Education News

St. Thomas Aquinas School announced its fourth quarter honor roll.
Principal List: Sixth grade — Blair Johnson; eighth grade — Brittany Fisher, Kelsey Eibler, Emma Rud.
A honor roll: Fourth grade — Ethan Phung; fifth grade — Ben Humbert, Kameron Koerbitz, Cole Miggins; sixth grade — Jakob Ettestad; seventh grade — Emily Phung.

By MICHELLE INGLE, KOOTASCA Head Start

Playgrounds are a wonderful way for children to get the exercise and fresh air they need.
Each year, however, an estimated 200,000 children are seen in emergency rooms because of injuries sustained on playgrounds. While all injuries will not be avoided, there are many things that adults should be aware of to help keep kids safe.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees reelected David Olson, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, as board chair.
Ruth Grendahl was elected vice chair and Scott Thiss as treasurer. Their one-year terms begin Aug. 1.

Student awarded scholarship
Christa Landmark, of International Falls, was awarded the Dorothy Fear Walter Memorial Scholarship for the 2008-09 school year at South Dakota State University.
Landmark is a sophomore majoring in human development and family studies. At SDSU, she is active in women’s track and field, Student Athletic Advisory Council and the Phi Upsilon Omicron National Honor Society for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Student graduates from BSU

Millions of teens lose themselves in a book every day. Jadelle Bjorkquist, an avid reader, has the opportunity to lose herself in a million books every day. Bjorkquist is working at the International Falls Public Library for the summer.

Students named to dean’s list
The following local students were named to the spring semester dean’s list at Bemidji State University. Students with 12 or more semester hours who earned at least a 3.25 grand point average are listed on the dean’s list.
Big Falls — Gina Lumppio, Courtney Nelson, Nathan Hufnagle.
International Falls — Brittany Bolstad, Brittany Bothman, Harold Dokken, Emily Halla, Joshua Hardy, Whitney Mostad, Andrea Pautz, Paul Peterson, Jaime LeDuc.
Littlefork — Samantha Anderson, Leah DeLack, Aaron Erickson, William Miles, Daidrie Petersen, Katie Peterson.

By MICHELLE INGLE, KOOTASCA Head Start

With the busy lives of families, many of us are eating on the run. The quick drive-thru window seems to get used a lot when children are involved in so many activities and both parents are working full time.
Not surprisingly, research shows that family dinners are healthier than grabbing whatever is available while you are running out the door. A family meal usually contains more vegetables, calcium, iron, and less salt and fat.

Littlefork student graduates
Tanya N. Donahou, of Littlefork, graduated from Boston University in May. She received a bachelor of arts in biology and English and graduated magna cum laude.

Student named to dean’s list
Amanda Barras was named to the dean’s list at St. Scholastica. She is majoring in the Ojibwe language.
Barras is currently working as the head counselor at a summer camp. She is planning to teach at Fond du Lac next spring.
She is the daughter of James “Soup” and Jodi Barras, of International Falls.

Dorothy Johnson received a scholarship from the Vinland Lodge, Sons of Norway, International Falls, to attend an instrumental band camp.
She is scheduled to attend the Bemidji State University Summer MusiCamp July 13-19.
As a flutist, she is expected to study and perform during the week under Del Lyren, director of bands at BSU. Students play in small ensembles and large groups and receive private instruction from BSU music faculty. Concerts and recitals are presented at the end of the camp.

By TONI WILCOX, Project READ

April showers bring May flowers. Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
Old sayings and nursery rhymes are important tools in building your child’s early reading skills. While reading to children every day is important, no matter what you enjoy reading together, rhymes help your child detect differences in the sounds that make up words. Researchers call this phonological awareness.
Here are some tips to help your young child play with sounds in words and make learning to read easier.