School Board Candidate Filing Opens Aug. 2

Filing Period: Aug. 2 - 16
Fee: $2
Affidavits of Candidacy are available from the school district clerk at the District Office
located at - 131 Hickory Street N, Lester Prairie, MN
The general election shall be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
At that election, three members will be elected to the School Board for four (4) years each.
Questions?
Kelly Elling - Clerk
320-395-3000

Congratulations to Hope Feltmann!   She was selected to the Softball All State 2nd team for this year's high school season.

KINDERGARTEN FIELD TRIP

The Lester Prairie kindergarten children had a field trip on Tuesday. May 10^th. The weather started out being rainy and cool but the excited learners warmed the day with their happy hearts and curious minds. The children were enthusiastic learners, and the tour guides and chaperones were truly inspiring.

The outing enhanced all Kindergarten themes! The children saw examples of plants, animals, seasonal changes, habitats, transportation vehicles, and daily happenings in both rural and city communities.

The first stop on the field trip was at RAM Building in Winsted. The children were excited to “get there” so fast as it was a very short bus ride from Lester Prairie. Craig Jackson facilitated the tour which included: distribution of hard hats to all kindergarten workers; a lesson on wood and what is/is not made of wood; the opportunity to honk the horn while in the driver’s seat of a semi. (THANK YOU TO CRAIG AND RAM BUILDING!) The next day the children drew designs of buildings they thought RAM should build in the future.

The next stop on the trip was a visit to the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota. This experience acquainted the children with many different types of animals that were and are living in the state of Minnesota. The children learned about mammals, birds, and also had the opportunity to visit the Touch and See Room.

Como Park Zoo was busy and exciting. The boys and girls walked around the zoo where they saw lions, tigers, seals, a snow leopard, bison, giraffes, a zebra, gorillas, orangutans, penguins and several other animals.

In class the boys and girls have written stories, made pictures, created a zoo with toy animals and blocks, sang songs, moved like the animals they saw, and made zoo animal sculptures. These hands-on learners are eager to continue to learn more about animals, the community and work done by workers in the

community.

SCIENCE MUSEUM FIELDTRIP

Race Relations Exhibit. National Parks’ Imax Movie. Hands on Science Labs.  These were just some of the activities Lester Prairie high school students participated in during their field trip to the Minnesota Science Museum.  Thanks in part to the Lester Prairie Booster Club who helped fund the trip, students in grades 10-12 Anatomy, Biology, and Big History classes were fortunate enough to spend a day at the museum.  

The lessons that these students have learned in the classroom became alive through the many exhibits and activities that the Minnesota Science Museum could provide. When students returned from the trip, their teachers asked them what they learned from the trip. A recurring response from students: “Field trips let me experience the things I have learned in the classroom firsthand. They allow me to see these things come alive.”  A day of discovery indeed; time well spent outside of the classroom.

 Lester Prairie students from L to R: Senior; Harley Hentges, Sophomore; Leighton Burr, and Sophomore; Rileigh Shackleton. 

 Race Relations Exhibit 

Band Goes to St.Louis on Trip

The Lester Prairie Band program recently returned from a trip to St. Louis, Missouri from May 12-15th. While on the trip they participated in a master class with Dr. Joel Vanderheyden at Jefferson College, toured Fox Theatre, viewed a performance by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, spent time at the St. Louis Zoo and toured Busch Stadium among other events. Thirty-six students from grades 9-12 participated in the trip.

 Students posing in front of Busch Stadium-the home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

 Students gathered together at the St. Louis Museum of Art

Some suggested for summer Math Resources for 6th – 8th grade students.

             by Amy Smith, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade math teacher at Lester Prairie Schools

First of all….math in the summer?  Yes!  Just a little bit of work will help boost your child’s learning for the fall.  There are many skills to learn.  However, even just keeping up on your basic facts will be a plus.  6^th graders should have their math facts polished.  7^th graders have learned operations with negative numbers so keeping these skills fresh in their mind would be helpful.  8^th graders need to be comfortable with fraction operations. 

Lots of math facts sites or apps are available to solidify your child’s basic math facts.  Some suggestions are the flash cards at aplusmath.com, some of the games at funbrain.com, or just regular old-fashioned flash cards. The Dollar Store has lots of them. 

If you are interested in other math practice check out TenMarks.com – it is free.  There are many lessons available for your child to practice over the summer. 

All 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders (and many elementary students) have a SumDog.com account and can use this over the summer.  A variety of math games are available.  These will include some basic fact exercises, but will also go into other exercises as well. 

Khan Academy has informative instructional videos on many math topics.  This is a good resource to use both in the summer and throughout the year if your child needs math help. 

In case you are going camping or someplace where there will be no cell service a good non-technology option is to purchase a workbook.  Many books stores have a variety of good workbooks with 6^th grade, PreAlgebra, and Algebra topics.  Purchase one and take your child away from their electronic device to work on their math skills.  They will be so happy!   J  

Whatever you decide, just helping your child keep their math skills over the summer will give their learning a boost for classes in the fall.  Looking forward to another great year!

Lester Prairie REACH Students Attend First Ever REACH Conference

On Tuesday May 3rd, the Lester Prairie REACH program had the opportunity to join hundreds of other REACH students from a dozen schools across the state in the first ever REACH conference.  Students from as far away as Austin, Ashby, and Alexandria joined students from local schools including Hutchinson, Delano, Litchfield, and Lester Prairie to share their success stories and hear messages of inspiration from prominent speakers. 

The day’s events were highlighted by Ken Barlow, of KSTP Channel 5, who spoke about his struggles with Bipolar Disorder. Former Minnesota Viking EJ Henderson spoke about hard work, education and perseverance.  Current Viking Chad Greenway spoke about resiliency and surrounding yourself with positive role models.  Former Michigan State football player Bobby Jones, shared his struggles with alcohol addiction and the negative effect it had on his life.  Miss Minnesota candidate Melissa Paakh, shared her message about “The Authentic You”, encouraging student to be themselves.

These speakers plus many more helped spread the message of overcoming adversity, making positive decisions, hard work, and dedication to all students in attendance.   These speakers also helped educate students and educators on the importance of mental health and being aware of the effects mental health diseases can have on students.

Being able to attend this event was a great experience for our students.  They were able to hear inspirational messages that promote positive life decisions.  The Lester Prairie REACH program has seen many positive results, and events like this one help to provide inspiration to students to continue to overcome their struggles.

.J. Henderson, former All-Pro Linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings

Ken Barlow, KSTP Channel 5 Meteorologist

Chad Harlander, Hutchinson High School REACH Teacher

Marketing Class goes on Field Trip

The Marketing class at LPHS went to downtown Minneapolis on Monday, May 2, to study promotional activities used by retailers.   Each student had a worksheet to complete relating to their observations of marketing techniques they have been studying .  Points of interest included: the Skyway system, IDS court, Capella Tower with the accounting firm of BakerTilly, and Target Center. 

On the way, the class stopped at Lunds & Byerly’s Ridgedale.  Chris Bonk, the store manager, showed us around.  He pointing out displays of interest, and how they tried to make their store a one stop shopping experience.

Once downtown, the class went to the skyway system, which attracts 9000 to 10000 people who pass through daily. 

Students were given a couple hours to complete the worksheet.  They were able to observe displays, promotions, and merchandising.  They also had to shop and price various merchandise items.  One of the tougher choices was deciding where to eat lunch. 

After lunch we went to the accounting firm of Baker Tilly International, the 12 largest firm in the US.  A CPA explained what an accountant does and we also were able to speak with the marketing director.  She explained how she and her team were working on an upcoming community event the firm was sponsoring.  We were given a tour of the 23^rd and 22^nd floors of the Capella Tower.

The day ended at Target Center where we were escorted to the offices and told about how to get a job in marketing from the marketing director.  Working with a variety of tours, acts, and shows keeps Anna Barbario very busy.  Target center had just hosted the Who and was in the process of getting ready for Paul McCartney.  We were given a tour back stage to see some of the preparations.  Work ethic, attitude and common sense were stressed as important qualities employers look for in perspective employees. 

Picture ID:  Becca McKinnon, Taylor Kriz, Kendra Ziermann, Andrew Gebhardt, Tyler Norman, Tori Trenttin, Logan Aargaard, Travis Bayerl, Blair Jilek, Beth Bettcher, Kala Hecksel, Valeria Lopez, Cara Maynard.

Take Time to Read Aloud~

            When I was young, my mother would read aloud to me whenever she could.  As I a child, I remember being so excited to go to the library every week with my mom, filling my book bag as full as I could!  That was a tradition that stuck with me throughout my teen years and into adulthood.  I still am an avid reader, finding time to read every day.  It is one of my favorite things to do!

            That tradition carried on with my own children.   My husband and I made a point read to our children every day throughout their elementary years. I found myself taking them to the library, just as my mom did with me.  I think I could have bought stock in Scholastic and Barnes & Noble for all the books purchased and read throughout their childhood.  But, it was an activity we all loved and it gave us some quality time together each night.

            Reading aloud to your children, of any age, is so important!  Reading aloud will increase a person’s value of books and inspire motivation to read on your own.   Taking the time to read aloud not only gives you quality time with your child but also, lets the parent be a great role model.  It shows the parent is excited about reading and children model their parent’s behaviors; they catch the excitement!  Reading aloud also provides exposure to language that we don’t see on television, in movies, or even in our daily interactions within families.  When we encourage reading and read aloud with our children, they develop a larger vocabulary, stimulate their imagination, and are often able to increase their attention span!  Don’t wait for the next rainy day, read with your children tonight!

Mrs. Scoblic

Reading & Math Corps

We are fortunate to have Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps programs at Lester Prairie School.  Ms. Alyssa Silvers is our Minnesota Reading Corps Member, and Mr. Carter Berkelman is our Minnesota Math Corps Member.  Both members are full-time, and complete about 40 service hours each week.  Their service year began in August 2015 and ends in June 2016, for a total of 1720 hours.   Ms. Silvers and Mr. Berkelman both received training in Minneapolis to learn specific interventions to help students improve their reading and math skills. 

Ms. Silvers provides tutoring in reading for Kindergarten through third grade students.  Ms. Silvers works with a caseload of 15-19 students, tutoring the students individually for 20 minutes every school day.  She uses specific reading interventions to help our students become more fluent readers.  Ms. Silvers has an on-going support system from her Master Coach, Jeana Wibstad from Minnesota Reading Corps, and Krystina Peterson, Title I Instructor at Lester Prairie School.  Together as a team they decide which reading strategies Ms. Silvers will use, and progress monitor the students’ growth each week.  Minnesota Reading Corps has been an asset at Lester Prairie School to help our elementary students become proficient readers. 

Mr. Berkelman uses the Minnesota Math Corps curriculum, interventions, and manipulatives when tutoring math students at Lester Prairie School.  The Minnesota Math Corps curriculum focuses its lessons on the Minnesota Math Standards, emphasizing the areas of number sense and algebra.  Mr. Berkelman has a caseload of 24 students in fourth through eighth grades.  He tutors math in small groups of 1-2 students, 2-3 times per week, for a total of 75-90 minutes each week.  Mr. Berkelman works with Paul Schullo, Minnesota Math Corps Master Coach, and Krystina Peterson, Internal Coach and Title I Instructor at Lester Prairie School, to ensure the Minnesota Math Corps curriculum is taught with fidelity and monitor students’ progress.  Minnesota Math Corps has been beneficial at Lester Prairie School, and has helped increase proficiency in our students’ math skills. 

Lester Prairie School is in the process of recruiting one full-time Minnesota Reading Corps Member and one full-time Minnesota Math Corps Member to complete 1720 service hours during the 2016-2017 school year.  Interested candidates may inquire more information by contacting the Lester Prairie School Principal, Nathaniel Boyer, at 320-395-2521 or boyer@lp.k12.mn.us.  Additional information and applications are found online at www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org and www.MinnesotaMathCorps.org.

First Graders and Reading

Learning to read opens your life to a wide world of possibilities.  Parents play a critical role in helping their child learn to read as well as experiencing the pleasure of reading.  All first grade students at Lester Prairie are expected to read at least 350 minutes at home each month.  The following students met (or far surpassed) our challenge to read 500 or more minutes last month: Ayla Bebo, Brielle Christen, Maya Eckstein, Gracie Hintz, Clayton Hoof, Eli LaMott, Alivia Otto, Natasha Petersen, Deegan Rolf, Jordan Rehmann, Hannah Smith, Scott Wolfe, Addison Bornmann-Adams, Kaison Walstrom, Kendall Zabel, Colton Novotny, Ella Bebo, Nestor Garza, and Mitchell Peterson.  Thirteen of these students read more than 650 minutes, three of them read well over 1000 minutes, while one read more than 2000 minutes!  Their teachers, Miss Murphy and Mrs. Brandel, know that the time and effort spent reading together at home is paying big dividends for the students and their families now and in the years to come.  First graders’ reading and writing skills are improving tremendously, and students are discovering loads of things you can learn, the enjoyment that you can find in each story, and the delight in sharing books with family members.  We hope the students are developing a habit of reading that will continue for a lifetime!

submitted by Connie Murphy, First Grade Teacher

Lester Prairie Second Graders Are Weather Watchers

During the month of April, the second graders at Lester Prairie Elementary School learned how to measure the weather.  They went outside to take daily temperature readings that they recorded and turned into a graph. Each child made a rain gauge to take home so they could measure the rainfall.  They learned how to measure wind using an anemometer and also made wind vanes.  During this weather unit they also observed the water cycle in the classroom first hand by watching water evaporate, condense into tiny droplets, and then rain back down again.  

Axel Bahena-Vega and Mallorie Torry check the temperature

Erica Kolander and Joanna Cervantes make a rain gauge

Eli Zebell and Joslyn Alsleben check the temperature.

Oliva Radtke and Gavin Lorentz make a rain gauge.

PARENT DRIVER’S EDUCATION CLASS RESCHEDULED

The 90 minute Parent Driver’s Education class held at Lester Prairie High School has been rescheduled for Thursday May 12^th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 126 at LPHS.  Novice drivers are required to log 50 hours of practice driving before they attempt their road test (15 of these hours must be at night).  If a parent attends this class, the number of practice hours logged drops to 40 (15 must be at night).  Please preregister with Mr. Bjork at LPHS before May 9^th so that we make sure we have enough materials on hand.  A minimum of 10 parents need to preregister in order for the class to be held.  Mr. Bjork can be contacted at LPHS at (320) 395-2521 or at bjork@lp.k12.mn.us

LP Current Events Class Holds Primary Elections

If you pass through the halls of Lester Prairie high school you might see some Presidential candidate posters on the walls. This coming November our great nation will elect a new president. Leading up to the November election the Democratic and Republican parties hold primary elections in many states. These election results will help those two political parties select their final nomination. With the Presidential race currently dominating the news, this gave the LP Current Events class a prime opportunity to learn more about the election and election process.

With the primaries currently taking place, the class decided to create a mock primary election at LP. They made posters for each of the five remaining candidates in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Posters were made for Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich. The posters were created to inform the voters, 6th -12th grade students, about these candidates. The goal is to educate the voters without influencing their votes. The Current Events class will make a ballot listing all five candidates, and distribute these ballots to the Social Studies classes and staff members, voting will be optional. The Current Events class’ goal to get a strong  and diverse voter turnout.

The Current Events class will then collect the polling data and analyze it. Finally, they will report the winner and compare it to the most recent national polls. The LP Current Events class is very excited to do this school project. They would also like to remind you, the reader, to stay informed on everything current and make sure when next November's election comes around to be informed and participate in your civic duty of voting!

SPRING PLAY - "The Last Gladiator"

Rehearsals for the LP/HT Spring Play, The Last Gladiator, a comedy written by Martin Follose and directed by Julie Olson, are underway at the Lester Prairie School. Performance dates are April 15 and 16, 2016, at 7:30pm at the Lester Prairie School’s stage. Admission for the play is $5 for adults and $3 for students. There will also be a matinee for students on Friday, April 15.

The Last Gladiator is a fast paced comedy that will have the audience rolling on the floor with laughter. While the emperor is away at war with almost all of the other senators and men of the city, playful peasant thieves ransack the market place, the annoying senators’ wives invent silly promotions to raise war-time funds, and the princess searches in vain for a husband. If she can’t find a suitable match, her father has decreed she must marry the last gladiator standing in the upcoming games. That’s the last thing this headstrong, intelligent feminist princess wants! To make matters worse, top-ranking Senator Altilis is breathing down her neck to choose him as the one lucky senator to control the affairs at the home front. He deviously schemes to get her out of the empire’s affairs by moving the day of the gladiator games up, thus burdening the princess with planning her dreaded wedding. Meanwhile, peasant thieves, Gladis, Minimus, and Julie sneak into the royal palace disguised as handmaidens. They are promptly caught in a hilarious scene, almost becoming lion food until the princess gets an idea. If she trains Gladis to compete in the games, she can avoid marrying Brudis, the brainless brute favored to win. A hysterical scene follows when Minimus and Julia’s plan to the rig the games to save Gladis blows up in their faces. Find out who is the last gladiator standing in the side-splitting comedy.

This play is produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Services, Inc., Englewood, Colorado.

Cast for “The Last Gladiator”

Gladius ... Andrew Jackson

Minimus ... Logan Groff

Lady ... Trisha Nyberg

Julia ... Jamie DeBruyckere

Princess ... Grace Jeurissen

Maid ... Maggie Piehl

Altilis ... Cameron Bolf

Messenger ... Harley Hentges

Impella ... Olivia Sanders

Verbalina ... Delaney Sebora

Sasilla ... Emily Williams

Laffina ... Paige Hausladen

Attendant ... Maggie Piehl

Brudis ... Rodrigo Medina

Fina ... Paige Hausladen

Emperor ... Erik Hentges

Mob/Spectator #1 ... Erik Hentges

Mob/Spectator #2 ... Landon Groff