Central Public Schools - Education Is Central

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Racheal Holland -City of Residence: Young America -How long have you lived in the district? 18 years -What is your occupation? Attorney, mom and wife -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? Public service by citizens of varying backgrounds, perspectives and ideologies is important for our democracy at all levels of government. I want to serve my community as a school board member because I want to ensure our children are receiving the best educational and social experiences possible at Central. -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? Fresh perspective, common sense, and the ability to advocate for the desires of our children, their parents and community members. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? The speed of technology and AI, and accountability of students, teachers, parents and administration to one another and the curriculum.

Students and teachers have gotten into a great rhythm so far this school year and we love seeing learning in action!

Check out all the awesome things happening with community education this week: 9/17- 3rd-6th Youth Football practice @ HS Field 6pm 9/17- K-6th Soccer practice @ Friendship Park 5:30pm 9/17- Gentle Yoga @ Fieldhouse 6:30pm 9/18- Adult Pickleball League @ Fieldhouse 6:30pm 9/18- 5th/6th Volleyball practice @ HS Gym 6:30pm 9/18- Cross Country Running Club @ HS 3:30pm 9/19- 3rd-6th Football practice @ HS Field 6pm 9/19- Family Fun Night @ Elementary School 5pm 9/21- Youth Soccer Games @ Friendship Park & off-site locations 9/21- 5th/6th Football Games @ Waconia 9am

Let’s celebrate another inductee into the Raider Hall of Fame! Cathy Gruenhagen (Oelfke) graduated from Central in 1990 and participated in a variety of activities during her time in high school including homecoming committee, German club, prom committee, band, track, C-Club, and basketball. During her freshman year in 1987 she was part of the 4x100M relay team that set a school record of 49.38 and earned first in state. She says that running came naturally to her and that she loved playing sports and found that track helped her release the anxiety she felt by being in a bigger school than she was used to in her experience at a small private school. “I was lucky to run track with Brigette and Sheila cause we all grew up in Hamburg and went to the same school,” said Cathy. “Track and field was a big part of growing up in a small town like Hamburg. So coming to Central was scary to say the least and my mom was last an elementary teacher there so everyone knew my mom but didn’t really know me.” She said that friends, teachers, and coaches all played a role in shaping who she was and encouraging her throughout high school. “Mr. Hanson was a great coach he would push you to your highest potential and made sure you were conditioned and our handoffs were perfect,” said Cathy. “I also played basketball and Mr. Lemke is another great coach. A great coach makes a great team!” Cathy is married to Shane Gruenhagen and has worked at Carver County full time for the past 18 years. She says she loves being a mom, wife, and dog mom and wants the world to be a better place for her kids. Get your tickets to the Raider Rally and help us honor the first year of the Central Hall of Fame: https://108raiderrally.com/

Don’t forget to get out and cheer on the Central Raiders this week! Photo courtesy of Sports Central. https://wcconference.org/public/genie/16/school/13911/date/2024-09-12/view/week/

Here is what's happening in Central Raiders Athletics this week! 9/16/24 - 9/21/24 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hb-N-1f5gTHtxfaIsODMzw09etaXszU1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117579303926297976321&rtpof=true&sd=true

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. - Candidate Name: Kyle Strickfaden - City of Residence: Norwood Young America - How long have you lived in the district? 21 years - What is your occupation? Assistant Controller - Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? I've had the privilege of serving on the school board since January 2020. A lot of positive change has happened since that time, and I want to continue to be a part of the momentum of making Central a great school for our community. - What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? Fiscal responsibility and commitment to do what's right for our district. - What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? In Minnesota, the way special education is currently funded needs to be revised. It's putting a lot of stress on the general funds of districts our size.

Central Volleyball plays host to HLWW tonight for a WCC West Match up. C & JV - 5:30 PM Varsity - 7:00 PM Get your tickets here: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/CQHY Streaming Link: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mn/norwood-young-america/organization/10583/central-high-school

Students at Central Elementary are jumping, pushing, and running in PE class to get strong and ready to take on their educational journeys!

Let’s spotlight another inductee into the Raider Hall of Fame! Nick Mackenthun graduated from Central High School in 2008 and was involved with sports including baseball, football, and wrestling. He was a captain on the football team his senior year and was also named the Offensive MRC Lineman of the year. He also had great achievements in wrestling his senior year including wrestling all conference and a 33-2 record. During wrestling he had a 90 win record overall for his four years. He was Homecoming king in 2008 and was a state entrant for wrestling his senior and sophomore years. His parents are Clayton and Trule Mackenthun from Hamburg and he has two brothers, Jason and Jared. Nick lives in Hamburg with this wife Heather and six-year-old son Tanner. He works at Sackett Waconia as a shop lead to support the agricultural industry and enjoys spending time with his family in his free time as well as his bowling league and softball team. Get your tickets to the Raider Rally and help us honor the first year of the Central Hall of Fame: https://108raiderrally.com/

Check out the Central Raider Spirit Store for the latest looks so you can cheer on our students in style!

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Troy Krueger -City of Residence: Norwood Young America -How long have you lived in the district? All my life -What is your occupation? Logistics Manager -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? I want to help the school grow. Now that we have the new addition we need to figure out how to get enrollment up. I also want to be a voice for the taxpayers of the district. -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? I have 20 plus years in business operations, I can be a voice for the people of the district. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? I believe we need to get back to the basics. I believe we need to instill life lessons. Technology is a great thing. But if we don’t teach the simple things how to survive the day to day, kids will struggle. Not every kid is going to go to college. So we need to prepare kids who want to continue on with education but we also need to prepare the ones who want to enter the workforce.

Headed to Wells, MN tonight for the USC vs. Central football game? Get your tickets ahead of time: https://gofan.co/app/school/MN12958 If you can't make it, watch here - Live Stream Link: https://www.youtube.com/@uscrebels1464 Rebels vs. Raiders will kick off at 7:00 PM!

Come on out to the Stadium for a 4:00 Girls Soccer match against Loyola Catholic School. Here are your game day links: Raider Tickets: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/CQBX Streaming Link: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mn/norwood-young-america/organization/10583/central-high-school

Elementary students will have picture day next Thursday. More information will be coming home with students!

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. -Candidate Name: Jesse Hackbarth -City of Residence: Norwood Young America -How long have you lived in the district? Nine years -What is your occupation? Self Employed General Contractor -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? To keep the school moving in the right direction and to keep our small town values within our school system. -What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? I'm a hands-on person. I'm not afraid of hard work. -What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? I feel that the government is the biggest threat to our kids' education.

Last chance alert! If you haven't ordered you Homecoming T-shirt yet, you have until 10 p.m. tonight (Thursday, Sept. 12). Let's cheer on the Raiders as they take on the Cleveland Clippers on October 4 in the Homecoming Game! https://isd108.revtrak.net/homecoming-ts/

It’s time for another Raider Hall of Fame Inductee Spotlight! Steve Kurtz graduated in 1989 and was very active during high school, participating in Football, Wrestling, Baseball, and Track throughout the years. He was the 145 lb champion his senior year and also wrestled on the All-Conference team. After high school he attended Anoka Technical College for small engine repair while wrestling at Anoka Community College until 1991. He then attended Detroit Lakes Technical College for two years to continue to learn about engine repair focused on marine engines. After he graduated in 1993, his first job was at Prior Lake Marine for four years until he took a job with Marine Innovations, a extended warranty company for marine products. He went back to Prior Lake after two years under a different name Excel Motorsports and worked there until the company closed In 2001. “I called St Boni Motorsports for a job and started working in the summer of 2001 and still working there today, “My wife also graduated from Central in 1990 and we Live in Hamburg so my children also went to Central High School.” He looks back at his time in high school fondly and knows all of the hard work his teachers and coaches put in. “Special thanks to my parents for putting up with us, and bringing us to all the Tournaments growing up along with my teammates' parents,” said Steve. “My coaches Mr. Clark, Mr. Damman, Mr.Teitz, Mr. Rasmussen, and Mr. Iverson all made a huge impact on me and all my teammates would push each other all the time on the mat and off.” Get your tickets to the Raider Rally and help us honor the first year of the Central Hall of Fame: https://108raiderrally.com/

Central Public Schools ISD 108 will have four school board seats on the ballot during the Nov. 5, 2024 election. As a way to introduce each candidate to the community, the district has collected responses on questions from each candidate and will share one candidate a day (Monday-Friday) on social media ahead of early voting which begins on Friday, Sept. 20. Posts will be shared in the order that candidates will appear on the Ballot which was a result of a randomized selection process. You can view all candidate responses here: https://www.isd108.org/article/1715982 Responses have been minimally edited for formatting and clarity and all content and viewpoints are of the respective candidate. - Candidate Name: Spencer Kelly - City of Residence: Norwood Young America - How long have you lived in the district? We have lived in NYA for nine years. My wife Becky (Flusemann) grew up in Norwood and graduated from Central. -What is your occupation? I am currently a Senior Financial Analyst. Previously I held positions as an Engineering Manager, Project Manager and Control Systems Engineer. I have worked at the same Industrial Automation company for 19+ years! -Why do you want to be a member of the ISD 108 School Board? I believe in the power of a high quality public education for every child in our district. I want to serve this community and have a positive impact on its future. Becky and I have two girls just starting school. It is important to me to be a part of their journey through our public schools. Our oldest will be attending Kindergarten at Central Elementary this fall and our youngest will be starting Central Public Preschool. Being a new parent to the district with kids just getting started will give me a unique perspective on our schools. - What qualities will you bring to the board if elected? Experience in Finance, Empathy and Understanding, Project Management, Problem Solving As a Senior Financial Analyst I work with complex budgets that involve multiple revenue streams and sources of expenditure. I will be able to understand the district budget and sources of funding and make recommendations for its thoughtful use. My experience managing projects and negotiating contracts will allow me to support ongoing and future projects in the school district. The empathy and understanding of people that I gained as an Engineering Manager will allow me to build relationships with parents, teachers, administration and other stakeholders in the district. At heart I am an engineer and problem solver. I can weigh both sides of an issue and make an informed decision based on facts. - What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today? Preparing our kids for the path that fits them best after school. College isn’t the right choice for everyone. We should continue to develop relationships with local manufacturing, the trades, and small businesses to promote the wide range of career possibilities out there. Specific to the Central Public schools we need to deliver a return on our recent referendum and new facilities by increasing enrollment and making Central a destination district.

We are one week into the 2024-25 school year and it’s off to a great start! Thank you to all of the families and community members who partner with our schools to support students!