North Branch Area Middle School

Coming up in Community ED! Esports Ages 13 to Grade 12 Sept 9 / 4 - 6 PM Middle School Play - The Witches GR 6 - 8 / Auditions 9/20 6 - 8 PM / Rehearsals Begin 10/1 3 - 5 PM White Christmas The Musical at Chanhassen Dinner Theater Trip - 10/9 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM Registration here: https://northbranch.cr3.rschooltoday.com/public/getprogram/ or call 651-674-1025.

Three school logo murals were just completed at Sunrise. The "graduate" logo was painted on the school's north stairwell wall; the Viking "V" is in the east stairwell, and the helmet logo is located on the west stairwell of the building. These projects were requested by the district Wellness Committee. Lee Ann Falen, North Branch Area Middle School art teacher, was excited about the opportunity to promote school pride and agreed to take it on. Our North Branch logos are especially compelling and powerful with their bold colors, shapes and lines. It took about nine sessions over the course of ten days to complete all three murals. Mrs. Falen noted her favorite parts about the paintings were how satisfying it is to see progress being made (especially when working on the first layer of color) and working on such a large scale. The toughest part was it took four layers of paint for the two different reds to cover well and become opaque. Working with the indents between the bricks is also a challenge since it is difficult to keep the lines consistent. It was her first time ever working on scaffolding as well. She said the murals make her smile every time she sees them and she hopes it will have the same effect on the students, staff and parents at Sunrise too! A huge "THANK YOU" to Zach Berg, Director of Buildings and Grounds for North Branch Area Public Schools, and his crew for all their help with setting up and transporting the scaffolding for this project. Thanks also to Sunrise River Elementary School principal, Taylor Swanson, for his collaboration and support to make sure this project could happen.

The Viking Newsletter - August 2024 is now available: https://secure.smore.com/n/18buw. All the news that's fit to print!

North Branch Area Public Schools Launches Teacher Apprenticeship Program The most common words said at the launch of “Forward Together: Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program” was, “It’s happening!” After a year and a half of planning, one of the first teacher apprenticeship programs in the state to create pathways to teaching licenses for talented, diverse candidates in both urban and rural districts is up and running. Minneapolis Public Schools, North Branch Area Public Schools, Owatonna Public Schools and Minnesota State University, Mankato announced the launch of “Forward Together: Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program” at a news conference on Monday, Aug. 12. The Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program is open to candidates who meet a number of qualifications including having an associate’s degree or qualifying credits. School districts across the country are experiencing challenges hiring and retaining teachers, and the “Forward Together: Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program” aims to address the teacher shortage by attracting excellent candidates of diverse backgrounds from local communities, and removing barriers to becoming a licensed teacher. “We believe that these community-based connections will make a difference in student outcomes long-term,” said Sara Paul of North Branch Area Public Schools. “This innovative program identifies people who are often already educators who are deeply connected to our students and community, and helps them find pathways to teaching licenses.” North Branch partnered with Minneapolis and Owatonna Public Schools to form the first cohort of 25 registered teacher apprentices who will get first-hand experience in the classroom in addition to their studies before graduating in 2026.

Interested in FTC Robotics? North Branch is looking for three students, boys or girls in grades 7-11 to fill out a new team for the 2024-25 school year. Please contact the Activities Department or email nbftc@isd138.org.

Fun for all on the last day of Targeted Services at the NBAMS!

If you haven't already, download the North Branch Area Public Schools app for your mobile phone! Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, news from administrators, student stories, and even emergency notifications. You can download the app for free on Google Play or Apple App Store. Download for Android https://bit.ly/3phcIA7 Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3p6NNPA

The 2024-05 NBAPS student supply list is out. See the URL below for your school's list! https://www.isd138.org/documents/resources/parent%2Fstudent-resources/calendars%2C-supply-lists%2C-and-more!/school-supply-lists/485266

"Minnesota Author Dean Hovey visited with a couple of Mrs. Wilson's English classes in May. Dean shared his love of writing, how an idea for a story evolves into a book, and the role of the publisher throughout the development of a book. The students asked well thought out questions and enjoyed learning about the writing process. Thank you Dean!"

ATTENTION: Tomorrow evening's concert in the park is moving indoors to the High School auditorium due to the rainy weather.

The 2024 DC trip is underway and here are a few highlights. Day one highlights were the International Spy Museum, Ford's Theater, and Smithsonian Museum of American History. Day 2 included The Holocaust Museum, Vietnam, Korean and Lincoln Memorials. Today we are off to Gettysburg.

Coming up in Community Ed! Child and Babysitting Safety Grades 4-8 June 18 / 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Home Alone Grades 3-6 June 18 / 12:30-2:30 PM Girls Basketball Camp Completed Grades K-2 Starts June 24 / 8:30-9:45 AM Girls Basketball Camp Completed Grades 3-6 Starts June 24 / 10-11:30 AM Preventing Elder Financial Abuse June 27 / 10-11:30 AM Jams, Jellies and Preserves June 27 / 4-6:30 PM

🎉🌳 Don't miss our Concert in the Park Kickoff Event at Viking Plaza (near the high school football field)! 🎶 Bring your chair and enjoy music from our high school band and the Minnesota State Band. 🎵 Plus, enjoy delicious bites from food trucks, bounce around in the bouncy house, a guest reader and free books for children! 🎸🍔📚 Save the date and spread the word for an evening of fun and music!

Recognizing our staff with 5 years of service....Thank you! Annette Fairbanks, Jim Larson, Jenny Gibbs, Rochelle Molde, LeAnn Moore, Becky Reich, Chris Thompson, Kathy Tilbury, and Kaitlyn Turner. (Not Pictured: Deb Beyatt, Carmen Money, Stephanie Pribyl)

Recognizing our staff with 10 years of service....Thank you! Becky Wille, Mike Kolb, Reid Anderson, Chad Carlson, Maggie Hubbing, Shelley Brinkman, Jen McCann, Josh Reistad, Tanya Roske, and Tony Sletten. (Not Pictured: Brent Lundgren and Jen Thompson)

Recognizing our staff with 20 years of service....Thank you! Lisa Maurer, Cindy Berg, John Grund, Tammi Minke, Lynne Wilzbacher. and Tammy Siedlecki,

Recognizing our staff with 25 years of service....Thank you! Kristen Johnson, Jenel Korkowski, Ian McWilliams, Amy Randall, and Rachelle Weinand.

Have you noticed some of the landscaping improvements at the high school and middle school? Students in Mrs. Cook’s Agmazing class have been working hard on pruning the shrubs near the front office and replacing the mulch to freshen up our schools! Students in the horticulture and landscaping class also completed a renovation on the south side of the school. Students each drafted their own plan for the space and voted on the best concept, then spent the past two weeks installing new edging, weed barrier, and plants. Great job!!!

Our softball stars are heading to state! The team was greeted at each building for a celebratory walkthrough that created awe inspiring moments, motivating our youngest Vikings. Congratulations & Good Luck!!

6th Grade Continental Math team's annual, end of the season escape room celebration. The fastest escape team to escape the room were: Rowan Hammond, Josef Geise, Oliver Krosschell, and Kennedy Mandt.