2022 Favorite Stories

As we enter the final few days of the year, we’re looking back and reflecting on all we have to celebrate in School District 197. Here are our 12 favorite district stories from 2022—click through for the full gallery, and read each caption for all the fun details.

  1. Swearing in of new School District 197 School Board members—Marcus Hill, Sara Larsen, Jon Vaupel.
  2. Mendota Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Mary Gilsdorf nominated and selected for the Intermediate School District 917 Inclusive Educator Award for the 2021-2022 school year, for her work to support the inclusion of the unique learners that are served at Mendota.
  3. Friendly Hills counselors, staff and cultural liaisons hold event celebrating National African-American Parent Involvement Day. Students and families visited various stations set up for making bracelets, flag painting, and crafts. 
  4. Pilot Knob STEM Magnet School recognized as a 2021-22 Project Lead The Way Launch Distinguished School. This recognition means Pilot Knob has shown commitment to helping students own their education by increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in the PLTW Launch program.
  5. The MarineTeam at Heritage brought back their annual MarineTeam Open House for 700+ community members. 
  6. Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School hosted its first-ever kindness fundraiser, where students raised money by completing acts of kindness in the community. In just three weeks, students completed 2,684 acts of kindness!
  7. The Two Rivers High School Class of 2022 graduated and moved on to their next journey in life. We couldn’t be more proud of our Warriors!
  8. Branch Out Transition Program students hosted a pop-up boutique and sold hand-made dog-themed products and treats.
  9. Somerset students welcomed a smaller group of older adults for the first SPIFF get-together in over two years. The two generations met for a scaled-down “mini SPIFF” version of the program, and got to know each other by asking questions and doing crafts together.
  10. Older and younger students connected on Future Warriors Day, where students from Two Rivers High School visit elementary schools to share messages of pride, spirit, teamwork, and getting involved in the community.
  11. Garlough students painted a new mural inside the Charlton Street Underpass of Dakota County Parks River to River Greenway. This project was a collaboration with Garlough students guided by two Minneapolis artists, and has the support of Dakota County Parks, Dakota County Public Arts Citizen Advisory Committee, and Dodge Nature Center.
  12. Preschoolers at the Early Learning Center enjoying a visit from the Heritage String Orchestra. At School District 197 we believe community is important and moments like these create lasting memories for both our older and younger students.

Thank you to all of our staff, volunteers and families who make these special moments possible for our students. What are your favorite school-related memories from 2022? Share them in the comments!  #TogetherWeThrive197

Swearing in of new School District 197 School Board members—Marcus Hill, Sara Larsen, Jon Vaupel.

Mendota Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Mary Gilsdorf nominated and selected for the Intermediate School District 917 Inclusive Educator Award for the 2021-2022 school year, for her work to support the inclusion of the unique learners that are served at Mendota.

Students and families visited various stations set up for making bracelets, flag painting, and crafts. 

This recognition means Pilot Knob has shown commitment to helping students own their education by increasing student access, engagement, and achievement in the PLTW Launch program.

The MarineTeam at Heritage brought back their annual MarineTeam Open House for 700+ community members. 

In just three weeks, students completed 2,684 acts of kindness!

The Two Rivers High School Class of 2022 graduated and moved on to their next journey in life. We couldn’t be more proud of our Warriors!

Branch Out Transition Program students hosted a pop-up boutique and sold hand-made dog-themed products and treats.

The two generations met for a scaled-down “mini SPIFF” version of the program, and got to know each other by asking questions and doing crafts together.

Older and younger students connected on Future Warriors Day, where students from Two Rivers High School visit elementary schools to share messages of pride, spirit, teamwork, and getting involved in the community.

This project was a collaboration with Garlough students guided by two Minneapolis artists, and has the support of Dakota County Parks, Dakota County Public Arts Citizen Advisory Committee, and Dodge Nature Center.

At School District 197 we believe community is important and moments like these create lasting memories for both our older and younger students.