Central Public Schools - Education Is Central

Students were loving the nice weather last week during recess. There is nothing like a little fun outside to recharge your energy for learning!

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Shelby Erickson -City of Residence: Norwood Young America -How long have you lived in the district? 19 years -What is your occupation? I have worked at Ridgeview as a nurse for almost 26 years. Currently, I am the nurse manager of Women and Children Services. -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? If elected, this would be my second term as a board member. I originally ran for school board because I wanted to make a difference. I was frustrated with some of the decisions being made at our district and wanted to help influence the district leaders in a positive way. Now, I have been able to witness the change of direction at Central Schools and want to continue to be a part of the positive changes we have witnessed over the last five years. -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? I believe that my leadership skills, open mindedness, and positive attitude are the qualities that I would bring to the board, if elected. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? This is a challenging question! There are so many important issues that our district deals with daily! Student safety and security, employing high-quality educators, and offering a variety of extracurricular opportunities are all very important issues in education today. Personally, I believe that giving every student the opportunity to achieve success is critically important. While everyone's definition of success looks a bit different, opening doors and removing barriers for our students' success, through policy and governance, are the most important tasks for our school board to accomplish.

Central Elementary School and Central Public Preschool are hosting Back to School Fun Night Tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 19) from 5-7 p.m. There is a ton of fun for everyone including food trucks, live music, and a bounce house!

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Sara Eischens -City of Residence: Hamburg -How long have you lived in the district? 42 years -What is your occupation? Registered Nurse, Licensed School Nurse (District Health Manager - ISD 110) -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? I am seeking re-election as a school board member for a variety of reasons, perhaps the largest reason of all is a desire to continue serving our community and schools by being a partner with our community and administration with the shared vision of educational excellence, fostering a school culture full of opportunities in and outside of the classroom, and a place where all students belong. I immensely enjoy my time as a current board member and have been extremely proud of the positive growth and direction the district has taken with the improvement in facilities and progressiveness in educational opportunities for students. Being a lifelong resident of the Norwood Young America area, a Central graduate, and parent to two Central students, I have a strong vested interest in continued forward progress. My hope is that Central becomes a destination district that others look to as a beacon of excellence in student achievement and a place that students, staff and the community are proud to call home. GO RAIDERS! -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? I feel I bring a plethora of experiences, qualities, and knowledge to the school board. Serving as a board member since 2016, I have been a part of a variety of experiences such as hiring a new superintendent, developing a strategic plan, development of district vision cards with measurable outcomes, establishing board goals, referendums, and working as part of a team to plan and implement a large building project for our district. I have an ability and skill set to see the district's long range goals and work collaboratively with the board and administration to accomplish these goals. In addition, I have been a part of a variety of committees as a board member including negotiations, finance and policy. I have completed all four phases of the Minnesota School Board Associations Training and enjoy being a member of this organization. Additionally, in my professional role, I am the District Health Manager at another district and a part of their school administrative team. This work experience in the education setting brings with it a strong foundation in school operations, finance, and knowledge of educational outcomes that I can tap into as a member of the Central school board. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? At Central Schools I think the biggest challenge is enrollment and maintaining financial stability. As a district and board we have been working hard to increase our “capture rate”, meaning increasing the percentage of children/families residing in our district that choose to attend Central Public Schools vs. other educational institutions. Much effort is being put into increasing our capture rate. However, with other educational opportunities available for our families, it is important for Central schools to stay innovative, creative, cutting edge and to continually look for ways to enhance educational outcomes and opportunities for students and families. We have amazing students, staff and community members at Central and Central has a ton to offer. It is important that we market our district and continually share all the amazing things about Central schools in and outside of the classroom. Additionally, I value and understand the importance of the board’s role to ensure financial stability, maintain accountability, and to maximize the generous gifts given to the district from our community. Establishing a budget and continually monitoring, assessing and modifying as needed to stay within the parameters set forth by our board and constituents is extremely important.

You’ve already met three out of the four inductees to the Raider Hall of Fame who were part of the school record setting relay runners, now let’s meet another! Brigitte Stuewe (Kohls) graduated in 1989 and participated in a lot of activities including track, basketball, volleyball, cross country, C-Club, swing choir, choir, and was a homecoming candidate. In addition to the school record 4x100M relay, she also set school records in 100M hurdles and was first in state her junior and senior year in hurdles and third in state in the 200M dash her junior year. She was captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, ran on all conference track, and was the team most valuable player her junior year. Even in her freshman year, she was setting school records and finishing second in state in the 200M dash and 400M dash. After high school, she attended college at NDSCS where she also played basketball and ran track. She then went to cosmetology school at Scott Lewis, graduating in 1994. Since then she has worked in several salons and taught back at the school as an instructor and still does hair. “I live in St. Boni and keep myself busy with clients doing hair and also have picked up several side jobs along the way,” said Brigitte. “My new most favorite job is getting to babysit my seven month old grandson August, the son of my oldest son Tanner and wife Mariah!” In her free time she enjoys spending as much time as she can with her kids, daughters-in-law and grandson, being involved with her church as well as biking, hiking, and camping. Get your tickets to the Raider Rally and help us honor the first year of the Central Hall of Fame: https://108raiderrally.com/

Students at Central Middle School had a ton of fun at the wiffle ball tournament during Raider Time!

Interested in participating in the Central Public School Homecoming parade? Fill out the form at the link before Wednesday, Sept. 25. Questions can be directed to Ms . Hammers at shammers@isd108.org https://forms.gle/B5UsoocaAupZCXAF9

Central Volleyball plays host to GSL tonight for a WCC West Match up. C - 4:30 JV - 5:30 PM Varsity - 7:00 PM Get your tickets here: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/CQIA Streaming Link: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mn/norwood-young-america/organization/10583/central-high-school

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Racheal Holland -City of Residence: Young America -How long have you lived in the district? 18 years -What is your occupation? Attorney, mom and wife -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? Public service by citizens of varying backgrounds, perspectives and ideologies is important for our democracy at all levels of government. I want to serve my community as a school board member because I want to ensure our children are receiving the best educational and social experiences possible at Central. -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? Fresh perspective, common sense, and the ability to advocate for the desires of our children, their parents and community members. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? The speed of technology and AI, and accountability of students, teachers, parents and administration to one another and the curriculum.

Check out all the awesome things happening with community education this week: 9/17- 3rd-6th Youth Football practice @ HS Field 6pm 9/17- K-6th Soccer practice @ Friendship Park 5:30pm 9/17- Gentle Yoga @ Fieldhouse 6:30pm 9/18- Adult Pickleball League @ Fieldhouse 6:30pm 9/18- 5th/6th Volleyball practice @ HS Gym 6:30pm 9/18- Cross Country Running Club @ HS 3:30pm 9/19- 3rd-6th Football practice @ HS Field 6pm 9/19- Family Fun Night @ Elementary School 5pm 9/21- Youth Soccer Games @ Friendship Park & off-site locations 9/21- 5th/6th Football Games @ Waconia 9am

Students and teachers have gotten into a great rhythm so far this school year and we love seeing learning in action!

Elementary families, don’t forget that picture day is Thursday, Sept. 19!

Here is what's happening in Central Raiders Athletics this week! 9/16/24 - 9/21/24 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hb-N-1f5gTHtxfaIsODMzw09etaXszU1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117579303926297976321&rtpof=true&sd=true

Central Volleyball plays host to HLWW tonight for a WCC West Match up. C & JV - 5:30 PM Varsity - 7:00 PM Get your tickets here: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/CQHY Streaming Link: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mn/norwood-young-america/organization/10583/central-high-school

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. - Candidate Name: Kyle Strickfaden - City of Residence: Norwood Young America - How long have you lived in the district? 21 years - What is your occupation? Assistant Controller - Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? I've had the privilege of serving on the school board since January 2020. A lot of positive change has happened since that time, and I want to continue to be a part of the momentum of making Central a great school for our community. - What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? Fiscal responsibility and commitment to do what's right for our district. - What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? In Minnesota, the way special education is currently funded needs to be revised. It's putting a lot of stress on the general funds of districts our size.

Students at Central Elementary are jumping, pushing, and running in PE class to get strong and ready to take on their educational journeys!

Don’t forget to get out and cheer on the Central Raiders this week! Photo courtesy of Sports Central. https://wcconference.org/public/genie/16/school/13911/date/2024-09-12/view/week/

Let’s celebrate another inductee into the Raider Hall of Fame! Cathy Gruenhagen (Oelfke) graduated from Central in 1990 and participated in a variety of activities during her time in high school including homecoming committee, German club, prom committee, band, track, C-Club, and basketball. During her freshman year in 1987 she was part of the 4x100M relay team that set a school record of 49.38 and earned first in state. She says that running came naturally to her and that she loved playing sports and found that track helped her release the anxiety she felt by being in a bigger school than she was used to in her experience at a small private school. “I was lucky to run track with Brigette and Sheila cause we all grew up in Hamburg and went to the same school,” said Cathy. “Track and field was a big part of growing up in a small town like Hamburg. So coming to Central was scary to say the least and my mom was last an elementary teacher there so everyone knew my mom but didn’t really know me.” She said that friends, teachers, and coaches all played a role in shaping who she was and encouraging her throughout high school. “Mr. Hanson was a great coach he would push you to your highest potential and made sure you were conditioned and our handoffs were perfect,” said Cathy. “I also played basketball and Mr. Lemke is another great coach. A great coach makes a great team!” Cathy is married to Shane Gruenhagen and has worked at Carver County full time for the past 18 years. She says she loves being a mom, wife, and dog mom and wants the world to be a better place for her kids. Get your tickets to the Raider Rally and help us honor the first year of the Central Hall of Fame: https://108raiderrally.com/

Headed to Wells, MN tonight for the USC vs. Central football game? Get your tickets ahead of time: https://gofan.co/app/school/MN12958 If you can't make it, watch here - Live Stream Link: https://www.youtube.com/@uscrebels1464 Rebels vs. Raiders will kick off at 7:00 PM!

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Troy Krueger -City of Residence: Norwood Young America -How long have you lived in the district? All my life -What is your occupation? Logistics Manager -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? I want to help the school grow. Now that we have the new addition we need to figure out how to get enrollment up. I also want to be a voice for the taxpayers of the district. -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? I have 20 plus years in business operations, I can be a voice for the people of the district. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? I believe we need to get back to the basics. I believe we need to instill life lessons. Technology is a great thing. But if we don’t teach the simple things how to survive the day to day, kids will struggle. Not every kid is going to go to college. So we need to prepare kids who want to continue on with education but we also need to prepare the ones who want to enter the workforce.