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Students and staff will adapt to K-6, 7 - 12 school at Westbrook Walnut Grove

WWG -- Last year in a cost saving effort the school board voted to change the school format to a K-6 and 7-12 school. Since that time much planning and preparation has been done to make the change.

At the end of the school year staff and kids moved most of the desks, books and shelves in' about three days. The rest of the summer custodial staff and summer staff worked to get all three of the campuses ready for school.

Superintendent Loy Woelber said, "I'm excited for the technology changes we are adding this year. Hiring only one new teacher this year students will have the same familiarity in the staff."

There is a big change in the district office, with switching people and duties due to Russ Widman's resignation. The change will be an overall savings to the district.

"I am amazed at the shape of our buildings, and the people that did the work to prepare them for the change over," Woelber said. With this amount of change there will be some problems to iron out as they appear.

Woelber said, "it will be nice to have a new bus to use mainly for extra curricular travel. It is our hope to keep it off the gravel for a year or two until we replace an older one."

Woelber said, "we will be talking with school nurse Sue Huls to stay on top of the Hl-Nl flu virus. We are receiving information from the state with many suggestions on ways to deal with it." There is all kinds of information available for parents if they need it.

Woelber's schedule will be different, with the district selling some of his time to Lake Benton and Windom. He will be in Lake Benton on Wednesdays, and two days a month at Windom.

Principal Paul Olson said, "I am very excited this year -- the staff is ready and the building is ready."

Olson sees a lot of positive changes for the coming year. Kids coming from Westbrook will be able to eat breakfast when they arrive on the shuttle busses. Except on snow days when school is two hours late.

Regular bus routes have been sent to families with the school informational packets.

There will be adult riders on the elementary shuttle busses for supervision.

Shuttle from Westbrook -Orie Kvilhaug will be driving bus #10 for 3rd and 4th grade; Jim Schneider will be driving bus #12 for preschool and K-2; Warren Riddell will drive bus #13 for 5th and 6th grade.

Shuttle from Walnut Grove Sharon Pilaczynski will drive bus # 6 for 7th and 8th grade; Neng Yang will drive bus #2 for 9-12; Pat Miller will drive bus #9 for 9-12.

There will be two sections of each grade.

Lunch programs at both schools will be a standardized menu with some minor variations. The cooks from both schools will get together each month to plan menus. (Note the first week of school the menus will be different.)

The elementary school will have two lunch periods. K-3 will eat from 11-11:30, and the 4-6 will eat from 11:40 to 12:10.

Lunch periods will be followed with a half hour recess.

Pre school will start the same as other students, Tuesday, September 8. Kathy Filter and Tracy Gundermann will be teaching preschool with Angie Taylor helping.

Pre school kids will ride on the regular bus routes. Westbrook kids will ride the Number 12 shuttle bus driven by Jim Schneider.

Mr. Vondracek will be teaching 4-6 band and music, and individual band lessons.

Mrs. Knott will be teaching K-3 general music. K-3 music concerts will be on a different night than 4-6 band and choir concerts.

After school help sessions will continue about three days a week.

The teachers will take time for weekly common planning time during prep periods.

Jr. High volleyball will be held at Walnut Grove. Junior high football practice and games will be held at Westbrook.

Any elementary families that missed the open house last week, can contact the school for a mini tour this Wednesday or Thursday.

Principal Bill Richards said, "custodians have been working up a storm moving furniture, books, stripping and waxing floors, and much more. We're about ready to go!"

Richards has been busy scheduling students for the upcoming year. He asks students about their interests and possible career choices to help plan their individual class schedules.

The junior high will be on a more traditional eight period schedule while the high school will be on the block schedule. "We will have to work on the bell system to move students. In the morning the classes are more staggered, but in the afternoon they are closer together," he said.

Richards was pleased with the 7-9 open house, noting there were 24 staff members there to help. Next year it will probably be just for seventh grade students.

Being down one and a half staff members, some adjustments will be necessary where some teachers will be teaching. The schedule for the junior high will be very similar to the 7-8 schedule formerly at Walnut Grove.

Three teachers will be coming from Walnut Grove, Dan Pederson, Mary Jo Hendrickson, and Cathy Baumann. Lori Lee has been hired as a special ed teacher.

In the high school several skinny (shortened classes) classes have been set up around the lunch schedule. That gives students more options in setting up their schedules. Richards said, "it is a challenging schedule but we hope it will fit student needs."

For music Mrs Knott will teach 7-12 music in the morning. Mrs. Derickson will be teacing 7-12 band and lessons. She also will be doing some 7-8 general music.

All in all it will be an exciting and challenging time for staff and students at WWG.



Copyright 2009 Sentinel Tribune, Westbrook, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Sentinel Tribune Westbrook, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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