Carissa Hopkins-Hoel 
Music just became larger than life for Clearview Elementary students. “Bravo, bravo, bravi tutti!” students exclaim, in-between scene changes during a recent on-site opera workshop before the public concert. Kindergarten through sixth grade students are eager to share their newly acquired stage skills from a week-long residency with artist teacher and performer Alisa Magallon from the MN Opera Company. “I … Read more
It was another full house at South Junior High’s auditorium for Project Challenge’s annual Holiday Concert. Crowds filed in to listen to a recital of holiday songs with two special solo performances by Leif White (choral performance in German) and Robert Kampa (accordion). Two additional crowd-pleasers were visits from The Grinch and Frozen’s Olaf. “We have the best … Read more
“Inch by inch, row by row, I’m going to make this garden grow,” sings Dennis Warner, author of Beads on One String. “Do you have it memorized yet?” he asks the crowd of Oak Hill Community School students. “Yes!” the students exclaim. Warner visited Oak Hill to talk about his book in honor of Positive … Read more
“One of the keys to academic success is teachers, but not the number one,” Sebastian Witherspoon, director of equity services for the St. Cloud Area School District, recently told graduates of Parents in Action. “The number one indicator of student success is the educational attainment of mom and dad.” Parents, students and community members celebrate the largest class to … Read more
A lot of 80-year-olds find naptime the highlight of their day. Not Yvonne Warzecha, a busy volunteer at Madison Elementary School for 19 years. Most kids know her as “Grandma Yvonne,” and during a recent Veterans Day program at Madison, they presented her a large birthday cookie in celebration of her 80th birthday and service … Read more