The Monthly 742
7 Things 4 You 2 Know: July 2020
1. Planning for 2020-21 School Year
We have been busy preparing for our schools to reopen in the fall. As we develop our plans, please know that your input is an important part of the process. In addition to our recent survey, you will have several opportunities to share your ideas and feedback on the three back-to-school options directed by Governor Walz. These three options are: in-person and in buildings, full distance learning, or a hybrid option of in-person and distance learning based on a 50% capacity limit on our buses, in classrooms, and in schools. Families can also choose to enroll their child in full distance learning regardless of whether students return to school all in-person or in a hybrid scenario.
Further opportunities to share your thoughts include a virtual conversation through Thought Exchange and virtual parent meetings at your child’s school. Look for invitations to participate in the upcoming days. Your engagement is a valued part of our decision-making process.
2. Enroll Now!
To make an appointment, call:
- 320-370-8116 (English)
- 320-370-8118 (Somali)
- 320-370-8117 (Spanish)
Families can also pick up paper enrollment packets at the District Administration Office, 1201 2nd St S, Waite Park. And as always, you may enroll online at isd742.org/enrollment.
3. School Board Election Candidates
Seven candidates have filed for four school board seats that will be up for election on November 3, 2020. A primary election will not be necessary.
View the candidates.
4. Community Education Offerings Now Available
Community Education is offering summer youth and adult enrichment programming to keep family members of all ages active and having fun! Experience a variety of new class offerings via Zoom, on-demand or outdoors. Plus, look for favorite classes that are back in session. New Project Challenge classes for adults with disabilities will be offered later this fall.
Register at www.isd742.ce.eleyo.com.
5. PAKRAT Roll & Read is Back
The PAKRAT Roll & Read Book Bus will be coming to a neighborhood near you! Please come and select a free book! They will also have a math bag with activities for your student! The book bus is open to children of all ages and completely free!
When: Monday - Thursday, July 20 - 23.
Please come to any location that is convenient for you! View the bus schedule.
Sponsored by: LEAF Foundation and District 742.
6. South Builds Playhouse
Mike Stadther and Maureen Proell came up with a new plan for teaching their CTE class this year. They normally build a shed. However, COVID-19 challenged the teachers on how to construct while teaching online.
Stadther and Proell decided to do the actual construction of a playhouse while students learned from home. They tied the curriculum to what they were doing as they built it.
Before they began the playhouse, they posted daily discussion questions to gauge some background knowledge. Questions like - Had they ever worked with tools? Which ones? What did they build? Who did they build it with? With the information from the discussions, they were able to break it down to into teaching categories: measurement, vocabulary of construction, and fundamentals of construction such as systems of a house, types of walls, roof styles, areas of the home, green architecture, blueprints and so forth. Students then did a compare/contrast of the blueprints of the playhouse vs. the actual built version. Stadther and Proell adjusted the build and students had to identify what they did and why. Then students made and labeled a replica of a wall blueprint using items they found around their house. The final assignment was a comprehensive final test.
During the process, the students along with Stadther and Proell, were live on GoogleMeet every day from 1 - 3 p.m. so the students could check-in, ask questions and see the progress.
The project was a success, especially in part to Simonson Lumber, as they donated the materials for this playhouse.
7. Tech Grad Looks to the Future
Many high school graduates are now reflecting upon their last year–and its unique finale. They think about the friends, teachers and mentors who have guided their lives. For 2020 Tech High School graduate, Richard Zimring, it’s no different.
When Zimring looks back, he remembers his time as a National Honor Society student and Link Crew member, captain of the boys tennis team and the first chair cellist in the symphony orchestra. He also treasures his most memorable experiences – his math team earning the state championship and how he completed three years of Spanish in his freshman year and earned a five on his AP (Advanced Placement) Spanish test.
“I just did kind of what I thought I should be doing [in high school],” says Zimring. “I … get competitive [about tennis], but I just love going out with my friends.”
He has been involved in the community as well. He volunteered for Hands Across the World, a local non-profit organization, caring for younger children while their parents were in educational classes. He served as a Junior Rotarian with the St. Cloud Rotary Club and also tutored math students at Mathnasium.
“I was the only high school tutor there,” shares Zimring. “I was often tutoring math students who were older than me.”
All these experiences led up to his senior year, when things changed. The coronavirus pandemic created a pivotal moment partway through his senior year as schools closed and then shifted to distance learning. Continue reading.
About Us
Email: communications@isd742.org
Website: isd742.org
Location: 1201 2nd St S, Waite Park, MN, USA
Phone: 320-370-8000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isd742.org
Twitter: @ISD742