North Branch Area Public Schools

Liberty Kids & Lasting Lessons As the school year wrapped up, a 5th grade teacher shared a meaningful snapshot from the recent Fun Run. Inspired by their study of the American Revolution and the animated series "Liberty Kids," students chose a patriotic theme for their class flag—complete with American flag bandanas and hand-held flags. The image captures more than a moment; it reflects pride, unity, and a deeper understanding of freedom and sacrifice. The teacher noted that while we may not be on the front lines of war, we are on the front lines of preparing the next generation—and that teaching, guiding, and protecting students is one of the most important responsibilities we carry. A powerful reminder that love, sacrifice, and freedom are all deeply connected—and worth passing on. ❤️💙

At this year's Fun Run, Sunrise River School and North Branch Area Education Center together raised more than $70,000—thanks to the incredible support of our families and community! These funds will go directly toward enhancing student experiences. A heartfelt thank you to all the families who participated and contributed. We extend a special appreciation to our local businesses for sponsoring t-shirts for over 1,400 students—your generosity helped make this initiative a success!

Concerts in the Park kicks off on Tuesday, June 17, with a performance from the Minnesota State Band at NBAHS Viking Plaza! Story time starts at 6:45 pm, and the concert at 7. It's going to be a great summer of music!

Claire Patterson has been hired as the next head girls basketball coach for NBAPS. She will also be teaching math at the high school. Patterson grew up in Stillwater and graduated from Stillwater High School in 2017. She fell in love with basketball at a young age and played every chance she could get. Claire was a 4-year Varsity player at Stillwater, a captain her senior year, and continued her career at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona. She was again a 4-year player and 2 year starter and captain. As soon as she was done playing AAU she got involved in coaching and spent 5 years coaching with the MN Heat program as both an assistant and a head coach for the 7th-8th grade premier teams. Claire's most recently been an assistant JV and Varsity basketball and assistant softball coach the last 4 years in Wisconsin at Osceola High School. "I was so excited when I saw the job posting at North Branch for both high school math and the head girls basketball coach," said Claire. Jason Hehir is the next Northern Edge Head Boys Hockey Coach. The Northern Edge boys hockey program includes St. Francis High School (SFHS) and North Branch Area High School. Hehir brings more than 25 years of hockey coaching experience across all levels—from mites to high school varsity to junior hockey. He most recently served as an assistant coach for the Northern Tier Stars program as an assistant coach from 2022-24. Hehir has been an active member of St. Francis Youth Hockey for more than a dozen years, which includes coaching mites through U14 and serving as a board member since 2018. He has been a lead instructor with Sharpen Your Edge Youth Camp since 2017 and served as a head coach of a Hometown Hockey AAA Club (10U through peewee) since 2018. In addition to his coaching background, Hehir has been a dedicated employee with East Bethel Public Works for the past 26 years, demonstrating strong commitment and leadership in all he does. Welcome Claire and Jason!

Sunrise has a new addition to their playground thanks to the grant from the North Branch Area Education Foundation - a playground communication board! This is a simple tool that helps children who have trouble speaking express themselves while playing. The board shows pictures, symbols, or words for common things kids might want to say—like “I want to swing,” “let’s play,” “help,” or “my turn.” Children can point to the pictures to share their thoughts, feelings, or needs, making it easier for them to join in the fun and interact with others. It supports communication for all kids, especially those with speech or language challenges, and helps create a more inclusive and friendly play space. We are looking forward to seeing it positively impact our students for years to come! Thanks North Branch Area Education Foundation!

Please join us as we celebrate our Viking #Classof2025 in today’s #SeniorSpotlight! ❤️🖤 ▪️Zakary Zachrison ▪️Zoe Zachrison ▪️Emma Zarbok We're proud of our seniors. They are going to do AMAZING things! #Celebrate138 #VikingSeniorPride

Please join us as we celebrate our Viking #Classof2025 in today’s #SeniorSpotlight! ❤️🖤 ▪️Mairen Wisti ▪️Ava Wright ▪️Angela Xiong ▪️Diana Yang We're proud of our seniors. They are going to do AMAZING things! #Celebrate138 #VikingSeniorPride

Please join us as we celebrate our Viking #Classof2025 in today’s #SeniorSpotlight! ❤️🖤 ▪️Ben Elliott ▪️Hayden Humphrey ▪️Cassi Lorey We're proud of our seniors. They are going to do AMAZING things! #Celebrate138 #VikingSeniorPride

Please join us as we celebrate our Viking #Classof2025 in today’s #SeniorSpotlight! ❤️🖤 ▪️Nolen Volner ▪️William Warner ▪️James Weinkauf ▪️Violet Wendel We're proud of our seniors. They are going to do AMAZING things! #Celebrate138 #VikingSeniorPride

Congratulations to the Class of 2025! If you would like to watch Sunday's Commencement Exercises at 2 p.m., it will be livestreamed at this link: https://youtube.com/live/e5Vg066o6FA Enjoy!

The Viking Newsletter - May/June 2025 is now available at this link: https://secure.smore.com/n/np82q Have a great summer!

On Friday, May 23, nine student athletes signed Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers into college. SKOL! and congratulations to Nolen Volner, who will continue his football career at St. John's University!

Please join us as we celebrate our Viking #Classof2025 in today’s #SeniorSpotlight! ❤️🖤 ▪️Madelyn Trippe ▪️Lucy Vang ▪️Chuyee Vang ▪️Layla Verdick We're proud of our seniors. They are going to do AMAZING things! #Celebrate138 #VikingSeniorPride

Students at Sunrise hosted their Fun Run earlier today to raise money to enhance student experiences. Students and staff walked, ran, skipped, and danced for a good cause! Thanks to everyone who donated and who came out to support fun runners at the Ed Center and Sunrise!

NBAHS held a walking pep rally for 3 golfers and 6 track and field athletes who qualified for the state tournament. SKOL! and congratulations to these amazing athletes! Golfers headed to state are senior Ashley Bistodeau, 9th grader Nick Melvin, and sophomore Carter Magnison (the boys chose not to walk today). They will golf on Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11 at the Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan. Girls Track and Fielders will be competing at the MSHSL state meet next Wednesday and Thursday at St. Michael Albertville High School after qualifying at the section tournament. They are: Sophia Thorsen - 200M Dash, 4x100 and 4x200 Relay Ella Kuhlman - 400M Dash, 4x100 and 4x200 Relay Dakota Esget - Pole Vault, 4x100 and 4x200 Relay Sophia Benedict - 4x200 Relay Ella Dick - Pole Vault, 4x100 Relay Brooke Giese - Pole Vault They also placed second as a team! Good luck to all!!

On Friday, May 23, nine student athletes signed Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers into college. SKOL! and congratulations to Abby Thurmer, who will continue her hockey career at Iowa State University!

Students at the Ed Center had their Fun Run this week to raise money to enhance student experiences. Students and staff walked, ran, skipped, and danced for a good cause!

Please join us as we celebrate our Viking #Classof2025 in today’s #SeniorSpotlight! ❤️🖤 ▪️Zachary Sway ▪️Jackson Thelander ▪️Nora Toussaint ▪️Hayden Trenda We're proud of our seniors. They are going to do AMAZING things! #Celebrate138 #VikingSeniorPride

NBAMS 6th grade Spanish students spent a week creating games to teach Kindergarten Spanish students basic conversation words. The 6th graders then visited the Ed Center and spent the class period teaching and playing their games with the younger students. Sounds like fun!

🎉 What a BEARY special night! 🎶🐻 Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Teddy Bear Band event at the North Branch Area Education Center on Wednesday, May 28th! Families brought their favorite teddy bears and enjoyed an evening filled with music, dancing, laughter, and community fun. From sing-alongs to picnic blankets, the smiles were endless—and even a few teddy bears got in on the dancing! 🧸 A huge shoutout to our food trucks for keeping everyone well-fed, and to the weather for giving us the perfect evening. 🌤️ Couldn’t make it? Don’t worry—this won’t be our last family-friendly event, join us this summer for Concerts in the Park beginning June 17 (flier included in photos).