Catching up with Luverne Public Schools

We are off to a fantastic start of the school year and everything seems to be running smoothly on all fronts, so I’d like to share some thoughts regarding the Luverne Public School.
A question I have heard several times this fall already is about Thursday night football games.
The answer is very simple: Officials.
The number of officials in the state and the area has dwindled to the point of urgency. There are not enough of them to cover all the Friday night contests.
Therefore, games are being played on Thursdays, and in some cases, even Saturday afternoons or evenings.
The crew we hosted for the Windom home football game Thursday night had already done an afternoon game. They were scheduled for two more games on Friday afternoon and evening, and another on Saturday — five games in three days.
My message to everyone that is reading this is two-pronged.
One is, lay off the officials during games.
They are doing their very best to call the games and officiate with respect to the rules. If spectators continue to act irresponsibly, this gives officials an opportunity to quit. It is not worth the headache and the fun gets taken away.
Secondly, get involved.
Become an official. It takes some time and effort and some investment to buy the gear and equipment needed, but it is greatly needed to continue educating our students beyond the classroom.
If you have an interest, talk to a school official. We can get you pointed in the right direction and get you in touch with some veteran officials that can mentor you.
Officials are needed in all areas of activities from speech to volleyball, hockey to mock trial, and everything in between.
 
Mental health, wellness through Project 11
Another topic that continues to surface is mental health and wellness.
The Luverne Public School addresses this issue with curriculum from Project 11. The district received this curriculum through the Max Foundation.
It focuses on mental wellness and assisting students on various topics that are age appropriate and addressing them at grade level.
The Project 11 curriculum spans grades K-12 and is the brainchild of the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club of the NHL.
It is researched-based and is the mental health and wellness curriculum used across the entire province of Manitoba. It covers anxiety, sadness, anger, self-esteem, conflict resolution, self -harm and more.
One thing I really appreciate about the curriculum is that we’re able to pick and choose topics that are time appropriate.
In other words, the lessons do not have to be taught sequentially. They can be taught based on things happening within a classroom or grade level or perhaps within a community or based on a national tragedy.
Recently, our community was shaken with another young adult suicide.
This hits to the core of Project 11, which was created because a young adult hockey player in the Winnipeg Jets organization ended his life by suicide. This individual was a close friend of the general manager and assistant general manager of the Jets.
I commend the Jets organization for not only tackling a tough subject but also recognizing the importance of education of young people in the current climate of mental health and wellness.
The Max Foundation generously purchased books for the Project 11 curriculum. Because of the tie to the Max Foundation, the Luverne Public School was able to get the entire curriculum for no cost.
Locally, the friends and family of Carson Ehde have started “Carson’s Cause” through the Luverne Area Community Foundation and have pledged future support for Project 11.
Also, Tim Connell and Jeff Haubrich contributed funds to the Max Foundation based on the number of saves the goalie makes for both the boys’ and girls’ hockey team last winter.
Project 11 can be found in several other schools in Minnesota including Warroad, Roseau, Menagha, Greenbush-Middle River and Climax.
 
Schools minimally impacted by staff shortages
We hear about shortages across the country in all facets of life, business and industry.  Education is also being impacted by staff shortages. Bus drivers, cooks, secretaries, custodians, paraprofessionals, teachers and administrators are all in short supply.
Luverne is fortunate that we have been fully staffed throughout the entire time during the last 2.5 years.
Not all schools can say that. We certainly will continue to have needs and hope that we can continue to fill all the positions as needed.
Again, I urge you, if you are inclined to be a part of ISD 2184, step forward and inquire.
I offer up an opinion, in that our entire nation needs to change the narrative about public education and start celebrating the wonderful things happening each and every day in our public schools.
Luverne has some amazing things that students do on a daily basis. We also have a tremendous staff that works hard to provide the educational opportunities that are afforded our students.