lis and Nisswa.

Branelle (Cibuzar) Rodriguez,2000 Graduate

As a young girl, Branelle (Cibu-zar) Rodriguez dreamed of joining the U.S. Space Program. Fueling that passion from the beginning were her parents, Shellie and the late Alan Cibuzar, who continuous-ly encouraged and supported her.

Rodriguez, a 2000 BHS graduate, was a three-sport athlete, Academ-ic All-American, seven-time Letter winner and captain of the BHS soc-cer team.

She attended the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Following her freshman year, Rodriguez had the opportunity to be a space camp counselor at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center over the summer and share her passion for space with the next generation.

Rodriguez completed cooperative education tours at Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Mich., and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering in 2005.

She began her career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, im-mediately after graduation, in the Crew and Thermal Systems Division - Life Support and Habitability Branch as a Project Manager, developing space flight hardware for the Interna-tional Space Station (ISS). In her first few years, Rodriguez led several projects that are currently in flight on the ISS today, in-cluding the Station’s Crew Quarters where astronauts live and sleep and the Urine Monitoring System. Additionally, she led several research projects that looked at advanced technologies for exploration missions, such as the Electrochemical Disinfec-tion system and the Urine Receptacle Assembly. She was the lead for “Crew Systems and Outfitting for the Advanced Explo-ration Habitation Demonstration Unit and Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle” designing waste collection and habita-tion systems. Rodriguez led the team of engineers tasked with changing the philosophy for fighting fires in microgravity by developing and designing a fine water mist fire extinguisher for the ISS.

In 2010, Rodriguez received her master’s in engineering, majoring in engineering management, from the University of Texas. She has also authored and published numerous techni-cal papers on environmental control and life support systems.

Rodriguez has received numerous exemplary contribution awards. In 2013 she received the NASA Agency Early Career Achievement Medal for her “significant contributions to the Space Station Program in leadership and management of life support system hardware projects.”

In 2014, Rodriguez was promoted to the position of ISS Mis-sion Evaluation Room Manager. She leads teams of subsystem and technical discipline engineers to resolve real-time on-orbit anomalies. She is responsible for all phases of ISS flight.

In 2010, she married Scott Rodriguez; and, in October of 2014, they welcomed their daughter, Samantha, to the family.

Jenny Holmes is a former reporter for the Brainerd Dispatch and currently owns a public relations and communication firm. She lives in Nisswa with her husband, Tim, and their two school-aged children.

BRANELLE (CIBUZAR) RODRIGUEZ

Page 27: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

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Page 28: Brainerd Public Schools Magazine Fall 2015

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