Park Center Pirate Newsletter

March 2025

Thursday, March 6 is the last day of trimester 2. Students are locking in and finishing up strong this week!

There is no school March 7th, it is a grading day for teachers to wrap up trimester 2.

We are starting our last trimester of the school year. Let's go!

There is no school the week of March 24th for spring break, and the district is closed March 28th. We hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, and safe spring break!

Park Center’s Exploring the Teaching Profession concurrent credit course, along with Park Center’s Educators Rising Club, toured the Saint Cloud State University campus on February 5, 2025. Juniors and seniors had an opportunity to get a lesson on the research process at the library, tour the campus, ask questions and ended with lunch at the Garvey Commons.

Wrestling

Two Wrestlers advance to the State Tournament: Jacob Hansen and Zaye Vang. Congrats Jacob and Zaye!

Esports

The PCSH Esports has 3 teams who have qualified for the state championship this weekend at St. Cloud State University. The 3 teams competing this weekend include two teams for Valorant (both the Varsity and JV teams qualified) and our 3v3 team for Rocket League. We have high hopes for all three teams!

• Valorant will be on Saturday morning (Starting at around 9am), and Rocket League will be on Sunday afternoon/evening (Starting at around 3pm). Check it out on the MN Varsity League YouTube or Twitch.
• More specific details about the overall schedule and the tournament can be found here: https://www.mnvl.org/state-finals-winter-2025

Our amazing Family and Community Engagement team is hosting a program called Parent Academy, to amplify the voices of parents and scholars within our community. The goal of this initiative is to address key concerns, celebrate our successes, and offer valuable insights that empower families to navigate important issues affecting our community. Please join our upcoming virtual meeting will be held on March 19, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and the topic will be Social Media: Pros and Cons.

Information in: Tiếng Việt, Af-soomaali, Español, Afaan Oromoo, Lus Hmoob

The winter season is wrapping up and spring is right around the corner! A few highlights:

• Two Wrestlers advance to the State Tournament: Jacob Hansen and Zaye Vang!
• "The Music Man" our Spring Musical opens this weekend!
• Girls' Badminton is our first spring sport to kick off on Monday!

Check out the rest of our winter updates here. And follow along at pcactivities.com for more upcoming events and information. Go Pirates!

The Wallin Education Partners 2-Year Program application opened March 1, 2024. There are multiple pathways to receive a scholarship. The Opportunity Pathway for students that plan to attend one of the MN partner community colleges (up to $6000.)The Aspire Pathway is for students that plan to attend Dunwoody. The HealthPartners Pathway is for students interested in healthcare. The Mortenson Pathway is for students interested in construction management. In addition to financial support, scholarship winners receive advising and professional support to help navigate college, as well as access to college-to-career programs, internships and other opportunities. Sign up to attend a Mini-Session in the CRC to learn more about the Wallin 2-Year Scholarship.

After completing the FAFSA, you will receive a financial aid award letter from the colleges to which you have been accepted. Financial aid award letters can be confusing. So how do you figure out what college will actually cost? Nitro suggests considering at these 4 components:

1. Yearly costs, such as tuition, fees, books, room and board, travel, etc
2. Financial aid that you don’t have to pay back (scholarships, grants, work-study)
3. Financial aid you DO need to pay back (federal loans)
4. What’s left after accounting for the above 3 items? That is the amount you will need to pay out of pocket.

One thing to consider is that some grants and scholarships are not offered every year. Also, work-study is not a guarantee. To learn more about reading financial aid award letters, students should sign up to attend a Mini-Session in the CRC.

The Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training (ICATT) is the leading apprenticeship program for high-tech manufacturers. The ICATT works with local companies such as Buhler, J&E Manufacturing, KEB America, Kobra Molds, PAR Systems, Sonic Packaging and Turck to train future employees. ICATT Apprentices gain hands-on experience while working at one of these companies and attending classes at Hennepin Technical College (HTC). Apprentices earn a living wage and receive a debt-free associate degree. More than 85% of ICATT apprentices complete the apprenticeship program. There are virtual opportunities to participate in an ICATT Info Session - check the Events page.

The CRC offers monthly Career Panels for students to learn about a wide variety of positions in a given career field. Upcoming Career Panels include:

• March 18 - Technology
• April 8 - Education

Students must sign up in advance to attend at https://forms.gle/R35jmyfTYZTta5J58

All upcoming events, including college visits, are posted on the CRC website > Sessions. Please check often and sign up for those that interest you!

The child development lab class at Park Center Senior High School is looking for preschool-aged children ages 3, 4, and 5 who are toilet trained to attend Park Center Playschool about 2-4 hours per week for about 6 weeks beginning April 8 or 10 and concluding on May 20 or 22, 2025.

You will choose to have your child attend a Tuesday 8:45-10:55 a.m. or Thursday 7:35-9:45 a.m. class time or both. This is a free opportunity! There will be limited openings available so let us know your interest early!

Contact Joanne Bauerly, Instructor, with questions or to RSVP email bauerlyj@district279.org or call Park Center at 763-569-7600 to leave a message.

Free vaccine clinic brought to you by Osseo Area Schools and the Minnesota Department of Health. All are welcome to attend. No appointments or insurance needed!

Date: Wednesday, August 20 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm

Location: Park Center Senior High School

At Park Center we expect every student to demonstrate P.R.I.D.E.

• Participate in your education
• Respect yourself and others
• Inspire others
• Do the right thing
• Excel in all you do

For all Park Center rules and expectations, refer to our Student and Family Handbook