4B
WHITE BEAR/VADNAIS HEIGHTS PRESS
JANUARY 25, 2017 www.presspubs.com
Bear gymnasts plugging away White Bear Lake gymnasts are having a learning and building season, with one dual meet win (over Cretin-Derham Hall) and three losses. “This year is a rebuilding year as we are fighting many injuries,” said Kelly Rivers, the coach along with Kelly Ledwein. “It is not ideal but they are a great group of girls who love the sport and love being a team.” Makayla Mills, who joined the Bears this season after several years with a club, is the most advanced gymnast; the sophomore's tricks include the difficult tuck Yurchenko vault. Bruce Strand
SUBMITTED
Master fisherman Three-year-old Raymond Battaglia caught his first fish on Bald Eagle Lake Jan. 17. The 28-inch walleye was caught on a minnow with assistance from dad, Patrick Battaglia, who is holding the fish. Mom Jenna said Raymond’s reaction went like this: “Whoa, this fish is huge! Can I take him home?” Raymond was very excited to tell everyone about his catch, she added. They kept the fish.
BRUCE STRAND | SUBMITTED
Gymnastics coach Ledwein consults with Madison Carroll, Grace Gagnelius and Makayla Mills.
SCHOOL BRIEFS Nominations sought for legacy award Area residents are invited to nominate exceptional volunteers for the 2017 J. Stanley and Doris Hill Legacy Award. In an effort to honor the Hills’ legacy of volunteerism, the award was created in 2006 by representatives of the Century College Foundation, the Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation and the White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation—organizations in which Stan and Doris were involved. The community service-based award acknowledges a person or people who has given many years of service to their community, have demonstrated outreach beyond community borders, yet also remains connected to this geographical area. Nomination forms are available through any of the three sponsoring foundation offices and their websites. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Feb. 17. For more information contact: Century College Foundation, 651-779-3356, www. century.edu/foundation/awards.aspx; Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation, 651-407-2006, www. maefgives.org; White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation, 651-407-7696, www.wblaef.org.
Students receive innovation award White Bear Lake Area High School students competed and received fi rst place in an Innovation Challenge at the Minnesota School Board Association's 2017 Leadership Conference. Each of the four students, Riley Malmstedt, Brenda Oladipupo, Elizabeth Nelson and Cayden Drake, received $150 to use for education. White Bear Lake students presented on ways Minnesota farmers can adapt to a changing climate while maintaining high levels of productivity and responsiveness to consumer demands. Students considered, theorized, examined, developed and delivered ideas about innovative technology/ tools/devices that would help a Minnesota farmer increase productivity 35 percent by the year 2030. The students were scored on their team dynamics, innovation and sources of inspiration utilized throughout the process.
Catholic students receive special visit Frassati Catholic Academy welcomed 13 young adults from NET (National Evangelism Teams) Ministries to work with the fi fth- through eighthgrade students in a one day in-school retreat earlier this month. NET members come from
many different places in the U.S., and their teams consist of Catholic young adults who devote nine months to serving. The team facilitates different skits, games, and conversation about faith and gospel messages with the students. At Frassati, the topic was Friends and Friendship. All students participated in this daylong retreat, and ended with a prayer service. To fi nd out more about NET ministries, see its website at http://www.netusa.org/.
Mahtomedi hosts music exchange Mahtomedi High School will host a music exchange with Cedes Don Bosco school in Costa Rica from Jan. 27 to Feb. 6. Forty students and nine adults from Costa Rica will visit Mahtomedi and tour Minnesota. It is the 17th year of the student music exchange; every two years, the sister schools travel to perform with each other. The program is in partnership with the White Bear Lake Rotary. The students from Costa Rica will perform at Central Middle School in White Bear Lake on Jan. 30 and at Anoka Middle School for the Arts on Feb. 1. An evening concert will be held with the Mahtomedi High School band 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Chautauqua Fine Arts Center.
Pasta feed fundraiser for early childhood planned The White Bear Lake Early Childhood PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is hosting a pasta feed fundraiser 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3 at Normandy Park Education Center. The dinner will include salad, rigatoni, breadsticks and drinks from Donatelli's. There will be a $100 Target gift card door prize and chances to win raffle prizes. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Willow students will work at Donatelli's Fifth-graders at Willow Elementary will be working at Donatelli's every Tuesday in February including Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The students applied for positions as hosts, servers and cooks by writing resumes and cover letters, and interviewing with the restaurant's management. Any tips greater than 15 percent will go to HopeKids, which is a charity that supports children with cancer.
Matoska hosts book blowout event Matoska Elementary is having a “blowout, read
‘til you drop” event 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24. Families are invited to dress up like book characters and come to school to have book-themed snacks, hear reading from famous book characters, have their picture taken as they “pop” out of a life-sized book, and play literacy games.
Teacher of the year nominations The White Bear Lake Teacher of the Year Extravaganza will be held 4 p.m. Thursday, April 20 at the South Campus Theater. Finalists will be chosen from 84 staff nominated by students or co-workers. One of these nominated teachers will be named the 2017 Teacher of the Year: Birch Lake Elementary – Megan Perron; Hugo Elementary – Jane Briggs, Janet Erhrlich, Hilary Farrington, Kristi Joesting; Lincoln Elementary – Jana Buesing, Aleka Kornbaum, Nicholas Marty; Matoska Elementary – David Btaglia, Angela Bianco, Benjamin Butters, Camille Farinella, Shannon Fulton, Christina Hayden, Alyssa Larson, Dawn Maple, Jennifer Reckinger; Oneka Elementary – Stephen Bates, Joshua Bock, Oumy Fall, Joan Haug, Lindsey Thomas, Elizabeth Ulmber, Karen Voss, Evan Weissman; Otter Lake Elementary – Emily Ascheman, Jennifer Craigan, Michael Selb; Vadnais Heights Elementary – Barb Bliss, Tracy Mowery, Mark Theissen, Kari Thimjon; Willow Lane Elementary – Marilyn House, Elizabeth Lilja, Kelly Sokolowski, Gregory Swenson, Cha Yang; Central Middle School – Pamela Brown, Diane Burg, Kendra Herder, Kristie Holman, Timothy Larson, Katie Nohr, Timothy Sager, Brenda Sammon, Erin Synan, Clay Tolonen, Molly Vadnais, Alyssa Weber; Sunrise Park Middle School – Elizabeth Fenweick, Lindsay Lamwers, Keith Lockwood, Mark Misgen, Julie Nasvik, Huy Nguyen; High School North Campus – Omar Ali, Sarah Forestell, Shannon Grant, Caleb Hardacre, Katelin Held, Nathan Hunstiger, Kirk Johnson, Benjamin Kirkham, Catherine Olson, Jonathan Pratt, Jeremy Rockford, Daniel Rossiter, Keith Steadland, Wendy Souja, Melissa Wickert; High School South Campus – Robert Anderson, Shannon Anderson, Sarah Atkins, Alexander Carlson, James Christensen, Matthew Danielson, Kerry Feirn, Cassandra Knutson, Rita Leonard, Matthew Mcglothlin, Jacob Montgomery, Philip Wacker; Long-term substitute – Kelly Ross; Retired – Judy Biddle.