What's New @ 542
November/December 2023
A student created & managed publication!
Each month, students in the Digital Design & Marketing class gather content to create this monthly publication. So much goes into making this newsletter happen; everything from interviewing staff & students, reporting on events & activities happening in the school, promoting upcoming events, and so much more! Make sure to check back each month to see what's in our next newsletter.
Battlers Connect
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lqJKQri_KPk-pSy-dNQuFGJTvh9C7NzG/view?usp=sharing
Mr. Marso Talks About Girls Basketball
Click on the link below to watch our live interview with Mr. Marso!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17sau9uRGRW4Sm3hNvVMxy6nBgDGuROlt/view?usp=sharing
2023 Volleyball Season
Battlers volleyball celebrated their season at their annual end of the year banquet on November 6th. This was a special night where we could recognize the hard work of all 23 athletes. The season isn't what we anticipated, but the girls rose to the challenge and made it successful in many ways. The volleyball community showed a ton of love and support for the Roisum family which was awesome, but it also was a constant obstacle the girls had to endure and they did it with class. The C squad ended their season with 4 wins, 2 loses and 8 ties. The improvement they have made over the two and a half months has been very impressive. They transitioned from JH to C/B squad volleyball very quickly with little trouble, and that means a lot! The B squad ended their season 6-7, and placed 6th in the Little Eight Conference tournament. The positivity from the girls has been endless. They enjoyed playing with each other and they got along very well. There are many things to look forward to with that young squad as well. The varsity ended the season 8-17, but the record does not reflect the improvement the team made throughout the season. As the season progressed, coaches, players and fans noticed the improvement our inexperienced team was making. Highlights from the year were sweeping Ashby, beating Hancock in 5,beating Wheaton Herman Norcross, Rothsay and only losing one home game! I would like to thank the seniors for their leadership, support and willingness to put the team first.
Battle Lake volleyball has a lot to look forward to because our team is young and determined to improve each time they step on the court!
Letterwinners:
Molly, Madi, Addi, Kaylee, Danica, Sophie, Kenady, Olivia, Kailie, Kinley, Belle
Little 8 Conference 1st team: Kenady Cameron
Little 8 Conference 2nd team: Sophie Akerman
Top Server: Molly Durbin
Best Offensive Player: Kenady Cameron
Best Defensive Player: Sophie Akerman
Coaches Award: Addison Maethner
Voted on by their teammates:
Most Improved: Kaylee Trosdahl
Most Valuable Player: Sophie Akerman
Sophie Akerman earned 1,000 assists on September 12, 2023.
2023 Cross Country Season
The cross country season has ended, but what a season it was. At the conference meet, the varsity boys team placed 2nd, and at the varsity section meet, they placed 5th. At the varsity girls meet, they placed 9th, and at the conference meet Tegan Brandon was the champion of the girls Junior high race. Two runners made it to the state meet individually, Peter Newark and Norah Frozlee. Both of them placed top 3rd in the state at the meet.
This season wasn’t without its fair share of challenges. Both Coach Speicher and Coach DeMars agree that there were quite a few runner injuries this year. But that didn’t stop the team from meeting their expectations. Both went on to say that they are very excited for next year, as there will be a home meet at the Balmoral golf course on October 3rd.
Veterans Day Program
It's a tradition for the Battle Lake School to hold a Veterans Day Program each year. We caught up with Mrs. Orpen to learn more about how it all comes together.
Before the official start of the program, the band played “Land of Liberty” and “Semper Paratus” as prelude pieces. Then they transitioned into “the Star Spangled Banner." The Choir men, under the direction of Mr. Caleb Horn, performed the song “Tell my Father” by Jack Murphy and Frank Wildhorn.
After that, Bodray Teberg from Fergus Falls VFW post 612 presented the winners of the Voice of Democracy speeches. The first place winner was Isabel Brandborg, second place was Aidan Haggem, and third was Sophie Akerman. The Patriot's Pen Winner was Analie Ozuna.
Boy Scout Gibson Fleishauer was one of the flag holders this year. Cooper Dorn then played “The Unkown Soldier” arranged by James Ployhar.
The guest speaker was Lieutenant Colonel Laurie L. Bellig. She was born in Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada and grew up along the East coast of the U.S. She is a wife and mother of two youg boys and is currently serving at the Deployment Processing Center aboard Camp Pendleton in California.
We asked Mrs. Orpen how long she has been planning this Veterans Day Program and she shared with us that she's been setting things up since before school started.
Patriot's Pen Winner
Analie Ozuna
Voice of Democracy Winners
1st place: Isabel Brandborg
2nd place: Aidan Heggem
3rd place: Sophie Akerman
Football Pep Fest
One of the highlights during the football pep fest was when Mr. Severson shaved his beard. He did this so he could join the playoff coaches in the matching mustaches! During the festivities, some of the football team played a game of musical chairs, Billy Durbin won against Max Mekalson. And of course, the fan favorite made an appearance...BOOMER! Boomer is a fun bulldog that is the life of the party. By the end of the event, all the seniors gave a heartfelt speech about the awesome season they had.
Boys Basketball
We caught up with Brady Cameron to get his thoughts on the basketball season this year. We asked him what he thought the season will look like and he said he has high expectations again this season after going 25-4 last year. He noted they did those 4 key seniors that were a big part of the team last year, but will lean heavily on their seniors this year. He expects to compete for a conference championship and be a tough team to go to the section tournament once again.
When asked why he wanted to be a basketball coach, he responded saying "he wanted to coach because he loves the game of basketball, loves competition, and it gives him a chance to have a positive impact on the lives of these young men he gets the chance to coach every year." He went on to say that winning games is fun, but even more, he loves seeing the success off the court, player growth and development as men.
This year will be Brady’s 13th season coaching. He started at the University of Jamestown, where he was a student assistant coach for three years. He was there one year after he graduated and was an assistant coach there. After UJ, he moved to Spearfish, SD and was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons at Black Hills State, while he earned his Master’s Degree. He then moved on to Presentation College in Aberdeen, SD, where he was an assistant coach for two years. After that, he and his wife decided it was time to move back to Battle Lake so he could start his career here. After moving to Battle Lake, he coached JH boys and girls for a year, was Mr, Marso’s assistant coach for two years, and then last year he took over the boys program.
We asked him how he tries to bring energy to the team. He said he tries to be as energetic as needed in practice or games. Usually for the games, guys get themselves amped up enough and Brady doesn’t need to bring the energy. If they're not as energetic in practice, Brady will do a drill that requires energy to get them excited and moving. Sometimes they play music to help the guys find some energy.
Brady describes his coaching style as a calm, cool, and collected coach in practice and in games. He says a lot of people who have attended games may say differently of him but he is going to continue working trying to stay calm this year.
We asked if there was anything else he wanted to share about the team and himself. A fun fact about the team this year; when Brady first moved back he coached the JH and this year’s Junior and Senior class were the first ones that Brady coached. Brady said it had been awesome to see their progression both on and off the court. More about himself; he has been married to his wife Sara for nine years. They have 3 sons, Crosby (5), Jack (3), and Emmett (almost 2).
Kindergarten Celebrates 50 Days of School!
Take a look at the fun that was had when the Battle Lake School Kindergartners celebrated the 50th day of school!
eSports League
Mr. Speicher started an eSports league this year. SInce this is all new, Mr. Speicher, the coach, and his 12 players, are still learning the ropes of how the eSports league works and what it consists of. The games that they have on the eSports league is Super Smash Bros, Fortnite, Chess, and Rocket League. Mr. Speicher has a couple wins under his belt as he says and is looking to gain more success over time. The league practices Super Smash Bros in Mr. Speicher's room and for the rest of the games (Fortnite, Chess and Rocket League) he has members go home and practice. Check out future editions of our newsletter for more information on eSports!
5-12 Band Concert
On Monday, December 5, the Battle Lake School held their holiday concert under the direction of Mrs. JoAnn Orpen. Multiple bands performed, including: 5th grade, 6th grade, Junior High, Senior High, and Jazz Band. And for the finale, all bands came together and performed together!
K-3 Choir Concert
On December 15, 2023, Battle Lake School's Kindergarten through Third grade students presented their choir concert directed by Caleb Horn. To help prepare the students for the concert, classes from each grade practiced together in the auditorium so that they would feel comfortable the night of the concert. Mr. Horn was very happy with how the elementary concert went. He said “It ran so smoothly and I loved how excited all the kids were.” He likes teaching the younger generation so when they are in choir when they’re older, they will know how he teaches and what his expectations are for his students. He went on to say, "When the kids know his expectations at a young age, they will be good students as a high schooler."
7-12 Choir Concert
On December 18th, the Junior High and Senior High choirs (grades 7-12) held a christmas choir concert. We asked the choir director, Calebe Horn, some questions about the concert and this is what he had to say.
“What was your favorite part about the concert?”
The excitement surrounding the unknown of a new choir director and what the choir would do.
How do you think the concert went?
Overall, the concert went well. There are things that can be better but overall, I was very proud of the kids and their performance.
What song went the best?
Alananitana. People came up to me after the concert was told over and over how well it went and how nice it sounded.
Battle Lake School Holiday Store
The 2023 Holiday Store project was a great success. For this annual tradition, which is free to all students, Battle Lake School elementary age children shopped for items for their families guided by high school students from Mrs. Akerman’s class. Mrs. Akerman’s students sorted and displayed items in the “store” which was a classroom transformed into a sparkling holiday setting. Mrs. Kramer’s business class students helped with the creation of hundreds of Christmas gift bags so that gifts could be wrapped to take home!
A big thank you to the many donors from the school, local businesses, and members of the community who made our project possible! We are so grateful!
Heather Akerman and Susan Uhren
Project Leaders
The Battle Lake 542 Education Foundation Grants $30,800 to Battle Lake School
The Battle Lake 542 Education Foundation granted a record amount of funds to the Battle Lake School this year totaling $30,800! The goal of the foundation is to support strategic learning programs in the school, which hone and enrich the skills of students. The foundation augments public funds to support learning beyond the basics. Teachers can apply for these additional funds every fall. These funds are raised by the foundation and serves as “over and above” the normal school budget.
The BL542EF raises funds via four main buckets:
- Various Membership Levels
- The Tastes, Toasts and Traditions Event
- Sponsoring the 5k/10k Walk/Race during Wenonga Days
- Alternative fundraisers such has Holiday Home Tours
Thanks to everyone who helped volunteer, participate, or sponsor these events!
On December 20, 2023, the BL542EF presented the $30,800 check to the school. Make sure to check out our future newsletters to see our teachers and students in action using the items they were able to purchase because of the generous grant money awarded.
You can find out more about the Battle Lake 542 Education Foundation by visiting:
Web Site: https://542foundation.com/
FaceBook: Battle Lake 542 Education Foundation
Battle Lake Band Spreads Holiday Cheer
On December 21, members of the Battle Lake senior high band spread holiday cheer by playing christmas songs to the Elementary students during their lunch. Take a look!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EX8tuIlfvNbS-wFOhbHJl-zKMV71Bsjn/view?usp=sharing
12 Days of Christmas
The "12 Days of Christmas" is held for the staff the last 12 school days before break in December. Each day has a theme and staff members can choose to dress according to that theme if they wish. This has been a tradition at Battle Lake School for over 10 years. It began with wearing Christmas dresses on the last school day and now covers themes over the course of 12 days. Aside from "sporting" some pretty awesome threds, other activities also take place during these 12 days of fun, including: a hot chocolate bar, staff potluck, cookie exchange, and so much more. Take a look at some of the fun that was had this year!
Festive with Food
The Battle Lake School staff members participated in a food drive during the month of December to benefit our area food shelf. Items collected included: Cereal, Shampoo/Conditioner, Macaroni and Cheese, Canned Fruit, Boxed Potatoes, Canned Tomatoes, Jar of Applesauce, Body Wash/Deodorant, Box of Crackers, Package of Rice, Package of Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce, Peanut Butter, Toothpaste/Toothbrush, Canned Vegetables, and Chicken Noodle Soup.
Minnesota Honor Society
Battle Lake School held its annual Minnesota Honor Society (MHS) Induction Ceremony on Thursday, December 21, 2023. MHS is built on the four pillars of leadership, scholarship, service, and character. We are so happy to induct students who exemplify these traits and stand as strong leaders in our school and community. A huge thanks to our students, parents, school, and community for all you have done and continue to do in the lives of our students!
Pictured from Left to Right
Back Row: Cadence Hartman, Aidan Heggem, Jonas Hagemeister
Front Row: Elane Frost, Kaylee Trosdahl, Emily Christensen, Isabel Brandborg, Madison Cameron, Tyler Christensen. Not Pictured: Kyleigh Shebeck
Fun & Games Before Christmas Break
Take a look at the fun & actvities that took place before Battle Lake School students left for their holiday break!
Where's Mr. Speicher?
Tell Us What You Think!
Sports Corner
Upcoming Events
January 8
School Board Meeting
School Media Center
6:30 - 8:30 pm
January 18
End of Quarter 2/Semester 1
January 19
No School - Students
Staff Development
January 23
Spelling Bee
Grades 5 - 8
2:00 - 3:15 pm
January 24
Financial Aid Night
Juniors, Seniors, and their Parents
5:30 - 7:00 pm
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Battle Lake School Contact Information
Website: www.battlelakeschool.k12.mn.us
Location: 402 Summit Street West, Battle Lake, MN, USA
Phone: 218-864-5215
Facebook: facebook.com/BLSchools
Twitter: @BLSchools