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The student news site of Stillwater Area High School

The Pony Express

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The student news site of Stillwater Area High School

The Pony Express

Related Content
The student news site of Stillwater Area High School

The Pony Express

Video Production teacher Debbie Drew sits in her office planning for her new English and Film class. She is starting the class with her English colleague Andrew Smith.

Debbie Drew, Andrew Smith create new English class

Bennet Lacska, Graphics Editor January 25, 2025

Next school year, English teacher Andrew Smith and video production teacher Debbie Drew will start a new English and Film class. The class will focus on modern literature and film studies and help seniors...

Concurrent enrollment provides students with new way to earn college credits

Concurrent enrollment provides students with new way to earn college credits

Jack Howell, Online Editor January 24, 2025

Next year, concurrent enrollment will expand at the high school to replace some of the AP courses. Concurrent enrollment is another pathway towards post secondary education, diverging from AP and PSEO...

Integration Coordinator Jacquelene Bayless and Caitlyn Willis Executive Director of Elementary Education present on the identity harm protocol to the school board on Dec. 17, 2024.  Before Bayless started sharing, there were several community members who tried to oppose this protocol.

District leader proposed new identity harm protocol

Andrew Linnell, Layout Editor January 24, 2025

Identity Harm Protocol is a protocol that is put in place to help protect students through out the district. This protocol is put in place to make students feel welcome and safe in all parts of the building....

Students in their AP US History class are working hard on their history work. They spend the whole class period trying to get every bit of work done. AP classes will no longer  have weighted grades fall for 2025

All college credit classes become unweighted in 2025

Layla Hill, Graphics Editor January 24, 2025

The state of Minnesota passed a new educational law that states that PSEO and AP classes have to have the same weight in GPA because they are both college credit classes. As of next school year, AP classes...

Sophomore Dustin Jurca puts his phone in the cell-phone caddy before class. The cell-phone caddy has been the high school's cellphone policy this year.

High school implements new cellphone policy

Caleb Gustafson, Photography Editor January 24, 2025

In May 2024, the Minnesota legislature passed a law requiring all school districts to adopt a cellphone policy by March 2025. While the deadline is in March, many schools across Minnesota implemented...

Environmental biology teacher Peter Stenross helps tree club members learn how to use the aquaponics table. This is one of the many things that the tree club does during their meetings.

New Tree Club helps clean and care for the environment

Mack Morrow, Photo Editor January 23, 2025

Juniors Bennett Balok and Rex Albiston started a new club called Tree Club. This new club's focus is caring for the environment and cleaning up around the Stillwater area. The club's advisor is environmental...

Junior Kylie McDermott does yoga with her mindful literacy peers. Mindful literacy students have yoga days every Friday, which means that once a week, they get to go to the wrestling gym for stretches and stress-relief.

Jill Rusignuolo creates a new mindful literacy class, exciting students

Elena Majeski, Layout Editor/Photographer November 25, 2024

Recently, Jill Rusignuolo, AP Language and Composition and English 11 teacher, has created a new Mindful Literacy class for students grades 10–12. The first batch of classes is starting this year. With...

This image shows the start of the school day at 7:40 a.m. This will change next year to 8:30 a.m. due to the new thoughts on how much sleep is needed for teens.

High school changes to an 8:30 a.m. start time next fall

Shaeffer Watson, Business Editor November 25, 2024

Studies show students need 8-10 hours of sleep to be better rested and take on a full school day, this can make teens be more prepared for their day. An 8:30 a.m. start time could be the difference between...

The 2024 yearbook, the Kabekonian, which won the Pictavo top 100 award. Seniors work collaboratively to get the yearbook put together and out to students before the year ends.

Kabekonian wins a top 100 award

Charlotte Hanson, Political Cartoonist November 25, 2024

The 2024 senior students have already graduated. Some are in college, studying and preparing for their future careers. But their efforts at the high school are still being recognized, because the 2024...

Social studies teacher Matthew Bergquist teaches his AP Gov students. Bergquist hopes to use data from the mock election in his classes.

Social studies classes to host mock elections

Wesley Voigt, Political Cartoonist October 9, 2024

Social studies classes are preparing for the upcoming student mock elections. Teachers have been preparing the steps for a mock election, such as Matthew Bergquist, AP Government & Economics teacher....

During Oct. 2 office hours, these signs were posted outside of hallways, and similar ones just outside the main office. Students were being welcomed into the lunchroom and it helped keep classrooms focused, quiet and calm.

New office hours policy enforced for student learning

Madi Ruchie, Layout Editor-in-Chief October 1, 2024

For the past few years office hours have been held as an early release schedule. Recently, faculty had seen a few aspects challenging office hours’ composition. Administration knows, however, office...

Bob Manning works hard on Planning Pathways Day.  He's enjoying the company from another colleague here.

Pathways Coordinators launch Pathways day October 24

Areannah Miller, Layout Editor October 1, 2024

Pathways Day offers valuable insight into post-high school opportunities for all students. Pathways Day provides high school students with an entire day dedicated to exploring post-secondary options and...

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