STORY FROM NERSTRAND ELEMENTARY - Original Submissions

Free Staff Development Opportunities !

Nerstrand Elementary has been awarded a Federal Dissemination Grant. The purpose of this funding is to share some of the exemplary components of our program with new and existing schools.
Our school is currently in its fourth year of chartering, was the first public conversion in the state, and enjoys an unparalleled relationship with our sponsor. Although our school serves students in K through Grade 5, many of our techniques and programs could be equally effective with older student groups and in more urban settings than ours. We believe that other schools can observe the principles upon which Nerstrand operates and adapt these effective techniques to its own, unique environment. (We don't have a// the answers, yet we believe that we can address some important issues-ones that could improve any school's programs!)
We are offering several seminars at Nerstrand as a means of sharing some of this useful information. Would you take just a few moments to consider if any of these opportunities might be helpful to your programming?

Site Visitation Seminars
This daylong seminar offers detailed information on how high behavior and academic expectations, multiage classrooms, extensive service learning opportunities, community involvement, and peace-building efforts have created a truly unique and responsive school environment. Tips for engaging sponsors in a positive way can also be addressed, if requested.

Service Learning Seminar
This half-day seminar details methods and projects that Nerstrand has used to create a school- wide spirit of service. We were Learn & Serve America grant recipients for nine years. During those years, Service Learning has become so deeply embedded into the school's fabric that service opportunities are often initiated by our students and their parents rather than by school staff.

Financial and Office Management Seminars
This half-day seminar (presented by Nerstrand's Business Manager and Administrative Assistant) provides step-by-step guides to set up and maintain effective financial reporting and accounting procedures. Practical tips to efficiently manage the "paper shuffle", provide support for daily operations, and expedite staff, parent, and community communications are invaluable for creating extraordinary administrative support.

Please feel free to contact the school or myself with any questions you might have about these great opportunities.

Contact information:
Carolyn Treadway
Dissemination Grant coordinator (507) 333-6850
ctreadway@aol.com

STORIES/POETRY FROM NERSTRAND ELEMENTARY - Original Submissions

Kayla Clemmensen, gr. 5

Farming
Always working
Plowing, bailing, planting
Taking care of the animals
Tired


Peter Seitz, gr. 5

Commercials
Endless torture
Advertising, selling, exaggerating
Taking all your time
Boring

STORY FROM Voyageurs Expeditionary High School - Original Submission

Talented and Gifted Program Fully Implemented
By Chance Voigt
VEHS Student, 10th Grade

Voyageurs Expeditionary High School (VEHS), a new charter high school in Bemidji, opened this previous fall, is taking part in a renaissance of extended learning programs. One component that is helping fulfill this mission is the use of a Talented and Gifted (TAG) program. This academic extension provides students with focused interests and talents a chance to experience their passion in an alternative environment. VEHS, only seven months old, has been hard at work refining the TAG program so that the experience will extend to every student that has personal interests outside of the traditional school setting.

The person hired for the job is Mary Clemenson. Mary, a native of North Dakota, has lived in Bemidji for 16 years, with a brief stint in Boston. While in Boston she earned her Master in Musical Composition at the New England Conservatory, one of the top five music schools in the country. Her job includes exploring our community for student opportunities and supporting the staff in their efforts to provide new and interesting curriculum. She is energetic about her task; she has been busy coordinating a summer Writer’s Workshop with Will Weaver, a renowned author, along with extended learning opportunities with local experts.

Mary Clemenson feels that “working with students at VEHS is a dream job. They are eager to learn and try new experiences. Their questions are insightful and they comprehend complex concepts. They are talented, intelligent and well motivated. What teacher could ask for more? It is a privilege to work in such a supportive environment.” Mary’s plans for next year are numerous. For starters, she will work closely with other members of the VEHS staff as the school intends to incorporate the TAG program more directly into the curriculum next year. We will be applying for a grant to host a photographer as an artist in residence, begin a yearbook, continue our supplemental music program, link up with the Headwaters Science Center, expand our National History Day experience, and many more as need arises. Voyageurs, because it is an ELOB (Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound) school, strongly supports programs that provide a good opportunity for experiential learning and self-direction.

Jaime Owens, a ninth grade student at VEHS says, “I think Mary really brought something new to Voyageurs that no one else could have offered us.” Zach Burke, another ninth graders says, “I think Mary is a brilliant and committed woman who shows a passion for what she does!” Mary Clemenson, through the TAG program, has set up a lot of exciting opportunities for VEHS students that are popular with the student body and helpful to the rest of the staff. Personally, Mary has helped me extend my love and understanding for music in a way I could never repay!

Picture: Mary Clemenson explains an intricate concept in music theory to VEHS student Jaime Owens.

STORY FROM COON RAPIDS LEARNING CENTER - Original Submission

Project Sarapiqui
By Ali Peters


Two teachers from my school recently went to Costa Rica. While they were there they visited one of the poorest regions of the country, Sarapiqui. They found a Conservation Learning Center, which is an open and free secondary school, similar to our school, the Coon Rapids Learning Center. There are high schools in Costa Rica that many students can’t attend because of the cost of uniforms, books, and transportation. Once the kids in Costa Rica are twelve and have completed the sixth grade, they cannot attend high school unless they can pay the two- hundred and fifty dollars a year, for five years.
The students at Coon Rapids Learning Center believe that every one deserves an opportunity for education. So some of my classmates and I have started a fundraiser to sponsor one student to go to high school for five years. Our goal is to raise $1250, that would provide all the materials needed for one student. So far we have raised over seven hundred dollars. We did that by putting together a day at our school, March 11th, where students could leave early if they donated two dollars. We also have a loose change jar located in our schools. We have also given letters to many businesses, and we have contacted the Chamber of Commerce.
Not only are we trying to raise money, but we are also trying to bring in school supplies. This April eight students are going to Costa Rica, and we are trying to send at least fifty pounds of school supplies with each of them, to be donated to the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center.
We have received a lot of donations and hope to meet our goals. Some of my classmates and I intend on going to Costa Rica in the fall to meet the student we will sponsor. We are planning to keep this fundraiser going for years, and hopefully sponsor a student every year.

STORY FROM RIVERBEND - Original Submission

Open Mic Night at RiverBend Academy
Submitted by Ashney Prom


RiverBend Acadmey held its first student led Open Mic Night on Friday March 12th. RiverBend Academy is an Arts and Technology focused Charter School with an abundance of talent. We also have an incredible Art Room with pottery wheels, painting, jewelry making and weaving looms. Students had the idea that we all need a time together having fun and with an opportunity to invite friends to their school. The Open Mic Night was the result of some great ideas and discussion. The school held a townhall meeting the same week to introduce this and other ideas to the student body.
Open Mic Night will be a regular event on the second and fourth Friday of every month. Some students, staff and visitors from other schools that sing,
play an instrument or like to do some drama or read poetry will perform so don’t miss this!!
Its all possible at these evenings….if you’ve only been playing your guitar in the garage, come on over to RBA Open Mic Night and share your talent and have some fun!!
Our Recording Studio is a popular place on Open Mic Nights for those who want to strum and sing and even try their Music production abilities. Concessions are available to enjoy and if you would like some physical activity, ping pong is very popular on Open Mic Night. April’s Open Mic Nights will be April 16 and 30 due to block break, then we are back to the second and fourth Friday from 7-10 p.m. We are located at 110 N. 6th Street
in Mankato, if you have any questions please give us a call at (507) 387-5524. Otherwise, we will look forward to seeing there!!!!

STORY FROM SCHOOLCRAFT - Original Submission

The Rainforest Expedition
By Naomi – a 1st grader at Schoolcraft Learning Community, a K-8 charter school in Bemidji, MN in their fourth year of operation. To see what other crews are doing, you can visit the website www.schoolcraft.org.

Melanie’s crew is learning about the Rainforest. Rainforests can be in Australia, Central and South America, and Africa. Some people are cutting down the Rainforest-- I don’t like that because it destroys the creatures’ world. Some people are trying to save the Rain Forest. We need to save it because it’s beautiful and we get fruit from there. I can’t wait to visit the Rain Forest one day! If you want to learn more, I’ll tell you some interesting facts about the Rain Forest:

· The macaw is the most colorful creature.
· The giraffe is the biggest animal there.
· The sloth is the slowest mammal there.
· The Blue Morpho butterfly is the biggest butterfly.
· The difference between monkeys and apes is that monkeys have tails and apes don’t.
· The jaguar is the most powerful creature and my favorite!

STORY FROM SCHOOLCRAFT - Original Submission (a picture was submitted with this article)

OFF TO SEATTLE
ELOB National Conference

By Jenn – a 6th grader at Schoolcraft Learning Community, a K-8 charter school in Bemidji, MN in their 4th year.


The 6/7 teachers of Schoolcraft Learning Community traveled to Seattle, Washington, to present a Master Class about how to introduce an expedition by using Building Background Knowledge (BBK) workshops with students. The reason Marilyn Delaney, Jim Conway, and Sara Breeze were chosen to be presenters is because… in the fall of 2003, the 6/7 crews did a Holocaust re-enactment. At the time of the re-enactment, the school was full of visitors for the event of the Demonstration Site Seminar. Some of the visitors chose to watch the Holocaust re-enactment. They were so impressed at the impact it had on the students that they told the National Conference committee about their experience. The National Conference leaders called the school and invited the 6/7 teachers(Marilyn, Jim, and Sara to apply to be presenters at the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound National Conference, and Scott told them that they should go for it!

The teachers started to write the Master Class proposal for the conference, and after that was completed, it was edited and submitted for approval. After a couple of weeks, they received a notification that they were accepted as presenters.

Some of the preparations that needed to be done prior to the presentation were to finalize the movie that was shown of the 6/7 expedition, and to figure out what each of the team would present. Besides our 3 people going, there were an estimated number of 500 people at the National Conference.

Sara’s favorite part of the trip to Seattle was being a member on a panel discussing ”School Culture”. She had to tell the other 100 people in the room of Schoolcraft’s philosophy. Later, after all four of the panel members, including Sara, introduced their schools, the audience of 100 people asked the panel members questions about their schools. “The audience was so interested in what I had to say about Schoolcraft,” said Sara, ”that I was asked more questions than any other panel member. I was funny and serious when I talked about Schoolcraft. Many people talked to me later on at the National Conference because they remembered me as one of the panel members.”


The most fun part of the trip according to Jim and Marilyn, was going to the Space Needle to see the view, and Marilyn also said that it was fun to go to the Fish Market to see where they made the famous video called “Fish”, which is all about attitude.

The 6/7 teachers put a lot of work into preparing to go to Seattle, and I think that they should have a lot of honor for what they did.

STORY FROM SCHOOLCRAFT - Original Submission

A History Maker Comes to Schoolcraft
By the Schoolcraft Eighth Grade Crew

Schoolcraft Learning Community, a K-8 Charter school near Bemidji, Minnesota was recently visited by Dennis Banks. In 1968, Mr. Banks helped to found the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since that time AIM and Mr. Banks have been at the forefront of the battle for Native American rights in the United States.

Our crew was incorporating our design principles into our work. We had to research a topic of our choice as long as it had something to do with the Black Hills, and teach about it for a week to our class. Each group had to teach for nine hours throughout the week and give out a certain amount of homework. Mr. Banks came to Schoolcraft at the invitation of Simone and Elaine, Schoolcraft eighth graders. They invited Mr. Banks as part of the unit they were teaching titled: Wounded Knee 1973 and Surrounding Events. As a key figure in the 1973 events Mr. Banks brought firsthand knowledge and the under-reported Native American perspective to our classroom.

“The morning started out like any other day. Kent Nerburn, Elaine Fleming and Scott Gill from E.L.O.B. had come to meet our visitor. We were sitting in circle waiting for Dennis Banks to show up. We were talking with Scott Gill when Dennis Banks came in the room. Every one was silent. Elaine finally broke the silence by saying 'Boozhoo' (Hello in Ojibwe). Elaine and Simone went up to Dennis to say 'Boozhoo'. Dennis gave Elaine wild rice and he gave Simone chokecherry syrup from his house/company in SugerPoint. Elaine and Simone gave him the gift of tobbaco in an abelone shell because its their tradition. He thanked them and they thanked him and then sat down.”.-Jessica, 8th grade student

A student started by asking him about his life. We learned; Dennis Banks was born on the Leech Lake Reservation on April 12, 1937. His mother was full Chippewa. When Dennis was four years old, he was taken from his family to one of the many boarding schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A.). In these boarding schools almost everything Native American (including their native languages), were forbidden. Dennis tried to escape from his boarding school six times and was punished for each attempt. He finally succeeded in escaping and returned to his parents eleven years after being taken to the school."

In later years Mr. Banks enlisted in the Air Force. Dennis enjoyed the military and had ambitions of being a five star general. The structure of military reminded him of the boarding school life he grew up in. A demonstration to protest the expansion of his airbase contributed to Dennis’s change of heart about the Air Force. His commanding Officer had given them orders to shoot to kill any protesters that got out of control. Doing this was against his morals; he refused to shoot, and resigned from the Air Force the day after he witnessed this protest.

After leaving the military, Dennis got in trouble with the law and was jailed for burglary. Specifically he was charged with stealing groceries from a local store. He told us that, stupidly, he had driven home in the freshly fallen snow and the police only had to follow his tracks to find him.
Among the AIM activities Mr. Banks participated in were the 1968 Alcatraz occupation, the 1972 Trail of Broken Treaties caravan to Washington D.C., and the Wounded Knee Occupation of 1973. It was the illegal 71-day occupation at Wounded Knee where the F.B.I. were called in and besieged the town, that caused felony charges to be brought against Mr. Banks and the AIM co-founder Russell Means. These charges were later dropped. In 1975, Banks was convicted on riot charges related to the Custer Courthouse Incident that led to Wounded Knee (1973). In response to these charges, Dennis Banks went underground, but returned in 1984 to serve over a year in jail.

Dennis Banks also had small roles in a few movies, including War Party (1988), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and Thunderheart (1992).

The students of the Schoolcraft Eighth Grade found Mr. Banks’ visit to be a truly moving classroom experience. The impact of a visit from and discussion with such a significant firsthand-witness to historical events proved to be a high impact event in the student’s lives. Some students felt a daylong tension, hoping that nothing would be said to offend Mr. Banks. The existence of this of this tension points out the fact that there remains a distance to go, to achieve true reconciliation between Native Americans and the white population. This event was a giant step in that direction for the Schoolcraft Eighth Grade.