North Branch Area Middle School

A little mist won't dampen our spirits! Our 2025 DC travelers put Day One in the books Monday with visits to the Capitol, Iwo Jima, the Pentagon, and the 9/11 Memorial with many stops along the way.

Summer Concert Kickoff 📍 North Branch High School Stadium (Viking Plaza) 📅 Tuesday, June 17, 2025 🕕 Activities begin at 6:00 PM 📖 Story Time at 6:45 PM 🎶 Concert at 7:00 PM Join us for a fun, family-friendly evening to kick off the summer! This free event will feature: A special performance by the North Branch Area High School Band at 6:30 PM A concert by the renowned Minnesota State Band Sidewalk chalk fun A bouncy house A guest reader sharing stories with kids If it rains, the event will be moved indoors to the North Branch High School Auditorium, so you can count on a great night—rain or shine. This concert is made possible by a grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) with funding from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, thanks to the voters of Minnesota. Bring your family, invite your neighbors, and help us start the summer with music and memories!

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. ❤️💙

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!

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

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!

Today the Class of 2025 continued a NBAPS tradition of walking through all district sites. Graduates get to experience the congratulations of students for their incredible accomplishment while the graduates provide inspiration for younger students. Here are some photos from NBAMS and the Ed Center: https://www.facebook.com/nbapschools/posts/pfbid02fPPCwm6BPAB9fEMAwSc4Zjv8Wuks1WNRnpEqqyzeruiYFvzDrCPRwgyFutvPfGYRl

7th Grade Spanish students picked one of 21 Spanish speaking countries to become an expert on. They researched the food and culture of their country to create an authentic menu. When all the food trucks were complete, students took turns "selling" food from their trucks to food critics who wrote reviews based on what they learned about the different countries.

SUN Bucks helps eligible children get the nutrition they need when school is out. For more information, please click on this link: www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks

Coming up in Community Ed! Drivers Education Zoom Class Starts June 9 / 8 - 11:00 AM Drivers Education Zoom Class Starts June 9 / 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Youth Pickleball Grades 3 - 9 Starts June 9 / 5 - 6:30 PM North Branch Varsity Football Team Camp Grades Entering 9-12 Starts June 9 / 10 AM - 12:00 PM Child and Babysitting Safety Grades 4-8 June 11 / 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Home Alone Grades 3-6 June 11 / 12:30 - 2:30 PM Registration here: https://northbranch.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/getprogram/ or call 651-674-1025.

Community Service Day was amazing! Thanks to all our partners in North Branch, Harris, and Stacy, for helping NBAPS teach students about sacrifice and being a good neighbor! Students always represent their communities, families, and school district so positively and help with great enthusiasm. Thanks to students and staff who participate and make every CSD a memorable one! Check out the photos from the day here: https://www.facebook.com/nbapschools/posts/pfbid02h8qYPs3JeHGx4dufbjSU3fz781N8mSDZ18aqPW1RRiCPR8TPG2zf6DhqkU7d2Cw9l

🎶 Join Us for the Teddy Bear Band! 🎶 Hosted by North Branch Area Community Education 📅 Wednesday, May 28 🕡 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM 📍 North Branch Area Education Center 🧸 B.Y.O.T – Bring Your Own Teddy! Come dance and sing with the Teddy Bear Band at this FREE outdoor event on the playground! Enjoy music, fun, and friends as we celebrate the start of summer. Don’t forget to pack a picnic! ☔ Rain or shine – we’ll move indoors if needed. 🍕 Grandpa Mike’s Pizza Rig will be available for purchase ✨ Fun for the whole family – see you there!

Coming up in Community Ed! Teddy Bear Band Concert May 28 / 6:30 - 7:15 PM Loon Painting Class May 29 / 6:30 - 8:30 PM Instant Guitar for Hopelessly Busy People Vistual Class Ages 13 - Adult June 2 / 6:30 - 9:30 PM Avoid the Pitfalls of Perimenopause/Menopause Virtual Workshop June 2 / 6 - 7:30 PM Summer Wrestling Makes Winter Champions for Grades Entering 5 - 12 Starts June 2 / 6 - 7:30 PM Flag Football Camp Grades Entering 7-8 Starts June 3 / 4 - 5 :00 PM Instant Piano for Hopelessly Busy People Virtual Class Ages 13 - Adult June 3 / 6:30 - 9:30 PM Father's Day Toolbox Card with Kidcreate Studio (18 month - 6 years) June 3 / 4:30 - 5:30 PM Youth Football Camp Entering Grades 4-6 Starts June 3 / 3 - 4:00 PM Registration here: https://northbranch.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/getprogram/ or call 651-674-1025.

NBAMS Plastic Cap Mosaic is Complete! Over 35 7th and 8th grade Art Club students and helpers just finished a HUGE project led by art teacher, Lee Ann Falen. It took thousands of plastic caps to fill this 4' by 8' framed board. This project is loosely based on a dragon's eye so it could incorporate the widest variety of colors possible. Students glued smaller caps inside of larger ones to create a great deal of depth, color variety, visual interest and balance. The caps come from a wide variety of sources and containers, including: pop bottles, condiments, Play Doh, markers, lotions, milk, spices, peanut butter, glue sticks, medicine vial lids from the ICU department at HCMC (Mrs. Falen's sister-in-law is a nurse there--thanks Hilary!) and even the nozzle of a garden hose. This project was truly a labor of love and the results are incredible!

8th graders in World Cultures finished up Foods Around the World with a taste test day. They experienced 12 different foods from 10 countries coming from 5 continents. Tostadas were the fan favorite and Vegemite was voted least likely to eat again. Overall, it was a fun experience and everyone had a great time!

Coming up in Community Ed! Posture and Osteoporosis Workshop: Building Better Bones Virtual Workshop May 19 / 6 - 7:30 PM Medicare 101 May 20 / 6:30 - 8 PM School of Fish Grades 3 and Older May 20 / 3 - 5:30 PM Vehicle Fair May 22 / 5:30 - 7:30 PM Registration here: https://northbranch.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/getprogram/ or call 651-674-1025.

Eighth graders just completed a reverse self-portrait painting in art class. They recreated their likeness with Sharpie on a clear plastic sheet, then flipped it over to paint on the back. They chose 3 analogous colors (colors that touch on the color wheel) for their hair and clothing. The final step was using complementary colors to add texture and interest to the background. This bold and expressive project definitely pushed some students out of their comfort zone!

REMINDER: All are welcome to join us for the third Annual Drum and Dance! This year's event is May 16 at NBAHS, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. A meal will be provided to guests from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The Grand Entry and the honoring of graduates begins at 6 p.m. More details on the flier.

🚗 Join Us for a FREE Vehicle Fair! 🚒 Get ready for a hands-on adventure exploring awesome vehicles from around our community — fun for all ages! 📅 Thursday, May 22 🕠 5:30–7:30 PM 📍 North Branch Education Center – Bus Corral 38705 Grand Ave., North Branch, MN 55056 ✨ Explore: Emergency Vehicles 🚓 Construction Equipment 🚧 School & Garbage Trucks 🚌🚛 Semi Trucks 🚚 Food/Ice Cream Trucks available for purchase 🍦🍔 Hosted by North Branch Community Education & Early Childhood. Don’t miss this exciting community event!