BPS Magazine - Fall 2018

FALL 2018

The Shop

Art Class 2.0

Learning Beyond the Walls of Brainerd Public Schools

Creative student designs from fish decoys to tennis shoes

Students restore computers and bicycles for the community

Explore Music!

Professional musicians paired with young aspiring performers A Brainerd Dispatch Publication

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Fall ‘18 CONTENTS

In The Spotlight

5 17 20

ON THE COVER:

A student tries out the tuba at the Lakes Area Music Festival Instrument Petting Zoo highlighting the Explore Music! camp in August. Photo by Joey Halvorson.

Opportunity The Shop

Students restore computers and bicycles for the community, a partnership with The Shop.

By Sheila Helmberger

Pete Mohs

EDITOR

Jodie Tweed

Art Class 2.0

ART DIRECTOR

From fish decoys to tennis shoes, BHS art students gain state and national recognition for their creative designs.

By Sheila Helmberger

Explore Music!

Lisa Henry

COPY EDITOR DeLynn Howard

23

Lakes Area Music Festival allows students to experience music with professional musicians.

By Jodie Tweed

PHOTOGRAPHER Joey Halvorson

17

Brainerd Public Sc hools magazin e is prod u ced by the Brain erd Disp atch in coope ration w it h the Brainerd Public Sc hools.

Features

Enrollment Surge...............8 Community, business partnerships create STEM opportunities at Forestview Middle School.

By Jodie Tweed

Preschool Pals.................. 12

12

STAFF

PUBLISHER

Innovation

Success

PUBLICATION

Comments and story ideas

Preschool Pals bridges the generation gap between Early Childhood students and Carefree Living Center residents.

By Mary Aalgaard

Karla.Sand@isd181.org 218-454-6942

Blueprint 181 ................. 14

A timeline infographic of upcoming improvements at Brainerd Public Schools.

Advertising Support Opportunities: 218-855-5895

Miller Castle................... 23

advertising@BrainerdDispatch.com

Miller Castle on the Parker Scout Reservation offers Lowell students true medieval experiences.

By Sheila Helmberger

23 Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘18

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copyright© 2010 VOLUME 8, EDITION 2 FALL 2018

506 JAMES STREET P.O. BOX 974 BRAINERD, MN 56401 (218) 829-4705 www.brainerddispatch.com

Superintendent’s Letter - Laine Larson

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to par tic The Shop, lo e e th d ve uth Program at ro Yo p le ap yc o h ec fter spending tim w R A rs . d te er vo in f o ra t B or r in p eet s and PCs, With the sup g-range plan fo Washington Str g about bicycle ult menin prehensive , lon n g m ar in le co ov 1 m m 18 t oo is n sr y ri Bluep the clas mmunit gside ad st spring, our co t in its schools. Re- in ents can hone their skills alon our facilities la en ud m st historic invest page 5) ved the schee tip of the forward with a ducation appro and Harrison tors. (see tle and The Shop are just th E f o rd oa B e this cently, th Miller Cas ore packed into ns ions at Nisswa m at h ov l n uc re oo m r h fo so sc n is ry matic desig eberg. There ew elementa g collaboratio ools and the n ugh- ic the vast learnin h ro g sc th tin ry h ed ta lig ss h en re ig d h em el e ad issue lic Schools. buildings will b at Brainerd Pub d . gether with us in Bax ter. All 12 re ss ffe ce o ro p r u for joining to ur-yea fifo yo n g k co in f ong an o m th te co s, e vo ay th a w out A s al our students al r t 181 was fo n t ri or ep p lu p B su f tin o g n l din we efore, we co The approva to provide unen urney. I know that together, all of us do; ther ght objectives k or jo w l e na th io in at dence l and ei their educ eBrainerd. the overall goa azing. We will #B ur commum O . eA ss #B ue to focus on ce ill ro p w ing e referendum r our future , giv promised in th fo s ed se e th t plan row! nit y has helped foundation to g g n ro st our kids a rowing. means to #BeG ers and hope that d er in ra eB #B b To mmunit y mem We value our co offer input and ask questions. ue to eprint you will contin ation about Blu rm fo in e or m t , emailing You can find ou .blueprint181.org w w 900. w g tin si vi lling 218-454-6 181 by ca y b or , rg 1.o d18 blueprint181@is

OUR MISSION In partnership with the community, Brainerd Public Schools will ensure all students achieve their individual potential by providing the highest-quality programs and resources to prepare learners for an ever-changing global society.

Laine Larson 4

Fall‘18 ‘18 Brainerd Public Schools | |Fall

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Opportunity

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

Students watch closely as Matt Benjamin (center), fixes a computer.

The Shop

Students partner with The Shop to restore computers and bicycles

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outh, ages 14-22, come to the Brainerd Baxter Youth Center for all kinds of reasons. Some to hang out with their friends, some because they know they will find a snack after school and some days dinner, and some because the adults there serve as role models who are always there to listen. Executive Director Cindy Moore describes it perfectly, “We’re like your parents’ basement.”

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘18

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Carl Dammon (right), enjoys volunteering his time to teach students how to repair bikes.

“THE KIDS THAT COME HERE ARE ALMOST READY TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE. THEY LEARN ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND A CHANCE TO SEE HOW A BUSINESS IS RUN.” -Twila Ehrich-Belton

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ive,” says Ehrich-Belton. “We try things that are out of the box.

I want my kids to get out of the building and learn skills handson. That’s important. The kids that come here are almost ready to enter the workforce. They learn essential skills and a chance to see how a business is run.”

From the time a bicycle or computer arrives at The Shop the students have a chance to see what happens while it is evaluated, repaired and then finally offered back to the community for a small price to be used once again. During the process they learn how to effectively

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Locally Owned & Operated

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Known as The Shop, during the school day the distinctive building on Washington Street also serves as a classroom where students from the Brainerd Learning Center can learn important skills that will help them in their future employment careers.

Twila Ehrich-Belton is the Work Experience Coordinator for the Brainerd Learning Center. Her students participate in two important programs, PCs for People and the Bicycle Recycle Youth Program. Both benefit not only the students, but low-income members of the community.

“My bosses are very support-

Brainerd Warriors

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“A LOT OF GOOD MENTORING GOES ON WHEN YOU’RE WORKING TOGETHER.” -Cindy Moore

communicate with fellow workers and interact with a future employer.

“At AEC we need places for kids to do hands-on learning. I feel like we have the need, but we don’t always have the means. These opportunities are credit generating. The students get one credit per semester and we do a flip-flop here, so they get to try both programs,” says Ehrich-Belton.

Carl Gammon is tech coordinator for the recycled bike program. He’s also the service manager at Lifecycle in Baxter. Matt Benjamin heads up the computer program.

The bikes, affectionately known as GUBs (gently used bikes) by the adults and kids who work on them, sometimes only need fine tuning. Some need more serious repairs, like new cranks, or bearings replaced. They are usually donated to the program by others who no longer need them.

Gammon decides which bikes should be stripped down and used for parts and which ones are worth salvaging.

“With the curriculum we came up with, we teach them what they need to know to work on the bikes,” he says.

“When a bike leaves here it should be in good working condition and safe for a rider.”

“A lot of good mentoring goes on when you’re working together,” says Moore of the partnership between the facility and the students. “It might not all be talk about bikes or computers. It’s another opportunity for these kids to get to spend time with another adult.”

Sophomore Elijah Wiley says it was fun to work on the bikes and to see them become usable once again. He liked that he would be able to fix his own bike with some of the skills he was learning. Once repaired the GUBs are offered to the public at a reasonable price.

The computers for the PCs for People program are also donated. Sometimes they come from individuals, and sometimes they come from businesses that are doing an upgrade. When computers arrive, they get logged in to the system and then wiped clean.

Then, they are loaded with new software.

Benjamin has been with The Shop since 2011. He is the resident computer guru and says he enjoys working with the students from the school district.

“We problem solve,” he says. “We get them up and going. When they’re problematic, then I teach.”

Once fixed, the computers are offered to people who might not otherwise be able to purchase a computer.

Prices run between $50 - $110.

“They’re refurbished so we’re not trying to compete with any of the computer sales companies in the area,” says Moore.

The Shop is a registered Microsoft Publisher, and the new recycled systems are loaded with Microsoft 10. Internet service is also available to those who meet certain income guidelines, for $10 a month.

“This is a non-profit program so if it needs an expensive part,” says Benjamin, “We just have to let it go. We want the things that go into people’s hands to be good and reliable.”

Sam Perttula, Zach Besmehn and Duante Carner worked in the PCs for People program last spring. All of them said they were learning about computers during the time at The Shop and would recommend the class to their friends.

The shop logs about 10,000 youth visits every year. “Some stay for an hour,” says Moore, “Some for two, some for six.” Opportunities such as the Recycled Bicycle Program and PCs for People benefit everyone and once students are there for class, often they return in their free time.

Sheila Helmberger has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter with her husband and has three children and three grandchildren.

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ENROLLMENT SURGE

Community, business partnerships create STEM opportunities at Forestview Middle School

BY JODIE TWEED Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

W

hen Forestview teachers Jim Reed and Cory Olson launched the middle school’s after-school science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs eight years ago, it would be hard to imagine at the time the opportunities that resulted from these innovative offerings.

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The STEM classes offered each spring and fall have high enrollment numbers and partnerships forged with community organizations and even an international technology company, have allowed the district to provide technology and STEM opportunities for students that otherwise likely wouldn’t exist.

Funding provided by Brainerd Rotary, the Brainerd Lakes Community Foundation, the Brainerd Public School Foundation along with school STEM funds, helped purchase a Glowforge laser engraver last spring. The laser engraver, which required some building renovations to vent the machine through the school’s roof, will be used by students in the classroom and in after-school STEM programs. The equipment allows students to apply current technology in real-world applications within the classroom.

Funding was also raised to purchase drones for a new after-school drone programming class, a new STEM offering last spring. Last May 16, the Forestview high altitude balloon class, the school’s first after-school STEM program, launched its balloon from Cushing. Before the balloon touched back down in Lastrup, it had traveled to 111,003 feet, the club’s second highest flight. Students tracked its progress as it collected data, along with members of the Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club.

Forestview multimedia teacher Jim Reed has been a driving force in providing after-school STEM opportunities for middle school students.

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In 2013, the Forestview high altitude balloon club was one of five grand prize winners in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest, earning the team and their teachers a trip to Washington, D.C. More than 1,600 schools across the country competed in the annual competition. Since that time, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow organizers have remained in contact with Reed and used the middle school as a model program for STEM. Forestview STEM programs run on the same schedule as its sports teams, demonstrating that STEM is an equally important endeavor for students.

Last April, Samsung invited Reed to the national competition in New York City as a judge. It was an honor for the middle school teacher.

Reed was the lone educator within the elite group of panelists. Other judges were Flora McKiernan, a senior vice president at Disney ABC Television Group; Emily Becher, a senior vice president and head of Samsung NEXT International; Elliot Mork, vice president of partnerships at Project Lead The Way; and Katie Chang, vice president of appliance marketing at Samsung.

From more than 3,000 schools, 51 teams were chosen to represent their states. The top 10 finalists, who won $50,000 each for their schools, were flown to New York City to present their projects and get the chance to win one of three grand prizes, winning an additional $130,000 for their schools.

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Top: Reed took this photo last spring at the national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. Above: Reed (front, center), served as a judge, the lone educator on the panel.

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REED SAYS STUDENTS, UNLIKE MANY ADULTS, DON’T HAVE LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT LIMIT THEIR IMAGINATION OR POTENTIAL. THESE STUDENTS CAME UP WITH GREAT IDEAS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITHIN

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The winning teams appeared on “Good Morning America” the next day. It was an incredible experience for Reed, who as a judge was able to hear innovative solutions for realworld problems from student teams from the top 10 schools in the country. Judging alongside the country’s top company executives wasn’t bad, either.

“It was absolutely awesome,” Reed says. “My view is a lot different than someone who runs Disney.”

Solutions presented by student teams included a washing machine that removed microplastics from the water and a database that tracks high opioid drug use areas.

Reed says students, unlike many adults, don’t have life experiences that limit their imagination or poten-

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tial. These students came up with great ideas to solve problems within their communities.

Reed traveled to Samsung’s New Jersey headquarters in late September and was asked to be an educational advisor for the company. He was excited about the opportunity, not only for himself, but for his students and for the possibilities within the school district and its STEM programming.

“Hopefully it can benefit us in Brainerd in some way,” Reed says.

“We will just have to wait and see.”

Jodie Tweed a former longtime Brainerd Dispatch reporter, is an editor and writer who lives in Pequot Lakes. She writes for national, regional and statewide publications. She and her husband have three daughters.

25559 Main Street • Nisswa, MN 218-961-6724

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BY MARY AALGAARD Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

ECFE teacher Christine Keran (right), provides games, project materials and stories that Carefree Living residents and students can enjoy together.

PRESCHOOL PALS Bridging the Generation Gap

F

or the past two years, the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program has partnered with Carefree Living Center in Brainerd to form a multi-generational learning experience.

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Children and their parents, or guardians, meet at Carefree Living along with ECFE teacher Christine Keran and Carefree Living Life Enrichment Coordinator Lara Jeffers.

Residents, students, and other adults engage in learning activities from bubbles to books.

Keran begins each session with a story, circle time, and introduces the theme for the day. For their first session in October, they will do activities centered around fall themes like pumpkins, Halloween, changing colors, and harvest. The ECFE program and Keran provide materials for art projects, manipulatives and games.

Children and adults sing songs, read stories, and do activities together.

“The residents look forward to the monthly visits,” says Lara Jeffers.

Many residents make sure to be there

“THE RESIDENTS LOOK FORWARD TO THE MONTHLY VISITS.” - Lara Jeffers

every time, while others might come check it out for the first time. People who are at Carefree Living might be there for assisted living, respite, or memory care. Many of the activities are done around tables. Although, in May, they brought the class outside and kids had fun playing lawn games, coloring with chalk on the sidewalk, and enjoying the blooming flowers and fresh air with the residents.

There were lots of giggles and hugs as learners of all ages engaged in the activities together.

“Residents have said that it makes them feel younger, useful, and many retired teachers especially like it,” says Jeffers. “It’s a great way to break down the barriers and ‘scariness’ about a care facility. One mom said that when she turns down the road toward the care center her kids start yelling, ‘Grandpas and Grandmas!’

They really like coming to the class.

It’s a great way to connect with their community.”

ECFE Director Tahnee Flowers said that this has been an excellent way to bring their program out into the community. They started with Carefree Living Center because of its location, close the ECFE center.

Continued on page 16...

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IN SPRING 2018, VOTERS APPROVED BLUEPRINT 181, THE COMPREHENSIVE LONG-RANGE PLAN TO ENSURE THAT BRAINERD PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FACILITIES THAT PROMOTE OPPORTUNITY, INNOVATION AND SUCCESS FOR ALL LEARNERS. NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BAXTER

NISSWA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Planning Begins SPRING 2018 Planning Begins SPRING 2018 Construction Starts SPRING 2019 Project Completed SUMMER 2019

BRAINERD HIGH SCHOOL NORTH CAMPUS

HARRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FORESTVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

Construction Starts SPRING 2019

Planning Begins SPRING 2018 Planning Begins SPRING 2018

Construction Starts SPRING 2019

BAXTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EARLY CHILDHOOD

Planning Begins SPRING 2019 Planning Begins SPRING 2018

Construction Starts FALL 2020

Project Completed Project Completed Project Completed SUMMER 2020 Construction Starts SUMMER 2020 Construction Starts WINTER 2021 SPRING 2019 SPRING 2019 Project Completed SUMMER 2020

Project Completed SUMMER 2021

TEAMS HAVE BEGUN ASSEMBLING AT EACH BUILDING TO PLAN THE PROJECTS THAT WILL BE COMPLETED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. BELOW IS THE TENTATIVE TIME LINE OF PROJECTS AT EACH SCHOOL. RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Planning Begins SPRING 2019

WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES BUILDING

BRAINERD LEARNING CENTER BRAINERD HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH CAMPUS

GARFIELD EL LD LD ELEMENTARY ARY AR RY SCHOOL

Planning Begins SPRING 2019

Planning Begins SPRING 2020

Construction Starts SPRING 2020

Construction Starts SPRING 2021

Planning Begins FALL 2019

Planning Begins SPRING 2021 Planning Begins SPRING 2020

Construction Starts SPRING 2022

Project Completed Project Completed Project Completed SUMMER 2021 SUMMER 2022 Construction Starts FALL 2020 Construction Starts Construction Starts SPRING 2020 SPRING 2021 SPRING 2020 Project Completed SUMMER 2021

Project Completed FALL 2020

Project Completed SUMMER 2022

Continued from page 13...

Preschool Pals

Lara Jeffers (center, left), walks with a resident over to look at the chalk drawings.

“We’d love to include more facilities as we grow this program,” says Flowers. “We emphasize that learning is fun, and that we are all lifelong learners.” It’s a chance for all ages to engage in exploration, education, and inspiration from each other and their experiences.

Anyone in the community is welcome to attend the sessions and there is no charge to participate. You don’t have to be currently enrolled in an ECFE class to attend. Although geared toward infants to five-yearolds, it is open to students of all ages.

“We welcome daycares and homeschool families,” Flowers says.

“Residents have said that it makes them feel younger, useful...”

- Lara Jeffers

Watch for information in the Fall Brainerd Community Education book. The first Preschool Pals class will be from 11 a.m. to noon October 16 at Carefree Living Center in Brainerd. Classes meet once a month on the third Tuesday of the month. Please pre-register with the ECFE to ensure that they have enough materials and can get you any relevant information.

Sign up by calling the ECFE office:

218-454-5430

For more information, visit ECFE’s Facebook page or visit the Brainerd Public Schools’ website:

isd181.org

Mary Aalgaard is a playwright and piano/theater teacher, living in the heart of Minnesota. She writes theater reviews and supports the arts through her blog, Play off the Page. She teaches youth theater workshops in the Brainerd lakes area, writes articles for regional magazines, and works with both seniors and youth in multi-generational programs to enhance quality of life and build community. Her website is PlayoffthePage.com. You can follow her on her Play off the Page Facebook page, @MaryAalgaard on Twitter, and email her at Mary@playoffthepage.com.

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Innovation

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER Photos By JOEY HALVORSON

BHS ART STUDENTS GAIN STATE AND NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR THEIR CREATIVE DESIGNS

Rick Jensen, BHS visual arts instructor, shows some of the fishing decoys his talented art students made last year.

ART CLASS 2.0

T

oday’s high school art classes are much more sophisticated than they were 20 years ago. They go far beyond the basics and taking one as an elective can offer students a chance to learn a new skill they may enjoy long after high school is over.

Last year students in two art classes offered at Brainerd High School gained recognition for their skills beyond the walls of the school building. Rick Jensen, a BHS visual arts instructor, took the opportunity to give his art students a chance to gain some impressive, well-deserved, regional and national recognition for their time and talents.

A class that teaches fish decoy carving is just one offering from the BHS art department that has become popular

with students. In class they learn how important patience and precision are for a wood carver and the unique skill of how to remove what won’t be needed from a block of wood for a specific design. What is left is carved and manipulated to create the final piece. Figuring out how to replicate the finest of details, using the right tools, takes time and from the initial phase of visualizing the fish to the final drops of paint, students will have spent weeks perfecting their decoys.

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Fourth Place

Third Place Fifth Place

First semester students take Decoy I and learn the basics of the art. That course is followed by Decoy II, which is offered second semester and means things get a little more serious. The class has gained enough popularity in the past few years that an additional carving class have been added and offered since the curriculum was first introduced by Bob Johnson.

Students can enter their final projects to the Fish Decoy Carver of the Year contest hosted by the Minnesota Fishing Museum in Little Falls. The event is part of a Bob Johnson Memorial competition, in memory of the late Bob Johnson, a former teacher at Brainerd High School who passed away in 2017 and originated the classes. Jensen was a student teacher under Johnson and it is a tribute to his mentor, that 10 of Jensen’s students competed in the junior division this past year and nabbed the top five spots.

The competition is judged by professional carvers who look for some important criteria. “Last year the Pumpkinseed Sunfish was chosen as the design,” Jensen says. “Some specific requirements have to be met. The fish had to be five-and-a-half to six inches long.”

Other criteria judged include the weight of the decoy, how well the fish can swim when put in the water, and how accurate the overall appearance is. Even fine details such as the gills, the eyes and the fins are closely examined. This year students will have an opportunity to participate in the event, the 22nd annual, held in April.

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Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘18

Students will carve a black crappie that will measure between six-and-ahalf and seven inches long.

One of the honors given to the winner is to have the winning fish permanently showcased at the Fishing Hall of Fame of Minnesota in Little Falls.

Last spring Jack Ingram of BHS placed first in the junior division.

Brainerd High School also participated in another exciting opportunity when Vans Custom Culture announced the details for a shoe design contest in January. Jensen knew students might have a chance to do well and more www.isd181.org

than 2,000 schools across the nation entered, submitting designs to create a custom pair of tennis shoes. At stake was $75,000 for the winning school’s art department. In hopes of offsetting budget cuts to art departments across the country, the company asked each school that entered the competition to describe what the prize money would mean for the school. Runners-up had a chance to win $10,000.

Each school in the competition was sent two pairs of shoes for their designs. Jensen said Vans requested they showcase the local culture of the

Second Place

location of the school. Students at BHS had a chance to submit ideas and two would be selected from the entrants.

Winners were chosen from the 15 designs and it was decided to use Paul Bunyan and the red and black buffalo plaid as themes for the shoes from Brainerd.

After eliminations were made from the initial 2,000, Brainerd was named among the final 50 schools.

INVESTING IN OUR CHILDREN IS THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT COMMUNITY.

First Place

Then, community members had a chance to support the school when they were asked to cast their votes online to help select the winner.

Although the school was not named as an eventual winner, placing in the top 50 was something the school could be proud of.

Jensen said this year he plans to enter the contests again. Some of the other art classes offered at Brainerd

Some examples of the winning fish decoys entered by BHS students in the Fish Decoy Carver of the Year contest hosted by the Minnesota Fishing Museum in Little Falls last spring. The event is part of a Bob Johnson Memorial competition, in memory of Johnson, a former BHS teacher who passed away in 2017 and originated the decoy carving classes.

Public Schools include painting, drawing, book making, graphic design, game design and digital photography.

Sheila Helmberger has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, contributing to numerous publications. She lives in Baxter with her husband and has three children and three grandchildren.

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LUNCHEONS

Brainerd Sports Boosters luncheons are open to everyone, whether you are a Sports Booster member or not. Each week we highlight a sport and recognize an athlete of the week.

Thursday lunches start at noon and are held at The Blue Room at Yesterday’s Gone. Join us for lunch ($12) or just for the program.

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8/29/18 10:57 AM

Success

BY JODIE TWEED Photos by Joey Halvorson

Children tried out different instruments at the Lakes Area Music Festival Instrument Petting Zoo highlighting the Explore Music! program.

EXPLORE MUSIC!

Lakes Area Music Festival allows students to experience music with professional musicians

When

Scott Lykins was a sophomore at Brainerd High School, his parents took him to see the Minnesota Orchestra, his first full professional orchestra concert. It was an experience like no other for the Nisswa teen. He had already been one of the youngest members of the BHS Chamber Orchestra as an eighth-grade cellist and he had been playing piano since he was in kindergarten.

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During intermission, his father asked one of the Minnesota Orchestra cellists, Joseph Johnson, to come over and speak to his son. That opportunity led to private cello lessons with Johnson, and performances with the Minnesota Youth Symphony the following year.

Today the 2004 BHS graduate is a professional musician in his own right. Ten years ago, he also founded Lakes Area Music Festival, a non-profit organization that brings professional classical musicians, singers, dancers and other entertainers to perform in the Brainerd lakes

One of Lykins’ personal goals is to inspire Brainerd students to fall in love with making music by experiencing music performed by professionals.

Alexander Pena (left) instructs students.

area. Lykins continues to serve as executive and artistic director of the organization, which draws all-star musicians to Brainerd and its surrounding communities each year.

But one of the organization’s educational missions — and one of Lykins’ personal goals — is to inspire Brainerd students to fall in love with making music by experiencing music performed by professionals.

LAMF, in partnership with Brainerd Community Education with support from the Twin Cities Opera Guild and the Five Wings Arts Council, hosts Explore Music!, a week-long music camp in August for students in first- through fifth-grade to experience music with professional musicians. The camp is held at Washington Educational Services Building.

The camp, led by Alexander Pena, a classical musician and teaching artist from the Eastman Community School in Rochester, N.Y., also includes other

“We love to offer programs that open up opportunities in the performing arts, so to offer a weeklong program like this is perfect.”

- Maureen O’Connor

teachers from New York and Chicago who share with students their expertise in acting, improvisation, movement, musical theater and choral activities. The camp concludes with a special performance of students who join LAMF musicians and share with the audience what they’ve learned.

This year LAMF expanded its educational offerings by adding another week of music camp for older students. Explore Performance was open to students in grades sixth- through ninth. The camp was designed for students to explore all areas of the performing arts, including acting, comedy, public speaking, music performance, dancing, composing and more. The camp included small-group classes, individual coaching and other hands-on activities.

Maureen O’Connor, youth development coordinator for Brainerd Community Education, said Explore Music! camp had 37 students enrolled while the new camp, Explore Performance, had 11 participants.

O’Connor says she expects interest in the new camp will continue to grow. The camps are open to students within and outside the school district, and O’Connor says there are grandparents who sign up their visiting

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“It’s very unique, and it’s especially meaningful for me because I grew up in the community.” - Ava Figliuzzi grandchildren for music camp each year.

“We love to offer programs that open up opportunities in the performing arts, so to offer a week-long program like this is perfect,” says O’Connor. “It’s just a great opportunity to open up the stage and performing arts in this community that we don’t necessarily get during the school year.”

LAMF also provides music performances for students in Brainerd and other surrounding school districts during the school year. The Music Mentors program brings professional musicians inside the schools for education, mentoring and performances.

Last year 2,500 Brainerd area students experienced these musical performances through LAMF. Ava Figliuzzi, a 2017 BHS graduate, is a sophomore at Boston University, majoring in violin performance. Figliuzzi became involved with LAMF while in middle school and volunteered with LAMF programs and with Explore Music! camp one summer. For the past two summers, she’s interned with LAMF.

Kurt Fedde, (left), a freelance percussionist, educator and composer from Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., instructed students in the Explore Music! program offered in Brainerd.

Figliuzzi started violin when she was 4. She says she wishes Explore Music! and LAMF had been around when she was younger, but in the past 10 years she’s witnessed how the accessibility to classical music performed by professional musicians has encouraged others to play or attend performances. Performing with and taking master classes from professional musicians also inspired her to become more serious about a career in violin performance.

“It’s really changed the Brainerd lakes community,” she says. “I see kids my age who are interested in music inspired by the program. It’s motivated me to have that internal drive to not just play violin but play for a reason. If you talk to any musician who’s been through the festival, it’s not focused on the performer, but the effect of the performances on the community. It’s very unique, and it’s especially mean-

ingful for me because I grew up in the community.”

While Lykins felt BHS’s strong music program was integral in launching his musical career, he says he would have enjoyed the opportunities now available through Lakes Area Music Festival as a Brainerd student.

Lykins was inducted into the Brainerd High School Distinguished Achievement Hall of Fame on Oct. 4.

When he’s not busy with Lakes Area Music Festival, he also performs as a member of the South Dakota Symphony.

Jodie Tweed a former longtime Brainerd Dispatch reporter, is an editor and writer who lives in Pequot Lakes. She writes for national, regional and statewide publications. She and her husband have three daughters.

Brainerd/Baxter www.brekkens.com

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Westgate Mall

LOWELL GOES MEDIEVAL Miller Castle offers students true medieval experiences

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER Photos Submitted

When

you’re studying about what it was like to live in medieval times, you might as well travel to an authentic castle and experience it for real. The third graders at Lowell Elementary School get to do just that each spring when they take a trip to Miller Castle on the Parker Scout Reservation north of Brainerd. They have a rare chance to wear authentic period attire, try food true to the day and learn some of the popular games that children back then played to pass the time.

Brainerd Lakes Area Real Estate jeremy miller

edina realty 218-851-5595 jeremymiller@edinarealty.com www.thebrainerdlakesarea.com

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Organizers and volunteers are key to the day’s success and the efforts of people like Nancy Waller, Sandy Larson and Ruth Gmeinder, along with dozens of others, make the day one the students will long remember.

Waller is a former media secretary at Lowell and the ambitious and realistic field trip was her idea.

“I tried to do a special unit for each grade level when I was there and when I took a trip to Sweden and Norway, I just thought the kids would love all of those types of things,” she explains. “We still needed something for the third grade and I started researching medieval classes and games and things I thought they would like to learn.”

When Waller retired five years ago, Sandy Larson replaced her and she agreed to continue the trips. To prepare for the trip in the spring, Larson meets with the third-grade teachers right after spring break. She puts together a packet with puzzles and facts for the classes to go through and they watch videos and read books on that period in history.

All three of the women agree the student’s arrival at the castle is one of their favorite parts of the day. Buses pull up to the castle courtyard accompanied by the blare of a trumpet and volunteers greet students dressed in medieval clothing. Larson says the castle isn’t visible from the highway so once the busses make their way back through the woods and the castle comes into view, seeing how excited the students are is priceless. A volunteer takes on the role of the king to greet the students and outline what is in store for them and explain the rules for the day. Queen Elizabeth is always guaranteed to make an appearance.

Throughout the day students break into small groups and visit 10 different stations that have been set up in different areas of the castle. They will cover everything about the period from music, where they’ll get a chance to play 24

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘18

Pottage station, with volunteers Rich Dreissig (front) and Dana Chock.

“It’s an exhausting day for all of the volunteers,” laughs Larson, “But it’s a lot of fun.”

Volunteers Darrell Johnson (back, left) and Colleen Wroolie run the Armour/History station.

Volunteers Renee DuFresne and Sipke DeBoer ran the balance spheres/ jousting sticks station.

the recorder, to a cloth and weaving station with a spinning wheel. Many of the volunteers are parents and retired teachers. Other stations include a boffer tournament with swimming noodles used as swords, archery, a

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balance sphere and a chance to try a catapult where students fling a ball and try to get it into a bucket. The history of wizardry and magic is also covered. Students also have a chance to taste pottage, a type of soup that would have been made during that period.

“It’s an exhausting day for all of the volunteers,” laughs Larson, “But it’s a lot of fun. We couldn’t do any of it without all of our wonderful volunteers or Ruth. She is responsible for all of the costumes that really make the day.”

Gmeinder says she owned a costume shop about 30 years ago and has added extensively to the collection over the years, creating new

Organizers and volunteers are key to the day’s success and the efforts of people like Nancy Waller, Sandy Larson and Ruth Gmeinder, along with dozens of others, make the day one the students will long remember.

Waller is a former media secretary at Lowell and the ambitious and realistic field trip was her idea.

“I tried to do a special unit for each grade level when I was there and when I took a trip to Sweden and Norway, I just thought the kids would love all of those types of things,” she explains. “We still needed something for the third grade and I started researching medieval classes and games and things I thought they would like to learn.”

When Waller retired five years ago, Sandy Larson replaced her and she agreed to continue the trips. To prepare for the trip in the spring, Larson meets with the third-grade teachers right after spring break. She puts together a packet with puzzles and facts for the classes to go through and they watch videos and read books on that period in history.

All three of the women agree the student’s arrival at the castle is one of their favorite parts of the day. Buses pull up to the castle courtyard accompanied by the blare of a trumpet and volunteers greet students dressed in medieval clothing. Larson says the castle isn’t visible from the highway so once the busses make their way back through the woods and the castle comes into view, seeing how excited the students are is priceless. A volunteer takes on the role of the king to greet the students and outline what is in store for them and explain the rules for the day. Queen Elizabeth is always guaranteed to make an appearance.

Throughout the day students break into small groups and visit 10 different stations that have been set up in different areas of the castle. They will cover everything about the period from music, where they’ll get a chance to play 24

Brainerd Public Schools | Fall ‘18

Pottage station, with volunteers Rich Dreissig (front) and Dana Chock.

“It’s an exhausting day for all of the volunteers,” laughs Larson, “But it’s a lot of fun.”

Volunteers Darrell Johnson (back, left) and Colleen Wroolie run the Armour/History station.

Volunteers Renee DuFresne and Sipke DeBoer ran the balance spheres/ jousting sticks station.

the recorder, to a cloth and weaving station with a spinning wheel. Many of the volunteers are parents and retired teachers. Other stations include a boffer tournament with swimming noodles used as swords, archery, a

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balance sphere and a chance to try a catapult where students fling a ball and try to get it into a bucket. The history of wizardry and magic is also covered. Students also have a chance to taste pottage, a type of soup that would have been made during that period.

“It’s an exhausting day for all of the volunteers,” laughs Larson, “But it’s a lot of fun. We couldn’t do any of it without all of our wonderful volunteers or Ruth. She is responsible for all of the costumes that really make the day.”

Gmeinder says she owned a costume shop about 30 years ago and has added extensively to the collection over the years, creating new

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