Compiled by Sarah CR Clark
St. Anthony Park Elementary
A peek into performing arts
All SAP Elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade are currently working to bring a book to life through Performing Arts.
Taught by Ahna Brandvik Logan, Performing Arts is one of the specialist classes students rotate through during the week. In the spring, students will present a live performance of the story they’ve worked on throughout the year.
Brandvik tailors her classes to students’ ages. While the youngest students use picture books to create consistent characters and cooperatively tell a narrative, fifth grade students write original stories based on paintings of their choosing and then create set pieces inspired by their artist’s work.
At this point in the school year, students are busy transferring their collaborative set designs from letter-sized paper to 3’x5′ cardboard.
“They are mixing colors and creating vibrant representations of their imaginative design ideas, based on the art of the illustrations from their chosen book or visual artist,” Brandvik said.
After they finish working on sets, students will begin to rehearse scripts as well as secure props and costumes.
Brandvik said, “It’s an absolute joy and privilege to be in a place where I can play and learn and grow with our students in a creative way that has no wrong answers. There’s just joy and learning and discovering.”
Murray Middle School
Musical- Save the Date!
The students of Murray Middle School are proud to present the musical Beetlejuice, Jr. Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 23.
Murray’s Annual Activity Day
To celebrate the end of the first semester, over 480 Murray students spent a Friday at the end of January on various field trips around the metro area.
Students were able to choose their own activity—Grand Slam (laser tag and arcade), Cheapskate (roller skating), bowling or ice fishing. Scholarships were provided so all students could participate.
Avalon School
Expansion planned
Avalon plans to add 25 new students and 5,000 square feet of space for its 2025-2026 school year.
Currently, the school is renting only the first floor of 700 Glendale St. from Wellington Management. When the school had the opportunity to expand into the second floor as well, Avalon went for it.
“We have had a healthy wait-list this year and are excited to welcome more students to Avalon,” said Avalon staff advisor Kevin Ward. “We talked as a staff and as a school board about increasing the opportunity for more students to attend and agreed that this was the way to go.”
Second floor renovation was scheduled to begin imminently. While Wellington Management is currently bidding for contractors, Avalon is raising funds to furnish and equip the new indoor space as well as develop an outdoor space. The school held a carnival-themed fundraiser for the expansion on Feb. 6th.
Avalon middle schoolers will move up into the new second floor space and the high school program—which will expand by 25 students—will take over the entire first floor.
Ward said, “We are hoping everything will be ready by the first day of school, the day after Labor Day.”
Avalon in national research study
On Feb. 3 and 4, Avalon School hosted nearly 20 educators and policy makers from across the country as a part of a research project conducted by Education Reimagined, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit working to design learner-centered public education systems.
The research project is studying learner-focused schools that effectively serve students with learning differences. Avalon is one of three American schools being visited; the others are in Syracuse, New York and Milwaukee.
Avalon staff member Tim Quealy said the researchers’ visit included conversations with focus-groups and panels, student-led tours, classroom observation and in-depth interviews.
Quealy called the researchers’ visit refreshing.
“It is easy, as a teacher, to focus on the struggles and the day-to-day, so the chance to speak and think about our program from a broader perspective can be so energizing.”
Lindsy Ogawa, from Education Reimagined, said in email to the Bugle, “Avalon has been a powerful example for Education Reimagined’s national community to understand and grow the field of learner-centered education, which is why other expert educators and leaders were invited to experience and understand the learning that happens here.”
Education Reimagined said it expects to compile its findings in a report later this fall.
Twin Cities German Immersion School
Welcoming 11 international interns
Eleven spring interns joined the German Immersion School community during the first week of February. The interns, ages 23 to 25, come from Germany and Austria.
While at TCGIS, the interns will be working alongside teachers in classrooms from kindergarten through eighth grade.
“Interns at TCGIS serve as valuable educators in the classroom, providing students with an additional German-speaking role model to enhance their language immersion every day,” said Paige Yurczyk, TCGIS communications and community outreach manager. “As aspiring educators, they bring fresh perspectives and energy to our school community. Many even return to TCGIS as full-time teachers.”
The interns will be with TCGIS until the beginning of June when spring semester ends.
Sarah CR Clark lives in St. Anthony Park and is a regular writer for the Bugle.
Photo cutlines: Students at Murray Middle School recently celebrated the end of their first semester with Activity Day. Submitted photos from Murray Middle School. Spring interns attending Twin Cities German Immersion School. Submitted photo by TCGIS.
