August 2022
“It’s More Than a School Meal Application”
Patty Buell, Food Services Director

Since the start of the pandemic, we have been proud to serve all students breakfast and lunch at no cost through Federal funding, regardless of family income.  As of this writing, the USDA has not extended the free meal waivers.  Effective the start of the 2022-2023 school year, we will be returning to free, reduced, or full-price meals.  We are asking for all families to submit a school meal application now to ensure all students have continued access to our nutritious meals.  

The school meal applications are used for so much more than just certifying students for free or reduced-priced meals.  Filling out an application can help you and our school in several ways:

• Provide additional funding for state and federal programs and services at our school

• May result in free or discounted activity fees

• May qualify your family for discounted rates on home internet service

• May qualify you for reduced registration fees for AP, SAT and/or ACT tests 

• May qualify you for discounted rates associated with college admissions  

Every eligible form counts and adds valuable resources to our school.  Submitting your school meal application helps ensure that all students and their families can access these key benefits.  

How to apply, you ask?  It’s easy!  Applications and instructions on how to complete the form are mailed to every household on August 1^st of each year.  Watch for it in your mailbox!  Forms are also available on the school district website under Departments>Food Services.

Completing an application takes less than 10 minutes and you only need to complete one application per family.  Applications are completely confidential and will not be shared outside of the schools’ district office.  Only the last four digits of your social security number are required.  Since your family’s financial situation may change from year to year, you must fill out a new application each school year.  

Thank you for taking the time to submit your application.

June 2022
“Staff Appreciation”
Kurt Stumpf, Superintendent 

An organization is only as good as its people - and the Pequot Lakes School District is fortunate to have an outstanding staff who are dedicated to students and this community.  On May 25, 2022, the District hosted an Employee Recognition Celebration at the Breezy Point Resort.  The following staff were honored at the event:

• Kelly Crosby (Eagle View) - Region 5 Educator of Excellence 

• Kyle Spray (Middle School) - Region 5 Educator of Excellence 

• Megan Johnson (High School) - Region 5 Educator of Excellence 

• Megan Johnson (High School) - Teacher of the Year

• Mike O’Neil (Middle School) - MASSP 2022 Minnesota Middle Level Principal of the Year

• Brian Alt (High School ) - 20 Years of Service

• Jessica Mudgett (Early Childhood) - 20 Years of Service

• Rachel Sullivan (Eagle View) - 20 Years of Service

• Mindi Brill (Eagle View) - 25 Years of Service

• Anna Larson (Middle School) - 25 Years of Service

• Andrea Neva (Eagle View) - 25 Years of Service

• Lynn Smith (High School) - 25 Years of Service

Retirements

• Debra Buckner, High School Paraprofessional, 5 years of service from 2016-2021

• Mark Rieschl, High School/Middle School Custodian, 5.5 years of service from 2016-2021

• Janet Durham, High School Paraprofessional, 23 years of service from 1998-2021

• Eileen Nelson, Eagle View Social Worker, 24 years of service from 1998-2022

• Tom Smith, High School Physical Education Teacher, 31.5 years of service from 1991-2022

• Barb Wallace, High School Secretary, 33 years of service from 1989-2022

• Wade Hoppe, Middle School Math Teacher, 37 years of service from 1985-2022

A video showcasing the seven retirees' careers is now posted on the District website.  Please join us in thanking and honoring these and all staff members.

May 2022
"Summer time: The importance of staying active and engaged!"
Joell Tvedt, Community Education Director

 

Believe it or not, summer break is just around the corner!  Does that mean long days on the water, gardening, sports, family vacations…transitioning to summer break can have a real impact on both children and adults.

  

It has been found that children generally spend more time in sedentary activities over the summer than during the school year.  A little surprising since one would think that the nice weather would get kids out and about.  However, the lack of structure, organized events, and limited responsibility simply results in a less active lifestyle.  Summer also contributes to student learning loss, which is not a big surprise.  We’ve heard that for years.  Many students experience a “summer slide''.  Research has shown that participating in activities that include both body and mind keep kids healthier and sharper.

  

Pequot Lakes Community Education has more opportunities than ever for your child to participate in.  Keeping your child involved and engaged this summer will keep your child healthy, active, and prepared for future learning!

 

BUT, staying active and involved is not only healthy for kids.  It is also what keeps us adults young and connected.  Pequot Lakes Community Education has a full lineup of adult classes and activities planned for this summer, including enrichment classes, recreation opportunities, presentations, and expert advice.  Join us for art and music classes, history lessons, cooking demonstrations, pickleball and fitness instruction, and so much more!  

EVEN BETTER, these fantastic youth and adult opportunities are happening right in your backyard.  Check us out online at www.isd186.org/domain/63, give us a call at 218-568-9200, or stop by our office located in the Pequot Lakes High School, just inside door # 4.  See you this summer!

April 2022
Patriot Wellness
Heidi Hagen, Health & Wellness Committee

The Pequot Lakes school district created and implemented a Health & Wellness Committee at the start of 2019, and kicked off the program with a professional development day for all staff during the Presidents’ Day school break. Other events were planned to be held each year and continue to this day.

The focal point of the Patriot Health & Wellness initiative centers on opportunities for employees to improve their health and well-being, empower staff with health education and lifestyle skills that enable them to achieve their best possible mental and physical health, positively affect employee morale and job satisfaction, optimize performance and productivity, and provide valued and tangible benefits. Professional development opportunities focus on overall well-being: mind, body, and spirit; and offer resources available in our community to foster living healthy lifestyles.

The focus on health and wellness is for all employees. Albeit more of a behind-the-scenes program, the committee feels strongly that the best opportunities for the students, families, and community members we serve is to first take care of our employees through outreach in a safe, health-conscious and collaborative work environment. 

We believe our District is on the verge of something good that has the potential to be great with the support of community partners: The Patriot Foundation, Crow Wing Energized, Sourcewell, and Resource Training & Solutions. On behalf of the Pequot Lakes School District Health & Wellness Committee, thank you to these community partners and to our staff for making a commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community.  We look forward to ongoing efforts and contributions from the Patriot Health & Wellness Committee and expect the program to evolve and thrive, and create a legacy that can be felt throughout Pequot Lakes and the surrounding communities.

March 2022
"SNOW" Much Learning & Fun!"
Melissa Hesch, Eagle View Elementary Principal

There’s “SNOW” much learning and fun going on at Eagle View  The past few months have been busy with activities and learning.  During the school day, specialist classes and recess have been making the most of the snow with snowshoeing, sledding and cross country skiing.  Here are just a few of the highlights:

Schoolwide BINGO

     

Eagle View staff give golden tickets to students for Respectful, Responsible, and Safe behaviors.  Students then use their tickets to get individual rewards by shopping at the school store.  After the shopping is complete, the tickets are collected into the clear collection bin at the entrance of our school, marked with a goal line.  The goal was reached with ALL the Patriot Pride tickets and Kind Kids Notes from February.  The reward for meeting the goal was that all Eagle View students got to participate in School Wide BINGO on March 4.  Lots of fun was had and many prizes were given out!  

ECFE “Snow” Much Fun                 

Early Childhood families were invited to an outdoor event on February 25.  Students and families were able to spend some time outdoors and enjoy a variety of activities.  Participants went sledding, snowshoeing, made s’mores, and got to warm up and read stories in the yurt.

A Night With the Stars - EV Title 1 Student & Family Night  
 

            

On Thursday, March 3, students and their families participated in A Night With the Stars, which was organized by the Eagle View intervention team. The evening consisted of a Night Sky hike, a story read by flashlight in the Yurt, and songs around a campfire accompanied by a ukulele.  Participants enjoyed hot dogs, chips, and a rice krispie treat as well. 

Kindergarten Info Night

The incoming class of Patriot Kindergarteners (2022-23) were invited with parents to an info night on February 24.  Students participated in activities in the classroom and a scavenger hunt around the building.  Parents had information sessions about traditional Kindergarten programming and a new pathway for learning at Eagle View next year, Patriot Academy.

Patriot Academy will serve as a bridge between preschool and Kindergarten as an addition to our learning pathways for students at EV.  This will be a FULL DAY program for kindergarten-age children.  The program is designed as a bridge between preschool and traditional kindergarten to provide more time for learning with intentional social/emotional focus.  Patriot Academy will be fully funded by the district - there is no cost to parents who choose to enroll in the program.   To be eligible, a child must be Kindergarten Eligible for the 2022-23 school year - 5 years old by September 1, 2022.  The class will be kept to around 10-15 students.  

If you didn’t attend Kindergarten Info Night and wish to enroll or would like more information, please contact the EV office at 218-562-6100 or mhesch@isd186.org

March 2022
"How Big is the Heart?"
Aaron Nelson, High School Principal

It was my first year in Pequot Lakes as the High School Principal and I was given a warning by Barb Wallace, my secretary, “we need to sit down sometime and talk about the month of May.”  Seems like a normal conversation in any high school, thoughts of graduation, end of the school year and summer school ran through my head.  When she asked me what I knew about Day of Caring and Relay for Life, I had to admit I was not really familiar with either event.  What I would soon learn is that the heart of mankind can be very large when it comes to caring for others in a community.

Each year for the past many years, our school has held a Day of Caring event for grades 9-12.  This event is an opportunity for our students to practice the act of volunteering and giving back to the community.  On the first Wednesday of May, we send over 600 students out to all areas of our school district to help the elderly, non-profit organizations, community groups, and families who have a special need to clear leaves, chop wood, paint fences, clean windows, and just general chores that would help to make a difference in our community.  It is a single day for our students to give back to a community that has given so much to them over the past year.  It is a chance for our students to know the rewarding feeling of volunteering, a chance for our students to give without receiving, for young and old to share a laugh while working side by side.  The day has become a much anticipated event in our community both by students and adults.  

The last time we held a Relay for Life event was in May of 2018.  Organized by Nikki Stark, math teacher and passionate supporter of kids, this biennial event was like no other I had ever seen.  The first Relay for Life event in the country hosted by a school and involving the whole student body and planned by the Interact Club, this activity involved 550 students organized into teams of 10 to fundraise, plan silly themed activities, dress in costume, and run an all-day relay.  It involves a survivor's lap, tears of joy and sadness as cancer survivors and victims are recognized and remembered.  Students camp out on the field inside the track and participate in activities throughout the day to raise their understanding of the many impacts of cancer and the strive for a cure.  The last event in 2018 raised over $20,000 for cancer research, a remarkable result of the efforts of our students.

If you know someone who would benefit from the efforts of students on our Day of Caring on May 4th, please let our office know.  We will be sharing a sign up form at the beginning of April for citizens of our school community and organizations to add their name to the list of people who request to receive help.  

Perhaps you are of the mind to donate to our PLHS Relay for Life event on May 11th to help our students fund cancer research.  If so, please consider reaching out to our Interact Club and letting them know you would like to assist in the efforts of our students in raising awareness of causes greater than self.  

This May, I will be much more prepared for the experience of witnessing student efforts to bring hope and care to our community.  I am looking forward to being filled with hope as I watch young and old alike join in efforts to unite as a community to show everyone how big the heart really is.

February 2022
"Reflecting Upon an Amazing Experience on the North Shore"
Mike O'Neil, Middle School Principal

Who in their right mind would willingly spend three days and two nights with over 140 eleven and twelve-year-olds?  Better yet, throw in a four-hour bus ride, with over 50 inches of snow, unbroken trails, cold temps, unforgiving wind chill and a lodge full of preteens smelling like wet feet and campfire.  Sounds like fun, right?  Actually, it does!

Last January, Pequot Lakes Middle School took our 6th-grade students to Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN.  Nestled against the backdrop of majestic snow-covered pines, rock outcrops, and the pristine shores of Lake Superior, our students were immersed in a three-day field trip exploring our natural world.  From Beaver Ecology to Winter Survival Skills, our middle schoolers dove into a deeper understanding of our natural resources.  While at the camp, they were also exposed to the concept of sustainability and personal responsibility.  From Kitchen Patrol (KP) to room-by-room energy consumption monitoring, our students took an active role in understanding the foundational concepts of “conservation”. 
 

Beyond experiential learning about our living and nonliving world, our kids learned a lot about themselves.  They learned that serving others is important.  They learned that they can challenge themselves.  They learned that they can successfully get a bus full of kids to scream at the top of their lungs as they go through the tunnels near Two Harbors and so much more!

Bringing each night to a close, our chaperone group would sit down and talk about the successes of the day.  Needless to say, our kids gave us a lot of material.  I too have been reflecting a lot lately upon the necessary ingredients of a great experience at school.  Sure, it starts with phenomenal kids and families, but I’d also like to highlight that it is anchored in the teachers that set foot in front of our kids that truly makes the difference.  In regard to our field trip to Wolf Ridge and our 6th-grade team, I’m incredibly thankful for educators who are willing to take a chance and do something different on behalf of our students.  I’m appreciative of the time they were willing to take away from their own families, so as to make a difference for someone else’s child. 

In addition to the teachers and the kids that make PLMS such a wonderful place to learn, I also want to take a moment to express our gratitude to the funding partners that helped to pull off this incredible Wolf Ridge opportunity.  Our PLMS Patriots would like to extend a sincere thank you to: Dan and Janet Dryer & Friends, The Patriot Foundation, Whitefish Area Property Owners Association, The Pelican Lake Conservation Club, and others. We’d also like to thank the Freking family for dropping off twelve dozen donuts the morning of our trip!  We are proud to say that, between gracious donations and district support, not a single dime was spent by our student body to participate in this event ... no bake sales, no fundraisers, nothing.  Join our PLMS team in celebrating that every kid had an equal opportunity to go on the trip without cost.  Again, we are so grateful for a supportive community.

In the end, we’d really like to circle back to our students.  We all know that the last two school years have been a challenge for many.  I had the good fortune of spending much of my time at Wolf Ridge in a climbing harness amongst the tall pines, helping our students through the high ropes confidence course.  The mantra we instilled in our kids on the course was “take a step toward challenging yourself … and then take one or two more”.  What a great life lesson that we as adults could benefit from as well. 
 

Found somewhere in this edition of the Pine and Lakes Journal you’ll find a list of our A and B Honor Roll students.  Whether it’s kids who tackled their fears on a zip line at Wolf Ridge, or a middle schooler grinding through homework at the kitchen table, we want to say “thank you” to all of the kids at PLMS for a great start to the year.  We’re proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself!

 

January 2022
"A New Look at the Pequot Lakes School District’s” Vision”
Tracy Princivalli, District Nurse

There is no doubt that Pequot Lakes Public Schools inspire a passion for learning to ensure success for every student, and the district has added a new piece of technology to help support students on their journey to success. 

When it comes to the vision, I mean literally the vision of its students, Pequot has hit one out of the park with its newly acquired Welch Allyn Spot Screener. The Welch Allyn Spot Screening system allows for quick, no-touch, no-subjectivity assessment of vision using a handheld, portable device that can quickly and easily detect vision issues in adults and children, even as young as six months old.

The Spot Screener is a photorefractor that uses an infrared camera that captures and analyzes images of the pupils to assess the correct alignment of each eye and estimate the eye refractive error. It looks a little bit like an old polaroid camera, it is held three feet from the eyes, has lights and sounds that help engage children to look where they need to for the measurement to occur, and it happens in less than a minute! The results are either “Screening Complete, all measurements in range” or “Complete Eye Exam Recommended” and are instantly displayed on the screen, along with the actual measurements that are out-of-normal range. Those results can be saved, sent wirelessly to a printer to be printed out, and sent with a vision referral to assist the provider with identifying possible treatments.

Not only does this device reduce the amount of time it takes to screen a student’s vision, but it also allows us to include every student in our school-wide screenings. It eliminates the subjectivity of whether or not a young student knows their shapes or letters, and it allows students with disabilities in communication and cognition to be screened along with their peers. 

Vision screenings at school are not used to diagnose vision problems, but they are used to identify and treat preventable visual impairment at the earliest possible age. The most common eye disorders in children include:

~ Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. Children with amblyopia have blurry or reduced vision in one eye. Early detection is especially important because often, this condition does not have symptoms, so it is difficult to identify in time to treat. 

~ Strabismus, also known as crossed eyes. In this disorder, the eyes don't line up correctly and point in different directions.

Both of these disorders can be treated when found early.

Other vision conditions that are found during screenings can include nearsightedness (myopia), a condition that makes far away things look blurry; farsightedness (hyperopia), a condition that makes close-up things look blurry; and astigmatism, a condition that makes both close-up and far-away things look blurry.

The Spot Screener does not completely replace the more well-known SLOAN or LEA vision charts for screening, as those are the standard screening tests for visual acuity, but the MDH and the American Academy of Pediatrics do recognize the important contribution to the screening process made by the new technology.  And, now, thanks in part to a generous grant from the Patriot Foundation, we are fortunate to have both measures available to our students. 

Pequot Lakes Schools’ own Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener will be an invaluable tool to help ensure the success of its students by helping with the early detection and treatment of eye conditions that could impact our student’s success.

January 2022
"School Branding"
Byron Westrich, Activities Director

It is always great to see our alumni back in the school attending our events and supporting our Patriots.  “The Patriot Family” is a phrase we use often to describe the closeness of our community and the support we receive from alumni.  This means people notice the little things that impact the connections between our current students and the history of our success as Patriots.  If you have entered our middle school/high school building in the past couple of years, you may have noticed the Pequot Lakes School District has been working on a branding theme.  The district continues to collaborate with a company to create branding items that are high quality, professional-looking, and student-centered. Some examples of this work are as follows:

We have taken down banners that represent state champions and installed a board that recognizes all of them in a more professional manner.  The wall will include hall of fame individuals along with state tournament individuals.  

Slides have been installed in the athletic hallway to replace news articles with team photos.  The photos replace the banners that hung on the railings inside our athletic center.  This allows us to recognize more teams and give all activities a chance to be recognized.  We have also captured pictures of fans and students in action and placed them in our tuck-in areas.  We continue to add photos from additional activities so all of our student activities have representation in our school.  The plan is to replace these every five to seven years so our more recent Patriots are shown in these areas.

The leaderboard banners that showcase basketball 1,000-point scorers, tennis 100-win club, and volleyball record leaders are being updated and will be moved to the north wall by the east bleachers, right above the doorway where our home fans enter and exit the Athletic Center.  This location change will be easier for our fans to see and will lay flat on the wall rather than hanging from the railings.  

All of the trophies have been photographed and added to the touch screen located in the student commons area.  This project took place this past summer.  If you go to the touch screen you will see trophies located in the menu items.  Currently, they are displayed by the year the trophy was earned.  Another touch screen was purchased and will be placed by the Community Education office across the hall from the ticket booth.  Fans will enjoy the ability to view trophies, hall of fame information, and senior graduation photos with this touch screen. 

Additional branding with our Patriot logo can be found in our senior hallway.  The art hallway has also been updated to showcase current work by art and tech ed students using our branding images with the Patriot logo.  This is another way to create pride in our student body while showing off their talents.  

We believe these branding changes around the building are improvements that will showcase our past and current talented Patriots.  They will help to show the passion our Patriot alumni demonstrated during their tenure and encourage our current Patriots to strive for the same levels of excellence.

Go Patriots!

December 2021
"The Power of Listening"
Kurt Stumpf, Superintendent

Listening is an undervalued skill.  In a society where immediate responses are viewed as necessary and there is a constant desire to judge, the power of listening is a simple approach that can have major positive effects.  Listening and withholding judgment should be seen as a strength.  Here are three components that are critical for listening:  

• Genuine care - Listening and questioning must be grounded in genuine care in order to have a positive impact.  Genuine care for another person can be challenging when perspectives are on opposite ends, but it is during those difficult conversations that the need for genuine care is most needed.
  
  

• Seek to Understand & Not to be Understood - Actual inquiry and the need to understand has to outweigh the need to be understood.  If you are entering a challenging conversation with a need to be understood, you’ll likely be disappointed.  It’s when people enter a challenging conversation with a need to understand that actual common ground can be found.   
  
  

• Listening Takes Time - Thoughtful listening takes time, which requires people to slow down and oftentimes pause.  There is a case to be made that the time investment upfront in listening and slowing down will save time later.   

Listening, like any other skill, takes time and practice.  Please join me in continuing to improve our listening to build an understanding school-community. 

Happy New Year!