Long-time Traverse Township farmer was big supporter of Saints programs

A generous gift from the estate of the late Lyle “Bud” Gilbertson is going to help expand co-curricular opportunities for Saint Peter Public School students.

Gilbertson passed away on July 7, 2018, at the age of 97, and, in his will, left a donation of $86,282 to Saint Peter Public Schools with directions that it be used to ensure students continue to have access to and the opportunity to participate in the variety of co-curricular programs offered by the district.

According to his nephew, Mark Schaefer of Fairfax, Gilbertson (a 1938 SPHS graduate) was a big sports fan and a long-time supporter of Saint Peter High School sports teams. Towards the end of his life, he lived on Washington Avenue, near the St. Peter Community Center, and Schaefer said his uncle enjoyed looking out to see the flurry of activity going on at the facility throughout the year.

“A while back, my uncle was reading a story in a newspaper about how expensive it was getting for kids to participate in sports and how some were having a hard time affording it and that really bothered him,” Schaefer said. “His donation will help those students and families offset some of those costs so they have a chance to participate in these activities.”

SPHS Activities Director Jordan Paula said the school district is honored to accept this generous donation from Gilbertson’s estate and he is excited about the benefit it will provide for District 508 students.

“The beauty of public education is the ability to provide opportunities for kids who may not otherwise be able to participate or get involved,” SPHS Activities Director Jordan Paula said. “We, as a school, do not turn students away from participating because of financial need, but the burden is still present for families within our community.

“The incredibly generous gift from the Lyle ‘Bud’ Gilbertson Estate will allow our students to continue to participate in our wide-ranging assortment of activities, which we as a district believe will help them in the classroom and become leaders in the community.

The vision for this gift, according to Paula, is to break down barriers of entry which prevent kids from participating in co-curricular activities. This will primarily be done through scholarships and equipment for students in need.

“The long and short-term success of co-curricular programming within Saint Peter Public Schools is dependent on the support of the stakeholders within our community,” Paula said. “Without it, our students wouldn’t have the ability to do what they love. We’re very fortunate and very thankful for the generosity of Mr. Gilbertson and his family.”

After graduating from SPHS, Gilbertson later served in the U.S. Army in Korea (1946-47) and returned home to farm for many years in Traverse Township. He married later in life to Gayle (Jan. 1969) and had no children of his own, but did gain a stepson, Bill Groebner, from his marriage.

He and Gayle retired from farming in 1982 and moved to Lake Ida near Alexandria and also wintered in South Padre Island for 35 years. After Gayle passed away in 1999, Gilbertson moved to St. Peter where he lived the rest of his life.

School board officially accepts $42,000 gift to be used for French immersion experiences

A gift from the estate of the late Jeffrey Rosoff, a former math professor at Gustavus Adolphus College, will help ensure students from Saint Peter Public Schools will continue to benefit, from experiences at the Lac Du Bois French immersion camps at Concordia Language Villages, long into the future.

The Saint Peter School Board officially accepted the gift of $41,957.80 from Rosoff’s estate at their November 19 meeting, and, according to Saint Peter High School French teacher Mary Behrends, this gift will pay $100 for each French camp weekend participant moving forward. Additional support is planned for students interested in CLV’s summer Lac du Bois programs.  Rosoff, who was a professor at Gustavus since 1981, passed away on May 16, 2018. During all these years, the Rosoff and Behrends families maintained a close friendship.

Rosoff, whose son David was a 2004 SPHS graduate and very active in the school’s French program, was a strong supporter of Behrends’ program during his son’s time as a student at Saint Peter Public Schools. David Rosoff died in the summer of 2004 from injuries sustained in a car accident, and his father continued to honor his memory by continuing to support the SPHS French program financially as well as endowing the David C. Rosoff Memorial Scholarship given annually to an SPHS graduating senior.

This school year alone, more than 60 students have already benefited from his legacy grants by attending weekend French camps at Lac Du Bois.

“Jeff was a mathematician and a bit of a renaissance man who loved speaking French, and it was a big part of his life,” Behrends said “He loved music as well as woodworking, and was an amazing conversationalist.

“David was a very smart student who was very active with our (SPHS) French department, and Jeff got very involved as well and remained that way long after David passed away and this gift will continue that support probably long past I’m retired.”

Colleen Jacks, who was Jeff’s long-time partner and is currently a biology professor at Gustavus, saw first-hand how much of a supporter he was of the SPHS French program.

 “Jeff was a strong supporter of language study and believed that the earlier it was started, the stronger the outcomes were for students,” Jacks said. “Jeff studied several languages himself (German, a little Italian and Spanish), but was always drawn to French, a language he continued to study and speak as an adult - he was a true Francophile.

“He appreciated the cultural and language immersion experience that Lac du Bois of the Concordia Language Villages provided students, including his son David. Jeff appreciated all that Mary Behrends did/does to encourage French study at all levels, including taking groups of students from North, the middle school and high school for weekend immersion camps at Lac du Bois during the school year.  

“He was very aware that the cost of this experience was beyond the reach of many families, and he didn't want financial constraints to rob St. Peter students of an experience that he believed would expand their worlds.  For a number of years he made an annual donation to the school district to assist students with the tuition for the weekend experiences. His high regard for Mary and her willingness to make these opportunities available to so many students led him to include this bequest to help continue funding students at Lac du Bois in his estate plan.”

SPHS FFA members presented award at national convention in Indianapolis

The South Central Agri-Science Academy’s FFA chapter, which is based here at Saint Peter High School, was recently awarded the National FFA 3-Star Chapter Award during the 91st annual National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.

The National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and a Program of Activiteis (POA) that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture.

Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.In order to qualify for a state or national award, your chapter must complete at least 15 activities: one for each of the five quality standards in each of the three divisions. Additionally, the chapter must meet the minimum requirements as outlined in the National Quality Chapter Standards.

Chapters that receive a gold rating by their state FFA associations are eligible to compete for National FFA 3-star, 2-star or 1-star ratings. Each chapter that competes for these awards will receive a multi-year plaque and a spur designating their 3-star, 2-star or 1-star rating. They will receive additional spurs for each year they compete and receive a rating from the National FFA Organization. Chapters that receive a national 3-star chapter rating will be eligible to compete for the National Premier Chapter Awards, Models of Excellence and Middle School Models of Excellence Awards.

Saint Peter High School senior FFA members Mitch Pettis and Jasmine Witty received the school’s National Chapter Award on stage during the second general session at the National FFA Convention on Thursday (Oct. 25). SPHS FFA advisors are Gena Lilienthal and Michael Reeser. Other FFA members attending the convention were Cole Deegan, Hayden Thole, Blake Rehnelt and Olivia Stevens.

Class of 2018’s composite score is .5 points better than Minnesota’s average

For the fourth consecutive year, the Saint Peter High School senior class has scored above the state average for composite score in the ACT College Readiness Test. The 152 members of the SPHS class of 2018 who took the test tallied a composite score of 21.8, compared to the state average of 21.3. 

In related news, this past year’s senior class finished above the state average in the four specific testing areas as well. Those average scores (and state averages) included -- English - 21.4 (20.2); math - 21.8 (21.4); reading - 22.1 (21.7); and science - 21.6 (21.4).

“We are always anxious to get our ACT results,” SPHS Principal Annette Engeldinger said. “I believe they’re a great indicator of how well our teachers are preparing SPHS students for success in college, and, once again, our teachers and students should be proud!”

Last year’s senior class tallied a score of 21.4 in English, well ahead of the state average of 20.2, and a score of 21.8 in Math, which was four-tenths better than the state score of 21.4. The SPHS class of 2018 also posted a 22.1 score for Reading, compared to a 21.7 for the state average, and a 21.6 in science, two-tenths better than the state average of 21.4.

Below is a graphic showing a five-year comparison of Saint Peter High School’s ACT scores and the corresponding state averages for those respective senior classes.