A Team Staff News

A Team Staff,

Thank you for a solid end of the school year. I greatly enjoyed celebrating the AAHS Class of 2024 at our graduation ceremony. The community celebrated this group of young adults at the annual procession as the graduates made their way to the Senior Party at the RCC. I was lucky enough to attend the Senior Party and volunteer with dozens of parents and community members to help the senior class safely celebrate their graduation.

This show of support from our staff, parents, and community is what makes Alexandria and our schools a special place.

As we bid farewell to the current school year, we are already gearing up to welcome the 24-25 school year. Our school board and administration are diligently laying the groundwork through hiring and budgeting processes.

It is great to celebrate the end of one school year with the Class of 2024 while we ramp up to welcome the Class of 2037 into kindergarten!

Happy summer,

Rick

The filing period for the school board election closed on June 4th. Five candidates have filed for the three open seats, broken down as follows:

• Position #1: Tracy Capistrant and Phil Sammon
• Position #6: Elizabeth Paul
• Position #7: Angie Krebs and Monty Normand
  
  

With no more than two candidates for each position, no primary election is required. All current candidates will be placed on the ballot for the November 5 general election.

We welcome the following individuals to our A-Team Staff:

• Rebecca Angell: Paraprofessional, EEC, effective 5/21/2024
• Diane Bast: Paraprofessional, Transportation, effective 6/11/2024
• Andrea Dammann: Science Teacher, DMS, effective 8/26/2024
• Gwen Egly: Media Specialist Support (80-hour contract), Districtwide, effective 6/5/2024
• Morgan Herzog: Social Studies Teacher, DMS, effective 8/26/2024
• Jessica Erickson: Social Studies Teacher, DMS, effective 8/26/2024
• Nathan Knick: Art Teacher - 1st Semester, AAHS, effective 8/26/2024
• Sara Peterson: Social Studies .6 FTE, DMS, effective 8/26/2024
• Christi Smith: Media Specialist, Districtwide, effective 8/26/2024
• Casey Zimmerman: Custodian, AAHS, effective 6/6/2024

• Policy 707 - Student Fundraising
• Policy 708 - District Acceptance and Use of Grant Funding
• Policy 710 - Expense Reimbursement
• Policy 720 - Food and Nutrition Services Program
• Policy 730 - Transportation of Public School Students
• Policy 731 - Transportation of Nonpublic School Students
• Policy 732 - Extracurricular, Co-Curricular and School Activities Transportation

The Curriculum/Policy Committee reviewed the policies at their committee meeting and supports the additions and revisions.

• Policy 414 - Mandated Reporting of Child Neglect or Physical or Sexual Abuse
• Policy 415 - Mandated Reporting of Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults
• Policy 506 - District-Wide Student Discipline
• Policy 507 - Corporal Punishment and Prone Restraint
• Policy 507.5 - School Resource Officers (New Policy)
• Policy 806 - Crisis Management
  

• The Board adopted the resolution terminating regular substitute teaches and long-term substitute teachers. This is an annual action taken by the school board that is required as a result of Minnesota state statutes related to continuous contracts.
• Janeen Peterson, Food & Nutrition Services Director, and two members of the Student Wellness Committee - Sue Green and Maggie Johnson - provided an update to the Board on the 2023-24 school year student wellness initiatives. Additionally, Janeen Peterson provided an update on FNS department focus areas this school year.
• Kevin Brezina, Technology Director, shared highlights from the Technology Department from the 2023-24 school year.
• The Board approved the summary of the 2023-2024 District Operational Plan as presented by Darcy Josephson, Asst. Supt.-Teaching & Learning.
• The Board approved the 2024-2025 fees and prices as presented.
• The Board approved the 2024-2025 preliminary budget as presented by Trevor Peterson, Director of Business Services.
• The Board accepted the escalator bid prices from Stony Creek Dairy as the milk vendor for the School Meals Program for the 2024-2025 school year.

Two of our FNS employees earned National Certifications in the last month. Hunter Strawbridge, AAHS Kitchen Manager, earned his National Food Safety Certification and Ashley Quinn, DMS Assistant Kitchen Manager, earned her National Servsafe Certification.

At the Central Lakes Conference Track Meet, both the Boys Track Team and the Girls Track Team took home the title for CLC Champions. Many athletes also received All-Conference honors and honorable mentions. In the girls division:

• Citori Halbe - 1st place in the 1600m and All-Conference honors
• Addison Gulbranson - 1st place in the 100m hurdles and All-Conference honors
• Sophia Korynta - 1st place in the 300m hurdles, 4th place in the triple jump and All-Conference honors
• Payten Kor, Alison Krasky, Addison Fettig and Kaija Schneider - 1st place in the 4x200m relay, breaking a CLC and school record, and earning All-Conference honors
• Elise Magaard - 1st place in the discus, 3rd place in the shot put and All-Conference honors
• Kaija Schneider - 1st place in the long jump, 2nd place in the 100m and 2nd place in the 200m and All-Conference honors
• Payten Kor - 3rd place in the 200m and All-Conference honors
• Alison Krasky - 2nd place in the 400m, 2nd place in the triple jump, 4th place in the long jump and All-Conference honors
• Greta Oldenkamp - 2nd place in the 800m and All-Conference honors
• Jaelyn Miller - 2nd place in the 3200 m and All-Conference honors
• Lydia Oldenkamp - 2nd place in the shot put, 5th place in the 100m Hurdles and All-Conference honors
• Maya Wagner - 3rd place in the discus and All-Conference honors
• Zoie Roemer - 2nd place in the pole vault and All-Conference honors
• Addison Fettig - 6th place in the 100m and All-Conference honorable mention
• Esryn Dahl - 5th place in the 200m and All-Conference honorable mention
• Bobbi Nichols - 5th place in the 1600m and All-Conference honorable mention
• Quinn Hills - 6th place in the 3200m and All-Conference honorable mention
• Esryn Dahl, Elle Heydt, Addison Fettig and Payten Kor - 3rd place in the 4x100m relay and All-Conference honorable mention
• Brynn Cross, Madeline Hochhalter, Evelyn Kuhnau and Anna Korynta - 4th place in the 4x800m and All-Conference honorable mention
• Elly Homelvig - 4th place in the high jump and All-Conference honorable mention
• Kelsey Krohnfeldt - 6th place in the pole vault and All-Conference honorable mention

In the boys division:

• Daniel Jackson - 1st place in the 100m dash and All-Conference honors
• Otto Anderson - 1st place in the 110m hurdles, 1st place in the 300m hurdles, 3rd place in the high jump and All-Conference honors
• Trey Negen, Evan Kludt, Mac Heydt and Daniel Jackson - 1st place in the 4x100m relay and All-Conference honors
• Otto Anderson, Hunter Mohr, Owen Draper and Elliott Kent - 1st place in the 4x400m relay and All-Conference honors
• Dane Olson - 2nd place in the 100m dash and All-Conference honors
• Evan Kludt - 2nd place in the 200m dash and All-Conference honors
• Owen Draper - 2nd place in the 800m run and All-Conference honors
• Thomas Wilmesmeier - 2nd place in the 3200m run and All-Conference honors
• Dylan Frusciante - 2nd place in the high jump, 4th place in the 110m hurdles, 4th place in the 300m hurdles and All-Conference honors
• Trey Negen, Evan Kludt, Mac Heydt and Walker Hennen - 2nd place in the 4x200m relay and All-Conference honors
• Elliott Kent - 3rd place in the 200m dash, 3rd place in the 400m dash and All-Conference honors
• Sam Williams - 3rd place in the 110m hurdles, 5th place in the 300m hurdles and All-Conference honors
• Mason Gorghuber - 4th place in the triple jump and All-Conference honorable mention
• Evan Moore, Landon Runge, Karl Franson and Ryan Sanden - 4th place in the 4x800m relay and All-Conference honorable mention
• Trey Negen - 5th place in the 100m dash and All-Conference honorable mention
• Hunter Mohr - 5th place in the 400m dash and All-Conference honorable mention
• Rhett Granning - 6th place in the high jump and All-Conference honorable mention

The Section 8AA Track Meet also saw the Boys Track Team and the Girls Track Team win the Section Championship, with many athletes placing well, setting records and qualifying for the State Meet. In the girls division:

• Alison Krasky - 1st place in the 400m, broke her own school record and qualified for State in the 400m, 4x400m relay and triple jump
• Sophia Korynta - 1st place in the 300m hurdles and qualified for State
• Payten Kor, Elle Heydt, Addison Fettig and Kaija Schneider - 1st place in the 4x100m relay and qualified for State
• Payten Kor, Alison Krasky, Sophia Korynta and Kaija Schneider - 1st place in the 4x200m relay, set a Section 8AA record, broke our school record and qualified for State
• Greta Oldenkamp, Izzy Nei, Bobbi Nichols and Kasey Soderholm - 1st place in the 4x800m relay and qualified for State
• Lydia Oldenkamp - 1st place in the shot put, broke the Section 8AA record and qualified for State
• Elise Magaard - 1st place in the discus, broke her own Section 8AA record and qualified for State in the discus and the shot put
• Jaelyn Miller - qualified for State in the 1600m, 800m and 4x400m relay
• Citori Halbe - qualified for State in the 3200m, 4x800m relay and 4x400m relay
• Greta Oldenkamp - qualified for State in the 4x400m relay
• Evelyn Kuhnau - qualified for State in the 4x800m relay
• Madeline Hochhalter - qualified for State in the 4x800m relay
• Brynn Cross - qualified for State in the 4x800m relay
• Maya Wagner - qualified for State in the discus
• Amaria Sowada - qualified for State in the discus
• Kaija Schneider - qualified for State in the 100m and long jump
• Addison Fettig - qualified for State in the 4x200m relay
• Kaia Emter - qualified for State in the 4x200m relay and 4x400m relay
• Addison Gulbranson - qualified for State in the 100m hurdles
• Zoie Roemer - qualified for State in the pole vault
• Elly Homelvig - qualified for State in the high jump
• Esryn Dahl - qualified for State in the 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay and 4x400m relay

In the boys division:

• Dane Olson - 1st place in the 100m dash and qualified for State
• Otto Anderson - 1st place in the 110m hurdles, 1st place in the 300m hurdles, broke the Section 8AA records for 110m and 300m hurdles, 2nd place in high jump and qualified for State in all three events
• Sam Williams - 3rd place in the 110m hurdles and qualified for State
• Elliott Kent - 2nd place in the 40m dash and qualified for State
• Owen Draper - 2nd place in the 800m run and qualified for State
• Evan Kludt - 1st place in the long jump, broke the School record, broke the Section 8AA record and qualified for State
• Mason Gorghuber - 6th place in the triple jump and qualified for State
• Trey Negen, Evan Kludt, Mac Heydt and Dane Olson - 1st place in the 4x100m relay, broke the Section 8AA record and qualified for State
• Trey Negen, Evan Kludt, Mac Heydt and Elliott Kent - 1st place in the 4x200m relay, broke the School record, broke the Section 8AA record and qualified for State
• Otto Anderson, Owen Draper, Throck Lehmann and Elliott Kent - 1st place in the 4x400m relay, broke the Section 8AA record and qualified for State

Elise Magaard took the title of True Team State Champion in the discus.

Mike Empting was named Section 8AA Boys Track Coach of the Year.

At the National Archery tournament, Ian Johnson placed 91st and Shawn Gebhardt placed 397th out of the field of 2,500 in the high school boys division.

The Boys Tennis Team won the Central Lakes Conference championship. In the Section 8AAA match, Owen Gilbertson and Cole Haabala won the doubles tournament and will head to the state tournament for the second year in a row.

The Baseball Team, the Boys Golf Team and the Girls Golf Team also brought home the title of Central Lakes Conference champions in their respective sports.

Tim Zupfer was named Section 8AAA Girls Golf Coach of the Year.

The following AAHS students earned the title of Central Lakes Conference Performer of the Week in their respective sport:

• Ava Klimek - softball: in 5 games, had 4 singles, 2 doubles, 1 triple and scored 6 RBIs
• Ellie Sticha - girls golf: shot 80 & 74 (PB) at Bunker Hills, placing 4th
• Jack Holtz - boys golf: won his second straight CLC individual championship

• June 4 - Aug 16 (excludes 6/19 & 7/4): Free Summer Meals Program at Woodland Elementary.
• June 19: District & School Offices will be closed in observance of the Juneteenth state holiday.
• June 20: First Day of Summer
• June 29: EdRock Concert, 5-11pm. Click here for tickets and details.
• July 4: Independence Day.
• July 15: Regular School Board Meeting, District Office, Oak Conference Room, 7pm

Our Mission is to achieve educational excellence and to inspire a life-long passion for learning.

Our Vision is to be an extraordinary school district that tailors learning for all, by working together!

Email: jjohnson@alexschools.org
Website: www.alexschools.org
Location: 1410 South McKay Ave., Suite 201 Alexandria, MN 56308
Phone: 320-762-2141
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexmnschools/

Instagram: @alexmnschools

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_iI9ts5_R87BvAMxvlM69A