DLBHS Newsletter
April, 2019
About the DLBHS Monthly Newsletter!
This newsletter brings you highlights from April. This is what you will find in this newsletter:
- Update from Mr. Bachmeier
- Update from Mr. Medalen
- Information about scholarships
- Information about camps and other resources and opportunities for parents and students
- Students of the Month for March
- Classroom highlights
- Meet our Spanish and Music teachers
- Resources from the First District Health Unit
From Mr. Bachmeier's Desk
Happy Spring! It is hard to believe, but we are entering the final leg of our school year! I am going to start this month’s newsletter by thanking everyone who played a role in the transition of our junior high students into the high school. The junior high students have transitioned smoothly, and school has not missed a beat. The students are acclimating to the new environment and it seems that they too enjoy being up in Des Lacs! Now that the junior high school students are in Des Lacs, the remodeling in Burlington has begun. If you have driven by or been in our elementary school, you have probably noticed fences and a temporary wall has been put up to section off the portion of the building to be remodeled. This is to keep the elementary students safe and allow construction to take place in an efficient manner with little disruption to education. We are still on schedule and budget regarding this project and plan to be moved into the renovated areas mid-August before the start of the 2019-2020 school starts.
I also wanted to inform you of another exciting project that we are doing in the elementary school that is separate from our building project. Mrs. Kranz and the elementary staff are doing fundraisers to help fund the replacement of our outdated playground equipment in Burlington. The changes in the equipment are needed and we are using school funds, donations, and grants to complete this project. I want to thank everyone who has been so generous in this project and I am excited that we have community members willing to support our youth in times of need!
The closing weeks of school is a busy time with field trips, projects, concerts, sports, and celebrations. Please know that all these entities are ways in which our students learn that extends beyond the classroom and are vital to their development in education. We have had Seniors grandparents day here in the high school and it is a very special day for both students and their grandparents, we also are having grandparents day in Burlington and that too is a special day for our elementary students and their grandparents. Thank you to everyone who takes part in these activities and it is awesome to see the results of all the family support!
Finally, this month’s quote comes from Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” This quote resonates with me as I think of all the turmoil our world has at times, yet I look at what is taking place in our school and I am excited for what the future holds and what we are doing here to make it a better place
Updates From Mr. Medalen's Desk
Academics:
- Students attended the FBLA State Conference in Bismarck on March 31, April 1, and 2
- Sophomores completed the NDSA State testing for sophomores in April
- Prom was held at DLB High School, April 6th
- Students attended the State JH Student Council in Bismarck on April 15 and 16
- 50 grandparents attended Grandparents Day at DLB High School on April 24
Athletics:
- Spring sports in full swing; track, baseball, softball, 5/6 BBB, and golf
- Trinity Sports Medicine out to do physicals for next school year on May 14
From Mrs. Schaefer's Desk
North Dakota State Assessment: Sophomores have completed the state assessment for this year! Makeup assessments were completed Wednesday, 4.24.19. When the results are available, we will do the following:
1. Share and explain individual results with students.
2. File results in students' individual files.
3. Make results available for parents.
4. Review results as a staff to inform our teaching plans for the future.
North Dakota Scholarships
For even more scholarship information...
Also check the wall and the school website
Other resources and opportunities from the Counselor's Office
Parents of Addicted Loved Ones
When: Every Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Where: Our Redeemers Church, 700 15th Ave., Minot, ND
For more information: Contact Leann Wilkie, Meeting Facilitator at 701-240-7667
June 21 - 23, 2019 -- Park River Bible Camp -- Park River ND
There is a $25 registration fee.
To register for Camp Good Mourning go to www.altru.org/hospice (under Grief Support).
For more information, please contact Sue Mairs, camp coordinator, at 701.780.5258.
If you would like more information on supporting Camp Good Mourning or other programs within Altru Health System, please contact Randy Schoenborn at Altru Health Foundation, 701.780.5618, or rschoenborn@altru.org.
North Dakota’s First Residential GenCyber Camp NDSU, Fargo
North Dakota State University(NDSU) is partnering with Dakota State University (DSU) to offer North Dakota’s first residential GenCyber camp (building on the success of non-residential camp last summer) for 55 rising high school freshmen through Seniors. This weeklong residential camp will be held from June 24 – 28, 2019 on the NDSU campus in Fargo. This camp is funded and sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). There is no fee for attending this camp and free lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks will be provided to the participants during the camp.
The goal of the camp is for students to learn programming, how networks and the Internet works, and how cybersecurity is deeply interwoven into our everyday lives. Our camp curriculum will cover three core areas: Programming, Networking, and Cybersecurity. All students attending the camp will receive a free Raspberry Pi and other necessary hardware/software to participate in the camp activities.
More information on the camp along with a link to pre-registration is available on the following website: gencybernd.com
For any further questions or information, please email: Pratap.Kotala@ndsu.edu
7 Tips for Setting a Gratitude Challenge
We are all guilty of letting the stresses of daily life get in the way of recognizing and expressing gratitude, we often forget to stop and think about the things we are most grateful for. While the journey to gratefulness may not happen overnight, these tips will help focus your attention on setting your own personal gratitude challenge.
- The first moments of the day are often when we feel most focused before the tasks of the day take their toll. Try introducing a morning gratitude ritual that allows you to start the day grounded in gratitude. This could be as simple as taking a few moments to focus on the positive, ask yourself, ‘what am I grateful for today?’
- Appreciate the small things; it’s not just about the big stuff. Write a list that is unique to you and where you are in your life right now. This can include family, friends, health, your community – even the weather!
- Develop your own mindfulness session and practice ‘being in the moment’, focus your attention on the ways that life is good right now rather than thinking too much about the future. The trick is to picture it in your mind and immerse yourself in the feeling of gratitude.
- Appreciate the good and the bad – while much of the gratitude challenge is about positive experiences, thinking about difficult situations can really help you to appreciate the good.
- Have a daily recap – spend some time writing down the things you are grateful for before going to bed. Writing down all those thoughts is a good way to keep track of the positives in your life and you can look back on them at any time.
- Download an app – there are multiple gratitude challenge apps available that help focus your attention, record your appreciation and send friendly reminders to encourage your gratitude development.
- Use a gratitude challenge calendar – many of these have daily prompts to help focus your mind on all the things you might not even consider.
Image retrieved from https://live.staticflickr.com/6029/5982073991_114c1fc19c_b.jpg
2019-2020 Course Calendar
Students of the Month for March
Congratulations to these students!
Grade 10: Brynley Benno and Ethan Woznicki
Grade 11: Ellie Trowbridge and Nevada Murphy
Grade 12: Lindsey Fandrich and Tyler Knodel
Highlights from the Classrooms
Art, Social Studies, Family and Consumer Science, and Science
Click on the red box below to read details from many classrooms and check back for updates throughout the month.
Introducing the Staff
Mr. Brown
What classes do you teach this year? High School Concert Band, High School Concert Choir, Junior High School Band, Junior High School Choir, 6th Grade Choir (Choral Foundations), 5th Grade Band, and 6th Grade Choir
How long have you taught at DLBHS? This is my 4th year (11 Years in total)
Have you taught at other schools? I have taught at Rolla High School, Bishop Ryan Catholic High School, Sawyer Public School
Where did you go to college? Minot State University
What was your major in college? Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Music
Where did you graduate from high school? Minot High School
What are some of the things you love about teaching at DLBHS? The Staff and the Kids are great to work with.
What is a goal you have for the school year? To expand the students' horizons musically and help them achieve a higher skill set
What are you most looking forward to this school year? Being as creative and vivacious with our concerts.
What are some of the things you enjoy doing when you aren’t teaching? I enjoy working out and baking.
Have you always lived in North Dakota? I have been in North Dakota for my entire life.
What type of music do you enjoy listening to? I have an eclectic taste in music.
What is the best book you’ve read this year? I haven’t had much time to read but I think the best book I’ve read this far is the Last Lecture
Share a bit about your family: I live in Minot where my entire family is located. I currently live with my dog Molly.
Senora Ortiz
What classes do you teach this year? Spanish I, Spanish II, Spanish III
How long have you taught at DLBHS? This is my 3rd year
Have you taught at other schools? Lucky enough to have this school be my first full-time teaching experience!
Where did you go to college? Minot State University
What was your major in college? Music – Vocal Performance, Education- Secondary Spanish
Where did you graduate from high school? Fort Campbell, Kentucky!
What are some of the things you love about teaching at DLBHS? I have the best students in the world!
What is a goal you have for the school year? My goal was focused around ganas or desire. I want to foster an intrinsically motivated state-of-mind for each of my students and nourish their desire to learn and become better people.
What are you most looking forward to this school year? I am always excited to teach the Aztec unit to my freshman!
What are some of the things you enjoy doing when you aren’t teaching? Friends are muy importantes in my life so I like to spend lots of quality time with them!
Have you always lived in North Dakota? I moved to ND when I was 17 right after high school to start at MSU.
What type of music do you enjoy listening to? Anything from J. Cole to Mozart and all the fun stuff in-between.
What is the best book you’ve read this year? I read model and body positivity activist, Tess Holliday’s book about learning to love the skin you’re in. The title is, The not so subtle art of being a Fat Girl.
Share a bit about your family: large and loud. 6 girls, 1 boy, my mother is a QUEEN.
Resources from the First District Health Unit
Earlier newsletters
Check out the school website...
- Welcome page: Laker Scoop, Counselor's Corner, Approved Supplemental Educational Services, Powerschool Link, Lunch account link, Booster club link, Course Catalog, and the Burlington Elementary Newsletter!
- Information Page: PowerSchool, Booster Club, Athletics,
- Office Page: Lunch menu, School Policies, Schedules, and School Calendar, Title One, Counselor's Corner
- School Board Page: Policy Manual, Board Members, Board Minutes, Delegation Policy
DLBHS Laker Letter
Email: laker.letter@dlblakers.com
Website: https://www.dbhs.united.k12.nd.us/
Location: Box 117, Des Lacs, ND 58733
Phone: (701) 725-4334