This school year's fall production of Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast" will take to the stage the this weekend with showtimes set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21; Friday, Nov. 22; and Saturday, Nov. 23, and a special matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24.

Scott Hermanson is co-directing this year’s fall musical along with Karen Steinhoff, while Robbie Deering is the director of choreography. The technical directors are Mike Reeser and Deering.

Tickets will be available for purchase online by going to https://stpeter.epaytrak.com/ or in person through the Saint Peter Community and Family Education office in the Community Center (600 South Fifth Street, room 207).

Based on the smash hit 1991 Disney movie and dating back to a late 18th-century classic French fairy tale, according to StageAgent.com, “‘Beauty and the Beast’ tells the story of Belle, a beautiful and intelligent young woman who feels out of place in her provincial French village. When her father is imprisoned in a mysterious castle, Belle’s attempt to rescue him leads to her capture by the Beast, a grisly and fearsome monster, who was long ago trapped in his gruesome form by an enchantress. The only way for the Beast to become human once again is if he learns to love and be loved in return. There is a time limit, too: once a magical rose loses all of its petals, all hope will be lost and he will stay a Beast forever. The Beast’s enchanted household--populated by such beloved characters as Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Chip--watch anxiously as Belle and the Beast grow to understand and befriend one another. Their feelings grow ever deeper as the clock ticks and petals continue to fall off the enchanted rose--will they confess their love for one another before it is too late?”

 

BEAUTY & THE BEAST CAST & CREW LIST

(CAST)
Narrator - Aubry Landsom
Young Man/Beast - Liam Dixon
Enchantress - Aubry Landsom
Belle - Katie Engeldinger
Maurice - Jaden Neubauer
Gaston - Noah Faulstich
Lefou - Konrad Wernsing
Monsier D’Arque - Matt Frank
Cogsworth - Josh Ellerbeck
Lumiere - Matt Springer
Babette - Breeley Ruble
Mrs. Potts - Gloria Toupence
Chip - Vaughn Wernsing
Madame De La Grande Bouche - Eleanor Winterfeldt
Silly Girl 1 - Eva Kracht
Silly Girl 2 - Marina Sawyer
Silly Girl 3 – Madison Abels
Ensemble - (Villagers, Servants, Gaston’s cronies, flatware, etc. - listed alphabetically) -- Megan Beran, John Borgmeier, Michael Connor, Anders Dixon, Lily Deming, Brad Doherty-Bohn, Sarah Fadness, Gavin Fuller, Isabeau Fuller, Sky Gassman, Ian Gerstbauer, Ella Gilbertson, Breanna Hagen, Mia Hansen, Bryan Harroun, Jonathan Haas, Liliana Hughes, Eleanor Kennedy, Kia Maas, Julia Marlow, Lauren Niemeyer, Penelope Panciera, Charles Redmond, Adrik Rojas-Malledo, Hailey Schmidt, Miranda Seham, Rowan Snay, Lillie Sund, Madelyn Tollefson, Cheyenna Torbenson, Warren Wernsing, Gabe Wilson.

(TECHNICAL CREW)
Stage Manager -- Ethan Niemeyer
Assistant Stage Manager -- Hannah Wohlers
Assistant Stage Manager/Rigging -- Ben Obermiller
Lights -- Haydon Grams, Jack Leonard
Sound -- Bennett Combs, Wesley Toupence
Props Manager -- Ben Moberg
Shift Crew -- Bailey Grant, Milena Lund, Autumn Pauly, Colton Abels, Madi Winsell, Garrison Rushing
Followspots -- Amelia Dickie, Audrey Kennedy, Kaylee Moreau, Eryn Roemhildt
Tech Construction -- Colton Abels, Madison Abels, Kevin Castaneda, Anders Dixon, Will Elias, Breanna Hagen, Nathan Holmbo, Noah Faulstich, Bailey Grant, Eleanor Kennedy, Emily Kienholz, Aubry Landsom, Lauryn Oberlander, Milena Lund, David Marlow, Ben Obermiller, Garrison Rushing, Magnus Soderlund, Ben Taylor, Madelyn Tollefson, Gloria Toupence, and Wesley Toupence

 

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.

Program to be held in SPHS Performing Arts Center starting at 9:30 a.m.

St. Peter resident Mark W. Roemhildt, Commander, USN (retired), will be the guest speaker at the annual Veterans Day program at Saint Peter High School on Monday, Nov. 11. The program begins at 9:30 a.m. at the SPHS Performing Arts Center, and it is put on each year by the school’s social studies department.

All area veterans are welcome to attend, and a special reception for veterans will be held before the program. Donuts and coffee will be served in the Saint Peter Community Room, next to the commons area. The public is also invited to attend the program. 

Roemhildt is a native of St. Peter and graduated from St. Peter High School in 1987. He attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he earned his Commission as an Ensign through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program. He was designated as a Surface Warfare Officer and served on nearly every ship class in the US Navy. He completed multiple deployments around the world while conducting a wide variety of missions: he worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to intercept illegal narcotics bound for the United States; he was involved in the initial naval response while stationed in the Middle East following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and he was at the forefront of efforts to provide humanitarian aid to heavily damaged areas in Indonesia and Thailand following the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. He worked closely with the Korean Navy to plan for the defense of the Korean peninsula and he held a variety of positions with Military Sealift Command, which oversees the maritime movement of logistical materials globally.

He completed overseas assignments in the Middle East, Italy, Japan, Hawaii, and Singapore and earned a Master of Science from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Business Administration from North Central University.  He retired from the Navy in 2016 after 25 years of commissioned active duty service.

He is the son of a veteran, a brother of a veteran, and has six close family members who are also veterans.

Music for the program will be presented by the Saint Peter Concert Choir, under the direction of Scott Hermanson, and by the Saint Peter High School Concert Band, under the direction of Dave Haugh. Members of the William R. Witty American Legion Post 37 Color Guard will also participate.

A special veterans’ recognition will also be presented by SPHS Principal Annette Engeldinger honoring those SPHS alums who have served in the armed forces. 

PARKING INFO: Those attending the Veterans Day program are encouraged to park in the lots on the west side of the new SPHS building near the event (gym) entrance.

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.”  

Fifth & sixth graders travel to Lac du Bois near Bemidji to take part in variety of activities

Thirty-seven Saint Peter Middle School fifth and sixth grade French students spent time at Lac du Bois, located on the Turtle River near Bemidji, taking part in a variety of activities at the annual French camp the weekend of October 25-27.

“The students’ weekend was full of activities, inside and out, with great food and a lot of laughs,” Mary Behrends, group chaperone and recently retired SPMS/SPHS French teacher, said. “The theme for the weekend was based on Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, so it focused on the international presence of French.  

“Important financial support came from the legacy grant we recently received from the estate of Jeff Rosoff, former Gustavus Mathematics professor, a lifelong fan of all things French, and (I am glad to add) my friend,” Behrends added.

According to the Lac du Bois’ website, “We built the Lac du Bois site on Turtle River Lake near Bemidji, Minn., to make you feel as though you’ve magically happened upon a French village. The comfortable cabins and facilities are nestled in the beautiful North Woods of Minnesota. As unexpected as it is beautiful, every detail of this Village — from the mailboxes to the street signs to the menus — are authentic to Francophone countries.

“While we learn about France and its culture, we also focus on the many diverse French-speaking cultures around the world, and have staff from many Francophone countries who share with us their traditions. You will find a welcoming, supportive environment at Lac du Bois Bemidji where you will be encouraged to explore and try new things!”