Saint Peter Middle School seventh grade students took part in the annual History Day exhibit at the school’s media center on Feb. 13.

According to SPMS history teacher, Dustin Sharstrom, History Day has been around since 1980 and students all around the country compete. The theme this year was "breaking barriers" and all students selected a topic that in their mind broke barriers in history

“This year we had the president of the Treaty Site Kate Martens volunteering almost daily helping students with projects,” Sharstrom said. “We also had city council members, school board members, as well as members from The League of Women Voters all volunteering with History Day. Also, we had our State Representative Jeff Brand volunteers with projects.”

There were also three different college students serving as tutors helping students with projects. Around 25 to 30 SPMS students will compete at regional competition in March and can qualify for state and national competitions.

Last week Saint Peter Middle School sixth graders started a miniature golf unit as part of their physical education classes.  Students learned about how to keep score, correct putting techniques, and the importance of being laser focused when making the shot.  

“The fun part was when the students got to use their creativity to design the hole with the items given, name the hole, and determine the par number,” Alex Weis, SPMS physical education teacher, said. “They had fun and learned a lot about a lifelong activity.”

Middle Schoolers in the fifth, seventh, and eighth grade classes will also be participating in the miniature golf unit under the tutelage of MS PE teachers Bill Stuewe (grades 7-8), Kris Sandborg (grade 5), and Abby Whritenour (grades 7-8).

Each month, Saint Peter Middle School teachers nominate two students from their respective houses who show Saints PRIDE to become our school’s All Stars.  These are students who show Preparedness, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Empathy in their learning, attitude, and behavior.  The following students were nominated for the months of November and December. Congratulations and keep up the amazing work!

NOVEMBER

Spruce House:

Ellijah Cherland Narum - Elijah shows Saints PRIDE in all aspects of his life.  Elijah displays great determination in his classwork to ensure he is reaching his fullest potential.  Elijah shows tremendous respect to not only his peers, but adults as well. Elijah is a role model for his peers and exudes empathy in his daily encounters with all that he comes in contact with. 

Lily Filand - Lily shows Saints PRIDE every single day in everything that she does.  Lily's determination is fabulous. Lily is always eager to share and answer questions. 

Oak House:

Lily Prunty - Lily Prunty is more than deserving of being this month's Saint’s Pride All Star. Lily does a fantastic job of staying on task in class, turning her work in on time, being respectful of both her peers and her teachers, and volunteers to answer questions in class. Lily is supportive and collaborative with her peers which makes her a great role model in class. Lily is a positive influence on others and is always willing to lend a helping hand to a classmate. You are a wonderful student, and you absolutely deserve to be a student of the month. Congratulations Lily, keep up the good work!! 

Ethan Potts- Ethan leads by example.  There isn't a moment that I have ever seen him not giving his all.  He shows all characteristics of Saints PRIDE. His determination to do well, get better, and succeed inspires his classmates to do the same.

Maple House:

Umayma Abdi - Umayma shows Saints PRIDE by being kind and helpful to her classmates.  In every task, she puts in 100% effort and has a positive attitude when taking on challenges.  To teachers and staff, she is polite and willing to ask for help when needed.

Henry Jacobs - Henry is a student who shows PRIDE by coming to class ready to learn.  He keeps a positive attitude and a sense of humor with each lesson, being a fantastic partner to work with. He is also kind and polite to teachers and classmates.

Pine House: 

Corbin Herron - Awesome wardrobe (his Hawaiian shirt and khakis scream Ace Ventura according to Mr. Moelter), and Corbin has had an awesome year. He stays on task and does more than what is expected. He asks lots of questions and is a great leader/helper  in the classroom for teachers and his peers  

Emmy Remmert - Emmy is kind, hard working and helps others in class. She is always striving to do her best, shows Saints PRIDE, and is a great role model for her peers. 

DECEMBER

Spruce House:

Alex Bur - Alex is very determined in everything he does. He is consistently setting an example for his peers.  

Katherine Callahan - Katherine is sunshine. She is a natural leader who is thoughtful, intelligent, creative, and persuasive. She brings joy to her classmates with her humor and her spunk. Her teachers are excited to see how she uses her many talents to impact the world. 

Oak House:

Alex Korir - Alex is a helpful student who continues to demonstrate SAINTS PRIDE in all he does. He is bright and willing to offer his help in the classroom to both students and teachers. Alex is clear in his communication and pushes himself to go further in his academics.  When Alex submits his work, it is of the highest quality and thoughtfully completed.

Tatum Kennedy - Tatum is always friendly to her peers in the classroom. She's a hard worker and goes above and beyond to help other students in class when she can. Tatum comes to class ready to learn and be a positive influence on others. 

Maple House:

Nora Fondie - Nora shows Saints PRIDE everyday in class by working hard, asking questions to clarify her understanding, and turning in work on time.  Nora is respectful to her classmates and her teachers and is an excellent role model for her classmates.

Rachel Salfer - Rachel shows Saints PRIDE in class by doing her best for any task she is given.  She is always smiling and has an amazing attitude toward school and her learning.  Rachel is a classmate that can work well with any of her peers on projects and activities.

Pine House: 

Emily Sustaita - Emily is always demonstrating SAINTS PRIDE.  She has a great attitude and is always willing to help out in anyway possible.  Students enjoy working with her and look to her as a leader in the classroom.

Drake Smuder - Drake is a very hard-working student both in the classroom and throughout the building.  He demonstrates all the attributes to be successful as a person and student. He is constantly helping others and is very patient in all situations that he is involved in.  Students look to Drake to be a leader both academically and socially throughout the day.

 

Each month, teachers will be nominating two students from their house who show Saints PRIDE to become our school’s All Stars.

These are students who show Preparedness, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Empathy in their learning, attitude, and behavior. The following students have been nominated for the month of September. Congratulations and keep up the amazing work!

SPRUCE HOUSE:

Rahaf Salim - Rahaf is a hard worker, goes above expectations, and helps others. She shows determination in everything she does.

Carter Dale - Carter is a standout student. He is always showing Saints Pride in everything he does. He a great role model for all students

OAK HOUSE:

Isaih Hesse - Isaih is a hardworking and conscientious student. During Saints Time he uses his time well, staying focused until his work is complete. He will volunteer to help teachers and students with anything they may need. He also has a great sense of humor and smile.

Kaylee Dimmel - Kaylee is a very responsible student. She is always prepared and works hard in class. Kaylee is also very respectful of her peers and is willing to help them when needed.

MAPLE HOUSE

CJ King - CJ is an awesome student who works hard to accomplish expectations in the classroom. He is polite and helpful to teachers and classmates, always showing positivity and leadership.

Annika Southworth - Annika has shown much maturity as a 7th grader, staying on top of her assignments when it comes to participating in sporting events. She is always asking questions to clarify her learning and showing her best effort in everything she does. Annika is a student who is willing to help her classmates.

PINE HOUSE

Belle Putz - Belle is always prepared for class. She works well with everyone, and she is always inquisitive. She is passionate, respectful, and remains positive. All students respect Belle and her opinion. She gets along with everyone and is fun to have in class.

Lauren Jacobson - Lauren is always working hard. She gives her best effort and is always prepared for class. She works well with others and is always respectful to everyone in the class and in the hallways. She gets along with all students and is a great person as well.

Saint Peter Middle School seventh graders took part in the annual Courage Retreat on October 29 at Johnson Hall at the Nicollet County Fairgrounds, with more than 30 student leaders from Saint Peter High School also on hand to help out.

The high-energy, interactive retreat, which is facilitated each year by Youth Frontiers, focused on creating a more positive school community by engaging students in a variety of activities that build students’ empathy skills and teach safe ways to help prevent bullying.

“Our school believes that to do well, students need to be comfortable with who they are and feel physically and emotionally safe,” Michelle Doose, Saint Peter Middle School counselor, said. “In this effort to create a safe and caring culture, we bring in Youth Frontiers to inspire students to follow their hearts rather than follow the crowd.”

Since 1987 Youth Frontiers, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis, has been delivering programs to build positive school communities that help young people realize the importance of respecting themselves and others. Their vision is to change the way young people treat each other in every hallway, lunch line and classroom of every school in America so that today’s young people make tomorrow’s world better.  Last year, Youth Frontiers worked with nearly 100,000 students and educators throughout the country.

“These retreats affect so many kids because these conversations really make them stop and think about their belief system, their attitudes, their behavior, their interactions,” Doose said. “It's always interesting to see the impact of this event on our students.”