STUDENT AMBASSADOR:

Emily Friedman is mentor to

7th grader Maria who joined

us in March.

Maria says: “Having a Stu-

dent Ambassador makes me

feel like I’m in a real school

with a real community.”

By Alicia Kulnmann

New school? New teachers?

New system? We can help! As

Student Ambassadors we are

geared to help or just answer

questions for incoming students

at BlueSky.

The new BlueSky Student

Ambassador Program tries to

build connections with new

students and help them feel a

part of the school right away.

This program is all about being a

student along with them. We

help them to understand some

of the

difficulties, encourage them,

and help them along the way.

The program originated with

BlueSky social workers Cathy

Parker and Carolyn Disch.

“This is the time of the year

that we tend to get new stu-

dents,” Parker stated.

“Students can feel over-

whelmed coming to BlueSKy

late in the semester so a

Student Ambassador can really

help some new students with

the transition to online

learning.”

STUDENT AMBASSADOR:

Senior Alicia Kulhman men-

tors Brit and Tia, two of

BlueSky’s newest students.

Alicia says:“Tia is a new 9th

grade student. I found out

she enjoys biking, snowmo-

biling, editing pictures, and

photography.”

Student Ambassador Program Welcomes New Students

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

Senior

Profile

M. Berding

2

Show Us

Your Pet:

Dillon and

Shilow

3

NEW:

“Voices from

the Middle”

H. Vangen

3

MOTOR-

CROSS

4

Student

Volunteers

4

NEW:

“Man in the

Kitchen”

5

T O S H I B A

BLUESKY NEWS

BlueSky Student Online Newspaper

V O L U M E 3 : I S S U E 2

“This program is

all about being a

student along

with them. We

help new

students

understand some

of the

difficulties,

encourage them,

and help them

along the way.”

—Alisha, Student

Ambassador

Brit says: “ I love Bluesky. I

love that the teachers are

understanding and are able

to work around my

schedule. My Student

Ambassador has even

called my grandma!”

BlueSky News is open to

all student voices. Have

something you want to say

or review? Contact: bderote@blueskyschool.org

320.221.1778

P A G E 2

What BlueSky Means to Me: Ever since I was in third grade, school never really meant

anything to me. It was just a place I was sent everyday. I actually believed schools were

built to fill people’s minds with useless information. What I thought was this: “Schools

are pointless and dull my imagination. I already know everything they are trying to

teach me.” What everyone else actually heard was “I don’t care! School is dumb!” I

grew up with a pretty rough life, mom was an abusive alcoholic bent on revenge

against the emotional stress caused by having three kids who all have different fa-

thers, and my dad worked all the time and lived in a different town.

Years went by. School became a place for me to go hang out with friends. Around the

age of nine years old, my dad finally won full custody, and to me that was wonderful

until he lost his job. Then we started moving around a lot. I quickly developed friend-

making skills. When you’re moving to a new

school every two years that came in handy.

When I turned 14, I started smoking ciga-

rettes and marijuana. School was a decrepit

system. Every class there were only two

things that happened: I already knew what

they were teaching me, or I had no idea

what was going on. I’ve skipped out on most

of my high school career, barely getting

credits. I never thought about a future.

Then I turned 18, and life hit me harder

than a Mac truck doing 80. I had switched schools for the fourth or fifth time. I was

jobless and homeless living with friends and partying everyday. I started drinking at 16,

quit at 18, and realized my life was going nowhere, and I was running out of time to

change it. I enrolled myself into an alternative learning center in Waconia Minnesota,

but I didn’t have money to drive to school everyday, and everywhere I lived was about

10 miles away. I ended up getting kicked out halfway through the year and jumped

back into the go-nowhere do-nothing life again.

Now I’m with a wonderful woman with our child on the way. I turn 21, and I have a bare

minimum education that would probably crumble to pieces if anyone looked at it the

wrong way. What BlueSky really means to me is I’m revising my life, undoing years of

mistakes, and working towards a life I want. After I graduate I plan on applying to

Dakota County Technical College to become an Electrical Line Worker. Most kids are

happy when they put power to a vehicle’s audio system. I want to be happy putting

power into every one's house, job, or school.

Editor’s Note: See Mike in the new column “Man in the Kitchen”—p. 5

OPPORTUNITY: Are you a graduating senior? Seniors speakers are needed for the

BlueSky May graduation ceremony. Interested? Talk to your Home Base.

Senior Profile:

Mike Berding:

B L U E S K Y N E W S

B L U E S K Y S T U D E N T O N L I N E N E W S P A P E R

“I’m

revising my

life, undoing

years of

mistakes,

and working

towards a life

I want.”

—Mike

Want to know

more

about being an

Electrical Line

Worker?

Mike suggested

this site. CLICK

Show Us Your Pet: Meet “Shilow!”

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 3 : I S S U E 2

NOTE: Last issue we called on BlueSky students to “Show Us Your

Pet!” You responded! Here’s this issue’s Bluesky Pet of the Month!”

Owner: Dillon Baker-Ray

Dog: Shilow

Dogs’ Age: 4

Dillon’s Age: 18

Found at a dog breeder’s house

Owned for four years

Dillon says: “He can sit, lay down, fetch, and

he is trained for hunting ducks, grouse AND GEESE. Shilow is loving

and kind. He loves every thing and everyone. He is my best friend.

—Univ of Michigan

“Extensive re-

search evidence

indicates that me-

dia

violence can

contribute to

aggressive

behavior,

desensitization to

violence, night-

mares, and fear of

being harmed.”

Voices from the Middle

TV Culture: It’s “All in the Famly”

By Hannah V.

What’s your favorite television show?

The Middle School Language Arts class is learning about

each other’s television habits and how TV programming has

changed from the past to the present.

What are some things that have changed from then and

now? An example could be the way families or people in a situation deal with a

problem or dilemma. For instance, compare “Father Knows Best” to “The Modern

Family.” How do vintage family television shows deal with disputes and discipline

compared to today? The punishment may have been rather different than today’s

discipline.

What are some cultures a family may have toward television? Some families may

include a limit rule of how much TV you are permitted to watch per day or what

you are allowed to view. Think about your family culture. Do you have rules in your

family? What are some of your family TV viewing rules?

Editor’s Note: BlueSky News welcomes Hannah V. —our new middle school columnist.

DID YOU KNOW: An average American child will see

200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on TV by age 18.

For More Info: Click

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

Students from the BlueSky

Design Club volunteered some

time to help create center pieces

for an upcoming conference.

Thanks students!

Design Club Advisors:

Nicole Petersen, and Gabra

Lokken, BlueSky Staff

Photo by: Renee

Motocross Motocross is a sport that requires much physical and mental fitness. The tracks

are made by bulldozers and skid loaders. Some corners are built flat, but others

are banked meaning that the outside of the corner is higher than the inside.

This allows you to carry much more speed through the corner which is some-

times needed to make big jumps.

The jumps have a face or the pile of dirt that you jump off of and a landing or

the pile of dirt you land on. Depending on the corner and runway area, these

two piles of dirt range from being 30 feet apart to being 100 feet apart. This

type of jump is called a “double,” but if you were to put two possible landings

for one face then that would be called a “triple.”

A triple is used when the track builders want to make a good track for smaller

bikes and for big bikes. Sometimes there might be a series of doubles and tri-

ples close together on one stretch. This is called a “rhythm section” because

you must keep perfect rhythm through the section.

Another big part of a motocross track is the start stretch. At the beginning, there

is a high gate that racers line up behind. When the gate is lowered the racers

begin the race. They all take off for the first turn or the “holeshot.” They make

the turn and race around the track for 4-6 laps depending on what class they

are in. Each class races separately meaning there is only one class on the track

at a time. The first person to complete the set number of laps wins.

Motocross Tracks in Minnesota Click!

Tom races the following: I race 85cc 12-15 (66-85cc 2 stroke/75-125cc 4 stroke) and this year I am going to race in

the Schoolboy 12-16 86cc-125cc 2 stroke, 75-150cc 4 stroke, minimum front wheel 19”

and minimum rear wheel 16” 26cc-250cc Junior 14-16 126cc-250cc and minimum rear wheel 16” 126cc-250cc Junior 14-16 126cc-250cc Minimum 53” wheelbase .

Tom Flintrop: The Sky is the Limit!

TOM SAYS: “I started when I was three and have raced a few races every year with great success getting many wins. About two years ago we started doing more races and going to Millville, MN which is where the Pro’s race. I can get about third there which is all right consid-ering all the best kids from the 5-state area and Canada are there. This spring I plan on trying to qualify for Loretta Lynn’s which is a ranch with a race track in Ten-nessee made for the best amateurs in the country to race. You must get top eight in a five-state region to move onto Loretta Lynn’s. “

Are you interested in becoming a

Student Ambassador OR would you like a Stu-

dent Ambassador to contact you? Email:

cdisch@blueskyschool.org or

cparker@blueskyschool.org.

Welcome to Man in the Kitchen! With this column you will learn some recipes that

I have accumulated in the past few years. These are single courses for a main dish or a dessert

that will WOW you, your parents, your significant other, and even their parents. Seeing as this is

my first time letting people in on some well guarded kitchen creations we’re going to start with

one of my most favorite things to cook for special occasions: Super Bowl parties, special din-

ners, etc. It’s called “Stuffed Shells,” and it takes about an hour and a half to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 lb Hamburger

1 brick of Philadelphia Cream Cheese

2 16 oz bottles of Ortega taco sauce

Chili Powder (I prefer McCormick)

1 box of Creamette Jumbo Shells

1 bag of Shredded Cheese (I prefer Kraft cheddar, but you can choose your own flavor)

1 Hunger Grab bag of Fritos chips

The first step is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Second step: find the biggest pot/kettle/cauldron you have

to cook the jumbo shells in, fill it about ¾ full with water, and add a tablespoon of oil, put it on the rear burner and bring it to

a boil. While you’re waiting for the water to boil ,brown your hamburger in a large skillet; then drain out the grease.

In a large bowl mix the browned hamburger, the whole brick of cream cheese, half a bottle of taco sauce and 2-3 table-

spoons of chili powder. Strain the water from the shells and set them aside to cool for a minute. In an 8x13x2 cake pan,

pour the other half of the taco sauce bottle and coat the bottom of the pan, use a spoon to portion the mixture in the bowl

into one shell at a time. Portions should be enough so both sides of the shell can touch.

Place the shells side by side into the pan creating a single layer. Slather them with about ¾ of the second bottle of taco

sauce. Cover with tin foil (shiny side facing shells) and put the pan on the middle rack of your oven and let bake for 15 min-

utes. After they bake, remove pan from oven, and remove the tin foil but do not discard. Coat the shells with the whole bag

of shredded cheese, replace the tin foil and put the pan back on the center rack for another 20 minutes.

Finally ,remove the pan from the oven, remove the tin foil. The cheese should be melted and gooey. Let it cool for 5 minutes

then crush the Fritos, sprinkle over the shells and serve with a smile.

By Mike Berding