Welcome to Dassel-Cokato ISD 466
"Committed to Educational Excellence"
Students Honored with Academic Awards
DCHS held it's 19th annual Academic Awards Program on May 15th at the PAC. Awards were presented to letter winners in all four grades as well as 47 seniors who have earned academic letters all four years (pictured above).
Many departments honored top students in their subject areas with special awards of excellence, and seven students were recognized for earning ACT scores of 30 or better (Caroline Kivisto, Nicole Nelson, Renata Raisanen, Lucas Salfer, Lauren Sherbet, Tyrone Siltala, and Kendyl Varland).
Prom is a Success
Students enjoyed the annual prom which included a grand march, dinner and dance and an after prom party at Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America.
Best Kept Secret
Submitted by Steve Ellis, Derek Levno & Erick Sawatzke
Whether at a ball game, weddings, or at the dentist office, someone will often start up a conversation something like this, “I wish I had taken classes like the ones you teach. I can’t fix many things, and I don’t feel comfortable starting projects. I have to find someone else to do it for me.” Or sometimes we will be talking to parents getting updated on the family happenings and find out that their son or daughter is going to school for engineering. While we are happy for them and truly wish them success, we leave the conversation a little perplexed. How could this be? We never had their child in any classes. Students entering the workforce in engineering, whether it be electrical, mechanical, agricultural, or biological, all need to have a hands-on grasp of how things work beyond the paper and pencil. If a student was going to become a doctor they would take a biology class, so why wouldn’t a student considering engineering take the necessary hands-on course? (read more)
Cokato Elementary Celebrates Grandparent's Day
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Culture: The road to a well-rounded individual
Submitted by:
Art Department - David Nord and Geoff Welles
Music Department - Michael Lajko and Brian Veith
World Languages - Beth Boyle, Erin Holbrook, and Megan Van Zuilen
As three distinct groups the departments of Art, Music, and World Languages have spent the past year meeting as one Professional Learning Community. Along with the fact that we are all electives we also share many collective objectives and aims. While we represent diverse disciplines, we share creativity, higher level thinking, self-expression, and talents that lend themselves to life enhancing cultural experiences. A life enriched with these experiences gives students the opportunity to become well-rounded life learners who can enhance and contribute to the ever changing needs of our global society.
Dassel Cokato Schools provide a balanced Art education program; including the components of history, aesthetics, criticism, and the production of Art. Art Educators in this district believe in integrating art with other disciplines. Our programs incorporate elements of higher order thinking skills, creative problem solving, and critical response to society. The Art education programs reflect national and state standards, current trends, and emphasize a global perspective. When students walk through the doors of the Art rooms, they bring high expectations with them expecting that they have the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate Art while having fun making it. (Read more)
FFA Parliamentary Procedure: STATE CHAMPIONS!
Carlie Barth, Cat Barth, Linsey Strolberg, Ashley Burkhardt, Mercedes Lemke, Michaela Gallup, and Emma Jorgerson competed against some of the best competition that Minnesota Parli Pro has ever seen. This event has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade and becoming state champions just gets harder with each year. These girls have put in hundreds of hours of training and spent their free time taking tests and reading up on Robert's Rules of Order. All that work paid off as the team's 1st place was announced at the state convention. The girls will now start training for the national competition in Indianapolis which will be later this fall.
Students of Excellence Banquet honors
171 Regional High School Seniors
An evening filled with accolades, best wishes, and congratulations marked the 25th annual banquet. Over 650 people attended the event honoring the area’s top 171 high school seniors. These seniors will soon graduate from 41 high schools in the Central MN region.
Assistant Commissioner of Education Rose Chu brought words of congratulations and well wishes from the Governor and the Department of Education.
Criteria for selection to the Recognition Event is at the discretion of each school but based upon recommended guidelines. Schools can choose two to four seniors and have the option to invite favorite teachers, coaches and administrators. Resource Training & Solutions has been sponsoring, coordinating and fiscally supporting the event since 1987.
The following 2011-12 Dassel-Cokato High School Students of Excellence were honored at this annual banquet in Saint Cloud (each recipient was allowed to invite a teacher to join them at the celebration):Caroline Kivisto attended with Susan Marco, Renata Raisanen with Bryan Clemen, Kimberly Moy with Stephanie Schlangen, and Lucas Salfer attended with Ron Hungerford. The four students were honored for their outstanding academic achievements during their high school years at Dassel-Cokato.
Students Show Off Their Talent
Students took part in the 2012 high school talent show during Spring Fling week, the last week in April. Three awards were handed out. Jacob Grochow was awarded Judges' Choice for his performance of an original song. The barbershop quartet, called The Canes, earned best stage performance. Members of The Canes included Cody Harmening, Jacob Dallman, Ryan Peterson, and Kenny Danberg. Rachel Krefting earned the crowd pleaser award for her singing of "I'm Yours."
New Cokato Elementary Principal Hired
At their April 9 board meeting the Dassel-Cokato School Board hired Sandi Arndt from Canby, Minnesota as the new principal at Cokato Elementary replacing Lorene Force who is retiring at the end of the 2011-12 school year. Ms. Arndt comes to Dassel-Cokato with 12 years of experiences as a principal. Prior to her work in Canby she taught grades 1,2,4, special education, and technology integration in Chokio-Alberta. Ms. Arndt has an excellent background in elementary education and administration. Her strengths will compliment initiatives already in place at Cokato Elementary and add new insights making our elementary program even stronger.
How To Grow a Healthy Kid
Submitted by:
Karen Ness, Family Consumer Science Teacher
Amanda Berg, Physical Education Teacher
Brooks Helget, Physical Education Teacher
The Family Consumers Science Department (FACS) at DCHS is committed to helping students build healthy lives to promote wellness. Three of the six classes in FACS are Creative Cooking, Foods of the World and Culinary Arts. The focus is on safe food preparation and the application of sound nutrition principles.
Research shows that although some student diets are excellent, many have developed negative habits such as skipping breakfast and other meals by replacing it, with high amounts of fat/ sugar snacks and beverages. Fast food and readily available processed convenience foods adds to the dilemma. Students have the advantage of youth and may not realize the negative impact that these habits can have on them over a period of years such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dental disease and obesity. Other students are pressured by images in the media to look a certain way and can become prey to a self-image that leads one down the path of destructive fad diets and eating disorders. FACS classes cover these timely topics and more, in order to teach students how to make positive choices for life long benefits.
New Milk Cartons This Spring
We want to you inform you of an exciting program we will be participating in from April through June. We will partner with our milk supplier, Agropur (formerly Schroeder Dairy) to provide milk in a new style of carton. The carton may look different but the milk inside will be the same.
Only the package is different:
The milk will still have the same great nutritional benefits and same taste. The new milk box does not require refrigeration until it is opened. The milk will still be served chilled to students.
Milk in the new "shelf fresh" package is the same wholesome milk kids know and love. The milk is pasteurized at an ultra-high temperature (UHT) and then is put in a sterile carton from Tetra Pak that protects the milk from air and light. This keeps the milk safe for many months longer when compared to standard paper or plastic containers. The milk does NOT contain additives, growth hormones or preservatives.
This Tetra Pak packaging has been in use through out the world for over 50 years and is most commonly found in Europe and Latin America. Stores in the United States also have many products in this type of package: juice boxes, soy milk, soup broth, coconut water and milk as well.
Benefits for schools from "shelf fresh" milk:
- Cost savings compared to refrigerated milk due to the longer shelf life. We simply refrigerate each day’s milk supply and no longer worry about spoilage.
- Cost savings by receiving milk once a week or every two weeks instead of two or three times a week.
- Fewer deliveries mean fewer trucks on the road. This will reduce our carbon footprint by eliminating deliveries with refrigerated trucks - a strong environmental action we know you and your kids will support.
This new carton is recyclable too. Visit www.recyclecartons.com to see where carton recycling may be available in your community.
Frequently asked questions:
What is different about the cartons?
The cartons are the same as a "juice box." Each carton will come with a straw for easy drinking and pull-tab for pouring over cereal.
What is "shelf fresh" milk?
Shelf fresh milk is premium Grade A fluid milk. It requires no refrigeration until the package is opened. Just check the date code printed on the package.
How can milk not require refrigeration?
The ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurization and Tetra Pak cartons eliminate bacteria while keeping out light, air and food borne illness. This enables storing without refrigeration.
Does it taste the same?
You bet. It has the same great milk taste, without additives, growth hormones or preservatives – just chill and serve.
DASSEL ELEMENTARY NOMINATED
BY MINNESOTA
FOR THE 2012 NATIONAL
BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS AWARD
Dassel Elementary School is one of eight schools nominated by Minnesota for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools award. The National Blue Ribbon Schools award highlights and gives recognition to both public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are producing outstanding results for all students regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.
The National Blue Ribbon School Award winners will be announced sometime in September.
New: D-C Calling System
Households with an active Parent Portal Campus account will receive a message when school is delayed, closed, or closing early if the high priority box is checked. If you have questions about your Parent Portal Campus Messenger account please contact a building secretary.
Board Holds Truth in Taxation Meeting
The school board held its truth in taxation meeting December 12th. The public is invited to view the PowerPoint presentation shared at the meeting. There is also a video available describing recent state-wide changes.
Jeff Powers,
Superintendent
jeff.powers@dc.k12.mn.us
4852 Reardon Ave. SW
Suite 1700
Cokato, MN 55321
Phone: 320.286.4100
Fax: 320.286.4101