I work at another school; however, "great news" travels through the district. We hear that Mr. DeBay and his team have a culture for kids and families that "under promises, and over-delivers" every day. The culture at East Elementary is definitely modeled by Mr. DeBay. Mr. DeBay has a servant's "heart." He is quick to sacrifice himself and give to others. This sacrificing attitude has developed a culture that is nurturing, loving, and compassionate to the kids and families they serve at East Elementary. Mr. DeBay does not get enough credit for his servant's mindset; however, he does not want the credit and this is the reason why he is deserving to be recognized and appreciated in this newsletter. Mr. DeBay, THANK YOU for giving your best every day to the kids, families, and employees you serve every day. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment do not go unnoticed in your school and throughout the district! Your compassion is definitely shared with others. The district, employees, families, and most importantly, THE KIDS, are fortunate and grateful for your service. THANK YOU!

Our Cohasset Custodians are amazing! Donna, Sue, and the gang have gone above and beyond getting things ready for us even long before the staff was able to come into the building. So much heavy lifting and moving needed to be done and they were such troopers about it all. We would not be able to enjoy our new space like we do if not for them! They are an integral part of our team and we appreciate them immensely.

We want to give a huge SHOUT OUT to our Kinder Paras at West Elementary. Jessie, Deb, Holli and Tresa are an amazing team and tremendous support to us! They are willing to change plans and go with the flow which makes Crazy Kindergarten Hybrid look like a well-oiled machine. Our kinders have SO MUCH FUN learning in the extra spaces and it allows us to still focus on academic progress. We couldn’t do it without them and wanted to shout out how much they mean to us!

I want to thank the paras at the Murphy daycare! They are working so hard to help students be successful and complete work while managing rooms full of students from all different teachers. They are providing consistency, encouragement and happiness for the students during the reset time. I’m amazed when I zoom with students and see how hard they are working. Thank you, thank you!!

The Special Education team at East Rapids Elementary are truly an exceptional and tireless group of professionals. Day in and day out they show up to serve and support OUR kids with the utmost dignity, respect, grace and humility. Need I mention the broad paperwork responsibilities... They are unsung heroes who frame disabilities into possibilities. They truly ‘SEE’ kids. With the coaching and wisdom of Amy and Tracy, the guidance by Tina, and the forward-thinking leadership of Ken and Anna, this team is unstoppable!

I want to thank Tim Palkki, bus driver, for being so kind toward our students. My daughter is in Kindergarten and had a lot of items needing to get home after her last day of in person school before the reset. Tim helped to make sure she had all of her items. I appreciate how much he cares for my children.

Renae Garski is absolutely amazing! She has been so incredibly helpful for staff and students when it comes to anything technology. Renae is quick to respond to teacher requests and is able to problem solve and support teachers in the classroom. Because of her support I have learned many technology teaching tools and have received continued support to troubleshoot any difficulties I may be having. The level of support that she is providing to students when their iPads are not working is so valuable ~ she is able to solve most iPad concerns over the phone/through email with students. Renae's wealth of knowledge and positive energy as she tackles each situation has been a blessing to me.

Making a building change brought a great deal of anxiety and anticipation during an unusual school year. All of that anxiety was put to rest when I started working with the great SPED staff I am now a part of. The ESPs work with such dedication and passion. My fellow teachers answer all my questions, even the ones I should know!! Thank you GRHS for making a change so great!

Angela Oelke, who is our school social worker at GRHS and RJEMS has personified the ideal of perseverance over the past 2 months. She's tirelessly caring and patient for students who really need caring and patience more than ever. Without a doubt, the realities of Angela's role have had her looking into the abyss - and yet she chooses to emerge with a smile, a positive attitude and a humorous remark. And then she just keeps on going because she cares that much about kids. To one of the most active, involved and dedicated members of the ISD 318 team - Thank You, Angela!

It takes a team to run a new program. We are so proud of everyone who played a role in getting childcare set up at Murphy Elementary School for Tier 1 employees.

It took a whole team to come together and make it a success. Kudos to Community Ed, transportation, food service, buildings and grounds, student support, technology, special services, Boys & Girls Club, and especially the ESP group. The ESPs working at childcare have been moved into new temporary positions, they have stepped up in their new roles and have been amazing working with kids daily. They are helping kids connect to zoom meetings, tutoring, helping in math and reading, serving meals, doing art projects, and so much more.
We could not have done it without the help of everyone.

Ryan DeBay and Bruce Goodwin have set the tone for an amazing school year at East Rapids Elementary. With their positive attitude, humor, and willingness to help with anything that comes their way, they have shown their staff how amazing our school year this and years to come will be with them as our leaders. Thank you for everything!

I wanted to thank all of the 8th Grade ConnectEd Teachers, they are simply put, amazing. I know it's hard to engage 28-30 kids on-line but they have each found a way to connect with the kids and make class as normal as possible. I appreciate all that they do to bring a sense of normalcy to these days of uncertainty. Thank you again and you guys are rockin' this thing called distance learning!

I would like to send out a huge THANK YOU to the East Rapids Elementary staff who help out every day in the Kindergarten pick up line. They are always friendly and helpful, making sure every kid is safely brought to their families during pick up. Last week, in the pouring rain, every single staff member was still in their positions, despite everyone not having raincoats or umbrellas, making sure the kids could get to where they needed to go quickly. I am always impressed by this group but that day they went above and beyond. Thank you for all you're doing!

Here is a note I received from a parent of a student at the ALC:

You have no idea how PROUD I am of this kid! I had no idea what I was even going to with him a year plus ago!

I am truly contributing these changes and progress to all of you!

You all have treated him so well and encouraged him. He loves all you and absolutely gets everything he needs emotionally and psychologically from you all at ALC! I’m not saying anything negative about the traditional school but I know for my kid — it wasn’t a good fit.

I have seen the changes in his grammar, thought processes, and listening to him talk! He has learned so much from all of you. He doesn’t view it as just earning hours and credits— he has learned Respect, Accountability, and time management there. He loves how you all treat him!!

It has taken a village to raise this kid— (cheesy and cliche) but it’s so true! You all have been the biggest part to who he is becoming!

He doesn’t even feel ashamed to say he goes to the ALC! He proudly tells it!! And I love it!!

I absolutely LOVE all of you! Thank you so much!!

The overwhelming support offered by Sandy, JoAnn, and Scott on the first day of school was incredible. As a teacher at Bigfork School, their willingness to answer questions or follow up ASAP helped the first day of school go well. They do it all with a smile on their face and a great sense of humor. The first day of school would not have been a success if the three of you weren't the first faces our students saw. Thank you for always going above and beyond to help our students and staff.

Pam Francisco is an amazing teacher. She goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. Here she is outside before anybody else gets here blowing the sidewalks off to make sure everything is perfect for our final pickup day in Bigfork!

Thank you for everything you did to make graduation special and meaningful for the kids in Bigfork!

We had the privilege of delivering breakfast and lunches to students this spring and we got to wash buses together! Thank you to our school district for providing jobs for us! We had a blast together and the employees at the bus garage were great to work with!!

Saying THANK YOU just doesn't seem like enough when it comes to our Food Service, Bus Drivers and Paras. We have been getting meals delivered for a few weeks now and it has been stress-relieving, hope-instilling, and sanity-saving all in one. The highlight of my children's day is meeting the school bus to say “Hello” and “Thank you” to the Bus Driver and Para(s) delivering food. They always have a smile on their face and are day-makers for two little girls. As a mom working full time from home, this has been a sanity-saver for me. THANK YOU to our Food Service Staff; THANK YOU to our Bus Drivers; and THANK YOU to our Paras for brightening my children's day and saving my sanity!

The custodial team at RJEMS is simply wonderful! I have yet to meet a single staff member that doesn't go above and beyond his/her normal duties to keep the school running like a well-oiled machine. There are always smiles on their faces and a continual willingness to help students and staff alike. We greatly appreciate all you do for us! Thank you.

Our GRHS Custodians always go above and beyond, especially for our home events at the high school. I wanted to also thank them for cleaning the hallway of trophies and cases, that is a huge task, and they look awesome.

I would like to send a shout out to our awesome secretary Geraldene. She is always so kind and thoughtful and always doing things for our staff, students and families. We have watched her handle very stressful situations with grace and a smile and she makes our days better by being here. We appreciate her so much!

A great big thank you to office staff Sandy Anselmo, JoAnn Jorgensen, Kim Powell, food service, bus drivers, and all the ESPs for helping organize and carry out day care organizations, meal deliveries & pick up, and materials pick up. They have been so patient in answering parent & teacher questions. We couldn't do anything without you!

Big shout out to everyone in the Technology Department and specifically Bill, Nichole, Denny, and Chris for always answering questions with a smile and sense of humor. Bigfork Elementary Team had a lot of questions regarding SeeSaw, Google Hangouts, etc. and you were always available to help us and answer our questions. During the Distance Learning Planning Period, things were changing fast and the Technology Department was consistently taking calls, answering questions, and problem-solving for us. Thanks for being so helpful, happy, and supportive of staff during this unique time!

Rob Eide is top-notch! I have had him help me with my son's lost iPad, and he came on the same day I put in a request to have a student iPad fixed. He does a great job and is always kind and courteous. Our tech department does a fantastic job taking care of all the devices we have in the district. Thank you!!  

I am so thankful that I can go to work and know that Cohasset School will be plowed out and our walkway cleared so we can safely walk to work. Thank you to our maintenance peeps who are up extra early to do this for us and the entire district!!

Bruce Goodwin has come into Murphy this year and done a fantastic job! He listened and learned and then has done everything in his power to find success. He constantly shows how much he cares about the kids, their families, and the staff. We are so lucky to have him, and so thankful that we do!

I was asked to email Greig Olson at the Bus Garage about a student who left his backpack on his AM bus (thinking that the student would get it on the way home). Not long after, Greig called to see what color it was and then surprised us by showing up at Cohasset with the backpack knowing it would make a difference in this student's day - especially for this student. Thank you, Greig, for going out of your way!

Our Student Support Specialists deserve huge props. They are such wonderful supports to our students and our teachers. They take the time to ensure that our students feel safe, welcome and are so great at balancing so many things throughout the day. They are truly appreciated!

Dave Lostetter has stepped in to the role as Forest Lake Principal and has been doing a great job! He knows how prioritize what our building needs and is willing to help in whatever way.

Melissa King is a true team player at Southwest Elementary. She is always working with teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents to ensure the success of her program and students. She is willing to have a voice to speak up and advocate for students and families. She takes great pride in our school and works diligently to ensure it is a positive environment.