Cat Tracks

Dear Families,

As we approach the end of term 1, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the wonderful things happening here at CLHS. Every day, I have the privilege of witnessing our students embody the values of compassion, teamwork, and excellence—and it’s something I wish you all could see more often!

Just recently, I had the pleasure of hearing from one of our volunteer coaches, who shared how our students are consistently willing to lend a hand without even being asked. They are compassionate, kind, and always looking out for one another—qualities that truly define our CLHS family.

I also heard from one of our students, who couldn’t help but express admiration for a new teacher, commenting on how impressed they were with her depth of knowledge and how smoothly she’s fit into our school community.

We’ve had a number of incredible experiences recently, like a group of students listening attentively to a guest speaker, eager to learn something new. We’ve seen students dive headfirst into leadership roles, channeling their energy and motivation into becoming the best versions of themselves. Whether they’re working together as a team to secure a hard-fought victory or cheering one another on, these young people are truly inspiring.

Our coaches play an important role too, pushing our athletes to not only excel on the field or court but to become fine young people in all aspects of their lives. Meanwhile, our teachers continue to hold students accountable, challenging them to always put forth their best effort. And despite their hard work and busy schedules, our students still find time to have fun and enjoy their high school experience.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a remarkable student body at CLHS. I consider myself lucky to see these moments of growth, leadership, and kindness every day, and I can’t help but feel a little selfish that you don’t get to witness it as often as I do!

Thank you for your continued support, and for helping make CLHS such a special place for our students to thrive.

Warm regards,

Tammy Yackley

Principal, Chisago Lakes High School

School Pictures are Ready! Families can order their student's school pictures online through Josten's. Click HERE to access the Josten''s Portal.

• CHISAGO LAKES HIGH SCHOOL
• Event Code: FE16424
• Also Needed: 6-digit Student ID

Josten's Customer Care for Families/Parents

Our Customer Care team can help answer any questions families may have after Picture Day. They are available Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm Central. They can be reached by phone (1-877-515-1447, Option 1).

The CLHS Student Council cordially invites everyone to attend our Veteran's Day Program. It will be held on Monday, November 11th from 9:15-9:45 in the Main Gym. Please enter through doors 33 by the PAC.

This past September, Ginger Swol retired from the district after 25 years of service. Her last position with the district was our Attendance Recorder here at the high school. Our new Attendance person is Heather Turner. With a new person in that position, please review the attendance process below.

Parents/Guardians calling their student in for an absence; can do so in three ways:

• Online using Parent Vue
• Send an email or call Attendance HSAttendance@isd2144.org 651-213-2513
• Leave a message on the attendance, with your student name and reason for absence. If leaving early or arriving late, please note that time. Messages are checked regularly throughout the day.
• Send a note with your students to be given to Attendance

If your student needs to leave early or arriving late to school, you can use the same reporting process .

LEAVING EARLY:

• Your student must obtain a pass from attendance to leave the building
• Parents do not need to enter the building to pick up their student
• Students should be picked up during the day from the front door (Door#1)
• If your student drives, they may leave from door 17 with a pass from attendance

This is a reminder for anyone interested in the France and Germany trip next summer (July 2025)

Contact Mr. Weiss (bweiss@isd2144.org) or Mr. McNally (bmcnally@isd2144.org) if you have any questions.

Chisago Lakes High School is pleased to announce that the Social Studies department will be hosting an educational tour to France and Germany during the summer of 2025. The tour is open to all current 9-12 students at CLHS. This will be a tremendous opportunity to see and experience places of cultural and historical significance including Paris, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, and a Rhine River cruise.

FRANCE & GERMANY

Website: www.explorica.com/Weiss-6908

Price: students $4284 / adults $4769

Discount: $367 off (incl. in price above)

Discount code: FRG367

Deadline for discount: 10/31 @ midnight EST

You can still sign up after 10/31, but the discount is only available until 10/31.

Chisago Lakes Middle and High School are proud to share a partnership opportunity that’s starting in our schools this fall. Thanks to dollars that were made available through the Chisago County Opioids Grant, we are pleased to welcome Nick, a staff member from Know The Truth, to our schools to help support our families and students.

Nick is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (certified through the Minnesota Certification Board) and will be available to meet with students grades 6-12 who are struggling with any substance use related issue, or contributing factor. A few examples include:

• Students who are cited for use at school: this can serve as an alternative to suspension or a requirement for the conditions of their citation

• Students who are in recovery or wanting to explore abstinence from substances

• Students who may not be using themselves, but are impacted by use in their family/home

The resources used are informed by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, a leader in substance support, and will guide Nick in his individual and group work with our students. The ultimate goal for our services is to decrease substance use among students through focusing on their long term goals and helping them break down milestones in smaller bite size pieces to make it attainable.

With this being a county-wide initiative for all schools, Nick will be sharing his time between all schools throughout the week. Chisago Lakes will have Nick’s support on Tuesday’s at the high school and Thursday’s at the middle school. If there is interest in having Nick support your child, please contact your child’s counselor. Also, if Nick’s services are being used, you will hear from site leadership.

Thanks again to our partners for providing us more support.

Meet your Guidance Office Staff!

School Counselors:

Amy Malloy (A-G): 651-213-2511 amalloy@isd2144.org

Carter Vogt (H-N): 651-213-2509 cvogt@isd2144.org

Alyssa Chowdhury: (O-Z) 651-213-2508 achowdhury@isd2144.org

Lisa Lund: 651-213-2510 llund@isd2144.org; Registrar (Transcripts)

College Application Week

Counselors will be available the week of October 21st- October 25th from 7:50-2:30 to assist seniors in completing their applications to college; this includes community college, technical college and 4 year public and private colleges. Students are welcome to stop in to the Guidance Office during an open hour, during lunch or during a class if given permission from their teacher in order to get help on their college applications.

Spring Testing

Chisago Lakes High School will be offering the opportunity for Juniors to take the ACT this Spring at no charge. The date of testing this year will be Wednesday, April 9th. Students will be given the opportunity to complete a survey in which they will let us know if they are interested in taking the ACT at CLHS in the coming months.

We will no longer be offering the Accuplacer or ASVAB during the school day. Students interested in going into the military can take the ASVAB through a recruiter. Students interested in attending a 2 year college that requires the Accuplacer can take the test at the college.

Career Resource Center, College Rep Visits, and Scholarships

College visits are back! This is a great opportunity for your student to learn about the different regional college campuses and program offerings. College visits will be held in the Media Center during PAWZ on scheduled days (Tuesday & Thursday's). Students and families can review the list of upcoming college visits on the high school website under the Guidance office/CLHS College Visits. Students interested in enlisting in one of the military branches will have an opportunity to meet with recruitment representatives during their lunch hour. Monthly military representatives from each of the service branches visit our high school to answer questions and share information about enlisting. Students will find information on ACT/SAT testing, Accuplacer testing, financial aid, college application resources (including PSEO), as well as career opportunities such as job shadowing and internships under the Guidance Office page on the school’s website.

Class of 2025 students and guardians

According to the Office of the U.S. Department of Education the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available to the public on or before December 1st, 2024. At this time students and parents can start the process by creating an FSA ID. The FAFSA can help determine the the eligibility for federal grants, work study funds, and loans for students attending both 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities.

We have put together a resource for parents/guardians to use to help with creating an FSA ID and filling out the FAFSA.

If you have further questions regarding filling our your FAFSA, please contact the Financial Aid Office of your student's prospective colleges.

• Link to the FAFSA Website

• Financial Aid Resources

Transcripts

Current and former students and parents can order transcripts through Parchment and have them sent electronically to colleges, universities, NCAA, and other institutions. Parchment is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. There is a small fee of $4.65 per transcript request. The Link to Parchment is on the CLHS website. Please register your student with Parchment today! If you have questions, please contact your student’s counselor or Lisa Lund at 213-2510.

PreACT Testing

All 10th grade students are invited to take the PreACT test at CLHS on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:50 am. This is a practice test for the ACT that many students decide to take in the spring of their junior year. The cost of the test is $22 and is limited to the first 100 students that sign up. More information will be sent out via email at the end of October.

PSAT Results

Students who took the PSAT on October 9th will be able to access their scores on October 24th. Students can access their scores directly by logging into their College Board account. Access College Board’s website for Understanding Student Scores.

The 24-25 school year is off to a great start! This year we welcome back the Industrial Technology department members of Tim Davis, Jacob Krautkremer, Ryan Dewey, and Scott Leffler. Our department of four continues to provide exceptional Career and Technical Education opportunities for our Wildcat students. We consistently strive to teach our students skills that will provide them with the needed tools to be successful in their post-secondary lives. Whether students are pursuing the working world, attending a technical school/training program, enrolling in a 4-year college, joining the military, or entering into a trade skill, our students are undoubtedly equipped with the skills to help them be successful in their future.

This November, The Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association has invited the CLHS Industrial Technology department to be the featured school at the annual CMMA and CREATE (Career Readiness Exploration and Technical Education Conference) . Here our group will have the opportunity to share some of the exciting experiences we have gained through the courses we offer at CLHS. We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to share highlights of our Chisago Lakes High School Industrial Tech story.

Since the last Industrial Tech Cat Tracks newsletter, some amazing opportunities have occurred for our department. Last fall, we were awarded the High School Program Excellence Award by The Minnesota Technology Engineering and Educators Association (MTEEA). Then, our own Wildcat Industries manufacturing students went above and beyond for our community with our Wildcat Bed Project. Through this project, our students designed, built, and constructed 20 single beds for children in our community. The experiences gained in this project were real-world, highly engaging, and very impactful for our community. Through donations of all varieties, our student's built beds, provided bedding, and delivered the beds to families in need. The educational experiences gained from this project will surely last a lifetime. We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all who supported this project. Your generous support continues to be amazing!

Our construction course was awarded a grant through “The Builders Group Education Foundation”. The receipt of this grant allowed our construction class to purchase new tools and equipment to expand educational opportunities for our construction class. In addition, grant funds were used to create our outdoor building site at the high school. Last year's construction students were involved in preparing, prepping, and completing the concrete flatwork for our new build area. Construction students this year have been busy building a storage shed that will become part of our outdoor classroom learning experience. Using this space, future construction students will be able to complete building projects, like playhouses and storage houses. The real-world experiences that the construction students are learning prepare them for potential occupations in the construction industry, and will build their confidence to tackle home design projects.

The goal of our department is to continually offer our students a set of career and college readiness skills that help our Wildcats be highly prepared for life after high school. Some students will pursue a career in one of our many career and technical education fields, but all of our students will be able to use the skills learned to build projects and save money for the rest of their lives. Our department offers opportunities for students to explore and learn about many different engineering pathways and trade skill occupations. Giving them the edge when seeking their future trade skill occupations and careers.

Several Fall Fun activities were had throughout the building this October. The Media Center hosted an opportunity for students to "Paint a Pumpkin". Staff visited the media center to vote for the best design, winner will be announced this upcoming week!

The Go WILD student committee presented a "Spooky Classroom Door" contest, students worked together during PAWZ to create a fun spooky classroom door. The winner of that contest will be announced on Oct. 31st.

Our DAPE program took kids out for a bowling excursion during the short MEA week. Both students and patrons alike enjoyed the event! Thank you Osceola Lanes for a great day for our students!

On October 16th, in collaboration with the CLHS CTE programs (AgriScience, Business, and FACS) we hosted the 3rd annual CTE Career Expo in our community center. At the CTE Expo, students in grades 9-12 had the opportunity to meet and speak with over 50 exhibitors from local businesses, union apprenticeship programs, a variety of 2-year and 4-year colleges, training centers, and military representatives. The CTE Expo gives students a chance to talk with community experts and industry professionals who can provide students with exceptional resources when exploring careers. It was an outstanding day for our students!

CLHS hosted the East regional Minnesota Association of Student Councils. This event was an opportunity for 150 student leaders from 8 different schools to come together to collaborate with each other, gain new insights and ideas and grow their leadership skills.

This past week , CLHS Bands hosted a performance in class by Flipside Percussion Ensemble. Flipside's performance is brought to us for free by a grant from the Class Notes program and Classical MPR.

A little about Flipside: Flipside Percussion features Matt Silverberg (marimba), Steve Roehm (vibraphone), and Erik Schee (drum set). Their musical backgrounds include orchestral percussion, jazz combos, and rock drum set. Flipside Percussion presents a wide range of musical styles with a focus and emphasis on improvisation.

Get ready for a blast from the not-so-recent past as this fall Chisago Lakes High School prepares to present a musical rendition of the cult classic “Freaky-Friday”. Watch as a high-strung mom and her rebellious teen daughter swap bodies for a chaotic day they’ll never forget. Filled with catchy tunes, hilarious mishaps, and heartwarming moments, this show will leave you laughing, singing, and maybe even calling your own mom afterward!

Mark your calendars, gather your friends, and come experience the wildest parent-teen switcheroo ever! This delightful production is brought to life by our talented students, who are sure to impress you with their energy and charm.

Freaky Friday Performance Dates

Friday, November 15 @ 7pm

Sat, Nov 16 @ 2 pm

Fri, Nov 22 @ 7pm

Sat, Nov 23 @ 7pm (Alumni night!!)

Sun, Nov 24 @ 2pm

Tickets and reserved seats can be purchased through GO FAN

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Chisago Lakes High School continues to participate in the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Chromebooks or basic laptops are the preferred devices and Chrome is our preferred browser as many of our programs are integrated with the Chrome Google platform. Personal devices should be charged each evening to ensure they are ready for the school day. Students are encouraged to carry a charger with them during the school day to ensure their devices can be charged if needed.

Class Fees: Certain elective courses that your student chooses to register for may include a fee to help offset the cost of materials associated with those selected courses. Those classes and their respective fees can be seen in the school supply list. A link to make a payment for a class with a fee is included on the school supply list.

• Parking permits may be purchased ONLINE using CLePay - cost of the permit is $125.00
• Families with multiple drivers: first student is $125.00, additional student(s) are $65.00
• Students may ONLY park in designated student parking (see parking agreement online for details)

Wildcat fall activities are wrapping up! We are proud of our students’ dedication to their academics, their team and their purpose. Thank you to our Wildcat families and our community for supporting students in their endeavors.

Winter activity VIRTUAL registration night was October 16th for Dance and is October 23rd for all other winter activities, additional information has been emailed to all students and families. Please complete registration online, pay the required fee and make sure your student has an up to date sports physical on file (good for 3 years).

Ticket Reminder when Attending Sporting Events

There will not be a cash option for events. All tickets and passes may be purchased by clicking on this link, scanning a QR code (located around the school and at events), or by downloading the GOFAN app. Many schools we participate with and/or compete against use this same platform or something similar. The GOFAN App allows you to purchase and store tickets on your smartphone or other mobile device. Simply search for events by school name. You can also pick your favorite schools to quickly find upcoming events, purchase tickets, and present your digital tickets on your way into the event!

GoFan Digital Resources

Event Ticket Prices: $5 students, $7 adults, senior citizens (age 60 & over) and children under 5 are FREE

Student Passes: $40, available for purchase for students in grades K-12. There is an option to print the pass if your student does not have a device.

Adult Passes: Adult 10 punch passes are $50. Paper punch passes purchased last year are still valid! Remaining adult punch passes in Hometown Ticketing were mailed home or given directly to your student prior to the end of the 2023-24 school year.

Visit our activities webpage for Wildcat Apparel through our sideline store and see the schedule of events.

Class 2025 Panoramic Photo - Now available for ordering! Families in the class of 2025 were sent an email from VanGoPhoto with ordering instructions. Place orders by Dec 1, 2024, for reduced pricing and free shipping to CLHS for distribution.
Senior Class Party Fundraiser - Poinsettia Sales: Poinsettia sales have started! Each year the senior class sells poinsettias as a fundraiser for the class party. Each family in the senior class has been sent information and an order form for this fundraiser. Additional forms can be picked up in the front office. All orders/money can be dropped off at the front office.

Yearbooks can be purchased online for the price of $80.00 until October 26th. After that time the price will go up to $85.00

Contact Heather Turner with any questions regarding the yearbook

hturner@isd2144.org

Student Meal program continued for the 2024-25 School Year

Mega Meal Cost: $2.00

What does my student do when feeling ill while at school?

If your student does not feel well during the school day, whether it be during a class, at lunch or between classes, they should report to the Health office. Students SHOULD NOT message a family member to come pick them up without visiting the health office. Our Health Assistant will call home and arrange for your students to be picked up.

October's Health Awareness Information: Oral Nicotine Pouches

Oral nicotine pouches are marketed as a way for those 21+ to quit smoking. They are not FDA approved and are illegal to sell. They are small pouches filled with shredded tobacco and nicotine powder. Research shows that the group with the largest increase in use is young people under age 20. The pouches are highly addictive. Average users consume 8 to 12 pouches daily which is the equivalent of 3 packs of cigarettes or 1 ½ e-cigarette pods. This is not a way to quit smoking, it is simply a new version of cigarettes. There are many brands of nicotine pouches, such as On! and Velo but the most popular is Zyn. This is due to social media influencers promoting it. One such influencer reached 700 million views on TikTok. It is being promoted as the new way to get high and help with focus. Our kids are being targeted. Since oral nicotine pouches are smokeless, odorless and easy to hide it is difficult to know if someone is using it. This makes them easy to conceal and use in places tobacco products cannot be used, such as a school. Please talk to your kids and help them understand how dangerous oral nicotine pouches are.

Maureen McCullough, RN/School Nurse

Click on the "Health Services" button to access forms that your student may require.

• Wednesday, October 23rd - Winter Activity Registration
• Friday, November 1st - End of Term 1
• Monday, November 4th - NO SCHOOL students (Staff Development Day)
• Tuesday, November 5th - First Day Term 2
• Monday, November 11th - Veteran's Day Program 9:15-9:45 in the main Gym - ALL are welcome
• November 15 & 16, 22 & 23 - Fall Musical "Freaky Friday"
• Wednesday - Friday, Nov 27-29 - No School, Thanksgiving Break
• Thursday, December 12th - Term 2 Conferences
• December 23 - January 3rd - Winter Break
• Monday, December 6th - first day back after break
• Monday, January 20th - NO SCHOOL students (Staff Development)

Website: https://www.isd2144.org/
Location: 29400 Olinda Trail, Lindstrom, MN, USA
Phone: 651-213-2500