KNIGHT VIEW ST. MICHAEL-ALBERTVILLE SCHOOLS–––––––– EXCELLENCE IS OUR TRADITION ––––––––

DISTRICT NEWS

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

State Of The DistrictSTMA has a longstanding tradition of excellence in all we do. Our families value the importance of excellence in education as shown in their continued support of STMA Schools. Our students excel not only in academics but also in the arts, activities, and athletics as is evident by our students and teams consistently being recognized year after year at the local, regional, state, and national levels. By placing students at the center of everything the district does while maintaining sound fiscal practices, the school district continues to be the pride and center of the community.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT CONTINUES TO CLIMB STMA ranks in the top 10.4% in reading, math, and science achievement among Minnesota schools according to state assessments. Individually, science ranks in the top 12.6%, math in the top 7.3% and reading in the top 12.2%. Each STMA grade level outperformed their counterparts in Minnesota. The class of 2018 outperformed Minnesota and nationwide seniors on the ACT with a score of 23.3.

2018 Academic Achievement (MCA-III/MTAS)

FINANCES ARE STRONG All Minnesota school districts are required to conduct an annual financial audit at the close of each fiscal year. Each annual audit is conducted by an independent audit firm. The final audit report is presented to the school board in December of each year. The cost of running the district is paid through a combination of local property taxes, state aid, and other revenues such as fees, gate receipts, etc. Overall, the District maintains sound fiscal practices. STMA anticipates an “unmodified opinion” in the FY2018 audit, the best opinion the auditor can issue.

ENROLLMENT GROWTH CONTINUES Student enrollment continues to increase. While the district grew as much as 7.6% over a decade ago, growth has leveled out to approximately 2.4% per year.

Student Enrollment

Enrollment by Grade

Special Populations (FY2019)

STMA SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION STMA started a foundation that focuses on scholarships for graduating students. The foundation is autonomous from the district but its mission is aligned to the district. The foundation has 501(c)(3) status and therefore donations are tax deductible. Last year close to $100,000 was awarded to STMA students. An easy way to support students is to select the STMA Scholarship Foundation as your Amazon Smile donation destination. It costs you nothing and Amazon donates .05% to the foundation. Go to https://smile.amazon.com and select STMA Scholarship Foundation. Contact angelan@stma.k12.mn.us for additional info or to donate.

ANN-MARIE FOUCAULT Superintendent

FOLLOW US!

COMMUNITY EDUCATION BROCHURE The Winter/Spring brochure will be in mailboxes after December 27. Registration starts on Thursday, January 3. Register early so you do not miss out on the exciting activities being offered.

STMA DOME INFORMATION Early Childhood will have Family Dome Nights on December 7, January 4 and February 1 from 6:30-7:15 PM. We will also have ECFE daytime Dome activities on December 11, 21, January 8, 18, and February 12, 22. Only $5/family per day! Register online at stma.ce.eleyo.com.

When the local community groups have completed their schedules, we will have open time in the Dome. Look for that information online at www.stma.k12.mn.us and select ‘Our Schools’ and then ‘Community Education’. If you have questions, please contact Maryellen Barthel at 497-6511.

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS PRESCHOOL Our year is off to a fun and busy start! Between Community Education and the Albertville Primary, we have 13 classes of 3-5 year olds. Four classes are located at the Community Education Center where our 4-5 year olds attend for the entire school day. The first year at Albertville Primary has been a tremendous success! We have nine classes filled with friends in a fully inclusive setting; resulting in almost 190 early childhood children attending Albertville Primary. Families have also taken advantage of our new transportation option at Albertville Primary. We have worked together with Don’s Bus Company to provide a safe choice for families unable to transport during the school day.

ECFE: EARLY CHILDHOOD FAMILY EDUCATION ECFE is your family’s first introduction to school! Besides a fun and creative space for learning, ECFE is also a great way to meet other families in the community. Families with children under five can participate in morning classes, special events, field trips, and more. Baby and Me classes are available for new parents in the morning and evening. Visit Open Play on Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings to meet our staff and explore our facility! The next session begins December 10.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING This program helps identify children ages 3 to 5 with possible health or developmental concerns before they enter Kindergarten. This process consists of hearing/vision check, developmental testing, and basic wellness information. If you have questions or want to schedule a time, contact Lindy Legatt at 497-6528. Upcoming screening dates are December 6, January 10, and January 11.

YOUTH & ADULT ENRICHMENT The Prairie Fire Theatre Show, Sleeping Beauty! will be here the week of March 11-16. The actors will practice for one week with two shows: one Friday night and one Saturday afternoon. We are once again excited to host this great opportunity for our 1st-4th grade students!

We have a great lineup of classes in our Winter/Spring brochure coming out during Winter Break. The health & fitness section will have some exciting new offerings just in time for the New Year! We are also seeing a growing demand with our parent/child classes and are happy to bring new opportunities to you.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN TEACHING? Do you have an interest or hobby that you would like to share with the community? Have you ever thought about teaching a class? If you have any questions about becoming a teacher or have a class suggestion, please contact Heidi Dehmer, Youth & Adult Enrichment Coordinator, at heidid@stma.k12.mn.us.

DECEMBER 2018

St. Michael-AlbertvilleSchool District STMASUPT

Archery is a very popular class with our students! Lots of fun was had while making amazing fall wreaths at class this past September!

Carrier Rt. Pre-SortNon-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage / PAIDSt. Michael, MN

55376Permit No. 5

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL District #88511343 50TH STREET NE, ALBERTVILLE MN 55301763-497-6500

WWW.STMA.K12.MN.US

5904 6083 6246 6324 6476

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

STMA MINNESOTA RANK IN STATE

MathReadingScience

77.1%74.6%69.1%

57.7%60.4%52.5%

7.3%12.2%12.6%

70

EC K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

430 414471 452 448

495 518 538 517570 555 527

471

Special Education 10%

Free & Reduced Lunch 12.3%

English Language Learner 1.7%

Open-Enrolled Students 1,095

STAFF NEWS

ALBERTVILLE PRIMARY Our playground is updated! Kindergarteners have recess for 30 minutes each day. Besides expanding their imaginations through free-play and getting exercise by utilizing our playground equipment, students have a variety of structured games to choose from. Games like Switch and Hopscotch have students practicing hand-eye coordination, hopping, balance, and turn taking.

FIELDSTONE ELEMENTARY A new diversity club has begun at Fieldstone Elemen-tary this year. The mission is to educate, elevate, and celebrate the many differences that make up the many faces of our Fieldstone students and families. The club meets once a month, is open to fourth graders, and is facilitated by Erin Frank, Dean of Students.

KNIGHTS ACADEMY Students spent time learning about wastewater treatment and how it connects to our environment, that water used

in our homes eventually finds its way back into a river or the ground, and understand this process as we all rely on clean water. They learned that freshwater will become a commodity sometime in the future so it is important for us to take care of freshwater now.

BIG WOODS ELEMENTARY Big Woods PTO is back in action for 2018-19! They hosted a rock painting night and added to our Big Woods Rocks River. In addition, they welcomed 900+ visitors for Grandparents & Guest Week. In October, they hosted a read-a-thon fundraiser that generated over $21,000. In December, PTO will organize a garage sale where profits support Big Woods families during the holidays.

ST. MICHAEL ELEMENTARY St. Michael Elementary starts each day with a live student-led news broadcast. Fourth graders have an opportunity to be an anchor, camera person, and switcher operator. Being part of the

news crew teaches our students responsibility and public speaking skills. The daily news’ broadcast also features student work from around the school and recognizes student achievements.

MIDDLE SCHOOL EAST MS East and West students engaged in the Courage Retreat this month. Students learned the importance of having the courage to stand up for one another and reinforced expectations of how we treat each other. We all celebrated Unity Day by wearing orange and discussing different strategies for bullying situations. Thank you for reinforcing these messages at home!

MIDDLE SCHOOL WEST STMA Middle Schools Focus on Staying Mentally Healthy Students at MS East and West celebrated a week in October focused on Mental Health. Students and teachers wore green and took time during our KORT classes to identify ways they stay mentally healthy and shared their strategies with their respective schools. Please help us build awareness and cure the stigma of mental health for our students.

HIGH SCHOOL High School Transition: Not an Event, but a Process Over the past seven years, we have created Freshmen Connections – a transition program for our freshmen. We understand that transitioning from middle school to high school is not an event, but a process. Through upperclassmen mentoring, grade specific study nights and an eighth grade transition day, our freshmen are receiving guidance that is essential for their success.

A view from one end of the playground at Albertville Primary.

Here is the news crew in action during one of our broadcasts at St. Michael Elementary.

Diversity Club at Fieldstone Elementary.

Thank you to our supportive Big Woods PTO, parents, and community!

Knights Academy students at the wastewater treatment plant in Albertville.

Freshmen mentors prepare for their leadership role at the high school.GIRLS CROSS COUNTRYThe Girls Cross Country team had an outstanding season finishing 1st in State. The girls were impressive at both the Conference and Section meets finishing in places 1 through 5 earning a very rare perfect score!

BOYS CROSS COUNTRYThe Boys Cross Country team finished 2nd in the Section 5AA meet to qualify for the State Tournament. The boys ran well in the State Tournament finishing 9th.

GIRLS SOCCERThe Girls Soccer team had another amazing season! They were Mississippi 8 Conference and Section 8AA Champions. The girls lost in the first round of the state tournament to #1 seeded Eagan.

GIRLS TENNISSophomore Emma Thole and Freshman Brooke Beck represented STMA in the Doubles portion of the State Tennis Tournament. They took 2nd place in the sections to advance to the State Tournament.

NHSOn October 31, the students of the NHS participated in Trick-or-Can in the communities of St. Michael and Albertville. They went door to door asking for food items for the Hanover Food Shelf. The students collected 3676 items that were donated.

BAND/CHOIRThe Music Department is excited for their upcoming Winter Concerts. The band concert will be December 10 at 6 PM in the High School PAC. The choir concert will be December 17 at 6 PM in the High School PAC. Cost to attend is $3.

MUSICALThe Theatre Department presented this year’s Fall Musical, The Music Man. Students on stage, in the PIT, and the technical crew backstage all did a great job. The theatre students will perform this year’s 3 Act Play, The Crucible, May 2-5.

FOOTBALLThe football team qualified for the state tournament for the 2nd straight year and 6th time in 7 seasons with an improbable 29-28 win over Edina, scoring all 29 points in the last 6 minutes.

HOMECOMINGHomecoming was held the week of October 1-6. The Student Council and NHS did an outstanding job planning events for the week including the dance Saturday night that saw well over 800 students in attendance.

WINTER SPORTSAll winter sports have started. Section and state tournaments will be held throughout February and into March. Season passes do not work for playoff games.

SCHOOL NEWS––––––––– STUDENT ACTIVITIES–––––––––

––––––––– DATA/TEST RESULTS–––––––––

SCHOOL BOARD DEPARTURES School board members Jeff Lindquist, Jennifer Peyerl and Gayle Weber conclude their service on December 31, 2018. Their contri-butions to the STMA board of sound governance, fiscal common sense, and student focus are commendable. Working together respectfully led to their success on reaching consensus on policy decisions.

Jennifer Peyerl’s 4-year term included participation on multiple committees, including Negotiations, and as Board Clerk. Superintendent, Dr. Ann-Marie Foucault, commented, “Jennifer was always a strong advocate for students and staff alike. Her prior experience working in our schools was especially valuable in board discussions.”

Jeff Lindquist’s 8 years of service included Board Chairperson on the

Joint Powers Board, Negotiations and several committees. His focus was integrating technology into our schools, valuing staff and ensuring students had resources and facilities. Dr. Foucault noted, “Jeff has been a steady force on the board and always put kids first. He has devoted countless hours to making sure all students learn at a high level and I am grateful for his unwavering dedication to STMA.”

Gayle Weber began her tenure nearly twenty-five years ago (the longest of any member in STMA history) on July 1, 1993. She served with four different superintendents and in nearly every possible capacity and on all committees, most notably as Clerk and Vice Chairperson. Her efforts, recognized by the Minnesota School Board Association, were focused on common sense and putting students first. STMA Board

Chairperson, Drew Scherber, said, “A thank you just doesn’t seem to be enough. When you add up all of the hours including workshops, negotiations, and meetings, it adds up to a lot of time away from home.Through it all, I always admired Gayle because she was always committed to students first and she fully understood how important our schools were to the entire STMA community.”

The STMA Class of 2018 average ACT score was 23.3. The class scored higher than the Minnesota state average of 21.3 (the best in the nation).

Girls’ Cross Country 1st at State.

Heidi Bast, John Hertwig, Madeline Johnson, and Amy Ziedler are the recipients of the 2018 Leadership in Educational Excellence Awards. These four teachers demonstrate a strong passion for educating students and continuously go the extra mile to help students achieve success. Pictured (l-r) Lee Brown (BW), Jennie Kelly (ME), John Hertwig (ME), Bob Driver (HS), Heidi Bast (HS), Madeline Johnson (FE), Jolene Herfel (HS), Amy Zeidler (BW), Ann-Marie Foucault.

NHS collects for Hanover Food Shelf.

School board members Jeff Lindquist, Jennifer Peyerl and Gayle Weber will be leaving the Board on December 31, 2018.

Thole and Beck at sections.

ACT RESULTS 22.3 23.7 23.3 23.4 20.2 21.4 21.7 21.4

ENGLISH SCIENCE READING MATH

STMA STMA STMA STMASTATE STATE STATE STATE

FREE ACTIVITY PASS For St. Michael or Albertville residents over age 65. Pick up at Activities Office or District Office during school hours. Proof of residency required.